Category: Musings

Despite having a list of topics I’ve brainstormed, lately I’ve been struggling with coming up with topics for My Weekly Musings. So, in an effort to inject some creativity into my musings, I decided to do a search for blog topics in the hopes of finding something fresh. One of the prompts I found suggested talking about if a genie could grant you three writing related wishes, what would they be? Hmmm, different and thought provoking. Indeed, what would I wish for if I could get my hands on a genie?

Wish #1: Seeing as I’m a practical person, and a rather impatient one at times, my first wish would be to cut down on the number of rewrites I do. It would be so nice and much more efficient if I could truly get at what the story is by at least the second draft instead of the fourth. It would be great to be more efficient. I could be more productive and spend more time writing new stories instead of constantly tinkering with older ones.

Wish #2: I wish breaking into publishing was easy. The more I learn about what it takes to get published, whether traditional or self, the more intimidated I become which in turns causes me to doubt my own abilities as well as each and every idea that pops into my head. If a genie could guarantee that when the time comes for me to start submitting novels out into the world it would be easy, a huge weight would be lifted off my shoulders. I’d like to think I would be able to relax and have more confidence in myself. I would hope I would write with abandon and feel more enthusiasm after finishing a draft. Not that I am wishing to make myself delusional into thinking everything I write should be published, but to know it wouldn’t be as anxiety inducing as I’m sure it will be, would be great.

Wish #3: What to do with the last wish? Should I wish for a Pulitzer or Noble Prize in Literature? No, not my cup of coffee. I doubt I’ll ever write the type of prose that wins those awards and I’m not sure I honestly care about winning any kind of prestigious award (not that I would turn one down).

Would I want to wish for multi-million dollar success? Hmmm, that might be something my spouse would wish for more than I might since he is under some assumption I’ll become rich and he can become a kept man. Of course, it would be a bald-face lie to state I’m not interested in earning a very healthy amount of money for my efforts. It would be nice to get back wages, if you will, for all the effort I will have put in. But to wish for the level of success as a Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Ken Follett, etc.? Not so sure about that. I don’t do well under pressure and I honestly don’t know how any of them deal with it.

So what would my third and final wish be? This should be something grandiose and fantastical. Something wildly and wholly unrealistic but with just a hint of possibility. Sort of like the plot in Outlander.  Oh great writing genie, with my third and final wish, I wish to be able to write until my very last breath. I wish to be lying on my death bed, pen and paper in hand, if I’m able, if not, then at least being able to talk into some kind of computer program. I wish that whatever I’m working on in those last moments, I’ll complete because it would really annoy the hell out of me otherwise.

Three wishes to a mythical genie. That was harder than I thought it was going to be since I’m not prone to such personal flights of fancy. A fun exercise nonetheless. I imagine if I think about this question years from now my answers will probably be different.

One thing I never realized when I started writing was just how much research authors wind up doing regardless of genre. Well, I suspected historical fiction required a far bit of research. I just assumed authors knew what they were writing about and had great imaginations. Perhaps this is why I always thought authors had to be some of the smartest people on the planet. Why it never dawned on me a writer would have to educate themselves I have no clue. I can be naïve at times.

It’s easy to say “Write what you know” but if we all wrote only about what we are the most familiar with, literature would be greatly stifled. So many genres and characters wouldn’t exist if writers hadn’t been compelled to shake off or ignore this piece of advice. Whole worlds, both real and imagined, would be closed.

Once I began learning the craft of writing I quickly realized that writers have to do a lot of research even in subject areas they know about. This didn’t bother me as I was used to conducting research in school for papers and essays but exploring for a creative piece is different. In school there are defined parameters which I found easy enough to adhere to. But when it comes to your own imagination, which is wide open, things get a bit more complicated.

When making the transition from academic-based writing to creative writing, I had to readjust how I approached research. Before, there was a clear goal and therefore easy to find resources that would support that goal. My resources came from the library as well as reliable internet sources. Now, though, I have to teach myself. I have to identify gaps in my knowledge, of which there are a lot, and determine where I need to go to gain more information.

Below is a list of what has been helpful to me:

Library: Depending upon where you live, the library can be the easiest and cheapest place to start. They may have letters, diaries, and other kinds of documents you can take a look at. Whatever your local library doesn’t have then you may very well be able to get it from another library within the same system.

Internet: This can be very hit or miss. If I’m starting with a new subject area, I look it up on Wikipedia first mainly to get some background information taking it with a grain of salt as anyone can edit a Wikipedia article. However, I do pay attention to the sources cited as these are books and other websites I can take a look at.

Doing a general search on your favorite search engine can immensely get the ball rolling. Virtually every museum, historical society, every profession, anything you can think of has some kind of online presence. There’s Goggle Scholar that searches millions of all kinds of documents (even case law) to suck a writer in.

Google Earth: Don’t have the funds or can’t travel to a place you’re writing about? No problem. There’s Google Earth where you can see the terrain. In addition it’ll calculate how long it takes to get from place A to place B via walking, car, bus, etc. without having to engage in any kind of horrible word math problem. Granted, this may not be the best for if you are researching historical boundaries but it gives a good jumping off point.

Books: Good old fashion books. Whether purchased new, used, or from the Internet, can’t go wrong with cracking open a book. In addition to books on a variety of subject, I would argue that reading books by other authors in your genre counts as research. Sometimes an author will list the books they used when writing their book. Check out that list to see if you might be missing.

Interviews: Have a main character that is a pediatric surgeon? Unless you actually are one, probably a good idea to contact one and interview them about their profession as well as to make sure the information you’re presenting is accurate. You can also find interviews online.

No matter the genre, research is a vital component for most authors. Have a main character that is a pediatric surgeon but you have no medical background? Time to hit the books and contact an actual pediatric surgeon. Writing a story from the point of view of a child with Down’s syndrome? Unless you know someone with it, better do your research so that you can authentically the character’s voice. People will call an author out on errors; best to lessen your chances before publishing. That being said, even professional authors make mistakes.

While research is great, I find it can also be incredibly overwhelming as it is too easy to get sucked into a research black hole. From my own personal experience, after I’ve got an idea planted into my head, it’s easy for me to just wanting to learn more and more. It can also be frustrating because some plot point I was really keen on may not work either because it’s historically inaccurate or simply not possible. This is when as a writer I must remember friction = fiction. Sometimes liberties must be taken just as long as one does not stray too far. Other times research can be flat out boring.

Another disadvantage of these research black holes is I have yet to figure out when to stop. It’s easy to forget the original goal was to be researching for a work of fiction, not my own edification. I think, too, because I have a degree in history and am by natural inclination a perfectionist, I get into this habit of wanting to make sure it is absolutely 100% accurate but I have to remind myself I’m writing FICTION.

When I was younger I couldn’t name who my favorite authors or books were. I just read whatever I could get my hands on. When I got to high school a lot of the books I read were the ones I was being told I should be reading; in other words, the classics. I did, though, start picking up other kinds of books like historical fiction and fantasy enjoying those immensely. Still, if you asked me who my favorite authors were, I couldn’t really tell you. I just knew I liked what I liked.

Now that I’m an adult, I can more clearly answer the question of who my favorite authors are and why. While these are my favorites it doesn’t mean that everything they’ve written I like. In each case I’m still working on getting through all their works. Still, these are the authors who when I hear they have a new book out or when I discover an older title in a store or library, I happily grab it.

Ken Follett: Known primarily for writing historical fiction, he has also written novels set in contemporary times as well as a modern, sci-fi thriller. He’s best known for The Pillars of the Earth, which in addition to being a best seller, what turned into a mini-series and spawned the sequel World Without End, which was also turned into a mini-series.

The reasons why I enjoy his books are because I think he does a great job creating complex characters, has just enough historical details to envelope the reader in the world, and provides new insight into well-known time periods.

I also think he creates exceptional villains. These are people who don’t realize they are bad people or if they do, believe they are justified and even entitled due to their station in life. It’s hard to sympathize with many of Follett’s villains but never do they ever come across as cartoony or over-the-top. By the end of the book, you really, really want these people to get their comeuppance and for the good guys to win out. Follett usually delivers this yet it never comes across as formulaic to me.

Follett also creates smart, courageous, resourceful, and feisty female leads. These women provide insight into what a woman may have felt and thought during different time periods. It helps the reader make draw parallels between modern time and history maybe even to be thankful for how far things have come along.

Deanna Raybourn: I became a fan of hers upon reading the first Lady Julia Grey mystery Silent in the Grave. The Lady Julia Grey books are set during Victorian England, a time period I enjoy, and like Follett, she strikes a great balance between thorough research and making sure it is the story and characters that shine through. Sadly, the Lady Julia Grey books are coming to an end but this doesn’t mean I haven’t tried some of her other works.

In addition to doing a great job with setting, she, too, has really well-formed characters. Besides having feisty, strong female leads, the male leads are usually different from what many female writers tend to gravitate towards. Lady Julia Grey’s husband, Brisbane, is part Gypsy, part English so he is constantly at war with those clashing backgrounds along with battling really bad migraines (I sympathize). Another one of her male leads I enjoyed reading about is Ryder White in A Spear of Summer Grass and Far in the Wilds. Initially he comes across as the typical male lead; he’s rough and rugged, promiscuous, and egotistical yet he is a loner, loyal to his aunt and best friend, respects the various cultures around him, and doesn’t put up with nonsense from people no matter how much money they have.

Another thing I enjoy about her writing is she injects quite a bit of humor and a touch of ridiculousness that comes across as cheeky rather than immature.

Ngaio Marsh: I’ve just discovered Marsh this year and have already gobbled up five of her books. Unlike Follett and Raybourn, Marsh did not write historical fiction. She wrote detective murder mysteries and was a contemporary of Agatha Christie.

What I love about her books is being thrown into a different time period, struggling with some of the vernacular, and guessing who the killer is. Her books are filled with dark characters from all walks of life. Even though the books are set in the ’30s up until the late ’70s/early ’80s, a time period I think is usually portrayed as more innocent, drugs are apparently easy to get and people can’t wait to con others. In her books, ugliness lies in every corner of life.

Again, her characters also fascinate me. The women aren’t damsels in distress and often times have just as good of a motive as the men for murdering the deceased. Some are matriarchs married to a loony husband, some are single women living on their own, and some are lonely widows seeking companionship. The men, of course, run the gamut to conned vicars to intentionally stereotypical wannabe Lotharios to Lords with way too much money and time on their hands but not enough brains.

Those are just a few of my favorite authors. I’m looking forward to adding more to this list over the course of my life. Who knows, maybe someone will put me on their favorite authors list. Well, besides like a family member or a good friend or something.