FORT SILL, Okla., July 13, 2017 -- When one thinks of a novelist, one often pictures someone like J.K. Rowling, Ernest Gaines, or Stephen King -- an individual so fully entrenched in the writing world, that their very identity is braided into being a writer. While this might be true for lots of writers out there, it isn't true for Maj. DaMond Davis, the incoming 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery executive officer.
By day he's a green-suiter, in charge of organizing the operations of the battalion. By night, he's an avid novelist who is dedicated to getting his message out to the world. His first novel, "The Counter Double Bluff," published in February.
Davis began writing in earnest after a teacher commended his creative writing capabilities in 9th grade, and he's never stopped. Though this is his first published piece of fiction, over the course of his career, he has written a variety of trade articles relating to field artillery.
"I always tell my Soldiers that it's important to let other people know what we're experiencing and what we're going through. No one is going to know our stories if we don't tell them."
That approach -- spreading his message -- was an impetus in Davis joining the Army. He began as an enlisted Soldier because he realized that he could reach more people and mentor more individuals if he was part of a larger organization, rather than going it alone.
After a brief break in service while he completed his bachelor's degree in management, Davis returned to the Army and commissioned in 2004. During his time as an officer, he has deployed multiple times, and has used much of his experience dealing with a variety of cultures as a basis for experiences in the book. The interconnected short stories which comprise his novel also provided Davis an opportunity to do research into how particular cases of harassment are dealt with in the Army.
"In the book, there's a sexual assault. While I was writing that part, I realized I didn't really know how to handle it if someone came to me and said they'd been the victim of an attack. So that prompted me to talk with my unit's special victim's counsel, and in turn, I not only learned what the Army has in place to do when something like that occurs, but I also learned how I can handle it as an individual as well," he said.
When asked how the Army has helped prepare him for a blossoming side-career as a novelist, Davis said that it has helped in innumerable ways.
"As a leader, I look for ways to solve problems. It's the same as with my writing," he said.
He began writing his novel while deployed. Rather than taking the conventional approach and sitting down at a desk, Davis said inspiration struck one evening at the gym.
"I was on the exercise bike, just warming up, when all of a sudden, this story started to come into my mind. So I pulled out my phone and started typing. An hour later, I was still typing, and that's when I knew I had something there."
Much the same as he approaches his duties with the Army, Davis then sat down and sketched out a rough outline draft of the novel's main premise, akin to the storyboard and PowerPoint presentations that those in the Army use so often. This gave him a clear understanding of his novel's mission and main objectives. After that, it was smooth sailing, as Davis managed to complete the novel in less than two months and publish it within a year.
"I really just want to get my message across," he said. "If I can reach one person with this story, then I'm doing something right."
Davis has a great support system that has helped him take this novel from his mind to the page and then out into the world. Near his previous installation at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., where he was a ground liaison officer, Davis belonged to a writing group that encouraged his creative development. Even more importantly, Davis has had his wife, Takisha by his side throughout the entire process.
"I was a little surprised when he said he was going to write a book. But he has so many stories and so many experiences that he wants to get out into the world," she said.
Along with his wife, Davis has had the support of his children as well.
"They just love the fact that Dad wrote a book. And it's good for them to see that stuff like that can be done," said Takisha.
This is the first of the series that Davis plans to write, though he's not certain if his XO duties will preclude him from accomplishing the task this year. Ultimately, his goal is to find an effective way to transliterate some of the experiences which all humans have lived through onto the page. If he's done that, he says, then he's done a good job.
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