Sharing imaginary friends since 1985

I Brake for Plot Bunnies

My name is Chuck Waldron, and I’m a writer. I love to write.

Previously, a professional mountain climber, if you view work as climbing mountains, I now spend most of my time trying to make sense of what to do when the plot bunny bites.

Having so many imaginary, yours truly is not afraid to use them. They allow me to use their voice, on occasion even demand it. Who can ignore the shouting?

That leads me to write thrillers mixed with mystery and action, character-driven stories spiced with plot twists.

Besides shameless self-promotion, the intent of this blog is to share the baffling task of writing.

And, to find readers. I’m in awe of readers. They have the power to give a story “thumbs up” and what writer doesn’t want that? But what about thumbs down, oh no! Well, smart writers learn a lot from that too. The reader is the ultimate judge.

Credentials? Does one need a license to get creative?

When I found out I didn’t need a permit to write a story, it was simple. I simply started.

Reading a story in the local newspaper, I signed up for a class in writing short stories. It was serendipitous. Or was it? Out of the blue, I began a love affair resulting in a short story oeuvre includes over fifty-five titles. Some excellent, some good, some merely taking up space in the virtual file cabinet. The practice and discipline required to write a short story helped put a leash on my runaway imagination, those short stories pointing like a compass aimed at writer’s true north.

I’ve stopped adding up numbers of writing workshops, conferences, peer groups and mentors who helped. Without a doubt, they all enhanced my craft. Any errors of commission or omission rest entirely on my shoulders.

When it was time to write my first novel I reread my very first short story, Tears in the Dust. I remember wondering if it had the storyline to go the distance, could I grow it into my first manuscript. It’s buried in that first novel, around the halfway point.  Later, three more titles were added: Remington and the Mysterious Fedora, Served Cold, and The CleanSweep Conspiracy.

 Still under Construction

My writing journey is far from over. I began writing The CleanSweep Conspiracy over four years earlier. The plot finally crystallized for me, a new story ominous, sinister and creepy. It’s a conspiracy page-turner, touching on lack of privacy, intrusive surveillance, with mysterious figures behind the scenes. What thriller fan does not want a story like that, eh?

If you’re looking for a nifty conspiracy thriller, be on the lookout for exciting news, a sequel to The CleanSweep Conspiracy, a publication date summer of 2017.

There always seems to be an etc

My writing and life have not been a journey traveling a straight line from beginning to present. Zigzags, sometimes leading to dead ends, have more often provided some splendid detours. Best of all is what comes next.

What began for me in America’s heartland, took a meandering Canadian journey through Ontario, finally coming to rest on Florida’s Treasure Coast. If asked, I like to pretend interest, often lack perseverance and could probably use a good talking to from time to time. That is until it comes to writing. Then, it is all about the next story.

My wife and I are now warmed by a sub-tropical sun where I write, keeping an eye out for hurricanes, alligators, and Burmese Pythons.

 

Chuck

Port Saint Lucie, Florida