Hello Sunshine!!!

Hello Sunshine!!
The winter has been a long one, and I am happy to bid adieu to the cold, frigid weather for a while. With arms wide open I embrace the sun and all its warmth!
Today I will be writing. What? I am unsure, but I will take my coffee and computer and head out to the deck. Maybe I will find a little inspiration there.
When I was in school the one thing that was drilled into your head, was write what you know. Write the genre you read. Write about a story you’ve lived. Write about your crazy neighbour and all his antics you’ve witnessed through your screen door. But most importantly just write!
Because I love history so much, I choose to write that genre. But sadly this doesn’t fall into the “write what you know” category. What do I know of the Romans, the Victorian era, the Civil War? How did they bake bread in the 1800’s? What did they wear in the 1700’s and how do I describe their wardrobe? And what of their lingo, their language back then. Whether it’s 100, 200 or 300 years ago they spoke differently than we do now. How do I capture that essence? How do I take what I only partially know from text books and online research, and build it into something believable and real?
Imagination, creativity, and knowledge are my tools. Much like a carpenter, but without the tool box, I have a computer, a pile of books, and a highlighter; I begin fixing the story in my head. I know the plot. Now I need the tools to hammer out the characters, sub plots, and everything else in between. There has to be conflict and resolution of some sort. I build an outline, a chapter by chapter breakdown. And then I take a deep breath and begin.
Sometimes it doesn’t come to me right away, and I wait patiently for the conversation to begin in my head. This could take days, weeks, and on occasion months. I become a little fearful before I begin, knowing that I will say goodbye to daily pleasures such as talking on the phone, reading a book, and watching T.V. All will be cast aside until I am done. I will be consumed, obsessed and somewhat recluse. I will allow my nails to over grow, my hair to go unwashed, my clothes unchanged. I will have vanished.
So let the writing process begin!!!


Cheers,
Kat