BACK STORIES

Over the past several months I have received a few questions from loyal readers (all seven) about where the ideas came from for many of my novels.  It started me thinking.  Perhaps I would use my blog to describe my inspiration or explain the action that prompted my train of thought at the time.

My first published novel was entitled OIL SPILL.  I had written it by hand on scraps of paper while working on the Alaska Pipeline in 1975.  It was a horrible book (350,000 words) written by a rank amateur. (I finally typed it on an old Olivetti portable – 1400 typewritten pages. Almost 3 reams of paper.) I probably spent over $3,000 in postage to various agents, publishing houses and critics.  It was finally picked up by a publisher out of San Francisco, California.  It was a failure – commercially, but a success in another; I learned I had the discipline to write lengthy novels and take the criticism from agents, publishers and readers. OIL SPILL is no longer.  If anyone finds a copy, let me know and I’ll buy it from you.  It was produced before digital was invented, the publisher went bankrupt and my agent died.  (Probably of starvation!)

SO, the first novel I’ll blog about is PARTNERS. I’ll write the back-story today and post it in a day or two.

Remember, I have 12 novels and 6 screenplays to write about so this could be a loooooong mission!