Tag: history

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History in the Making

Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: INEVITABLE CHANGE Part 2

History in the making

CHANGE —A Spark for Writers Seeking an Innovative Angle for Their stories.

Change can bring new life or dread to an unfolding plot, and it can affect characters in both positive and negative ways.

The grocery store setting can be such a catalyst, having experienced numerous changes throughout the 20th century.

  • 1930s-The rise of the all-in-one market. Excited shopper: The butcher, the baker, and the produce grower are all under one roof! Dejected business owner: My mom-and-pop shop can’t sustain itself any longer
  • 1937-The shopping cart arrived. Empowered shopper: I can choose products myself. Perplexed proprietor: Where do I fit?
  • 1950s-The “International Aisle” appeared. Inconvenience shopper: What are oriental noodles and refried beans? And what happened to my peanut butter and jelly? Controversial shopper: This looks like racial bias to me.
  • 1960s-Trading Stamps went wild. Grumpy shopper: Why does my favorite store offer green stamps when I want blue chips? Smiling shopper: My little girl wants a doll I can get with green stamps.
  • 1952-Bar code patented. Curious Shopper: What are these stickers with unique bars and numbers? Do I need to know? Do I even care?
  • 1960s-In-Store pharmacy. Recovering shopper: The pharmacist helped my husband find the best cold medicine for me. Pharmacist: It’s great to offer another convenience for customers.
  • 1972-The 24/7 grocery stores open. Tired shopper: I may have just put in a night’s work, but the quiet, uncrowded aisles are wonderful. Weary clerk: These overnight hours are hard on my body.
  • 1974-Price scanners. Delighted cashier: I don’t have to punch register keys anymore. I just slide the bar code across the glass plate. Disgruntled customer: The cashier made good money for accuracy in punching keys, now a child could do their job.

As the decades marched forward, stores designated seasonal space for specialty wares to celebrate New Years, Super Bowl, Valentines Day, Easter and Spring, and Thanksgiving.

Halloween grew in popularity and now holds second place in holiday sales. Fall shopper: In addition to the baker’s pumpkin goodies, I can find decorative squash, greeting cards, paper goods, knickknacks, and sometimes costumes. Wide-eyed child: Mom, look at all the candy.

Then there’s Christmas…everywhere you look…arriving as early as October. Even the grocery store climbs on board the marketing sleigh. Beyond celebratory meals and dessert items, the Plan-ahead shopper can choose Christmas cards, themed paper goods, and wrapping paper. For the Last-minute shopper, ribboned boxes of holiday candies and goodies, stuffed animals, and small toys fill the shelves.

Oops-don’t forget the poinsettias.

For the creative writer, change at the grocery store, good or bad, can enhance a scene. Or, if those creative juices are unleashed, the writer could employ market changes to unfold plot or subplots or reveal characters.

So, what plots and profiles might one bring to life at the grocery store?

Plots and Subplots: A kidnapped child or gun-toting robbers; pilfered green stamps or shoplifters; manager’s first store or the struggling mom’s second job. Romance on aisle 10. Characters: Store owner/manager, security guards, delivery men, cranky or curious children, harried shoppers, overwhelmed clerks, student baggers, late night shelf stockers.

So, creative writers, why not explore how the CHANGES behind the door of the grocery store might help you craft an atypical, entertaining story?

Click here for part one, Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: The Early American Era.

Jeannine

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

Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: The Early American Era

History in the making

For writers, opportunities wait behind the doors of the grocery store!

A plethora of plots. Character reveals. Centuries of setting choices.

Plots or sub-plots—romance, thievery, espionage, even murder—hope to be chosen for a writer’s next work. Love blooms on Aisle 4.  A desperate mother shoplifts. Dollar bills go missing from the money box. Who poisoned the produce?

Character reveals or characters revealed? There’s a place for both in the grocery store. The helpful or bitter proprietor. The responsible cashier. The jerk of a clerk. Or the unexpected, welcome or dreaded, encounter at the meat counter.  

Along with plots and characters, a variety of grocery store settings are available for the picking. From as far back as the infant years of the United States, shops afforded goods to consumers: Trading Posts. General Stores. Mom-and-Pop shops. Full-service grocery stores.

Spanning four centuries, 17th through the early 20th, customers could make purchases at the TRADING POST, GENERAL STORE or a MOM-AND-POP shop. Demographics, architecture and technology might change, but the overall model of these establishments remained during this era.

TRADING POSTS arose and scattered across the United States as adventurous folks moved westward to explore the land. Initially, the trappers who operated the posts traded guns, ammunition, cloth and trims, and cookware to the local Indian tribes in exchange for furs and food. Bartering was common as opposed to a fixed-price system. Extending credit was common, luring customers to return.

Over the decades the face of the Trading Post morphed according to the increase in population and the changing landscape as more people moved west to settle in communities. Farmers, ranchers, travelers by stagecoach or rail, Pony Express riders, along with the Indian tribes might do business at the Trading Post. The proprietor would keep busy stocking shelves, bartering and selling, and cultivating working relationships and friendships with customers.

GENERAL STORES

The locale of the store would determine much of the product offered to the customer. For example, if the General Store is the only shop in a tiny town, though they provide mostly dry goods, at times they might have eggs, fresh fruit or vegetables brought in by a local farmer in exchange for credit or product. They may also stock items that are unique to the needs of those area residents. Specialty items were likely ordered and took a long time to receive. The post office might deliver mail to their facility and the customer would pick it up when they came by.

If the General Store is located in a large town or city where numerous specialty businesses operate, dry goods would be their main stock,  

 A day in the life of the proprietor might include unloading a shipment of goods or stocking shelves. Customers, both men and women, would hand him a list, or simply tell him what they needed. The requested items would be placed on the counter. After calculating the cost, the owner would load them in the customer’s sack or wagon to take home.

By 1883, proprietors might have set aside their pencil and paper and used a cash register which was invented by James and John Ritter circa 1878.

MOM AND POP shops are distinguished from General Stores in that they are usually family-owned and often a specialty store such as butchers, bakers, pharmacists, or shoemakers, etc.  

Mom and Pop stores were likely flanked on either side by other stores in a string of buildings on the main street of town. Owners often lived on the second floor.

Progressing into the 20TH CENTURY

In 1916, Piggly Wiggly opened the first self-service establishment. Customers could walk along the aisles and pick out what they wanted to purchase, then take them to check-out for tabulation and bagging. Regional chain stores, as late as the 1920s, continued counter-service for procurement of dry goods.

Shoppers still needed to visit the specialty shops for meat and produce.

Circa 1937, King Kullen opened the first grocery store featuring an onsite baker, butcher and a large produce department.

Shortly after King Kullen’s opening, the shopping cart was introduced. This made shopping easier for the customers, but also, the sale of more merchandise increased profits for the owner.

These early 20th century advancements in grocery services paved the way for the shopping experiences enjoyed by 20th and 21st century consumers. But that’s a story for another day.

As for creative writers, fodder for meaningful and exciting stories waits behind the doors of any Trading Post, General Store, Mom and Pop shop, or Full-service Grocery Store.

One just needs to look to find them.

Jeannine

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 Coffee Bean Grinder

History in the making

Ahhh! Breathe it in—the aroma of fresh ground coffee beans. What a delightful detail to enhance the scene in a writer’s story.

But when and how can a writer introduce a coffee bean grinder?

There are four (4) distinct periods in the life of coffee grinders:

  • Stone Mortar and Pestle:

The exact date of the discovery of coffee beans is unknown, however, it can be tracked back to Ethiopia as early as 800 A.D..  As folks explored how to include the coffee bean in their lifestyles, the concept of grinding them naturally followed. The mortar and pestle got the job done and was utilized from that time and into the 15th century.

  • Manual Grinder:

In the 15th century, innovative minds used the blueprints for operating grain mills to develop smaller-sized mills, or grinders, which were then used to grind spices. Subsequently, the grain mills and spice grinders proved useful to grind coffee beans also.

In its early stages of development, manual coffee bean grinders were often built with wood, in a box shape, with a turning handle on top. The user would pour the beans into the top of the grinder, turn the handle, and the grounds would fall into a removable drawer at the bottom.

Over the next couple centuries, coffee grinders morphed with such changes as:  grinders specifically for coffee beans; mechanics using burrs instead of blades; and a wall-mounted coffee grinder. The late nineteenth century brought about mass production of cast iron grinders for use in households, cafes, and grocery stores.

  • Electric Grinders:

By the early 20th Century, electric grinders became popular. In the next years, various inventors and companies presented design modifications, experimented with different materials for construction, and added features like measuring weights. 

  • Technology-Enhanced Grinders:

At the turn of the 21st Century modern technology wowed the public with features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and touch-less. From coarse to fine, the beans could be ground to fit one’s taste buds. Add temperature control, anti-clumping and even the ability to measure density, and one can brew that perfect cup of coffee for the need of the moment without leaving their home.

Coffee grinders weren’t only about the mechanics to produce the perfect cup of coffee. Throughout changing eras and cultures, artisans left their marks. Those plain, boxy, practical devices became canvases for paint, etchings, and engravings.  Beautiful devices were fashioned, bringing delight into homes then and joy into the hands of collectors now.

There are several ways a writer can utilize a coffee grinder in a story:

  1. The grinder can be a strong focus or a minor detail thread throughout the story.
  2. Just about any place a character might gather, coffee (and the grinder) can play a part: breakfast, business meetings, casual or formal gatherings, dates, holidays, wedding celebrations or funerals.
  3. Manual grinders open the door to four hundred years of design and artistry available to enhance a story—plots, scenes, or characters.  
  4. Depending on the era and the type of coffee grinder chosen for the story, a writer can reveal “old-fashioned or quirky” characters. They can show patience (or impatience) of the character learning how to use that new electric grinder, or frustration when approaching high-tech Wi-Fi technology. Share family history—Gramma’s precious hand-me-down.
  5. No matter what the setting or period, a tense conversation might be amplified by the force a character uses to grind those coffee beans. Or perhaps an edgy conversation could use a little levity, and a discussion about dark beans and light beans and just the right ratio of the two might fit the need. Teasing an aficionado may provide the perfect injection of humor.

And there’s so much more for the writer’s creative mind to ponder.

Ahhh! Breathe it in—whiffs of aromatic possibilities.

Jeannine

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

Just Toast, Please Perfecting Breakfast Toast

History in the making

Otto Frederick Rohwedder (1980-1960) and Charles Perkins Strite (1978-1956)—not exactly celebrities. Though, perhaps they should be. Their combined ingenuity brought quick and easy toast to the breakfast table.

Quick because Mr. Rohwedder—frustrated with the time it took to hand-carve a loaf of bread only to have the slices uneven with ragged edges—invented the bread slicer.

Easy because Mr. Strite—disappointed with the frequent delivery of burnt toast on his breakfast plate—developed a toaster that simultaneously crisped both sides of the bread then automatically popped it up.

When these two innovations crossed paths in 1928, busy cooks, whether restaurant or household, could open a wrapper, pull out pre-sliced bread, and drop it in a toaster knowing it would pop up automatically when done.

These men and their inventions changed the way we do breakfast toast for a lifetime.  

Writers might ask, “Why should I care about toast?”

A scene where a character makes toast can speak to the period of the story based on the contraption used to accomplish the task. Making toast can provide action to weave between dialogue: dropping the bread between the slots, waiting for it to pop up, slathering butter and watching it melt. Crunching and savoring each bite.

Toast can reveal personality quirks or add tension. The cook might dance a jig because the toast came out perfect. A businessman might hurry out the door with harsh words on his tongue because the toast burned. Cooking lessons for an older child might set up a happy morning. Sweeping toast crumbs on the floor beneath the highchair could add to stress. Might the perfectionist cook wonder if he’ll ever get it right, or the mother lament her lack of culinary skills?

WRITERS OF CONTEMPORARY PIECES would have multiple well-known options for using toast or a toaster in a scene. A simple 2-slice or fancy 4-slice toaster could sit on the kitchen counter. It would be a seamless jump from toast to Pop Tarts, waffles, or French toast sticks being slid between the wired slots.

As is often the case, WRITERS OF HISTORICAL WORKS might need to research the nature of toast before using it in a scene. A skeletal timeline set out below would likely need fleshing out but might serve as a jumping off spot for research.

Prior to the early 1900s, bread may have been browned in an oven broiler, or in a frying pan, to achieve a toasty texture. For stories set before ovens were prevalent, tearing off chunks of untoasted bread and coating them in home-churned butter would be a believable choice for the scene.

But a big shift in breakfast toast began in 1909, first in browning apparatuses and then in bread slicing machines:

  • 1909–The first commercially available toaster allowed one-sided toasting. This required a person to watch over it, turn the bread when ready, and then manually cause it to pop up.
  • 1915–A toaster with an automatic turning mechanism was introduced.
  • 1919-The 2-sided automatic pop-up toaster became available commercially.
  • 1926-The pop-up toaster arrived in households.
  • 1928-Pre-sliced bread was introduced.
  • 1930-Pre-sliced bread arrived on most grocery shelves.
  • 1933-Sale of sliced bread exceeded unsliced.

WRITERS OF SUSPENSE might consider a plot to sabotage toaster prototypes. Or instead of a sinister plot, a friendly competition might be more palatable — who can bring the invention to market first?

Perhaps a tense scene needs some comedic relief. Picture the boy and his dog staring at mommy’s new pop-up toaster, waiting for the bread to fly toward the ceiling.

Who would have thought breakfast toast could add such details to a story?

Who would have thought two inspired men, and two simple appliances would make such a difference in how we make toast?

So maybe these men really do deserve a measure of celebrity recognition: Strite engraved on pop-up toasters. Rohwedder etched into the bread box.

Jeannine

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

Nancy Drew: Girl Detective

History in the making

Searching for some fun details or a bit of drama to slip into your next fictional piece? Well, pull out the spy glass and consider…

Nancy Drew—Girl Detective.

Nancy debuted on the pages of The Secret of the Old Clock in 1930. Prone to stumbling upon suspicious happenings and endowed with a knack for unraveling the mysteries surrounding them.

Nancy leaped into the hearts and dreams of many young girls. Bess and George, Nancy’s best female friends, tagged along, often to keep their friend out of trouble. The trios’ boyfriends, Ned, Dave and Bert, embraced their supporting roles of protectors, but only as needed. Because, of course, Nancy was the bold and courageous leader of this clean-cut band of teens.

What a popular character!

And that’s what she was. A character…in a book. Not a real person, though Carolyn Keene does a wonderful job crafting Nancy’s personality so that she becomes very real to readers.

Nancy also radiates her own aura of mystery.

  • Nancy’s creator, Edward Stratemeyer, is not the author of the plethora of books which titles begin: The Case of ________.
  • The ascribed author of these books, Carolyn Keene, is no more real than Nancy Drew. The name is a pseudonym appearing on the front cover no matter who might be the ghostwriter.

The ghostwriters received ideas and followed outlines from Mr. Stratemeyer, editors, publishers or whoever held rights to Nancy Drew at the time, and then anonymously penned the girl detective’s adventures. In Nancy’s case, the ghostwriters’ imaginations influenced many of the controversial character updates that occurred over her lifetime. Yet, despite their contributions, ghostwriters fell prey to common industry contracts that included maintaining anonymity and surrendering rights to their work product.

  • Nancy keeps fans guessing. Over the decades, her persona, appearance, and habits underwent alterations to better reflect the era in which each book, film or TV drama was written.

Early Nancy Drew (1930 to late 1950) was likened to a super-hero:

Independent, confident, talented, innovative, and fearless, yet sparkling with kindness as she seeks to help people in trouble.

In the year 1959 Nancy became more gentle, less tomboyish and exhibited greater respect of the men around her.

By 1985, Nancy graduated from solving petty offenses and elementary intrigue and tackled more serious crimes such as espionage and murder…and sought more romance in her life.

Thereafter, Nancy’s passions seemed more important than the mystery, which helped build the bridge to the year 2005 when the first graphic novel, The Demon of River Heights (2005/2014) arrived on the scene.

Nancy’s metamorphoses, no matter when introduced, extracted differing opinions by authors, editors, and readers.

  • Which Nancy Drew will show up in the book, film, comics, or video game at hand?

Will one find sweet, wholesome Nancy, sleuth at work? Or will one discover the new Nancy, promiscuous and focused more on romance than mystery? Will she be 16 or 18? Driving a roadster, a convertible or hybrid? (All blue, of course.) Using a cell phone? The girl-next-door wardrobe or something more seductive? What shade of blonde or red hair? Will Bess and George still be her chums? What role will Ned have?  

Notwithstanding the drama stalking Nancy Drew, enthusiasts don’t really care who gave her life or who wrote her adventures or what color her hair is today—it only matters that Nancy’s star shines at the end.

Writers of historical or contemporary fiction might find a place for Nancy Drew in their own works:

  • A minimal approach might scatter mentions of Nancy’s books throughout the pages:

The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears (1993) lands under the Christmas tree, an antsy child waits for the newest release to arrive at the store, or searches shelves (stores or home) for an unread book.

An adult character confesses Nancy Drew influenced their decision to enter law enforcement.

  • Tension-riddled issues surrounding Nancy could include: the child whose birthday wish is to meet Carolyn Keene; mother and daughter watching a provocative film/television production; the dismay of a parent who discovers the portrayal of Nancy in the book just purchased for her child isn’t the same as the girl detective she grew up with.

There she is! Nancy Drew—Girl Detective

An icon wrapped in mystery, waiting to leap onto the pages of a writer’s next venture. Don’t miss out! The opportunities are as many as there are books entitled The Case of ________.

Jeannine

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

Paltry Pickings in the Pantry: World War 2 Food Rationing

History in the making

Louise stared at the nearly empty sack of flour. Her eyes flitted to a canister tucked in the back of an upper shelf. She pulled it down, lifted the lid, and peeked inside. Assured the four cups of flour she’d set aside remained untouched, she sighed. But guilt jabbed her. If people knew she’d squirreled away portions of recent flour allotments, would they think her a hoarder? Truly, it wasn’t that much. She chewed her lip—would it be enough for Bobby’s birthday cake?  

Geez, Louise! What’s the story here?

The Office of Price Administration (OPA) could answer that question.

The troops serving in World War 2 needed provisions and the American people were called upon to sacrifice a portion of their personal supplies to make that happen. Therefore, beginning in 1942 and ending in 1945, OPA issued books of ration stamps for common staples. Families received about half the quantity of staples normally consumed. Thus, flour, sugar, butter, coffee, and fat were in short supply, along with meats, fruits, and vegetables. (Note: Gasoline and tires, along with other non-perishable items were also rationed.)

American households would tell you they turned rationing into patriotic support for the troops. “Victory gardens” became popular. Yard grown vegetables for family consumption meant more canned goods for the troops. A war time edition of a popular women’s cookbook encouraged creative cooking. It published recipes that utilized readily available foods and offered tips, including suggested substitutes. For example, molasses or honey were a few sweeteners that could be used instead of sugar.

Neighbors, friends, and family employed a bartering system.

And we’ll just whisper the word “black market” for ration stamps and stolen items.

Grocers might chime in with their thoughts on the matter of rationing.

On the positive side, the stamps allowed them to limit purchases. Shelves did not deplete as quickly, and the restricted goods landed in more households. This countered the problem of runs on foods, especially when rumors spread that a specific commodity was destined for the rationing list.

On the flip side, one wonders how many shop owners learned a nice way of saying “no” to friends and family who hoped for more food than the ration stamps allowed.

Restaurant Owners probably had some not-so-nice words to say about rationing—it threatened their livelihoods. OPA required owners to apply for ration books, and as part of the process, they needed to present their menus and pricing. If approved, they were awarded twenty to thirty per cent more ration coupons than households, but not enough to sustain their traditional offerings.

Menu adjustments according to stamp allotments and food availability became common. The frequency of changes prompted growing use of paper menus.

Many restaurants did not survive the war years. Not only was the flow of food adversely affected, but many owners and workers joined the military. Not all wives were prone to operate the understaffed eatery as well as tend to their families.

And what does Louise think of rationing?

She waits for the morning when she can visit with a friend, sip more than one cup of coffee sweetened with real sugar, and nibble on a plateful of cookies. She dreams of the evening when she doesn’t need to pull out boxed macaroni and cheese for supper—again. She longs for the day when she can bake her son’s favorite birthday cake without shorting her family on flour for bread or biscuits.

For Writers of Fiction Set in World War 2 Era

The world of food rationing can boil with plots or character driven stories, bake with drama and tension, yet bubble with joy from supporting the troops.

The pickings in the pantry may be paltry, but the writer’s mind would likely be full to the brim.

Jeannine

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

Some Interesting Facts and a Statue of Classic Author, Charles Dickens

History in the making

Did you know Charles Dickens’ full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens? I didn’t, and Dickens is one of my favorite authors. His classic stories of life in England in the 1800s were full of wonderful characters, some of which the stories were named after – Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickelby, and David Copperfield to name a few. But, there is also Pip, Miss Havisham, Fagin, and many more, including Little Nell.

Little Nell is the beloved little girl in Dickens’ novel, The Old Curiosity Shop. Charles Dickens published a weekly serial in 1840-1841, called Master Humphrey’s Clock. In it, he published two novels, one of which was The Old Curiosity Shop, along with short stories. The Old Curiosity Shop was such a popular feature of Master Humphrey’s Clock, that readers in New York stormed the wharf when the ship bringing the final installment arrived in 1841. Then The Old Curiosity Shop was published in book form later in 1841.

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England. Dickens’ novels tell of the injustices of the times he lived in, often featuring the brutal treatment of the poor in a society that was divided by levels of wealth.

Dickens’ family also faced poverty and Charles was forced out of school at twelve years of age to take a job in Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, a shoe-polish factory. He was treated badly by the other boys working there. Then his father was imprisoned for debt. The humiliation of these two circumstances hurt Dickens profoundly and became his deepest secret. However, they obviously provided an unacknowledged foundation for his fiction.

Charles Dickens published 15 novels, one of which was left unfinished at his death, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

I would like to call your attention back to Little Nell because there are three statues of Charles Dickens in existence – one in Sydney, Australia, one in his hometown of Portsmouth, England, and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The one in Philadelphia is the oldest of the three. It was created in 1890, and is the only one that also depicts one of his characters, Little Nell from The Old Curiosity Shop. Before it was moved to Philadelphia, this statue won two gold medals at the Chicago’s World Fair of 1893 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice. It was sculpted by Francis Edwin Ewell, who was the one to send it to Philadelphia.

There are two interesting things about the statue being placed in Philadelphia: 1) Charles Dickens, in his will, stated he did not want any memorials, and 2) the fact that the statue is in Philadelphia, a city that Dickens disliked. He said, of Philadelphia, “it is dull and out of spirits.”

Funny that, despite Dickens dislike of Philadelphia, the statue has become a symbol of the neighborhood, and both, Nell and Dickens are crowned with flower wreaths frequently, including each year on Dickens’ birthday, when a party is held and there are readings and dancing.

If you are a Dickens’ fan, like me, I also highly recommend the movie, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” from 2017, and I’d love to know which of his classic novels is your favorite.

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: kellyfbarr.com

MeWe: KellyBarr8

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History in the Making

The Tarnished Glamour of Masquerades

History in the making

If you watch movies or read fiction novels, your perception of masquerades is probably of elaborate parties among the wealthy elite people in old European societies. I know that’s always been my impression. So imagine my surprise when I decided to dig into the history of masquerades and found almost the exact opposite.

Masquerade

The word “masquerade” has its roots in the French word “mascarade” and the Italian word “maschera”. Masquerades actually originated among the poor people of medieval Europe. However, it didn’t take long for the higher classes, especially in France, to engage in masquerade balls. One such event is known as the “Bal des Ardents” or The Ball of the Burning Men. This particular masquerade ball was held by Charles VI of France in celebration of the marriage of the Queen’s Lady in Waiting. The king and five other men dressed in costumes made of linen soaked in resin and flax was attached to this, making the costumes highly flammable. When the king’s drunken brother threw a torch at one of the dancers, they all caught on fire and only the king was saved.

Soon the excitement of masquerades spread to Venice, Italy, where anonymity was hard to come by. During this same period, African ceremonial masquerades spilled into the Caribbean and southeastern United States where it developed into carnivals.

The main rule of the masquerade was the privacy and anonymity of all attendees.

Each person’s identity was to be kept quiet, and no one dared to reveal their identity until after midnight. The costume was meant to make its wearer unidentifiable and conversations were to begin with specific phrases, such as “I know you” and “Do you know me?”

Such anonymity gave people the courage to freely express their ideas, regardless of how foolish or wicked they were without fear of retribution. However, it didn’t stop with reckless verbiage. In striving for anonymity, men often dressed as women and women as men. In addition, masquerades became a place for unescorted women. Sexual behaviors, otherwise frowned upon in society, became part of these masquerades.

One masquerade ball even enabled the murder of a King. Gustav III, the King of Sweden had consolidated power in the country and led with an autocratic rule. In 1792, King Gustav III attended a masquerade ball where he was killed by a nobleman. This gave the people a fear of masquerade balls, and masquerade events began to decline.

Carnivals had been very popular among village folks in Europe and masquerades stemmed from the carnivals. Eventually, the masquerades became popular among the aristocrats and royals, as mentioned previously. So, in addition to masquerade events diminishing due to fear, the popularity of masquerade balls also dropped when the population of the aristocrats also began to decline.

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: kellyfbarr.com

MeWe: KellyBarr8

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History in the Making

Have You Considered Living History?

History in the making

While experiencing a major event in life, have you ever stopped and thought about the fact that, at that moment, you were living history?

Last month was the 20th anniversary of 9-11, and as I read some of the news items of the day, it dawned on me that my youngest son had not even been alive on the day that the 9-11 events took place. So to him, it is a historical event and he won’t know or understand anything about it unless I tell him about it.

As I thought about that, I realized that when 9-11 happened, I was too busy being afraid of what was happening and wondering what I should do, to consider that what I was experiencing and living through, at that very moment, would become a historical event.

As I reflected back on my life, I realized there have been quite a few historical events that I lived through: July 20, 1969 the first man walked on the moon – I was just five years old but I remember watching that on T.V. with my parents. On January 28, 1986, like many other people that day, I sat, eyes glued to the television watching as Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off, carrying the first civilians to go into space, and just 73 seconds after liftoff there was an explosion that took the lives of all seven people on board and destroyed the rocket. I also remember hearing that the U.S. declared war on Iraq on Wednesday evening, January 16, 1991 on the radio after church, and the next morning, January 17, 1991 the Desert Storm/Gulf War began.

The four events listed above are the major historical events I remember, and not only do I remember them, but I remember where I was and what I was doing when they happened, and I remember how each of them affected me.

We are currently living through an actual chain of historical events: the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown, a fraudulent election, and vaccine mandates.

Many writers have been told, “Write what you know.” Therefore, if you’re a history writer and you’re trying to figure out what historical time period or event to write your novel around, think about all of the historical events you’ve lived. The ones I listed in this article were big events, but there are also little events that happen in your neighborhood, town, or state. Consider the history you have lived and know best.

If you need more information to set your scene because you don’t remember exactly what your town was like during the historical event you choose, talk to friends, family, and neighbors. Many towns have a historical society or a public library that have historical information about your town.

Living history and historical information are closer than you might think.

Kelly Barr photo

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: kellyfbarr.com

MeWe: KellyBarr8

Categories
History in the Making

What Time is It?

History in the making

When writing historical fiction, it’s important to be aware of your timeline. Timelines are significant in all genres of writing, but in historical fiction, they are imperative.

Why does your timeline carry so much weight? True history is becoming a thing of the past in most books and schools, so as writers who strive for excellence, we need to be sure the history of our novels is true and accurate. The truth and accuracy of your timeline is part of that—keeping historical events in proper sequential order and in the correct years.

How can you keep your historical facts in order, especially if you’re a pantser? As a historical romance writer who has always been a pantser, I have learned to become a “plantser” (that’s someone in between a pantser and a plotter). I research my time period and I make hard copies or handwritten notes of major historical facts and events, and I keep them close at hand as I write my novel.

Pacing is also an important part of keeping your timeline accurate. Determining how many historical events you want to include in your novel is key in creating your pacing. If you’re planning to create a series of historical fiction novels, you need to have a clear vision of what events will take place in each book of the series. You have to weave your fictional characters and story into that historical timeline and framework.

If you love including as many historical events as possible, like I do, this can become quite a challenge. You can collect so many historical facts and events that it can prove difficult to decide what to include in your story and what to leave out, which will also depend on your timeline.

The historical facts and timeline can be worked into every aspect of your story—the description of your setting, your characters’ clothes and dialogue. It doesn’t all have to come out in the plot. Painting your history throughout your novel brings balance and gives your readers a complete picture that allows them to experience a different time period as they are immersed in your novel.

What about your readers? Many people who read historical fiction read about their favorite historical time periods and already have a good bit of knowledge in regard to that time and its history. If you make an error in your historical facts, your readers will let you know, and that could be via a personal email or a book review posted on a prominent book site, either of which may not be kind and respectful.

As historical fiction writers, we should strive to create a story woven throughout historical events that satisfies both us and our readers.

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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Guest Posts

The Power of Words in History: How Written Words Changed Nations

Guest posts

What makes us human? For some, it’s our cognitive ability, for others, it’s our ability to feel empathy, compassion, and other complex emotions. Many experts might also argue that part of what makes humans so special is our innate needs and desires to document, to write, and to create.

From speculative fiction stories in fantasy worlds to grand political and philosophical texts, people have always seemingly felt a need to mark their experiences and share them with others in some form. We can see many examples of this from delving deep into the past. Cave paintings and ancient hieroglyphs show us that people wanted to document things for posterity from the earliest age.

This tradition, which began so many years ago, has persisted throughout time, shaping civilization and society as we know it, strengthening cultural understanding between people, laying down laws and rules by which we live, broadening the minds of scholars and readers across the globe, and so much more.

Indeed, in many ways, the written word has played a more instrumental role in forging human civilization than almost anything else. Take religious texts, such as the Bible or Qu’ran, for instance, which were first formed many years ago but continue to hold great spiritual and religious significance for countless people today.

We can also take a look at powerful legal documents like the Magna Carta or the Declaration of Independence. These texts show how the simplest of things – nothing but paper and ink – can be imbued with immense power by those who forge them.

Then, there are the works of fiction, tales told by the likes of Dickens, Austen, Twain, Hemingway, Woolf, Orwell, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and so on that have been enjoyed and admired throughout the ages. They continue to exert great influence over society right into the modern era, performed on the stage, adapted for the screen, and studied in great detail by readers worldwide.

These texts, in all of their forms and guises, have helped to shape and change the world we live in. Without newspapers, vast swathes of the public would have been uninformed of current events throughout their nations. Without dictionaries and literary aids, literacy rates would never have risen as they did.

From a political perspective too, we can see the amazing influence writers can have. The likes of Mary Wollstonecraft helped to lay the groundwork for the feminism of today, while iconic figures of the past like Martin Luther King Jr. made use of their own writing abilities to forge a more equal and understanding society.

Without political writing and musings, key events throughout history like the French Revolution or the American Civil War might never have happened or might have played out entirely differently. Without the works of great philosophers like Plato, Kant, Descartes, and Hume, our very conception of the world around us could be completely different.

From scientific and medical standpoints, written documents allowed researchers from all four corners of the globe to make great strides in their studies and developments, building on the foundations documented by those before them and guiding their descendants towards new discoveries.

There are countless examples of written words helping to transform and indeed form the world in which we live, and it can be argued that not a single key event of the last few millennia would have played out quite the same way without the intervention of documents, texts, books, papers, and journals.

But whether we’re talking about classical romantic poetry, adventure stories for children, legal texts that form the foundation of entire societies, or grand religious documents that inspire the faith of millions, all forms of the written word owe a great deal to one man in particular: Johannes Gutenberg.

In 1439, Gutenberg became the first European to make use of movable type, inventing an entirely new process for mass-printing movable type and pioneering the use of ink in printing books. He formed the printing press, changing the course of history forevermore and allowing people all around the civilized world to have far easier and more widespread access to written words.

Gutenberg’s creation allowed words to proliferate further than ever before, broadening their influence and enhancing their power. It’s no surprise that in the centuries that followed, mankind saw some of its finest inventions, its greatest developments, and its swiftest pushes towards the modern societies we know today.

Still, now, in this digital age of connected devices, social media platforms, and always-online societies, written words continue to hold immense importance for all, and while the printing press of Gutenberg is more of an intriguing artifact than a functional device in the modern era, we’re still seeing societies build and expand on the foundations he laid down.

Written words continue to hold great power, even in the digital space. Short messages and personal stories shared across social media led to the rise of massive global movements like Me Too and Black Lives Matter, while aspiring authors continue to share their tales on a bigger scale than ever before.

At a time when anyone can head online and have their written words read by thousands all over the globe, the importance of those words has never been greater. It’s up to all of us to acknowledge the incredible influence and power we can wield with our words and take heed of the past to use them in the best possible ways.

Leon Collier is a blogger from the UK, who loves to write about everything: pop-culture, history, travel, self-development, education, marketing. He also works as part of a team of professional essay writers, offering dissertation writing services to those who need help. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.

Categories
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.

Categories
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

Categories
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

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

How to Write Tactful Fantasy and Science Fiction During COVID-19

Writing during a global pandemic is probably not something you thought you’d be tackling. Writing is hard enough by itself!

But handling history well, whether you’re living it or researching it, is part of being a writer. Recently I saw an article that stressed how one publisher is not particularly focused on dystopian writing because of the current state of the world.

They stressed the importance of finding hope through historical events. Fantasy and Science-fiction can be used to build that hope, if done rightly. Here are a few ways to use the current global crisis for the benefit of your readers:

Enforce your writing with historical moments.

Countless moments have shaped history, and therefore storytelling, as a whole. This is one of them. Going back often helps us move forward.

As you plan, draft, or edit your current work-in-progress, focus on historical moments that looked bleak but ended in a brighter future. Draw inspiration from these moments and allow them to influence your writing. Readers need hope, and you’re one of the best people to give it to them.

Use history to teach.

The Civil War brought tension between family members and friends. The Great Depression was a drastic life change for many. COVID-19 is a different circumstance bringing similar emotional responses. Research those who lived during historical moments, look up their stories, and choose different aspects of these very real people to influence your characters.

For your protagonist, consider drawing different character traits from figures who experienced global moments in different centuries. Combine some of these characteristics into a fictional character, add your own twist, and use your character to bring hope to your story. This will show readers what characteristics still bring hope today.

Look to the future.

History shows us how to interact with the future, what to do, and what not to do. Science-fiction in particular points to the future. As you craft your story, pour yourself into world-building and research that will make readers want to escape into your world. Layer in supporting characters and scenes that will inspire your readers to return to their own world wiser, and with more hope, in how to handle their present circumstances.

Writing is a powerful tool. While writing for entertainment may not be our primary focus right now, it can be used to teach, inspire, and bring hope. Now more than ever it’s important to write powerful stories and strong characters. Let’s be the writers who encourage readers in a dark time. Write on!

Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Creator and writer. She helps authors build their platform through branding and copywriting. With a BA in Strategic Communications, Sarah equips writers to learn how to communicate their message through personal branding. She writes fiction and nonfiction and offers writers behind-the-scenes tips on the publishing industry through her blog itssarahrexford.com. She is represented by the C.Y.L.E Young Agency.

Instagram: @sarahjrexford
Twitter: @sarahjrexford
Web: itssarahrexford.com

Categories
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. 

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Three Ways to Use History to Build Your Fantasy

Margaret Atwood is well-known for her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian first published in 1985. Her novel covers the story of a handmaid living in what’s known as the Republic of Gilead. The catch?

Most every, if not all, major plot points were written based on reality. I imagine this was a large contributor in making Atwood’s novel a TV show. Why?

It was relatable.

The Republic of Gilead is not a real place, although to readers, it might seem to be. The same is true of your work in progress. Whatever country you create is not real, but it can seem real to readers when you create it using details that aren’t fiction.

When building your fantasy world, pull details from existing countries.

One of my first novels takes place in a country much like Australia — but only in shape and location. I mixed the layout of Australia with the topography of the US. I haven’t lived in Australia, but I have lived in the US. I know the US. And as the old adage goes, write what you know.

Secondly, I incorporated aspects of US history into my story, but pulled different aspects of Australian government into my fantasy government. This way the reader will never say, “Oh, this world is based on the history of the United States but set in Australia.” Pieces are pulled from both countries, but it’s not based on either.

Use details of historic figures to put skin on your characters.

When researching my characters, I looked up many historic people who’d had a big impact on either their country or the world. I pulled details of their personality and made them characteristics of my own characters.

Readers know names like Frederick Douglass, Mary I, Joan of Arc, and Adolf Hitler. It’s likely they also know more about them then they may remember learning in high school history. Pulling different details from each, a hair style, a personality trait, a character flaw, etc., then combining them to create one specific character, adds the ring of truth.

Mix customs.

If your book does well, you will likely have readers from around the country and possibly the world. Part of the fun of writing fantasy and science-fiction is the freedom to make things up. When it comes to the customs of the characters in your world, this freedom continues.

However, to really make your world come alive, research customs from centuries ago to present day. After you have ten to thirty customs, assign several to each of your characters. This will round out your characters, provide you with centuries of backstory to draw from, and use reality to strengthen your fantasy.

Don’t forget to add your own creative ideas to the mix. After all, that’s what writing fantasy and sci-fi is all about. Happy writing!

Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Creator and writer. She helps authors build their platform through branding and copywriting. With a BA in Strategic Communications, Sarah equips writers to learn how to communicate their message through personal branding. She writes fiction and nonfiction and offers writers behind-the-scenes tips on the publishing industry through her blog itssarahrexford.com. She is represented by the C.Y.L.E Young Agency.

Instagram: @sarahjrexford
Twitter: @sarahjrexford
Web: itssarahrexford.com

Categories
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

Categories
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.

Categories
History in the Making

Is Writing Historical Fiction a Good Fit for You?

History in the making

I enjoy digging into the past, following bunny trails of history, and learning about cultures long interred and nearly forgotten. And then weaving a plausible story using the events and people of another time period.

It takes a lot of excavating (sometimes years) to discover enough buried remains of the past to write authentic prose, avoid historical mistakes, and gain the trust of your readers. Then you live with the fact that, inevitably, there will be mistakes. And what you create will be neither true nor false, but only a probability of what may or may not have happened.

 You can’t depend on what you think you already know.

I write Biblical historical and my first novel is set in Ancient Egypt during the Abrahamic era. I started writing with my own memory of events (from Sunday School) having a large influence over my story and discovered several mistakes early.

  • Abraham and Sarah were called Abram and Sarai at this time.
  • Pictures of Abraham riding a camel through the desert are historically inaccurate–the camel had not yet been domesticated.
  • Although Pharaoh’s army pursued Moses into the Red Sea on chariots, during Abraham’s day, the ancient Egyptians had no such vehicle.

Wear the hat of an investigative reporter.

I took a step back and spent nearly the next five years exploring the Middle Bronze Age, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Mesopotamia. And I realized I had to find research material beyond the internet because (surprise) it had a lot of false and flawed information.

[bctt tweet=”Like a reporter, historical novelists have to check facts and verify sources. #writetips #writerslife” username=””]

Going “old school” and visiting libraries or buying and borrowing reference books often provide my most reliable resources.

I recently wrote a heart-wrenching chapter about the death of a beloved man named Mamre. Going back through my research, I realized I killed the poor fellow off too soon. I put him in an early grave before (according to history) he went to war and became a hero.

My WIP is from Genesis, so any student of the Bible would have caught my mistake and lost confidence in me as a writer. I was glad I took the time to fact-check.

You dig up a lot of gold nuggets, but only cash a few in.

One of the most difficult things to do when writing historical fiction is to not use all of your research. You spend countless hours exploring a specific time period, and you want to share all of that information, but most of it should never make its way into your novel.

The work you do is to give yourself a sense of time and space. Take your reader on an adventure in another age, but do so without overwriting. You have to know what to leave in and what to leave out. Remember that you are writing a novel–not an encyclopedia.

Questions to ask yourself if you are wondering if historical fiction is for you:

 Does reading about the past interest you?

  • Does the prospect of a long process sound worthwhile to you?
  • Are you willing to find research material beyond the internet?
  • After all your hard work, are you willing to let most of it go?
  • Do you see yourself reimagining history?
  • Can you visualize combining past events or people with fiction?

If you answered yes to all of the above–good news–this genre is for you!

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

Categories
Novelists Unwind

Novelists Unwind Interviews Rick Barry and Jennifer Uhlarik

Since we’re on the eve of Memorial Day Weekend, it only seems fitting to highlight Rick Barry’s WWII novels, The Methuselah Project and Gunner’s Run.

However, The Methuselah Project is much more than a military thriller. The protagonist, a German POW, becomes a guinea pig for longevity experiments. By the time he escapes, seventy years have passed but his appearance hasn’t changed.

Fun fact: The cover model is wearing Rick’s bomber jacket. In fact, those are Rick’s shoulders inside that jacket!

If westerns are more your style, then tie your horse to the hitchin’ post and take a listen as Jennifer Uhlarik shares how a Florida gal fell in love with this classic genre.

Barbour Books has published seven of Jennifer’s novellas in their popular historical collections.

Among other topics, Jennifer and I talk about the Sand Creek Massacre, the inspiration behind her first full-length novel which releases next year.

The Novelists Unwind June Giveaway will be announced on Saturday, June 2nd at novelistsunwind.com. Be sure to enter for your chance to win a print edition of an amazing inspirational novel.

Your Novelists Unwind host:

Award-winning author Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides (Tyndale), is a CBA bestseller and has been translated into Dutch and Norwegian. She’s also the author of the Misty Willow Series (Revell)–Where She Belongs, When Hope Arrives, and What Hope Remembers–and writes cozy mysteries and contemporaries for Annie’s Fiction.

Since talking about writing is so much fun, Johnnie hosts Novelists Unwind, which features videotaped interviews with inspirational authors, and Writers Chat, a weekly online show. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. She is marketing director for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference and past president of both the ACFW Memphis and ACFW Central Florida chapters.

Johnnie recently moved to Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. Connect with her at johnnie-alexander.com and other social media sites via linktree @johnniealexndr.

Categories
Book Proposals

Come to the Table-of Contents

Congratulations, the agent, and publisher liked what they read in your Cover Letter, and opened the door to the rest of your proposal. Now, you want to make their experience easy and rewarding.

The top three pages most busy agents and publishers look at are the Biographical Sketch, Marketing Plan, and Story Synopsis.  Your Table of Contents is the map to get them there fast. A happy agent is a signing agent and publishers like an author who is thorough.

(Always follow the submission guidelines for agents and publishers. You can find them at their website.)

Below is an example of a fiction proposal:

Table of Contents

 

One Page Sell Sheet…………………………………………………………………………………3
Biographical Sketch………………………………………………………………………………….4
Synopsis…………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
Marketing Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………..9
Competetive Analysis……………………………………………………………………………….10
Marketing Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………12
History of the Manuscript…………………………………………………………………………14
Sample Chapters………………………………………………………………………………………15

 

In a non-fiction proposal, the “Synopsis” pages will be replaced with, “Chapter Outline.”

Double check your page numbers against the proposal each time you edit.

Next month we look at the One Page Sell sheet and discover why it’s different than a One Sheet.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions about book proposals, email me at editor@thewriteproposal.com.

Cherrilynn Bisbano is an award-winning writer. Her goal is to assist authors on their writing journey.

She is the founder of The Write Proposal book proposal services.

She is managing editor of Stand Firm-Reasons column and co-hosts Fulfilled Prophecy Friday with prophecy speaker Jake McCandless.

She’s the host of Genre Chat where she’s privileged to interview expert writers.

Cherrilynn was Managing Editor at Almost an Author –Top 100 writing websites for 2018.

She loves to teach leadership, book proposals and the bible. Find her biblesSpeakers page at Women Speakers

Leadership Certified and studying Chaplaincy and Business at Christian Leaders Institute

She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. She’s published in many online magazines and contributes to Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers blog.   She’s also published in Chicken Soup for the Soul- Miracles, Breaking the Chains and Heart Reno books.

Cherrilynn proudly served in the military for twenty years, earning the John Levitow Military leadership award.  She lives with her sixteen-year-old son, Michael, Jr., and husband of 19 years, Michael, Sr.  She loves Christ, chocolate, coffee, and cats

www.TheWriteProposal.com

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
History in the Making

Combatting the Noise Issue

By Sandra Merville Hart

 

A few family members came over to watch a movie this weekend. The dramatic story prompted a lot of discussion. I asked my nephew what he thought. His surprising answer was that the movie had a “noise” issue. He mentioned that an important scene beside the pool had no sounds of kids splashing or folks walking by engaged in conservation. Even a maintenance man watering a flower bed would have added authenticity. The only thing happening in the scene was vital dialogue.

His insightful comment sparked my writerly reflections. The same mistake happens in novels. Historical fiction writers who ignore all important news events surrounding their story create a “noise” issue.[bctt tweet=”His surprising answer was that the movie had a noise issue. #Histfic #writing” username=”@Sandra_M_Hart”]

We can’t live in today’s world without being affected by news. Local events can affect us directly, perhaps something like a nearby business burning down. Not only do we know and sympathize with the owner’s family, we have to find another store to fill our needs until it is rebuilt. Our town, the nearest city, and state happenings affect us. And even though we may not live in close proximity with national/international scene, these happenings can still crush our spirits.

Though news didn’t travel as quickly in earlier eras, folks were just as upset by troubling events as we are today. Perhaps they grew more distressed than us because we are accustomed to hearing bad news on television around the clock.

Even if the novel being written is more about the attitudes, fashions, and morals of a particular era, consider adding one or two newsworthy items of the day. A few hours or days of research may be enough to add gems of authenticity to the story.

That sounds like extra work if you’re already in the midst of writing but it doesn’t have to be a time hog.

Say, for example, that your novel is set in 1832. You don’t have a clue about what’s happening in the United States or even how many states there are. The Internet has greatly simplified our work.

Google “1832 American History.” This search gives options for Wikipedia sites for “1832 in the United States” and “Timeline of United States (1820-59).” Onthisday.com lists “1832—Historical Events—on this day.” Another site, America’s Best History, has a post for “U.S. History Timeline: the 1830s.”

Wikipedia’s timeline shows that the 1830s saw the Second Great Awakening, a religious revival movement. A bit of research about this may reveal that it is something that fits easily into your novel.

The Oregon Trail started being used by folks determined to settle in the Pacific Northwest in the 1830s. Maybe a character in your novel has a family member already on the trail.

The Black Hawk War occurred in 1832. Did it happen near your novel’s setting?

This was a presidential election year. Andrew Jackson was reelected as our nation’s president in 1832. I found some fun traditions that folks used to follow on election day and wrote about them on my blog. Depending on the timing, election celebrations could be a festive event in your novel.

The sites referenced above are a springboard for ideas. Research further on details that snag your interest. You never know what you will find when opening the pages of history.

Allowing our characters to interact with actual historical events opens up a fascinating world and adds authenticity. Readers find it easier to “step back in time” with you.

It is one more way to add scene “noise” that many readers crave.

 

Sources

“1832 in the United States,” Wikipedia, 2017/01/22, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1832_in_the_United_States.

“Historical Events in 1832,” On This Day, 2017/01/23, http://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1832.

“Timeline of United States history (1820-59),” Wikipedia, 2017/01/22, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_history_(1820%E2%80%9359).

“U.S. Timeline: The 1830s, Conquering the West,” Americasbesthistory.com, 2017/01/23, http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1830.html.

 

 

Categories
History in the Making

Seeing His Words in Print Baffles Mark Twain

by Sandra Merville Hart

Mark Twain’s life was at a pivotal moment in the 1860s.

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He was out of the States and in Nevada Territory where fortunes were made and lost while mining for silver. He ought to know; his part-ownership in a silver mine had made him a millionaire. Through the worst of misfortunes, Twain lost his interest in the mine after ten days.

What was next for him? He had held a variety of positions: grocery clerk, blacksmithing, bookseller’s clerk, drug store clerk, St. Louis and New Orleans pilot, a printer, private secretary, and silver mill miner. He felt that he had mastered none of these professions. What does one do after losing a million dollars?

[bctt tweet=”Mark Twain was at a pivotal moment. What does one do after losing a million dollars? #writing #inspiration” username=”@Sandra_M_Hart”]

He gave in to misery. He had written letters to Virginia’s Daily Territorial Enterprise, the territory’s main newspaper in earlier days; it always surprised him when the letters were published. It made him question the editors’ judgment. His high opinion of them declined because they couldn’t find something better than his literature to print.

A letter came from that same newspaper offering Twain a job as city editor even as he wondered what his future held. Though he had so recently been a millionaire, the job offer with a twenty-five-dollar salary seemed like a fortune. The offer thrilled him.

mark-twain-391112_960_720Then doubts set in. What did he know of editing? He felt unfit for the position. Yet refusing the job meant that he’d soon have to rely on the kindness of others for a meal, and that he had never done.

So necessity forced Twain into taking an editor’s job though he felt ill-equipped. He arrived in Virginia, Nevada Territory, dressed more as a miner than an editor in a blue woolen shirt, pantaloons stuffed into the top of his boots, slouch hat, and a “universal navy revolver slung to his belt.”

The chief editor, Mr. Goodman, took Twain under his wing and trained him to be a reporter. The young man had finally found something he excelled in.

As writers, many of us can relate to Twain’s doubts. A myriad of talented authors have come before us. What do we have to offer?

It is comforting to realize that a young man destined to become one of America’s best-loved authors began with humility. A seasoned and kindly editor taught him the trade; Twain’s talent took him the rest of the way.

What would have happened if Mark Twain hadn’t lost a million dollars? His words may have been lost to us. Such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Prince and the Pauper might never have been written.

When we ponder our failures, our rejected works, and lost opportunities, we should remember that situations change. We won’t always feel as we do today. God has the ability to put us in the right place at the right time with the right attitude.

Just like He did with Samuel Clemens, America’s beloved Mark Twain.

 

Sources

Twain, Mark. Roughing It, Penguin Books, 1981.