By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

When Walt Bannon would tell his crazy bottle collecting adventures to work associates, they would often suggest he write a book.  

“First, I got published in antique bottle collecting journals, and then I assembled enough stories to write Digger Down. Waiting for inspiration for the next book, I found myself living with a WWII survivor, whose escape from Belgium had never been revealed. I wrote The White Pocketbook as a serious expose of my own mother’s life torn by war after discovering her trauma after 75 years,” the Bridgton resident said. “Now, Tales of a Little White House takes readers along on my roller-coaster ride as I pursued a free home. The path I took was not the typical way others would take. Wanting to share that interesting adventure is what lured me once again to write the story.”

The News posted the following questions to Bannon as part of the ongoing “Worth a Browse” series:

BN. Do you schedule writing or do you write when inspired? What is your longest writing session?

WB. I’ve always said that, “Inspiration should be captured at the point of conception.” If I get an idea for a story, I will start writing and not stop until I am sure I have captured the idea and locked it onto an immortal page. I’ve let too many songs and stories get away for lack of recording my immediate thoughts. Not anymore! I’ve written into the late evenings when I’m on a roll and at times just placed some framework ideas down in a couple minutes.

BN. What was the inspiration for this book?

WB. It is always write-worthy when unplanned events create a journey so laughable that the story must be told. Such was the case with my flippant purchase of this abandoned lot from the Town of Bridgton. In the historical discoveries along the way and the deep lows and highs of my venture, I saw all the makings of a good read.

BN. Give a brief account of what the book is about.

WB. The pairing of two “has-beens,” an abandoned lot and the forlorn abode of some long past dweller turned a passing dream into my cozy castle. Repurposing meets Maine ingenuity at its best. In my quest for a “free house,” I also discovered that “free” was a terrible misnomer, at least in my case. After a long and arduous struggle, the dream was eventually realized. What I never saw coming was where I fit in after the “dust” had settled.

BN. Did you experience bumps in the road while writing, and how did you move forward.

WB. Every good story needs a challenge and a triumph, a villain and a hero. Tales of a Little White House includes the dream, the challenge, the many bumps in the road and lastly, the triumph. While there is an opponent, he is one who never showed his face. This true story takes you into the deep lows where my precious dream was crushed. It lifts you however, back to a place of relief at seeing the final and surprising outcome!  

BN. How did you go about developing the story?

WB. In this case, the story is an account of actual events that just needed chronological work and important events recorded. The most difficult part of writing this book was getting the timeline accurate since so much of what was written required looking back twelve years to the very beginning of the project.

BN. What worked well?

WB. Creating a large, panoramic page of the dates of events was the way we pieced together the whole picture. I worked alongside my wife to reconstruct the dates and times of each phase of the project so that the story was accurate and flowed smoothly from beginning to end. This was a difficult task and at times almost caused me to shelve the book forever.

BN. What didn’t work well?

WB. My first two or three drafts had many errors in the chain of events. Because of the huge task of fixing the timeline, I became frustrated to the point of giving up on writing the story. After setting it aside for several months, I finally decided to ask for help. Within a few weeks, I had an accurate record of actual events.

BN. What do you think readers will enjoy most reading this book?

WB. Several readers have commented already about the low moments being heart-rending. I tried to open up to readers what it was like to be in a state of mind where you sense that all is lost and what that feels like. While buyers of the book are looking forward to reading about my comical journey in getting a free house, readers are responding with surprise and empathy at learning the brutal pain of failure followed by the joy of success.

BN. How have you grown as a writer?

WB. When I first started writing, I felt that every sentence I created was worthy of inclusion in my story. Now, I may be excited about creating a sentence that comes from the heart, but if it doesn’t move me, if it doesn’t fit well, if it doesn’t hit the heart of another reader precisely how I intended it to hit, I will delete it or rewrite it. I can’t be in a hurry to write because if I let time become a factor, I will take shortcuts to cheap lines and frivolous fillings. I’ve grown most by giving myself time to write better, read my writings after a few days, fix or remove them if they don’t impress me, and then, and only then will I move on.

BN. Any advice from others that positively affected your writing style or choice of genre?

WB. I have had several readers tell me that they can see in their minds the things that I am writing about. I have tried to make sure I describe every location and every situation with enough detail to enable the reader to visualize the events with me, just as I saw or felt it. That is one reason I tell readers in the early pages of my books that they are going on a journey with me. I think the feedback from readers has helped to guide my style of writing.  

BN. What is next?

WB. I have three books I started but never finished.  Diver Down,  Dogs of Kennebunk  and The White Room.  The third would be my first venture into fiction. While I have been encouraged to write fiction, I find the jump from non-fiction to fiction a major leap. I’m pretty excited to have sold many books from my own driveway with all of the COVID issues going on.  After one month, I am on my third re-order of books. Consequently, I plan to present the first in Maine, socially-distanced, outdoor presentation. Attendees can bring their own chairs if they wish.