Is There An Author Inside Each Of Us?  by Tony Mollica

Note: Tony Mollica is a member of the Thousand Islands Chapter, a former ACBS Director, founder of the Gar Wood Society, a Trustee of the Antique Boat Museum, Chairman of the ABM Collections Committee and author of Gar Wood Boats: Classics of a Golden Era.

It happens to everyone of us and, perhaps, more often than we ever acknowledge. It's an event in our lives that sometimes arrives with little warning and frequently triggers a new interest or a new outlet for our reserve energy. Some of us ignore it, while others become curious to see where this new interest might lead them.

Let me share something that happened to me two years ago. I was reading an article by Barry Lane in which he wrote, "there is an author inside each of us." I was intrigued by his position and wondered if his theory really included someone like me. I was pondering his hypothesis when the thought was interrupted by the ringing of my telephone. The phone caller was Bruce Duncan, the marine photographer, who needed information on the production volume of the 1930 28-foot Gar Wood Landau for a new classic boat calendar. He seemed rather surprised when I was able to give him the precise answer so easily. After expressing his gratitude he concluded by saying that with all the information I had collected, I ought to write a book about Gar Wood boats. His suggestion caught me a bit off guard. Then I surprised myself by responding, "if you can find me a publisher, I will." Without a moment's hesitation Bruce said, "I can do that." As I put the phone down, I laughed at my presumptuous reply to his suggestion that I should write a book. However, his proposal to write a book came at the very moment that I was reading an article that stated, "there's an author inside each of us". The two events presented an engaging coincidence.

For the next few minutes I toyed with the thought of being the author of a significant book on Gar Wood boats. This particular fantasy had played in my mind before, but I always brushed the idea aside after a few moments of playful dreaming. I was far too practical to take this thought seriously.

About mid afternoon on the following day I received a telephone call from Jack Savage, Publishing Director for Motorbooks International. He said that he had just spoken to Bruce Duncan regarding my interest in Gar Wood boats and that he was looking for a manuscript on a popular classic boat builder. He continued by saying that his company was preparing to establish themselves in the field of antique and classic boating books. He felt that a book on Gar Wood boats would be an ideal topic to attract interest in this market. After responding to several questions, I was asked to submit an outline on my approach to how the story of Gar Wood boats might be presented. He then requested copies of articles I had written and information regarding my experience with Gar Wood boats for their review. It was at this moment that I began to realize that he was quite serious about having me write this book on Gar Wood boats.

After concluding my telephone conversation with Jack Savage, I quickly returned to Barry Lane's article and focused directly on his statement about there being an author inside each of us. Now the coincidence of reading this article and receiving two phone calls within such a brief time span had me totally fascinated. Aside from the extraordinary coincidence, it was clearly a remarkable opportunity to consider very carefully. I realized that this might be my best chance to share my years of research, rare photographs, production records and employee interviews with interested readers. The events were still hard to grasp, but it appeared that I was about to be given the opportunity to write the story of one of American's most respected boat builders.

Within two weeks from the time Jack Savage telephoned me, I signed a contract with the Publisher. The task of organizing years of research into a viable story fell into place with remarkable ease. Often the most difficult decisions involved the selection of which topics would be examined in greater detail and those topics to be reviewed briefly in order to stay within the specifications. The publisher's study of the classic boat market was thoughtfully prepared to assure that the new book would be reasonably successful. The name Gar Wood had widespread recognition and was synonymous with long standing prestige among classic boating enthusiasts.

To see the process unfold as each segment in the manuscript came together and then emerge into a beautifully illustrated book was one of the most fulfilling experiences imaginable. It was an adventure similar to designing and building something that exceeds every standard you envisioned when it was just a faint idea.

By December the book began to appear on regional bestseller lists along with current popular fiction and non-fiction books. Several ACBS Chapters arranged for book signings and discussion sessions because so many readers were interested to know more about how this book came into being.

However, there is another important outcome that I want to share with our ACBS membership. Through my close association with chapter members it has become apparent to me that there are scores of potential authors in our organization. Many of our members have become very skilled researchers who faithfully seek little known details on the development and history of their favorite boats. Barry Lane's statement, "there is an author inside each of us" could be directed toward the collective membership of ACBS. When it comes to our favorite classic boats, we possess files of valuable information, factory brochures, rare photos, and memorabilia collected to contribute to our personal knowledge of these cherished craft. Antique and classic boat owners are remarkable historians and relentless sleuths. We enjoy the pleasure of gathering and saving anything related to our favorite boats. This insatiable curiosity is so common among our ranks, that individually we probably possess enough interesting information to publish countless articles and stories to the delight of boaters. We are an organization abundant with potential authors.

By expanding our Association's interest in developing authorship we can share little known information more effectively. Books and articles will help each of us learn more about the designers and builders who created the craft we enjoy so enthusiastically. Writing will make a lasting contribution to our hobby by preserving records in published form that might otherwise be lost or never revealed.. Our Rudder magazine is a wonderful publication where each of us can share our special interest area to a devoted audience. With the large number of computers in common use, word processing programs provide an ideal method to improve writing skills and turn old files of research into vital articles and even books.

 

The ACBS Mission Statement encourages the type of contribution we can make by developing our potential for writing. Perhaps it would be appropriate for ACBS to establish a writers' forum or seminars to motivate our members and offer tips to become more effective writers. ACBS could invite marine publishers or editorial writers to present suggestions and proven techniques on writing articles or preparing a manuscript for publication. A seminar for interested writers might be a scheduled session in our Annual Meeting program. If you believe that an ACBS writers' forum is an idea worthy of consideration, please let the editor of The Rudder hear your thoughts or suggestions.

 

Tony Mollica