I’m not going to stray too far from Speculative Fiction while working on my first historical fiction novel On The Eve of War, Reflections of a Civil War Soldier Edward Michael Watson. Late Return is a young adult fiction tale about a boy seeking justice through a library book he had in his possession at the time of his murder.
This story is also set in Marquette, MI so I’ll be working on them simultaneously. That’s really the best way to work. I get burned out on one I can jump over to the other one. It keeps ideas me fresh; and my writing flows as a result.
I spent this past weekend plotting Late Return. I have the complete beginning and ending diagramed out. The middle of my novels are always the mysterious part for me. I never know how I will get from A to C until I actually begin the writing. It’s a journey of discovery that I really enjoy. Both Stasis and Camelot’s Revenge were planned that way.
Now it’s time for a little research! Richard and I spent Tuesday afternoon looking for websites containing floor plans for historic homes. Tuesday night I spent working on the floor plan for Gerta’s house. Gerta is my main character and her room is very important in the novel. I wish I could travel to Marquette right now but since I can’t I’m going to have to email The Mining Journal Marquette’s newspaper and request some copies of articles written in the late 80’s, Peter White Library to ask a question about their interior structure and finally Park Cemetery to ask about their interment policy in the 80’s. I’m getting really excited now! I hope to have the novel completed by April 2004.
