CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT:
Interview with Duane M. Engelhardt

Rappahannock Review Fiction Editors: We were drawn to the evolution of the characters in “Secrets of the Sea.” How did you decide on their turning points?

Duane M. Engelhardt: It’s a process. I follow through the story as I imagine it and how I believe the main character will react within the limits of the constraints and obstacles I have created. After a rough draft I also know where and how I want the story to end. Then I determine what steps or obstacles need to be overcome.

Once I think it’s complete, I rely heavily on feedback. I have a particularly good editor who is not afraid to point out inconsistencies or holes. Sometimes it involves quite a bit of rethinking and rewriting as well as the willingness to not be attached to what I thought were the “clever bits” that do nothing to advance the story. Sometimes it is as simple as moving lines or paragraphs around or the need for added depth or clarification.

From the beginning I knew that Lily would lose the ring and that the seagulls would play a part. To accentuate that loss, I needed Lily’s primary focus to be on cherishing and putting a value on the ring which as she thought about it became more historical rather than monetary. Her redemption acceptance became a sticking point, to end with her sighing and looking wistfully out to sea felt rather boring, wasn’t very believable, and just didn’t work. So, I added in the innocence of the little girl in the mermaid shirt (This is a good example of where someone commenting on the work was beneficial. I had added in the little girl character but the connection between her and Lily was flat and needed a deeper connection. And so, it went from the mimicking of the thrown stone at the seagulls to interplay and discussion about loss.). The little girl became the reminder, the catalyst, the grounding to bring Lily back to something that she already knows, which is as a person who grew up near the sea, she is aware and accepts the give and take that so many who rely on the ocean are mindful of. It is a natural cycle, not personal, so while she relishes the discovery of the ring, it being reclaimed back by the sea isn’t a loss but rather part of the cycle.

RR: How did you plan the structure of the narrative? Did you outline the story beforehand or develop it as you wrote?

DME: I don’t outline in the traditional sense. For longer pieces I use a whiteboard to lay out the characters, events, and timeline along with making copious notes. For a short story, like “Secrets of the Sea,” I rely heavily on notebooks. “Secrets of the Sea” began as a brief short story of about three hundred words: A beachcomber finds a ring and imagines the possibilities of its origin. I built the final story from there, answering questions such as who, what, where, and are there any other characters (the girl in the mermaid shirt and the seagulls for example). I write the answers and the ideas these questions generate in a notebook in a stream-of-consciousness kind of way, and I then explore different versions with these additions working out the combinations I like the most. Which sometimes are not to the best advantage to the story or the plot.

As I said I am lucky to have a very good editor who reads through my work from a reader’s perspective and points out the flaws in character development, plot, or absence of continuity, etc. We then walk through the weak spots, and I work on tightening the piece until it’s complete and I’m satisfied.

RR: How did you decide on the descriptive language used to detail the ring and its inscription?

DME: I wanted something different as the item discovered; a coin seemed too commonplace, too obvious and easy to establish its origin, but a ring arouses mystery. There is no way to honestly determine at first sight if it is a find of a recently lost item or something else.

The description of the ring has remained almost the same throughout all the iterations of the story. Without a doubt it had to be gold while reflecting the patina of having been in the sea and pummeled by the sand. In our excitement of discovery, it’s easy to mislead ourselves that something simple is more complex, so the scratches on the outside of the ring became mysterious hieroglyphics that could possibly be from a recognizable language.

An inscription of some sort suggesting that the ring was personally dedicated by the artisan, or the benefactor would make the ring more valuable as a cherished keepsake of the original owner. At first glance Spanish, Italian and Latin all seem similar. The idea that the inscription might be Spanish or Latin helps to conjure up those thoughts that Lily has of pirate treasure.

RR: What inspired you to write this story? Were there any real-life events, historical facts, or personal experiences that inspired it?

DME: I think I was daydreaming about our annual beach trip and came across Longfellow’s poem “The Secret of the Sea” which has the lines: “My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” At the same time a photo remembrance popped up of a picture I had taken years ago of a seaweed-encrusted jetty.

I sat back and thought how thrilling it would be to find a piece of treasure, what would I do if I found something, what would others do, in particular those who have some experience in beachcombing and treasure hunting. How would they react?

RR: Do you conduct research related to your work? If so, what specific areas do you explore?

DME: I love to do research, but for “Secrets of the Sea” it wasn’t necessary. We spend about ten days every summer at the seaside on the East Coast where over the years I have observed folks like Lily, the various beachgoers, and of course the seagulls. The beachcombers always seem so calm, so introspective as they scan the sand as if finding something wouldn’t alter the universe but would be something to brag about at the bar or over coffee. I have always loved stories of pirates and treasure hunting, so it felt natural to incorporate those tales into the story to reinforce Lily’s belief that maybe there was a historic significance to the ring’s provenance to trace it back to pirate treasure.