Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Focusing That Viewfinder

Still perched on the stoop awaiting my care package of research goodies, I am happily humming to the news that the Cubs have landed free agent Jon Lester. (This is after a late night happy dance in my bedroom that included fist pumps and fangirl giggles.)

But as I doubt many of you have dropped by to hear the Shakespearian tale of the Chicago Cubs, I will now veer the conversation back toward writing. (Whether this is an improvement or not, I leave to your judgment.)

Crafting a historical novel is one thing, actually writing it is another.

I thought setting up a logical, entertaining chain of events that would buckle and climax at the appropriate times for a 100k novel would be the truly hard part.

Wrong.

Writing it has been the real bear.

Now, as the holidays have arrived and writing schedules have been scattered to the winds, I’ve had time to strategize a little on how to move forward more efficiently with the Six Brothers project.

With all the historical depth and richness available about the years of the American Revolution, I have decided to concentrate the novel’s historical core on the prisoners of war. Accuracy in this department will be key, crucial and demanding. However, by focusing it all in one area, I hope to be able to move more quickly through the actual writing of the novel while still retaining its all-important historical feel.

Let’s be frank. People and their relationships to each other haven’t changed drastically through the years. Love, hate, jealousy, generosity, faith and forgiveness are all the same, just expressed through different methods. I’ve got a ton of experience writing these emotions, so they will flow rather easily from me. The trap I’ve fall into is one of obsessive historical accuracy on all fronts, in all nooks and crannies of the book.

An impossible goal to reach.

At least for me.

So, the bulk of my detailed historical efforts will now lie with the prisoners of war. Hopefully, this strategy will limit this research nut’s OCD tendencies to more manageable levels.

Hopefully.

We’ll see.

And here end today’s rambling lecture.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

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