'Slow and steady to win the race'

 

 

 “Writing doesn't come real easy to me. I couldn't write a novel in a year. It wouldn't be readable. I don't let an editor even look at it until the second year, because it would just scare them. I just have to trust that all these scraps and dead-ends will find a way.” – Charles Frazier

 

As a “deliberate” writer myself – especially when I’m working on fiction – I can commiserate with Frazier and long ago decided that getting it done right, regardless of how long it takes to finish is the best route to follow.   Frazier agrees, noting, “Well, I'm a slow writer. For me, a good day is a page, maybe a page and a half. I'd love to be more efficient, but I am not.” 

  

Born on this date in 1950 in Asheville, NC (much in the news these days from the horrific floods they’ve endured), Frazier has authored 5 books beginning with the terrific Cold Mountain – winner of awards as both a book and a movie.  His most recent book is 2023’s The Trackers, which follows a painter tracking down a woman with a valuable painting during The Great Depression.

 

Frazier’s writing is a study in how to draw upon the culture and history of a region – in his case his home state and the Appalachian region.   He said he also loves the music of the region and finding ways to incorporate it into his writings to “flesh out” his stories.

 

“It always helps me connect with characters,” he said, “to think about what music they respond to.”