Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Welcome

People frequently say, “life was simpler then,” when referring to an earlier generation. And while that may be true in regards to the complexity of modern technology and the bombardment of information we endure today, the variety of challenges faced by a young person coming of age has always seemed daunting at the time.

I decided to write my first fiction novel about the essence of those challenges. I wanted a story devoid of magical wizardry, one without bloody, dragon-reinforced battles for the throne, without serial murderers or scary clowns, without cars exploding as they careened over a cliff, and without a zombie apocalypse. What could possibly be left? How about a year in the life of a high school senior and his closest friends from Mauston, Wisconsin? How about setting that story in the 1958-1959 school year? “Seriously?” you ask. “Certainly shape-shifting aliens must infiltrate the population, or some cosmic hole to an alternate dimension must factor in somehow, right?” Nope. But life can be pretty interesting without any of those imaginary fantasies.

Leaving Juneau County follows Jack Barton, a country boy, and his three “townie” friends over the course of their senior year in high school as their lives are transformed from the predictable and comfortable world they once knew, to the unpredictable frontier of adulthood. Inseparable since they were kids, the four friends confront the reality that their futures will head off in four separate directions. So they commit to filling their final year together with as much fun as they can pack in, but also end up facing conflicts, hormones, bad dudes, governmental intrusion, and tragedy along the way.

Considerable research went into creating the backdrop for the story. The Mauston Library has an incredible local archives center containing everything from news clippings, to court records, to high school yearbooks, to flyers and advertising from the past. My wife and I spent two full days gathering documentation from that resource. We also had the opportunity to meet and talk with a number of people who attended high school in Mauston during the late 1950s. Their insights were invaluable in painting an accurate portrayal of teenage life in that time and place. And of course, with the aid of today’s internet information access, I was able to research broader events of the day. The end result is fictional characters and story in a truly authentic setting. I look forward to sharing this story with you, and anticipate its release in early 2018.

If you choose to follow my Facebook page I will keep you apprised of the remaining steps that will get the book in your hands as easily as possible.

1 comment:

  1. This is a test of the emergency comment system. If it had been an actual emergency, I wouldn't be writing this.

    ReplyDelete