Would You Write on the Walls?

I have always believed there is a good test to see if someone has a true passion for writing. Lock that person in a closet, and if the first thing he or she thinks to do is start writing on the walls to record the event, the passion is there. Getting out would be secondary. A long stay would require not food, but a second pencil.

Over my writing career, I have felt that passion, with the heartfelt conviction that ideas and events should be recorded and passed on. Never was this truer for me than when I wrote a WWII nonfiction about my father’s experiences as a prisoner of war (Rhapsody in Junk—A Daughter’s Return to Germany to Finish Her Father’s Story). I had written six children’s picture books previously, published by a traditional publisher, and I had three well-known illustrators in New York, who wrote as well as illustrated children’s books.

To complete the book I envisioned, I was determined to return to Germany to find the crash site of my father’s B-24, Rhapsody in Junk. It took three years of research to determine the exact location and to assemble all the pieces of the writing puzzle. Only then was I ready to write.

For anyone writing historical nonfiction, for the sake of accuracy, it is essential to read a variety of accounts of the same incident. Don’t depend on just one source. The Internet provides a plethora of material, so much untapped, that can assist a writer in discovering and documenting facts. Authenticate what you write. Don’t have a Civil War solider playing a piece on his harmonica that wasn’t written until half a century later; or discuss an 1820 frontiersman using a revolver when it wasn’t invented until 1835. These are all giveaways that someone got lazy and did not do their homework.

By digging deep, particularly for a nonfiction book, there is no telling what can be found. Each find is a gift. For my book, I needed to explore how my father’s plane fell from the sky, particularly if it turned, to help me determine the fate of one of the crew members. I found a firsthand account of a German schoolteacher who recorded what he saw in 1944 as my father’s plane flew over his school. Not only did he tell me which way the plane turned, he gave details on how much the schoolchildren got for selling its salvaged aluminum. I am sure no one had read that account in over sixty years. Ghosts from the past speak loudly. Never give up trying to find what you are looking for!

Consider your audience as you write. My more recent book, Badge on My Collar—A Chronicle of Courageous Canines, had the ideal target audience, both adult and child, which made it easy to market. It had appeal for dog lovers, police K9 officers, search-and-rescue groups, dog trainers, dog breeders, dog societies, German shepherd clubs around the world, police departments, Web sites that sold K9 equipment, and even one Web site selling dog collars. Best of all, it made Amazon.com’s Top 100 Best Selling New Animal Books for four months. The U.S. Police Canine Association sells it on their Web site, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police use it as a prize in their annual Name the Puppy Contest for Canadian schoolchildren.

To craft an interesting book, I would advise having fun with words. Use figurative language. Use words like a paintbrush to color your story. Create a fine mosaic where all of the pieces fit together nicely. Let your reader vicariously experience where you want to take him or her, by using high-powered adjectives that utilize the five senses. Make your story come “full circle,” alluding to something in the very beginning of the story again as you end the story. This gives a satisfying feeling of completion, just like a good dessert after a big meal.

Consider your first draft to be only spilled milk. Rewriting and eliminating the clutter makes it ice cream. Substitute one word that takes the place of three. Avoid redundancies. “She was crying. Tears streamed liberally from her eyes.” Alternate long and short sentences for balance and ease of reading. Refine and rewrite. If you have the passion for whatever you write, it will shine through.

And no matter where you go, never forget to bring an extra pencil.