Write or Wrong

I’ve been sitting and writing to finish several projects, so I’m glad that our church has recently padded the church pews. Although the old pews conformed to the body fairly well, an encounter from jury duty, sitting on their unpadded oak chairs and benches two years ago inflamed my sciatica that hasn’t settled yet. Using a pillow for church services became necessary until now. The padding has made a big improvement.

I’m in the midst of three writing projects. The first is my ever-pressing Blogspot. Completing and posting an article of between 350 to 450 words three times a week can be intimidating. My concern comes not with the amount of words, but coming up with something that is fresh and of interest to those who take the time to read my blog. It’s also often difficult to imagine a title that will catch the attention of new readers and keep old readers coming back.

The second project with a time crunch element involves the newsletter for the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania. Assembling an eight page newsletter with assorted topics isn’t easy. The effort to search for interesting local stories and then edit them to fit into the eight page format takes time. Local history, newspaper accounts, and photos must be gathered and presented in a concise, appealing way.

Choosing the proper font is another consideration. Too small and older people have difficulty reading the words. Too large and the information won’t fit in the eight pages of the newsletter. Sometimes articles must be rewritten and condensed while trying to retain the essence of the piece.

My latest project is finishing another book. It is a novella because it is shorter in length than a true book. I’m writing it as a sequel of the latest book I wrote, Addie. I had no plans to do a sequel, but I’ve had several people press me to read more about the characters in that book.

When I write I want anyone reading my words to be able feel the emotions of the characters. This time, I may not have people ask for a sequel, because it starts out with trouble and sadness.

The scenes of the new book are still local, set in the late 1950s. The story revolves around Addie’s son Ron having to return with his family to Mount Pleasant to work and to live. A chain of unfortunate circumstances force the family to move. As with Addie, I’ve done illustrations to enhance the readers’ enjoyment and aid in seeing things through my eyes.