Site Improvements

I’ve added some information to the site – under the ‘local flavor’ link above I have started a list of links real places mentioned in ‘Farley Bend’.   I am also planning to post recipes mentioned in the book; Emily’s chicken pot pie is the first of these.

On the ‘Maine Creativity’ page I am collecting links regarding creative people here in Maine.  The list will grow as I obtain permissions, so check back.  Feel free to email me if you have suggestions for this list.

Introverts and Writing

I really enjoyed spending time in Farley Bend, meeting the characters and figuring out what made them tick.  I’m not entirely sure my friends and coworkers realized what they signed on for when they asked “How’s the book coming?”  How much time do you have to listen to the answer?

I’ve worked on stained glass projects for a few years, largely for my own satisfaction and occasionally to present as gifts.  It took quite a while to gather the courage to offer stained glass gifts to friends and family, because it felt like I’d poured so much of myself into the crafting process.  At least I thought so at the time.

A book is an entirely different proposition.  I decided early on that if I was able to finish the book I was not going to submit it to a standard publisher or try to find an agent.  I was not prepared to have someone with authority tell me that the masterpiece I’d poured heart and soul into was not actually a masterpiece at all.  Then I heard about CreateSpace, and that authors can submit works directly to Amazon… really?  Wow!

Thanks to the relative anonymity of the internet, I can guardedly share my masterpiece.  I continue to struggle with what to share on this website – does anyone really want to know where the characters came from, how the process worked for me, and what else is in the works?  Maybe.  I guess I’ll put it out there and see what happens.

Welcome to Farley Bend

In November 2013 I started writing about an imaginary town called Farley Bend.  Inspired by the idea of National Novel Writing Month, I wrote more than 50,000 words about Farley Bend during the month of November.  Good thing I had Thanksgiving Week off to work on my masterpiece.

I’ve had a lot of fun meeting the residents of Farley Bend.  Originally I thought writing a book meant following an outline and laying out the story I had in my head.  Imagine my surprise when the inhabitants of Farley Bend started taking off on their own tangents!

Farley Bend is an old fashioned small town where the pace is measured and people take the time to know their neighbors.  Perhaps it is also a place of healing, a place where people can come to terms with the past and prepare for a brighter future.