Robert W. Chapman
Maine Author
Maine Author
Getting it Write~
Events, Messages, On Writing
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Events, Messages, On Writing
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A Certain Fall
Evil is not the opposite of love; evil is the absence of love." A Certain Fall was my first serious effort, and is, naturally, special to me. The book really took shape as I wrote. (I think new authors probably always discover this same truth ... creativity happens while you write. You can't sit around and wait for the inspiration.) The story attempts to contrast ... investigate , the human elements of good, bad, and evil. It is a personal story. The events are real. (With some exceptions that I developed to bring some cohesion to the text.) The characters are composite characters of real people that I knew growing up in my home town. The two children, the lead characters, are individuals that I knew as a boy, and their story, despairing and tragic, had a profound impact on my own life.
A Certain Fall received flattering reviews locally. (Some of these are included in this website.) It resulted in many book signings and invitations to speak at literary groups, as well as numerous trainings on the topic of the long term impact of child abuse on the individual and society. The relative, local success of the book, in spite of its flaws, surprised me and encouraged me. But, more importantly, it created a pleasant ripple of recognition through the small town that is represented in the book as Cold Brook Mills. Folks from my home town, classmates, former teachers, and others, came forward at book signings and where ever they ran in to me, to tell me how pleased they were with the book. It stirred a lot of local discussion about the characters and the real life history of events in that small town. I was invited to speak to the creative writing class of the 6th grade at my old elementary school. I loved it. The kids gave me some pointers on my next book, Spider Lake.
But, it's the process--the art--of writing that I love, what happens after that is not nearly as important. I will continue to write for the sheer pleasure. However, A Certain Fall will remain that special book. The first one. "
