Finding the Perfect Character and/or Storyline for Your Historical Novel
I truly hate to use the dreaded words “writer’s block,” but sometimes I feel every idea that comes to mind is as smelly as a pair of grubby gym socks. You know…where your character/storyline is perfectly fine, but not the satisfyingly heroic or despicable person/narrative you want?
Time for a walk you say? Get some fresh air? Clear out the cobwebs? I agree. After which, I suggest taking a nice shower and cozying up in your workspace. Now, let’s go for another stroll, this time on your laptop to mine newspapers and music for ideas and characters. Click on the links below and wander through some old newsprint and listen to music from your selected time period. How about we try it here and now?
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| Valentino |
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| Ethel Waters |
Let’s say your novel is set in Hollywood, California during the Roaring Twenties. The Great War has ended, money is flowing. The United States is celebrating with bathtub gin, jazz, flappers, fancy cars and just about any sin one can think of. The music industry and movie studios are pushing out film and music faster than a flashing slot machine that’s ringing up a ginormous Jackpot.
So let’s see what we can find in the “Los Angeles Herald” in the early 1920s.
Newspapers are goldmines, aren't they? The advertisements are particularly helpful. I use them to embellish my novels, i.e., a garter advertisement to add color and life to a scene. Quick example...
From passive: Rudolph was a dapper dresser.
To interesting: Feeling a sharp snap on his leg, Rudolph took a deep breath, raised a well-groomed eyebrow and continued the tango rehearsal. Rudy smiled at his partner but fumed inside. The ostensibly top-of-the-line garters would be returned by messenger first thing tomorrow morning. As he maneuvered through a new dance step, he formed an acerbic note for Bonwit-Teller's manager.
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| Fanny Brice |
Perhaps you might set a scene with the Broadway favorite “Secondhand Rose” playing on a sleek Brunswick phonograph player…or Sergei Rachmaninoff‘s record of “Prelude in G Minor" on an old but lovingly cared for gramophone. Both records were in 1920’s top 30. Each creates a different atmosphere.
Which song would be your character’s favorite? Does he/she hum it as they read the morning newspaper, take the trolley to work or handwash their "delicates" in Ivory Flakes?
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FREE historical newspaper websites.
FREE historical music website – I find this gets me in the time zone in a millisecond.
Give these links a try, and let me know if they stir up some excitement. Honestly interested to know what era brings you delight as a novelist and as a reader. Share in the comments.
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BOOK REVIEWS – Zero to Five Stars
☆☆☆☆ “The Dry” by Jane Harper – What a wonderfully written mystery. This was a debut novel and I bow to Ms. Harper, a great writer. I gave it 4 stars out of 5 because I thought the ending (flashback) was too brutal for my taste. But thousands of other readers disagreed and loved the ending. Did you read it? What is your take?
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See you next month my fellow writers and readers.
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