Evolution of the Richard Carter Series: Novel #1

I "wrote" the first Richard Carter novel a decade and a half ago. I both loved and detested it. I think that was because I lacked the ability (or will) to filter what I writing. The result was a hodgepodge that distracted the reader rather than captured his attention. I shelved it for a number of years while I worked other stories.

I actually wrote a second book using the two main characters. It went better, so I returned to my problematic first manuscript to see what, if anything, could be salvaged.

The plot that eventually became Bonne Femme was a problematic, yet interesting, suspense story, and the characters well-defined and believable. However, a plethora of extraneous details, anecdotes, asides, and instances of purple prose bloated the story. The manuscript required major surgery, and I had to resist setting every thought in print.



The genesis of Bonne Femme was a question I posed myself: Can trust betrayed ever be regained? The logical answer, of course, is "No." But life is not always logical, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Logically speaking, my story was unbelievable.

























Then I came across these wonderful lines from Mark Twain:

"Life does not consist mainly--or even largely--of facts and happenings. Life consists mainly of the storm of thoughts forever blowing through one's mind."

Keeping that in mind, my characters and their dilemma became frighteningly believable. Taking heart from that, I pared away 60% of the story and then rewrote the entire thing. As I did so the characters became real. I could hear their dialog before I wrote it. I could feel their emotions and share their fears.

Bonne Femme

When my story came to an end, I found that I didn't want their story to end.

So, I took them home with me. I moved Richard and Jill from Michigan to my native Ozarks. Thus begins the Richard Carter/Blue Creek series.