Write What You Know

Truthfully, I don't think I know much. I've lived in small towns most of my life (although there are a wealth of stories right there), I haven't traveled much, especially in my own country, and I don't watch lots of television or read many newspapers, so I often fall behind on what's going on in the world. Sometimes I wonder what I should write about if I need to write what I know.

I took a class at the conference called "Research is Not Just for Historicals", taught by Julie Coulter Bellon and Michele Paige Holmes. This great class was full of interesting advice on how to do research and organize the research you do. With today's technology, the resources are endless.

Some of the suggestions included, having maps up on the wall so you can consult them when you need your characters to go places. This way you get the directions right and readers familiar with the location will not find errors which could have been prevented. Watching videos about different locations helps get a feel for the place. They also suggested children's non-fiction books as good research material because the information in them is simplified and usually in a novel, just the basics are needed anyway. The internet is another great resource, but we were reminded to verify everything we find with at least two other sources since internet information can be posted by anyone. News stories and documentaries can also spark new ideas for stories.

I get a little lazy when it comes to research, but they made it seem fun. Julie did remind us to check everything thoroughly, doing enough to tell the story well. The purpose of research is to tell the story. And in the end, we have to remember we are writing fiction and we need to blend that fiction with reality, not the other way around.

All my life I've been an avid reader, devouring anything that sparks my interest. When I sit back and take stock of what I do know, I find the list is longer than I realize, and with research, I can discover many new things. So when I hear the phrase "Write what you know," it just reminds me I can write anything I am willing to learn about, and that opens a whole world of possibilities.

Home Again

I'm finally home after six days away. The LDStorymakers conference was wonderful, and my brain is overloaded with information. I also attended the first Whitney Award Gala and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's probably the closest I'll ever get to being in an Oscar-like setting. The whole weekend was great.

The conference felt like a family reunion for authors and it was great to put faces to all my blogging friends. I had a chance to visit with Tristi Pinkston and Julie Coulter Bellon, picking their brains for a little writing advice. I talked with James Dashner about trying to get him to come to Canada for a school visit. Autumn sat with us at the award gala, and I also got to meet Ali, Don, Shanna - and that's just the short list.

Before we left, I was seriously considering cutting about fourteen inches of hair off and going with a new shorter look. But I was so busy, I just didn't get around to it. I guess that's a good thing. So many people came up to me at the conference, greeted me by name, and introduced themselves. They all said they recognized me because I look just like the portrait I have on this blog. It was tempting to straighten my hair the second day and see how many people I could fool.

I took a great class on writing a synopses, doing research and sat in on two great presentations by editors, Kirk Shaw from Covenent, and Lisa Mangum from Deseret. There was so much information, I'm glad I wrote everything down, to study later. Of course, I bought many books at the bookstore and got them all signed. My kids love it when I bring them home signed books.

And speaking of my kids, it was sure nice to be able to leave them with my dad and my mother-in-law taking turns supervising them. The best part was coming home to find that the house was still clean, the dishes were done, they were still getting along, and when they heard me come in the door, I received the most enormous bear hug. What a great thing to come home to.