MARCH INTO SPRING

WITH A SPRING IN YOUR WRITING STEP Part II

Continuing with concepts about genre writing that meets my criteria of educational reading, this week I’ll focus on the Fiction/Mystery/Historical Fiction genres. For me, these novels pivot on the depth of development of the main character(s) and key supporting characters.

Just recently I discovered the author Valentine Cardinale—wondering if that is a pseudonym—then discovering it’s his real name and a memorable author’s name it is, indeed. His most recent book release is BREAKAWAY staring Father Richard Bianchi who can’t help but become a “private” investigator in the drama surrounding the abduction of Eddie Dvorak.

Cardinale has tapped into a growing concern among people around the world, especially Americans who travel abroad. I don’t know if this author did any background research in abductions, however, here are a few statistics that may peak your interest.

• In 2014 there were 83,957 missing person cases in the U.S. alone.
• 50,569 adults
• 33,388 under 18 years of age
• An average of 750,000 are reported each year

Should we (people) be educating themselves about the abductions happing in their cities? Fiction/Mystery novels can open our eyes to many things—and just may encourage you to consider researching and developing your own mystery novel with this key component.

The second novel I’ve recently found is TURNINGS: Love In A Time of War by Chloe Canterbury.  The story revolves around a young woman named Sarah (of the Shaker community) and John (a Colonel in the Confederate army). It is 1862 in Kentucky where the Civil War is causing havoc.

There is so much history research available for this time period the writing of such a novel might feel too heavy. However, once an author understands the main characters, they will “write” their own story and Readers will increase their knowledge base—which makes it vitally important that:

• Places and events are fact-checked several times.
• Settings, equipment, clothing, etc. are correctly described.
• Military ranks/positions are accurate.

And, of course, writers must constantly make their own reality-check of how a woman—of the Shaker belief—will respond to her love of God and her growing affections for this Confederate soldier.

The world we live in is full of amazing and complicated personal relationships. It is through safe, fictionalized relationships that we can learn how to develop better relationships in our own lives. Both of the novels listed here have been developed to do just that.

I believe every writer has their own favorite novels that have inspired and encouraged them—especially as examples of excellent writing techniques. Mine include a sweeping time period novel titled: Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George. It is my hope to someday become such a writer who carries Readers into the different worlds of historic times. The goal: Never quit! Keep writing! Publish! And you, too, will have amazing success!  ⚓︎

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.