I am reading “The Catcher in the Rye”
by J.D. Salinger because someone told me that Jeremiah Jericho
reminded them of Holden Caufield. I have heard about the book for
years. I didn't have to read it when I was in high school and I don't
think I'd appreciate it too much if I did. Right now I find it
amusing and it fits. I'm writing Jeremiah Jericho with a pinch of me
in him. And I can go off on tangents, so when I read that Holden does
this, I feel in love with the book right away.
When people read what I have written
and they dislike the tangents I don't edit them out. I might edit
them down, but I won't remove them. There is character in each of the
rants or tangents that happen with Jeremiah that if I remove them,
his character might get lost in the voices of Christopher and
Jeffrey.
Initially when I started “Jeremiah
Jericho: Allowance” I wanted there to be only one voice:
Christopher. As the story progressed and I decided to have Jeremiah
as a reason for why someone committed suicide, I realized that
Jeffrey could become an intricate part of the story itself. Which is
how I like to write. I like to write with a bare bone idea of where
the story is going and allow the story to flow out of me like people
go through life. They don't have a writer directing their every move
and even though my character does, he doesn't have to have me dictate
everything. He can dictate some of what goes on. Only a writer can
understand what I'm talking about there.
I understand he's not real, but when
you write and your characters are speaking and acting and you think
on the cuff of what they'd do, you're treating them as a real person.
Giving them a life of their own without planning their every step.
That's how I like to write. That's how Jeffrey came to be. If I
didn't do that, it would be just Jeremiah and Christopher. I would
feel that there was something missing.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why
I like Holden Caufield.
I am enjoying writing my second book
that's part of this trilogy. I'm writing fresh thoughts and ideas
down. I think that it's coming about well. You always have to give a
lot of humor to soften the blow of a evil moment and right now I'm
laying on the humor because Jeremiah is headed back to NYC to attend
a funeral. It's going to be a powerful moment for him and his mother.
That is a bit of me in there. Humor it
up before something sad or, even, during something sad. I'm always
allowed to be angry, but I cannot stand others being angry. I have to
make them laugh or feel better.
Better stop before another tangent
jumps out of me.
Write your dreams. Dream your
words. And may your soul inspire the ages.
