The Bucket List/So You Want to Write a Book - Postscript - In Conclusion

 

I am sure there are experiences I missed relating as I tried to recall writing/publishing Birch Run. I sincerely hope that in being honest about the problems I encountered I did not discourage anyone from trying to write/publish a book. 

I have mentioned in past posts that I freely used moments from my own life and family history and fictionalized them. The key word is fictionalized. Although many of the happenings in the book were gleaned from my life and stories I heard from family, Birch Run is, in essence, a work of fiction and does not portray any real-life person. 

I understand best the three sisters, Grace, Effie, Jess, and Peg, the pastor's wife. Why? Though entirely different in character traits, each one has aspects of my personality within them. I am many-sided, as are we all, and I used that to my advantage in crafting their characters. Perhaps I've always been a bit of a chameleon, but one thing holds true in each lady: They all love and serve God, as do I.

Here is an oddity, and it may happen to other authors, but there is one chapter where I dislike and disagree with the events and conclusion. 

I struggled mightily and still do with Chapter 17. Why? I struggle because I 100% believe in keeping Sunday a Holy Day, doing as little work as possible, attending church, and only purchasing what is necessary, if at all. I might be going where I tread on some toes. Still, along with banning school prayer, retracting the Blue Laws (laws restricting or prohibiting certain activities on specified days, usually Sunday - Wikipedia) has harmed the country and other regions of the World. 

So, why did I keep this chapter in the book? First, it is a pivotal point in the story, and second, it also shows how hypocritical people manipulate others and situations by quoting Scripture to bring about their own ends. Woodrow Vandervelt, a character in the book, is just such a person, and I have seen his ilk many times in my life.