Truth is Harder than Fiction

"Write what you know." That's the age-old advice given to novice writers. And it's good advice. So, I wrote what I know, and let me tell you, it was hard. I started 'Burban Babe in part because my friends thought my Christmas letter would make a funny book.

Since I was always intimidated by the thought of writing a whole book--one with a beginning, middle, end, and interesting stuff in between--I thought just chronicling the adventures of my life would be a way to ensure I had a story. (Non-writers take note: every writer reading that last sentence just choked on her grandeskimnofoamlatte.) It turns out it takes a little more than an amusing anecdote or two to tell a compelling story. Go figure.

I struggled through a very autobiographical first draft. The timeline was wrong, but most of the facts were right. Through that process, I discovered the story I wanted to tell and learned a lot about myself. Both good things. But, the characters weren't that interesting. Except...except for two characters who had popped up while I was writing. These two women had strong personalities and something to say, and neither was based on someone from my life. Huh. How interesting.

By the time I got to the fourth draft (yes, fourth), I had stepped back from the characters and let them form themselves. When I gave up control, they all became much more interesting. And once the characters asserted themselves, the story flowed (hence the rewrites...they kept arguing about who got to do what, when. Really girls.)

I enjoyed making the story up so much more than basing it on reality that my second book, the Ellie Holsinger mystery, is all new to me—nothing, so far, in that story resembles anything from my life. How cool.

Perhaps the notion that I enjoy making stuff up isn't so surprising to anyone who knows me. I live in a fantasy world. Now I've found a way to put the world in side my head down on paper. I can't wait to see what pops out next.