BREWING

I was heartened recently to read a comment by Maya Angelou that her book "Only a Caged Bird Sings" took six years to write, and three of them passed before putting fingers to keyboard. I resonated with this because as I press the keys to begin another book, I find the jungle of my mind too present, and the characters' voices somewhat distant, like distant relatives I've never met.

At this point I have opening paragraphs in first person, one in omniscient voice, and two in third person, as I feel out the flavor of this new plot. MEDICINE ROCK was relatively easy to know who-what-where-why and when: my life, my time frame, a sequential journal to follow, etc. But the new one is pure fiction, multiple layered, and there's a lot to "flesh out," as they say (horrible phrase, must have come from drawing).

To keep open and surrendered to the process, I've enrolled in a non-fiction course at the University of Montana. The text is "The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing," by Francis Flaherty (an editor at the NY Times). I haven't begun the class, but the book has been nudging my sleeping metaphors and raking through similes. For example, a character that is essentially passive needs to talk that way! Now in my galloping style of writing, that might have happened just because I can empathize with victims who hate making decisions and thrive on others' directions for their lives. But bringing this device to consciousness will ensure I make this a point, instead of a random act of dialogue.

I bought the book, used, through Amazon. I enjoyed leafing through it briefly to see it was in great shape. But later I ran into highlighting right where I would have underlined, so I guess the book's previous owner and I are "on the same page!" On a closer leafing through I note no more yellow lines; she must have given up, and just started writing!

A "purely fiction" class wasn't available, but so much is transferable that I'm impatient to start the first class. In the meantime I'm being reminded that my point of view is unique, that my sense of timing, choice of words, and how the plot is ultimately fashioned will lead to a reading adventure no one else could possibly write, but many others can deeply appreciate.

Publication date? 2017? Well, truth be known, I've already chewed on this bunch of characters, the setting and the plot for more than a year. But really, who's counting? Not them. Not me. Maybe my readers; but they'll have other great books from other artful writers in the meantime!