Back in college I majored in creative writing (poetry) before I realized I wasn't going to make a living at it, and anyway, I found out I wasn't really a TRUE WRITER. A true writer can't stop writing any more than I can stop breathing. And it doesn't really matter if the writing is good or bad, it's just something that has to come out. About the time I left the Navy and my second son was born, I had this epiphany -- you know, that moment in the movie when French horns make that distant, hollow sound, and haloed angels drift around the room singing Hosannas -- I had a family I couldn't support driving a cab and writing poetry. I couldn't afford to buy cigarettes and shoes for the kids. So I quit two things: smoking and writing. I took a Civil Service exam, did well, and went to work for the Air Force as an analyst-trainee. I got good at it, kept getting promotions, and then Boeing made me an offer I couldn't refuse. The rest, as they say, is history.
Then the kids were grown, I was pulling down a good salary, and I had spare time. So a few years back I thought I'd try my hand at writing again. I started out to write a short non-fiction piece about my hunting dog, Sophie. Yeah, right. If you've noticed anything about my posts, it's that I seldom write ANYthing short. That story grew, and grew, and over the next ten years it became...well, it was like one of those old Chia Pets, if somebody added Miracle-Gro -- started off as a bust of a man with short green hair, which became an Afro, which turned into a mass of green mulch totally covering the head, flowing across the table and hanging over the edge. ?Get the flame-thrower, Maggie, it's almost reached the floor!?
That "short piece" wound up being 36 pages, single-space. I divided it up into six ?chapters?, to reduce readers' shock. It turned out to be good. So I've been told.
A bit later I wrote a two-part fishing short story, each part about a page and a half. A couple of critics told me Part I was good, and stood alone just fine, so I should lose Part II. Yeah...maybe.
Anyway, I'm not ashamed of either work, and if anyone would like to read them, I'd be happy to post them. As far as Sophie's Story goes, I guess I'd post chapter 1, and would add other chapters if anyone were interested.
So, assuming there is some interest, in which forum would I post them?
