I
wrote my first 1,000 words of my book a couple of days ago. As always,
the first question I asked myself is what voice should I use? After all, I want this
to be an entertaining book and including letters from World War II might
seem like kind of a serious subject. I’m not writing a documentary.
So,
upon brief contemplation, I decided I would use the tone I usually have
with my family. To be clear, I’m kind of breezy and flippant. When my
family, especially with my siblings, gets together around a table of
food, topics range over a wide array from technology to travel. Back when
it was my parents and we 4 at the table, we frequently told stories
about school and family with a humorous twist. And if we sat there
talking long enough, those twists might turn into flights of fancy about
situations that otherwise could have been sobering.
Like the time my dad was copying down a license plate number of a pickup truck that had just tore the side-mirror off of our car. The driver of the pickup, for some reason, decided that he would stop at a railroad crossing that was flashing a red light. Since the pickup wasn’t displaying a license plate on the back of the truck as required by Minnesota law, my dad walked to the front of the pickup to get the number. Hilarity ensued as the pickup jolted forward forcing my father to jump up on the hood of the pickup while it speed up to 50 miles per hour, swaying, as Dad clung to God-knows-what. Did I mention that Dad had a bad heart, survived heart surgery, and was supposed to remain calm?
Well, that was pretty upsetting for all of 5 of the rest of us watching the drama from the family car. But, over the years, this tale was told many times at dinner and each rendition was funnier than the last. So I’m going to write the book with the flavor of our dinner-time antics. My Mom, especially, has always enjoyed a good laugh. She loved Arvid so much I assume he had a pretty good sense of humor. And after reading some of his letters, I know this is true. So, I will write something funny and if possible, witty.
Like the time my dad was copying down a license plate number of a pickup truck that had just tore the side-mirror off of our car. The driver of the pickup, for some reason, decided that he would stop at a railroad crossing that was flashing a red light. Since the pickup wasn’t displaying a license plate on the back of the truck as required by Minnesota law, my dad walked to the front of the pickup to get the number. Hilarity ensued as the pickup jolted forward forcing my father to jump up on the hood of the pickup while it speed up to 50 miles per hour, swaying, as Dad clung to God-knows-what. Did I mention that Dad had a bad heart, survived heart surgery, and was supposed to remain calm?
Well, that was pretty upsetting for all of 5 of the rest of us watching the drama from the family car. But, over the years, this tale was told many times at dinner and each rendition was funnier than the last. So I’m going to write the book with the flavor of our dinner-time antics. My Mom, especially, has always enjoyed a good laugh. She loved Arvid so much I assume he had a pretty good sense of humor. And after reading some of his letters, I know this is true. So, I will write something funny and if possible, witty.
No comments:
Post a Comment