I'm out of my comfort zone with Carving Place and loving it

I have written all my adult life—first news for radio, commercials for radio, scripts for video; in journalism—print news, feature writing, many papers when I returned to Ole Miss at DeSoto Center to finish my degree, stories about students, about art, about our college (NWCC), resolutions to be spread on the minutes of the Board of Trustees honoring retiring board members, and even an occasional sports story, mainly covering rodeo.

I have written obituaries for people and delivered remarks at funerals including  2 co-workers and my best childhood friend. Among the obits are several for animals—an ancient pony, our beloved cat Patches, and Howard's bird dog Sam. What do all these writings have in common?  They don't include one original thought from me.  They are all factual. All that writing was in the mode of, "Just the facts ma'am."

"Just the facts, ma'am" is a well-known line of dialogue from an old TV show called Dragnet. Detective Sgt. Friday was always using this line to get factual answers from the witness to a crime. (https://www.englishforums.com/English/FactsMaamFacts/zddlq/post.htm)

I've never, in my 37-year career, been able to make up anything. So when I decided to write a novel, I had to step out of my comfort zone to create situations and characters and especially dialogue. 

When I returned to Ole Miss in 2003 to finish my Liberal Arts degree, I told one of my professors that I struggled with the dialogue problem.  "Read good writers," he said.  "Like Greg Iles."  So I did.  I put my novel on hold while I read Greg's huge three-book Natchez Burning series.  His books were thousands of pages long. Mine was just over 200. During my reading phase, I've read many other great authors.  I was even more intimidated about writing something myself.

I released The Carving Place April 12.  Response has humbled me. Thanks to all who have read my little book.  I'm hard at work on the prequel The Bargain. I wrote about so many things that I love in the first book—horses, dogs, tradition, customs, art, music, and the name tree—I hope I left a few to include in the new book.

This liberation from the facts and Associated Press style writing has been so fun.  I feel like I've done something slightly naughty.

For more information, visit thecarvingtree.com or find us on Facebook at The Carving Place, a novel.  You can email me at thecarvingplace@gmail.com.

Celebrating the release of my book are Judge Melvin McClure, Jr. and his wife Mary Claire. Over a year ago we celebrated his book, Forrest's Cavalry in The Battle of Hurricane Creek. (left)

With me at the book launch are (l to) daughters Olivia Patterson DeMuth, Hayley Patterson Hayes and granddaughter Bella Hayes. (right)