Loving What You Do

May 1, 2006

When I say, it has been a busy spring for me, no doubt you will say "me, too." Why is it that we are all so busy when we have at our disposal all the conveniences imaginable? Our grandmothers heated their irons on a wood stove; today, most of our clothes and linens are "permanent press". Even our mothers reserved several ours a week to answer correspondence; but today we zip off many electronic letters in a single day. Thirty years ago, planting a spring garden took hours of planning and days to plant--not to mention weeks to wait until harvest; whereas, today we buy tomato plants that are loaded with green tomatoes that will ripen in a month or so; and if that's too long to wait, there are fresh markets and farmer's markets in every community.

But despite all that she had to do, my grandmother found time to sit down every afternoon in front of her old Olivetti typewriter and pound out a few lines of a poem, or prepare her weekly column for the Bladen Journal. She didn't wait until everything else was done, she stopped her chores and took that time to write. Let's all do that. At a certain time of day, let's all stop the endless running around and take time to write--or paint, or sing, or dance, or whatever it is you love to do but never have the time for. When we do, I believe we will all be happier human beings.

I have to stop now. I'm working on my new book, and loving it.

Carolyn

A New Year, A New Title

Resolutions, anyone? At the top of my list is finishing Book III of the Between the Rivers trilogy. I began "The Chosen Few" a year ago, but the start was premature. Not until I completed Bandeaux Creek could I really get into my new story. Now, I'm loving it--feeling the excitement--like unwrapping a gift. You writers know what I mean.

One of the joys of writing historical fiction is the discovery process. Not searching dusty of tomes of information, but establishing a historical time-line for the story and it's characters. Genealogy charts are a wonderful place to begin. The name of your character may be insignificant--even subject to change, but the facts of birth, life and death, of one particular individual make him who he is. Then, when you place him into the context of the time in which he lived, Viola! Add a new name and you have your discovered your new character.

This time around, I'm into the Thirties. I was born in the mid-thirties, a child of Depression era parents. This should be fun!

More later,

Carolyn

Holiday Greetings

A reader recently asked if the release of my new novel, Bandeaux Creek, meant that another book was on the way. I should hope so! Every writer has that "whew" moment when the manuscript gives berth to a book and the sales reflect acceptance for a thing that, until that moment, was just a wish and hope.

And then it's back to work. Because that's what writers do. We write. We create. To do anything else seems like a waste of time.

So yes... I'm working on the next novel. But it's always nice to hear that your current books are flying off store shelves. So consider Between the Rivers and Bandeaux Creek as Christmas presents this season. If your friends have an ounce of Southern in them, they'll love the books! Also give some thought to giving Aunt Mag's Recipe Book. It's the perfect hostess gift to drop off in the foyer for those Christmas parties.

More later,

Carolyn