For the last year or so I’ve been writing about Ocracoke Island.
Ocracoke is a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. They don’t serve liquor at bars there, only beer and wine. I spent the summer of 2003 on the island, walking on the beach, working at a candy shop with four of the worst people I have ever known, and watching CNN. The narrative of the book I’m writing concerns my increasing alienation from the four worst people I have ever known: at first they tolerated me, but they quickly grew intolerant, and one of them rubbed a filthy rag in my face.
The book is currently divided into eighty-five short chapters, each with its own focus. One is devoted to sand, another to plumbing, while others concern glass, wood, stars, mistakes, chocolate, John Lennon and floods. The book attempts to convey the whole of one summer on Ocracoke, sort of, and there are some good jokes in it.
Sometimes I worry about the manuscript I’ve written, and this photo illustrates that worry:
I was not on Ocracoke for very long, and I’m no authority on the place – not even close. I don’t pretend to be one in the book; I identify myself repeatedly as a seasonal worker, and thus a sort of outsider.
I worry because it’s hard to publish books.
Bobby,
Get over it!
Getting a book published is an arduous task.
It may take some time and possibly some editing or rewriting.
You have had some success in getting essays published.
Do not sell yourself short.
There was an article recently about authors having their manuscripts rejected by publishers. Mrs. Rowling, the Harry Potter lady, had her book rejected many, many times.
Hang in there and persevere.
BS
Hey rob. Any chance I can get an advanced copy? Are there dinosaurs in the book? I like books with dinosaurs.
My favorite tshirt is from Ocracoke Coffee House with that sun on the front. My favorite small shirt (boys) says Owen’s Veges on the front.
Darcey Steinke’s first novel, Up Through The Water, takes place on an island close to the Outer Banks; and I believe that the whole story transports the reader there and makes one believe that the author is intricately familiar with the area, but that doesn’t make it a good book. You should read it to make yourself feel better. It wasn’t a great story. Just because you know a real place well, and you are able to write about it as the setting for a story, doesn’t make it a great book. Take Truman Capote’s famous book. He didn’t know the midwest well at all, but he makes it an important part of the story, and it’s brilliant.
I am the editor of the Ocracoke Observer, the monthly tabloid newspaper on Ocracoke and I would LOVE to read any excerpts/advance copies – sort of my ‘thing’ to collect anything written about here and I’ll bet it is an interesting perspective from someone just here for the summer that doesn’t nec. have roots here — let me know when it’s done or if you have some pieces of it that you could send!
J
It sounds interesting. I’m not sure about the 85 chapters though, but I trust any editor would advise you on that.
A.