Looking for Story Inspiration?

Are you looking for some inspiration for your next project? A lot of stuff gets posted during March for Women’s History Month, so I thought I would save a little inspiration for April!  Here are four women I came across in my content consumption that might give you a great idea for a story.

  • Berta Fanta—On my visit to Prague, of course I visited the Kafka Museum.  In one of the exhibit cases, there was a collection of items related to Berta Fanta who ran an intellectual salon for intellectuals in Prague at the turn of the 20th century.  The guests included heavy hitters, even Albert Einstein who taught in Prague for a time.  For more information, see here.
  • Chicago Poisoning Epidemic—from the book, Lady Killers by Tori Telfer, which is all about female serial killers.  There is plenty to be curious about here, but in particular the chapter on the poisoning epidemic in Chicago during the 1920s and Tille Klimek. Her cousin Nellie became involved in poisoning unwanted husbands and other people, too.  The book on the whole is extremely chilling, but the main thesis is that women were not considered serial murderers, and even if they were, they were “excused” or trivialized because of their gender.  The author contends that both men and women can be equally culpable and heinous in their criminal acts.
  • Women of Early Hollywood—before World War I, women had clout in Hollywood.  Women like Florence Lois Weber.  But then, kind of like in the literary world, as soon as it became clear there was money and influence on the table, men started changing the rules to keep people out.  Listen to this podcast for a walk back in time to a different era of Hollywood.  
  • Zoe Anderson Norris—a Gilded Age journalist who fought poverty with her pen.  Maybe you’ve heard about Nellie Bly, but not Norris?  Is it time to learn more about other female journalists who fought for everyday people?  Listen to the Gilded Gentleman episode to find out more. I can’t wait until the biography comes out.

I can’t wait to see what stories you come up with!

Outlining is a valuable tool at any point in the writing process: just getting started, revising your novel, or writing your summary to query.

Get your free copy of the Beats of the Heroine’s Journey with examples here.

Book Review: Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

WARNING:  there are spoilers…and there is a Howler 🙁

This book is classified as literary suspense for those of you keeping score. It is Kukafka’s second novel and now I will probably have to go read the first one. (!) The question she is asking here is all about power.  Why do we insist on trying to understand violent men and ignore the lives of the women they kill? What is the nature of choice in our lives and when is it too late to make different choices?  What about all the alternate choices we could have made?  

Interestingly, she manages to humanize a serial killer, but part of how she does it is by making the story about other people, specifically the women in his life, rather than making it about him. Ultimately, he is insignificant and the reader is left wishing for the lives the women could have had, the roads not taken, as it were. Justice is impossible.  Even though it is a “down” ending, the reader is also left with hope, because Saffy, an investigator with the NY state police is working a new case and trying to save a young woman.  She chooses to make meaning from the events of the novel by choosing to make things better, to attempt to restore some sense of balance in the way the world views serial killers.

This is a multiple POV, non-linear telling that maintains the tension by revealing different parts of the story only when necessary.  If you are looking for a good example of how and when to reveal backstory, this will work.  

I just have one tiny complaint…there’s a Howler.  On page 144, she references the giant statue of Sam Houston on the highway in Huntsville, Texas (home of the state penitentiary and where Texas’s death row is).  She says it is marble.  “…that the Sam Houston Monument is rising in the distance, towering over the border of Huntsville…As the van speeds closer, the statue reveals itself, gigantic in sculpted marble.”  It is not made of marble.  The statue is 67 feet tall—too big to be marble.  It is concrete and reinforced steel, which would have taken all of about 30 seconds to find out with a little research here.  I loved the novel, but I have to admit that getting this wrong, when it would have been pretty easy to get it right, made me question what else she got wrong.  

Just a note for all you writers.  Readers do pay attention and research matters.  This Howler threw me out of the story and made it hard for me to get back into the story world for a while.  Don’t let this happen to your readers—check your facts, even the little ones. 

But still, I would recommend this book, because it is a beautiful read!

What is a Personal Writing Retreat and Why Should You go on One?

Dear Readers, this is a guest blog post from a client who recently attended a personal writing retreat here in Estonia with me. If you are curious about what you might get done on such an adventure, read on!

        “ I’m offering a personal writing adventure to all my existing clients.  Let me know if you’re interested.” That was  the email I received from my fabulous book coach Robin Henry fifteen minutes before our bi-monthly zoom session. At the end of our session, I asked her what that was about.  As she explained, all I heard was 1) cool trip, 2) seven full days of writing and 3) intense  one- on-one time with Robin.  Without even reading the email, I shouted “Count me in!”  And now, as I’m on the final  leg of my journey home from my lovely adventure, I am so happy that I did.

         So, I’m sure your asking, what is this adventure and how is it different from my normal coaching sessions with Robin?  The adventure is a seven day writing retreat in Tallinn Estonia and is the perfect combination of writing, coaching /learning and experiencing a lovely city full of culture, good food ( the pancakes are to die for) and history. 

      Now, before I go on, I want to  address the elephant in the room.  Doesn’t Estonia border Russia? Is it safe?  Obviously those were the questions my family had and,  even though I’m an experienced traveler, I wondered myself.  The first thing I did was look it up on the map.  (I confess, I didn’t know where it was).  Estonia is near Finland, and yes it does share a border with Russia but Tallinn is in the northern corner and far far away from the current conflict.  Next, I went to the US State Department site looking for travel alerts. What I found was that Estonia has green level travel status.  It has very little crime, no terrorist threat alerts and is a member of NATO and the EU.  In fact, according to the site, it’s currently safer to travel  there than to France, Italy or  Germany, (my favorite places to travel) who are all sporting a yellow travel status.   Everyone speaks English and signs, menus and information are in both Estonian and English.  That was enough for me and I am happy to report that not once did I ever feel uncomfortable or have any trouble communicating.  

     So, was it worth it? Did I accomplish anything? As far as my writing is concerned, the only thing that trumps this experience in terms of moving my book forward was signing up with Robin in the first place.  We choose to focus my time on Hattie’s—one of my two protagonists—story line.  And at the end of my adventure, I had accomplished the following:

1) Completely reworked the outline for Hattie’s story. 

2) With Robin acting as counselor and coach, I resolved a knock down drag out fight I was having with Hattie who refused to cooperate with where I wanted to take her. (You know how those pesky characters can be.)

3) Wrote over 10,000 words in seven days. (My normal is 7500 a month) and,

4) Got Hattie all the way through part one of my book.  Mission accomplished and then some.

      So how did it work and how did I accomplish so much in such a short time? Ah, you’ll have to wait for the next post for that.  After all, what kind of writer would I be if I gave you too much too soon. 😀 I learned that and so much more from Robin @readerly.

Find out how you can have your own writing adventure

Sometimes you just have to keep going, or how I finished the Prague Half Marathon

Most of you know by now that I am a runner.  I do not claim to be fast or particularly good, but I find it a useful time for reflection, it gets me outside in all weather, and weight-bearing exercise is good for your bones!

Earlier this month, I ran the Prague Half Marathon.  It was an adventure from the beginning.  Due to a scheduling conflict, I arrived just before start time, and the staff/volunteers were super helpful in getting me a number and to the start line. 

Things were going well and I was having a good race.  I was on pace to finish in about 3 hours (I told you I’m slow…).  All was well.  I approached the halfway mark with joy only to be met by a volunteer who told me I had to stop running.  “Why?” I asked, confused because in all the half marathons I have run, this has never happened. “The time limit.” she replied.

Now, this confused me, and if I am honest made me a little bit angry.  First of all, I knew the time limit was three hours and by my watch, I was going to be close.  She should not be stopping me based on a split time! Second, I have never not finished a race I signed up for, even that time I had to sprint, and I use the term loosely, at the end to avoid being last.  Third, they were calculating the three hours based on the official start time, and anyone who has ever run in a race with over 12,000 people, as this one was, knows that the people at the end of the starting line cross the line at least ten to fifteen minutes later than the official start time. Nope, I was not getting on the bus like a meek mouse.  I would finish.  I saw several other people also determined and followed them to stay on the course.  

Long story short (or is it too late?), all of us in the little cadre finished the race.  In spite of the fact that they were literally picking up the course markers in front of us and several volunteers tried to convince us to stop. When we reached the end, an older Czech gentleman who had finished just before us, made sure we got our medals and a bottle of water. Our little band helped each other stay on the course and encouraged each other to finish.  I had some glucose tablets that I shared with a woman I was running beside when she looked a little shaky. She told me she wasn’t sure if she would have made it without me—it was her first half marathon. We were so happy to have crossed that line! And truthfully, none of us might have made it if not for the others.  At different points, we spotted the course markers and the turns.  Found water, walked together, ran together.  Chatted to take our minds off the pain. Together we accomplished something that we might not have been able to do on our own.  

Sometimes, when you’re writing a novel, it seems like you are alone.  But you don’t have to be. Find your cadre, and if you want to finish—don’t stop, even when they try to make you get on the bus.

You can do it.

There are three ways to work with Robin…

Part 2 of the Interview with Colin Mustful, Publisher…

Part two of my interview with Colin Mustful, this time, his perspective as a publisher.  One thing he did not mention, is that he signed NYT bestseller, Alina Adams, author of Nesting Dolls for her book, My Mother’s Secret, which is for sale at his website here:  https://www.historythroughfiction.com/my-mothers-secret  Look for a review on Readerly soon, I got my copy!

Thank you so much for letting me ask you questions for writers.  Lots of writers are interested in what it takes to be a small publisher or work with one, but don’t know anyone who is one.  You can share invaluable information to help writers succeed. 🙂

  1. Would you tell us a little bit about your background as a publisher?  What made you decide to become one, how did you get here?

It’s been a long journey that started when I finished my first novel in 2011. I had no idea what to do after I finished the first draft. I started submitting the manuscript to publishers, but I didn’t get any positive responses. Then, in the fall of 2012, I finally heard back from a publisher. They offered me an incredible contract and I was so excited that I signed it even though it required a $4,000 retainer. I didn’t know this at the time, but I had signed a contract with a Vanity Press. When my book was published in October 2013, I didn’t sell any books or have any events, and the press always wanted more money from me. It was an awful experience. 

But, I mention it here because I learned a lot of hard lessons from that experience. It was the catalyst I needed to learn more about ins and outs of book publishing. I used what I learned to self-publish two books. Then, I went back to school and earned an MFA in creative writing with a concentration in publishing. Around the time I graduated, I decided to combine my experience self-publishing with my educational background to start my own independent press.     

  1. What is the most challenging project you have worked on so far? What challenges were involved with it?

The biggest challenge for me has been digital marketing. It’s very easy to spend money on digital marketing, but it’s hard to get a positive return on investment (ROI). There’s a lot of strategy and research that goes into the various platforms and keywords for digital marketing and the best teacher is usually trial-and-error. Sometimes, even hiring an expert in digital marketing can backfire. It’s hard to find what works and it’s easy to spend a lot of money trying to find out. 

  1. You accept submissions from other writers and also indie publish your own books.  Could you tell us a little about how these two things are similar and/or different, and why you decided to do both?

When you self-publish your work, you’re running your own business. Essentially, there’s no difference between self-publishing and publishing. Being the publisher is just about taking control of the process. I can’t tell you how many times work has been rejected by agents and publishers. But now, in an era of digital printing and social media, there are less barriers to entry in publishing. I just decided to take advantage of that. It’s been an incredible amount of hard work to create a company and platform that people want to be a part of, but it’s been incredibly rewarding too. 

  1. Would you mind giving readers/writers an idea of how long the publishing process takes and what is involved between you and the writer?

It varies, but I would estimate that it takes 16-24 months from submission to publication. First, there is the submission process which takes a few months for me to review submissions and finally decide on what I want to publish. Then there’s contract negotiations which could take a day, a week, or a month. Once the contract is signed I insist on doing a developmental edit. This takes me about a month. In the meantime, I ask the author to gather as much useful marketing information as they can. Once I return their manuscript with my edits, it takes a month or two for the author to do a revision. After completing the editing process, we move to book design. This usually takes one to three months. From there it’s on to pre-marketing…things like sending out review copies and adding the book to NetGalley. Pre-marketing starts about six months prior to publication. Finally, in the last three months before publication we move onto heavy direct marketing. This means making announcements and asking our audience to pre-order the book. 

  1. What kinds of projects are you looking for in the future?

Anything and everything. As a small business, I’m always looking to grow and try new things in order to discover new audiences. And, I would like to play a role in sharing more diverse voices and stories with readers. It’s a complicated and significant issue in book publishing and one I’m trying to learn more about while facing many challenges involved in growing a small business. 

  1. What do you think is the most important thing for authors to know about getting their book ready to go out into the world?

Have patience. Find your audience, but don’t force your passion on others. Seek out and accept criticism and feedback. Be prepared for a long journey filled with setbacks and triumphs. But, practically speaking, get help. Find beta readers. Hire an editor or book coach. It will take hard work to get your book published and to make sure it stands out from the hundreds of other books published on a daily basis. But if you follow the process, you’ll succeed. 

  1. How can writers and readers find out more about  you and the books you publish?

We have a lot of information and resources available on our website at HistoryThroughFiction.com. Writers and readers can also reach out to me via email at editor@historythroughfiction.com. 

Yes, I want to register for the workshop!

Interview with author Colin Mustful

This interview is in two parts, because Colin is both an author and a publisher.  This week, we hear from Colin the author:

Colin Mustful is an independent author, historian, editor, and publisher. His writing helps readers learn and understand the complicated and tragic history of settler-colonialism and Native displacement in the Upper Midwest. He has a Master of Arts degree in history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. He is also the founder of History Through Fiction, an independent press that publishes high-quality fiction that is rooted in historical research. Mustful is an avid runner and soccer player who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He believes that learning history is vital to understanding our world today and finding just, long-lasting solutions for the future.

  1. What would you most like readers to know about your books? 

My books focus on a complicated and tragic era of United States history when Indigenous peoples were forcibly removed from their homes through federal Indian policy and settler-colonialism. I’m particularly interested in what happened in the Upper Mississippi River Valley and Great Lakes area because that’s where I was born and now live. Specifically, my books, such as Fate of the Dakota and Resisting Removal, examine the U.S. – Dakota War of 1862 and the Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850. My goal—my passion—is to discover why these events happened and what we can learn from them. I’m also interested in how this tragic history contributes to the world we live in today and the role I play in perpetuating its legacy—for better or for worse. 

  1. What advice would you give to writers that you wish you had gotten earlier?

You’ll need help. Find writers who have done what you want to do and learn from them. Accept criticism and advice and be willing to pay for expertise when you need it. 

  1.  What is some advice that you think writers should ignore?

Just don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing your goals. Listen to them, take what you can, but then move on. Every author’s journey is unique. You’ll get where you want to go if you just keep working at it. 

  1. Where can readers find out about you and your next project?

Readers can learn more about me at my website, ColinMustful.com. The best way to keep up with what I’m doing is to subscribe to my monthly newsletter which readers can do here: http://eepurl.com/h7O_wb

Tell me more about the workshop

Book Review: The Bangalore Detective Club by Harini Nagendra

I had the privilege of interviewing Harini for the Read Like a Writer Podcast recently and her interview will be available to listeners in March, in anticipation of her new book, the second in the Bangalore Detective Club series.  

I listened to her debut novel on Audible and found it great fun.  It is a well plotted cozy mystery, set in 1920s India and besides solving a murder her heroine is also battling race and gender inequity.  I do love a Christie style mystery and Nagendra does not disappoint here.  Kaveri, our amateur sleuth, is a woman of education, somewhat a rarity, who also benefits from a loving arranged marriage to Ramu, a local doctor.  They are newlyweds, sort of, having recently officially begun their marriage, though it was arranged previously and they were already technically married.  

At a fancy dress party, the first victim falls and the chase begins. Kaveri decides she must do all she can  to clear the name of a woman of ill-repute who is being blamed and shamed, so she puts her mathematically logical mind to the task, with the help of an older woman who serves as her mentor and is also teaching her how to cook.

It is a fabulous ride through a time and place that Nagendra brings alive on the page for readers.  I am already looking forward to the next book!

PS—there are recipes in the back of the book.  Yay!

Revising is also a Life Skill

It’s time for a true confession.  I recently had to revisit a long held opinion about something and change it.  I know!  Some of you already know that I was a school librarian for a number of years.  In the course of my work as a librarian, I was fortunate enough to attend many conferences.  Second true confession, I love going to conferences.  They are like a candy stores of ideas, but I digress.

When John Green wrote his first few novels, before The Fault in Our Stars, he was a big deal to librarians.  We love great YA writing, and he is a great writer.  So I was excited to see him on panels and in presentations.  Well, I don’t know if it was because he was being guarded by agents and conference VIPs, or if it was because maybe he is a little shy and socially awkward, or maybe I was just having an off day, who knows, he came off as very full of himself whenever I saw him speak.  So, I started avoiding his presentations at conferences.  

I just didn’t like him.  I liked his books, and I even started watching his Crash Course videos, because our AP teachers used them in class, but I just couldn’t warm up to him as a person. I hung on to that first and second impression I had of him being kind of arrogant.

Well, fast forward to one of my recent  morning runs.  I sometimes listen to Guy Raz’s How I Built This and the guests for an episode were John Green and his brother Hank, the Vlog Brothers. I grudgingly decided to listen.  I was curious about their business Complexly, you can probably guess why…

I am so glad I did.  I learned a lot of things about John Green that I never knew, like for instance that it takes a whole team to make those Crash Course videos and they donate most of the profits from their businesses to charity.  Suffice it to say, I had to revise my opinion of John Green.  It turns out, he is actually a great guy who suffers from some anxiety, so maybe that’s why he seemed arrogant the first few times I saw him.  It was early in his career, so who knows.  The point is, I had to revise my thinking about something when I received new information that challenged my beliefs.

So, it is true we all have to revise our opinions occasionally, but what does this have to do with writing?  Everything.  Sometimes when we revise, we have to throw out a whole lot of stuff.  Stuff we might be attached to.  I was pretty attached to my opinion of John Green.  I like being an outlier, so I liked thinking that I wasn’t swayed by his epic writing talent and extreme popularity, I was DIFFERENT. But when I learned more facts, I decided I was wrong and that my opinion had changed.  

Maybe you’ve gotten some tough feedback about something in your story not working.  But I am DIFFERENT, you say to yourself.  Maybe you are, but is there a chance something really  isn’t working and needs to be revised?  Is it possible that you need to throw out some much beloved scenes because they don’t advance the plot, even though you love them? 

It’s hard to let go, but it is also freeing.  Letting go of something means having the ability to hold onto something else.  I can let go of thinking John Green is arrogant and hold onto the love I have for his books and videos, and his mission to keep educational content forever free.  Teachers need all the help they can get!

What can you let go of in your current WIP? What can you hold onto?

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