A Lot Can Happen in Five Years and 10 Pages

I can’t remember the last time I had such a hard time editing an intro. But oh my word, Designing America is killing me!

In a strictly intellectual/creative sense, of course. I don’t mean to follow up last Wednesday’s thankfulness post by complaining about how difficult my life is. Let’s face it: If the worst thing I have to deal with is a challenging piece of fiction, then I’m doing pretty darn good.

I fully acknowledge that. I also fully acknowledge that there’s no good way to transition from how peachy I have it back to complaining, so I’m not going to bother.

Let’s just acknowledge that I’m being a whiny baby and move on…

The reason behind why I’m struggling so much with prettying up Designing America? It’s those dratted historical details I care so much about. Apparently the feeling isn’t reciprocal, since they seem bound and determined to make my editorial life a living nightmare.

I’ve already cut out entire paragraphs in the first 10 pages, even about details I really, really like. Yet there’s still so much backstory that needs to be addressed in order to set up the current tale.

After all, Maiden America took place at the very end of 1776, whereas its sequel happens five years later during the summer of 1781. A lot can happen in a five-year span and a lot did, both for the non-fiction America and the fictional Abigail Carpenter.

It’s not like I need to breakdown every single battle between the combatants and every conversation made about them. Otherwise, that would be a textbook, not a novel. Obviously.

Nonetheless, 1781 was an eventful year with a whole string of crazy coincidences and strange happenings that factored into the successful campaign at Yorktown, Virginia. So much so that my multiple sources repeatedly mentioned “providence” being at work.

These weren’t religious resources either. They were the kind of academic accounts that graduate students might refer to while compiling their doctoral theses. Yet these professionals were downright amazed at how many completely unpredictable pieces came together in just the right way and at just the right time to set up a game-changing victory.

All of which seems well worth mentioning.

So how do I tell it in a non-boring manner? That’s the $500 question I’m struggling with.

I’m sure I’ll come up with an answer.

Eventually.

Maybe right after I get a better attitude.

An Amusing Villain to Read About in Designing America (Just Not in the History Books)

Normally I write both week’s Muses and Musings blogposts on Sunday, but it’s now 8:11 in the morning on Wednesday, and I’m just starting today’s.

It’s been one of those weeks.

Not all in bad ways, admittedly. I mean, Sunday’s NaNoWriMo kick-off had me writing 10,000 words in a day. And between Monday and Tuesday, I wrote another 10,000 despite alleged bedbugs and a hectic work day, the combination of which had me sobbing like a 14-year-old on my mother for the first twenty minutes of my drive down to last night’s NaNoWriMo write-in.

Not fun, right?

But what is fun is my one villain. I hate to say that, because this isn’t a villain of my own making. Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton was a real person and a real jerk according to American history books. You know The Patriot starring Mel Gibson? The antagonist in it... Colonel William Tavington, who locks civilians in a barn and then burns it down?

 

That wretched fictional character was based on the wretched real-life character of Tarleton. And while I didn’t come across any actual accounts of him burning anyone to death, what I did read was disturbing enough. Always a brash young man (who, it turns out, got a brief mention in Maiden America, though not by name), he was a skilled cavalryman and commander who didn’t think much of the people he was sent to subdue.

Hence the reason why, after his victory at the Battle of Waxhaws, South Carolina, he ordered his men to go through the list of surrendered American soldiers and bayonet them to death.

As for those men, it can easily be argued they were even worse. Here’s a history-filled excerpt from Designing America’s (and Maiden America’s) heroine Abigail Carpenter’s perspective:

The clear leader of the sizable Calvary reins in his brown horse, leaving the mount champing at the bit to get back to his canter. It’s a magnificent beast with its own mind, I can tell, so it says a lot about its seated master that it only tosses its head and lets out a whinny before quieting down altogether.

I know who that master is before he introduces himself. His immaculate attire speaks volumes by itself, as does the appearance of his men. They are all well-clothed and well-fed. In a group that size, that means they won’t be Americans.

I think the man himself in his mid-twenties, and he is very attractive to look at with his red hair and broad shoulders covered by a green coat with gold trimmings and buttons, and white breeches beneath. His hat is black and billed with a very large black plume atop it, and his boots are black up until his mid-calf and then brown the rest of the way to his knees. Moreover, along with the two buckled belts slung over each shoulder, he is fitted with a saber and a long musket.

His name is Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton, and he’s a monster, no matter how pretty and proud he sits there before me. It is his men who have been accused of mutilating and murdering pregnant women. It was also two of his men who were hung back in May on Cornwallis’ orders, not their direct commander’s, on charges of robbery and rape.

I imagine not nearly enough of them swung from the gallows that day.

So again, I’m not proud of myself for smirking over this character. In my defense, he’s been nothing but nice to Abigail, since he’s trying to prove himself a respectable gentleman instead of the monster she very obviously regards him as during their entire first day of acquaintanceship.

That alone wouldn’t make me enjoy him (notice I’m staying far away from the word “like”). It’s the fact that, in trying to stay true to the history books, where even some of his fellow British officers described him as an arrogant little brat, I’ve turned Tarleton into just that… an arrogant little brat, who will roll his eyes in polite company when polite company turns tedious, and make the kind of comments you really want to say to irritating individuals but can’t because you’re too well-mannered.

It’s a bit hard not to snort in amusement over that kind of villain. I dare you not to do the same when I’m done writing Designing America.

The First Step Is Admitting You Have a Problem. Okay, I Can Do That Much...

Hello, my name is Jeannette DiLouie, and I have a writing addiction.

It all started when I was six years old and wrote my very first book with a word count of maybe 60. It seemed so innocent at the time. Not at all the kind of thing that would have me locking myself away in my apartment, shunning friends and ignoring family to focus on my addiction.

But that’s what it is. It’s an addiction. And it just seems to be getting stronger.

On Tuesday, October 13, I finished working on the third draft of my 12th novel-length manuscript, Wing and Dagger, the fourth installment of the Faerietales series. By Thursday afternoon, I had it uploaded to Amazon’s CreateSpace to order a proof for review. By Thursday evening, I had started writing two new books.

Two!

The first is the conclusion to Sabrina’s story, Faerietales 5: Flights of Fancy. The second is something much less certain. Who knows whether I’ll ever complete it…

It’s the story of Haley, a 10th grader who somehow develops the ability to read minds. It’s a power she’s always wanted to have, yet she quickly comes to realize it’s much more trouble than it’s worth. First off, knowledge isn’t always worth the cost. And secondly, if she had just stayed nice and normal, she never would have attracted the attention of Mr. Conner, who’s intent on using her gift for his own purposes.

Worse yet, I’m planning on starting still another story next month: Designing America, the novel I never had any intention of writing until my enablers (a.k.a. readers) pressured me into penning a sequel to Maiden America. Which was supposed to be a stand-alone book. I swear!

Then there’s the work I really, really, really hope to begin sometime next year: When Dignity Was a Crime. That’s all about Ariana, a spoiled little rich girl who lives in modern-day Boston and gets to go on a cruise ship through the Bermuda Triangle, an area frequently linked to paranormal activity. Her life dissolves into a science-fiction conundrum when she’s yanked back in time to Baltimore circa 1836 to experience history through her ancestors’ perspective. And since her father is descendent from slaves, that means she’s in one complicated mess.

So there. I admitted I have a problem. I’m a writing addict. You happy?

Now go away so I can get back to my plotlines.

This Month’s Big Publishing Reveal Is…

Today’s the 24th, and I have nothing to publish.

For the last seven months, I’ve announced the publishing of a book every time the 24th rolled around. I picked that number specifically because, once upon a time in a magical land called Moonachie, New Jersey, I was born one freezing February 24th.

So I thought it’d be kinda fun to run with it.

In January, I published Maiden America. In February, I debuted my Faerietales series with Not So Human, followed by To Err Is Faerie in March and Up in the Air in April.

Next was my Dirty Politics series. The Politician’s Pawn came out in May, Moves and Countermoves in June, and Amateurs Play Elsewhere was what I debuted for July.

Now it’s August. August 24th. And I’ve got nothing.

I’m not upset. All good runs have to end, and I’m having a blast editing the recently completed manuscript for Faerietales #4, even if I still have no clue what to call it. I’m also researching the siege of Yorktown for Maiden America #2, which does have a name: Designing America.

Both are fascinating and fulfilling, and I can’t wait to get them to the point where they’re publishable. Though that won’t be until next year, I’m sure.

That gives me another however many months’ worth of 24ths where I have no big announcements to make and nothing amazing to share. And considering that I don’t have another seven books lying around, I suppose I’ll never experience that particular kind of run again.

Oh well. Moving on.

I’m sure there are plenty more paths out there to explore!

Some of the Most Fun Book Dedications I’ve Ever Seen! (Mainly ‘Cause I Wrote Them)

No offense to other writers, but I find most book dedications drippy and uninteresting. They’re obviously geared toward one or two people, though presented to thousands… maybe even millions.

For my part, I like having fun with them. I already told you back in January about my historical novel “Maiden America” (available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle copies), which I took great delight in dedicating to some real-life antagonists of my own. (This is why you shouldn’t tick off writers.)

But here are a few more of my favorite ones I’ve written…

Faerietales Book 1, “Not So Human” (available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle copies):

To Danae, who read this story cover to cover repeatedly… Thank you so much for putting that time and effort in. It meant more than I can possibly say. To Christina, my favoritest big sister ever… I owe you for tearing into all the tiny details the way you did. I don’t know how you do it, but I’m certainly glad you’ve got my back. And to Tanja, who caught a few glaring errors as well… I love you. Just not enough to give you money.

Faerietales Book 2, “To Err Is Faerie” (available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle copies on March 24, 2015):

To my usual cohorts, Christina and Danae, for reading this over and telling me when to dial my creative proclivities down a notch or two (or three or four). And to my darling, kindhearted mom, who still loves me even though I didn’t give a certain HPAC villain the redemption story she wanted me to. In my defense, he really didn’t deserve one.

And to my brother… He doesn’t care about my writing, but he is awesome. (He added that in himself.)

My brother really did add that last bit in, and I thought it was way too entertaining to take out.

Dirty Politics Book 1, “The Politician’s Pawn” (available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle copies on May 24, 2015):

To Ashleigh, the best nurse and fellow cookie dough connoisseur a girl could ask for. Thanks for ensuring I didn’t mess up any of the medical details! And to Christina, for lending her ever-thorough eye and making sure I didn’t get eaten by a shark before I could write this story down. Clearly, I owe you big time. Like REALLY big time.

I wish I was kidding about that last part, since getting eaten by a shark is one of my worst fears in life. Christina and I were out in the ocean a few years ago when we saw a shark fin go by. Christina, being the intelligent creature that she is, started walking back to shore since we were only up to our chests.

Me? I tried to swim it, and then panicked when a wave dragged me further out… toward the shark. If you know anything about sharks, then you know that thrashing around like an idiot is the absolute worst thing you can do around them. Yet that’s exactly what I ended up doing.

Christina had to get right in my face, and nearly knock me out, to make me calm down enough to walk to safety.

I have the best big sister ever.

What Doesn’t Kill You Can Go in Your Novel

They say “it takes all kinds” to make the world turn, but let’s face it: That motion could be a whole lot smoother without certain people around.

Like, I don’t know…

·         That person who doesn’t like you for no good reason, as far as you can tell

·         The boss who doesn’t give you a raise or bonus two years in a row without explanation

·         Your ex who really was a nice person but lacked the spine to be honest with himself so that he vacillated about the relationship every other day until you’re forced to break up with him on New Year’s Eve, ensuring an utterly miserable evening.

Not that I have anyone in particular in mind, of course…

Except that I do. Obviously. And yeah, I don’t care for the individuals described in bullet points one and two. As for the third example, well, I sincerely wish him the best despite how he could have saved us both a lot of trouble way back when by making up his mind one way or the other.

Life is filled with such annoyances. And there’s often nothing much to be done about them.

Unless, of course, you’re a writer.

One of the many beauties of writing stories is that you can take the kind of revenge on reality-inspired characters that you could never take in real life. Not to say I go around knee-capping my supervisors or burning down other antagonists’ houses with them in it. I could if I wanted to, but that’s probably going a bit too far. I don’t dislike them THAT much.

However, I have given one little letch I used to work with debilitating stomach cramps. Twice. That’s in “Maiden America.” I don’t regret doling out that batch of poison one bit.

And I portray politicians from both parties as conniving, arrogant lawbreakers with delusions of godhood in my upcoming Dirty Politics series. That round of venting felt pretty good too.

But above and beyond the emotional enjoyment of sticking it to the man or woman or group of people driving me crazy, I can use that real-world experience with negative factors to make my fiction more believable and ultimately entertaining and/or compelling.

Hence the reason why I wrote my dedication to “Maiden America” the way that I did:

This book goes out to the amazing individuals who listened to me 
blather on and on and on (and on) about how cool all my historical 
research on Princeton circa 1776 was. You know who you are!

And also to some particularly obnoxious people of my 
acquaintance, who made for amazingly easy models of irritating 
British officers. I could have done it without you guys, but it 
wouldn’t have been nearly so much fun. 

“Maiden America” for the History Buffs Out There

Did you know that a possible majority of Americans weren’t pro-America during the Revolutionary War?

If not, don’t worry. Neither did I until I started my research for “Maiden America” early last year. Through books like “1776” by brilliant historian David McCullough (which reads more like a novel than non-fiction. I highly recommend it) and “The Day Is Ours!” by William M. Dwyer.

As I note in my historical forward:

Several historians strongly suggest that no more than a third of the people at any time were fully on the revolutionaries’ side. As a general rule, those who shunned the spirit of independence did so because:

·      They believed the king’s ways and God’s ways were one.

·      They wanted to financially gain from siding with the crown.

·      They were pacifists.

·      They ranked other admittedly worthwhile concerns above freedom, such as their farms, families and personal safety.

Moreover (and this much I did know), even patriots entered the war considering themselves British citizens fighting for British rights. Right up until July 4, 1776, most of them would have happily laid down their arms and gone on as subjects of the king if their demands were only met.

Equally interesting is how the British weren’t all crying “Huzzah!” at the idea of forcing America to submit. I mean, obviously, King George III was.  And there were a whole lot of badly behaved soldiers and officers who made their affiliations very well known by not only shooting at patriot soldiers but also grossly mistreating prisoners, pillaging ordinary citizens’ property, raping women and generally behaving like cretins. But there were a whole lot of much more nobly-minded motherlanders who privately and publically decried their kings’ decisions:

There were members of Parliament who either partially or completely sided with the Americans in their list of grievances. Additionally, enough of the citizenry took issue with the war that King George III had to rely on German mercenaries to bulk up his military force; and he tried – and failed – to hire 20,000 Russians for the same purpose. There were even a few exceptionally prominent figures in Britain’s army who were noted American sympathizers, including Commander-in-Chief William Howe. The same went for Lord Richard Howe, who was in charge of the Royal Navy.

As for King George III, yeah, he was being a ridiculous tyrant. But like so many other ridiculous tyrants, that’s not at all how he saw it. In his mind, he was protecting his kingdom: His citizens were rebelling and he was simply ensuring that they learned their lesson to behave.

At least that was the goal. Obviously history had something very different in mind.