First things first. Last week I posed three statements about
writing my debut novel, Breathing on Her
Own. I told you one statement was a lie while the remaining two were true.
·
Breathing on Her Own took eight months to write.
·
Breathing on Her Own is based on a true story.
·
The original manuscript was 22,000 words longer
than the final version.
The lie? Breathing on Her Own is based on a true story. Thank
you to all who entered and for those of you who emailed me your responses when
the site acted up! The winner of the book is Deanna Stevens. Be sure to email
me or message me with your contact info, Deanna.
“Is this a true story?” is the question I am most often
asked. And it is quickly followed by, “So where did you get your idea?” and then
“How did you learn so much about rehab and such?”
I consider it a compliment that readers see truth in my
characters and the emotions they evoke. I’m pleased they view the hospital and
rehab center scenes as realistic.
Here is the back cover blurb for Breathing on Her Own:
Molly Tipton and
her husband are looking forward to retirement but Molly's life suddenly spirals
out of control when her oldest daughter is involved in a terrible accident. An
icy road and a sharp turn leave one woman dead, another clinging to life.
While two families grieve, details emerge that reveal
Molly’s daughter was driving under the influence. As she prepares her daughter
for the prospect of a vehicular homicide lawsuit, Molly discovers her oldest
child is not the only one injured and under attack for past mistakes. If it is
true time heals all wounds, what are we to do with our scars?
So
where did I get my idea? I, too, began with a “what if” question and wove into
it my own life experiences. My husband and I were approaching retirement. We
had many friends our age who were raising their grandchildren. Usually it was because
their children had made poor choices such as drugs or other addictive
behaviors. In one case, the mother had died and the father disappeared, leaving
Grandpa and Grandma parenting three small children.
I
couldn’t image anything like that happening in my family, but conversations
with my friends made me wonder “what if?” How would I react? What would I do?
I
played with the idea until it morphed into Breathing
on Her Own. And it changed as I began writing. At first, I was going to
have Molly and Travis raising their grandchildren. I had Laney immobile and her
husband, Rob not responding to the whole situation well. I think I also
envisioned Molly as being this strong, virtually flawless Christian woman –a
real crusader for truth, justice, and the American way…uh… a sort of Super
Woman.
As it
turned out, Molly only thought of herself that way. Sound like anyone you know?
Just sayin’…
When
I realized my character Laney would need rehab, I contacted my local hospital
and made arrangements for a behind the scenes tour. I interviewed therapists
and I bumped it up a step by designing in my head a state of the art Family
Life Center where Laney could gain confidence in going home.
I
then turned my attention to making Laney’s home “user friendly.” I became
acquainted with the notion of universal design and researched the resources
available for my character to use.
Breathing
on Her Own is NOT based on a true story. But stories and characters should ring
true to the readers. If you are a new writer, write what you know. And when you
get into territory outside your comfort zone, do your homework. Research. Talk
to people. Observe everything. Take notes. Seek to make your book ring true.
I’ve had a few people ask about purchasing Breathing on Her
Own. It is available in eBook form and print form from both Amazon and Barnes
& Noble. Here are the links:
Amazon-
Barnes
and Noble
Next week I’ll address one of the truths…How long does it take to write a novel?
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