Writing comes with the human race…

Early cave drawings show man’s necessity to leave an account of his existence. We are genetically programmed to write. Recording historical events becomes second nature—something in our genetic structure has a necessity to express itself, to leave markers for subsequent generations to follow.

Firelight stories were handed down from generation to generation… but only the most entertaining renditions were kept. Excitement, romance and adventure combined with the storyteller’s imagination is how we published writing for thousands of years.

Centuries pass but the storyteller remains…

Over the years writing and equipment to help the writer have evolved in proportion to the writer’s need to express himself. A good writer feels that his words would benefit people the most—but are those words truthful or merely created for entertainment value. My dad, novelist Leon Uris, had a collection of antiquated typewriters. Growing up, an entire closet was dedicated to storing the relics.

Dad kept all his old typewriters, and at the end of a fifty-year career, the closet full of typewriters had quadrupled in size. In all those years, he refused to work with a computer or word processor. Maybe he knew something I didn’t, mainly because his books have sold half a billion copies.

My earliest goal—be a liked writer like Dad…

My writing career spans my entire life. It has always been a pleasure to write. It brings me great pleasure—to me, writing is more of a hobby than a requirement. Above is my KayPro II, in the day a modern miracle. I could process 28 kilobits of information at one time. In comparison, a typical cellphone can process several gigabytes of information at once. I have written scores of stories, several books, humor, poems, comparative philosophy—but to date have only found one story worthy of publishing. That story is entitled The Uris Trinity, my newly published memoir/relationship with my novelist father, of how he exposed me to an unfamiliar world—and how I learned how to express my feelings through the written word.

The story in our hearts needs to be told…

Dad and I debated about writing techniques for decades. He trusted his gut instinct, that he could hold an entire novel within his attention span without the assistance of word processing programs. His last couple of novels faced stern competition from seasoned authors who had already made the transformation to the computer age. Thus, Dad’s popularity faded near the end of his career.

I grew up with the changing tools of writing. I put away my typewriter long ago, and now write with programs and technical equipment that have made my literary chores simple and—less scattered, allowing for me to be more focused. Writing techniques change with the times, and you must change or be dragged under. Creating a clear path for words to flow from your mind onto the paper/screen is the writing process.

I learned to listen, that was my advantage…

The most important message my father gave me about writing—trust in your editing abilities. He spent years writing a single book. Even though my father worked with seasoned editors, the final decision was always in the hands of the artist—the writer. Dad never let a word pass him by without approval. Although I have adapted to the 21st Century writing techniques, shortcuts and editing programs, I will never abandon the basic fact behind writing—when you see a story in your mind, simply translate it onto paper.

Find The Uris Trinity at Amazon.com
Read Michael’s blog/journal at” www.michaelcadyuris.com
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