First Place For The Big D
Book writing is a funny business.
I learned a long time ago to write about what I wanted to write about, and The Big D came at a weird time.
I felt it when Prince died. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because he was young and he was a star when I was growing up. It felt like people my age kinda’ knew him.
I had also just finished reading the book “Bucky F***ing Dent” by David Duchovny. In that book, (which was really good) there was a relationship between a father and a son. A complicated relationship.
I kinda’ stole that idea.
Then, I heard a Carpenters song on my I-pod.
Another idea.
And Iowa was the perfect place to set the story. I was driving through it when the ideas started flying around the inside of the rental car.
I had to pull over to grab my black notebook and I kind of left the real world for a little while as I thought about the lives of people I wanted to create, and for the first time, I wrote a lot of the book into the notes on my phone.
In airports, on airplanes, while watching Law & Order.
Then I typed it into the computer and forgot about it. It was done. I liked it. Moved onto the next one.
Then I ran into an old friend, and a faithful reader. She asked me to “hurry up and give her another book.”
That night I thought about it...
...the circle isn’t complete until the story is shared.
I reread it and thought, “this is good!”
I actually said it out loud to Kathy and she laughed.
“You’re weird.”
I contacted the artist...a regular genius...we got it done!
And then on Wednesday I got the news that it was voted the winner in the General Fiction Category at the New England Book Festival.
A highly competitive category at a pretty cool festival.
“Wow!” Was all I could muster.
And then I thought about Angelo, Angela and Aaron.
They’d become friends for a long while.
I was happy for them.
Okay...
...that is weird.
I learned a long time ago to write about what I wanted to write about, and The Big D came at a weird time.
I felt it when Prince died. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because he was young and he was a star when I was growing up. It felt like people my age kinda’ knew him.
I had also just finished reading the book “Bucky F***ing Dent” by David Duchovny. In that book, (which was really good) there was a relationship between a father and a son. A complicated relationship.
I kinda’ stole that idea.
Then, I heard a Carpenters song on my I-pod.
Another idea.
And Iowa was the perfect place to set the story. I was driving through it when the ideas started flying around the inside of the rental car.
I had to pull over to grab my black notebook and I kind of left the real world for a little while as I thought about the lives of people I wanted to create, and for the first time, I wrote a lot of the book into the notes on my phone.
In airports, on airplanes, while watching Law & Order.
Then I typed it into the computer and forgot about it. It was done. I liked it. Moved onto the next one.
Then I ran into an old friend, and a faithful reader. She asked me to “hurry up and give her another book.”
That night I thought about it...
...the circle isn’t complete until the story is shared.
I reread it and thought, “this is good!”
I actually said it out loud to Kathy and she laughed.
“You’re weird.”
I contacted the artist...a regular genius...we got it done!
And then on Wednesday I got the news that it was voted the winner in the General Fiction Category at the New England Book Festival.
A highly competitive category at a pretty cool festival.
“Wow!” Was all I could muster.
And then I thought about Angelo, Angela and Aaron.
They’d become friends for a long while.
I was happy for them.
Okay...
...that is weird.
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