Writing is

fun for Franklin P. Smith. Born in Thomasville, Smith would visit a place

called "The Smokehouse" where he would hear just about every

story under the sun and everybody had a story.

He began to

write stories based on what he had heard or what people had told him and

his impressions and ideas melded with their tales. Now, his first collection

of short stories, "Tales From the Smokehouse: The Beginning Vol.

1" is complete and, according to Smith there are plenty more on the

way.

Smith is the

first to admit that his tales are not what one would consider great literature,

but they do get a reaction from the reader. Some of the stories deal with

power, politics and money, while others deal with familial relationships,

salvation and love.

"I think

writing is a form of magic," said Smith, who has plans for a Christmas

book and over 160 short stories that will hopeflly make up another few

volumes of "Tales From the Smokehouse" as well as a more traditional

novel called "The Walk."

Smith will

be one of the speakers at "Why and How I Write," a free workshop

at the Fayette County Public Library this Saturday. His advice to writers

and aspiring authors is to "just write and bear your soul."

The rewriting

process can be very difficult. His first short story, a three-pager, went

through 40 drafts and took over two months to complete. Getting the story

down is just as important, though. The first draft of his story, "The

Angel," took only three hours to complete.

When not writing,

Smith, a Stockbridge resident, works at Lowe's in Fayetteville. He is

also trying to get his short stories produced at the University of Georgia

for XM Radio. Most of the time, though, Smith is either working on a story

or telling one to someone, which is also where the magic can be found.

"Tales

From the Smokehouse: The Beginning Vol.1" can be found at Barnes

and Noble and on Amazon.com. The "Why and How I Write" workshop

will last from 10 a.m.-noon.

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