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Readers of The Rings of Hesaurun may wonder why I wrote it the way I did. But before we get to that, I would like to lay some groundwork. I discovered writing late in life. One day Traci, my wife, asked me to help our daughter Valerie with a homework assignment; writing a story. So we shared some ideas and settled on a Super Girl type of storyline. With my help, Val completed the assignment, so we were done— right? Wrong!
I couldn’t leave it alone. I felt compelled to fix it; I wanted it done my way. What began as helping Val with a homework assignment quickly became a life-altering obsession. Before long I found myself getting up at 4 AM to write. I wrote after work, all evening, and on weekends. Reading, watching television, and yardwork abruptly became things of the past. Sure, yardwork has suffered, but the creative spark that was smoldering inside became a white-hot flame.
As if running two businesses, being a husband and father wasn’t enough, I was writing 3-4 hours a day, 7 days a week. People that know me wonder how I managed to do all that and stay married. Fortunately, I have plenty of support, and my family understands. Writing runs in the family. My grandfather was a prolific poet, Traci is a talented writer in her own rite, and I can see the same spark in my children.
Now that you have a little background information let’s go back to why I wrote The Rings of Hesaurun the way I did. Readers experience an intricate theme, a substantial cast of characters, and diverse timelines. I would like to say it was all meticulously plotted and artfully executed, but I can’t.
Looking back, I really don’t know what I was thinking! I had no writing experience, no plot, and no idea where I was going with the story. I think it is safe to say most writers begin with a definite idea of what they want to accomplish and an outline—but not me; I just sat down and started writing, allowing my imagination to do the driving. To my amazement, and probably everyone else, it worked for me. No one is more surprised at the outcome than I am.
I would like to think my success will inspire others. After all, we never know what we can accomplish until we try. Thanks for reading.