A Writer’s Education

By Sharon Ewing

While I’ve sometimes been uncertain about the path of my career, I would have said it wasn’t the case of an identity crisis.  Yet this past year I’ve been so immersed in researching and writing about my ancestry that it appears I may be mistaken about that.  My oldest sister, the family historian, did an admirable job researching our family in the days when internet access was rare.  After she passed away, the task became mine.  This happens when siblings flatter you with platitudes about your skills in research, writing, etc.  So, I set out to fatten the existing files and hopefully discover hidden treasures in my lineage.

I’d always intended to write a novel about my childhood in the 50’s.  But as I researched my Irish ancestry, my great-great grandmother’s life intrigued me, and she became the main character in my story.  Funny thing about this process is that I knew few specific facts about her. And since everyone who once knew her was dead, I resorted to fiction in order to flesh her out.  As the story progress, I’m sure the character I created didn’t remotely resemble my great-great grandmother, but by that time I was so invested in the story, it no longer mattered.

In the process, I’ve have researched more about Irish history than I ever imaged possible.  I’ve dug through facts on websites, in non-fiction books, internet archives and drew names from ancestry websites.  I have garnered a new respect for historical authors who produce engaging stories after endless research, so much so, that I forget I’m reading fiction.  Edward Rutherford’s book The Rebels of Ireland, is a proven gem in this field. 

I’ve always loved history.  I remember walking home from school carrying a very cumbersome world cultures textbook, in the era before backpacks.  It was the first day of school that year.  My older sister remarked about the cruelty of my teacher giving homework on the first day.  I told her that I didn’t have homework.  I just wanted to bring the book home so that I could look through it.  When I told her about how I loved the smell of new books, she looked at me like I had morphed into an alien from another planet.

In historical fiction, I can combine my two loves.  I just need to be extra careful not to make the mistake of inserting my fictitious characters into my ancestry chart.  I almost did that once.  However, another bonus of this writing is the intense respect I’ve acquired for my forebearers who lived in challenging times past.  Knowing more of their history demonstrates how we all struggle with the set of circumstances we’ve been given and how much these outside factors influence the path each of us will take.

When I know their history, my characters are free to come to me instead of trying to force them on the paper.  With the setting in place, like actors on stage, their story unfolds. Yes, writer’s block still besets me, but I’ve become more patient.  Eventually, they speak and I write.  Their story becomes a part of mine.  Lesson learned.

 

 

 

Writing Someone Else's Story

 

By Sharon Ewing

Writing a historical fiction novel about a real or imagined person becomes a journey of telling someone else’s story.  I use the word journey because like many of my trips, it’s one filled with anticipated adventure and unexpected pitfalls.

If the character is a different gender from the writer, the challenge is to stay true to a male voice, and this is where I draw on the many stories I’ve read and movies I’ve viewed portraying strong male characters. Of course, the tone of the male voice depends on the strength of the male character himself.  The same applies to the female voices in the story. 

Another pitfall is keeping my story and my emotions from becoming too much a part of any character.  Like all writers, I possess a lifetime of experiences and those events determine how I view the world. Universal emotions of love, joy, sorrow and pain are part of every life and of every story I’ve read.  But each character in my story must provide and process their own set of emotions and the resulting lessons from the obstacles life throws into their path, thus I can create a diverse, interesting and even thought-provoking cast where no one character resembles me.

I love reading and writing about characters in places and time periods other than mine.  Doing this draws me into research, another of my favorite activities. But I’ve learned I must limit my enthusiasm for information, taking only what I need for the story, refuse to be drawn into the next interesting fact. It’s my Achilles heel, both an adventure I love and a pitfall where I can lose all sense of time.

A sense of place, of course, is critical.  I get some of this from reading, but to actually be there adds a dimension of experience that inspires me in a way just plain research can’t.  On a trip back to my birthplace I was recently driven to write a personal essay about the layers of history there. A set of historical maps also helps create a concrete sense of place.  I have a map of Philadelphia tacked on my wall where I write, the setting of my current story.  It helps me see the physical lay of the land which hasn’t changed since the city was developed, and I’m planning a trip soon to walk the streets and inhale all historical aspects.

Another important aspect must be the correct vernacular of the time, including accents, brogues, regional language, vocabulary and sentence structure.  Exploring the many ways the Irish used words to express their feelings, expound on their superstitions and religious phrases, has given me some moments of amusement and has solidified the time period of the story. 

The more I immerse myself in creating this historical fiction story, the richer my life becomes.  I don’t think I’ll ever live long enough to learn everything I need to know to become a proficient writer, but the journey is well worth the effort.

THE LATEST ADDITION

Meet a New Columbia II Writer

SHARON A EWING

Sharon A. Ewing is a retired teacher with 30 years of experience, mostly in the elementary and middle school grades. Also she’s taught Language Arts skills at the high school level, as well as technical and junior college and worked as a library assistant in both public and college libraries.

In 2015, she wrote the text for The Historical Stained Glass Windows of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. In 2017, she contributed an article to The Word Among Us. She is currently working on her first historical novel based on her great-great grandmother’s experience of immigrating to America.

Sharon’s  family includes a son, a daughter and 5 beautiful grandchildren. She and her husband love to travel. Her other passions include sewing, gardening, refinishing furniture and, reading, especially anything to do with history.

Sharon's first post on this page follows.

 

 

 

A NEWBIE in HISTORICAL FICTION TERRITORY

By Sharon Ewing

My retirement goal was to write a historical fiction novel. In my naivete, I couldn’t imagine the path from essay writing to historical fiction being a difficult one. After all, I’d been complimented often on my writing skills. However, not long into the process my ego became as deflated as the unused blow-up mattress in my attic.  

Although the main character was based on my great-great grandmother, I had no idea what she looked like. Also, I knew precious little about daily life in the 1860s. The lure of writing this story was initially driven by the excitement of digging into mid-19th century history. Faced with fleshing out my characters, I realized I had downplayed the need for imagination and creativity. That observation sent me back to analyze characters in the novels I’d read and enjoyed.

Learning about the 19th century proved intriguing, but the facts in my head were nonfiction. To transform this information into a story with all the minute details of daily life required a change of writing style and a new mindset, another setback. I began imagining my characters in a movie. This helped me make the necessary transition.

Research, research, became my mantra. The more I wrote, the more I realized I needed to know. I composed on my lap-top, while my i-pad became my research assistant. I’d hit roadblocks and take hours reading about the election of a president in the 1800s. How did presidential candidates campaign at this time? What was the mood of the city? What issues concerned various ethnic groups? How did they resolve the tensions that arose? What did an ordinary day look like? I began to envy writers of science fiction and stories in present day. Maybe it would be easier if I quit and just wrote a fairy tale!

Antagonist? Oh yeah, I needed at least one to create tension and interest. I couldn’t forget story arc and those other story elements I preached about in writing class, along with grammar, punctuation, and word choice. I remembered reading once how a famous author edited his work 35 times before submitting it for publication. Although nowhere near that number, some days I felt I was on the grammar merry-go-round, praying for the music to stop so I could get off. I developed more sympathy for my past students than they would ever believe.  

My growth in literary skills and perseverance can only be attributed to perseverance and the writers who willingly encourage me along the way. While some days the process is painfully difficult, I know the end result will be worthwhile. I also know I will never again downplay the amount of sweat, tears, and research needed for producing a well-written piece of work. Nor, I hope, will I every overestimate my own skills and need to eat another piece of humble pie.