Christine Kohler

Jan 31, 2017 10:14 AM EST

A lot of good comments for those of us planning to use some of our family's history in fiction. You are telling us to do the hard thing--impersonalize it and make it a fiction story. I particularly like your suggestion to write a true non-fiction family history FIRST, to get it out of your system and so other family members who don't have access to that trunk can share in their ancestors' history. Thanks for the post.

- Robyn Echols

Jan 31, 2017 10:14 AM EST

Excellent. I wish I would have had this info when I decided to make my family's story into a novel. Fortunately I did at least some of what you mention here. I first wrote a family history, then started making it into a novel. Eventually the characters based on the real people took on lives of their own. I am still amazed at the great plot line that the real story provided. I only had to ramp up the conflict a bit and embellish the scenes, because the real life story was so dramatic and I had so many amazing anecdotes to work with.

- www.roseseilerscott.com

Jan 31, 2017 11:41 AM EST

Robyn, I agree this is excellent advice to write the true life story first. I wonder if it might also free up writers who have trouble letting go of what really happened to write what needs to happen to form a novel ARC. It might also help some writers let go of the tedious details and anecdotes that don't add to scenes and sequence. Thanks for commenting! I'll draw a name at the end of the week to win a copy of the novel!

btw, if you want to sign up for my blog articles, mostly on writing craft, you can do so under the Blogletter tab. Thanks!

- Christine Kohler

Jan 31, 2017 11:45 AM EST

Rose, isn't that so true! Real life is more fascinating than what our imaginations can create. It's why I believe that nonfiction research is the bedrock of fiction. (I have an article about that on my blog. It's easier to find the articles by title on the Blogletter tab.)

Your name is thrown into the drawing now. At the end of the week I'll announce who wins a copy of the novel!

btw, if you want to sign up for my blog articles, mostly on writing craft, you can do so under the Blogletter tab. Thanks!

- Christine Kohler

Jul 21, 2016 7:21 PM EDT

Zita Taitano. A well respected journalist does it again. Thanks for the article, Z!

- Therese Hart

Jul 21, 2016 7:55 PM EDT

Ms. Therese Hart, si yu'us ma'ase for your comment. I had worked with Zita on the Pacific Daily News in Guam in the late 1980s until early 1991 when I moved to Texas. I am proud to call her "friend" and am impressed with how she broadened her experience in her journalism career. I am very honored that Zita agreed to write about the liberation of Guam during WWII. It's one thing for me to write about it from a historian viewpoint, but Zita writes about it from a deeply personal perspective, both as a Chamorro reared on Guam and as one whose relatives lived through that horrific time of Japanese occupation during wartime.

- Christine Kohler

Apr 27, 2014 6:25 PM EDT

Marsha, your books are so special. You bring little-known history to life. It was hard for me to read these three books - had to do it in small doses. They reminded me of my parents' experiences during the war, and those of their friends. Kudos and admiration for what you do and how well you do it!

- Orysia

Apr 27, 2014 6:47 PM EDT

Orysia,
Thank you so much for your comments. These books have been emotionally difficult to write -- like opening up a vein and writing with blood -- but I'm glad I've done it because they honour some very brave WWII survivors who have received very little attention.

- Marsha Skrypuch

Aug 26, 2022 3:08 PM EDT

this really moved me

- jim

Sep 01, 2022 12:01 AM EDT

Jim, thank you for reading. That fear of WWIII is even stronger today than in 2014.

- Marsha Skrypuch

Sep 30, 2013 7:00 PM EDT

I enjoyed you interview, found it very interesting and educational. It gave me a feeling it was completely honest and heart-felt. I look forwarding to the release of your new novel.

- Robert W. Hess

Oct 01, 2013 6:38 AM EDT

Thank you, Robert. Hope you enjoy reading it.

- Christine Kohler

May 26, 2013 7:04 PM EDT

That is a beautiful picture. Takes me back to the stories I heard when I was younger of Pearl Harbor.

- Debbie Klein

May 29, 2013 1:51 PM EDT

I have been a fan of Layne Johnson's paintings (and picture books) since I bought WHEN HORSES RUN FREE. But when I saw FARMER GEORGE, still in the F&G (fold and gather) stage, I became entranced with Layne's work. Not all artists can paint realistic portraits and even fewer as realistic as Layne. His paintings are stunning! http://www.laynejohnson.com/

- 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