I wanted to stop in quick this morning and talk about research.
Can you do too much? How much should you include in your story?
If you've been following this blog then you know I've really been hung up on the research for An Ozarks Homecoming. Will I include everything I've learned? Not even close. However, when it comes to the military, there are things you just can't screw up!
I thought I had everything I needed until I realized my hero's internal struggle. I think, aside from the military stuff I had to get right, not knowing Marc's issues was the real dam holding everything back. I knew things weren't flowing but I hadn't located the dam.
Once I connected dots in my head and realized Marc was suffering from survivor's guilt I knew I needed to actually talk to a combat training officer. I was blessed to have made a connection with one guy from our local farmer's market. While he hadn't served in that capacity, he was able to put me in touch with someone who had. Jason is a retired combat training offer AND had mustered out from Fort Polk - right where Marc had the experience!
While Jason doesn't talk about his military service, he did spend almost an hour with me on Tuesday answering my questions, filling in gaps and sharing a couple of stories about his own experiences. WOW!
I wish I hadn't been too tired to work when I got home but was after 9 p.m. by the time I got home. For someone who gets up at 5:30 a.m., it was way past my bedtime.
Will I include everything I learned from our talk? Not even close. Just having that background information is enough to help me tell Marc's story.
I didn't get any writing done last week because I crunched to get things out of the way in preparation for a FREE on-line writer's conference I heard about from Sarra Cannon earlier in the week.
I encourage everyone to check out the website and watch the videos. Just go to SCHEDULE 2022 then click on the YouTube icon next to the sessions that interest you.
This was an intense three days of great information on both Writing and Publishing. My brain is kind of on over-load as I took copious notes and screenshots from most of the sessions. I still have a few to go back and watch thanks to a migraine that hit on Friday. I made connections with some really great people and found some new sprinting groups I hope to take part in.
One thing that was a REAL eye-opener is how much time this whole writing business thing is going to take. I mean, I KNEW but I just didn't absorb the enormity of the process. I know the over-all journey is an evolution and I'll get there. That's what Sarra Cannon's HB90 course is all about - avoiding the overwhelm while still moving the needle forward.
The coordinators realized they probably could have timed this better, since this is Camp Nano month so they've scheduled the 2023 YouTube conference for June 23-25, 2023. Mark your calendar for an amazing conference from the comfort of your own home!
Speaking of Sarra Cannon, She did an awesome presentation on Saturday talking about Planning To Thrive.She is a planner girl and pretty much everything she does involves a planner. She also just opened registration for the Publish & Thrive course that starts in a few weeks. Here's her video with all the details:
Note that she does offer payment options as well as a bundle savings when you purchase Publish and Thrive PLUS the HB90
I do have a busy week but one I'm SUPER excited about.
I have an interview later today with a retired combat training officer from Ft. Polk Army training grounds. This interview should clinch the research I need to finish An Ozarks Homecoming. I don't recall if I mentioned but a few months back I finally realized what my hero's internal struggle is - all stemming from an incident when he was stationed at Ft. Polk. However, I'm determined to not misrepresent the military in any way so I needed to find someone who could tell me if the incident that led to his struggle is plausible. Jason should be able to answer those questions.
For this week:
1 - Continue work on studio
2 - Kanban board
3 - Write 500 words per day minimum - beginning today!
The 500 word per day challenge came as a result of meeting Joe from SixCats Press during the AuthorTube Conference. I'll link his video down below. I'm a few days behind to be in sync with him but as Amber McCue would say - I'm right on time!
That pretty much brings you up to speed. I'll be back tomorrow and Wednesday with the next two Something Blue anthology authors - Robyn Neeley and Annie Rains.
Today's post is the last in this series about Cpl. Donald Matney. In the previous video, Tom gave kudos for the respect and the coverage given to his nephew's homecoming.
This video is the presentation from one of our news stations out of Springfield MO.
In keeping with the 'An Ozarks....' theme in my titles, the Soldier's Homecoming has become finalized as An Ozarks Homecoming... since I have two military men coming home in the story.
I first told you about how the germ of this story came about in THIS POST, introducing Cpl. Donald Matney.
I can't fathom the despair learning your son or daughter isn't coming home. Compound that heartache with not knowing where they even are! MIA - Missing In Action leaves a lot of questions unanswered for families.
Did you know that the Korean War was the first war where they returned remains to the US? Yet, they still refer to Korea as 'the forgotten war'.
Donald Matney's family never gave up. His niece, Sandy, grew up seeing her uncle's picture on the wall and asking 'who is that?' As she grew older and identifying remains in the Punch Bowl in Honolulu became a thing, she and her husband (Tom Gormley) began the long process of finding Donny and bringing him home. Tom has been invaluable in my research, both through his video presentation at the Broomfield Veteran's Museum in Broomfield Colorado and providing actual documents through email.
Beginning today, and for the subsequent four weeks, I'm going to share the video presentation from Tom. If you have someone you've been trying to find, perhaps the Gormley's story will give you direction. Along the way you'll get an inside look as to what those men and women in Korea endured on what was only to be a 'Police Action'.
A quick post this morning to let you know I've not lined up the research posts for the next couple of weeks yet. That's one of my plans for this weekend.
In the mean time, please check out this book by T. R. Fehrenbach
Wow, what a difference between yesterday and today. Woke up to twenty degrees cooler than yesterday morning. I guess it's November, after all, but geez! Good thing I'll have the oven on this morning so I can dry can grains and pasta for the pantry.
Is it just me or does everything start moving faster once November hits?
Since I have been busy trying to get stuff caught up around here before Bob comes home on Wednesday, I've not taken the time to sit down and fill in the Preptober Workbook - a freebie from author Sarra Cannon. I'm posting her video walk -through below.
There is a relatively new bakery about an hour from me. She opened last fall or early spring. Small but beautiful shop. I hope to talk to her about what she went through in opening her bakery so I know my heroine's journey as getting her bakery open is her make or break in the story.
Lastly, 2,000 words per day. That may adjust once I fill in the Preptober book, which I hope to work on today. One other thing to add to the list is to add a word count bar to the blog side-bar.
Speaking of being busy, there will be blank spots as we go through the next two months. I want to enjoy the holidays. There won't be a Writer's Nest post again this month or possibly next. I do have someone scheduled for December but she's in the middle of a major move and not sure she'll be settled in by December.
I do have a new series coming in December, though so stay tuned!
If you spend hours researching your own projects or for someone else, take a coffee break! However, if someone does research for you, treat them today to a few minutes off. Though I have to say, I think most people in this job love research and they are very good at what they do.
I love research, though I have to admit having Alice In Wonderland syndrome. One nugget leads to another and I just keep going.
The thing we have to remember is while we won't use all of those uncovered nuggets, their essence can still add to our story.
Do you enjoy research? What's the most interesting fact you've uncovered?
My first book is up on Amazon. Amazing how that one little seed can boost your confidence to move forward. Remember, I've been mud-bogging for months. Not any more.
In the past week I've decided to try and figure out why one of my stories has such controversy. One one hand the book gets 'The Call' from an editor and great reviews from two others, while as a contest entry the comments are total opposite ends of the scope. One will tell me the story is great (a multi-published author) while another basically says go back to the drawing board. One person even went so far as to say she was so confused she wasn't interested in reading anymore. Hmmmm
So I've sent the first chapter off to a trusted editor friend. I've not heard back yet. I probably need to nudge her as I'd love to enter the story in competition - this week.
The other thing I've been doing is researching my new Coastal Maine series. What started out as one book with a fireman as my hero has morphed into 3 books. My nameless hero now has an older brother who is a crab fisherman (Gotta love Deadliest Catch for research) and a younger sister who owns a bakery - specializing in cupcakes. Because of their various professions, I've selected three different seasons. Fireman for fall, Fisherman during crab season and all bakery goodness for Christmas.
I've set up a Pinterest Board titled 'Fireman's Promise' and have been researching all things Coastal Maine/ Boothbay Harbor Maine.
This week I won't get much done as I'm prepping for a brief weekend trip to a wedding followed by a week of company. But evenings and my netbook may become very good friends.
I have to admit, and I've said it before, fiction has not been my focus of late. My life for the first four months of 2013 has been all about music, mostly in the Texas music field. Last week, however I entered a different world. I took the opportunity to attend the symphony at the Arkansas Philharmonic at the Arend Center in Bentonville AR. I went for a multitude of reasons.
1) I'd always wanted to attend the symphony but felt I wouldn't fit in. I'm not the high-maintenance kind of person. Don't get me wrong... I love to dress up and do the Cinderella-going-to-the-ball/ enchanted evening trip.
2) I KNEW I'd fit in this time. How could I not when Maestro Steven Byess as well as two of the musicians (Katie Bowden and Dr. Dan Ross) are all my friends.
3) A writer's well of experiences should never run dry. We should empower ourselves by trying new things... even if they mean stepping out of our comfort zone.
4) I LOVE music of all styles, but classic instrumentals nurture the soul. Beautiful Instrumentals has become my favorite DirectTV Sirus channel as background music for just about anything I'm doing unless I need a specific theme for my current WIP.
Part of the experience last week set up all types of scenarios for future stories. There was the frustrating attempt at trying to find THE dress. Having never been to a symphony before, and being friends of the conductor, I was so afraid that what I'd choose would not be 'right'. The last thing I wanted to do was to embarrass my friends. Though deep down I KNOW this would never have been an issue with them. They are genuine and sweet people. But isn't it amazing the way our minds can blow things out of proportion? If you're ever stuck in your novel, have your character over-react to something and see what happens.
And trying something new always stirs up emotions that can apply to various situations such as fear, anxiety, doubt, frustration, not to mention the passion that floods your soul once the music begins. My favorite piece was the opening... Night on Bald Mountain... which you can hear either by following the Arkansas Philharmonic link above or Here.
Try something new! Enjoy the experience! Live the writing life!
All my best
Angela
