Blog #6, March, 2019

Welcome to March, and the cusp of Spring.   In our part of the country (Utah) the snow starts to melt and the temps begin to get much warmer.  Well, I have been keeping busy within the last month, doing more research for my WW I novel, getting in touch with Ed Lengel, the author of NEVER IN FINER COMPANY, a vivid history book about the Lost Battalion in WW I.   It is written in the tradition of David McCullough and Stephen Ambrose, historians who are also master storytellers, and spinners of authentic narratives.  Lengel is like that.   And an interesting author.

I am also branching out to seek more places to review my WW II novel, and to find more places to advertise as well.   Meanwhile, I continue to write the novel about WW I and a lot more of my time is spent working on short stories so that I may be able to expose my writing to more people.   It is amazing to be writing short literary fiction again after all these years of novel writing, and I am thoroughly enjoying the sharp focus of the shorter form, the challenge of drawing vivid, bold descriptions of characters in a relatively short space, and to explore the kinds of elements of fiction: theme, character, symbol, setting, and imagery, the elements that drew me to writing fiction in the first place, all those years ago.

I enjoy history, and sometimes think I missed my calling as an undergrad.  Instead of studying literature, perhaps I should have studied more history.  I doubt I’ll ever make a formal study of it now, but I really enjoy learning more about cultures and time periods other than my own.

To those of you of Irish descent, happy St. Paddy’s day this month, and look forward to warmer weather ahead.

 

As always,
Chris