Catholic Dust Bowl Fiction

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All: I am playing around with a story I’ve been working on for a while dealing with a Catholic family forced to be Okies during the Dust Bowl.

You can find Chapter 1 here: Remember Job - Chapter 1

And Chapter 2 is here: Remember Job - Chapter 2

This is not an attempt to sell anything. I simply would like some feedback on whether the project is worthy of continuing.

THANKS!
 
A very interesting read!!
It puts you into THEIR world and you can feel
THEIR hopes dwindling w/ every loss, “Remember
Job” is a good story idea.

Chapter two was BETTER than chapter one, I
could feel the adventure unfolding, and still the
disappointments keep coming… Remember Job!
 
Farmers don’t broadcast corn as you would wheat, oats or barley. The reason is that you need to get in between the rows of corn to hill, and weed. The cereal grains can be broadcast because they will grow close, support each stalk and there will be less weeds. Generally corn is dropped in kernels and spaced 6-7 or more inches apart. Farmers also had on old fashioned hand held seeder to could seed as the went along the rows. The tractors of the early 30’s often had big iron wheels with big, gripping iron lugs, mostly steam engines. Plowing and planting 50 acres with mules would not be a picnic in the best of times with the best of soils. My father despised mules with good reason. They are a contrary animal, often mean, unpredictable, and obstinate.

My advice is to find an old farmer from the dust bowl days and glean as much as you can from him or them. There are not very many left. Research on the Internet is OK, but often misses the mark on details. Good luck.
 
Mary Estelle: Thanks for the suggestions.

You’re right, broadcast is the wrong word to use.

The tractors of the early 30’s did often come with iron lugged wheels that you could also add rubber “road lugs” to. The John Deere “A” and the Farmall F series come to mind - the latter of which I’ve owned.

That being said, if you notice in the first sentence, he is telling them not to put them too close together - to give them the space you spoke of. Also, the only reason he’s using mules (definitely not the ideal) is because he lost his tractor and implements.

Also, both of my grandpa’s were Dust Bowl farmer workers (didn’t have enough money to own a farm) and they were Okies.

Thanks again for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
 
Mary_Estelle said:
Farmers don’t broadcast corn as you would wheat, oats or barley. The reason is that you need to get in between the rows of corn to hill, and weed. The cereal grains can be broadcast because they will grow close, support each stalk and there will be less weeds. Generally corn is dropped in kernels and spaced 6-7 or more inches apart. Farmers also had on old fashioned hand held seeder to could seed as the went along the rows. The tractors of the early 30’s often had big iron wheels with big, gripping iron lugs, mostly steam engines. Plowing and planting 50 acres with mules would not be a picnic in the best of times with the best of soils. My father despised mules with good reason. They are a contrary animal, often mean, unpredictable, and obstinate.

My advice is to find an old farmer from the dust bowl days and glean as much as you can from him or them. There are not very many left. Research on the Internet is OK, but often misses the mark on details. Good luck.
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Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? IOW, how did you like the story? 😉
 
Patti_M said:
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? IOW, how did you like the story? 😉
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I suppose the reference of “Mrs. Lincoln” is a referral to what is considered my age. I liked the story, but it isn’t a play and I choose not to sit in the private balcony. Anyway, I also write and do a lot of research trying to get things “right” or as right as I can with the first draft. 😃
 
Filius said:
All: I am playing around with a story I’ve been working on for a while dealing with a Catholic family forced to be Okies during the Dust Bowl.

I simply would like some feedback on whether the project is worthy of continuing.

THANKS!
Click to expand...
I read both chapters and really enjoyed them. Please, keep going. I haven’t read anything about the Okies since The Grapes of Wrath, and it’s fascinating.
You have a couple of misspellings: gate instead of “gait” for a way of walking. And a few missing words. But you will probably get it edited after it’s finished.
It’s well written and really holds one’s attention.

.
 
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