Leaps & unfolding: a writing update

Posted on

Over a year ago, I wrote the first draft of my next book ( S.C.). I loved writing it. It’s different from The Silence of Trees, a whole new world and new characters who came rushing into life onto the page. What a joy it is to learn about them, to write about them.

But then…

We moved back to the US from Germany soon after I wrote it, and I had to put S.C. aside to take care of life. After moving, remodeling, putting out the 2010 issue of Conclave, publishing The Silence of Trees, and organizing the induction ceremony for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, it was time to get back to it.

I knew that when I eventually delved back into the story, I would have to do some heavy editing, and in the beginning, that’s all it was: nits and edits. Then I came to an important scene that needed to be rewritten. It could have gone a few different ways, and I mulled over my options, listened to my characters, and jumped.

I rewrote the scene and another whole section of the world opened up, more of the backstory unfolded, and there were ripples out into the rest of the book! The ripples changed so much more than I had intended. For the better (I hope), but resulting in more work to be done.

During our holiday in Minneapolis, I had some chunks of time to work on the book, and I finally admitted to myself that most of the end needed to be written. I couldn’t use bandaids. It’s more work, but it’s better. I think the story is stronger and more interesting. The characters continue to evolve and become more real. Although it’s taking longer to revise, I hope the book will hopefully be better for the revisions.

So I’m hoping to finish up soon and send it off to my readers (whom I thank for their patience).  There are so many exciting projects on the horizon, and I need to finish S.C. first!

I’ll keep you posted.

 

Elsewhere

Posted on

Minneapolis was a wonderful little holiday, and I have fun pics from the May Day parade to post, as well as thoughts about the city to jot down, but not just yet.

My thoughts are elsewhere. For the last month, my maternal grandfather (who has been on dialysis for the last three years) has been declining pretty dramatically in his health. After not eating or sleeping well for some time, he was checked into the hospital at the beginning of this week. His body seems to be suffering from the stress of dialysis on his heart and other systems. They are running tests and trying to figure out what to do next for him. My mother and father, as well as aunt, have been with him, but there’s so little they can do.

He’s going to turn 90 in a week, and I find myself thinking about his life: his difficult childhood in Ukraine, his experiences during WWII, and the journey to America. There’s so little I know from this private man, but the questions and the silence made a lasting impression on me. To find answers, to try and make sense of it, I did what I always do: I wrote. It began as research, interviews, nonfiction, but then transformed into something new. It became a story.

I wrote The Silence of Trees to honor all of my grandparents, especially my grandmothers, but it is most definitely a story. It is not based on any one person’s life. It is my attempt to create characters that illuminate and preserve a particular experience and time in history.

Part of my intention was also to explore what war does to people, to try and make sense of the difference ways that people deal with tragedy, regret, sacrifice. Some people, like my protagonist and like my grandfather, hide it all away, choose not to share. It is their choice, of course. All anyone else can do is be available to listen. If and when they decide to talk about it.

90 years.

I turn to Ukrainian folk music when I’m feeling like this: contemplative and a little sad, wanting to connect with something older, deeper, raw, and authentic. My musical tastes are wildly diverse, but Ukrainian folk music is the music of my heart. It’s the heartbeat of the mother for me, the sound that connects me to my ancestors, to my childhood, to my family. . .to my grandfather.

A Wave

Posted on

We decided to take a little holiday in Minneapolis during the kids’ Spring Break. We’re staying through May 1, to see the May Day Parade, joined by friends from Chicago also up for the weekend.

We drove up all day yesterday, first listening to an audiobook of Dr Seuss stories, then to the beginning of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. The kids loved it each time he read “Miss Lupescu,” except for Liam who insisted that I am a much prettier Miss Lupescu than the one described by Neil. 😉

Today we explored the Mall of America (MOA). Truth be told, I don’t like shopping malls (especially indoor malls), but it was a rainy, cold day in Minneapolis, and the MOA has an aquarium. So I was convinced (or outvoted?)

After a little shopping, some cool marine life, giant Lego creations, tasty gelato, chopstick adventures, and more rides than we’ve ridden in the last year, we took the tuckered out kids back to the hotel and tucked them in.

I’m trying to catch up with email and a bit of writing, and tomorrow we hope for a sunny day to explore more of this lovely city.