The "Big" Story

Well, after several unexpected short stories I am finally beginning the "big" story I originally set out to write. This is not a problem, in fact it was an unexpected pleasure. These are local stories that I didn't know existed and they helped pave the way to this big story, some of them becoming big stories of their own.

It isn't easy starting to put words to paper, or in this case typing into the computer. I am sitting here with literally hundreds of printed pages of information and stories that I need to read and sort through to find the kernels of a good story. I take all this information, make sure it is as accurate as possible, and make sure it isn't someones original research, then type it out loosely. I then go through each piece of information I have, finding the links and connections between characters and what makes them unique, their motivations etc. and tie that together with what I know about history and how one thing can lead to another. My job is to take the information and make it into an interesting story, not just a report of facts. This is the hard part, for me it is also the most fun. Dredging through all the info is not fun but when the story finds its voice, what can I say but "Yay!"

So for this story, I just started typing, using another person's report of facts as the skeleton. I have that all written out, in my own words of course, and will now go through other sources to match and verify facts and flesh out other interesting bits. For example, if the report of information mentions a new character, I can't just introduce that person without some background, so I need to go research that person and find out why the two are connected. That may become a story of its own, or just a paragraph, or it may just give me some insight into my main character's motivations. Keeping in mind that these are historical stories that may be completely true or may have over time grown into legends. I also feel I need to let my reader know what is fact and what might be legend and I have to do that in story context. It is a very interesting process.

Back to work!

Story Play by Play

I just finished writing a new story for the History Press book. Notice I didn't say finished working on it, I said finished writing it. There's a difference. This particular story needed a back story, information that leads up to it and sets the scene. After that was written, I began the story I originally set out to write, which isn't exactly a truth as this one came out of another one I was in the process of researching. That is the next story I hope to get to.

Once the writing was finished I sat down with my notes and looked for mistakes and discrepancies in the facts of the story and will go back and see if I can plug in some additional interesting information I found while doing that. Then I need to edit for flow and spelling and grammar. After all of that, I give the pages to my reader to edit further, that happens to be Thomas and he is very good at being honest.

This story is historical with a lot of dates, times, places and details that I want to get as close to accurate as I can with the research I found, while keeping it interesting to readers who are not historians but love a good story.

I usually sit down with that research and read over one or two different accounts of an event, highlighting key points and getting a sense of the story that interests me. Then I free write getting that on paper. If there are really crucial details that are unfamiliar to me, I sometimes develop the story paragraph by paragraph writing that out from one or two sources in outline form, creating my own story as I go. I will add tidbits from the other versions I found, but only after verifying that they are accurate. If something is way out of the norm of what I found elsewhere and I decide it needs to be in the story, I have to find a way to state that it is one account and not substantiated. There's a fine line between reporting and storytelling. I try to find the balance.

Once this is done, I reread my research, set aside things that might be good for an additional story and move on to the next.

It took longer than I expected to get to this story, but once I got going and got the back story in writing, the main story went quickly.

New History Press book on WNY continued

Well into my writing for this book but not close to where I should be with an April deadline, I decided to take a minute out of my writing retreat to share what is happening today. I am really hoping this will help me focus for the remainder of this retreat time.

One thing I find that happens for me, especially when working on a historical piece where I am researching as I go, I find ever enfolding bits of information with one bit leading to another. I have been reading printouts of works on a particular bit of information that I would like to include as a story. It is all new information to me, and surprisingly to Thomas too. He is a major source of knowledge for me in all aspects of history and he had not heard of this before either. As a result, I am looking at multiple reports and articles on this topic. I always do that anyway, because this is not direct source information and as a writer I would never want to take someone else's hard earned research and call it my own. I am simply finding information and combining it with my sense of environment and human nature to create interesting stories that flow together under my broader topic. At any rate, I am currently buried under a mound of growing notes, things that I want more information on so that I can write a sensible story. I might add. because I did not previously know about this information, it wasn't what I set out to write for this next chapter. So my writing plans for this chapter are on temporary hold until I finish this story first. It always seems to go that way.

When this break is over, I will be going to my notes for background information that leads up to where this new story begins. Always an interesting journey. I admit I am happy to have another story. After all, I have to write at least 30,000 words!

Lost Track of Time but the Process Continues

There comes a time in the writing process when I lose track of the hours spent on any given piece. I spent many more hours researching, looking for some tidbit that might make a story. I finally found just what I needed and it made it easier to begin actually writing and gave some sense of structure to the book. It isn't necessary to write chronologically but I tend to do so. I just now finished what I consider to be the first chapter in this new book. I have approximately ten file folders of printed information to use so far and a fair idea what the next chapter will be. Taking a break for the rest of today and possibly tomorrow to do other needed things. My brain is feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. I may read a few of my printouts but that's about it. Even the seeds planted in the earth rest before sprouting.

Days Three - Five the new History Press book

Finally clearing away enough schedule to work on this project. With tight deadlines, I figure I will need to be ready to write no later than the end of December! Yikes.

Day Three: signed contract, reviewed writer's guidelines and highlighted important information pertinent to my book.

Day Four: Internet research to fins as much information as possible on the current topic I am researching. The interested and expected outcome of this is that one snippet led to another search and that produced yet another until actual new topics began to emerge. Now hopelessly lost in a sea of paper and ideas. * I prefer to print out what I find online for three reasons. 1. easy for me to read, 2. I can highlight and make notes on things I find, 3. I can refer to it later side by side with other information I find.

Day Five, which is today: Organizing the sea of papers into labeled folders further solidifying that fact that topics are emerging. Now I'm having fun because I am learning many new and interesting things about this region. My job will be to share that with my readers!

Day Six will involve further investigation into things I am finding until I can take these notes to the Historical Society to snoop in their archives.

Day Two: my newest book about WNY

Day Two is really more like day four or five with the in between days spent on additional gathering of information to determine what stories might be included and if there are enough to make a book at this time. The publisher informed me that they would like the book to go to print in April. That may seem like a long time to some but when you are already writing another book, working to pay your bills and trying to find more work in your chosen field, it isn't much time at all. Add to that the upcoming holidays and the fact that I am still finishing up my dad's estate business and you have one very busy person. Yet, this kind of deadline isn't unusual, so I accepted the challenge.

This challenge of a tight schedule will mean good time management and organization are musts. But I'm no stranger to that either. So this unofficial second day on the new book was spent reading over part of the contract from the publisher and checking their book format requirements. With that I began writing where it works best for me to start. I like to begin at the beginning, though this is not where all writers start. Some prefer to start at the end or write individual stories and figure out how they go together later on.

I started with a table of content and listed Acknowledgements, Introduction, and up to five sections or chapters, to which I gave "working titles." A working title is just that, something you use as you are working but may change later either by your choice or by the publisher's "suggestion." I also wrote out an acknowledgement to my parents which I knew I wanted to include to honor them. Later I will add docents, historians, friends and professionals who supply information specific to this book. I will also acknowledge any major sources from other authors.

I began my introduction and I think it is pretty much finished. Of course, having written before I know that nothing is written in stone until it goes to press. So the introduction may change or grow depending on what I find. At any rate, I now have a table of content and basic intro to help me focus and to give voice to what comes next. My next step will be to write a first story, which may not be the first one in the finished book.

Beginning a New Book Project

I had to leave my trilogy research in favor of finishing up my six year work on a book about using storytelling with at-risk youth and now for a new book on the Western New York region. I haven't signed the contract yet but will in the next day or two. I needed to be sure I had enough material to meet their April deadline. So much to do, so little time but such is the writer's life.

Day One: involved jotting down ideas for book topics and a brief search to see if there was enough for a pitch.

Day Two: Once that was done I started listening and looking everywhere for additional material. I found quite a bot and will reveal that once the book is more fully formed (it's a competitive business you know.)

Day Three: searching the Internet for as much information as possible on each topic to see if there is enough for those to be included and get some idea of how they will fit together.

Day Four: a trip tot he historical library.