How the book evolved

For those of you who have read book one, Connecting.  You might feel that the story abruptly ends, with a kind of cliff hanger effect, (One of my first reviews mentioned this) but there is really only one reason for this.  Apart from being an incredibly confused writer, after I had finished scribbling down the whole story of ‘I am GoD’ (all five parts) in a mad race, never looking back, fearing I would lose the inspiration, I realized there was no way I would ever finish it if I tried to write it as one book.  I needed to see steps.  I knew back then, perhaps 2016/17 I needed to break it up into sections if I was ever to finish it.

Having been a Charles Dickens fan in my youth, (strange kind of kid, I know – but most of my life has and still is, slightly odd) I remembered how he used to release his books in monthly installments.

Why couldn’t I do something similar?  I knew I could manage to write a novella within six months.  Five novellas and the story would be complete. 

Which is exactly what I am now doing.

Naturally, I try to make each book end in a finished fashion, like a chapter I suppose, with enough suspense to make you want to read the next part… when it is ready.  I have also tried to involve the title of each book into the story, as a kind of theme, that runs throughout it.

Added to which, I have been lucky enough to be able to send each chapter individually to be proofread.  My proof-reader has been with me for years.  From the very beginning, actually.  If she has kept all my emails, then she knows more about me than I do myself.  I don’t know why, but I tend to forget a lot of things.  A talent I picked up as a child I suppose; it is the ability to wipe away those parts of my life that looking back on, don’t make me smile.

I want this talent to die with me.

So Angela, (private message – smile) keep my emails, they’ve become my photographs!

What you, as the reader need to understand is, I have never met Angela. I cannot even remember how our working relationship began. (This part must be age as it is a happy memory. LOL) But I am glad that we did.  I sometimes wish my books would be successful simply to be able to meet her and her family.  Wouldn’t that be awesome!  Meeting the stranger who knows all about me, never gave up, and always found time for my text.  Which, held up against recent information, is truly amazing, as throughout the whole pandemic, she has never wavered in her help for the poor and needy in her area.

This leaves with me wordless.  I cannot find words to describe my level of respect for her.  I can only say thank you.

*** 

Back to Creation:

I also believe that this chapter by chapter correcting, has added to the book’s strength.  It has helped make each chapter more complete.  As a child I always enjoyed a story that allowed me to put the book down and sleep.  The story wasn’t over, but the chapter was.  Terry Pratchett’s books rarely do this.  Only a few of them have chapters.  I think his argument was: ‘life doesn’t have chapters; it just rolls on’.  (This is not a quote, so I could be wrong.) While Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is clearly divided, and apart from all the other amazing things the book has, each chapter contains an adventure.  It is a huge, breath taking, roller-coaster of entertainment.

I remind myself of this each time I finish a chapter.  Is it finished; does it stand alone?  I am not aspiring to be as good as J. K. Rowling, that would be ridiculous, there are cruise ships and then there are paddle boats.  (I’ll be quite happy being a paddle boat, thank you. smile) But I cannot find anything wrong with following her example and trying to make my own, small carousel.

One thing that I have done with my books, which I really do like, is I have managed to involve my own kids.

My daughter Linda designed the first cover, she was eleven at the time. (Proud daddy talking here.) She then later became the face of Jessie – as seen on the back of the second book.  Anthony, my son, became the face of the Indigenous. (The front of the third book.) The artwork and motives chosen, were painted by Linda.  We all had a lot of fun creating Jessie, and the Shaman.  

And it is their young hands that copy the famous painting by Michelangelo, ‘The Creation of Adam’ which are integrated into the cover of the fourth book.

As for the cover of the fifth and final book – I haven’t decided.  I probably will ask them both to draw something – and no matter what it is, I will take it, because I am more interested in sharing my life with my kids than worrying about someone else not being able to understand, it is the best cover the book could have.

Just like with the novellas, my reasoning for asking them to help is simple.  They our my kids and I want to share as much of my life with them as possible.  Perhaps if I were younger, I would think differently.  Perhaps I did. LOL.

Today, however, if no one ever reads my books, (I know my proof-reader has. smile) at least as a family, we had fun making them happen, painting are faces, researching the meanings behind the signs, and dressing up to be these characters.  Who knows, perhaps one day when they’re older they will remember all of this and do something similar with their kids.

Mine literally helped build our house. (But that’s another story.)

So as you can see, I haven’t written the book for fame, (I’m not saying it’s not probably really cool to be famous) but it’s more about me making memories and capturing time.  An example being: One day, my little girl will be all grown up; probably with children of her own, but Jessie, well she will be fifteen forever.

A beautiful, captured moment.