Joe and Rita
Down on his luck once this is the scene where Joe first meets Rita, Frank Hill’s young twenty-five year old wife. Down the block was a...
Joe and Anna
Although Anna isn't a major character she plays a critical part in the novel. Her relationship and split from Joe after his marriage...
Synopsis of "Patch of Dirt"
JOE OLIVER is a thirty-year old drifter who likes women and good times. His dream is to find a patch of dirt for his own so that he can...
Opening Paragraph: "Patch of Dirt"
The next series of blogs will contain various excerpts from "Patch of Dirt." This is the opening paragraph. Half a dozen men and women...
Patch of Dirt: The Genesis of a Novel
Part 3: The Writing Process Did I ever get to 70,000 words? I didn’t. After converting the 90 page screenplay into a word document and...
PATCH OF DIRT: THE GENESIS OF A NOVEL
Part 2: Inspiration—Where My Ideas Come From I’m a pack rat when it comes to writing. I save the prior drafts of stories that didn’t...
PATCH OF DIRT: The Genesis of a Novel
Part 1: The Foundation Film, painting and poetry have always been at the heart of my writing. I was an art major in high school and won...