Category: History in the Making

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History in the Making

Using Your Research for More than Your Novel

History in the making

Writing a novel is hard work and takes time. Writing a Historical Fiction novel may require more time and hard work due to necessary research.

Then there’s publishing. Whether you publish traditionally or indie publish, it takes time to publish the book and make sales. Let’s take a look at ways you can use your research while you wait:

1) Writing short pieces – you can purchase the current Writers Market Guide, the current Christian Writers Market Guide (or both) to find magazines that might be interested in an article about your research topic (i.e. the California Gold Rush). Then you will need to find the magazine’s website and download their guidelines. Be sure to follow their guidelines carefully because they will not consider your article if it isn’t written, formatted, and submitted according to their guidelines. You can do this any time during your novel writing process.

However, I don’t recommend putting the next two suggestions into practice until closer to the time of releasing your novel, six months to a year prior depending on how many pieces you can write and put into use. You don’t want to run out of writing subjects for these important items before your novel releases.

2)Building your audience and building your brand – I’ve been told many times that it is very important for a writer to have a presence on Social Media – specifically, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I’ve also heard that Pinterest is a great place to connect with readers. You can connect with readers on these sites by posting interesting things from your research. Be sure to connect it to your novel by giving them a small tidbit of information like revealing the name of your novel’s town and sharing history about that town.

  You can also create a blog and write blog posts about something you’ve researched for your novel. This is a great place to include pictures as well. You might write about men’s and women’s fashions from the time period of your novel and include a couple pictures showing some of the clothing from that time period.

3) Market your novel – You can write an additional story that connects with your novel and release it for a reasonable price or offer it as a free gift for purchasing your novel. It could be a novella about the backstory of one of your characters and how they ended up in the time, place, and/or situation of your novel. You could use a scene from your story to create Flash Fiction story, or maybe create a short story about one of your minor characters.

Any of these suggestions can put your research to good use and make it work for you as it builds your brand and/or audience or as it draws readers’ interest in your upcoming novel. Your research can serve multiple purposes and be an enjoyable endeavor, making all your hard work pay off.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

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History in the Making

Reverential Capitalization, or God and Pronouns

History in the making

An interesting thing happened to me on my way to being traditionally published. During my most recent edit, the editor changed all pronouns of God (he, him etc.) to capitals. In writing my novel, I did my due diligence and consulted several style guides to find that pronouns of God should not be capitalized.

Following the style guides did not mean I do not respect God (caps in English do not mean respect anyway). It meant I did not want the capitalization of pronouns to muddle clear communication to the largest number of readers as possible. It can be a distraction, which you don’t want. And a broader than Christian readership may think a Him or He in the middle of a sentence is there for emphasis, changing the meaning of the sentence.

Fervent Feelings

I discussed the changes the editor made with my husband and a couple of friends and found strong opinions on the subject. I unintentionally stoked the flames of a fight regarding grammar and religion. “Of course they should be capitalized,” was the initial reaction.

And then we opened the Bible.

We looked at the first translation, the King James, and found pronouns of God were not capitalized. We looked at the New International Version (the most used Bible translation), The English Standard, and The New Living translations and found no capitalized pronouns.

I use the New King James Version, and knew the pronouns were capitalized. But reading in Matthew, I found verse 16:1. It says, “ Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.” The capitalized pronouns read as though the Pharisees and Sadducees accepted Jesus as a deity, and they did not. Which to me, seemed to change the meaning of Scripture.

The Style Manuals

The Chicago Manual of Style, The Society of Biblical Literature, and Associated Press style guides, state that he, him, his, and so on shouldn’t be capitalized even when referring to God. The Christian Writers Manual of Style states: Most publishers, religious and general, use the lowercase style in large part to conform to the two most popular versions of the Bible (the best-selling NIV and the historically dominant KJV).”

I wanted to confirm most religious publishers used the lowercase style, so I dug around in my own library. I pulled out Historical Biblical Fiction and even one non-fiction book from Tyndale and Bethany House. Flipping through the pages, I found the style guides were right, they did not cap the pronouns referring to God.

Authors and publishing houses can make their own rules regarding reverential capitalization. But the large houses have chosen lowercase pronouns that refer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. However, words that refer to God; the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, are capitalized.

Those are the rules, but what are your thoughts on this subject?

Blessings,

KD Holmberg

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website kdholmberg.com

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History in the Making

Thinking Inside the Icebox

History in the making

From the ingenuity of Thomas Moore, the icebox first appeared on the American scene in 1802. Like many new inventions, its production was limited and thus affordable only to the rich. However, by 1884, increased capacity for ice, improved insulation and mass production led to an icebox in most homes.

Constructed of wood, the icebox looked like an attractive piece of box-sized cabinetry with several doors and a large drawer on top which served to house the ice. The shelves were made of zinc or tin as were the walls which were insulated with a material such as straw, sawdust, cork, or even seaweed. A pan at the bottom caught the water as the ice melted, requiring someone to empty the pan before it overflowed on the floor. In more expensive models, a spigot allowed for easy draining of accumulated water.

Ice needed to be replenished every two to three days and was available from the local ice house. Some folks picked up the solid block of ice and transported it home themselves. Others availed themselves of the delivery service, whereby a driver arrived with his horse-drawn carriage, pulled a block of ice from the back of the truck with a two-pronged hook, hauled it inside the customer’s house and lifted it into the ice drawer of the icebox.

An exciting acquisition to anyone’s kitchen, the icebox offered conveniences not enjoyed by previous generations:

  1. It eliminated the need to trek out to an underground pit or brook house, or stoop at a hole dug in the cellar floor, which were common ways to keep foods cool in earlier time periods.
  2. Daily trips to the local market to purchase fresh food were replaced by excursions only a few times a week.
  3. Time and energy expended to preserve foods by smoking, salting or canning became more a cook’s choice than a necessity.

As thrilling as the icebox might have been, not everything about it was cause for celebration. It held odors. Whether a naturally odoriferous food or something that spoiled, the smell would not go away. And one food could take on the “aroma” of another. For example, the butter could smell like fish.

However, the benefits of being able to keep food fresh and fingertip close were huge, evidenced by the industry’s attention to continuing improvements of the appliance.

As writers, why should we care about old iceboxes?

Writers of historical fiction can utilize an icebox to add detail to a scene or enhance their stories:

(1) A character grabs a chunk of cheese to add to Sunday dinner and notices that the ice is getting low; (2) Perhaps a grandmother shares an “I remember when…” memory, giving a peek into long-ago day-to-day living; or (3) An overflowing water pan might reveal a character’s short-temperedness, or a nasty smell might add tension as the cooks sort out how to handle it.

Romance Writers, can you picture the growing attraction between the oldest daughter and the ice truck driver? Or perhaps the handsome town bachelor owns the ice house.

Contemporary writers are not left out of the possible uses of “iceboxes” in their works. A key character might be an antiques collector, or perhaps the CEO of an appliance store chain, having descended from a family involved in marketing early iceboxes. Mystery Writer, can you envision an unidentified body being discovered huddled against an ancient icebox in your heroine’s antique shop?

Whew! Who would have thought an icebox could reveal character traits, stimulate career choices or spark plot twists?

Well…probably not Mr. Moore.

But for writers? There are oodles of cool ideas inside the icebox.

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry.

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History in the Making

The History of Your Characters

History in the making

When we think of “historical”, we think the story is set in a historical time period, and many of us have a favorite time period – the Victorian Age, the Renaissance, the Old West, or any one of so many more. We imagine poring over history books, encyclopedias, or websites that provide information about the time period so that we can be sure the historical parts of our fiction stories are accurate.

What about the history of your characters? This is otherwise known as “backstory”. The history or backstory of our characters can be just as important, maybe even more important, than the history of our time period.

Just like people in real life, your characters need a history. You can’t write accurately portray a character without knowing their back story. Just like real people, the histories of your characters are important to who your character is. Their history has an effect on the character and personality of your character. It may even be important to their motivation and goals.

Therefore, whether you are a pantser, plantser, or plotter, you need to create a backstory for your characters before you write your story. The better you know and understand your characters’ histories, the more realistic and believable you can make them.

Do you have to create a backstory for every character? No, I wouldn’t say that. I would say it is most important to have well-developed backstories for your main characters, and at least a good idea of the backstories of the minor characters make regular appearances in your story.

Even though you need a thorough backstory for your characters, you won’t include all of their backstory in your novel. You will only include what you need for your readers to understand your characters.

For example, your twenty-eight year old female character is terrified of being outside in a thunderstorm. Why? Maybe in her backstory, when she was a little girl, she witnessed a tragedy that took place during a thunderstorm – maybe a tree struck by lightning fell on a relative and they were badly injured or killed, maybe she was raised by an abusive parent who locked her outside during a thunderstorm, or maybe lightning struck a tree stump near her and it burst into flames. I’m sure you can come up with more possibilities that would cause her to still be afraid of thunderstorms as an adult woman.

Why might this be important to the story? Well, maybe a thunderstorm begins quickly, with little to no warning, and her little boy is outside and she has to go out to bring him into the house or maybe she’s on her way home and there is no where to go to get out of the storm along the road she’s traveling and her only option is to get home.

I hope, by these examples, you can see how important your character’s backstory can be and how it can add tension to your story.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

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History in the Making

Hospitality in Writing

History in the making

Have you ever read any books by Shel Silverstein? Since 1963, his poems and drawings have delighted countless children and adults. Even though we lost “Uncle Shelby” in 1999, new generations are still discovering and enjoying his work today.

I appreciate his wit and wisdom and simple illustrations in The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up to name a few. He is silly and sad, yet profound in his work. Few have ever done it better.

But in Where The Sidewalk Ends, Shel does something really special. He graciously invites us into his world with this poem titled, Invitation:

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer …

If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!

Come in!

I love that. The idea of showing the reader they are welcome, to invite them to come in and ‘sit a spell’ is an idea as old as Genesis, the first book to display hospitality.

The Bible teaches that acts of hospitality or inhospitality reveal the good or evil of a person or a community.

Christianity Today.

Our Christianity is on full display in our work. We willingly allow others in to observe us in our most vulnerable state, where our beliefs are vividly displayed in our prose. In the Bible, hospitality was shown in the host’s home. In the craft of writing, our readers take us into their homes when they buy our work. It would appear that we become the guest, but actually, we want them to enter the world we built and enjoy themselves. Therefore, we remain the hosts.

So how do we nurture a spirit of biblical hospitality in our work so a reader knows we love Jesus?

I believe we must come to the end of ourselves. We cannot trust or boast in our achievements, we cannot wallow in our rejections. We must find ourselves at the altar laying it all down at the feet of our Lord and Savior. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open us to the mystery of inviting others in, not just to our work, but our lives.

Come in! Come in! Sit with me in my world for a while. Let me offer you a little bit of me, let me warm your soul and make you feel welcome. And while you’re here, I pray you see Christ in me.

Grace to you and peace be multiplied,

KD Holmberg

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website kdholmberg.com

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History in the Making

Why You Need to Get Your Historical Facts Straight

History in the making

If you’re a historical fiction writer who is under quarantine or lockdown, whether voluntary or government mandated, now would be a great time to delve into the historical period for your next novel or maybe you need another historical tidbit for your current story. Either way, getting your head out of the news for a while and going back in time may be just what you need to help you focus on something more fun and interesting than the current state of the world.

“How much research should I do for a historical novel and why is it so important? After all, it’s historical fiction, right? So, can’t I just make up what I don’t know?”

No, you can’t—not if you want to gain and keep readers. Many people who read historical fiction do so because they enjoy history. Many are history buffs. Some people want to learn something from historical fiction, and they may just do some research after reading your book to see if you had your historical facts straight. You’re bound to have at least one reader who will be ready and willing to contact you and point out where you missed the mark.

As a writer somewhere between plotting and pantsing, I will say that I am careful to research anything that has to do with the time period of my setting. For instance, my current WIP, (work in progress), is set in 1860s United States, in the west, and my protagonist needs to carry a rifle and a handgun for his job, so I Googled rifles and handguns from that time period to be sure I didn’t give my character a gun that hadn’t been created yet.

When I took that chapter to a critique group that I was part of at the time, two of the men in the group challenged me on the rifle and handgun I chose to use. I was able to give them the information of the site where I found the facts and inform them of what I learned about my chosen weapons. My choice of weapons weren’t the only historical items the men in the group challenged me on, which is why I want to know my facts.

I also have read book reviews of other historical writers’ works and have found at least one review, that I can recall, that challenged the author’s historical facts. This reader gave the writer a lower star rating because the reader was certain the author had the facts wrong.

Readers who are history buffs will know their history and expect you to know yours. They will not hesitate to let you know if they believe you have gotten something wrong, and they may write a scathing review of your work. They may also decide not to read another one of your books. We work hard to gain our readers, therefore, we need to do our best to keep them by making sure we get our historical facts straight.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

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History in the Making

Decoration Day: The Joy of Remembering Ancestors

History in the making

Decoration Day! It looks like an entry in a day planner, and visions of Christmas, a birthday, or a wedding might pop up in our minds. However, if we were to ask an older Southerner, “What is Decoration Day?” we would probably be regaled with childhood memories or stories heard from grannies and grampas about commemorating deceased ancestors.

Decoration Day.jpg

This celebratory event traces back to the southern United States at a time before the Civil War. A  family, white or black, would choose a Sunday after spring planting, but before the fields demanded heavier toil, to remember loved ones who had entered glory land.

The celebrants, laden with farm tools, hiked to the site of the host family’s burial site and spent the morning clearing weeds and overgrowth. Afterward, they laid fresh flowers on the graves. Often trees were planted−evergreen Cedars represented eternal life and flowering Dogwoods embodied the resurrection.

The patriarch shared lessons and blessings passed down by their ancestors. Folks joined their voices in wistful joy as they sang gospel music about being heaven bound. Then “dinner on the grounds” (a picnic lunch) filled their tummies, while fellowship encouraged their hearts.

Because Decoration Day was celebrated by individual families, folks might attend this special event with one family one Sunday and another in the coming weeks. Some communities held the event at the church, the pastor commemorating the lives of those who had gone to their reward.

Then came Change. On June 3, 1861, the first confederate soldier’s grave was decorated with flowers. It was as if a tree trunk sprang up, crowding a tender sapling, taking the focus away from deceased ancestors and moving it to military deaths. By 1868, the day to lay flowers on war graves had been designated as Decoration Day, and by 1882, Memorial Day emerged.

Nevertheless, the tender sapling survived. The tradition of honoring deceased family members continued, scheduled around the planting season. Over time, many families started melding their celebration with the 3-day Memorial Day weekend. However, some rural communities, especially Appalachia, might still be found celebrating Decoration Day (now sometimes called Cemetery Day).

For writers, such a commemorative congregation could provide a setting whereby characters are unveiled, plots and sub-plots unfolded, and social status displayed. Details, such as the condition and style of clothes, the good repair (or not) of gardening tools, the array of food, attitudes about hard work or people or life in general, budding romances, disagreements or a “knock-down drag-out” fight, can make for entertaining or gripping reading while moving the story forward. 

Undoubtedly, usage of Decoration Day would be relevant for historical or contemporary pieces set in the South. However, because many Southern folks packed up belongings and traditions and travelled away from the Civil War-torn South to settle in other states, the concept of people gathering to decorate graves easily spreads to other genres and settings.

Imaginative writers can look beyond Decoration Day as a date on the calendar or the focus on a fading tradition. The event can spruce up works in progress or provide rich soil for a compelling scene in a cemetery setting.

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry. 

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History in the Making

Inanimate Objects as Characters

History in the making

Using inanimate objects as characters can add a powerful, interesting element to your story. I cried when Wilson, a volleyball, floated away in Cast Away. I shuddered when Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings read the engraving that said, “One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

The Darjeeling Limited is a movie about three estranged brothers in crisis who travel to India to find their neglectful mother. Their journey takes place on a train … until it doesn’t. Then they experience the real India while dragging an enormous mountain of cumbersome luggage, a powerful symbol for their own personal, heavy, and real emotional baggage. At the end—spoiler ahead—they exuberantly toss the luggage away and feel freedom in letting go of the negative experiences from their past.

During the entire movie, I felt the weight of their emotional baggage through the use of the luggage as an inanimate, passive witness of their lives. I experienced with the trio how burdensome and exhausting hauling our past around with us can be. I loved the metaphor and how the writers used the luggage as a character in its own right.

The literary term for this device is called personification. The giving of physical or human characteristics to inanimate objects, yet the reader understands it does not actually possess them. This is different from anthropomorphism when characters, like animals or insects, actually take on the characteristics of a human, such as human speech, like in Charlotte’s Web.

Authors have brought to life diaries, traveling pants, and wedding dresses with great success. In my first novel, my protagonist has an amulet on her arm that keeps her tethered to the false gods of Ancient Egypt. Like the brothers who discard luggage as a symbol of shedding their emotional baggage, when my character rids herself of the weighty shackle, her spiritual eyes open to the one true God.

A writer does a good job with this technique when the reader makes some kind of connection with the inanimate object. Either they begin to feel sympathy (Wilson) or relief (the luggage) but there is an emotive response when its fate is revealed. They care … one way or the other.

But remember, inanimate objects have (or lack) actual capabilities. Make sure your use of the object is believable. The luggage, for example, can’t wave, cry, or hold on to anything. It is a place for your living character to transfer feelings and become a symbol of their inner conflict.

Have you used the personification technique before? Please share how you did it.

Blessings,

KD Holmberg

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website kdholmberg.com

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History in the Making

Comic Relief: The Golden AGe of Comic Books Amidst Americans in Crisis

History in the making

Comics Book #1 landed on newsstands in June 1938, and from its pages Superman soared into the lives of weary Americans. A throng of superheroes quickly followed on the fringes of his red cape: Batman and Captain Marvel (1939), then Captain America, Green Lantern, and Flash (1940s). In 1941 Wonder Woman made her debut in All-Star Comics #8, followed by her 1942 first feature appearance in Sensation Comics #1.

By 1941, comic book creators had dreamed up the first team of superheroes−The Justice Society of America. Premiering in All Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-41), the initial team−Doctor Fate, Hour-Man, Spectre, Sandman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman−added diverse out-of-this-world skill sets in the fight against injustice.

These popular superheroes unveiled themselves as the years of The Great Depression waned (1929-1939) and World War II loomed (1939-1945). People were digging themselves out of huge holes made in their lives by a long season of want and need−unemployment lines, empty bank accounts and cupboards, and bone-weariness.

For Americans, one set of challenges shifted to another. The men, previously pounding the pavement for work, now marched to war. Women traded personal kitchen gardens for community victory gardens, and found themselves in factories, laboring to feed their families while their men were away. Instead of no money, Americans’ greater focus became loved ones in harm’s way, gas rationing, and shortage of supplies such as tires and sugar.

In such times of despair and uncertainty, might these comic book heroes have transported their fans to another world…splashed some comic relief into their lives…even if only for a few moments? Perhaps Jobless Joe pictured Superman picking him up by his coat tails and delivering him to the door of an eager employer. Betty Button Maker may have envisioned Wonder Woman’s golden lasso easing the burdens imposed by a harsh taskmaster. And might Charlie Childheart, torn between fear and a salute, have imagined his daddy strutting alongside a tank in a faraway land with Captain America at his side?

Only ten cents a copy, comic books were new and colorful and offered escape to universes inhabited by bigger-than-life heroes. And oh how Americans must have welcomed such diversions! It should come as no surprise that this era became known as The Golden Age of Comic Books (1938-1956).

However, despite this decade of superhero fanaticism, by the late 1940s their popularity began to diminish. Some have opined those exciting characters had become boring. Maybe the crises in America had dissipated. Regardless of the cause, publishers slowly changed out superheroes for other genres. War, westerns, romance, crime, and even horror, drew comic book fans’ interest.

Yet−and not so surprising−by 1956, superheroes showed that they may have been rendered powerless for a short while, but they were not defeated. They emerged again, unleashing The Silver Age of Comic Books (1956-1970), with encores of the Bronze Age (1970-1984)  and Modern Age (mid-1980s to date). Nowadays, comic book stores, clubs, conventions, and successful full-length motion pictures, prove the timelessness of beloved superheroes.

For today’s writers, comic books and their superheroes have the power to zoom in with a flurry of creative ideas. Historical fiction writers might find that the plights of Americans during The Great Depression and World War II, teamed up with the popularity of comic book superheroes, provide much fodder for true-to-life plots colored by a comic-book-loving (or hating? Oh no!) character or two. Or maybe, for the sci-fi or fantasy writer, visions of the vast universe on display in comic books might birth new and glorious superheroes for their 21st century masterpieces.

Comic Relief− still swooping in to save the day.

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry. 

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History in the Making

Unexpected Treasures

History in the making

As both a reader and a writer, I enjoy spending time in book stores and libraries. This year some of my reader/writer friends and I went on two Used Book Store Tours. If you haven’t been on a Used Book Store Tour, I encourage you to take one. We spent an entire day in a specific area exploring all of the Used Book Stores in that area. It was a fun and exciting adventure.

used book store tour

The store, where I took the above photo, had four floors of books. As we explored each floor, we found the history section and one of my friends asked me, “Are you still interested in the Old West time period?”

I replied, “I certainly am.”

So, he showed me a book he had discovered, and I quickly asked if I could take a look at it. He handed it to me and I sat in an old wooden rocking chair to peruse the pages. Not only did I find the book fascinating, but the illustrations were unique, and the most exciting thing was that there were two newspaper clippings tucked inside the front cover.

The book is about Virginia City in the 1860s and 1870s. The newspaper clippings were also about Virginia City – one from 1997 and the other from 2004. I was so excited as my mind started to consider the treasure I held in my hands.

At the checkout counter, I feared the clerk may confiscate the newspaper clippings, but to my joy and relief, he didn’t.

Now, I eagerly await the opportunity to sit down and read this book and these clippings, as I know a story idea will form in my mind. I will learn of interesting characters from history, a city I don’t know anything about, the history about that city – not just Old West history, but even a bit of more recent history, thanks to those newspaper clippings, and who knows what kind of story will begin to form in my head.

In another used book store on that same day, I found a book about a particular group of military men from a period in history, and as I read the inside of the dust jacket, the idea for a story pricked my brain.

This delightful experience taught me something I hadn’t considered before – a book store isn’t just a place for the reader in me. It’s also a wonderful place for the writer in me to find treasures that will lead me to my next story.

In the past, I have always gravitated to the historical fiction section of a book store or library. Now, I know to also check out the nonfiction history section. Not only can I learn something about history, but I may find my next story idea in a history book upon those shelves.

We plan to do more Used Book Store Tours in 2020 and I can’t wait to see what treasures I find on those tours.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

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History in the Making

Notes from a Contest Judge

History in the making

Have you ever entered your work in a writing contest? These contests are organized by organizations like the American Fiction Writers of America (www.acfw.com) and Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (www.blueridgeconference.com).

There are categories for each genre, so you can submit and be judged against other historical fiction writers. Some of you probably just shuddered when I said be judged. But letting others look at your work is one of the best ways to improve it. Plus, this helps you develop thick skin, a must in this business.

I always spot someone new to writing through a few telltale signs when I judge a contest. These speed bumps slow the story for me, and will eventually do the same for an agent or publisher.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

  1. The beginning of a new chapter, or a new scene, should not be indented. Flush left treatment is the general norm for submission.
  2. An ellipsis can express a mood change, hesitation, or a thought that trails off … Think of it as a word and leave a space before and after the three dots.
  3. Hyphens, en dash, and em dash are horizontal lines of varying lengths and it matters how you use them.
    • A hyphen is the shortest line and used to generally hyphenate two or more words when they come before a noun they modify. They are not interchangeable with dashes.
    • The en dash is used when you refer to a span of dates or numbers, like pages 10-20.
    • The em dash creates a strong break in a sentence. It can be used in a pair¾like parenthesis (as I did here)¾to add more information. Although, the sentence should be able to stand alone without them and the extra info between them. You also use the em dash to detach the end of a sentence from the main body.
  4. Capitalize the first letter in dialogue when it begins mid-sentence.
    • Johnny narrowed his eyes and spat on the ground before adding, “You just stay out of my way.”

Also, read your work out loud. You’ll trip over sentences that need to be fixed and catch more typos. Enter the cleanest copy you can so you don’t lose points. Simple errors could cost you the contest.

There are many great contests for unpublished authors and a Goggle search will list several. But here are a few I know of:

*ACFW First Impressions Contest is open now and you can have your first five pages evaluated by professionals.

*ACFW Genesis Contest has many genres to enter for fiction writers and you get unbiased feedback from the judges. It opens January 2.

*BRMCWC Foundations Award is now open.

Visit their websites, look over the guidelines, and submit your work. Finalists and winners often draw the attention of agents and publishers.

Good luck becoming an award winning author!

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website authorkdholmberg.com/

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History in the Making

BOGGED DOWN IN CRANBERRY SAUCE: A condensed history of a Thanksgiving favorite

History in the making

Think cranberries!

From there, it’s not a long stretch to thoughts of Thanksgiving. And for a writer, creative juices might quickly stir up a Thanksgiving scene. Preparation of the feast provides a pantry full of opportunities to introduce characters and reveal personalities. Perhaps it creates tension, exposes secrets, or puts on an explosive display of the family dynamics.

Picture it:         The hero says something−maybe innocently, maybe not.

The heroine’s blood boils akin to the cranberries and sugar bubbling furiously in the pot.

Or not.

If this piece is contemporary, the character can confidently cook up a pot of homemade cranberry sauce. It might be the traditional recipe of cranberries, water and sugar, or a zesty rendition with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger.

But what if this piece is historical?

Was cranberry sauce readily available in the time period?

Consider the following:

The First Feast. Cranberries were native to northeast North America, thus they were likely not familiar to the settlers who had recently immigrated from Europe. Historians opine that the newcomers’ sugar supply had been depleted and they had no bread. Rising out of that and the influence of the local Indians, it has been suggested that raw cranberries and nuts might have been used to stuff the local fowl for that infamous meal.

Sweet and Saucy.

We may never know who concocted the first batch of cranberry sauce, or when. However, both German and Scandinavian immigrants are believed to have brought across the ocean the concept of cooking fruit. Further, John Josselyn, an English traveler  (c. 1671),  writes of boiling cranberries in water with sugar.

By the mid to late-nineteenth century, published cookbooks, which included recipes for cranberry sauce, appeared. The recipes reflected not only what has become traditional cranberry sauce (berries, water and sugar), but also the variations devised by pioneer cooks, such as sugar substitutes (honey, brown sugar, syrup, or molasses) and methods of preparation (mashing and straining, length of time to cook, and when to add sugar).

Availability of Cranberries. Early settlers in the New England region might have picked cranberries for their Thanksgiving table. However, folks living in other areas of America were likely dependent upon buying those celebratory berries in the marketplace…if the proprietors could acquire them.

The appearance of cranberry bogs in 1816 brought about an increase in the commercial distribution of cranberries. Nevertheless, markets would have remained limited to their seasonal nature (September to November), and to available modes of transportation from bog to market.

For example: Does the 19th century mid-west Mom and Pop general store boast a basket full of cranberries? Does the farmer’s wife have money to purchase a pound?

Canned Cranberry Sauce. In 1912, Marcus L. Urann explored canning cranberries. Success would expand the fruit’s availability from just the seasonal months to year round. By 1930, he joined with competing cranberry growers to form a cooperative which ultimately became Ocean Spray. Canned cranberry sauce arrived on market shelves in time for America’s 1941 Thanksgiving feast.

What can a writer glean from these tidbits to enhance a Thanksgiving scene?

For a basic historical setting, it may be enough to know that after 1890 the cook might open a cookbook or pull out a family recipe. After 1941, canned cranberry sauce might be the pick for the table.

However, if a main character is an aspiring and imaginative cook, or the plot is set in a cranberry growing community, getting bogged down in research on cranberry sauce might be a berry good experience.

Happy Feasting!

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry. 

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History in the Making

Is This Story Historical?

History in the making

As a writer, I like to continue writing flash fiction or short stories while working on a novel. My head is just too full of ideas and characters to focus on just my big project.

Recently, I found a short story contest I thought I could enter. The rules were simple and they were asking for clean contemporary romance. I began to write and the story was flowing.

Then I had an interesting conversation with someone who told me that if I’m writing for Young Adult (YA), in order for it to be contemporary, the story has to include today’s technology – laptops, tablets, smart phones, etc. I wasn’t writing for YA so I wasn’t worried, but decided to search for a current definition of “contemporary” fiction. The definition I found stated that anything after World War II is considered “contemporary”. So I thought I was okay.

But a little doubt kept niggling at the back of my head. Therefore I went to the contest website and posted my question: What is your definition of “contemporary”? A few days later a response came: anything that includes current technology.

I was flabbergasted! I mean, I’m a 50+ woman and don’t really consider things from my youth “historical”, but apparently things like pen pals who actually write snail mail are. Today’s technology didn’t exist in my youth. Therefore, the story I had begun did not qualify for this “contemporary short story contest”.

The story came to an abrupt halt, but my heart was broken. I love these characters and want to tell their story, but now there isn’t a pressing reason. I have a real historical romance novel to finish revising and send out into the world. Therefore, I don’t have time to work on a story I thought was “contemporary” but learned in today’s world is “historical”. So sadly, this story will have to wait, and maybe, instead of a short story, it will become a full-fledged “contemporary romance” story.

What’s the point of this article and what does it have to do with writing historical fiction?

The point is that you may have ideas for more wonderful historical fiction stories than you might think. If you’re in the 50+ age group, you, evidently, have a wealth of experience you could use to birth an historical fiction story. As long as your setting doesn’t include any of today’s technology, you can claim “historical fiction”.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

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History in the Making

The Epistolary Novel Form

History in the making

The popularity of this literary device dropped off prior to the turn of the nineteenth century, but its recent resurgence is something authors of Historical Fiction should take note of. Stories set in the past are perfect for telling through diaries or letters. It can give your reader a deeper connection to your characters than even first person POV.

Have you ever taken a sneak peek into someone else’s journal? That naughty element of voyeurism took you deep into their inner thoughts. It exposed things about that person you would not otherwise know. But in the Epistolary genre, even though diaries and letters are personal, reading them is allowed! You are encouraged to discover the writer’s deepest, darkest secrets, or read the private correspondence between two people.

What is Epistolary Style?

Epistle is the ancient name for letter. Epistolary is when a novel is composed entirely of letters or diary entries. Although, the contemporary epistolary genre may use emails, texts, and blog entries. It makes you feel as though you are receiving a running commentary of the ongoing events in the character’s lives.

Epistolary Novels Can Be:

· Monologic: The focus on one character.

·Dialogic: Two characters corresponding.

·Polylogic: Multiple people are represented.

Epistolary Novels of the Past and Present:

Arguably, the best known Epistolary novels are Dracula by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Both frame their text in letters and convey how powerful the use of intimate correspondence for narrative viewpoint can be. Both are still responsible for blood curdling nightmares centuries after they were written.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a Christian apologetic novel written in the epistolary style. A senior demon, Screwtape, mentors his incompetent nephew, Wormwood, through a series of letters on how to secure the soul of a man.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a heartbreakingly poignant novel. Celie, a fourteen-year-old girl, unfolds her traumatic life before us through letters she has written to God. Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby.

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is the first novel in a well-crafted trilogy by Sandra Gulland. All three are written as though from the personal journals of Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon. Sandra Gulland reveals the sequence of events before, during, and after the French Revolution through the intimate sentiments of an island girl named Rose, who grew up to be Josephine, Empress of France.

One Voice or a Network of Voices.

Get your creative juices flowing and think of the many different forms this literary device could take in your next novel. You can use: post cards, newspaper clippings, memos, notes, or stick with the power of the personal letter. You can use one voice in a journal, like Sandra Gulland, or a network of voices, like Bram Stoker used with journals, letters, and newspaper clipping. In World War Z, Max Brook used interviews with survivors of the Zombie apocalypse for a United Nations report.

The Power of a Letter.

The Epistles comprise the majority of the books written in the New Testament. These Holy Spirit inspired letters, written to specific churches or people two thousand years ago, still speak into our lives today. They give us personal and significant insight, and even fresh revelation that we can use in our Christian walk.

Sometimes it takes my breath away to think on it.

The Epistles are a perfect example of how powerful using a letter to communicate can be. So, consider using this literary device in your next novel. And perhaps harness a little of that power as a Christian novelist.

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website authorkdholmberg.com

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History in the Making

A GLIMPSE OF EARLY TELEVISION

History in the making

The youngster thought it her privilege to pick the name for her soon-to-be-born sibling. She gleefully and toothlessly spit out, “Pebbles!”

This casual mention of a cartoon character in the book I was reading triggered a warm fuzzy in my heart and a thought in my brain. Whether we write contemporary or historical fiction, incorporating specific TV programming can enhance the experience of readers.

For example, a scene from our story might read:

            Heroine made dinner while the children watched television in the living room.

Simple, almost boring. But the scene comes alive if we include the program.

Heroine made dinner, smiling at the giggles from her two children who sat in the living room watching Ernie and Elmo, their favorite Sesame Street friends.

Or, consider a scene with our Hero and Heroine:

The day had been long and Heroine hoped to veg in front of the television with Hero.

 Instead, ruminate on this:

The day had been long and Heroine hoped to veg in front of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Hero switched the channel to the Red Sox game.

With the above change, not only did we learn something about both characters, we created a bit of tension.

Before using early television programming in our work, we should ask a few questions.

Critical to writers of historical fiction: “Did they even have television then?”

Televisions were commercially released in 1938, though few homes could afford them. However, by the early 1950s, half of American homes had a TV set in their living room. This new phenomenon was boxy in appearance with an antenna (nicknamed rabbit ears). Programming was limited to only a few channels and the picture appeared grainy and in black and white. As technology progressed, screen size and picture quality increased. The number of channels expanded from a few to 13 to cable additions. By the mid-1960s, it was common to have a color television in the home.

Also, important: What programs were popular? Would our readers likely recognize them today or do we need to include an explanation?

The following is a grocery-store sampling of what folks in America might have been watching during the early decades of television.

1940s

Howdy Doody, the first children’s program, aired in 1947 and ran for 13 years.

Truman delivered the first televised presidential address to the nation (October 5, 1947).

These Are My Children was the first daytime soap opera. (1947)

1950s

I Love Lucy (1951)

The Tonight Show (1954)

Gunsmoke (1957) and Bonanza (1959)

1960s

The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show (February 9, 1964)

Star Trek (1966)

60 Minutes (1968-date)

Sesame Street (1969-date)

1970s

Monday Night Football (1970-2005)

M*A*S*H (1972-1983)

Nickelodian (1977)

ESPN on cable (1979)

If the above doesn’t stimulate our creative juices, an internet search of television programming by decade should provide a buffet of ideas that can (1) add another smattering of detail to our stories, (2) endear a character to our readers’ hearts, and/or (3) augment character development.

Whether comedy or drama or a memorable event, why not experiment with a glimpse of TV programming in our next writing project?

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry. 

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History in the Making

How Much Research is Required in Historical Fiction?

History in the making

As an historical romance author, I love history. I love learning about different historical time periods and the events that took place during those periods. I love learning what life was like during those periods: what people wore, what they ate, their jobs—everything about their lives. I love including  many of these historical facts into my stories. However, this presents two problems: 1) how much research should or must I do; and 2) how much of the historical facts can actually be used in the story.

Let’s take a look at these problems one at a time. First, “how much research should or must I do”? If you talk to historical writers, many offer a different answer when asked how much research they do. One writer told me they spend months or even a year researching before they even begin to write their story. Another writer told me they do “as little as possible”. So I have come to the conclusion that there is no real requirement or “must” in the amount of research to be done.

Next, “how much research should I do”? I can’t say that either of the writers, mentioned above, is right or wrong in the amount of research they do, but here is my own experience. As a pantser, I did some research before beginning my current WIP—enough to have a solid, well-rounded main character and enough to know what his job required.

As I wrote, I sometimes had to stop to research something I hadn’t thought about before starting to write. One of those things was horses—my main character’s job deals with a lot of horses, and I knew little about them. Other things gave me pause throughout my writing as well, but I had no problem stopping, doing some researching, then continuing my story.

One thing I had to learn: there is such a thing as too much research. What do I mean? Well, some friends and I were shopping in a used book store, and I was about one-half to two-thirds finished with my novel, when one of my friends shows me a book she found on something that was paramount to the life of my main character. I got excited and bought the book.

When I got the book home and began to read it, I grew frustrated as I was learning more about the subject than I already knew and felt like I’d need to go back and rewrite and change a lot of stuff in my novel to include more historical facts.

Once again I spoke to other historical fiction writers and was told, “You have to draw the line on research somewhere. Otherwise, you could research for years.” I realized the truth of those words and put the book away. Besides, I write historical “fiction”. That means not everything in the story has to be historical fact, and maybe, in the future, I’ll write a short story or some magazine articles using that book.

Where do you draw the line between too little and too much research?

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

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History in the Making

Historical Fiction Basics and Top Ten Time Periods

History in the making

Those of us who write Historical Fiction are drawn to re-imagining the past and reconstructing times gone by. History interests us. But the details need to be believable to be successful at blending fact and fiction. We need to research how people talked, what they wore, what they ate, and how they lived. The rules for writing the historical fiction genre include three elements and six characteristics that must be present.

The three elements:

·  Fictional events, but real people.

·  Real events, but fictional people.

·  Real events and real people, but the plot, scenes, and dialogue are fictional.

The six characteristics:

  • Setting: The time period must be real in history and the place must be authentic. Getting this right is imperative.           
  • Characters: All or some of your characters may be fictional, but they must all behave in realistic ways for the time period.
  • Plot: The plot may be based on real events, or may be based on fictional events, but has to make sense in the time period you are writing about.
  • Descriptions: Characters, places, and events must be distinct. Weave historic information into your work so your reader will learn something they may be unfamiliar with about the time period.
  • Dialogue: Reflects the thoughts and knowledge of the people in the time period you are writing about.
  • Conflict: Again, the conflict or drama must reflect and be realist to the time period.

I mentioned time period a lot and readers have favorites. According to topten.com, these are the top ten historical time periods people like to read about (plus one of my favorite novels from each era):

  1. Middle Ages (Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett)
  2. Ancient Greece/Rome (Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn)
  3. Golden Age of Piracy (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
  4. The Roaring 20’s (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
  5. World War I (Overseas by Beatriz Williams)
  6. World War II (The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah)
  7. 19th Century Britain (Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood)
  8. Renaissance (Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel)
  9. Ancient Egypt (Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough)
  10. Wild West (Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry)

My first novel, The Story of Hagar, is set in Ancient Egypt. The second, More Than a Handmaid, is in Ancient Canaan. My current WIP, Reggie, takes place in depression era Alabama. I’m also outlining a novel drawn from 17th century Alabama and France. It’s like spinning the wheel of a time machine and I love it!

What time period is your favorite?

Blessings,

KD Holmberg

KD Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website authorkdholmberg.com/

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History in the Making

Finding Mr. Missing: Researching Period-Appropriate Technology

History in the making

Envision the hero and heroine of a story. They’re tasked with finding a missing person. They’re packed. They know where the trail begins. Transportation awaits them. But they need one more thing—a photo.

In a contemporary story, the conversation between the hero and heroine might sound like this:

            “Did you get a photo of Mr. Missing?” Hero says.

            “The family emailed several to me last night.”

            “Would you send them to my phone?”

            Heroine flashes a sassy smile. “Already did.”

            Hero slips his iPhone off his belt clip, opens his email, and studies Mr. Missing’s smiling face−clear, detailed, vividly colored.

            “Looks like we’re good to go.”

            However, if the story is set in the 19th century…

            “Did the family ever find that photograph of Mr. Missing?”

            “Yes, buried under old love letters at the bottom of his wife’s keepsake box.” Heroine carefully removed the photograph from her reticule, fingered the edge of thick paper, then passed it to Hero. “Mr. Missing on his wedding day.”

            Hero studied the grainy image of Mr. Missing and his bride. Faded shades of brown depicted the taut-faced couple dressed in their Sunday best as they sat stiff like statues. Time had etched wrinkles across the images, but the features of Mr. Missing’s face were sufficient for their purposes.

            “Better than I hoped for.” Hero says.

From formally posed 19th century daguerreotypes to 21st century selfies, determining the technology available during the time period of one’s story is important to the integrity of the work.

In addition to the stage of technology, a writer should also consider the economics of the time period. Consider the American television series “Little House on the Prairie”. Set in the late 1800s, the Ingalls barely scraped out a living from the farm. The traveling photographer would not have attracted their business. However, Mrs. Oleson, owner of the General Store, would probably have been his best customer in the area.

In contrast, today’s technological advancements have enabled the mass production of iPhones at an affordable price. Most folks carry them, not only for instant phone and text communications, but also for quick photos of anything that catches their eyes. From births to daycare to high school to college to weddings, and everything in between, our lives are easily and readily memorialized in photographs.

For writers, whose artistic skills might be bent more toward words than cameras, questions abound. Tintypes or selfies? Still photos or motion picture cameras? Black and white or colored prints? A prized digital camera or an instamatic throw-away?

An internet search would be a great place to find answers to these questions. We might start by keying in the words “History of Cameras Timeline”. Up pop a number of timelines created by people who have already done extensive research and graciously shared it with us. From there, homing in on a specific camera or photograph type will yield detailed information about everything we want to know about the subject−as much or as little as we can absorb.

Once we’re armed with the knowledge we need, we can create period-appropriate word pictures for our readers, whether simply describing an array of photos, introducing a camera-buff as a main or secondary character, or writing a cozy mystery about finding Mr. Missing.

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry. 

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History in the Making

Have You Considered These Historical Resources?

History in the making

When writing historical fiction it is important to be sure your historical facts are accurate, not only so that your writing is credible, but also because there will be readers out there who will know if they aren’t. Therefore, it is important to do some research for your historical fiction novel.

Of course, the internet is a source for researching history. However, you have to be careful to be sure the website you choose to use is trustworthy and is providing accurate historical information. I know many people use Wikipedia, including me. However, use Wikipedia with caution because Wikipedia allows anyone to edit and change information on their site. Don’t use Wikipedia exclusively.

As I was researching history for my current WIP, I found a valuable website—the website for the state where my story takes place. That website had a wealth of historical information about the state and the specific town my main characters were to live in.

The most valuable research resource I found was a museum. I googled “things to do in St. Joseph, Missouri”, the town where my story is set, and I found a museum that was dedicated to the work my male protagonist would be doing. I contacted the museum and explained that I was writing a novel. I told the person on the other end of the phone what I was writing about and asked if they had any information they could send to me.

The woman on the phone responded very positively and sent me a brochure, information sheets, and even some copies of photos. They didn’t even charge a fee for the information or ask that I reimburse them for postage. I can’t guarantee that all museums would be so generous, but I can tell you that the information I received from that museum is where most of my historical information came from.

One other resource you may not have considered are old newspapers. You can usually google “newspapers from” and add the year and place of your story, and you can find some old newspapers that can offer information you might not find anywhere else.

I’m sure you’re also well aware that books are another great resource, but I have to tell you that some friends and I visited a large bookstore that sold a lot of used books. I found a book that was all about my male protagonist’s job. The book was in excellent condition, I was thrilled to get a great deal on it, and it is now part of my library.

I also suggest that, when you publish your book, you list or give credit to your historical resources somewhere in your book in order to show your credibility and your appreciation for those resources.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyb_26

Facebook: Kelly F. Barr, Writer

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History in the Making

Well Done Jane Austen!

History in the making

Jane Austen created some of the most memorable characters ever printed on paper. Without doubt, she is one of the best known and extensively read novelists in the English language. Her work has been discussed in literary circles, taught at universities, and credited with developing the modern novel art form.

Jane was an author with acute powers of observation, always alert to human strengths and foibles (she gave this trait to many of her characters too!). One thing she observed, and uses in her writing, is our innate, survival-based need to judge others quickly and by our own standards.

She used our mistaken judgments of others to expertly show us that people often aren’t as they appear. She exploited our snap and faulty first impressions to create archetypes that are anything but cliché.

How often do you form an impression of someone before you get to know them?

According to Psychology Today, out brains are wired to make unconscious judgements about others behaviors. Without realizing it, we make automatic decisions on a person’s moral character, sociability, and competency.

I’m sure they trace all that back to our primordial tribal muck.

But for now, with the craft of writing in mind, look at these examples from Jane’s famous work, Pride and Prejudice.

George Wickham, a lieutenant in the army militia quartered near Elizabeth Bennet’s home of Longbourn, had a pretty face and exquisite charm. He had all the women in the village of Meryton swooning (as well as the female reader) until we gathered more information about our good-looking and charismatic cad. We soon realized he had no scruples and was a master manipulator. He was willing to twist the truth to ruin a woman’s reputation or disparage a former benefactor for his own self-serving profit or revenge.

But George Wickham wasn’t the only one we all misjudged.

Fitzwilliam Darcy. His hard, rude, proud exterior, and the lies Mr. Wickham told about him, resulted in Elizabeth Bennet telling him she would not marry him if he were the last man on earth. And we all cheered her on. Yet, he becomes one of the most iconic romantic heroes of all time, operating within a strict code of behavior, and displaying courage, integrity, passion, caring, and devotion.

Awareness of the natural process of judging others can be exploited in Historical Fiction.

Look for negative and positive traits in the people you are researching to write about or add them to characters you are creating from scratch. Introduce them as something other than they truly are. Make your good character do something bad or your bad character do something good. Then surprise your reader by gradually transforming them by showing their true nature in their choices and behavior.

In Pride and Prejudice, protagonist Elizabeth Bennet realized her early judgments were flawed and prejudiced. Jane Austen’s readers had to admit that too. That’s why I say, “Well done, Jane Austen!”

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and kdeniseholmberg.blogspot.com

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History in the Making

Rebecca Lee Crumpler−Pioneer

History in the making

Rebecca Lee Crumpler was a pioneer, but not the sort who climbed a weather-beaten prairie wagon, wrapped her work-worn fingers around the reins of a team of horses and then drove the rig across rushing rivers.

This 19th century trailblazer broke the barriers of race and gender to become the first female Black physician in the United States.

Born a free Black woman in 1831, Ms. Crumpler grew up in Pennsylvania where she dogged the steps of her aunt, the neighborhood healer. While her little-girl-ears heard moans of pain and discomfort, her little-girl-eyes watched her aunt bring relief and healing. In this community classroom Ms. Crumpler developed medical skills, which then led her to Massachusetts where she worked as a nurse for eight years. Her medical aptitude caught the attention of her supervising doctor who encouraged her to attend the New England Female Medical College. She began her studies in 1861 and concluded them in 1864, becoming the first Black female doctor in the United States.

This amazing feat earned Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler a place in history. But it was not the end of her story.

In 1865, the Civil War now over, Dr. Crumpler became aware that newly-freed poor Blacks needed medical services in the South. Nudged by her desire to ease their suffering, she moved to Virginia where she worked with the Freedmen’s Bureau. Though the title “M.D.” opened more doors of opportunity to use her healing skills, she was still Black, and still a woman, and thus her efforts were hindered by non-Black administrators, physicians and druggists. Yet cords of courage and threads of tenacity wove throughout her days, compelling her to battle through these challenges for five years.

Upon returning to Boston, Dr. Crumpler continued to practice medicine in the Black community of Beacon Hill, both outside and inside her home on Joy Street. She focused on women and children, without regard to their ability to pay. The house on Joy Street has been included on the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail.

In 1883, Dr. Crumpler became one of the first Blacks to publish a medical book. Entitled A Book of Medical Discourse, this two volume set stemmed from the extensive medical notes she had kept over the years, and focused on medical care for women and children.

These feats earned Dr. Crumpler a place in history, but her story still speaks to this generation, including those in the writing community. Writers of historical fiction set in this time period might find Dr. Crumpler−whether as a child, nurse, medical student, doctor or author−a stimulating real life personality for a hero or heroine to meet during the unfolding of their own fictional story.

Moving beyond the possibilities of weaving historical events and people into our fictional works, today’s writer can look to Dr. Crumpler as an example of pluck and persistence. She invested years honing her skill, yet still faced criticism and rejection. Did she ever feel like quitting? We can only speculate. But tempted or not, her life’s testimony says she did not give in to the resistance and conflicts she met along the way. Instead, she persevered, and ultimately achieved what others in her lifetime likely thought an impossible dream.

A writer’s takeaway?

Dream on.

 

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry.

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History in the Making

Three Surprises I’ve Discovered in Researching My Historical Novels

History in the making

My fifth historical romance releases next summer. I’ve written nine others that are “pre-published,” most requiring months of research. All that digging into history to add authenticity to my novels brought three surprises.

The first surprise is that events probably didn’t really happen just the way history teachers taught them.

This isn’t necessarily because grade school teachers don’t want us to know the truth. They taught from textbooks that only hit the highlights. Teachers have a certain number of hours to prepare students for a test—they simply cannot cover everything.

This means that important details explaining why folks in history made choices that today seems incomprehensible aren’t included in the curriculum. Including those reasons does not condone behavior. Rather it sheds light on that period in history.

Textbook writers or teachers may also choose to omit facts that may upset children.

Whatever the reason, historical events probably didn’t happen exactly the way we learned them as a child. Begin researching for that next novel with this in mind. Try not to have preconceived notions about the time period. Study the information as if reading it for the first time. A fresh outlook also keeps an author from judging people who lived during that time period.

The second surprise I learned is to expect the unexpected when exploring history.

When researching for a novel, I try to discover history’s answers before I know how the entire story will go. I begin with a kernel of an idea but if actual events contradict that idea, I start over. For me, history dictates the story. I research to discover events, prevailing attitudes, and reactions of folks who lived through it. My story builds in me as I research.

There are always little-known facts associated with an event or historical period—what a joy to discover them. You may have to read books written during your novel’s era to find these obscure wonders.

For instance, I’ve written several Civil War romances. To understand the differing reactions and attitudes, I’ve read books by Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, officers in both armies, nurses, Southern women, slaves who escaped, folks who had never been slaves, Southern wives left to run the farm, Northern women who raised money to support their soldiers, and more. These books, written during or shortly after the Civil War, were packed with unexpected treasures. Some of them fit into my story in a natural way. Others I put aside for a future novel or article.

The third thing I learned—this one from readers—is that adding surprises from history enrich the story.

For instance, there may have been holiday traditions lost in time. Including these in our novels enhance readers’ enjoyment. It brings a sense of nostalgia.

Did you find a period map of your setting? What a treasure! Add locations and descriptions—if you find them—of train depots, post offices, farmers’ markets, stores, schools, and street names. Such details add depth for readers, evoking emotional responses … especially if they have a family connection to the book’s setting.

People are still people in all walks of life, in every time period. Their reactions to circumstances vary with their personality, not history.

Understanding that events may not have occurred as we remember learning it in school, expecting the unexpected as we research, and including historical surprises in our novels will take readers on a journey.

And don’t we all love an adventure from the comfort of our home?

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover little-known yet fascinating facts about our American history to include in her stories. Her debut Civil War Romance, A Stranger On My Land, was IRCA Finalist 2015. A Rebel in My House, set during the historic Battle of Gettysburg, won the 2018 Silver Illumination Award and was the 2018 Faith Hope and Love Reader’s Choice Award second place finalist. A Musket in My Hands, where two sisters join the Confederate army with the men they love, releases November of 2018. Watch for her novellas, Surprised by Love in “From the Lake to the River” releasing in September of 2018, and Trail’s End, in “Smitten Novella Collection: The Cowboys” releasing in August of 2019.

Find her on her blog, sandramervillehart.wordpress.com.

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History in the Making

Discovering Personalities of Historical Characters with the Enneagram

History in the making

My recent novels are about two women who lived four thousand years ago, Hagar and Sarah. Their stories are told in the Bible, and I believe I will meet them in heaven someday. Looking at it like that, you realize the responsibility you incur, as a historical novelist, to portray your characters as close to right as possible.

[bctt tweet=”How do you identify the personality of a character who existed? #writers” username=””]

I use a personality profile called the Enneagram, a set of nine distinct personality types, with each number on the Enneagram denoting one type. Each type has exceptional talents and foreseeable difficulties in being who they are. Nine different ways to approach your character arc. I use the Enneagram as a map to the internal journey and transformation of my characters. It shows me what motivates them, what their basic fear is, their desire (what they want), and how they respond to conflict.

  • Type One: The Reformer. Leads with integrity but hindered by demanding perfectionism.
  • Type Two: The Helper. Generous and positive but can be people-pleasing and possessive.
  • Type Three: The Achiever. Inspiring and successful but status conscious and materialistic.
  • Type Four: The Individualist. Creative and intuitive but moody and self-conscious.
  • Type Five: The Investigator. Visionary and intellectual but isolated and distant.
  • Type Six: The Loyalist. Courageous and committed but defensive and anxious.
  • Type Seven: The Enthusiast. Adventurous and spirited but impulsive and unfocused.
  • Type Eight: The Challenger. Self-reliant and strong but controlling and intimidating.
  • Type Nine: The Peacemaker. They bring people together but can be stubborn or passive.

 

 Look for clues in your research.

 Before I began writing about Sarah, I searched the Bible for clues regarding her personality. Sarah was loyal to God, her husband, and known for hospitality. But also doubting and lashed out at Hagar when she perceived her as an enemy.

Sarah fit Type Six, the Loyalist. Ironically, and what made her arc interesting, the biggest fear of a Type Six is abandonment. As a writer, that gave me inner conflict for Sarah when her husband abandoned her to two kings.

Healthy sixes are warm and friendly, traits needed for hospitality. But the unhealthy side of their personality make them hysterical, suspicious, and paranoid. Acting out from anxiety, they blame others and complain to third parties about people they are frustrated with. Exactly what Sarah did when she complained to Abraham about Hagar. Given Abraham’s permission to do whatever she wanted with the haughty handmaid, Sarai mistreated Hagar, so Hagar ran away.

Perfect for a writer’s toolbox.

The Enneagram is a helpful tool for identifying the personalities of real-life historical people. Because you make them deep and real. It also works when you want to craft memorable characters from scratch that readers relate to. How they react in the world, grow, learn, and change, gives a writer genuine conflict to keep booklovers turning pages.

For more information visit my Facebook page: @authorkdholmberg.

KD Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and kdeniseholmberg.blogspot.com

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History in the Making

Fun and Games

History in the making

Board games − at some time in our lives, most of us have awakened on Christmas morning to find the newest or most popular board game festively wrapped and sitting under the brightly ornamented tree. What smiles those games brought to us then, and what smiles they might bring now, if we were to add a splash of fun and games to our stories.

Choosing a game to embellish our contemporary stories would be easy−just tune in to the explosion of Christmas advertising in autumn, do an internet search for popular games, or venture out to a brick and mortar to eyeball the offerings. But what about stories in a historical setting?

Some historical board games

The game of Checkers has been around forever−okay, maybe not forever, but Checkers as we know it, has been around since 1400 B.C.. Bingo, Backgammon, Parcheesi and Chess, or versions thereof, date back centuries.

However, the 19th century brought about an increase in the design and distribution of board games. It is opined that the boost in interest and subsequent appearance of new board games rose as people found they had more leisure time.

Though some games were likely just for fun, others pointed toward social issues of the day or served as educational tools. Depending on the shape of our historical work, including one of these games might spice up dialog or even reveal qualities in our characters:

  • The Checkered Game of Life (c. 1860), created by Milton Bradley, exposed the challenges people face on the road to success. A derivative of this game, known to most of us as The Game of Life, is still on store shelves.
  • The Landlord Game (c. 1904), was created by Elizabeth Magie. A supporter of a philosophy known as Georgism, she developed the game to help explain and promote the concept that property owners (landlords) become rich and renters do not. The game was not only played in households, but used as a teaching tool at the university level. A deeper look into its history reveals a dispute over ownership of the game. This was resolved circa 1935 by Parker Brothers. By that time the game was known as− surprise!−Monopoly.
  • Suffragetto (c. 1908), of British origin, addressed the social and political issues faced by women in that time period. The game pitted cops against suffragettes. Cops tried to protect the House of Commons from entry by suffragettes while at the same time attempting to breach Albert Hall (where the suffragettes held their meetings). Meanwhile, suffragettes attempted to protect Albert Hall from penetration by cops while they sought to gain access to the House of Commons.

Games from other eras

A few other games that might appear beneath the Christmas tree (or any day) in our historical fiction, include Snakes and Ladders aka Chutes and Ladders (c. 1870),  Sorry (c. 1934),  Clue (c. 1948), Candy Land (c. 1949), and Risk (c. 1957). These games have survived decades and can still be found on today’s market.

Should we be inclined to conduct additional research on the subject of board games, the search words “history of board games” would likely glean sufficient fodder. Also searches on Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers and Hasbro, publishers of games in the 19th and 20th centuries, would prove enlightening.

If, however, we were to choose to invest precious time in other aspects of research, in most time periods it would be safe to wrap up a game of Checkers and plop it under the Christmas tree, or set the board between two characters in a shady spot on a hot summer day.

No matter the season or occasion, coloring our work with a bit of Fun and Games can add another aspect of interest for our readers.

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry.

Categories
History in the Making

Finding the Setting for Our Novels

History in the making

Searching for the setting of that next novel? I am in the same boat.

My third Civil War romance, A Musket in My Hands, releases this fall. After taking a break to write a historical romance novella releasing next summer, I turned my thoughts to the topic of my next Civil War novel.

Continue reading “Finding the Setting for Our Novels”