image from mappery.com

On to Day 2 of the Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge today. I thought I’d start writing today but just ended up making a few notes. Today’s assignment was on the exposition or back story. There are five areas that you want to cover in this:

• main ancestor
• setting
• conflict
• theme/focus
• tone

The first one is easy, my Dad. The setting for the start of the book is somewhere on the road between San Diego and Key West in the late summer of 1954. As I was thinking about the setting, I found a map that I used for my Mom’s Europe trip to show their cross-country bus trip. It is from 1955 and will provide some good information.

The conflict at this point is getting to Key West no later than 2400 hours on September 11, 1954. The theme/focus of the book is setting up the Underwater Swimmers School in Key West.

The tone, I haven’t really thought about this part at all until today. I’m thinking not too serious even though some dangerous stuff goes on. I know my Dad doesn’t want it to sound like he is bragging. As I’m writing this I’m reminded that my Dad has always been a tease with a rather dry humor, so maybe that will be the tone of the book.

There are lots of things learn and think about in writing. I never thought that writing was easy but I had no idea of all the different things to consider when writing a book. This has been and will certainly continue to be a major learning process for me.