Miz Barbara Begins a Novel

So, get off my case, okay? I'm going to get serious here. That's more than I can say for the rest of you. You do your thing--and I'll take care of my corner of the world. You gals don't know what "get" a life means, do you?

That's what I have--too many sidebars to my life. When I am able to blog--when it is MY turn only--I will do so. If I can't show up, zip up your lip and get the knot out of your panties. I will always be back.

Beginning a Novel

Where do you begin to write a novel? At your desk with pen and pencil? On a computer? For me, it all begins in my head. I mull over an idea for a long time before I put a word on paper or screen. In Aunt Lutie, I had the idea for the character before I began to form a plot. The other characters introduced themselves to me pretty much as I began to write the scenes. It works that way for me.

So how do you begin? Most novelists either look at their own background and the events in their lives for an idea. Some use a terrifying experience or death or it may be a true event, known by most people because of the notoriety of the case, that hands you the basis for your novel. Writers are inspired by everything they read, hear, and experience.

My novel, "Aunt Lutie's Blue Moon Cafe," was a concept begun with the desire to write a book set in a small East Texas town much like the one I was born in. I sketched out what the town would look like, names of businesses--and then the names began to come to mind. I have pages of notes about the area, the actual towns I remember and used to create the fictious Harts Corner. A friend even found pictures of my hometown on the Internet and sent them to me. It was still all there--and the memories flooded back.

Mary Margaret Butler came full blown before the story. She is me in so many ways...though I don't have the red-hair of Daddy, my cousins, or MM. She's got a sassy mouth which I've always had, and she has guts--I gave her more than I'll probably ever have. She also has a big heart and loves her home town, the people in it, and a certain deputy new to town. But at the beginning, she wants to get out of that hick town and have new adventures. I wanted to either get her out of there or find reasons for her to never leave.

I found pieces of scratch paper in one of the folders I had for the book. On them were names of the secondary characters I created. And, somehow--I really can't explain how--their descriptions, good points and warts, fell off the tip of my fingers and onto the screen. Another sheath of yellow pad pages had scenes and a vague outline. It was time to begin.

Somewhere I read that writing a novel is talking to yourself and everyojne who will read it. Along the way there's doubt and worry that you can't pull this off. But I did, and you can. If you want to write, do it. You will reach the point, as I did, that you can't do anything else but write that novel. And you will learn what all novelists know:

                         I am the only one who could tell this story.
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Miz Barbara wishes ou a happy Sunday.