On Scraps and Ambivalence, Itches and Perseverance

If you are struggling with what you

should be writing, look at your scraps.

Encoded there are the themes and subjects you

should be grappling with as a writer. --Betsy Lerner

I've been doing just such a thing this past week--sorting through my scraps. And nearly drowning in them, actually.

The thing is, my scraps have been accumulating for years. Clippings here, manila folders there, boxes of articles torn from magazines waiting to be revisited. But with the advent of a new year, one in which I plan to finally embark on my next MG historical fiction, I decided it was time to put on wading boots, jump in, and pull all the scraps together in some kind of order. After all, the sea of research goes on forever, but the time comes to put a hold on research and begin to write. I just need to know I can find what I'm looking for when the thought hits me.

It's been a long week, but I now have six new notebooks of compiled scraps to show for my efforts:

• On Plot and Storytelling
• Character Sketches and Journaling
• Photo File with Visuals, Idea Triggers, and Character Suggestions
• Local History of Targeted Era
• Biographies and Human Interest, Inspirational Stories of Overcoming Adversity
• Odds and Ends: Names, Motives, Descriptions, Family Trees

Not only that, but the week culminated in a one-sentence story summary, a developing story arc, and determination to get something down on that first page. After all, the first page--so blank and empty--is often our biggest obstacle.

"The ambivalent writer," Betsy Lerner notes in her classic book on writing, The Forest for the Trees, "can't hear himself think, can't commit to a single vision, can't stop wondering if six other directions aren't the right ones to take. The ambivalent writer confuses procrastination with research. He can't hear through the static to find the one true voice."

She also says, "(But) If the voices keep calling, if the itch remains, no matter how punishing the work or inhospitable the world, then you must persevere."

Sorting through my scraps has validated some of my loves: history, real people's inspiring stories, stories of courage and hope, children's fiction, the writing process itself. It has helped provide vision, direction, and voice for my newest work--and hopefully has also silenced those pesky troublemakers, ambivalence and procrastination. But the best news of the week? The itch to jump in and get going is stronger than ever. And only perseverance will scratch that kind of itch.

The Challenge is on.

What do your scraps reveal about your writing?

Stay Curious--But Get the Facts

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity." --Albert Einstein

I ran across a list of explanations and definitions for historical traditions and word meanings in a recent issue of our local historical society's newsletter. While the tidbits were interesting, and in some cases downright funny, I had to ask myself if the "facts" were true. There were no credits or source information given. Hmmm. Well, let's just say such an example can serve as a reminder to double-check our research notes before taking them public. First account sources--like diaries, original documents, photos, interviews--are always best to draw from. For sure there's a reader out there somewhere itching to correct us if we slip up!

Having said that, here--from "Life in the 1500s Was No Picnic!"--is the list:

"Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married."

"Only the wealthy had floors other than dirt. Hence the saying, 'dirt poor'."

"If thresh (straw) were spread on the floor and regularly added to, it would begin to slip out the door. To prevent this, a piece of wood (or 'thresh hold') would be placed in the doorway."

"Bread was divided according to status: servants got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top or 'upper crust'."

Yep, some curious stuff here. But, while we should never lose a sense of curiosity, in writing we should back up our work with facts that can be documented. What do you say?

Wanna' Go Back?

I'm knee-deep in some pretty intensive prep work for an upcoming pitch on my MG historical fiction novel, but at the same time I'm anxious to start the next project. It, too, will be historical fiction. Its characters are calling for attention, and I don't want to ignore them much longer! And so, torn between two eras, I took an unscheduled break and opened up Keeping Hearth & Home in Old Ohio, A Practical Primer for Daily Living (edited by Carol Padgett), that I found at the Half-Price Bookstore. (An aside, don't you love second-hand stores--books and, ahem, designer clothes?)

Anyway. The tips come from 19th-century cookbooks, household manuals, and periodicals. And what wise, whimsical, and in-today's-world-odd-sounding gems can be found in its pages. For example...

Developing Good Habits for Personal Appearance: Stock Your Toilet. "No matter how humble your room may be, there are eight things it should contain, namely: mirror, washstand, soap, towel, comb, hair-,nail-,and tooth-brushes. These are just as essential as your breakfast, before which you should make good use of them."

Setting Up Household: Sleeping Rooms."The best feathers for beds and pillows are feathers plucked from live birds. Chicken, goose, or duck feathers may be preserved and used by putting all the soft feathers together in a barrel as they are picked from the birds after scalding. Leave the barrel open to the sun and rain, covering it with an old screen to prevent the feathers from blowing about."

Appointing Your Kitchen: Match Safe. "Keep a stock of matches on a high, dry shelf in a covered earthen jar or tin box where they will be out of the way of children and safe from rats and mice. These animals are fond of phosphorus and will gnaw match heads if they can and often set them on fire."

Care of the Hands. "Always wear gloves when housekeeping, outdoors, sleeping. Sleeping in soft, white kid gloves, after rubbing mutton tallow on the hands, will keep them soft and white. Large mittens worn at night filled with wet bran or oatmeal keep the hands white, in spite of the disfiguring effects of housework."

Butter. "For making butter, strain unskimmed milk into a scalded churn, where the churning is done daily...In summer try to churn early in the morning, as fewer flies are swarming then."

And, finally, Remedies for Household Pests. "Mix a little powdered potash with meal and throw it into the rat holes and it will not fail to drive the rats away."

I could go on and on, but I hate to bore you. Besides, I want to dig a little deeper and find out more about "Developing the Mannerisms of a Lady,"and "Strengthening the Union." Just for fun.

And you? Any books you've read recently, just for the fun of it?

TMI

Historical fiction is one of my loves--I guess that's why my first children's book is in the genre. I've always loaded up on stories about history at the library or in bookstores--starting in childhood with Little Women, the Little House books, Caddie Woodlawn and the like-- and the pattern has carried over to writing.

But here's the problem--at least my problem--in writing historical fiction: TMI.

Yes, TMI as in "too much information." Not  too much in relation to research, getting the facts straight, being true to the period, representing life as it was in the particular era--that's the first thing historical fiction writers will address. You've got to know who your character is, where she fits in to her time frame, where she comes from. But most of what has been researched, catalogued, stuffed in the brain--if used--will be an overload. What we're looking for here is story--a good one. Not a history lesson. So I'm open to inspiration in dealing with the problem. Here are a few words on the subject:

"The best research doesn't do any good if you can't tell a great story--gripping for children, who are often interested in things that we aren't, and bored by things that we think are cool...you have...to keep them reading."--Jennifer Jensen, Suite 101

"When we convey dialect, we should use a light touch to keep the text readable and so as not to parody our characters. In historical work, the dialog shouldn't be too historical-- a few thees and thous go a long way." --Paula Fleming, writing-world.com 

"The good historical novel is the wise selection of the right fact for the right effect. It doesn't surfeit the reader by too much information, it doesn't starve them with too little." --Caro Clarke, caroclarke.com

And perhaps the most helpful words of all come from Ann Rinaldi, author of over 40 historical books including The Second Bend in the River and Nine Days a Queen:

"...and so it is that historical fiction writers build on facts and take the leap of imagination..."

Yes--imagination! The big key. I'm so ready to drop my TMI overload and take the leap.

Wanna' go with me?