Tree Farming

My idea for a post-apocalyptic novel called, "Dentville," came to me some five years ago when I was looking for a story to tell as part of a novel-writing correspondence course I was taking. It was an accumulation of impressions from my favorite books and movies (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc) coupled with my readings on peak oil, civilization collapse, and climate change that I applied to the structures of storytelling I had been studying. I developed the idea over the year-and-a-half course of the course and though I left it at times, I never dropped it.

I have written drafts, synopses, backgrounds, timelines, outlines, diagrams, and drawn maps in the years since. I've written about 10 chapters of the story as it evolved, though none will make it to the final manuscript in their present form.

In this time, I've continued my study of storytelling, taken other courses, written short stories, one short YA novel (as an ebook), and created a website. It's been a continued evolution with the aim of creating Dentville. Late last year, I decided to take a hiatus from Dentville and write a novelization of Madam President. I worked on that until around April, when I was getting lost in the political aspects of the story and felt like it required more knowledge of the US presidential election process and the mechinizations of world power than I had. Besides, Dentville was calling so I turned back to it.

I also found a method for novel development that I began using on my previous work on Dentville and it really got me moving on the project again. I'm committed now and will try to get the book done over the next year. I am also working on my website and intend to include a page on Dentville that I hope will create some anticipation for the book. It will develop as I develop the story.

Trees take years to mature. In the years since I planted my acorn, it's sprouted and grown until it at least looks like a tree. With continued care and nurturing, I'm striving to see it become an oak.