Ollie and The Ranch: Preface
Ducks, me, and Ollie behind me at the base of a sprawling tree.
Below is the preface for my novel “Ollie and The Ranch.” As I sharpen my prose in preparation for publication, I wanted to offer a glimpse into the journey of writing this book.
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It was September of 2018. I had vivid memories of my childhood, hitting my brain like a lightning bolt, coming into my consciousness quickly, and recoiling again into my clouded head. These recollections started at age three years old. Over the next few months, more memories surfaced from ages four, five, and six years old. Most of my thoughts were from two years when my parents and I lived on a ranch in Blaine, Washington. We moved to The Ranch when I was four and left when I was six. I wanted reassurance as to the accuracy of my flashbacks. So, by Christmas 2018, I emailed my Dad a bullet-pointed list of situations I had remembered. In his email response, to my surprise, the accuracy of my past thoughts was impeccable. With this revelation, I decided to write a series of short stories to catalog these memories, thinking one day I would put them into a book of shorts called “The Ranch” and self-publish it.
By early 2019, I started my project, writing anywhere between five and eight pages for a single recalled incident. Even though I aspired to be a published author and had a long history of writing short stories, character arcs, outlines, and synopsis, I never committed to a complete project. My book of shorts could be the first if I had the discipline to complete it. Throughout 2019, I wrote sporadically, unable to create a routine due to the nature of my job, which was demanding. However, by the end of 2019, even with the stress of my career, I had produced fourteen short stories totaling eighty-four pages. I was proud of my accomplishment and wanted to expand the story from a series of individual shorts to a cohesive novella. I had ideas that I wanted to add to the story. Creatively, this meant evolving from a memoir to a work of fiction. Artistically, I was excited by the notion. I went back and read my stories, including notes with new ideas to enliven the narrative, adding chapters and backstory. As I was reflecting on my writing, I concluded two things: 1. I had enough inspiration and ideas to transition from a novella to a novel. 2. "The Ranch" story had become more than tales of ranch life, but an enshrining of my first dog Ollie, who I loved like my flesh and blood. In allowing my words to flow without constraint, I had written a love letter to my dog. I printed a copy of what I had written, put it in a drawer, and contemplated. Is this the book I meant to write all along? Is this really about my dog?
In 2020, as the pandemic turned into lockdown, I started having semi-daily video conferences with my parents to check on their wellbeing. I spoke at length about Ollie, our dog I had unwittingly canonized in my stories. My Mom was not surprised, as our love for Ollie was fervent. Mom recalled several stories about Ollie as a loving protector, loyal audience, or highly intelligent, capable living being. Over the months we had these video conferences, I took notes, which enriched the story. By the summer of 2020, I decided my novel would focus on both ranch life and our loving companion Ollie. The foundation for the book was my story, but as I previously concluded, it would be a work of fiction; I would allow inspiration to develop the themes and content further than initially expected. I had a timeline, fully fleshed-out characters, and a clear beginning, middle, and end. As 2020 was ending, my progress was slow. My career was draining me of inspiration daily. As 2021 started, the book was moving along sporadically. I felt discouraged. My wife and I discussed leaving my career to finish my book. In April of 2021, I changed jobs. Free from the stress of my previous work life, I wrote at a torrid pace. The book was pouring from me like a waterfall. The rapid waters of narrative polished the sharp rocks of the story, and at the end of June, I had my first draft.
In writing "Ollie and The Ranch," I was reacquainted with my love for Ollie. I also learned about the joys of extended memory, as the love for my furry family member kept my recollection long. Additionally, my parents' strong wills inspired me, who left the California Bay Area in 1976 for a radically different life. At first, they didn't know what they would do or how they would do it. All they knew was they needed change—real change. They couldn't make narrow moves but large ones to break the chaos of their California existence. What they embarked on with The Ranch became the foundation for the way I view life. When Ollie came into our lives, my relationship with him formed part of who I am today. This story was the book I was inspired to write all along.
This book is a work from my heart. Part truth, part fiction, “Ollie and The Ranch” explores the ideas around community, choice, and love. It focuses on a family and their willingness to trade one hazardous environment for another. In the family's decisions, they cope with the challenges of ranching and farming with the kindness of their wise dog Ollie. It has been a joy to remember Ollie and let him continue living in the pages of “Ollie and The Ranch.” In doing so, he lives in me again as well. The lightning bolts of memories are now long, meandering dreams. Due to this book, I run again with Ollie through the fields west of The Ranch. I share an apple with him in the front yard. We sit with one another in the shade of the cherry trees cuddled up against a tree trunk.
