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| Gail Kittleson |
One of
the things I like about being a writer is that I’m always challenged to learn and improve my craft. Because of that, I believe I’ll
never become bored with the process. Author Gail Kittleson believes in growing as
a writer, too, and she offers encouragement to do just that. ~ Dawn
Growing
as a Writer
A year ago, I discovered a natural stain remover that
doubles as a spider killer—that’s what hooked me. And last week, a friend
enlightened me on dispelling weeds. Plain vinegar spray. And Google taught me
the Borax and sugar ant trick.
It’s
great to learn—isn’t that why we’re still here?
What’s easier than spreading one part Borax to one part
sugar around anthills? These antidotes sat right under my nose for so long, and
sometimes, the same holds true for writing. Often, a skill from instructing
college expository writing works for fiction, too. Okay, with some tweaking.
Take outlining. What a pain, although a clear outline
produces a brilliant essay, no doubt about it.
But in fiction writing, an outline lurks far from my mind. A
new, incredible character turns their charm on me, and I’m a goner. They
precede me down rabbit holes and waste precious time.
After following them through several women’s fiction
manuscripts, something dawned on me. From the story’s back side, the order
became clear ... the outline, if you will. And my labor the last three or four
times through amounted to paring away excess—scenes with no place in the
outline. Yep.
I don’t know if I’ll ever start off with a story outline. So
far, one has never come to me—it’s a matter of plunging in and moving ahead.
But then along came Dottie.
Yes, a character dear to my heart—a WWII gold star mom who
also lost her husband near the war’s end. Her challenges working at a boarding
house and her widower neighbor’s sudden interest in her produced far less
wayward scenes. It was as if she held a flashlight to the outline every step of
the way.
Interesting that Dottie’s pitfalls and triumphs make up my
debut novel, In This Together.
The outline lives in her personality, her backstory, and
ties everything together. This magical merging makes Dottie’s story sing. And
you guessed it—all those previous novels have yet to find a publishing home.
I still had to “Kill a few creative literary babies” in
Dottie’s story, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. The story question—will
Dottie allow her intrinsic gifts to overcome long-established fears and embrace
second-chance-love?—guides me now.
Perhaps
that story question is the outline’s close cousin.
A few years back, I heard Angela Hunt describe her clear
outlining strategy, and envied her organizational skills. But little by little,
I’m getting there. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll sit down and outline a
masterpiece requiring only a few solid edits.
Sometimes it’s a matter of discovering a new use for a
familiar tool, as with vinegar, Borax, and sugar.
What have you learned lately about fiction writing? Please
share, because you never know what reader might benefit, no matter how long they’ve
been at this!
In
This Together
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| In This Together |
(Available soon!)
After
World War II steals her only son and sickness takes her husband, Dottie Kyle
begins cooking and cleaning at the local boarding house. The job and small town
life allow her to slip into a predictable routine, but her daughters and
grandchildren live far away, and loneliness is Dottie's constant companion when
she's not working.
Al
Jensen, Dottie's long-time neighbor, has merely existed since his wife died. Al
passes his time working for his son at the town's hardware store. However, he
still copes with tragic memories of serving in WWI. Being with Dottie makes him
happy, and their friendship grows until, for him, love has replaced friendship.
When
Dottie's daughter has health issues, will Al’s strength and servant's heart be
enough to win Dottie's love and affection? Can Dottie's love for her family
enable her to face her fear of crowds and enclosed spaces and travel halfway
across the country to help the daughter who so desperately needs her?
Our stories are our best gifts, and blooming late has its
advantages—the novel fodder never ends. Gail
writes from northern Iowa, where she and her husband enjoy gardening and
grandchildren. In winter, Arizona’s Ponderosa pine forests provide relief from
Midwest weather and a whole raft of new people and stories. Gail’s memoir, Catching Up With Daylight, paved the way
for fiction writing, and she’s hooked for life.
You can learn more and connect with Gail here:
