What, me a writer?

Recently I made a number of changes in my life. One of those changes was becoming a writer. I have long dreamed of this. The transition was easy, just start writing and –poof- I became a writer. But I have higher aspirations; I want to become a published writer. Not so easy.

The first thing on your to-do list to become a published writer should be to first become a good writer. Some very lucky published writers did not have to follow this path, but I am not one of those.

I have been working on my writing. Now instead of being the worst writer in the world I am at least five to ten from the bottom. It was a long struggle.

So now that I can write a paragraph that does not make you sick to your stomach or fall asleep the question is what to write. For many years I have been writing stories in my head. These exercises have helped me to become a very prolific writer in my first attempts. I have conquered the blank page! Now, to fill those pages with more than drivel.

I love to write with music blaring in the background. Can you hear it? Where would Kurt Cobain have progressed musically if he made through his own difficult period? I wish we could know. My favorite song/ballad is Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. I wrote a story that follows this plot. Some day I may unearth it. Black leather, red hair, and chrome my favorite colors.

I also tried writing some of those other stories I have created in my mind over the years. But so far when I actually try to write them they do not turn out to be something that most people would want to read. One of the things they tell you when you come up with the crazy idea of becoming a writer is to know who your readers will be.

What if that reader would only be me?

My book sales would be off the charts targeted reader percentage wise, but the overall sales would be low.

So I have elected to move to plan B, new stories. Maybe later in my career I can unearth some of those older ideas and bring them to life. The dead may only be sleeping.

In my search for a new writing venue I came across a new idea at least for me. High school. If I wrote about the High School years who would my target audience be? Everyone that went to high school, of course. Now this topic has been written about voluminously. But with such a wide topic there is always room for one more. Some adaption of my story and those around me may be if not unique at least interesting.

The first part of most successful creative writing projects is research. The story has to ring true. To begin with I have my own memories to draw from. These are real or at least an interpretation of real. But I need more.

I am blogging here under my web pseudonym Fraxum. But in real life I attended Palmyra, NJ High School 1968-1972. I was the weird guy who started out fat and ended up skinny.

If you think you knew me in high school drop me line or a thought here on my Blog. You could email me here: fraxum at gmail dot com. Or find me some other way to contact me. It is not very hard on the Web.

At PHS We were all brothers and sisters rowing together knowing not where we were headed. Mr. Ianucci was in the front beating the drum. Remember? Even though he assigned me many times to detention I should thank him. I can now write 500 pages on the inside of a ping-pong ball. Mr. I. we miss you!

If I wrote in your Tillicum I would be very interested in reading what I wrote. If you wrote in mine I would be happy to reciprocate.

I would also be interested in hearing any true high school stories that relate to the rites of passage from childhood to adulthood. I am sure there are millions. So if somehow you get wind of this blog and did not know me you can help too. I want to really capture the experience.

Thanks for reading. As things progress I will update this blog to track my progress and share with you some of my high school epiphanies. My story will be fictional and will include some magic. After all, high school was a magical time, some good and some bad.

Rock on.

Fraxum