Focus

I figured out where to start and how much background material I want (minimal, at this point). Instead of watching a movie, I located the quotes and information I'll type up or copy/paste tomorrow. I've started a file in Word. I'm glad I wrote the first 14 chapters (13 1/2 or 14, depending on how you count them) the way I did, because they make a superb chronological reference. If I live long enough, or make enough time, I'm tempted to write several "story" type books from this material and also go back and finish the work the way I started it. And also do a readable overview. And an updated disposition of the pieces.

But for now, I'm thrilled that I know what words I want to start with and what backstory I want to include. I'm also thrilled that I'm learning to pare down. This is a challenge for me. I'm sure that posting my Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo (part of the City Daily Photo family) is helping, because the rules are, you post only one photo per day. It wasn't easy for me in the beginning, but I'm loving it. I've got my other blog for posting multiple pix in a day. I read recently on a photoblog that someone's writing teacher had instilled in them the concept of ONE. When you stay focused on one thing, your writing is better. Reading about it just at this moment helped me know that it was OK to focus on N.C. Hudson, as interesting as the other characters are. Their stories can come later, or their material can be given to someone else. From the begining, Hudson was the hero of this story. Others felt it, too; and yes, it's OK to leave him fully and completely at the center. I know it's going to make the project better. I love the way it's falling into place.

The Story of N.C. Hudson - v. 2.0

I received a gift from the past: over 1,000 letters and documents covered in dust and yearning to find their voice. I had first to organize them by date, then I had to read them. Transcribing the various forms of antique handwriting was practically a must before I could make sense of what I had in hand. My first attempt was to present a rendition of the letters and their meaning as complete as possible. It was clearly my style of handling an overwhelming amount of material, and I immersed myself in the project with great pleasure until one day I began to feel I was drowning.

It was not only the size of the project that was taking me down, but the knowledge that the real substance I wanted to convey was not being told in a manner that would interest any but a scholar or genealogist - not that these like-minded people were unimportant (I am, in a sense, both of them) - but the more time I spent with the people and events in this chronicle, the more I felt there was a popular story to be told. After I had written, edited, and self-published 13 1/2 heavily-footnoted and illustrated "chapters" ranging from 29 pages to 155, I stopped in January, 1996. I finally believe I know what to do, but it's going to require many choices and some new ideas. I have some of them in mind already, and I'm counting on the writing of this blog and your comments to help bring the project to fruition. I swam joyously through v. 1.0. Now I'm ready to fly. I see the horizon, and I'm eager to approach the details en route. I am carving out time. A resource that has seemed distinctly limited recently. But now . . . is . . . the time.