What type of books do you write? Historical
Fiction, more specifically Southern Gothic. My only novel is about the life and
struggles of citizens during the American Civil War. The Legend of Anne
Southern...First of the Legend Series isn't a "Civil
War" story, but it's impossible to avoid such a stormy stage. So there are
some battle scenes and quite a bit follows the career of Union
General William T. Sherman.
What inspired you to write it? When
I was a child (about 4 or 5 years old), my grandfather told me stories about
our ancestors. The only story I remember concerns a family fleeing down a
country lane; they can see their home burn behind them. That is all I
remember of the story.
Later, at family reunions,
I learned family lore about how my great-great grandfather
(Tobias Hodge) and his four sons escaped from Georgia to Florida
after a dispute with some on General Sherman's men about some horses. They came
to central Florida, west of Gainesville and to refuge in the swamps. Because
Tobias was unsure if he was wanted by the US Government, he and his boys
hid in the swamp five years. My grandfather's story was the seed that
started me writing. The "fleeing Georgia" event is only a tiny
part of my novel, but perhaps the most important part.
What is the writing process like
for you? When I started, I didn't know how to "write." I
joined Critique Circle, an online critique site and those writers taught me. It
took 10 years to finish my manuscript then I learned 700,000 words were
too many to publish. I made one story into two (thus the series) and published
the first as The Legend of
Anne Southern.
When I submitted my manuscript for
publication, it was rejected because of faulty editing. My lovely wife, Brenda,
did a terrific job of editing my story. The
Legend of Anne Southern is
credited as--"by J. Rivers Hodge with Brenda Hodge."
What did you do before you became
an author? I trained as a pharmacist, and worked as a
pharmaceutical salesman, a lobbyist for a major drug company working with the
Government of the State of Florida. Also, during that time I owned and operated
"Confederate Yankee Antiques," a shop in Renninger's Antique Mall in
Mt. Dora, Florida.
How does it feel to be a
published author? I feel great. It took much, much more work than I
anticipated to publish my first novel and I'm sure the second one (The
Legend of Joe Edge), not yet edited, is going to take more work than I
want to think about.
Any advice for struggling
writers? Yes. If you're struggling, get involved with a good
critique group (I recommend Critique Circle online) and post and critique, post
and critique, post and critique. Then post and critique some more. I think it's
impossible to improve your writing skills by attending meetings: book festivals,
writing seminars, talks by famous published writers, and all that jazz.
Like learning how to drive, to
learn how to write, you have to practice writing. Critiquing the writings of
others is also important. We all LOVE our own words, so you can "see"
your mistakes in the writings of others.
Additional and optional
suggestions--but highly recommended.
1. A great story can overcome
average writing. Concentrate on your story.
2. If you don't have a background
in creative writing or literature, take some courses in American and
International Literature at a local college to learn the elements of a story.
You can learn, for instance, the elements of the "coming of age"
story. These elements are classic and different than most think they are.
3. Don't worry if you don't
understand "point of view" (pov) at first. It'll come to you.
Especially don't get frustrated when someone tells you your pov isn't correct.
Write your story and worry about pov later. If you can't help yourself and
become obsessed with pov, read
and study The Rhetoric of
Fiction, Second Edition by
Wayne C. Booth. It's deep stuff, but the truth is the truth and this book is
the Bible of pov.
Where do you see book publishing
heading? Everything is going to be electronic and more quickly than
we think. If you love books in print, hold them tight because soon they will
cease to exist.
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Brian
Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and
not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow
him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when
discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©
2013
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