Mike Addington's Blog - Posts Tagged "creative-writing"
How I choose a topic
Reality is always stranger and more interesting than fiction, and I think that good writing can only be achieved if one has passion. All four of my books have been derived from true events and people. Although the books are fictional in their entirety, some characters are representational of an actual person and others represent several people.
My first book "Treviso: The First Terrorist" had its origin in my assignment to an Air Force unit tasked with spying on the Soviet Union during the cold war to warn of a nuclear attack. Although part of that is still classified, I was able to use parts as the nucleus of a story. Since the Red Brigade terrorist group along with Badder-Meinhoff in Germany were very active during that period, I combined their activities and some US Air Commandoes stationed in Venice to write an international espionage/terrorist/romance novel set in Italy, hence the title "Treviso," a city in Italy. The passion for this novel came from my love for the Italian people, who treated me with such kindness, and for their love of life.
This is not a run-of-the-mill spy book because most of the characters are amateurs instead of professional CIA types. Hopefully, it is a refreshing change, and I agree with the editor for this book in her conclusion that the book is "engaging." That was my intent. My opinion is that it is good entertainment, not the great American novel.
My first book "Treviso: The First Terrorist" had its origin in my assignment to an Air Force unit tasked with spying on the Soviet Union during the cold war to warn of a nuclear attack. Although part of that is still classified, I was able to use parts as the nucleus of a story. Since the Red Brigade terrorist group along with Badder-Meinhoff in Germany were very active during that period, I combined their activities and some US Air Commandoes stationed in Venice to write an international espionage/terrorist/romance novel set in Italy, hence the title "Treviso," a city in Italy. The passion for this novel came from my love for the Italian people, who treated me with such kindness, and for their love of life.
This is not a run-of-the-mill spy book because most of the characters are amateurs instead of professional CIA types. Hopefully, it is a refreshing change, and I agree with the editor for this book in her conclusion that the book is "engaging." That was my intent. My opinion is that it is good entertainment, not the great American novel.
