Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At age nineteen I wanted to write a book. I’m not sure why, but I was sure that no one would want to read a book by a nineteen year old, so I needed a hook. I had been bicycling as an adult for a year and in the enthusiasm of youth figured I was something of an expert, so I set out to write a bicycle touring guide. I used the maps and tour descriptions to sell the book, but added touring stories to satisfy my creative needs.
Sometimes the brashness of youth pays off, if the payoff you’re looking for is freedom, exploration and creativity, not income. That book, co-authored with Phil Van Valkenberg, lead to hundreds of low paying freelance opportunities, five more bicycle touring guides, dozens of bicycle maps and a career in the world of bicycling. The career paid the bills. Income from the books, maps and freelance opportunities fed my cycling habit and eventually allowed me to ratchet back my “career” to three days per week.
Those three days were spent in a cubicle. It was a good job, but I lived for the other four days when I could write, create maps, give talks and explore endlessly. My world expanded from the cubicle to the metro area of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, then further afield across the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin and a bicycle tour that eventually crossed the breadth of the United States.
Wherever I went, and whatever I did, I felt compelled to write about it: opinion pieces, touring stories, interviews and observations. Some of the pieces elicited kudos, others derision, many a mix of both.
I never developed the tough skin of a hardened journalist. I winced and groaned when the response was negative and my stomach churned when I submitted a piece likely to generate backlash. The best protection was to reread the story multiple times before submitting it. Did it convey my real thoughts? Was it clearly written? Did I use the right words? If I could honestly say “yes,” then there was nothing more to do. I submitted the piece and waited for publication.
Like so many journalists, I felt that I had at least one novel in me. And like so many journalists, I had a wealth of experience to draw from. I’d interviewed folks from many walks of life, observed with a focused eye and a developing story line, lived an itinerant life for too many years and worked at the craft of writing.
I could tell a story, but could I write a novel? The biggest challenge, and the most enjoyable revelation, was that a novelist can lie. As a journalist, I worked hard to get an accurate story down on paper. As a novelist, I had to work hard to break those bonds of accuracy. Sure, I had to keep the story, down to minute details, believable, but beyond that I could lie, cheat, fib, fabricate, revise, prevaricate. Call it what you wish.
Sometimes those fabrications revealed a truth that ran so deep it shook me to the core. I’d stop, take a few deep breaths, wipe my eyes and walk away to regain my composure. I don’t expect the same impact on readers, because the act of writing can mine a deep vein that reading can only acknowledge.
Whether fiction or journalism, the same criteria applies to a story. Did it convey my real thoughts? Was it clearly written? Did I use the right words? I checked those boxes with “On His Own Terms” and published the story.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“On His Own Terms” has been bouncing around in my head for at least 30 years. At first I thought it would be a big picture look at bicycling and how it can lead down so many different paths. Not just riding, but the history of bicycling, its impact on society, especially during the Victorian era, the characters who populate that history, insights about politics, international relationships, that sort of thing. That idea died an ignoble death and the world is better for it.
Then it segued into an autobiography, a short lived fantasy, no one was hurt.
In the end the characters took over. They made it clear they knew who they were and how they would handle any situation, if I would just get out of the way. I threw situations at them and they handled them on their own terms, but a sharp eyed editor wasn’t impressed. With the MS Word equivalent of a red sharpie plus pithy comments and a summary letter, he suggested that I throw out the last third of the book and rewrite the first two thirds. The rest was OK. Three more readers who believed in tough love made additional demands.
The book finally made it to print, only to be panned by a couple of friends who were also schooled in the value of tough love. No option but to pull the book down and rework it.
I’d like to say that the novel is ready for the big tent now, but I’ve learned that verdict isn’t mine to make. Readers will decide, and I’ll have to handle the situation on my own terms.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nope. I have a nice writing desk and office. I sit down and I write.
I’ve learned to throw out the first paragraph of most of my articles because they rarely reflect the rest of the story. In the case of “On His Own Terms” I tossed out the first chapter. Such is the nature of my writing that I have to jump in and flounder around for awhile before I get a rhythm. But I don’t throw out that first part until I finish the whole piece. Remember that comment about being panned by a couple of friends after the book was published? I took it down, threw out the first chapter and heavily edited the first hundred pages. It read so much better.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Among the classics Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and William Faulkner showed me how words should be used and stories unfold. Good, long form journalism, as practiced in The Atlantic, makes me envious. Breaking into that magazine, even with a letter to the editor, would be equivalent to winning the Pulitzer Prize for me. Ironically, if I ever did break into that magazine, I would question why they lowered their standards.
What are you working on now?
I’ve returned to freelance writing. I’d love to write an opinion piece on the overuse of metaphors.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I knew
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for publication. In other words, put your work out there for strangers to read. They don’t care about you, but they care a lot about what they are reading. Without that discipline, you’re writing a diary.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“I saw that.” Karma
What are you reading now?
“Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck. With Covid shutting down most travel, I need an outlet for my wanderlust. Like Steinbeck, I’m more interested in the people than the tourist highlights.
“Shipping News” by Annie Proulx. This is a terrible book. The author’s extraordinary overuse of metaphors is beyond comprehension. I’m digging into it this time around for the sheer joy of finding the most egregious abuses of metaphors. There’s a story or opinion piece or something in there.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not sure if I have another novel in me. I’ll have to let several ideas bounce around to see if anything comes out. Meanwhile, I love freelance writing and have several stories in mind.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
At least one book on how to survive on a desert island, preferably with hints on how to signal passing jets or ships.
One book on astronomy, so I can get lost in the cosmos every night.
One book on navigating the ocean because I would rather die trying to escape than live to read the same three or four books for the rest of my life.
Author Websites and Profiles
Doug Shidell Website
Doug Shidell Amazon Profile
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