Of stumbling blocks, excuses and writer’s conferences. . .

…and pinky promises…

Dear Friends,

A little different blog post this time as I look forward to getting back on track.  I just survived a 4-day writer’s conference here in Colorado Springs.  I say "survived" because I was the moderator coordinator for almost 90 workshops and 28 amazing volunteers.  So, for me, it was a "working" conference.  Not to say I didn’t enjoy myself. 

But. . . just before conference began I realized that it’s been over a year since I had a finished product to show to the world.  A WHOLE YEAR????  That is not acceptable for the journeyman writer (hat tip StoryWonk for the term.)

I’m done kicking myself for that.  And besides, there was a sincere and binding pinky promise given to my good friend Trai Cartwright that this would not happen again, that there would be a new book by this time next year.  My goal is actually two.  And because this blog is so much a part of the Revive 1775 process, I am committed to two blog posts a week here as well. 

I think one of the reasons I struggled last year was that I couldn’t find the balance between fiction and fact in historical novels.  I so want to show the world these amazing people without embellishment.  But, frankly, that is impossible.  It’s impossible because these were real people with real lives.  Yet all that remains today to inform us that they even lived is a few sentences for many and a few pages for others.   

And so one of the take-aways from conference is that I am writing historical NOVELS.  I am writing FICTION.  Fiction informed by facts.  Facts that act as the scaffolding of these heroic stories.  It will be my job to make these people come to life.  It is an intimidating prospect.  A prospect that has kept me a bit frozen. 

No more!  I owe it to myself to be more productive.  I owe it to America to be more productive.  And, I owe it to these heroes and heroines that laid it all on the line for liberty.  I must be more productive.

Besides, pinky promises are serious things…

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