F/V Black Sheep: The Book

A little over two years ago I got a phone call from a guy who said he needed to talk to me. He had been given my number by a mutual friend and he wanted to know if he could come by and drop something off — a manuscript.”Where are you?” I asked. “On the state fish pier,” he answered, “in my truck. Where are you?” “Do you know where the statue of Joan of Arc is?I’m near that.” Later he told me when I said that he knew we would work well together.

The manuscript was waiting for me when I went downstairs later that afternoon. It was titled, “Ted Williams: Football Player” and I read it immediately.

There was no denying the talent of the person who wrote it. He had an easy, accessible narrative style, he knew how to pace a story and build drama. His use of dialog was good. After years and years of helping people with their writing the one thing I’ve learned is that if they can’t do dialog, they aren’t going to be good writers. If they can do dialog, there is potential. The reason for this is simple. The one thing writers must do is listen to people, listen to how they talk and how they use words — observe their curiosities of speech and note the way a person’s character and nature is conveyed through their speech. This guy needed help with organizing his story, with grammar basics, and punctuation. Especially punctuation — his sentences went on forever. But those are all easy fixes.

I called the guy and made plans to meet. He showed up at the appointed time and I liked him immediately — a big guy, with the clothes, body and attitude of a working man who wouldn’t know a pretense if it bit him. He had a soft, quiet way of speaking and mice eyes. I said I’d work with him.

It has taken two years and the way has not always been smooth but through everything I never stopped believing that he was talented — very talented.

He was possessive of his manuscript, only letting me have a chapter at a time. We would work on that one until he was satisfied with it then he would give me the next one. We didn’t always agree on how some parts should be edited. Sometimes he let me change things, other times he refused. He wanted it the way it was. He definitely knew what he wanted and, I had to remind myself, it’s his book. Lots of times I said, “It’s his DAMN book.” But I always knew it had lots of potential.

When I read the chapter called “Little League” I knew the book would have appeal. He wrote with both humor and compassion for the fears a boy goes through when he’s facing a tough challenge. When I read “Little Feet” I knew I was working with a writer who knew how to please his readers. It was both funny, mysterious and touching. When I read “Garand Afternoon”, a chapter of remarkable intensity, I knew I was working with a writer who knew how to write out of his gut and was fearless in self-revelation. That chapter took my breath away the first time I read it and it still does.

Two years have passed and this week that book, F/V Black Sheep by Mark S. Williams, is being released. It will shortly be available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble but the best way to get it is to go to Mark’s web site, download an order form and mail it to him with a check. He will autograph the book and send it to you.

Over these two years I have grown to love both Mark and his book. There are parts I would have done differently, there are a couple sections I wish he would have let me cut, but there is so much that is excellent all that seems minor. It IS his book, afterall. I just got to be a part of its production.

I hope you will buy it. I know you will love it.

Thanks for reading.