Reflections & Revisions

What first-time authors don’t know about the publishing process is a lot. Since my book Dances With Fire officially went live on Amazon last Wednesday, I can take a breath and reflect on the months since April when I first turned in my manuscript. Problems arose because I was trying to have printed copies by July 6. That was a pivotal date for me 30 years ago, and still is. I rushed the final copy to try to have it printed by then. I’m sure it’s a cardinal rule for writers: Thou shalt not rush the final draft. But even if I hadn’t rushed it, there was a weak spot that I didn’t see until after I sent it to the publisher. Here’s what happened:

Once writers complete a manuscript, they look for professional writers who would consider endorsing it. Four authors were available despite short-notice. All four wrote glowing endorsements that brought a few tears of joy to my eyes. That part was fun. Positive feedback is a bonus for anyone attempting to create and share. But oddly enough, I had a sense that one of the authors had more to say. I called and asked, “What are you not telling me?” Here I should add that I admire this writer (Cheryl Grey Bostrom, award-winning author of Sugar Birds and Leaning On Air). I consider her a mentor.

Reluctantly, among other things, she pointed out that I wrote about all the fires I was on except the one that had the biggest impact on me. I didn’t write about it. Not a single word. I was letting my readers down, she said, by not sharing what happened. (I had thought that since I was not at that fire, I wasn’t qualified to write about it. I just wrote about the effect it had on me.) She pointed out that younger readers who don’t remember the infamous South Canyon Fire on July 6, 1994, should know about it, and who better to tell than one who knew most of the firefighters who perished. Everything she said resonated. She was right. I had to fix it.

After our conversation, I reread author John N. Maclean’s book, Fire On The Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire. 266 pages—an entire book about one fire— describes the events that lead to the tragedy on Storm King Mountain at Glenwood Springs, CO. It’s a work of investigative journalism at its best. It’s also required reading for many wildland firefighters. The haunting final five words of the book are: “Let our sacrifice be enough.” From this book and from hearing the survivors’ stories, I wrote a summary that I hope will inspire others to read Maclean’s book. These added pages were the main addition plus a few more edits and photos for the updated manuscript. Now, finally, the updated version is published.

I hope readers will enjoy entering a world that may seem foreign— to hike with me on the fireline. And those who’ve never held a pulaski might learn something about what firefighters do. To order your copy from Amazon, click here.

Photo By My Neighbor Linda G.