 For Authors: February 06, 2008 Issue [#2209] |
  For Authors
This week: Edited by: Cubby  
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Hello, everyone! Welcome to this edition of the For Authors newsletter.  My goal is to inspire those in need, and share any knowledge I have to those who enjoy reading about writing. 
Quote: Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. ~Wernher Von Braun |
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Fictional Biographies
Definitions:
Biography - An account of a person's life, usually published in the form of a book or essay.
Autobiography - A biography by the same person it is about.
Fiction - Not entirely based upon facts.
Novel - An extended work of fiction usually in story form.
Diary/Journal - A daily or frequent record of occurrences, experiences, observations, and/or reflections
Memoir - A biographical sketch; a record of events based on personal observation.
The other day, a staff member brought me a book titled What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng by Dave Eggers, a story drawn from the real-life accounts of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This staff person wondered why the book was classified Fiction since the book clearly was about someone's life. I explained to her that it was fact mixed with fiction and therefore was not a totally true story. The cover of the book also included the words 'A Novel', which defines it as fiction.
Many times the reasoning behind writing Fictional Biographies opposed to an authentic Biography is the author feels he or she will take in a larger audience. Reading facts can sometimes be dry and unappealing, while mixing fact with fiction tends to draw more interest on a topic that might otherwise be ignored. I remember History Class in high school. I thought it was so boring and therefore I didn't learn much. Now, after reading a fiction book with historical facts in it, I'm suddenly interested in learning more about something I previously had no curiousity about. I might spend hours on the Internet researching facts from a topic I read about in a fiction book. Sometimes I take it a step further and order books on the subject because I want to learn more about it. History books never did this for me, but Historical Fiction and Fictional Biographies have.
Some Fictional Autobiographies are written in journal/diary format. One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus is not only a Fictional Biography, but also an alternate history novel. While an Indian chief actually did request in 1854 for 1,000 white brides in trade for horses, it was not approved. But in this fictional journal, it was approved in secret by the government. May, a high-society woman released from an asylum where she was incarcerated by her family for an affair, details her journey west as one of the brides-to-be.
Other good examples of Fictional Biographies and Autobiographies are:
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shield
Paper Bullets: A Fictional Autobiography by Kip Fulbeck
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Journal of James Edmond Pease, a Civil War Union Soldier by Jim Murphy
True at First Light: A Fictional Memoir by Ernest Hemmingway
The Girls: A Novel by Lori Lansens
This list is only a sample of what's out there. Mixing facts and fiction can have a great outcome, if written with the right ingredients.
You might be wondering why anyone would want to write a Fictional Biography. I suppose not everyone wants to write mysteries, either... or for children... and so on. Besides that, a short Fictional Biography for each of your characters could be very useful if you are writing a novel. And though you may or may not use each and every detail you write about your character, it will help your character come alive. Besides that, you might discover something about your character that you didn't know. 
Here are a few links that include more information on Fictional Biographies.
http://www.literacyrules.com/pdf/Fictional%20Biography.pdf
{link:http://www.librarything.com/tag/biographical+fiction}
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/headspace/special/fantasy/page3.htm
Now... let's have fun with a prompt!
 Pick a fictional character and write his or her short biography or autobiography. Whether you choose a Mother Goose character such as Humpty Dumpty, or a more serious character such as the mysterious recluse, "Boo" Radley, from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, have a good time with this! Send me the finished piece in bitem format and I will feature it in my next editorial on March 5th. Deadline for submissions is Friday, February 29th at midnight.
Happy February and...
Keep on Writing!
Cubby ") |
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~by WDC Members
 Here's a great example of what a child writes in her diary. I can completely connect with this little piece!
This is a interesting account of how a writer blossomed from within.
A journal of self discovery through writing. I'm impressed by the 5000 quesitons she is answering in this blog. What a great idea!
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~Submitted by WDC Members
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 Feedback
Acme 
Thanks for another insightful newsletter; those links will come in handy
~ I'm glad you found the newsletter helpful. That's what I like to hear!
twyls
Cubby,
It's funny you talk about weather. Down here in Louisville, we just had a 70+ degree day. In January! Great newsletter. I'm going to be doing a little more research when I use younger characters. I've baby-sat quite a bit, but that was years ago. I just don't have the access to young children that I used to.
~ 70 degrees?  Could ya send a little up my way? Glad to hear you're going to do a little more research. Like I stress in this week's issue, i't's so important to do your homework before sending a manuscript out for possible publication. Hey, if you want access to children, here are a few humble suggestions: Sit on a park bench and watch/listen to the kiddies interact. Visit your local library during Story Hour or Summer Reading Program and take notes. If you go camping or walk the beach, eavesdrop on the children, whether they are having fun or fighting. These are just a few suggestions, but if possible, always have a pen(cil) and paper handy. I know this isn't as easy as it seems. But from my recollections, homework never sounded appealing to me, lol!
acecorona
Normally I skim over the newsletters, but your article on age groups was so well-written that I was drawn in and read the whole thing! What you said about the author who wrote about a 50-year-old as if she was 90 hit home with me. As a 36-year-old, I was shocked that a young woman wrote a story where a woman in her 20's was described as being interested in a man "even though he was in his forties." I'm almost 40 myself, so this seemed completely ridiculous. A 20-year-old character would never question the age of a man in his 40's, but the author was too young to realize this.
---Ace Corona
~ Especially in today's world, right? At least that's the way I see it now. People seemed to age much faster when I was little (or so it seems!) When I turned 30, I thought, I'm middle-aged! (Geesh, whatever, lol!) When I hit 40, I though, Huh. This isn't so bad. (I think I had 40 pictured much differently!). Now that I'm 50, it's amazing. If I'd only known then what I know now, I wouldn't have fretted so much about aging. But then again, you take another person who is not active, or perhaps has major health issues, or just plain does not take care of themselves, and there can be a ten year difference in the appearance if that person. And I certainly agree with you about the aurhor being too young too realize; like me, I had not idea how young one could be at 40 or 50 years old. It's all quite interesting, don't you think?
Ronis brain tumor is gone!
Another great issue!!! The age traits with your characters can be difficult. I have made mine older than what they are supposed. I do not realize it until I am reading over what I have written so far. This gets really frustrating...
Thanks for the information on aging your characters. The information with the links will help me out. Hopefully I will be able to look at some of the books too.
~ Thank you, and you are welcome. I do the same thing sometimes. It's not all that difficult to misjudge, lol! And yes, it certainly can be frustrating.
Haloid
I wasn't subcribed to this news letter when the article on character names was sent and I was wondering if I could have one sent to Haloid
~ "For Authors Newsletter (December 12, 2007)" I will also send this to your email box in case you don't read this.
Seren 
You brought up a very good point. Your characters carry the story, so if they aren't believable, neither is your story. It would be like trying someone who has only imagined driving trying to sell a car! Good newsletter - great advice. Thanks.
~ You are welcome.
Arthur
Nice newsletter, Cubby. I enjoyed reading it very much and you are right regarding being aware of the way different age groups develop. Keep up the good work.
~ Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
larryp
Good newsletter, Cubby, with some good thoughts. Thanks for sharing your personal experiences.
Larry
~ Thanks, Larry. And you are welcome. Personal experiences tend to make an article seem more alive. At least for me, of course!
Dorianne 
As a former speech pathologist and deaf educator I learned how important it was to know the benchmarks of what a child should be doing. Since each child is different, he/she could be a little above or below. The main key was to give enrichment classes or lessons to those far below.
I also wanted to congratulate you on the extra websites that you provided. A look through one of the sites showed that it could provide valuable material for those who were writing for a particular age group. I might want to add that I recently got a book called Children's Writer's WORD BOOK, and I think that it is a great supplemental book for anyone's library. To sum up my segment here, "GREAT JOB!"
~ Thank you so much! I appreciate your response. I, too, own the Children's Writer's Word Book by Alijandra Moogilner. My copy was issued in 1992, but I believe there is a more recent one available now. Yes, it's a great supplement book for anyone's library, I do agree! Thanks for sharing.
spazmom
This was a great newsletter...the subject was something I don't think many people think about unless they are going to write for children or YA. Good job.
~ Thanks! It's definitely something to think about, that's for sure.
April Sunday
Hey there Cubby: Attributes always makes me think of attitude. The first one has, the second one uses as stories progress. Anymore unless it is pertinent to a novel maybe you'll agree we're seeing less early childhood background these days for major characters. Sometimes as reader, it isn't missed. Oh and Happy New Year, nice approach. Thanks!
~ Good point. For me, however, I'm inclined to read mostly Juvenile Fiction, so there tends to be more major characters in the childhood stages. Actually, (and this is not Juvenile Fiction, of course), I just finished To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and the narrator of the book, as many of you know, is Scout Finch, a six-year old daughter of a lawyer, who is smarter than most kids in her class when she begins first grade. Along with her older brother Jem, and good friend Dill, they try to figure out ways to get a glimpse of Boo Radley, who lives in a nearby house but is never seen. The author does an excellent job here with these characters. What a handful they must've been! I actually listened to the unabridged CD, read by Sissy Spacek, and I have to say, that lady did a tremendous job narrating this story. I highly recommend it!
(And a Happy New Year to you, too, Teff!)
Being Diane
Great newsletter. I must say after watching the BIO channel the other day I was ready to call them. It was the show Nortorius. The lady lived in France. Did she put her poddle in the microwave to dry after a walk in the rain? True or not! I was ready to be committed. What if a very young person saw this and put an animal in the microwave!
Diane
~This sort of thing bothers me to no end!  Kids get enough ideas without TV and certainly do not need inspiration from stories about microwaving animals. Thanks for sharing your concern.
Have a wonderful week!
Cubby ") |
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