Remember, Research, Write & Re-write

Whether you’re a fan of history or a mere nostalgia buff, an adventure seeker or a boating enthusiast, you may be interested in the books I write, or perhaps it’s time you thought about writing something yourself. I began writing because I wanted my grandchildren to know something about the way I grew up. When they were little, I used to lie down beside them at bedtime and recount stories of my 1950s childhood. Eventually, it became difficult to come up with new material on short notice, so I began writing down detailed accounts of events that seemed worthy of retelling. I never intended to publish a book–just pass on a few anecdotes about my youth.

I published my first book in January of 2014. It’s a first-person, non-fiction memoir titled "Dafydd," featuring more than ninety anecdotes and a handful of vintage photographs of an era known only to those of us who are likely to die in a decade or two.

You’re going to die too, so you might want to think about writing down your memories for your descendants. When I speak to a group about my books, I try to impress on them how important it is to pass on our memories before they are lost forever. Even a few sheets of hand-written notes will be cherished some day by someone–I promise! People want to know what life was like before they were born.

So begin by simply remembering. Then, record those memories, and if necessary check them against the recollections of others. We don’t always share precisely the same memory of an event, so do a little research if you feel it’s needed, or perhaps use your findings to fill in more detail. Finally, read your accounts of the past and don’t be surprised if you remember even more details. I re-wrote my first book several times before I decided it was ready to be read by others.

I prefer to write about what I know, so when I decided to write my second book it was only logical that the subject would be sailing–not sailing within sight of a marina for a couple of hours on a sunny summer day, but cruising; living on a boat for weeks at a time, exploring previously unseen coasts and bodies of water.

For fifteen years, I wrote home to family and friends from coastal communities, and kept ship’s logs and journals of daily events. It took a couple of years to convert these documents into a manuscript worthy of publishing, and to my surprise, Rock’s Mill Press agreed to publish "Too Cold for Mermaids."

Now I’m working on my first novel, not that I feel the need to write fiction. On the contrary, I prefer to write non-fiction, but my narrative is about my grandmother’s life, and there’s just too little detail available about some periods of her life to call it non-fiction. Subsequently, I’m weaving what I know about her life into a story supplemented with probable feelings, experiences and behaviours. It will be a challenge to retain as much fact as I possibly can, but I expect "Alice" will be completed sometime in 2018.

If you’d like to know more, visit my website at www.davidjforsyth.com where you can buy "Dafydd" or check out my publisher’s website at www.rocksmillspress.com where you can purchase "Too Cold for Mermaids." It’s also available at:
• www.barnesandnoble.com
• www.amazon.com
• www.amazon.ca
and you might find it in your local bookstore soon, or even on the bookshelves of your local chandlery or marina.

If you have any questions or would like to comment on any of my books, you can contact me at author@davidjforsyth.com.