Christine Kohler

Mar 16, 2013 3:14 PM EDT

Well, said, Christine! All fiction must ring true.

- Pam Beres

Mar 16, 2013 3:58 PM EDT

Thank you, Pam. I hope this isn't one of those articles that is "singing to the choir." However, if anyone has ever read a fiction story where they are abruptly stopping and saying "huh? That's not right!" then they know exactly what I'm referring to in this article. In fact, I read a novel last month and it was obvious the author had never been to Texas. He set the novel in a city and area I lived in for 20 years; the plotline and characters were great, but every time I hit a gross inaccuracy it pulled me out of the story. In writing this article, I wanted to save writers that grief, and not feel the sting from reviewers and readers after publication.

- Christine Kohler

Mar 16, 2013 8:16 PM EDT

Christine, I think this should be shouted from the rooftops to all writers. I always question those little things that strike me, to the point of looking up the information for myself. Even in epic fantasy, as you say, daily life examples must ring true. One can't have an eight foot by four foot by several inches thick oaken door held to the frame with brass hinges, for example. I've seen that one on paper. I've become even more sticky about facts than I ever was and couldn't agree more with your assertion here.

Thank you for posting this one.

- Claudette Young

Mar 17, 2013 6:37 AM EDT

I wouldn't worry about singing to the choir Christine. It always has new members and for those who sing off key, it's a good reminder. Thanks so much for your wonderful advice. Great article!

- Anonymous

Mar 17, 2013 2:04 PM EDT

Thank you, Claudette and Anon.

I was just discussing this blog article on a LinkedIn site and I gave as an example that even if in sci-fi/fantasy someone defies gravity, then the law of gravity has to be acknowledged and explain how in the "Other world" the law of gravity doesn't apply.

Claudette, your heavy door/brass hinges example is a good one. That's something that I might not have been bothered by. But I have a niece who majored in medieval history and I bet if she read a novel where a drawbridge is hinged and held by something lightweight and flimsy, or a product not yet discovered, it would be a detail that might cause her to put the book down and not finish it.

- Christine Kohler

Mar 18, 2013 1:35 AM EDT

Hi, I totally agreed. Sometimes I think writers by pass elements of their stories without consulting the facts surrounding the issue. Well said!

- Mils

Apr 01, 2013 1:11 PM EDT

Agree Christine that setting is so important

- Dale Harcombe

Apr 07, 2013 6:02 PM EDT

Hi Dale! Are you the same Dale Harcombe from Australia, author of the YA novel STREETS ON A MAP? If so, maybe you can tell us a bit about your research for setting for this novel. Is there one particular interesting story you'd like to tell us about your research?

(I have a funny story about a sheriff escorting me off a bridge in Arkansas where I was trying to locate Pine Bluff where a Cherokee general had fought a battle during the Civil War.)

With a title like STREETS ON A MAP bet setting is practically personified like a character. Any insight?

- Christine Kohler

Feb 19, 2013 3:35 AM EST

The 'what if' question is one of the biggies but I find myself freguently surprised by 'breakout' characters. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about--the one that take on a life (and story!) of their own. Sometimes they don't even have to act in a story; they're simply a name. I discovered this when scanning my primary novel-in-progress. I came across just a name and the 'what if' question flashed through my mind: What if this character did show up? They would certainly raise a few eyebrows. Now what is his story? Yes, here comes another one! And I'm writing that one, too. Summation: Everyone has a story.

- SE Hudnall

Feb 19, 2013 9:49 AM EST

SE, yes, I've heard writers say that a minor character took the stage/page stronger than the main character (MC), so the writer had to give minor his/her own book!

In the case of NO SURRENDER SOLDIER, the real NSS, Yokoi, did become real to me, captured my imagination, as I tried to figure out why he would stay hidden in (under!) the jungle long after Japan lost the war. So from the very beginning, this was a character-driven novel.

Editors today say they prefer character-driven to plot-driven stories. So pull up a chair and keep listening to your characters when one wants to tell you her story.

- Christine Kohler

Feb 19, 2013 4:19 PM EST

Congratulations on signing your contract. Great news!

I tend to start by mulling over a character for a story. I've been told that dialogue is one of my stronger areas. My characters talk to me, and I talk back. Makes for realistic conversation when I write it down.

- Donna Shepherd

Feb 19, 2013 5:06 PM EST

Congratulations Christine!

- Susan Hornbach

Feb 19, 2013 6:44 PM EST

Thanks Donna and Susan! Donna, I like how you say, "and I talk back." It sounds as if you do more than just interview the characters. It sounds as if you challenge what they do and say. Give them sass, girl!

- Christine Kohler

Feb 20, 2013 7:25 AM EST

Looking forward to reading this, Christine!

My ideas usually come initially from some hidden piece of history that grabs me emotionally. I get the urge to tell that story and especially how it impacted human beings at ground level. So I research a ton to find out just how the story played out and how different people fared in that context. I usually gather my major plot points from things that happened to real people in history. Not famous one. just the average person.

But the details tend to reflect my own experiences. This is where the universality of human experience comes into play. Imagining how I'd react in the same circumstances. Remembering when I felt betrayed or sad or fearful or safe and translating that into my character's experience.

- JoyceMoyerHostetter

Feb 20, 2013 10:28 AM EST

It really shows in your stories, too, Joyce! Anyone who is not familiar with Joyce's novels should read BLUE and HEALING WATER. (COMFORT is in my tbr stack.) BLUE is a five-hankie read, at least. It is evident that you found the emotional core of the characters. I love HEALING WATER, set in the leper colony in Hawaii, because of my years in Hawaii and learning its history. It is evident that Joyce is a first-rate researcher by the way she transports readers into setting and historical context. Joyce, next month I'm going to post on NF, THE BEDROCK OF FICTION. I'd love it if you chime in then and tell us a bit about your research close to home. How you were challenged to find a story close to home, and that challenge led to the publication of BLUE.

- Christine Kohler

Feb 25, 2013 5:11 AM EST

That is super exciting news! It must have been a neat experience to work with the legendary Ms. Mitchard. The topic of the book is fascinating too, even if I'm not usually a history buff. My mom had some traumatic things happen during WWII which has made me more inclined to read about that time period. Congratulations!!

- Teresa Robeson

Feb 26, 2013 5:53 PM EST

Thank you, Teresa! It is a huge honor to work with Jackie Mitchard. I'm hoping NO SURRENDER SOLDIER appeals to readers who don't normally read historical. I'd say the foreign setting is stronger than dating the book in 1972. Yeah, there are a few 70s references, but nothing that makes you feel as if you're sitting in a room of multi-colored shag carpet or avocado kitchen appliances. lol You'll have to read it after it comes out in Fall 2014 and see what I mean. Then you be the judge, and call me on it if I'm wrong. :-)

- Christine Kohler