Thoughts while writing…
Character Update
When I think of our main character, Tom Dickerson, I see a square jawed and well built young man that manifested from working on a ranch. At the start of our journey, Tom is in his early twenty’s.
He stands 6ft tall, weighs in around one-hundred and ninety pounds, has hazel eyes, and brown hair. The image on the left from Pintrest, and is exactly how I imagine Tom right before he boarded a ship and landed at the port of Saint-Nazaire in France.
Some of the traits I see inherent to Tom Dickerson center around his deep religious beliefs and trust in prayer. His grandparents and family are Catholic and profoundly religious; those life moments have, and will continue to, uniquely shape him throughout our story as he balances his devotion and the brutality of a world at war.
Family is the centerpiece of his life - Sunday’s played a huge part in Tom’s early life. Back home, his entire family unit would attend church together then spend the rest of the day and into the evening at his grandparent’s house. His grandparents were the centerpiece to his life - most of Tom’s memories came from someplace on their ranch or front porch.
While the misery of fighting a war he wasn’t mentally prepared for is exhausting, it consumes space in his mind during the lonely and desperate moments in France. Tom admits his biggest challenge is putting aside the distraction of home. He is, at his core, compassionate and empathetic. Some describe him a bit timid; he’s known to avoid risk and prefers certainty. Tom doesn’t thrive in ambiguity, however he has learned how to adapt primarily because he’s quick to read a situation and react.
Tom is a generally optimistic person and always thinks people operate with good intent. He can be naive and as a result, he sees things with rose shaded glasses, and at times it can cloud his ability to see what’s in front of him. When painted into a corner, and not given time to think, Tom is quick, decisive, and clear in his focus. He will use his sense of humor to make himself feel comfortable; as a result, it can be seen as an ice-breaker or plain awkward.
Tom Dickerson holds himself to a high standard, and while that commitment to excellence propels him, he has seen not everyone reacts to the horrors of the front the same way. As a teenager and young man, Tom often wondered how he would respond if tested like his father was in Cuba. He is his greatest critic constantly fights to prove to himself that his first instincts are wrong. He’s resolute and thorough, and when you become friends, he’s the best kind of a friend.
My purpose as a novelist is to give Tom Dickerson a full life throughout our journey in the Dickerson Universe, and hope you now have a better feel for our main character.
As always, I’m happy to take your thoughts and input as I work to deepen my connection with all y’all, too.
What’s next?
The universe is expanding!
The second single shot novella, Uncommon Courage, is with my editor and I’ve started research on the 1st Infantry Division during the Battle of St. Mihiel, and will feed into the third novel Battered and Bruised.
2024 will be a huge year for the Dickerson Universe; y’all will see the release of White Lightning and potentially two single shot novellas. Stay close to my blog and website for more updates!
Something for you!
Please drop me an email and put in the subject line “Ruthless Fortitude” - I’m happy to kick over the first ten pages in a pdf file that spotlights the first single shot novella. This novella is a bit more around Hans Weber…one of the antagonist that stretches across the landscape of the Dickerson Universe!
Thank you for all the support - it means more than y’all know…