HISTORICAL FICTION ~ RESEARCH

When I realized that KEECHIE was evolving from a simple experiment in writing in dialect to a full-length novel, I wanted the history of the time period to be as accurate as I could make it.

The 60-year-old Indian woman,Keechie, lived in the 1950's south, and was taught to speak the "white man's language" by her black father. He was born of parents who were emancipated slaves. I was a teenager in that time period and was familiar with the vernacular of the black people, which was only slightly different from the way the local white people spoke. Very little research was required for that part of the writing, and little would have been available if I had tried.

But I needed to describe Keechie's heritage, her ancestors, her religion and burial customs. That required research, and it was during this information search that it became obvious that I had another story to write—that of Keechie's Muscogulgean-speaking ancestors. It was these people who, in the 16th century, had introduced an agricultural lifestyle to the already-present, indigenous population of hunter/gatherers!

Primarily it was their maize, or corn, that changed history wherever they settled. They had learned of this wonderful crop in their ancient homeland in northeastern Mexico. It had been created—genetically altered—by the Aztecs, who through selective breeding, turned a local grass (teosinte) into what we now call corn.

Maize, or in the Aztec language - Centli, was so important to them that it was considered one of their their gods, and of equal importance as their Sun God.

In the sequel (or probably more appropriately, pre-quel) to KEECHIE, I went back in time to these early immigrants who were Keechie's ancestors. This actually made an interesting reversal of book order, having the earlier story told after the later one.

This may heave the added benefit of causing the reader of either of the books to want to read (purchase!) the other.

One can only hope...

NATIVE AMERICANS/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES/HISTORY/ANCIENT CULTURES

These are just a few of the keywords I used when I began researching for my book, KEECHIE . I realized early on that these terms were much too broad, and refined them to be more specific. Using search terms like "Creek Indians", "Prehistoric Georgia", and "Indians of the Southeast" were much more productive for my needs.

You have to remember that the internet is full of bad information along with the good. Try to determine the source of the information— whether it be from the content, or by listed references on the website. If your book is fiction, you may find that the speculative sites are exactly what you need, but for a historical fiction like KEECHIE I had to judge these sites with caution. I wanted the historical facts to be as accurate as possible on the culture, religion and lifestyles of the Creek/Muskogee people of ancient Georgia.

So after you have decided on the genre' of your soon-to-be masterpiece, and you have your basic storyline in mind, begin the research! I read twenty books and listed over fifty websites in the process of writing KEECHIE and found that not only did I gather the historical information I was looking for, I was never a victim of "writer's block"! I would become entranced by a single statement in the book or website— which would fire my imagination and get me back to the keyboard with another chapter pouring from my fingers as I watched the story develop in front of my eyes.

In a short time, I had gathered enough research material for a second book. I sent the first one off to the Library of Congress for its copyright, and let the story continue. The sequel, "Granny Boo ~ The Legacy of the Puman Man" is now over twice the word count as KEECHIE , and is still growing—all due to... RESEARCH!

It was more fun than the actual writing of the book.

SCI-FI - FICTION - NON-FICTION - ROMANCE - WHAT GENRE' DO YOU WRITE ABOUT?

Fortunately for me, I had a mentor to tell me when I began writing, to start by writing about things I knew already. If nothing else, it cuts down on the research! It also allows one to concentrate on writing style, grammar, punctuation, and the mechanics of writing.

My book, "Keechie", was based loosely on my childhood and the setting was familiar territory. I created a character to weave through a very real place and time, thus my genre' fell into the category of"Historical Fiction". It could have just as easily been called "Adventure" or one that I made up called "Autobiographical Fiction". (Think about it)

Whatever you decide to write about, be it a Short Story, Poetry, or a full-length novel, or whatever, decide which genre' your work will fall under. It is one of the first things a publisher will want to know when you submit your manuscript, and strangely, one of the most difficult questions on the questionaire (for me). "Keechie" could have been placed in either Historical Fiction, Native American or Adventure, I had to choose only one. Then, after making THAT decision, the next question was, "What age group is appropriate for your book?" In other words, what age is your target reader? Oh my gosh! Now I have to RATE my own work!

The genre' you choose and the target age group will remain with your work forever, as far as that initial listing goes, and will be used by the booksellers who decide whether to put your book on their shelves, so choose wisely!

Read the first chapter of "KEECHIE" at http://www.freewebs.com/brew99/ and help me decide if "Pre-teen to Adult" was appropriate. (I am concerned about the choice of words I used in Keechie's vernacular not being appropriate for young readers)

COVER DESIGN

Some customers in a bookstore are looking for their favorite author. Some are looking for a particular genre' of book. But there are those who just want to read a good book.

It is that last category that I, as an "unknown author", want to target. What is the first thing the customer notices? The COVER! A well-designed cover is the key to getting a potential customer to pick the book up. Next, he reads the synopsis. If that grabs him, the sale is made!

The cover is a psychological tool. It first "tells" the customer that it is more than likely of the genre' he is looking for. The color and style of the artwork forms an impression too. Is it a real photo? Is it a painting? (I can spot a Harlequin Romance at ten feet!) Is it just color, with the title in a contrasting shade?

All these styles lead a customer into picking up a particular book. If the synopsis catches his interest, then the cover did its job.

The cover shown on my website, http://www.freewebs.com/brew99/
is not officially the real cover yet, but it was submitted to the publisher as a possibility. It is an original watercolor by my wife, Rebalynn. I believe that it is just different enough to stand out on that long rack of books!

EDITING and DIALOGUE

One of the best things I ever did while I was in the process of writing KEECHIE happened by pure chance. My 12-year-old daughter (whom I am homeschooling) was reading it chapter by chapter as I wrote it. As part of her Language Arts study, I had her "proofread" it and highlight the errors she saw, then we would discuss the things she thought was wrong.

One night, she asked me to read it to her so she could hear the way that I meant it to be heard. That was the revelation! Sentences that I had struggled over to get "just right", sounded terrible! It sounded forced, or unnatural. I would then try to say it just like I expected my character to talk, and the results were more natural, and flowed easily.

Since KEECHIE began as an experiment in southern dialect, and writing her words phonetically, I excuse myself for breaking one of the big taboos of writing. Everything I read now about writing dialogue says that you should never, never have your character continue to speak in the vernacular. Mention in the narrative that your character has a southern drawl, a lisp, or other characteristic, then use proper English words for her speech.

If I had done that with Keechie, she would have lost the quality that made her so endearing, at least to me.

Compare the following:

(Brian) “You’re sixty? You look like you’re barely a teenager! How did
you do it?”
(Keechie) “Furse, by not drankin’ pizon wada. Hyer, have somma mine,”
she said.

What if she had said, "First, by not drinking poisoned water. Here, have some of mine."

I like the first one better...

Or:

(Keechie explaining the Great Wheel of Life)
"Evathang gonna come back aroun’ ‘ventual lak. Big ol’ wheel be a’turnin’. Sometime you’s at de top, but den you gots to take yore turn at de bottom, knowin’ dat de Wheel gonna brang ya right back up on top soon ‘nuff.”

Compared with:

"Everything is going to come back around eventually. The Big Wheel is turning. Sometimes you are at the top, but then you have to take your turn at the bottom, knowing that the Wheel is going to bring you back the the top soon enough."

I know that the proper version is easier to read, and to understand, but it loses Keechie's childlike take on a deep philosophical concept. Some things need to be read a second time to "get it" anyway.

I like the old lady, and the way she talks. I want my readers to like her too. If Uncle Remus in The Song of the South had told the story of B'rer Rabbit and B'rer Fox in a British accent, enunciating every syllable, I think something would have been lost.

I just had a funny thought. Butterfly McQueen as Prissy in Gone With the Wind saying, "My goodness, Miss Scarlett. I don't know anything about delivering a child!"

Not nearly as memorable as, "Lawsy, Miss Scarlett. I don't know nuthin' `bout birthin' no babies!"

You may read the entire first chapter of KEECHIE on my website by clicking on http://www.freewebs.com/brew99/ Decide for yourself if writing in dialect was a mistake; or did it accomplish what I intended it to do—add to her character? I can take criticism if it helps me to become a better writer!

A WORD ON EDITING

I just received my final chance today for making those last minute corrections in my manuscript. I now have 48 hours to re-read KEECHIE ( http://www.freewebs.com/brew99/ ) for the umpteenth time, and the scary thing is, every time I read it, I find more typos and things to correct. At this point, no wording or formatting is permitted—only small errors in spelling and punctuation allowed, since the book has, at this point, already been formatted into book form.

One of the most difficult things a writer can do is proofread his own work. (NOW I realize this!) The problem is that you, as the writer, knew what you MEANT to say. When you read the words, your brain will automatically correct what you wrote into what you MEANT to write. Brains are funny that way...

When I was given the option of having the publisher assign an editor to my manuscript, which would have taken an additional eight to nine months before going to print, or do the editing myself and have it in print in six to eight weeks. Since I was fairly confident in the Microsoft Word spellchecker, I went with the latter, and now that it's "down to the wire", I am having second thoughts about that decision.

Hiring an editor is expensive, but very likely worth the cost. The next best option is to have family and friends read it for you. The problem with this is that family and friends don't want to hurt your feelings! They give you "atta-boys" and "This is GREAT!" comments, but won't tell you that your grammar... well... SUCKS!

I can take criticism, especially if offered a solution on how I could have improved upon it. This is like a friend letting you go out in public with your zipper open, because he didn't want to embarass you by letting you know. Please, if you notice that, tell me, okay?

If your first book is poorly written, has spelling errors or glaring grammatical goofs, chances are the reader will not finish reading it, and worse, will not spend the money to buy your NEXT book.

I have found errors in books by famous authors, but they were few and forgivable because the story was good, and the author is well-known. I truly believe I have written a good story, but the "forgive" factor does not apply to a new, unknown author.

I now have 46 hours to make sure that my readers will not "find my zipper open".

BOOK SIGNINGS

Book signings are yet another way to keep your book and your name in the public eye. Typically, very few books are sold that way, and the bookstore will usually want a cut of the sales. Some will order the books through the store, and give YOU a cut of the profit, but for new authors, they will probably want you to furnish your own books. That way, if they don’t sell, they aren’t stuck with them!

At your signing, have as many free handouts as you can. Things like brochures, business cards and bookmarks are ideal. Autograph everything—it will increase the chances of the potential customer hanging onto it.

And don’t just sit there at the table waiting for people to come to you. If you’re in a bookstore, get up and walk around, introduce yourself, engage them in conversation, invite them over to your table for the free stuff—then hand them one of your books. I have a successful author friend who says, “If you can get them to hold your book in their hands, they will usually buy it!” Is it psychology? Trickery? Who cares, as long as you make a sale! Slip a brochure and a few business cards into each book sold. Maybe they’ll give them to friends.

Exposure—that’s the name of the game!

And don't forget to visit http://www.freewebs.com/brew99/

Marketing Your "Baby"

If an author doesn't market their own work, then who else is going to? Unless you have the financial means to hire an agent, the bulk of the promotion is up to you!


After all your friends and family have a book in their hand, then the real work begins. Never let an opportunity pass by—when you are standing in line at the grocery store, visiting book stores and libraries or waiting for the bus—pass out your business card and strike up conversations. My experience has been that very few people have actually "met" an author! Your card should have a bit about your book (A picture of the cover is a plus), the link to your website, your email address, and the ISBN number of the book so that it can be ordered from an on-line source.

It also is an advantage if you "just happen" to have copies of your book with you. A signed copy from an author that they just met will frequently clinch a sale. Be sure to stick a few extra business cards inside the book for them to give to their friends!

WEBSITE
Even before your book is in print, you can have a website set up. There are many free sites that let you get started early. It should contain a short synopsis of your book, a brief biography (tell a little about yourself), how to get a copy of your book (links to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.), whether it's in print or not. place a message like, "To reserve a signed copy of ***my book's name***, email me at myemailaddress@anywhere.com" on the front page.

Here's an example - my own free website... http://www.freewebs.com/brew99/

If they sign the guestbook and leave their email address, begin keeping a list of potential customers. When the book is available, EMAIL THEM!

BLOG
Blogging is new to me, but I don't want to miss a trick! Link your blog to your website, and vice-versa. Keeping your name and your book in as many eyes and minds as possible is the key to selling it!

NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES
Many publishers will initially contact your local newspapers and libraries that a "local author" has written a book. Prepare a "media kit" for your book and mail it to the papers anyway. A media kit is nothing more than a synopsis of your book, a short bio, and answer a few questions that they will ask anyway...

What makes your book special?
Why should anyone buy your book?
What genre' is your book?
What age group does your book target?
Contact information, business cards, bookmarks, etc.

More later!

Now What?

Now that I had written a decent-sized novel and told the story that I wanted to tell, what do I do with it?

Send it to a publisher, of course. That was a rude awakening! They don't want unknown authors. If they respond at all, it's a very polite, "No thanks" if you're lucky, and worse if you aren't.

BUT... there are ways. Self-publishing is one option, but it will cost you. There are "Print-on Demand" publishers who will get your book into print for no fee, and as soon as its done, they usually list it on on-line sites like Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

But then the real work comes in. You suddenly discover that the rest is up to you! After the editing, spell-checking, having friends read it, doing the page proofs, working with cover design, adding bios and a short synopsis, acknowledgement and dedication pages, you discover that now, after all this work... someone is expected to do the...

Marketing—and that will be in the next installment.

The Birth of a Book

It all started when...

I wanted to let my BBS group to "hear" the sound of the southern dialect. I began by writing sentences phonetically, so that, if they read it aloud, they would "hear" the southern drawl.

During the ensuing discussion, I mentioned the fact that white southern speech and black southern speech, although similar, are very different—especially to a southerner.

This is where "KEECHIE" was born. I invented (created?) an old half-breed Indian woman whose father (a black man) taught her to speak "white man's language".

I used the 1950's south as the setting, since that was when and where I grew up—listening to the old black men tell stories as they sat around the pot-bellied stove in my dad's old country store. If you have ever read the "Uncle Remus" stories by Joel Chandler Harris, or have seen the movies, Song of the South or The Color Purple, then you already have an idea of the sound of their voices.

The first few paragraphs that I wrote, inserting Keechie's words into dialogue, captivated my BBS group—and they wanted more! So it became a short story.

Then something almost magical happened—my main character, Keechie, took over! It was as if she wanted her story told, and the short story became a 46,000 word novel. Then came the sequel, which is in progress—at 80,000 words and still not finished!

At my book's website http://www.freewebs.com/brew99 there is a sample chapter of KEECHIE to read, so you can get an idea of what I'm trying to describe. (There's even a bio there with a picture of me (I had the make-up department make me look really old).