Danny January: Blog

This summer, we'll be returning to Africa for a horseback safari and taking some new folks for the first time. They are proficient riders and excited about the trip but concerned about all the wild critters. I doubt that I'll get that far into this story but their feelings about it mirrored mine before I went for the first time. I'm curious if any of my readers have gone on a vacation like this or what your thoughts are.

Many of my stories are based on real people and real events. Sometimes I’ve embellished and sometimes I’ve embellished a great deal. Every now and then I have someone ask about a particular character in my stories.

No one has elicited more questions than Elsa (from Maja’s Mom). I never met the real-life Maja. It’s an as-told-by story that I chose to write in the first person. I’ve asked some of the same questions. My friend tells me that Maja is a wonderful person and an amazing mom. He also said her ex husband was abusive and he’s either still in prison or on parole and we don’t know which. Elsa sold her home and cut ties with everyone she knew in the Charleston area. We’re speculating that it is a fear-based issue. People (women, in most cases) who have suffered from physical abuse and survived, don’t always do what you or I would consider rationale. Instead, they are operating in survival mode. In this case, that fear is likely compounded by her concern for her daughter. Recently, my friend found her with the help of a private investigator. They’ve been in contact and he is balancing respecting her privacy and pursuing a relationship. I’ve asked him about it – if it was worth it. He assures me it is. I haven’t pushed him for any more than that.
Perhaps, one day, I'll have the opportunity to write a happy sequel.

With some serious editing from Steven, I've updated Cousin Removed. It had some grammar error, typos, and a few places that needed clarification.

The weather in the Lowcountry has been glorious and I've spent a lot more time riding than writing lately.

I'm working on junior year. When I wrote feasting, it was by far the longest piece I'd ever written, not to mention the most detailed and complex. When I wrote Summertime, I did it sort of on a whim, until I remembered how much happened that summer and it grew to be much bigger and more complex than I thought.

If you've read both, you're familiar with a bunch of people. Some make their entrance, have an impact and disappear from the story. About a dozen characters are fairly central and consistent in their place in the stories.

Question for my readers: Is there any particular character you wish had been fleshed out more? I wonder what happened to so and so?

Feasting and Summertime have generated quite a few questions from readers. Let me try to answer some.

1. Owning a horse isn't cheap. Before you do, I suggest you learn to ride. Not just a little. Take lessons for a couple of years first and decide if you want to compete or just ride for fun. If you need more saddle time, consider leasing a horse on site. You share time with the owner. It's a pretty smart way to go until you're certain.

2. Horseback safaris are a real thing. There is a huge variety. Some are not much more than a dandified pony ride through an animal park. Others are pretty intense. The most important thing, IMHO, is to match your proficiency with what the provider offers. Some require advanced riders. There's a reason for that. Don't overestimate your proficiency.

3. Learning to box is a great introduction to martial arts. I could say it's the best but it's actually the only one I know. First, you learn to hit and get hit without having a panic attack. Too many karate schools may as well teach theory. Part of that is due to skyrocketing cost of liability insurance and part of it is due to many of their students being afraid. Learn to box or teach your kid to box, then introduce them to the other martial arts.

4. Puerto Rico is a fantastic vacation destination. Really.

5. Biomedical engineering is still a growing field. We need people who can innovate. If you or your kid wants to enter a challenging career field where you can really make a difference, this might be it. Just make sure you study math like you mean it.

6. Family law can be heartbreaking. Be sure.

7. Lots of harbors have boating clubs where you can join the club and use their boats. They're a bit like an aquatic time share. They aren't cheap but they are cheaper than owning a boat. Charleston has a good one. I believe many port cities do.

8. The world will always need heavy equipment operators. Generally, the bigger the equipment, the better the pay.

That's my short answer to some of the questions I've been getting. I figured some people who didn't ask might want those little nuggets as well.

Danny