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Writers Write: Elsa’s World

August 15, 2018 by Jim Potter 6 Comments

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· Elsa’s World ·

I interviewed a young writer friend of mine today. Her name is Elsa. She’s fifteen.

We’re from the same tribe; we love writing.

Elsa shared with me, telling me about the dystopian novel she’s writing and I’m so excited for her! The project sounds huge yet it’s clearly manageable in her capable hands. She’s got many things charted out, yet she’s open to discovering what’s next.

I love a lot of things about her stories and I’m really pleased to find her creating a fictional world with characters I’d like to meet. There’s Cate and Jack, both seventeen years old.

Cate’s got many enduring character traits. She’s insightful, determined, observant, focused, intelligent, quick, composed, unreadable, and sarcastic.

Jack’s cynical, determined, loyal, and funny. He’s also the son of high government officials who are interested in understanding the mind of people just like Cate.

Jack’s mission is to get close to Cate, to learn how she thinks, and to report this back so the government can better understand the people who think similarly to her.

When Elsa told me that she was writing in the dystopian genre I was surprised. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because I stereotyped that an evil or corrupt world is best created by a damaged writer with a scattered scarred past who has experienced emotional, mental, and physical abuse. Of course, that’s not true.

Great writers use their imagination. Check. Elsa uses that characteristic!

Successful writers love to write and make writing a priority every day. Check. Elsa is dedicated to her work. She schedules her writing time. You might see her at a coffee shop with earbuds listening to her writing playlist while working on her laptop.

Determined writers figure things out. Check, again. Elsa has worked to develop a detailed plot line she can follow, and knows how her book will end. I hope to be one of the first people to read it once it’s completed.

Elsa reminds me that creative writing comes from a strong personal drive to write and to tell stories. In her case, she hopes that her novel will help open the minds of people who read it and inspire them to use their imagination and become more aware of who they are and what is around them.

When the public reads her novel maybe they’ll see the errors of our society.  Or the errors within their own thinking.  Or the error in thinking that there’s only one way to think.

In Elsa’s world the government feels threatened by abstract thinkers who are potential risks to the current order.

I also learned that the dystopian world Elsa’s created doesn’t take place in a post-nuclear apocalyptic setting with burning cities, warring nations, or revolutionary battles. Instead, the setting is our world exactly as it is now. Right here. Right now. On one level it’s pretty simple: We, the citizens of Elsa’s world, don’t know what nefarious things the government is doing because the government covers them up with subliminal messages and bold lies.

Elsa’s imagination goes wild while creating her dystopian world. This is the world, she believes, that will be the most inviting. Once the reader enters Elsa’s novel, then author Elsa will show the formidable challenges a sixteen-year-old girl will need to encounter, overcome, and win.

I asked Elsa if she knew when she first wanted to be an author. She smiled, and said yes. She recalled when she was in third grade and told her grandmother that she wanted to be either a teacher or a writer.

At the end of fifth grade, Elsa’s teacher asked if it would be okay for her to print out all of Elsa’s writings as examples to be used for future classes. That teacher supported Elsa’s choice for a life of writing. That teacher, one person, made a difference.

Elsa will too!

Until next time, happy writing and reading!

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Comments

  1. Bill Bush says

    Thank you for encouraging young writers, Jim.

    Go Elsa!

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Thanks, Bill. It’s easy to be helpful and a cheerleader when a person is working to achieve their dream. Another thing, whenever I interview anyone, including Elsa, I always learn something.
      I got caught up in the excitement of her story! Elsa understands that figuring things out and meticulous planning is part of writing. Jim

      Reply
  2. Marilyn Bolton says

    Loved reading about Elsa, Jim. Where does she go to school? She is making her amazing goals and dreams a reality!!

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Marilyn, thanks for your comment. When I shared the blog/podcast to Facebook, I introduced it this way: “Never underestimate a 15-year-old.” It’s refreshing to hear that Elsa needs to “get to her writing” as a reason to end a conversation, etc.
      As author Mark Simmons has shared, most people don’t want to do all the work it takes to write a book. Instead, they want to HAVE WRITTEN a book. In other words they want the accolades, the praise, without making the sacrifices it takes to complete a monumental task. Jim

      Reply
  3. Ronda says

    This is a perfect example of what we, the Kansas Authors Club, would like our newsletter to include – an interview with a youth writer.
    Lovely read and such a bright and creative mind. Ronda

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Ronda, thanks for your comments. Yes, we have opportunities to highlight and mentor young writers. I’ll be the first to say that encouraging someone isn’t just giving; it’s also receiving. My, the excitement of interacting with a writer who wants to tell their stories! Jim

      Reply

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Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Larry Kruckman, anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a… Read more “Larry Kruckman, anthropologist”

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental… Read more “Morgan Penner”

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centers on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to… Read more “Sean McArdle, Winchester, England”

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller… Read more “Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist”

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters… Read more “John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement”

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

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