| | What was your inspiration for your current project? | |
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alj Five Star Member
Number of posts : 9633 Registration date : 2008-12-05 Age : 80 Location : San Antonio
| Subject: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:29 am | |
| I had been playing around with the Redstone character for a quarter of a century, never thinking I might actually use the concept for something publishable. Then, thanks to Shelagh, I found myself looking for a travel story, and hit upon the plot and characters for "From Belfast to St. Joe." I've written about this here before, so forgive me for writing it again. I've spent a lot of time on sailboats, from small daysailers to 12 meters, but never anything the size of a tall ship (except for touring the docked Cutty Sark in Greenwich, England). I was having trouble getting the feel of being on such a large vessel, under sail, and decided to find a video of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. It was a huge help, and soon, the story was telling itself. But something else happened. I came across a fictional persona that quickly led me back to Redstone. After a bit more investigation, I had my Redstone persona, and my new muse. Here is the exact moment it happened: It is 1805. The HMS Surprise has been almost defeated by a French Man-of-War, the Acheron, a technologically superior ship, twice the size of the Surprise. In the captain's quarters, Capt. "Lucky Jack" Aubrey is conferring with his officers. Stephen Maturin, the ship's doctor, and Aubrey's closest frined, makes the comment: "By comparison, the Surprise is a somewhat aged man-of-war, am I not correct?" There is a shocked silence from the rest of the officers before Aubrey replies: "Would you call me an aged man of war, Doctor? The Surprise is not old. No one would call her old. She has a bluff bow, lovely lines - She's a fine seabird - weatherly, stiff, and fast - very fast, if she's well handled. No, she's not old. She's in her prime." All of a sudden, I felt that I was a fine seabird, too, not old, but in my prime. So, the Redstone Saga began anew, and I'm still writing. What are your inspiration stories and sources? Ann PS and BTW, For newcomers, mostly. there is no good emoticon for the practice of writing with one's tongue lodged in one's cheek, and I often do that, even when asking serious questions.
Last edited by alj on Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
| | | Abe F. March Five Star Member
Number of posts : 10768 Registration date : 2008-01-26 Age : 85 Location : Germany
| Subject: Re: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:14 am | |
| My current project is about a chid soldier. I'm anxious to glean all the information I can while he is still with us. I think our view of war changes when seen through the eyes of the warrior. Dick made an impression on me with his novel, "Normandy 1944". It did not glorify war. One could feel what it was like for the soldier trying to do his duty. The hell of war is worth understanding. |
| | | alj Five Star Member
Number of posts : 9633 Registration date : 2008-12-05 Age : 80 Location : San Antonio
| Subject: Re: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:26 am | |
| Tell me about it, Abe. When I was writing A Myth in Action,, I strove to contrast the war as related by Murphy, first-person, first hand, with the third-person histories as well as the memoirs of the generals and their aides.
Same battles, same scenes, but the stories have a very different tone to them.
Ann |
| | | Abe F. March Five Star Member
Number of posts : 10768 Registration date : 2008-01-26 Age : 85 Location : Germany
| Subject: Re: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 12:04 pm | |
| Ann, I read Myth in Action. You did a great job with it. I'm looking forward to reading your latest work - Redstone Valley.
There are not many still living who served (fought) in WW II. They are part of history and their insights often differ from what we understand from public sources. I think many are influenced by "good guys" and "bad guys". The good guys can do bad things and that's considered okay. We often forget that there is a human being inside of that uniform, regardless of the uniform worn. Getting to know the person and what they did and why, is enlightening.
I have never met a vet who liked war. Their objective was to survive and get home. I have found that the greatest opponents of war are those who fought in it or lived under war conditions. |
| | | Al Stevens Five Star Member
Number of posts : 1727 Registration date : 2010-05-11 Location : Florida
| Subject: Re: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 12:36 pm | |
| I read one or two books in various genres to see what interests me and what successful contemporary writers are doing. I am currently reading the 1st Harry Potter book to that end.
I read a number of detective novels to get a feel for that. I wanted to write one. I kept running into the hard-boiled, handsome, tough guy. Everyplace he goes some beautiful woman wants to jump his bones. Every fight he gets in he prevails. He's always one up on the cops. And on and on. He even has a macho name.
So, my current work is about what I'll call a soft-boiled detective. Turn all the cliches around and you've got my protagonist. It's really fun writing it. Conflict is more interesting when you won't fight because you can't win one, only get fives on the Bo Derrick scale, and they're about to shut off phone service because you haven't paid the bill.
He does drink too much, though. A teetotaler would have been too boring. And he's trying to quit smoking because cigarettes are too expensive now. |
| | | alj Five Star Member
Number of posts : 9633 Registration date : 2008-12-05 Age : 80 Location : San Antonio
| Subject: Re: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 2:03 pm | |
| He sounds delightfully human, Al. Looking forward to hearing mor from you about him.
Ann |
| | | alj Five Star Member
Number of posts : 9633 Registration date : 2008-12-05 Age : 80 Location : San Antonio
| Subject: Re: What was your inspiration for your current project? Fri Oct 07, 2011 2:10 pm | |
| I'm glad you liked it, Abe, and you are right about the vets, I think. One of the ironies about Audie Murphy involved his opposition to the fighting in Vietnam. He came out publicly concerning his own battles with post traumatic stress disorder, and worked to get the military to recognize the damage and harm of emotional wounds as well as physical ones.
But from the time that action began, his popularity dropped tremendously from both sides. The doves rejected him because he had been a warrior, the hawks because he would not support another war.
Ann |
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