The value of non-fiction, for a fiction writer
At the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference, an agent I spoke with commented journalism is a great place for novelists – fiction writers – to start. I agree in many ways.
In journalism, you learn to write concisely, use vivid, moving quotes, hook your reader from the very start, and follow the stylebook to the letter. One problem, however, is the differences in writing style. For instance, journalists use the AP Stylebook while CBA publishers use the Chicago Manual of Style. There are many key differences that after four or five years as a journalist, I find difficult to switch to. Spelling out all numbers, among other things, are habits I’m learning to change.
Knowing how to write a good article goes beyond basic mechanics. Like with a novel, you build characters through dialogue, description and detail. One of the main changes is the use of tools such as deep POV and descriptive dialogue tags. After three solid years of only using “he said” or “she said,” it was strange to realize those weren’t as desirable throughout my 70,000-word manuscript.
My first real “article” was in my introduction to journalism class at college. In high school I had helped start the high school newspaper and done a few other articles, but they were so raw and elementary, I hardly consider them anything worth remembering. In college the mechanics of a newspaper article came to light and I took hold. For my feature article, the final assignment for the course, I wrote about a young girl named Katie at a therapeutic riding center and her connection to her horse, Kurt.
“Astride a golden horse whose black, round eyes reflect his gentle nature and docile temperament, 14-year-old Katie sits tall, clutching the soft, worn out leather of the reins while gently pulling the horse to a stop. Her head, covered with a white helmet dips slightly as she looks down at her steed and unleashes a radiant smile.
“Katie leans forward carefully, able to smell the dust and leather scent emanating from the horse, and patting the thick, rich fur of her faithful companion, a 14-year-old horse named Kurt.
“Katie has been riding for five years. She is autistic.” Published – Northwest Horse Source July 2006
Read the full article about Katie and Kurt.
This story sealed my fate. I was further hooked on journalism, on writing. I was no longer telling stories I pulled from my imagination. This was a real, gripping tale of a young girl overcoming the odds. You can’t fake a story that powerful.
Reading and writing feature articles further enhanced my appreciation of fiction. Despite technical differences, the writing is the same, the emotion is the same, the result is the same.
The Northwest Therapeutic Riding Center: http://www.nwtrc.org/index.php?section=home
A second article I wrote on the NWTRC: http://www.nwtrc.org/pdf/KlipsunMagazineArticleNov2007.pdf
Read MoreLiving History
For the typical resident of the Pacific Northwest, Fort Vancouver is a distant memory from your third-grade field trip. The tall, towering palisades, the blacksmith shop and carpentry shop. Then, that tall bastion in the corner you can climb all the way up.
For me, this National Park Service site is a treasure. For two summers, I worked as a fee collector (wearing the whole uniform getup! – Please, hold the Smokey-the-Bear jokes – that is the Forest Service, folks, not the NPS). In watching tour after tour, family after family enjoying the exhibits and demonstrations, I realized the true value of living history.
Reading history from a book is good. Seeing artifacts behind glass is better. Watching re-enactments in the original location amongst historically accurate buildings is priceless.
As a child, I enjoyed these sort of things, but never fully appreciated it until recently. The park rangers and volunteers at places like Fort Vancouver and the McLoughlin House in Oregon City are an endless supply of knowledge and resources. For families, theses sites also offer low-cost entertainment and education – if you catch the blacksmith working in the shop, your kids might even come home with a horseshoe nail or more!
For writers, seeing the setting of your historical fiction isn’t always necessary, or possible. But if you know the texture of the tall palisade walls, the metallic smell of the blacksmith’s shop or the sweet taste of the grapes along the veranda of the Chief Factor’s house, your novel will feel much more alive.
Pacific Northwest history, while rarely found amongst Christian fiction, is the forte of Jane Kirkpatrick and many other local writers. Linda Chaikin’s The Great Northwest series mentions Fort Vancouver among other areas and historical figures.
While World War II is one of my main interests now, I foresee a Pacific Northwest historical series in my future. The Columbia River area has a history as deep as the Pacific yet to be explored and revealed to readers. Fort Vancouver, the park rangers and volunteers, will be my first stop for information and inspiration.
Read MoreLegends: The story of *Witez II
If I could credit a single book for my current work-in-progress, the Dreams of Yesterday series, it would be the Western Horseman Book called “Arabian Legends.” Published in 1999, the paperback book features 24 of the most successful and legendary Arabian mares and stallions.
I have worn down my copy to the bare threads of the binding. I have spent hours pouring over this book and the photos of horses from in the 30s to the 90s. There are pen marks, pencil marks, highlighter marks, bent pages, sticky notes and everything in between. A hybrid of my two loves: horses and history, this book has followed me everywhere – even to college and back!
Every few weeks, I will post an “Arabian Legend,” from this book and additional sources, to share my love for the breed and its rich history.
One of my favorite stories is one that not even Hollywood could have dreamt up.
April 1st, 1938, in Poland, a striking bay foal was born and named “Witez” (VEE-tez), which means “knight, hero, prince.” He had a small snip on his nose, a star and a white pastern on each foot. Aside from his notable pedigree, the colt was striking in his own right and grew up in the pastures of Janow Podlaski Stud.
Then, September 1, 1939 brought a new dawn. Hitler’s invasion would change the face of Poland within weeks. The managers at Janow feared seizure of their horses by the German Calvary or by the Russians to the east. Most of the horses were scattered through the countryside and eventually returned once Germany took control of Poland.
To hide his distinctive features and fine breeding, *Witez II was smeared with mud and hidden with a local woodcutter and even put to work. The strain of journey and lack of proper feed rendered the stallion in dire health and he was eventually apprehended by the Germans and returned to Janow, now under Nazi rule.
He lived a good life under Germany’s care, bred and raised with the goal of creating an elite race of “super” horses for Germany’s “super” humans. By the end of Hitler’s campaign in 1945, the U.S. Army closed in on the area and captures a German Intelligence unit next to the stud farm. The officers of the farm pleaded with the Americans to release the horses. General Patton, a calvary officer and horseman himself, ordered their rescue.
While the continent lay in chaos and ruins, a handful of Europe’s finest horses had survived. *Witez II survived the ocean voyage to the states and went on to leave a long lasting legacy of championships and champion offspring. Ever the celebrity, the Polish government later put his face on a stamp, and he modeled for countless photos and book covers.
The great stallion died at age 27 in 1965, the survivor of a war that redefined a generation. *Witez defied the odds and influenced Arabian breeding in the United States. His story touched me and opened up a new realization to the damage and everlasting reach of war.
More information:
- http://www.equinepost.com/resources/eps/epsViewArchive.asp?Archive=103
- “Arabian Legends” Marian K Carpenter
- Fictionalized story: “And Miles to Go” by Linell Smith
What I’m reading
I’m a sucker for good historicals…
“Love Thine Enemy” presents memorable characters with page-turning action.
Set in Florida during the American Revolution, author Louise M. Gouge puts the reader in the town through strong description and realistic period dialogue.
The main characters, Rachel Folger and Frederick Moberly are genuine with true chemistry. Rachel has a heart for helping others among other endearing qualities that instantly connects to the reader. Frederick is the hero we all love, struggling to do right while society looks down upon him.
I was sucked into the book right away and unable to put it down until I finished! Gouge has a real way with her characters and hooking you into every chapter. “Love Thine Enemy” is a great read with a beautiful message of faith and love. Get your own copy at Amazon or ChristianBooks.com!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
Read MoreMy horse, the super model
You have seen the pictures all over my home page and my “about me” page - the little grey horse is my Arabian gelding, Grunnion. While the camera here paints him in a nice light, he hasn’t always been the most eye-catching equine. In fact, we call him a “donkey.” But this eight-year-old has a heart of gold and I have owned him since he was three and known him since he was born.
My friends, Christopher and Ashlee Murr (www.murrphotos.com), wanted to do a photo shoot with a horse, so I volunteered my ugly duckling, hoping a good bath would fix him right up. Well, he did look beautiful and we had a good time with five different models and hours full of keeping him from licking the models to death.
Here are some of the highlights: Please leave a comment and tell me which is your favorite!
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