Le Chef
A Historical Fiction Novel
Recently I completed the first draft of a historical fiction novel I’ve had in my head for a few years. The book is set in the French Riviera and spans the time between the early 1900s to current day. However, I’m not here to talk about the book. There is much left to do on it. However, there are things worth mentioning.
Great Stories Take Time
I could not have written this manuscript without having enough life experiences to support it. I recall as my daughter was entering college when my wife, who works in the Entertainment industry, used her contacts to set up a meeting for her with Chris Carter, the creator of the X-Files. His advice was simple but not easy. He said that in order to write you must first have a life full of experiences.
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Certainly, you can be young and have extraordinary life experiences but you also need to be tempered by them, allowing them to influence your words in such a way as to connect with people. I am in my 6th decade on this planet and it is the experiences I have collected in that time which allow me to tell a story beyond my imagination. Looking back I appreciated him telling her that as it isn’t easy to hear those words when you are young.
Time Builds Grit
When I think of grit I am reminded of the quote by Angela Duckworth who said, “Grit is that ‘extra something’ that separates the most successful people from the rest. It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.” I use these words in contrast to those spoken by Albert Einstein who said “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” I believe that grit is also the measure of how well you pay attention throughout your life to the process of living, knowing full well that there could be any number of people who would rather criticize than inspire. The story I am writing isn’t going to mean something to everyone. All it has to do is inspire someone to go the extra mile and that takes time.
Time Exposes The Grey Areas
At first glance, I wasn’t certain if I wanted to go down this path for this article. I felt the topic was overly covered by many who are far better at writing than me. Upon reflection though I think it is worth talking about as it relates to the topic of time. Here is my point. Without life experiences, where you learn how others think and better understand their unique point of view, the stories you tell will be two-dimensional. I believe that the truly interesting stories, at least the ones I enjoy reading, have the author's toes deeply in the pool of the grey and it is here where I believe people can truly connect with the stories you tell.
