Recently, the revised edition of Child of Desire was published on Amazon Kindle. Changes to this edition include rewriting and rearranging sections that had word choices and/or an unexpected POV switch previously passed over by editors. There are also some storyline changes.
While going through the editing process, I was thinking about questions I have been asked about writing. Why did you decided to write a novel? Where did you get your inspiration? Is this actually a story of your life? Why did you choose a time in history rather than a more recent time? As a way of reintroducing Child of Desire, I am addressing some of these questions.
Writing and Inspiration
Many things influenced my desire to write including family, places I lived during my childhood, and career choices. From a young age I was an avid reader and loved stories, and I often wondered if I could tell a story that would captivate the imagination of others.
Colorado was my childhood home. There, I enjoyed hiking mountain trails and wading in the creeks that flowed down the hillsides, and I was always aware of how the natural surroundings influenced the way we lived. Library visits and education were important in our family and my love of learning led to a career in education. I taught in elementary and middle school and completed my career in higher education. During each of these assignments, I shared my excitement for reading with students.
Child of Desire - The Setting
My dad often took advantage of family dinners to recount events from his early life. He was a great storyteller and I was fascinated with his accounts of growing up on the plains of Southeastern Colorado and the survival of the people who lived in that hostile environment. I was equally captivated when he told of his experiences while living in Scott County, Virginia, during the 1930’s. During his brief stay there, he was the “outsider” in a closed mountain community that included many of my mother’s relatives. Dad’s vivid descriptions and attention to detail always transported me back to those times and locations. Because of these vicarious experiences and, later in life, trips to these locations, I chose Southwestern Virginia and Southeastern Colorado as major settings in my story.
Child of Desire - The Plot
Child of Desire is a historical novel that takes place in a period of time before I first saw the light of day. While dreaming about the story, I asked myself one question: “What could people have gotten by with in a world that did not have electronics and mass communication, a world that relied on a few telephones, the telegraph, newspapers, and radios for information? The plot was born with the answer to this question.
Child of Desire - The Characters
Fascination with stories about the strength and courage of people who not only survived the Great Depression but who did so while maintaining strong, independent spirits, provided inspiration for the characters in the story. My goal was to connect a story to that time period in realistic ways and to create plausible, touching conflict.
It was important to me that readers view the protagonist, Amanda, as I imagined her, including her outer beauty, inner being, relationships, struggles, and capacity to love and forgive. The traits of other characters in the story, whether in a supporting role or that of an antagonist, assisted in revealing Amanda’s positive, strong-willed temperament.
Child of Desire and My Life
In the story, Amanda becomes a minister’s wife. I am the daughter of a minister and the wife of a minister. Even though the story does not reflect my life or the life of my mother, unique experiences while living in church provided housing, and the dynamics in various congregations pastored by my dad and my husband helped to shape Amanda’s story.
My Desire
My dream is that someone will enjoy Amada’s story and be entertained while vacationing in a beautiful summer place, or maybe while curled up in front of a fireplace on a winter day.
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Southwestern Virginia Swinging Bridge
Southeastern Colorado Windmill
~ Colorado and Virginia Pictures from Pinterest
Inside the mind of a writer. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteVanilla, you are quite aware of the influence our family had on my writing - and I appreciated your corrections and affirmation during the process.
DeleteI truly appreciate the insights!!!
ReplyDeleteThank for, Captain Nancy, for reading and sharing this.
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