I love lyrical fiction. You know, the kind of writing that makes you feel as though you are lying in the cool grass with the book’s character, enjoying the gentle wisp of breeze rustling your hair, the faint whiff of summer roses permeating the air. I can almost hear the music of the trees as they swish against each other, the distant bay of dog, disturbed by a jogger passing by. Every sense tingles; every vivid word I read nudges me to wake and experience the scene as though I were there.

I found such a descriptive writer recently. Patti Callahan Henry is the author of eight novels about southern living and self-discovery. Critics compare her to Patricia Gaffney and Mary Alice Monroe, and now that I’ve read Patti’s books, I want to explore what the others have to say. I’ve placed her novels on my shelf alongside Kate Morton’s works. I’m excited to have found another literary favorite. I want to write my own manuscripts that touch others as deeply as their books have touched me. They inspire me and make me want to sit down at the computer, lasso words and corral them onto the page in ways that will best communicate the thoughts inside me. And though I may never reach such heights as these fine writers, I am grateful for their talent and what their genius does to me.

How about you? Who are your favorite authors, and what impassions you about their writing? Please share so others may sample their work.

Accuracy In Fiction

How accurate does an author need to be when writing fiction? I found a variety of opinions on the topic. Most agree that a work of fiction is exactly that—not meant to be factual. One definition of the word explains that fiction “is a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.” With that description, need I say more?

However, many writers argue an author of fiction needs to be at least correct in setting or in technology or about the era in which they write. I do as much research as I can before I weave a story, but even the most carefully-researched novel can contain factual errors. If you weren’t in the thick of the battle, or haven’t participated in the latest high-tech gadgetry, or have never set foot on a submarine, you are at a disadvantage compared to those who have or did. No amount of research can take the place of first-hand experiences.

One problem arises when intelligent, educated, well-read individuals take what they read in a novel as fact. And if they catch you in a fabrication, they may put your book down and never read anything you write again. The controversy that surrounded Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, proves that many “educated” individuals were offended by the concepts he presented in that work. Brown’s statement in the beginning of his book that claimed some of what he wrote was fact might have added to the chaos, but the book was fiction.

Another issue develops because information that someone may have considered accurate years ago may now prove obsolete. Evidence continues to break on the horizon, and our fast-paced, sci-fi, mechanistic society waits for no one. Getting our hands on the most accurate research is difficult, at best.

So how can a fiction writer satisfy the fact lover’s appetite and still retain license to create the story they want to spin? I say it’s a war we are almost certain to fail. But should we fret about it? A more accurate detail will always lurk around the corner or surface the day after your novel hits the bookstore shelves. Just check the essentials the best you can, stay true to your own accuracy-meter, and type like mad. But the most important element is to use your imagination. After all, you’re writing fiction, and I dare anyone to dispute that fact.

I'd Rather Be an Introvert

A few posts ago, I suggested writers might be more introverted than actors. I recently read a blog that discussed introverts, and the author listed several myths surrounding them that I believe sum up the majority of creative people in the world. Here is his list:

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become extroverts

Does that sound like any of the prejudices against you creative individuals out there?

The author explained introverts were people who liked to talk, but they needed a reason to engage in conversation with others, a reason to interact. They are not aloof or rude; they just find small talk unnecessary. And get an introvert in a discussion on that which they are passionate about, and you may find yourself captive for hours.

Unfortunately, extroverts find it hard to understand that the inner world of the introvert is much more exciting and stimulating than the thrill-seeking, mile-a-minute opportunities they levitate toward. But what is wrong with that? Over-stimulation often provides too many distractions for an artist. These activities get in the way of the genius that comes in the still, small moments—those moments that provide a great deal of fun and relaxation.

The more I delved into that blog article, the more I recognized myself in the author’s description. Only, I always thought there was something wrong with me. I always wondered why I couldn’t be more like an extrovert. After all, they seem to get results faster and are more accepted than those with quite, thoughtful natures. No matter how I tried, I just couldn’t fix myself to act differently either.

So be it. I look at what I’ve accomplished in creativity, and I am grateful. I wouldn’t trade who I am for all the acceptance on the planet. And although, I’d like exciting experiences filed away in my brain so I know what I’m talking about when my characters climb a mountain or shoot a gun, I’d much rather be behind the computer and living my thrills on the page.

How about you?

Believe In Yourself

Rejections are strange beasts. They rip the very core of an author to shreds, but they tend to implant power and courage in the wounded soul. Now that I’ve sent off my Little Darling to an agent in New York, I’m hopeful, yet I embrace myself for what might be waiting in the shadows. Whatever the outcome, I will hold up my head and limp toward my goal with more courage than before. Such is the plight of all authors.

In fact, I was surprised to discover such blockbuster books received so many rejections. Take the examples below for instance:

• Kathryn Stockett's The Help was turned down 60 times before it became a best seller and a movie.
• Stephanie Meyer sent out 15 Twilight manuscripts, received nine rejections, five no responses, and one interested party. 
• J. K. Rowling received 12 rejections for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
• Madeline L Engle's A Wrinkle in Time was turned down 29 times.

I could hardly believe the degrading comments that editors and agents wrote back about these future greats:

• A rejection letter to Pierre Roulle about his Bridge Over River Kwai said, A very bad read."
• H.G. Wells received these depressing words about The War of the Worlds. "An endless nightmare. I do not believe it would "take" ...I think the verdict would be 'Oh don't read that horrid book'."
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold drew this comment: "(this book has) no future..."
• Someone in the publishing world said about Herman Melville's Moby Dick, "We regret to say that out united opinion is entirely against the book as we do not think it would be at all suitable for the Juvenile Market in (England). It is very long, rather old-fashioned..."
• Even Stephen King received this comment about Carrie. "We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell." 

These rejections are words we all dread to hear in our pursuit of publication. And if these proven authors had let the beasts latch on and devour them, they would never have received recognition for their efforts.

So I ask you to join me. Plant solid footing, don your suit of impenetrable armor, and meet the beast head on—if it attacks. But remember, the most sure defense against those rejections that may come is to believe in yourself. You may have to improve, regroup, and re-enter the arena, but each step toward the unknown makes you stronger.

Finding Time to Write

For the first twenty years after I decided I wanted to be an author, I could never find time to write. At least, that’s what I told myself over and over again. Life got in the way. My husband, the children, the pets, church responsibilities, blah, blah, blah.

The sad fact is, I wasted those precious years of writing time because I didn’t realize I had to carve out moments to fit my busy schedule. I could have written early in the morning, or late at night. I could have written during my kids naptime or while I waited for the laundry to dry. It certainly didn’t mean the task was easier, just doable. I could have hacked out a book or two or three over the years and be in a better place than I am now—farther along in my quest to become a published author.

While I’m talking about wasting time, it does me no good to complain about those lost years. My message to you is to find the time in every free moment you have right now, whatever may have occurred before. I’m no less busy today than I was twenty years ago. If I had to guess, I’d say I am even more busy. But I’m also a lot smarter. Over the last two and half years, I’ve completed my second novel one hour a day, at 4:30 in the morning, during lunch breaks, or during the television programs I choose not to turn on. I have just about prepared my manuscript for submittal. The process has taken a lot longer than I had hoped, but chewing off one piece at a time has allowed me to finally accomplish my goal.

So start today. Stop complaining. Just write…whenever you can. Eventually, you’ll find the rewards waiting at the end of that sludge of life you are plowing through at the moment. And when you look back, you’ll see you are a lot farther along than if you hadn’t put your fingers to the keyboard at all.