What Was the Writing Process For Bohunk’s Redemption?
The book Bohunk’s Redemption was a life hard to live at times. However, it was easy to write about.
I based the book on the story of my life in order to help others so I chose a subject I most like to talk about and now write about. Being a reflective person assisted me in writing about my upbringing and stages of my life.
I utilized the structure often relied on by recovered alcoholics in witnessing at Open and Closed Meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. That being “What it was like, what happened and what it is like now.” Since I had years of experience witnessing at AA meetings, I was peculiarly prepared to write this book.
Fortunately, my life did not end when I recovered. Instead, it led into other dimensions: physical, mental and spiritual. I have lived a life of abundance and prosperity, with gratitude and pride from my 12 step recovery…
From the trilogy, I outlined major points in my experiences starting with scenes as my life and career can be traced geographically and personally one step at a time. I then filled in the content with my best recollections of events, feelings, and relationships with others..
Since my life in recovery continued to consist of “happenings”, evolving from my spiritual energy and direction and personal grandiosity and inspirations, I wrote my story from substance and empiricism.
As I often do, I used models to write, in this case Catcher in the Rye. As many have, I enjoyed J. D. Salinger’s satirical and jaded perceptions for reality, disguised as Holden Caulfield. I certainly possessed a distorted reality during my days of alcohol and drug addiction.
However, where I depart from Salinger is when he ends the book with Holden held in a psychiatric hospital. While I too ended up in various psychiatric hospitals, I managed to escape into a life of recovery. Holden never was discharged as Salinger likely continued to regress into the depth of his mental illness.
Bohunk is a declaration of commitment that originated from my desire to “carry the message” to those still suffering from addictions as a part of my recovery. I also had developed an unexpected drive to write about my experiences and knowledge about addictions.
As a Professor and author, I have published over 200 journal articles and 13 books over the years, hoping to improve and educate people’s view on addictions and recovery. Bohunk is a product of my life, career and recovery in an effort to share my misery, joy and curious examinations of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without alcohol and drugs..