TWEAKING DIALOGUE IS NO SMALL THING

I'm trying to write but I keep being distracted by internet research.  I'm printing out maps of Berlin, Germany in various eras.  All because I'm tweaking seven sentences of dialogue by a character who lives in New York state.

Why?

• I need his words to reflect historical accuracy.  
• Knowing this stuff, helps me to feel oriented to my story.

But this browsing about for geographical info and city history soon has me drowning in possibilities.

I feel overwhelmed with the need to understand who Frederick the Great was and how he was related to Frederick William II of Prussia and various succeeding monarchs.

Who was in command when the Berlin Fortress was built and why did he need it?

Image from Wikipedia Commons

Not to be confused by The Berlin Customs Wall

Image from Wikipedia Commons

 or the The Berlin Wall built during The Cold War of the 20th Century.

Image from Wikipedia Commons

But oh, isn't this fascinating!  Problem is, I'm too much like those people who want to be authors but aren't willing to go through the agony of writing a book.

I seriously want to know this information. But today, I'd hoped to get on with the story (or at least seven lines of dialogue). Some days it's hard to slow down enough to go through the learning process.

Guess I'll have to pull a few resources off my Germany bookshelf.  Can't rely solely on Wikipedia, of course!

Reckon how long it will take my character to get back to that conversation? 

Research Is more than a pile of books but...

Research is way more than a pile of books. There's a lot of fun stuff involved - like museum visits, hiking, train rides, interviews with fascinating people, eating great food and the occasional visit to some unexpected place such as an orphanage or mental hospital.

But there are also lots of books involved.  Here are a few that I'm using for my work in progress. Along with a few DVDs at the top of the pile.

DOES THIS WOMAN LOOK SCARY TO YOU?

(l. to r.) Me, Shirley Cunningham

Mrs. Cunningham was my language arts teacher in both 7th & 8th grade. She was one of those teachers who forced you to rise to a challenge. She taught innovatively. She graded strictly. And if you needed discipline, she did not shy away from it.

Mrs. Cunningham was not for messing around with.

But I've always loved this sort of teacher. And I especially love Mrs. Cunningham. After all, she told me I would be writer someday.

And now I am.

Today I will meet with her to get feedback on my work-in-progress. She's already warned me to wear my suit of armor.

I'm not really afraid of her. (not much, anyway) I learned a long time ago that a tough critic is a good thing! But I do so want to please Mrs. Cunningham. Back in middle grades I lived for her big red A at the top of my book reports. Because of her affirmation, I couldn't wait to do written assignments.

Something tells me she won't be using a red pen this time. But I do expect lots of constructive feedback. Mrs. Cunningham has read each of my other books after they were published but this will be the first in manuscript form. I hope it's not the last.

I'll let you know how it goes.

WRITING WEDNESDAY

I'm supposed to be revising. So maybe blogging at this moment is just procrastinating. But the truth is, I never know when I wake up in the morning where my character will lead me. Today it was to a banjo version of "Flight of the Bumblebee".




And how about this tap dancing version by Leon Collins? (a tribute, it turns out, to a mighty fine tap instructor)



And then there is this amazing piano performance with a stunning collage of motion.



Research is not just for encyclopedias anymore.

Footnotes: MY EDITOR LOVES THEM AND I DO,TOO (sort of)

Some of the resources used in researching my work-in-progress.

My editor is fond of footnotes. So naturally I give them to her. The difficult thing is figuring out when to insert them into my manuscript.

When I begin a new book I devour everything I can on my topic and then eventually, as a plot line emerges, I write my story. At this point I work with the knowledge that I've absorbed during all the research. But I haven't taken a lot of notes. Instead I buy, borrow, and pay overdues on books that I can't seem to live without. I take pictures in archives and I save emails from experts I've interviewed. I want those facts at my fingertips and I know from experience I'll need them later. I slap sticky flags at crucial spots. I underline, circle, and make lots of sloppy melodramatic asterisks beside important info.

I write my story, revise it, tweak it repeatedly, and eventually I think it's ready to send to Carolyn Yoder. And then it hits me - I still have to footnote.

Of course I've tried to document as I go. But the truth is that documenting can seriously interrupt the flow of the story. So mostly I write and worry about footnoting later.

So I'm at that point now with my work-in-progress. The story is written and has been fiddled with and tightened and improved upon in various ways and I believe that I'm within weeks of submitting to my editor. (I thought the same thing back in November before I remembered the footnotes.)

I am, at this moment, in the midst of tedium. Rereading the manuscript, noting which items might raise some question of authenticity in my editor's mind. And pulling down every resource possible to verify the following and then some. (and you can skip over this tiny list if you like!)

• When America entered WWII in December 1941 the draft age was 21
  
• There was an exemption for conscientious objectors (COs) who, for religious reasons, could not participate in war.
• Civilian Public Service (CPS) provided alternative ways for COs to serve.
  
• CPSsers mostly lived in former Civilian Conservation Corps barracks and did forestry and conservation work.
  
• They ate at trestle style picnic tables.
• Some switched into work in mental hospitals which were grossly understaffed.
  
• Some were guinea pigs in medical experiments
  
• German neighbors could have been sent away to internment camps
• Eastern State Hospital had a death house and a morgue and conscientious objectors helped with autopsies
• There was an elevator in Sequeyra Building and a laundry chute that made a great sliding board in the turret of Taylor Building
• The College of William and Mary charged 2 cents per day for overdue library books in 1943
  
• Etcetera

I said it was a tiny list because, as you can imagine, this is just the beginning. Thankfully I have most of this info within reach. It's mostly a matter of choosing the best quote to back up my story. That can take awhile and I find myself reading whole chapters again or going back to the library for a book that I actually returned.

Have I mentioned this is tedious? But honestly, one part of me loves this task. It's so validating. It makes the story feel solid. I have the same excitement bubbling up in me that I felt when I began researching and feeling the story emerge. It's hard to sleep at this stage because I have this sense of something really important happening.

I hope my editor feels it when she reads the manuscript. And I sure hope she eats up those footnotes!

Research: THINGS I LEARN FROM OLD NEWSPAPERS

This page from a 1940's Virginia Gazette illustrates the importance of reading newspapers from the time of my story. At first glance, there's the obvious - prices of whole suites of furniture - $ 95. $ 75. $ 55.

(Sigh! I'd like to buy one great piece of vintage furniture for $ 55!)

A closer look provides info that's useful to describe a setting. Perhaps I want my character to scratch his name into the curved wooden arm of a livingroom chair. I don't have to describe the whole living room suite in order to do so but it sure helps to know what kind of furniture was even plausible during the time period. And depending on the context, I might want to quickly throw out a description of an entire room.

What I find really fascinating is the text itself. The manner of advertising

"Coil Spring Chairs & Sofas Have Been Stopped! "
GET IT NOW-OR YOU WON'T GET IT FOR THE DURATION!

(Same screaming message we're used to. Slightly different wording.)

And speaking of words. When was the last time you saw an ad that stated something was "smartly styled" or "very smart suite"?

I'm tweaking my 1940's work-in-progress right now. I don't believe I've used the word "smart" to describe furniture or any other inanimate object. But thanks to a vintage newspaper ad, I have a new context for that word.

Word choice is crucial to setting the tone for a historical piece. And reading old newspapers is an important part of my research process.

That is, if I'm smart.

HOW I MET ONE OF MY CHARACTERS: (Thanks to one of my Readers!)

Last January, one of my readers, a teacher who read BLUE with her students, wrote to tell me how much she enjoyed it. She wanted to track down a particular video about Hickory's polio epidemic.

It's wonderful, of course, to know that a reader enjoys my books and that my story sparks an interest in history. But it's some kind of special when she offers to help research my work-in-progress because she lives near where it takes place.

When Candy Scherberger made this offer I thanked her and promptly returned to whatever else was overwhelming me at the moment. Then in August, I realized I was ready for her help. In particular, I wanted details related to the library at the College of William and Mary.

Clearly, August isn't the best time to ask a teacher for a favor. So I gave Candy an out but she promised to do what she could. Then, this week, she put an archivist in touch with me.

As a result, I know the name of the head librarian in 1942 - Earl Gregg Swem - who is now a character in my book. I know that the library, itself didn't have a name and that it was open and active during the summer (Whew! I needed that!),and I know that indeed, Mr. Swem hired student assistants. (I'm going to assume that one of them could be a love interest for my fictional character!)

In addition, I have links to hundreds of issues of The Flat Hat, the college's newspaper. And if there's anything I love more than an old newspaper rich with details of time and place, it would be - hmmmm what would it be?

Maybe the reader who helped me find it. Thanks Candy!

JUST WHEN I RAN OUT OF WRITING STEAM

I decided to put writing on hold for a few days. At least until the end of June. I just wasn't feeling my story. I needed to let it go for awhile. Get to work on something I could accomplish.

So I drove our truck to the mulch yard. Asked for 2 scoops. Came home. Made a sandwich to fortify myself. Checked email while I ate.

Heard from a librarian who'd helped me back in January with my work-in-progress. Now she was sending me brand new links to an oral history project. I listened to the first link - it was an interview with an 85 year old woman who lived and played on the grounds of the mental hospital where much of my story takes place.

Not only that, I soon recognized her as someone I'd read about in an unpublished memoir written by someone who worked at the hospital.

Wow! It almost knocked the mulching right out of me! But I decided to stick with my plan. I mulched. I asked my character questions while I worked.

And later I began to explore the oral history links. I still haven't had the time to really give them my undivided. But I will.

What I've gained so far?

descriptions of the general area

names of local businesses,

names of local prominent people

general information about the era

street names and intersections

a sense of time and place

specific information about the mental hospital

new ideas and characters for my story

Perhaps most important of all, I now have the name of this interviewee who I can contact for answers to particular questions.

No. I take that back. Most important of all, I am feeling my story again. But I'm not going to cheat and start writing before July. I'm simply soaking it up. And contacting new experts. And researching.

I don't think I've mentioned this lately. But just so you know, I love librarians!

IN SEARCH OF BUCK CREEK (For my work-in-progress)

Photo: Compliments of Friends Historical Collection

I am in search of an old CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) camp called Buck Creek. It's not actually in existence anymore. (Which, incidentally, makes it a difficult to find.) I've made phone calls. I've driven to the area twice. And found the creek itself.And this sign at Buck Creek Campground. I even found CCC campground but apparently CCC does not stand for Civilian Conservation Corps - the C's are for three brothers. Oh, man!

I asked an old-timer at a convenience store who pointed me in the right direction. When I came to the appropriate road I saw a senior citizen checking his mailbox. He directed me much further up the road than I expected.

His directions seemed to be working out perfectly. And then voila - guess who I bumped into? A forest ranger - working in a garden by the side of the road. I recognized the uniform and screeeech! I stopped.

He told me where to turn and about how far to go before I found the ruins. I found this sign holder and wondered - it seemed so 30's or 40's. But it didn't seem to fit with the ranger's description. So I followed this road instead.

And found these rocks. Hmmmm - I wasn't convinced there were enough ruins here. Or even enough space for all the buildings I'd seen on pics. So I drove on up the mountain road past this kudzu waiting to leaf out. I bet it's looking really spooky now that warm weather has come.

I'll find out today. Chuck and I are going back to the spot where I stopped last time. I was in school visit attire at the time. And hubby was home thinking I was coming home. It was hard to leave because this path at the end of the road looked so inviting. And promising too. I'm not saying that post on the left is the same one. It might even look a little different. In fact, it all looks different. But after 70 years what do you expect?
Personally, I expect it all to be waiting there for me just as it was. But either way - I'm going back.

WEDJ! (Write Every Day in June!)

During April I got into the habit of blogging every day. It was a busy month but I did it. I didn't write much in my work-in-progress, however.

So I threatened to abandon blogging in June and write my actual novel then. I will not quit blogging. But I do intend to write every day in June.

Last night, in the middle of the night, I realized I hadn't written in my book at all yesterday. I did some research though and got some ideas so I guess that could count. But I need to get some words on the page!

I've committed much of today to antique cars and a trip into the past. (something to blog about later if I'm not too busy writing!)

Between now and then I have a few minutes to write. See ya later.

WRITING WEDNESDAY: My POV Character

For more than a year, I've researched my work-in-progress. And occasionally, I would actually write in it! Especially when a grant application required it. (The possibility of money can motivate even me to outline!)

So I researched. I outlined (excruciating process!) I wrote 9 chapters as well as various letters and diary entries. I was moving along quite well. But there were nagging problems related to the age of my character and historical authenticity.

When friends asked me what I was writing, I usually told them about the historical events behind my story. But I had trouble articulating who my character was and how I was going to get this story out to a YA audience.

At one point I blogged about how I found my character's voice. And I wasn't entirely mistaken about that. But, truth be told, I still had issues. I just didn't realize it yet.

Months passed in which I researched, stayed busy with author events, learned to tweet, picked at hangnails, and contemplated my point-of-view character.

And now, finally, I'm catching on! There will be several POVs. This is not a writing device that I love to read because I think it's hard to do well. But I am up for the challenge!

I love both of my POVs. I have lots to learn about the newer one. But meeting people is fun. Especially when I'm at home alone!

MY ANNIVERSARY: WIP

Scene from Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center, Harrisonburg, VA

One year ago today, I visited the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society to begin research on my work-in-progress. I was immediately overwhelmed with all the material on my subject. (I never allow enough time in archives!) After some initial panic, I tried to break things down into a manageable plan.

• First, I familiarized myself with the materials
• Then, I made a list of books I could purchase to read at my leisure
• Photocopied bibliographies (I love bibliographies!)
• Copied some particularly compelling stories
• Made note of experts I could interview
• Read journal/diary entries to get a feel for emotional aspects of this piece of history

I've been researching off and on all year. I bought quite a few titles, met some amazing experts, and chose a setting for my story. Turns out the setting means that my story is largely a Quaker history. So, of course, there have been visits to Quaker archives since then.

I haven't given up on the Mennonites however. As you can see in the poster below, Mennonites offer some potentially complex characters. So at this point, I think my protagonist will be a Menno who finds himself in a Quaker-run Civilian Public Service camp.

I'm sure I can find some conflict in the midst of all those peace-loving people!

Scene from Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center

TUESDAY 2: Two DVDs

I've got some magnificent resources for use in researching my new work-in-progress. Newspaper clippings, yearbooks, directories, memoirs, and movies.

2 movies -
The Good War is about Conscientious Objectors who served our country in unusual ways during WWII. Their consciences would not allow them to participate in war but that didn't stop them from putting their lives on the line.
Sergeant York is about a WWI era Conscientious Objector whose CO status was rejected. He was drafted and ultimately used his sharpshooter skills to win a crucial battle against the Germans. He is one of America's foremost WW1 heroes.

And the COs portrayed in The Good War?

They are heroes too. A different sort, to be sure. But their contribution to the common good probably affects you and me in ways we would never guess.

THE PROTAGONIST'S VOICE

For the last month, I've been writing the first draft of my work-in-progress. And finally, yesterday I found my character's voice.

Major breakthrough!

Voice is a hard thing to pin down - in some ways it simply means an author's unique way of expressing herself. But it also means the character's way of expressing himself. Since I write historical fiction, my character's voice must also match the time and place in which he lived.

And of course, a youth of the 1940's (and a religious one at that) might not have appeal to today's kids who live in an edgy world.

So I've been wondering how I was going to meet the challenge of creating a credible character. This week I figured it out. I finally realized how I can tell this story in a way that is true to my character while still holding appeal for contemporary young adults.

At least I think I have. In some ways this isn't so much about sentence structure, idioms or personality as it is, presentation.

I've discovered a format that will allow for the 1940's voice to feel relevant. Yay! After a month of trudging through the dark, writing the story just became so much clearer and way more fun!