Meredith Allard's Blog, page 34

An Interview With Ruth Hull Chatlien

Ruth Hull Chatlien is the author of the historical novel The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte. Here’s her take on writing historical fiction.

When and why did you begin writing, and did you always write historical fiction?

I started my first novel when I was ten years old—so long ago that I don’t remember why I did it beyond a love of stories. That first novel was historical fiction about forbidden romance and patriotic spies during the American Revolution. I finally finished the 120-page manuscript when I was in high school. In college, I majored in literature, and influenced by that experience, I spent the next 30 years writing literary fiction. I managed to get a few poems and short stories published. Finally, a few years ago, I decided to go back to my first love: historical fiction.

What inspired you to write The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte?

My husband and I were great fans of the Horatio Hornblower television series in the late 1990s. Then in the 2000s, we discovered an additional four episodes that we had never seen because they were produced much later. The last of those featured Jerome and Betsy Bonaparte. Despite my familiarity with world history, I didn’t know that Napoleon’s brother had married an American. When I looked up the facts on the Internet, I discovered that Betsy’s real life was far more interesting than the snippet shown (and distorted) in the television show.

Tell us about The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte. How would you describe it to potential readers?

The book combines romance, action adventure, and a tale of family dysfunction. Betsy Bonaparte was a heroine as beautiful and headstrong as Scarlett O’Hara, but unlike Scarlett, she was a real woman. She led a tumultuous life because of her belief that a woman had as much right to exercise her talents as any man.

All authors have a different path as they seek publication. What was your journey to publication like? 

Originally, I sought traditional publication for the novel. I spent about six months shopping it around to agents without success. The original version of the book had two problems; it was longer than what publishers wanted to see from a first-time author, and because I had tried to keep it short, it wasn’t descriptive enough. Then in February 2013, through a mutual friend I met the man who had founded Amika Press in Chicago. He was excited about the concept of my book, so after taking some time to consider whether I was ready to give up on New York publication, I submitted the manuscript. The publisher and editor at Amika both read it, liked it, and agreed to take it on. My editor was fantastic and really helped me make it the book I dreamed it would be. To my surprise, he wanted me to make it even longer by adding the descriptive details I had left out. We went through one major revision and one copy edit, and then the novel came out in December 2013.

For me, researching historical fiction is always the most challenging part. What is your research process? Do you travel for research? How do you incorporate the facts of the era with your fictional story?

I researched the novel by reading several biographies of Betsy as well as books about Jerome, Napoleon, Dolley Madison, the War of 1812, Baltimore architecture, period clothing, and an early excursion to Niagara Falls. I also took a research trip to Baltimore to visit historic homes, Fort McHenry, a 19th century warship, and the Maryland Historical Society.

Even after gathering all those facts, I still had to deal with areas where details have been lost to the historical record. One of my favorite analogies for writing historical fiction is “hanging the swags.” I think of the known factual events as brackets extending at irregular intervals along a wall. As a novelist, I had to make up scenes and bits of dialogue to connect those known events—like draping material to connect the brackets.

Which authors are your inspiration—in your writing life and/or your personal life?

I owe a tremendous debt to Graham Greene for showing me that it’s ok to write about deeply flawed characters. I very much admire historical novelists such as Tracy Chevalier, Hilary Mantel, and Sarah Dunant for the way they have made the past come alive in their work.

What advice do you have for those who want to write and publish historical fiction?

Tell a good story, but don’t neglect the history. I recently read a historical novel set in the same period as mine and dealing with some of the same people. The plot was fast-paced, and the characterization of the heroine was well conceived, but the book was riddled with anachronisms and inaccuracies. I had a very hard time remaining in the world of the book because the mistakes kept jarring me out of the story.

What else would you like readers to know?

I love hearing from readers. People can contact me at the following sites:

my blog: ruthhullchatlienbooks.com

my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ruthhullchatlien

Filed under: Guest Authors, Historical Fiction, Writing Tagged: historical fiction, Ruth Hull Chatlien, The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte, writing historical fiction

Romance is in the Air Giveaway

Welcome to the Romance is in the Air Giveaway. Thanks to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Rachael Anderson for hosting. This hop runs from February 8 through February 14, 2014.

I’ll be giving away two e-book sets of the complete Loving Husband Trilogy as well as two audiobooks (your choice of either Her Dear & Loving Husband or Her Loving Husband’s Curse). I also have three paperback copies available (your choice of either Her Dear & Loving Husband, Her Loving Husband’s Curse, or Her Loving Husband’s Return). The grand prize is a $20 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or BN.com (your choice) for one lucky winner.

You must be a follower of this blog to enter. You can gain extra entries with the following:

Following this blog +1

Follow me on Twitter +1

Like my Author Page on Facebook +1

Like The Copperfield Review on Facebook +1

Friend me on Goodreads +1

The extra entry options are available on the right sidebar of this page. Then fill out the form below and you’re entered.

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There are over 150 blogs participating in this giveaway. Check here to visit the other sites and see what other great prizes you can win.

Filed under: Giveaways, Her Dear & Loving Husband, Her Loving Husband's Curse, Her Loving Husband's Return Tagged: Giveaways, I am a Reader Not a Writer, Loving Husband Trilogy, Romance is in the Air Blog Hop

Guest Post–Seven Tips to Create Memorable Historical Fiction Characters

Here’s a great guest post from Michael Murphy with tips for creating memorable characters in historical fiction. Michael is the author of the novel Goodbye Emily. His piece also appears in the Winter 2014 edition of The Copperfield Review.

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In historical fiction, creating realistic and memorable characters can present challenges not faced in other genres. Characters, like real people, are shaped by many factors, culture, heritage, religion, physical characteristics, birth order and life events. Memorable characters rebel at some of these influences. A classic example is Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. Her rebellion from southern culture, Irish heritage and what is expected from a proper southern belle makes her one of the most memorable historical fiction characters ever.

I often turn to other writers for help and guidance. Therefore, with two historical mysteries that will be released by Random House Alibi later this year, I’ve come up with seven tips to create realistic and memorable characters.

Character study. Get to know your characters before you begin your manuscript. Drafting a detailed character study is a valuable tool in any genre. Write one for each primary and key secondary character, addressing the character’s culture, family, physical characteristics and what has led to that character rebelling against them. Another important area to address is the change your character will go through during the story.
Conflict. Enhance your character through physical, personal and professional obstacles to overcome. Let the era you’re writing about provide the conflict.
Nobody’s perfect. Authors often hesitate to give their favorite characters flaws, or despicable characters redeeming traits. No one is one hundred percent good or bad. If your protagonist is ninety percent heroic, it’s the ten percent that will give him or her depth and leave lasting impressions with your readers.
Historical figures. Historical fiction provides opportunities lacking in other genres. Consider ways for your characters to interact with readily identifiable historical figures. Their interaction with those larger than life characters will enhance your story and their characterization. In my historical mystery set in 1933 New York, my characters encounter Dashiell Hammett, Lillian Hellman, Cole Porter, Babe Ruth, Joseph Kennedy and more.
Attention to detail. Historical fiction writers are excellent at creating vivid settings with attention to detail. Make sure your characters benefit from the same detailed research that make your scenes so clear to the reader. And avoid clichés. How do your characters feel and react to the choking smoke of a locomotive, or the salty spray of an ocean voyage? What do your characters wear and more importantly, why do they wear them?
Behavioral traits. As you would in writing any genre, give your characters memorable, if not quirky behavior and traits.  Show them displaying mannerisms that make them unique. One might chew tobacco, or comb their hair at inopportune times. Give your characters identifiable quirks and mannerisms, just like real people.
Humor. Historical fiction devoid of humor can result in a novel appearing dull and listless. Life is full of humor, embrace it and utilize your sense of humor in your characters. If you’re not experienced at writing humor remember, like drama, humor is driven by conflict. Drama or humor often comes from a character’s reaction to a scene’s conflict. A suspected haunted house, for example can be chilling or hysterical depending on your character’s reaction.

We write and read historical fiction for the opportunity to join vivid characters in past cultures and historical events. I hope these seven tips help make your journey easier and your characters more memorable.

________________________________________________________________

Michael Murphy is a full time writer in Arizona. He’s been writing novels for the past fifteen years. His most recent novel, Goodbye Emily, journeyed back to Woodstock. In August, Random House Alibi will release the historical mystery, The Yankee Club, Murphy’s ninth published novel. Coming next January is the second in the series, All That Glitters.

Murphy’s website www.mjmurphy.com

Goodbye Emily www.goodbyeemily.com

Murphy’s Mystery and History blog: http://blog.mjmurphy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmurfy68

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmurfy86

Filed under: Guest Authors, Historical Fiction Tagged: guest authors, Michael Murphy, Tips to Create Memorable Historical Fiction Characters, writing historical fiction

That You Are Here is Now Available

Okay, so here’s the thing…

I had originally set the publication date for my newest novel, That You Are Here, for Valentine’s Day. Then last Saturday I realized it was finished, or I was finished, or something was finished; anyway, the book was ready to go. I uploaded it to Amazon figuring I would ask some of my friendly neighborhood readers if they’d be interested in reviewing the book before anyone knew it was there, hoping there would be a review or two when I was ready to announce the book. Today, I stopped by the book’s Amazon page to see if the paperback was available, and I discovered that a number of copies have already sold. There was even a 5 star review. A. A. Katz, I don’t know who or where you are, but blessings. Truly. You made my day.

An FYI: if you agree with anything anyone on Duck Dynasty has ever said, you will not like That You Are Here. If, however, you believe that all human beings are in fact human beings, and that all human beings fall in love, then That You Are Here might be right up your alley.

It’s no surprise that That You Are Here is a love story. All of my novels are love stories in one way or another. The surprise might be that That You Are Here is a completely present-day story set in one of my favorite places, Portland, Oregon. That’s why I added (Usually) to my tag line, so now it reads (Usually) Writing Historical Fiction With a Twist. Or, the surprise might be that the romantic leads are both men. Andrew Whittaker and Mark Bryce have quite a journey to travel together, and I hope they are a couple readers cheer for.

That You Are Here is my way of adding my voice alongside others who think that people who are in love should be able to get married. I’ve seen documentaries about the Freedom Riders, the brave men and women who fought for equal rights during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and I’m always amazed at the extraordinary lengths they went to—physically and emotionally—to help their cause. I often wonder if I would have that kind of physical courage to help support a cause I believe in. Let me rephrase that. I know for a fact I don’t have that kind of physical courage. What I can do to support a cause I believe in is share my words. I happened to gather those words into a 62,359-word novel entitled That You Are Here.

For readers of my Loving Husband Trilogy, That You Are Here might seem like a huge leap in a different narrative direction, but it isn’t really. True, it’s a present-day story when I’m most known for historical fiction. But everything I write is about people who are outsiders or different from the general society. James Wentworth in the Loving Husband Trilogy struggles as a supernatural being (a vampire) in a human world. In Victory Garden, Rose Scofield struggles as a woman who wants to live on her own terms during a time (1917-1922) when women were fighting for their rights. The Woman in Woman of Stones has a similar struggle since in the Biblical era she is little more than chattel. In That You Are Here, Andrew Whittaker and Mark Bryce must make sense of what it means to be a gay man in the 21st century. Great progress has been made, certainly, but there is still prejudice to overcome. For readers who see That You Are Here as a love story between two human beings (which it is), I think you’ll find it right on target with issues I’ve dealt with in previous books.

I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. I’m not naive enough to think that someone who disagrees with same-sex marriage will read my book or one like it and change their minds. This is the story that was in my heart to write, so this is the story I wrote. I hope the novel finds readers with  an open mind, and an open heart, who can understand the story for what it is–a love story.

My offer for review copies stands, by the way. If you’re one of those readers with one of those open minds, and even one of those open hearts, contact me. I’d love to know what you think.

Addendum:  Here in Vegas, and probably across the U.S., we’ve been seeing a new television commercial for iPad Air that features lines from Walt Whitman’s “Ode 166″ from Leaves of Grass. The ad features happy people doing happy things as the poetic-sounding voiceover actor recites the following lines:

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

First, yes, this is where I found the title for the novel–That You Are Here–and the quote appears at the beginning of the book. Now, in my defense, I feel I should point out that I have had this title floating around since last summer and I saw the iPad commercial for the first time a week ago. What can I say? Great minds think alike.

 

Filed under: That You Are Here Tagged: Amazon, MM Romance, That You Are Here

Feeling the Pain of First Drafts

While I’m busy getting That You Are Here ready for public consumption, I thought I’d repost some previous favorites. Here is the beginning of the series about writing first drafts, my least favorite part of the writing process. I wrote this while I was working on Her Loving Husband’s Curse, Book Two of the Loving Husband Trilogy. Enjoy!

* * * * *

I am languishing in first draft hell. You would think that because I’m working on the second book in a series that the first draft would be easier this time, but it isn’t. Not even close. I spent about a year daydreaming through this second book while I was writing the first novel, but it’s still a chore, putting one word next to the other until I have a complete draft, something to work with, anything to work with, a self-created slab of clay I can mold into the story I see so clearly in my mind.

The truth is, I hate writing first drafts of anything—essays, short stories, novels, e-mails. This post. I have, I’m not embarrassed to admit, rewritten grocery lists because I didn’t like the way I organized them. When I’m teaching a writing class I always know what to say to my students to help them deal with first draft phobias or writer’s block, but do I listen to my own advice? Rarely. At least not until I’m so annoyed I have to remind myself what I already know about writing. Doctor, heal thyself.

As much as I love writing Her Loving Husband’s Curse, I’m still falling victim to old writers’ stand-bys, otherwise known as Excuses. Trust me, it’s not hard to find plenty of Excuses to keep from working. These are the days when I dust and vacuum instead of writing, you know, not just regular maintenance house cleaning but the vacuuming-behind-the-sofa-where-people-will-never-see kind of cleaning. The days when I brush my cats instead of writing that first draft, or worse, talk to my cats instead of writing that first draft. There are grocery stores to shop in, movies to see, lunches to do, friends to visit, books to read, classes to teach. I’m even going to the gym instead of writing, and I hate going to the gym. At this precise moment, I’m writing this post instead of working on that first draft. The list of Excuses can be endless.

In an attempt to remind myself what I already know about first drafts, I decided to write a few posts about advice I’ve given my students to help them over such obstacles. The advice has been helpful for my students, so hopefully it will help others. And, quite frankly, I need the reminding.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: writing, writing first drafts

Writing Historical Fiction Part 7

Quick Note: Her Dear & Loving Husband, Book One of the Loving Husband Trilogy, is now free for a limited time from Amazon, Kobo, and other retailers. It’s currently #237 among free books on Amazon, so thank you to everyone who has already downloaded a copy.

7.  Immerse yourself in the period.

Research doesn’t have to be only about going through stacks of books and taking endless notes. Make this time fun for yourself. Visit local historical sites that are reminiscent of the period. Read books and listen to music from that time or place. Watch movies set in the period or documentaries about the era.  I discovered the wonderful film Gettysburg while I was writing my American Civil War story, My Brother’s Battle. Watching the soldiers march and hearing the battle calls helped me to visualize the battle scenes while I was writing. I also bought several CDs of music from the era which I listened to while I was writing. I must have listened to the soundtrack to Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary a hundred times or more during the two years it took to write the book. I even bought a children’s paper doll book with Civil War uniforms and, yes, I had fun folding the clothes over the soldiers. As I was writing the novel I had no trouble describing the uniforms–or the garments under the uniforms. When I was writing my women suffrage novel, Victory Garden, which takes place from 1917-1922, I enjoyed watching silent films and listening to ragtime piano music since those were the entertainments people enjoyed then. The more you, the writer, feel as if you have traveled back to your time, and the more you enjoy your visit there, the more your reader will believe the journey.

Some final thoughts about writing historical fiction…

Whether or not we are historians by trade, writers of historical fiction are historians by choice, and we must take that seriously. This leads us to the question: How much leeway can the writer of historical fiction take with the facts? That’s the one question I’m asked most frequently, and that’s the one answer I don’t have. It’s up to authors to decide how they’re going to intertwine facts of the era with the characters and story they’ve created.

For writers who feel they need to change the facts for whatever reason, I won’t argue that it’s wrong to do; however, the former history teacher in me suggests adding a note about it in an Author’s Notes at the end of the novel. This way your readers (who are often familiar with your historical era) know that you know that you fudged some of the facts. I don’t think we should make massive changes to the history, but a tweak here and there can be forgiven if the story and characters are strong enough. Perhaps the task of the historical storyteller is to make the history interesting enough for readers so they’ll become curious and want to read some nonfiction about the era. That’s what Downton Abbey did for me. After I fell in love with the show, I began reading everything I could find about early 20th century England.

The primary job of the historical storyteller is to educate readers with facts about the past while entertaining them with well-written plots and engaging characters. The more joy we find in the process of writing our history-based stories, the more joy we’ll find as we share our stories.  And that is why we write historical fiction after all.

This concludes Writing Historical Fiction 101, at least until I can think of some other advice I’ve shared with my writing seminar students.

Filed under: Her Dear & Loving Husband, Historical Fiction, Writing Tagged: free books, Her Dear & Loving Husband, historical fiction, researching historical fiction, writing historical fiction

Writing Historical Fiction Part 6

Part 6. Take notes, then more notes, then… 

After I’ve read as much about my subject as my brain can handle, I’ll begin to form ideas about how I can incorporate the history into the story I want to tell. Then I can begin looking for the specific information I need to help me connect the dots. That’s when I begin to take notes.

I still prefer to handwrite my notes into a spiral notebook. In Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg recommends getting notebooks with cartoon characters or crazy designs on the cover because it prevents you from taking yourself too seriously while you’re working. Writing out notes the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper, can seem like a tedious process to some, but, like Goldberg, I believe there’s a hand-to-heart connection in writing things out longhand.  I absorb the information better that way, and then I can do a better job relating the information to others. When I try to take the short cut and print up the articles from the Internet or make photocopies at the library, I don’t read the information as closely as I do when I handwrite my notes. I skim, find only what I think I need, and ignore the rest. When I handwrite my notes I’m forced to slow down, read carefully, and decide what is important enough to write down. Because the process can be slow I have time to think while I’m working. Sometimes being forced to slow down and think can be a good thing, especially when crafting a story.

Some writers prefer to type their notes or write them out on index cards. One writer friend of mine posts his research notecards on a bulletin board by his desk. His board is divided into sections, one section for each chapter in his book, and he pins his notecards into the chapter where he thinks the information will go. Some writers like to highlight the information they need, using a different color for each category of information. That’s fine.

Part of becoming comfortable with the research process is figuring out what works best for you. The notes, in whatever form you write them, do come in handy after the library books have been returned and you need that certain date while you’re working.  And don’t forget to write down the bibliographical information for each source you use. You may want to go back to those sources again.

Filed under: Historical Fiction, Writing Tagged: researching historical fiction, writing, writing historical fiction, writing tips

Writing Historical Fiction Part 5

5.  Make friends with a librarian and, while you’re at it, try a university library.

I’ve already professed my love for the instant gratification of finding a necessary piece of information online in a matter of moments. However, nothing replaces library research. The depth of information from library research cannot always be replicated on the Internet with its short articles and occasionally unclear sources. The weekend historian may be intimidated by the sheer amount of resources in the library, but never fear.

I’ve encountered many conscientious librarians who have gone beyond their job descriptions and assisted me by helping me track down an elusive book or an article about a little-known subject. If you’re not sure where to begin your quest for knowledge about your historical period, ask a librarian. Most are more than happy to help. And I’m not just saying that because Sarah Wentworth of the Loving Husband Trilogy is a librarian. I’ve always had a high opinion of librarians (as most book lovers do), and I’ve thought more than once that if I wasn’t a teacher I’d be a librarian.

The Los Angeles County Public Libraries, the Clark County Libraries, and probably library systems all over, have a wonderful program where, if a local branch doesn’t have a book you want but another branch does, the other branch will ship the book to your neck of the woods so you don’t have to go running all over town. Check with your local library to see if it has a similar program. In the Internet age there’s no more standing over card catalogues and pulling out musty cards that leave you grabbing for your asthma inhaler. Libraries have online catalogues these days so you can check at home to see if your local library, or any nearby library, has that book you need.

If your local library doesn’t have what you need, try visiting a college or university library. University libraries are created for research after all. In the old-timey days they had stacks of newspapers, journals, microfiche, and other hard-to-find materials. Some still have primary sources in their special collections. These days university libraries have online search engines that allow you access to information you might not otherwise be able to find, and yes, you can access them from your home computer if you’re a member of that library. Many college and university libraries are open to the public for a yearly fee—from $30 to $100—and it’s a worthwhile investment for historical novelists.

I know I’m stating the obvious when I mention using the library, but the teacher in me feels like I need to remind people that there are these buildings with wall-to-wall books you can borrow for free (that’s the books you can borrow for free, not the buildings). With so many using the Internet as their only source of research, I’m afraid they’re passing over other important ways to find information. And historical novelists need to use any avenue they can to find the facts that will make their stories come to life.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: historical fiction, researching historical fiction, writing historical fiction

Writing Historical Fiction Part 4

4. Use the Internet

The Internet can be a great tool for research. You can check out the online catalogs of public and university libraries, and you can look up the online collections of the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institute, and other research-friendly places there in the comfort of your home in your jammies with your cat on your knee (maybe that’s just me).

The Internet is great for finding interesting snippets of information. As I’m beginning the research for my next historical novel set in Victorian England, I stumbled onto a site that explains the Victorian language of flowers. Even the way a Victorian woman held her fan could send a message to a nearby gentleman. Because of this new-found knowledge I’m able to flesh out the story in a way I wasn’t anticipating.

The Internet is truly wonderful, though, when you’re in the middle of writing a scene and realize you’re missing some important fact in your notes. Surf the web and in a matter of minutes you can find what you need. For example, when I was writing Her Dear & Loving Husband I had the unique task of writing scenes set on a college campus that at that point I had never been to. For you Loving Husband Trilogy fans, you know I’m referring to Salem State College (now University, thank you very much). I did finally visit the campus while writing Her Loving Husband’s Curse, but while writing Book One in the series I needed to know where one college building was in relation to another and how far someone might have to walk to get from one place to the other. In a matter of minutes I printed up a map of the  campus, and I was able to write my scene in a realistic way. I was thrilled when I visited Salem and found everything where I expected it to be. While that part of the story isn’t particularly historical (it’s a present-day college in the present-day town of Salem), I believe my point still stands since I also used the Internet when I researched the Salem Witch Trials for the same novel.

When using the Internet, however, writers of historical fiction need to be aware that there will be gaps in the research. Internet articles are often on the short side and they may lack the thorough details you’d find in books and journals. And since anyone can put anything on the World Wide Web (hence the fact you’re subjected to reading this now), you need to be sure the information you’re using comes from a reliable source. Wiki is a cute name, but the mistakes in some of the information contained on some wiki sites aren’t so cute. I like to check and double check my information across several different sites. Hey, they can’t all have the same wrong information, can they? I’ve certainly found a lot of accurate information on the web, and there’s no reason to assume all sites are fraudulent. Just be aware of where the information is coming from.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: researching historical fiction, writing, writing historical fiction

NaNoWriMo Update #4–The End of the Challenge

My final chart for NaNoWriMo 2013. I will definitely participate next year.

I know NaNoWriMo officially ended two days ago, but it was a holiday weekend here in the U.S. and I was busy celebrating Thanksgiving. Plus, it’s a tradition in my family to put up our Christmas decorations during Thanksgiving weekend.

You may have noticed my fancy-schmancy NaNoWriMo winners widget to the right over there. I finished four days early at 58,550 words. Pretty darn cool if I do say so myself. I even bought myself a winners t-shirt. When I get it I’ll take a “selfie” (apparently that’s a real word now) so everyone can see.

I’m glad I took the NaNoWriMo challenge for the first time. I had always thought that I needed a lot of time to work through a draft. “My brain doesn’t work that fast,” I’d say, or “Writing needs to happen in its own time.” Writing for NaNoWriMo showed me that I can complete a draft in 30 days and it doesn’t have to take three or four months. Sure, there was a Pavlov’s dog-type reward for adding my word count into the NaNoWriMo widget and watching the numbers go up (I won’t admit whether I salivated or not). I was able to achieve both tasks I set out for myself—first, to hit the 50,000 word mark and second, to write a complete draft from beginning to end. Done and done.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I wasn’t working with an idea off the top of my head as a lot of writers do when they begin NaNoWriMo. I had been kicking the idea for That You Are Here around for about a year, and I had a halfway decent outline to work with. True, the outline was better for the later chapters, but at least I had something to work with in the beginning when the writing is hardest (at least for me). I’m sure I wouldn’t have done nearly as well if I hadn’t started with a clear idea of the story I wanted to tell.

I also contribute my success, at least partially, to my OCD. I have never been officially diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but I’m sure I have it—not to such a debilitating degree as others, but I must have some minor form of it. I will check five times to see that the garage door is closed, you know, oddities like that. During November I was Rain Man wringing his hands in the airport: “I have to hit 50,000 words. I have to hit 50,000 words. That’s 1666 words per day. How many words did I do today? Not enough words? How many words do I have to do tomorrow? I have to hit 50,000 words…” I said in my first NaNoWriMo update that it didn’t matter if I hit the word count or not, and in theory I meant it. But I know me, and when I have something hanging over me like a due date, I will get it done or else Rain Man starts nagging again.

I’m glad I met my goals, and yet I’m glad November is over. The draft of the novel is complete—it has a beginning, a middle, and an end—but it still needs a lot of work. I’m going to do what I usually do when I finish a draft of a novel—set it aside for a couple of weeks so I can go back to it with fresh eyes. I need a brain break after pushing so hard for 30 days. Still, I learned something—I can work quickly and efficiently if I set my mind to it. For someone like me who has a lot of stories to tell, that’s an important lesson.

I think that if November is National Novel Writing Month, then December should be National Novel Editing Month. Just an idea.

I got an e-mail from the NaNoWriMo people talking about the December hangover, and I understand. But I still have a lot to do to make That You Are Here the novel I want it to be. So there’s plenty of work to keep me busy in December and beyond.

Filed under: News, Tidbits, Writing Tagged: NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, novel writing, writing