Now that I’m well into my fourth year of writing these columns, I should already have shared with you the information that appears here. So I’m doing it now as if you and I were visiting and I was answering your questions.
Why did you decide to write this column?
Most book authors have a website for promoting their books and some write a blog for that site. I wanted to do the same except instead of a blog which usually concerns recent personal happenings, I decided to write a column of possible help to readers.
How did you come up with the label “Country Boy Logic”?
It was a natural. I was born and grew up in a small Indiana farming community of fewer than a hundred people. We had no running water, got callouses and blisters from having to do about everything the hard way. The fact that I and the rest of my high school senior class could squeeze into Ollie Hunt’s Chevy tells you something. Without good logic, we wouldn’t have been able to survive the tough times or enjoy the good ones.
Where do you get the ideas for your column?
They come to me. I never know when, but as soon as the words begin to form in my brain, I stop what I’m doing (or jump out of bed if it’s in the middle of the night), hit the keyboard and don’t stop until I’ve written a rough draft of the entire column.
How long does it take for you to write a column?
The rough draft comes quickly, often within an hour, but editing takes a lot more time. That not only means correcting grammar and punctuation, but also making sure the words flow well and are properly sequenced. At some point, however, I must give up trying to make it perfect by giving it wings and letting it fly away.
Some stories you tell are hard to believe. Are they real?
Unless I tell you differently, yes, they are. Also, instead of selecting an event or situation and developing a column around it, I identify the point I want to make then borrow from what I know and my experiences to validate that point.
What’s your greatest challenge in writing these columns?
I’m distressed that some readers doubt I have done those things, been to those places, and met those people. All of that has happened because I believe life is supposed to be an adventure rather than a grind. I react not by bragging, but rather because I’m excited by what those adventures reveal and cause me to understand more completely. I insist on being authentic and the only way I can do that is to write from my own experiences and those of other people I’ve met, known, or worked with along the way.
You often quote people. Can you actually remember what people said at the time?
No, and I don’t claim that I do. If I clearly remember what was said, and as a journalist I often do, I will use those words. Otherwise, I reconstruct the conversation, but only if I’m able to accurately report what was said.
Surely it costs money to post these columns, so why don’t you charge for them?
Yes, there is a cost and it’s significant, but this is my creative way of passing on to others what I’ve learned. If that improves their lives, then I’m being successful in paying back to society what it has given me. The deeply satisfying and reassuring responses I receive from readers verify that’s happening, and that is payment enough.
Do you get much feedback from readers?
Yes, and I can’t thank everybody enough for their support. I treasure what readers tell me, especially when it’s something I need to know. Like any writer, however, I wish I heard from still more. Even if it’s only one sentence, I want and need to know what you are thinking. That, in turn, sharpens my ability to reflect what’s happening to everyone.
What is there about writing these columns that satisfies you most?
Having someone tell me I have changed or expanded their range of thought, helped them understand more what life is about, or that I’ve given them ideas on how to succeed rather than merely survive. I’m humbled when a reader passes the columns on to their grandkids and even more so when someone tells me their grandkids insist on reading the columns as soon as they arrive.
How do you decide what subjects to write about?
That’s the biggest challenge. I don’t want the columns to be all about me nor do I want to get involved with issues regarding politics, race and religion. I much prefer those subjects be treated by those who are far more knowledgeable about such matters.
I sometimes have the feeling I’m reading something you’ve written before. Is that possible?
Yes. Even if the wording isn’t identical, I might use a part of a previous column to help make an entirely different point in another one.
How much longer will you be writing the columns?
As long as I have something I believe should be said and have the ability to say it. I will quit at the first hint that I’m writing the columns to satisfy a habit rather than to serve a purpose.
Any final words?
Yes. Thank you so much for reading these columns. The greatest compliment you can give me is to tell others about this column and tell me I’ve helped make a difference in your life. Write me any time at this email address — writerfred@aol.com — and I promise you a thoughtful answer.
