A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

In a way, this post began several years ago. We don’t always see things clearly as they happen. At least I don’t. So I’ll just share my story. It is a story of new beginnings. Tom and I made the decision to retire on a December morning in 2011. His surgeon had just told us the circumstances leading to his recent quadruple bypass were genetic.             “Your cholesterol is fine,” she said. “Your blood pressure is great. You eat right and exercise. This was all genetic. It will happen again.” I stole a glance at Tom. His expression was grim at best.             “I can’t say when it will happen,” the surgeon continued. “It could be a year from now or twenty-five years from now, but it will happen.”             “Then I choose the twenty-five years,” I piped up. That got a smile from Tom.     ...

Allow me to introduce you to a very good friend of mine, Sandra Merville Hart . Sandy and I met through ACFW and frequently share rides to our state chapter meetings. I asked Sandy to be the guest on today’s blog  because her newest book,  A Rebel in My House just released this past week.  Sandy is passionate about the possible behind the scenes stories emerging from the Civil War era. For todays post, Sandy offers tips for new writers on conducting research to make your own work stand out. Enjoy! And be sure to leave your comments for Sandy. Every new author with a story idea wonders, “Where should I start?” For those who want to write historical novels, begin with research. Reading articles from trusted sites online—such as those ending in .edu or reputable history sites—is a nice place to start. These may give more questions than answers. The next stop is probably the local library. Inspect the library’s catalog for nonfiction books pertaining...

The world is a stage and every person is an actor… But is everyone a playwright? Is everyone a writer? No. Everyone has a story, but not everyone is a storyteller. Ask any published author and they will tell you of at least one wannabe writer talking to them about a book they need to write –a surefire best seller. It is usually a story of their own dysfunctional family and they are certain someone will make a movie out of it. The simple truth is this: All families are dysfunctional. Nothing new there. Life isn’t fair. Nothing new there. I sat next to a very interesting woman at a church luncheon this past week. I only met her one other time so it was good to get to know her better. She started the conversation with, “You’re a writer, right? I have a story that needs to be told.” Bells went off in my head. Here’s another one. I smiled and listened as she began talking about her past. I must admit she has led an interesting life and against great odds. ...