Category: Tisha’s Novel Progress

Follows the progress of each of my novels through lessons, photos, and inspiration.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Five Things I Learned After Writing My First Chapter

typists

With my cursor at the beginning of Chapter 1 of my WWII historical fiction novel, I hit Ctrl+Enter and sighed.

Beginning a book all over again isn’t pleasant sometimes.

I loved this chapter. I mean, really liked it, even though I knew all along something wasn’t quite right about it.

For several months when I first started writing all those years ago, I struggled to figure out why chapter 1 didn’t work as the beginning for my novel.

And now, I needed to start over and create a new Chapter 1.

A few contests, a writing conference or ten, a plethora of writing craft books, and two agents later, my intuition had solidified into a clear direction of where this novel needed to go. The feedback was abundantly helpful, and most of the readers enjoyed the few chapters I had submitted.

But the first chapter lacked … heart. The first chapter was missing the GMC (goal, motivation, conflict).

My chapter lacked a clear, immediate action.

Who are these people and why do you want me to care for them?? 

I can honestly say I’ve always been a writer who struggled to write beginnings. I’m sure I’m not the only one, and there are writers who dislike middles and endings too.

Here are a few things I learned about my now-improved chapter (the Chapter 1 that everyone liked but couldn’t connect with):

  1. Always introduce your characters early enough in the first page that gives the reader reason to continue to the second page and the third page and eventually the last page in as few sittings as possible. Maybe your character is afraid to drive over a bridge or wants to capture a rattlesnake. You want that first page to pop! off the page.
  2. Give your characters interesting, lively dialogue . You want to make your readers laugh and relate to the story, even if in a small way.
  3. Engage your readers. Don’t make them ask the kind of questions that drive them to set your story down and go do something that they had been putting off (like washing laundry or bathing the dog).
  4. Don’t overwrite. Less is always more.
    (This was hard for me at first because I like to describe things. But too much actually hurts your writing and may frustrate your readers. Readers want a quick read they can still enjoy.)
  5. Choose your words well. Your words can endear your readers, or cause them to run. Mark Twain said it best. It’s the difference between lightening and the lightning bug.

Taking an honest look at my first chapter, and based on my family’s and friends’ and judges’/agents’ comments, I’m glad I’m starting over. Last week, I spent four days pounding out a new Chapter 1 — a rough draft right now, but hopefully in the near future it will be a well-rounded opening chapter!

Now, excuse me while I read over this post and check to see that I’ve engaged you, helped you relate to it, caused you to want to read it, and that I’ve used my words well.

Oh, if you want to learn more about engaging your readers with that first chapter, I’ll be speaking about The Felt Need and How to Work with an Editor at two different writer’s events in Summer 2023. Check my socials for details!

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Novel Research: Town History

It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.

Many famous people grew up in small towns, which is really surprising. Ronald Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois (and Kentucky). When I began researching the town I’m writing about, I learned a lot about the town’s native authors. Several authors who wrote famously about this small, Midwestern town grew up in the town and moved away after graduation, only to write about their towns later in life.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Renowned theologian and author Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. Reinhold Niebuhr

Doing research behind the author of the famous poem, “The Serenity Prayer,” I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the state-of-the-art Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Niebuhr children
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
While he did not write much about his hometown as did other authors who grew up there, Niebuhr wrote about thought-provoking and often controversial subjects. He wrote about the spirituality of man and direction of its society shortly after WWII. Several of his titles are Moral Man and Immoral Society, The Nature and Destiny of Man, The Irony of American History, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, among other titles that explored society, the human soul, and politics.
Incidentally, in my first (unpublished) manuscript set during WWII, my main character mentions “The Serenity Prayer,” which was published in the early 1940s.
William Maxwell
William-Keepers-Maxwell-Jr-local-author-tisha-martin-historical-fictionWilliam Maxwell was one of two locals who wrote extensively about their hometown. His stories and novels are often deep, exploring the social and psychological aspects of people living in a small town. According to online research, Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 16, 1908. His parents were William Keepers Maxwell and Eva Blossom (née Blinn) Maxwell. He attended Senn High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1930 where he was class salutatorian, poetry editor of The Daily Illini, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Maxwell earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. Maxwell taught English briefly at the University of Illinois before moving to New York. (Wikipedia.)
Maxwell wrote of tough but necessary topics, such as social and psychological strains of the small town and how various events affected him. Only three of his short stories held happier moments and included people from his childhood. For example Miss Vera Brown  was a popular fifth-grade teacher, whose death devastates her male students (“Love” in All the Days and Nights 245-248). Another example is Mr. Danforth, the venerable horse veterinarian whose advice is quietly sought by many townspeople (Time Will Darken It). A third example is Lincoln College biology Professor Chris Oglevee, who ably mentors the Cub Scout troop of the First Presbyterian Church (“With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge” [For Eudora Welty] in All the Days and Nights 265-269). (D. L. Henson, Finding Lincoln Illinois.)
But one incident happened in his life that he wrote searchingly but fondly of. During the Spanish Flu of 1918, young Maxwell and his mother became ill. Maxwell recovered but his mother did not. Her death devastated the family, and his father sent the boy to live with relatives in Bloomington, a town nearly an hour away, which would have been quite a trip in 1918. He later rejoined his father in Chicago. Maxwell’s story They Came Like Swallows depicts this event so vividly and shows how such a wide-spread epidemic (that spread all the way to Philadelphia) affected an eight-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town.
In my current WIP, I dive a bit into the social history of the townspeople that my journalist is writing about. The more she uncovers about one of the oldest buildings in town, the more prominent folks will stop at nothing to silence her.
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the amount of research the author took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
What interesting towns have you read about?
Photos: Courtesy of D. L. Henson and Wikipedia
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Novel Research: Town History

It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.

Many famous people grew up in small towns, which is really surprising. Ronald Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois (and Kentucky). However, several authors who wrote famously about this small, Midwestern town grew up in the town and moved away after graduation, only to write about their towns later in life.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Renowned theologian and author Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. Reinhold Niebuhr

Doing a bit of research behind the author of the famous poem, “The Serenity Prayer,” I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the state-of-the-art Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Niebuhr children
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
While he did not write much about his hometown as other authors who grew up there did, Niebuhr wrote about thought-provoking and often controversial subjects. He wrote about the spirituality of man and direction of its society shortly after WWII. Several of his titles are Moral Man and Immoral Society, The Nature and Destiny of Man, The Irony of American History, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, among other titles that explored society, the human soul, and politics.
Incidentally, in my first (unpublished) novel set during WWII, my main character mentions “The Serenity Prayer,” even though the poem wasn’t published until the early 1950s.
William Maxwell
William-Keepers-Maxwell-Jr-local-author-tisha-martin-historical-fictionWilliam Maxwell was one of two locals who wrote extensively about their hometown. His stories and novels are often deep, exploring the social and psychological aspects of people living in a small town. According to online research, Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 16, 1908. His parents were William Keepers Maxwell and Eva Blossom (née Blinn) Maxwell. He attended Senn High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1930 where he was class salutatorian, poetry editor of The Daily Illini, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Maxwell earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. Maxwell taught English briefly at the University of Illinois before moving to New York. (Wikipedia.)
Maxwell wrote of tough but necessary topics, such as social and psychological strains of the small town and how various events affected him. Only three of his short stories held happier moments and included people from his childhood. For example Miss Vera Brown  was a popular fifth-grade teacher, whose death devastates her male students (“Love” in All the Days and Nights 245-248). Another example is Mr. Danforth, the venerable horse veterinarian whose advice is quietly sought by many townspeople (Time Will Darken It). A third example is Lincoln College biology Professor Chris Oglevee, who ably mentors the Cub Scout troop of the First Presbyterian Church (“With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge” [For Eudora Welty] in All the Days and Nights 265-269). (D. L. Henson, Finding Lincoln Illinois.)
But one incident happened in his life that he wrote searchingly but fondly of. During the Spanish Flu of 1918, young Maxwell and his mother became ill. Maxwell recovered but his mother did not. Her death devastated the family, and his father sent the boy to live with relatives in Bloomington, a town nearly an hour away, which would have been quite a trip in 1918. He later rejoined his father in Chicago. Maxwell’s story They Came Like Swallows depicts this event so vividly and shows how such a wide-spread epidemic (that spread all the way to Philadelphia) affected an eight-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town.
In my current WIP, I dive a bit into the social history of the townspeople that my journalist is writing about. The more juice she uncovers about one of the oldest buildings in town, the more prominent folks will stop at nothing to silence her.
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the amount of research the author took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
What interesting town research have you read about or uncovered?
Posted on by — 4 Comments

Author News 2019

Hello! I hope you all are surviving the last gusts of winter as we come face to face soon with Spring! I’m looking forward to it!

I’ve been sitting on some exciting author news since October 2018. Nearly four months—but as they say, it takes time for things to happen in the publishing industry.

Being able to combine two loves has been a thrill. Being able to write has been a gift and a blessing. I’m so thankful for every day that I can write. And I’m even more thankful for the writing community and the writer-friends who have invested a lot of time and effort answering questions, talking shop, and encouraging me.

In the fall, Revell will publish an essay of mine! I’m super excited to join other horse people too!! My essay is where I get to share my experience with horses and how they enriched my life, as well as those around me. Horses are like an heirloom…

Here’s me signing my contract!

img_20181024_1652156258939377011836027205.jpg

So … keep your eyes open for more announcements in the coming months! I’ll hopefully be sharing the cover, giving background to the essay, and hosting a giveaway too!

If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, that’s where all the fun activity will happen! Hope you sign up — I’ll look forward to seeing you soon!

Newsletter here — Tisha Martin, Author & Editor and let’s keep in touch! http://eepurl.com/c7tRMX

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Novel Research: Town History

It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.

Many famous people grew up in small towns, which is really surprising. Ronald Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois (and Kentucky). However, several authors who wrote famously about this small, Midwestern town grew up in the town and moved away after graduation, only to write about their towns later in life.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Renowned theologian and author Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. Reinhold Niebuhr

 

Doing a bit of research behind the author of the famous poem, “The Serenity Prayer,” I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the state-of-the-art Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Niebuhr children
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
While he did not write much about his hometown as other authors who grew up there did, Niebuhr wrote about thought-provoking and often controversial subjects. He wrote about the spirituality of man and direction of its society shortly after WWII. Several of his titles are Moral Man and Immoral Society, The Nature and Destiny of Man, The Irony of American History, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, among other titles that explored society, the human soul, and politics.
William Maxwell
William-Keepers-Maxwell-Jr-local-author-tisha-martin-historical-fictionWilliam Maxwell was one of two locals who wrote extensively about their hometown. His stories and novels are often deep, exploring the social and psychological aspects of people living in a small town. According to online research, Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 16, 1908. His parents were William Keepers Maxwell and Eva Blossom (née Blinn) Maxwell. He attended Senn High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1930 where he was class salutatorian, poetry editor of The Daily Illini, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Maxwell earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. Maxwell taught English briefly at the University of Illinois before moving to New York. (Wikipedia.)
Maxwell wrote of tough but necessary topics, such as social and psychological strains of the small town and how various events affected him. Only three of his short stories held happier moments and included people from his childhood. For example Miss Vera Brown  was a popular fifth-grade teacher, whose death devastates her male students (“Love” in All the Days and Nights 245-248). Another example is Mr. Danforth, the venerable horse veterinarian whose advice is quietly sought by many townspeople (Time Will Darken It). A third example is Lincoln College biology Professor Chris Oglevee, who ably mentors the Cub Scout troop of the First Presbyterian Church (“With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge” [For Eudora Welty] in All the Days and Nights 265-269). (D. L. Henson, Finding Lincoln Illinois.)
But one incident happened in his life that he wrote searchingly but fondly of. During the Spanish Flu of 1918, young Maxwell and his mother became ill. Maxwell recovered but his mother did not. Her death devastated the family, and his father sent the boy to live with relatives in Bloomington, a town nearly an hour away, which would have been quite a trip in 1918. He later rejoined his father in Chicago. Maxwell’s story They Came Like Swallows depicts this event so vividly and shows how such a wide-spread epidemic (that spread all the way to Philadelphia) affected an eight-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town.
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the amount of research the author took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
What interesting town research have you read about or uncovered?
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Harness Racing: Maywood Racetrack

race-horses

Have you ever been so excited to jump on a research wagon, that you seriously contemplated jumping right back off of it when you hit smack-hard into a roadblock?

After coming back from the #ACFW2016 writers conference this past August, I had to re-evaluate my trilogy. As it stood, all three of my novels was split between male and female protagonists. I had thought that since it was about a family, then it would be okay. Wrong.

In my effort to spread one trilogy into three eras, I discovered that it wouldn’t be as hard as I thought to come up with baseline book ideas for each trilogy.

For the Korean War trilogy, I decided to borrow a small idea from my great Uncle Oscar, who was involved with harness racing at the  Maywood Race track in Melrose Park, IL. I don’t know much about my Uncle Oscar. And as far as I knew, his photograph was still up in the main office at the park, so I had a very good chance of contacting someone and having a successful conversation with whomever could help answer my questions.

Hall of Fame driver-trainer Frank Ervin with 1949 and 1952 Harness Horse of thr Year Good Time.
Maywood Park’s leading driver of the 1950s Harry Burright gives some handicapping pointers to stage, screen and singing star Jeanette MacDonald.

But conducting quick Google search sent my hopes falling to the ground.

Due to financial constraints, the race track had closed its doors in fall 2015.

How would this affect my chances of researching and writing a good trilogy that also connected me to my distant relatives and their lives? Well, I would have to work harder — that didn’t deter me any. Research must be my middle name.

Sometimes, book planning throws hiccups in the road and we have to roll with the bumps. I hope that this journey of gathering information about the Maywood Race track will be successful, and that I can in some small way, preserve the rich history of this beautiful park and Standardbred race horses.

What do you do when your researching plans fall through, or you encounter roadblocks?

 

Photo Credit: (Top) Pinterest (Left) Maywood Race Track, Hall of Fame driver-trainer Frank Ervin with 1949 and 1952 Harness Horse of the Year Good Time. (Right) Maywood Race Track, Maywood Park’s leading driver of the 1950s Harry Burright gives some handicapping pointers to stage, screen and singing star Jeanette MacDonald.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Novel Inspiration Photos

More photo inspiration!

Vintage quilt | three ladies walking down sidewalk | Dan Patch, racehorse | 1943 Western Horseman magazine (which, by the way, took me three years to find on eBay. Hands-on history is a fun challenge to get a hold of.) 🙂

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Novel Writing: Town History, Part 4

It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.

In my novel, To Rise, I incorporate into one of my scenes a delightful poem written by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr that encourages Laurie, my main character. (Since Laurie’s father is a writer, it’s only fitReinhold Niebuhrting that Niebuhr knows the family — writers unite.)whimsical map of Illinois

Granted, you’re thinking of “The Serenity Prayer,” but this is not the poem I’m referring to, because this well-known poem was published in 1951. And my novel is set in the 1940s. Definitely using the fiction side of historical fiction!

Doing a bit of research behind the author of the famous poem, I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Niebuhr children
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the depth of research it took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
What interesting research have you read about, or uncovered?