The Journey

by Frances Bennett
(Spearsville, Louisiana)

Historical Fiction

When I decided the art world of painting held too many politics to pursue, I never dreamed that I would become a writer and have a book published.

All through the years when my children were small, I remembered my first essay in high school English and how I enjoyed writing it. I married right out of high school in 1952, had a child in 1954 and a total of four by 1966. There wasn't any time to write, but every now and then, I'd see an advertisement in a magazine about a writing course. I didn't think I had time to do anything other than be a wife and stay-at-home mother.

One day I recieved a call from a lady who had taught home economics for years at the local high school. She had taken an oil painting class or two and wanted some of the ladies around to get together and paint. I joined them once a week for several months, and decided I would drive to a neighboring town for lessons. I taught myself to use acrylics and my interests shifted to painting wildlife.

My work was juried into some wildlife festivals, and the second year I was at Decatur, Alabama, the featured artist that year remembered me from the year before and walked over to my booth. He looked at my work and said, "Mrs. Bennett, it's not how good you are. It's who you know."

I spent the afternoon thinking about that, and later on, I decided to walk down a couple of booths from mine and see the duck painting that won the Florida Duck Stamp that year. I stood there, trying to figure out how that painting won. The background ducks were not proportioned so as to create space on the canvas, and there were too many primaries on the duck that was supposed to be the focal point. I thought on that all afternoon, and decided I may have miscounted the primaries. I walked back down there and counted again. Too many! I knew then that politics were alive and well in the art world. I came home and canceled a Kansas wildlife festival appointment. I dug for some of those magazine advertisements that said, 'Let us help you learn to write'!

I studied with one instructor for two years. When I decided I wouldn't embarrass myself by submitting to magazines and newspapers, I started to freelance.

I saw a lady at a shower who worked for a local parish paper. I asked her how to submit, and she said, "Just send it in." I did, and from this came my Reflections column that I have written for five years.

I searched my memory and wrote of things I hadn't thought of in years. But memories can sustain a column for just so long, so I began to wonder if some of the articles about my maternal grandparents that filled my column could be turned into a serialized story. The editor told me to go for it, and it was a hit. When I made it to around chapter 20, she began to get calls and questions wanting to know if I was working on a book. From then on, I wrote with that in mind.

A virus struck my computer, and I would have lost it all, except that when I submitted my chapters, I sent one to my daughter-in-law. That was my salvation. Beth is an english teacher and never deletes anything. I retrieved it and put it back in document form. I began to contact some publishers, and realized the dishonest ones are out there too. I found out about them on the Preditors and Editors website. I had no money sunk in then, just loads of work. I got tired of rejections, and decided to publish The Journey myself.

Then came the hunt for an honest POD publisher. I take a magazine called Writer's Digest, and I noticed that Oprah had ranked Bookstand Publishing as one of the top five self publishing companys in the USA. I decided they must be honest, and I printed their information from the web site. At that time, I was waiting to be hooked up with a faster internet provider, so I had plenty of time to study the information. One day I took the plunge and filled out the online form.

Bookstand was wonderful to work with, they actually did some things for me that I was supposed to do. The day that Adobe file came in with the cover of my book in it, I cried. I completely overlooked the fact that 'Bennett' on the fold only had one T in it. We got that straight, and moved on to the corrections. With Bookstand, the writer does the editing. You have three chances to change wording without an extra charge. I edited until my eyes were sore, and my book has a few mistakes in punctuation and spelling, but you know what, the books I've read since mine came out have them too. I'm reminded of what an author said last January at a book signing in Monroe, Louisiana. 'With that first book, you may as well stick an ice pick in your hand right to start with.'

Well, we learn as we go. The lady who helped me with my blog asked, "Why isn't your name on the front of your book?"

I lamely answered, "It's on the fold."

My books came in, and the editor of the paper I write for set up several booksignings. I've sold quite a few, and my book is in several bookstores in South Arkansas and North Louisiana. I'm supposed to speak for The Union County Genealogy Society June 8. If anybody wants to buy one, I'll have them with me. I send out press releases, and have several portions of my book on my blog. The readers who follow my column want to know when the next book is coming out. I tell them when I recoop my money off this one.

Visit Frances's blog.