A Sense of Place

Posted by Joanne Huspek

The best books not only have relatable characters you can fall in love with (or hate), they also must convey a sense of place. I think about The Hunger Games, a dystopian setting that is removed from today’s time, or Harry Potter, which happens in an exaggerated British landscape (a bit of past, present, and future), or even sci-fi (which admittedly I haven’t read much of since junior high school), where the author must not only create the characters and the plot, they have to make outer space believable. I know that I have to BE there in the setting, even if there is imaginary. It’s easier to enjoy a book or movie if I’ve actually visited the place. For years, because I loved the place, I read books and watched movies about San Francisco. It didn’t matter the time frame or the genre, I loved the connection to the place.

When I wrote my first novel, Finding Cadence, I incorporated a lot of my personal life into the book, and consciously wrote it in three parts. Place, as well, occurred in three parts: first Michigan, then Colorado, and finally California. For me, place was an intrinsic part of the story. Cadie became a different person in all three places, and while I didn’t realize it when I wrote the book, her journey between the three places marked her growth as a person.

I have very little problem in settings in my books. If anything, because I used to write travel reviews, I tend to go overboard with description. I want whomever reads my work to know exactly where I was and how it affected me.

I’m working on a new novel specifically for my online class with Michelle Richmond. It’s a story about a woman who moves to 1898 Colorado Springs from northwestern Ohio after her brother dies. (Good thing I live here now! And I’m well aware of northwestern Ohio.) She and her mother don’t know it, but he had taken his gold mining money and invested it into real estate in Colorado Springs. It’s not a lot – not like a mining or railroad millionaire might achieve back in the day, but it’s enough for him to buy a large tract of land where he has just completed an enormous mansion in the middle of nowhere. I’m not going to give away what is going to happen, mainly because I’ll probably change my mind regarding the plot, plus I’d like to generate interest for book sales! (Duh.)

So for the last week, besides dutifully finishing my online homework and writing the first chapter, I’ve taken long walks in some of the open space around here. It’s amazing to me that within a few miles of my house (walking distance), I can go to where the land is largely unchanged from the last 120 years. I can stand in a field or canyon and imagine myself back then.

North Cheyenne canyon at the edge of Stratton Open Space. Behind the local high school.

I’ve also visited a couple of local landmarks, places I’d never seen and I grew up here. Miramonte Castle in Manitou Springs was built in 1894. Built by a French priest/architect, it’s a mishmash of nine architectural styles and is a bit much.

The sandstone fireplace at Miramonte. The castle is a bit much, but I’m stealing this for my novel!
Fr. Francolon sat here.

I also toured Glen Eyrie, General Palmer’s castle north of Garden of the Gods. (General Palmer founded Colorado Springs.) Built in the 1890s, it’s a beautiful English style mansion constructed on stunning grounds surrounded by rock formations.

The fireplace at the one room schoolhouse in Glen Eyrie

In my research, I realized that Colorado Springs wasn’t all backward and pioneer in the late 1800s. The time might have been before the widespread use cars and the telephones, but Glen Eyrie had indoor plumbing and a call system and central vacuums among other conveniences. I’m glad I toured these two places because otherwise my story might have contained some glaring errors.

It’s also good to get a feel for the homes of the era, the clothing and artifacts help with the description of setting.

I can’t write a story without becoming the character, seeing where she has gone and experiencing her struggles. Good books go beyond the story alone; they make you think about them long after you’ve reached the words “The End.”

It takes a little extra time and a lot of extra effort, but the payoff is deep.

More later…

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New Year – New Ambition

Posted by Joanne Huspek

I am happy to report that I have not fallen off the New Year resolution wagon – just yet.

I’ve started a new online class, under the direction of Michelle Richmond. There are lots of very talented writers in the class, but instead of wallowing in envy, I’m keeping my head down and working hard. In addition to the class, I’m using the same exercises for the novel I just completed for NaNoWriMo. Win! Win! Win!

This new novel is about a woman in 1898 Colorado Springs, and the tentative title is “An Education for Addie.” While not a true historical novel (I’m concentrating on Addie, who must struggle through many challenges), there will be some research involved. I can’t just plop a character back in time 121 years without paying some attention to detail! Unfortunately, El Paso County doesn’t have a historical society (!) and I’m hitting wall after wall on the internet. *sigh* Whoever said writing a novel was easy probably sold a bridge to a sucker in Brooklyn.

My morning walk. And the setting for the novel.

I have to blame my current writing interest in my surroundings. And the last novel too. There is something alluring about the crisp air, the clear blue skies, and the wind whipping through the arroyo that gets my head thinking.

In addition to the writing class, I’ve kept up with the Hobonichi and am (slowly) making the edits on the last manuscript. I have committed to reading, too, and finished my second reading of Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson. I read it the first time in 7th Grade, when I decided to pick the biggest, hardest book to read in the school library. It was difficult to become accustomed to late 19th Century prose, but after the first thirty pages I was hooked. Not unlike the first time I read the book. I’m also still walking, about 4-5 miles a day when the temperatures are over 40 degrees, which is nearly always.

All of this success through my bout with sickness, my husband’s bout with the crud (like mine only infinitely worse), and the holidays. YAY ME!

It’s also Dry January, so I cannot drown my sorrow in a gin martini when things get tough. No, I must suffer through, just as my character, Addie must. Her life was a thousand times harder than mine.

Next week, I plan on discussing character development. No, really.

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This Writer’s 2019 New Year Resolutions

Posted by Joanne Huspek

Let’s face it: December is always a ‘phew’ month for me.

Nine times out of ten, I’m taking a breather from NaNoWriMo. This year I finished with days to spare, and started working on the first pass-through before November ended.

Then, with the first of December…crushing stagnation…

With the holidays, I’m used to rushing around like a crazy woman, buying presents for family, friends, and co-workers, preparing for meals and days off, etc. This year, in our new house, with hardly any socializing on the schedule and no employees to worry about, I fell into a laziness I haven’t seen in many years.

I’m usually too busy to be lazy, and even if I procrastinate, I manage to cram in as much as I can in a day.

December was mostly laid-back (perhaps a little too much so).

December was also mostly sunny and warm. That’s because we live in Colorado now, where winters are mild. I spent a great deal of time outdoors, walking in the sun! I’m tan all the time now!

With the walking comes the thinking, and I’ve been thinking about how to approach the rest of my life, now that I’m jobless, i.e. retired. I have so many partially finished projects laying about, as my unpacking has proven, with lots of half-finished jewelry and cross stitch and needlepoint and a crazy quilt I started in 1985. I love starting things, especially stories, flushed with the excitement of new places to go and worlds to create. Beginning a new story is easy for me.

Unfortunately, kicking myself in the rear to complete second and third drafts is something else. I don’t particularly like to edit. It’s very hard work. I can see the stories in my head, even the un-fleshed parts are finished in the brain, but getting them out there and onto the page – that’s another thing.

This year’s resolutions are simple:

  1. Finish the unfinished. I have no less than four manuscripts in the rough draft mode on my computer. I really need to work on those, even as it pains me.
  2. Take a class. Already signed up for a writing class, and will see about an art class.
  3. Work on the web site(s). Again, laziness has reared its ugly head and I really need to tame that particular monster.
  4. Investigate more on the self-pub aspect of the business. With the changes in CreateSpace and Amazon, I really need to grab this bull by the horns.
  5. Keep up the daily journal. My Hobonichi went to hell after the first week of December. And I was doing so well, too!
  6. Put myself on a schedule. All of this could be easily accomplished if I stuck to a schedule. Now that major house repairs have been completed, this should be easy. (Plus, the husband got a new job he’s starting on the 9th. It’ll be nice to have some alone-time. He’s kind of a distraction.)
  7. Enter some contests. I’ve been out of contest mode for several years. Time to dive back in.

The media folks say that New Year’s resolutions are usually broken and fall to the wayside by the middle of January. This year, I’m out to prove them wrong.

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Whoa NaNo-WriMo 2018 – Finishing Up a Winner

Posted by Joanne Huspek

Today is the official last day of NaNoWriMo, and I hope everyone who participated this year either completed the challenge or made a valiant effort. After all, it’s the effort that counts.

I was on friggin’ fire this year! I was able to get over 50K words by the 26th.

I’ve spent the last few days getting caught up on other things. As soon as I post this, I’ll start to go over what I’ve written, which likely is a mess. I do this completely old school – with a notebook by my side. I wish I could figure out Scrivener, but I’m hopeless.

This year, I worked without notes. I only had a vague idea of the characters and an even vaguer idea of the story line, so I’m amazed I finished at all.

A few things I’ve learned this year:

1. It helps to have time – lots of time. Now that I’m retired from the working world, I not only had tons of time, I had absolutely no headaches from the Day Job to worry about. Talk about having a sack of boulders lifted…what a change!

2. It helps to have a passion about what you’re writing about. I took a story “ripped from the headlines” and turned it on its ear. I had a feeling the other side (of the real life story) was lost to the world. It helped to open up a case of righteous indignation and play from that angle.

3. It helps to let your characters go. I wrote a couple of chapters that completely floored me. I had no idea where these people were going (certainly not where I would have gone!), but I let them take the lead. I found those two chapters to be the most interesting in the work.

So now I have basked in my limited glory. It’s time to get the red pen out.

For those who are still working, keep at it. It’s not over until midnight!

NaNo-2018-Winner-Certificate

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NaNoWriMo Day 12 Update

Posted by Joanne Huspek

We are up to Day 12 of the 2018 NaNoWriMo, and my total word count is just over 23,000 words.

YAY! Applause! Confetti!

This even after taking three and a half days off from writing. (I visited the great north – Duluth, Minnesota. It was cold, very cold. I would have rather been writing, but what can you do?) We returned yesterday where I cranked out a few words in between laundry and unpacking and checking out the damage my cat did (minimal, he’ll live).

One thing I noticed now that I’m nearly a third of the way through is that I’m still bogged down in the beginning. This is because I love me some back story! I just can’t get out of the back story!

During today’s session, I decided to plant my characters in the middle of the middle. (Which I approximately know since I know what occurs during the beginning, the middle, and the end. If you have a faint idea, you can actually start anywhere and write. Writing the ending first is really an interesting exercise.) It was a slow start, but I think I can push on from here.

The main point I’m trying to get across in my story is that women (girls) can be just as evil and conniving as men, and when any human of any gender is like that, they should get punished in the end.

Eventually (thirty years later), my antagonist is going to get punished, but at this time I’m trying to make her as mean and unlikable as possible. This is hard to do when you want people to live in peace and have a kumbaya moment every time there’s a wrinkle.

But…you need those wrinkles.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I hope to have most of this novel finished by then. At least, I want a little more than a rough sketch, something I can really sink my teeth into once November is over.

How’s your NaNoWriMo coming along? Remember, it’s the consistent writing that makes it happen. I’ve spent NaNoWriMo in abject failure by Day 14, so I know the feeling of non-accomplishment. Push yourself. It doesn’t have to be good, it just has to BE.

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Out of the NaNoWriMo Starting Gate – With a Bang

Posted by Joanne Huspek

I would have to say that my first week of NaNoWriMo 2018 (heck! my first four days!) has been so productive!

My word count as of end of yesterday (Day 4) is well over 12,000 words!

Yay, me!

(I don’t want to celebrate too much, as a lot of things can happen between now and November 30 and too much happy dancing can jinx any good thing. Sickness, travel, things come up that will get between you and your story. Life doesn’t stop just because it’s November!)

I’ll make this brief as I need to get back to the story while I’m still on fire. (Zzzzzzzssshhhhh…hear that? It’s bacon sizzling. Or my fingers.) I’ll just impart a few observations since starting this tale:

  1. If you’re out of stories to write about, rip something from the headlines. I don’t normally do this, but what a great idea! We are novelists, not journalists, so creative license gives you permission to make things up and spice things up.
  2. Don’t be afraid to let a character take you to places you didn’t think you’d want to go. (Remember, I didn’t do much planning on this story, didn’t have time with moving and remodeling. I basically just played with names and settings and basic story line.) You want to come away from your session with the computer like I did Saturday thinking “Wow! Did she really just do that?”
  3.  Try sitting in an uncomfortable chair, as you might type faster. I’m sitting at my kitchen counter, and while the chairs are fine for a quick snack, sitting on them for longer than an hour is kind of a pain. My comfy purple writing chair survived the move from Michigan and is right across the room, but I’ll pass. I’m afraid I’ll get swallowed up in it.
  4. Take a few minutes to read in your genre. I finished Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood (one of my favorites) at the end of October. However, I wouldn’t recommend picking up a new book that will consume you and your precious time. Just read a few pages out of a favorite book in your collection. Don’t start at a chapter, pick a random page or two in the middle and commit to only two pages.
  5. Also important, don’t forget physical activity. We’ve had some cold and snow in Colorado this week, which happens. As soon as the temperatures get past 39 degrees, I head out the door, even if it’s just for a mile or two. Walking is a great way to clear your head. You might be pleasantly surprised what ideas might pop up too.

Well, back to the salt mines! I can’t wait to see where we’re going today.

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Preparing for NaNoWriMo 2018: Excavating the Road Maps

Posted by Joanne Huspek

Now that I have my pristine new notebooks ready, my pile of colored gel pens (I love using these, a color for each character), and half an idea in my head for this year’s NaNoWriMo, it’s time to dig out what I call the road maps to successful writing. You wouldn’t take a trip without a road map, would you?

Yes, the books were the first boxes unpacked after our cross-country move, but they were not organized! It’s hard to stay organized when you are constantly moving one pile of stuff to another room and back again. The books I’m speaking of are books on the craft of writing.

So this weekend was spent getting things in order. I’m blessed with a built in bookshelf in my master bedroom which covers a complete wall, so I had plenty of space to work with.

Usually I arrange books by author or genre and then by size.

Sometimes I’ll go back and take out the writing related-but I’m not there yet (like How to Find a Literary Agent, Making the Perfect Pitch) and put them to the side, for future reference. (Like in a couple of years when I’ve sweated through a couple of edits.)

Other times I’ll take the constant go-to reference books (they’re the ones with the bent spines – The Woman in the Story and The Emotional Craft of Fiction comes to mind) and stack them up and browse through them as I pass by on the way to something else.

Or I might just take a few moments to read Stephen King’s On Writing, just to get a master’s anecdotal opinion on the process. (And yes, that’s a Furrby. He’s not quite as annoying as he used to be. Twenty years have worn him down. Now when I wake him up, he says he’s “sleepy” and starts snoring.)

Good thing the weather’s been unusually cold for this time of year. (As in teen-digit weather, brr…) There’s plenty of time to cuddle up with a book and hot cup of tea while I load my brain full of things I should be doing when I write.

🙂

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