Writing Historical Fiction, Setting

A while back I wrote a post about historical fiction and using details from your research to craft your plot. But what do you do when you need historical information and you can’t find it?

I faced this question many times for Screwing Up Babylon. For example, I needed information about the palace in Babylon. But I haven’t been able to find much information on the palace except that it was enormous (600 rooms) and extremely impressive. There are some photos on the web of the palace, except those are photos of Saddam Hussein’s rebuilding of the palace. And his attention to historical accuracy is doubtful. After all, he built his own palace in the shape of a ziggurat over Babylonian ruins. And, honestly, though Saddam’s rebuild is big, it’s kind of ugly and plain—just clay bricks that are already crumbling due to poor manufacture. My readers won’t be impressed. And the real Babylonian kings…well, let’s just say you don’t give the rulers of the known world shoddy workmanship.

So I had a few options. I could go with ugly. But I didn’t think that was fair. Particularly since the Ishtar Gate is amazing (no, the gate didn’t make it into the book), and I’ve no doubt that the Babylonian kings would have made their palace more impressive than a city gate.

Another option was to consider real possibilities and let my imagination run within those parameters. For example, Babylonians often used panels for decoration. So the palace I created has those panels. And I decorated them with aurochs and other creatures from Babylonian mythology.

The Babylonians traded all over the known world. So if an item existed within the Babylonians trading sphere at the time the story is set, then I assumed the item was fair game. For example, Tyre, Sidon, and the Egyptians all made beautiful colored glass, which means the Babylonians would have had access to it. So colored glass makes an appearance in the decoration of the palace.

Armed with historical information and imagination, I created a palace that I think my readers will like. And a palace that the king of Babylon would recognize—or at least one, that might make the king say, “We need to hire her to redecorate the palace.”

Dis...traction

Writing is not an easy calling. Though in some ways, I think it’s easier now than it used to be. Word processors are better than typewriters. And infinitely better than pen and ink. (Though I know there are some diehards out there.) Google makes research so much easier. I used to troll the library, looking for the right book, which the library didn’t have. Then, I’d have to ask the librarian to order the maybe-important book from across the state, and I’d have to pay a transfer fee. (I’d always ask the happy red-haired librarian instead of the scowling one with a white streak down the front of her black hair a la Lily Munster. Or Pepe le Pew.)

So writing is easier. Except… Along with all those blessings, come all those temptations. It’s oh-so-easy for me to take a quick peek at my email inbox when I’m racking my brain for the perfect word. After all, you never know when I might hear from an agent.

And then there’s the siren call of Facebook and my friends who posted the newest pictures of their babies. (Because we all know I can’t see those photos when my writing time is over.)

And then there’s the ever present desire to check my novel’s current ranking on Amazon.

(And there’s always laundry, dishes, dinner, etc. So maybe distractions aren’t a new phenomenon.)

But those electronic distractions are so easy to justify because they only take a second or two. But it’s not those seconds that are the issue. It’s getting back into “the zone.” And according to the most recent statistics that takes 15 minutes! While I’m sure it varies from person to person, that’s the average. So maybe it’s less for me. Or maybe it’s more.

I’ve considered my options to combat the colossal waste of precious writing time. One suggestion is to turn off my computer’s Wi-Fi when I’m writing. Another is to join a program that actually turns off your Wi-Fi connection and won’t turn it back on until the allotted time has transpired. Neither is my cup of tea. I decided to try good, old-fashioned self-control.

My plan (okay, it’s not my plan—it’s courtesy of my friend Joyce. Thanks, Joyce!) is to sit next at the table next to child number four (while he does his homework) and write. It’s a win-win situation. I write; he works. And I’m there if he needs help. Plus, I will feel incredible shame for being a bad example if he looks over and sees me on Facebook/Twitter/etc.

The results? I’m getting more done. And so is child number four. Of course, child number four isn’t entirely happy about the new arrangement. I believe the words “looking over my shoulder” were used in a vehement way. 

But hey, it’s working!! 

Sequel Title and Setting

Congratulations to everyone who figured out the title of the new book. The answers to the questions are at the end of the blog post for anyone who missed anything. But if you didn’t get a chance to figure out the puzzle, the title of the sequel to Screwing Up Time is Screwing Up Babylon.

Picking the setting for the new book wasn’t hard. I wanted a culture that was ancient but still accessible. A culture with tremendous power in its time. And a culture with exotic and fascinating attributes. I needed a place where there’d been enough archaeological information that I’d be able to craft a detailed story. And I wanted it to be familiar enough that it wasn’t too obscure.

Babylon was an obvious choice. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms ever. It had one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. And though there hasn’t been a lot of archaeological research lately, archaeologists have done quite a bit of research at Babylon in the past. And while in many ways Babylon is obscure to modern readers (have you ever read a book set in Babylon?), modern day Iraq encompasses Babylon. So we’ve seen pictures and maps of the area on television for years.

I’d love to know what you think about the setting.

Here are the answers to the acrostic:

1. Where Mark hid from Peter when he was at Bodiam Castle. Stables.

2. The room where the recipe book was hidden. Chapel.

3. An herbal ingredient in the elixir of time. Rosemary.

4. The name of Mark's grandmother. Elfrieda.

5. The real last name of Jeremiah. Wilberforce-Jones.

6.  An epic poem Mark said he read over Christmas break. Illiad.

7. "On the ____ wall, there's a stone." North.

8. A precious metal used in the time elixir. Gold.

9. The name of the animal whose horn is used in the time elixir. Unicorn.

10. The American university that the grad student Mark met at Bodiam Castle attended. Princeton.

11. The color of Miranda's hair. Blond.

12. Peter is known as Peter the _______. Alchemist.

12. The name of the lord who wants to marry Miranda. Bernard.

13. The university where Mark's dad teaches. Yale.

14. The computer wallpaper that Mark uses is from what movie. Lord of the Rings.

15. The name of another epic poem that Mark tries to read over Christmas break. Odyssey.

16. The name of Mark's cousin. Nathaniel.

Sequel Title Revealed

The completion of sequel to Screwing Up Time is getting closer. So I thought I'd release the title. If you solve this acrostic based on book one, you can use your answers to figure out the title. All you have to do is take the first letter of each answer and put it in the appropriate blank next to the question.

(You can use the print screen function to print up the puzzle.)

1. ____ Where Mark hid from Peter when he was at Bodiam Castle.

2. ____ The room where the recipe book was hidden.

3. ____  An herbal ingredient in the elixir of time

4. ____ The name of Mark's grandmother.

5. ____ The real last name of Jeremiah.

6. ____ An epic poem Mark said he read over Christmas break.

7. ____ "On the ____ wall, there's a stone."

8. ____ A precious metal used in the time elixir.

9. ____ The name of the animal whose horn is used in the time elixir.

10. ____ The American university that the grad student Mark met at Bodiam Castle attended.

11. ____ The color of Miranda's hair.

12. ____ Peter is known as Peter the _______.

12. ____ The name of the lord who wants to marry Miranda.

13. ____ The university where Mark's dad teaches.

14. ____ The computer wallpaper that Mark uses is from what movie.

15. ____ The name of another epic poem that Mark tries to read over Christmas break.

16. ____ The name of Mark's cousin.

Next Tuesday, I'll post the title. And talk about the setting of the novel, which you'll know if you solve the puzzle. Good luck!!

Writing and the Little Black Dress

A couple of days ago, a writing friend of mine watched a fashion design contest show. In the show, a contestant had come up with beautiful designs only to have them shot down by fashion experts who said the designs were too similar to past designs of other famous designers.

My friend made a connection to writing. She was anxious about her new novel—that it would be too similar to what’s gone before. I agreed that it was a legitimate concern. But I reminded her that there are no new stories, only new ways to tell old ones. And in fact, the same is true in design—I remember platforms and bell-bottoms from when I was a little kid.

As I thought about the similarities between fashion design and writing, the “Little Black Dress” came to mind. Coco Chanel’s designs back in the 20s were the beginnings of the LBD. And yet, for almost 100 years, it’s endured and endured. It’s never gone out of style. In fact, I think I may have five or six versions of LBD.

What’s so special about it? Why do I have more than one? And what does this have to do with writing?

First off, I lived in southern New England where the LBD was de rigueur. So that may account for several of the dresses. But even aside from those social constraints, most women have at least one LBD. The reasons are myriad. Solid black is slimming. It’s elegant. Dressed up with pearls, sheer stockings, and heels, it can take you to any restaurant anywhere. It can be dressed down with flats and a belt to go to work. It can take you on a sexy date. Or even to a funeral.

Given its versatility, why have more than one? And this is how I think it applies to writing. I have a summer LBD—okay, I have a summer casual LBD made of the most breathable cotton that I can wear to the library or wear over a swimsuit—and look elegant, slimmed, refined. I have a dressy silk summer LBD—ditto the elegant, slimmed, etc. It’s got flirty ruffles and a plunging neckline. Then, there’s the LBD sheath made of linen with straight lines—it works so well with a wool hound’s tooth jacket and pumps. And the turtleneck knit LBD. And the other silk LBD with the structured lines….

Got the picture? Even though they all do the same thing (flatter the female figure, create an atmosphere of sophistication, etc.), they all do it in different ways. I think it’s the same with writing. There aren’t that many plot lines in literature. In fact, the Greeks divided it into two types. Comedy and tragedy. (Comedy ends in a marriage, tragedy ends in a funeral.) But it’s the telling that makes all the difference.

Take the traditional boy-meets-girl-problems-ensue-true-love-wins story (i.e., a comedy to the Greeks). What if the story occurs in a dystopian society (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.)? Or what if it happens in 19^th century and the girl comes from a poor family and the gentleman is a wealthy, prejudiced young man (Pride and Prejudice)? Or how about a thwarted couple who get a second chance at love after they blew it the first time (Persuasion)? Or what if the novel is set after a war and the man takes years to get home and they both have to suffer and wait—Odyssey?(Yes, I know they were married before the war, but that’s just a variation on the story.) These novels are all variations of the literary LBD—boy meets girl and they fall in love/get married. The difference is in the telling.

So my advice to my friend, to myself, and to you, is write me a new LBD novel—use some gorgeous fabric, throw on some frills, show it to me with some three inch heels, and I’ll buy it. And so will all my friends. 

Vacation

No regular post today because we're on vacation. But I do have an update on the sequel to Screwing Up Time sequel--my "line editor" finished her read through the novel and I've begun working through her edits. (Yay!)

Here's a writing quote that I thought I'd share.

“When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.”

—Stephen King

Sequel Challenge

I'm on vacation this week and next, but I thought that I'd post a hint about the sequel to Screwing Up Time. If you can figure out what language this is written in, you'll have a big hint where the sequel is set. If you have a guess and want to know if you're right, email me at connie (dot) m (dot) keller (at) gmail (dot) com. Have fun!!

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