August in TN

you gotta love family get-togethers. this occassion was my dad's 95th birthday. the location? A cabin on the river. it doesn't get much better'n this.

The Amazing Things You Learn When You Research Your Ancestry...

According to Mortality Schedules, 1850-85, our ancestors had life rough…

Many on Dad's side were consumed by “consumption,” which was another word for Tuberculosis.
Several of his kinfolks died due to Typhoid fever in the 1835-1860 era.
Gabrilla Pack died at age 36 in 1834 in childbirth.
Henry died at age 46 in 1834 due to suicide—wonder if that was related to Gabrilla dying and leaving him the new bairn to raise?
James died at age 40 in 1840 of “Dropsey of Chest.”
Another had a similar disease. “Dropsey of Lungs” took Mahala at age 36.
Then there was poor little Davie, 1 yr old in SC, who died of “Bill Fever.” I suffer from that, also…
Sarah, age 74 in 1880, died in NC from measles.
Poor little Emma, 4 yrs. old in 1860, died from “Hydrophobia” in KY—that’s rabies, folks…guess they didn’t have shots back then??
But that’s not as bad as poor little black Cyrus in SC. In 1860, he died from “teething” at age 1. He was listed as “slave.” Probably couldn’t afford teething rings…
But neither had it as bad as little L.F. He died at age 2 in Tennessee from “hopping” cough. I guess every time he coughed, he hopped. Wonder how far he hopped in his 2 years of life?
____
On Mom’s side, the people lived long lives; for the most part:
Sarah died in PA at age 90 from “old age.” Ya think???
Sanford died in VA at age 76 from same disease. Must get older quicker in VA…
Susan died in VA at age 75—same disease.
There were in total, 43 people listed as dying of “old age.” Hope I take after that side of the family…
In 1860, Joanah died from “suicide from hanging” in Massachusetts at age 70. I guess she couldn’t take another twenty years.
Then there was poor old Olive in Massachusetts who died of cancer of the anus. She was 62. She probably lived longer than she wanted to…
That was almost as bad as poor old Lewis. He was born in Germany, came to America and died at age 37 of “cold water.” Guess they don’t have cold water in Germany.
In 1863, poor James died at age 37 in NJ of a “violent death-busted up in mill machinery.” Ouch!
Then in 1880, Catherine died in TN from a “pistal.” It was termed as “sui-side.”
Thomas died in 1880 in TN—he was “murdered.” He was 19 years old. Same pistal?
A little black infant died in childbirth in TN in 1870. “Parents unknown.” Yeah, right… Where was the Mother during “childbirth”?

Character-Driven Stories, Part 2 By Nancy Kelly Allen

Character-driven stories focus on the character's emotions, needs, and flaws. That’s right, flaws. Characters should not be cast as perfect. Let the flaws draw in the reader by building empathy. The actions and decisions of the character drive the story, and some of those decisions might be poor choices. By the end of the story, the character should grow and learn from the conflict/quest/problem.

Create characters you care about. If they seem flat and dull to you, they probably will seem the same to the reader. Allow the character to engage the reader emotionally or intellectually, make the reader chuckle or tingle with goosebumps.

Become a people watcher. Notice what people wear and how they act. Listen to conversations. Eavesdrop. Use these observations in your writing.

As your story progresses, give the character an opportunity to surprise you with actions, thoughts, and dialog. Again, if you’re surprised, the reader is likely to be also. Unanticipated behavior adds interest. Refer to the profile you developed to include the character’s background and personality so the behavior remains credible.
Keep in mind the character’s motives and goals, in addition to the background. Focus on a character as s/he goes through a major change. Thoughts and emotion carry endless possibilities for your unique or quirky character. Have fun creating a character that only you can craft.


Stay tuned for part 3

Breathing Life Into Characters by Nancy Kelley Allen

Believable characters make the world of fiction come alive. A character that does not seem real will not be interesting. So how do writers breathe life into characters? The best way to develop a three-dimensional character is to get to know the character as well as you know yourself.

On paper create a character profile. List the character’s physical traits, including hair color, height, and other features. List the character’s likes and dislikes, family members, and unusual mannerisms, such as winking as he smiles or rubbing his hand through his hair when he is stressed. Ask your character questions about favorite foods, sports activities, and friends. Write the character’s answer in a first person voice as though he is talking with you. What are the character’s strengths and weaknesses? What does the character want and why does the character want it? What drives the character? The writer needs to know why the character makes certain choices throughout the development of the plot.

Characters are more interesting if they are not perfect, but they need to be likeable. The reader should want the character to succeed or the story will fall flatter than the page on which it’s written.

Next week: Part II

Historical Fiction Contest

check out this link to enter a chance to win $500.00 and 8-month subscription to Children's Writer Magazine. Hurry...deadline is October 30th.
http://www.thechildrenswriter.com/ad192/

I love contests!

...especially when free. Please take a moment-won't take much longer than that-and go to http://www.short-story-time.com/remus-2110.html
to read my short story and post a comment.
I'll be ever-so-grateful!

The Funny Business of Writing Humor for Kids, Part III by Nancy Kelly Allen

Knowing the sensibilities of the audience is imperative to a writer, especially when writing humor. Young readers use books to help discover the world around them, so the more we know about young readers, the better we can develop the humor in our writing.

Humor should not the focus of a story. The story is a vehicle to make readers think and feel. A story without a purpose is probably going to fall flat, with or without humor.

So how do we infuse humor into a story? When I wrote, The Munched-Up Flower Garden, I wrote the basic story first. In revision, I added the humor. I also wrote in first person so I could flavor the story from beginning to end with the character’s attitude and feelings.

Don’t try to make every character and every word in the dialog funny. One funny character or comment will carry the entire scene.

Watch comedians. They set up the humorous situation and the punch line comes at the end of the joke. Use this technique to end the sentence or paragraph with humor.
Read humorous books written for children at various age levels. Compare how the humor is similar or different among the books and the age groups.

Keep the characters realistic to the story. Even those who inject comic relief have to be developed so the readers will care about what happens to them.

Talk with children. Observe them telling stories and laughing. Notice what action or event or words make them laugh. Play with words and sounds. Make your writing business funny business.