There are changes in the air and plenty to share.
Late last year, I successfully launched a new author site, byRichardRBecker, which has even more focus on my books than I sometimes share here or a Copywrite, Ink. The new author site included a blog, but I was very leery about starting one (given that it meant starting another one). Until, well, today.
I've been playing with an idea my son and daughter gave me a few months ago. They wanted me to write something for them, specifically related to life lessons, memories, and things of that sort.
So I've been thinking about the request, on and off, since then. I mean, it made perfect sense, given that Screen Door, the Wisconsin story in "50 States," is closer to real life than fiction. A few others do, too, maybe. Except, which ones at what times and how much will always be the mystery.
Anyway, just this morning, I took a break from WIP (work in progress) to pen the first one. Sometimes writers have to write when inspiration strikes. It certainly struck me this morning. And then, shortly after I was finished, I had no idea what to do with the essay because it didn't really fit here. But it was the kind of thing that might fit
over there.
So that's what I did. The first lesson, aptly titled "
The First Lesson," is about the first
real lesson I learned in school as a poor kid struggling to read in the third grade and about to be failed forward into fourth. That's what they did back then. And sometimes some people tell me they still do today, too.
Interestingly enough, as much as I love it, I almost didn't publish it. But then the universe sent me a little message. The essay I wrote contained a reference to Bass Reeves. And right after lunch, while I was debating whether to publish the essay, I picked up the book I was reading only to discover that the next chapter opened with a reference to Bass Reeves.
Message received. This new collection of essays can be found on my author site as I write them, even if a few people might remember that the first couple of sentences were originally penned on
this one almost 20 years ago. I had shared a piece of my life to open for a promotion, but never really paid the story off.
There were blue tickets, and there were red tickets.
Blue tickets for the kids whose families could afford a 30-cent lunch. Red for those who could not.
[read more]
The new essay pays it off. At least I like to think so. Maybe you can tell me.
As for the rest of the news, please pardon the dust as I make changes. I've been slowly realigning my online presence to match the scope of my work — as a communicator and as a literary author. Mostly, that means you'll find more posts about writing and communication here, and more author-related things like short essays there, and short parts and pieces of fiction if you subscribe to my author newsletter, which may also be undergoing some changes, too.
Good night and good luck!
