LET’S TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE, YA SCUFFLEHEADS - by Ashley E. Sweeney

“Hold your horses,” my Scottish granny used to say (she was a lover of all things Western, although she never traveled further west than Texas or Minnesota). As all my novels take place in the American West, there’s bound to be some slang thrown in. From “itchin’ to go North” in Eliza Waite to “cinch up” in Answer Creek to “hotter than a burnt boot” in Hardland, there’s an undercurrent of Western slang in all my work.

How to use slang in fiction? How much is enough? How much is too much? And what about vernacular and idiom? Enough? Too much?

One need not turn any further than Mark Twain for this argument. I’d bet five beans in the wheel that half of us would have Twain’s back as the best example of slang/vernacular/idiom and the other half would take issue with his use of language. Without a doubt, Twain is the first American author to use Southern vernacular throughout his narrative with plenty of slang and idiom thrown in for good measure. To some, it’s genius; to others, it might be labeled a distraction. 

According to the University of Virginia’s “Mark Twain and His Times,” a collaborative effort of the Department of English at UVA, Huckleberry Finn has “been in trouble” since its publication in 1885. Hemingway said it was the “one book” from which “all American literature” owes a debt to, although many of Twain’s contemporaries viewed it as “coarse” and “racist.” It was banned almost as soon as it was published and has continued to be banned off and on for 138 years. Still, Huckleberry Finn remains near the top of novels read in U.S. high schools (various sources). 

Let’s look at Twain’s language (it goes without saying that slang and vernacular have no place in academic or formal writing unless the topic expressly addresses the subject). Using slang in fiction, and in dialogue in particular, has the ability to bring the reader right into the narrative. 

This, from Huck himself: “What’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” Here, we hear a young boy confronting his own better/worst angels as he wrestles earnestly with doing right vs. wrong.

This is from Jim, Huck’s African American companion: “Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick, but every time you’s gywne to git well agin.” Here, we picture Jim, without description, as he imparts a universal truth

And this from Huck’s Pap: “Thinks I, what is this country a-coming to? It was ‘lection day, and I was about to go and vote, myself, if I warn’t too drunk to get there, but when they told me there was a State in this country where they’d let that n***** vote, I drawed out. I says I’ll never vote again.” Here, again from language only, we hear the words of a drunk bigot, prejudice dripping from his lips. Arguably, the language is brilliant. And arguably, it’s distracting (and disturbing). 

I canvassed several peers—critique partners, authors, editors, and proofreaders—to ask the following: 

How much slang/vernacular/idiom is enough to bring time/place/mood/character alive? 

Conversely, how much is too much? 

“It depends on the reader and how complicated the vernacular and how unfamiliar the slang,” one author responded. “It’s a matter of balance—not too much, just enough to give it flavor.”  

A proofreader weighed in to say it’s not distracting if you pepper your manuscript with slang/vernacular, ie. dropping the final “g” in words (givin’ you a hard time, workin’ your tail off) or using an occasional expletive for oomph, as long it’s intentional and not used indiscriminately.

An editor who’s partial to foreign fiction contends the essence of a place—especially through language—is what makes different worlds jump off the page and challenge perspectives.

With the rise of sensitivity readers, manuscripts that once might have passed muster with editors without a second thought are getting a thorough going over. The danger lies, however, in the manuscript being watered down for the sake of not wanting to offend.

Imagine if Huck had used proper grammar (“What is the use of learning to do right . . . ?”) or Jim had said, “Sometimes you might get hurt and sometimes you might get sick, but every time you’ll get well again” or Pap had said, “What is this country coming to?” It just rings flat.

I’m in the camp that appropriate slang/vernacular/idiom must be present in manuscripts for historical accuracy, especially in historical fiction and Western literature. My advice: used intentionally and creatively, especially in dialogue, use of period slang and vernacular and idiom help manuscripts find legs. (Note: If you use racial or ethnic slurs, consider including a footnote in your end pages, i.e. “While I do not condone the use of slurs used in the manuscript, I am unwilling to whitewash history.”) 

Some of my favorite Western sayings, A-Z: 

Adam’s Ale: water

Bones: dice

Cat’s sleep: pretending to be asleep to catch prey unawares

Death hunter: undertaker

Elbow grease: hard labor

Flash man: bully

Grease: to bribe

Hear the owl hoot: get utterly plastered

Irons in the fire: refers to branding, and the many irons used

Jabber: talk loud and fast

Keno!: “I’ve won!”

Light-fingered: thief

Murphies: potatoes

Night Horse: one who can find his/her way in the dark (literally and figuratively)

On tick: buy on credit

Peppered: inflicted with venereal disease

Quicken: when one finds herself pregnant

Rim Rocker: sturdy and tireless horse

Saddle Bums: drifters

Tonsil Paint: whiskey 

Under the gun: do or die

Vixen: comely woman

While the gate’s still open: do something while you still have the chance

E(x)pended: Killed

Yack: refers to someone stupid

Zounds!: “What the heck?!”

*Gleaned from The Cowboys, by William Dale Jennings, Cowboy Slang, by Edgar R. “Frosty” Potter, and other references

Use of language—verbal and written—is an argument as old as time itself and I’m sure as shootin’ we won’t settle it here. Did I let the cat of the bag? The bullet out of the chamber? Maybe so. But I argue that, like anything of importance, use of language begs to be talked about and debated. Especially by authors. 

Write me at contact@ashleysweeneyauthor.com with ideas you’d like to see covered in upcoming blogs. 

Until next time, Happy Writing! 

Ashley 

Ashley E. Sweeney is the winner of the 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award for her debut novel, Eliza Waite. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and resides in Tucson. Answer Creek, released in May 2020, is her second novel. Her third novel, Hardland, is set in the Arizona territory at the beginning of the 20th century. It was released on September 13, 2022.

Back to Basics by Ashley E. Sweeney

CHARACTER AND PLOT DEVELOPMENT

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Who is your most memorable character in literature? Jay Gatsby? Scarlett O’Hara? Sherlock Holmes? Gandalf? What is it about that particular character that has stayed with you over the years?

Scout Finch tops my list, the indomitable young girl in Harper Lee’s 1960 classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout’s naiveté, coupled with her tomboyishness and blunt honesty, creates a flawed yet fully fleshed character who’s stayed with me since I first read the novel in the early 1970s. Even when I taught a unit on TKAM every year in high school English, I never tired of Scout or her earnestness. If anything, her character grew on me.

So how do we, as authors, create memorable characters in our own works? Knowing our characters inside and out, sometimes before they hit the page, is one of our most important tasks as authors. 

Think of it like dating. You don’t marry someone you hardly know (well, not usually!) It can take weeks or months (or in my case, years) to decide if that certain someone is right for us. We assess, observe, and question our potential mate’s inner and outer characteristics as we experience shared events and situations. 

Does he/she/they have road rage? Negative political views? A nasty habit? Does he/she/they have a penchant to do good in the world? Accept others, warts and all? Love wildly? All of this factors into our decision whether to take a chance on a relationship.

The same goes for characters. Who are they? And why should readers spend time with them?

Early on in every manuscript, my (very detail-oriented) editor asks for a five-pronged character map for each of my characters. Talk about time consuming! When I’d rather be writing! But it’s proved an invaluable tool for each novel.

Here is a sample:

Character Worksheet 

Be as specific as possible 

Vital Statistics - Physical Traits - Socio/Economic Situation -  Gut Reactions
Full Name: Height: Education: Certainty vs. Change: Gender: Weight: Occupation(s):
Confusion vs. Understanding: Age: Ethnicity/Race: Income:
Defeat vs. Success: Born: Hair:
Attitude toward wealth/ poverty: Despair vs. Joy:
Now Resides: Eyes:
Jealousy vs. Acceptance: Birth Order:
Striking Features: Personality Loss vs. Gain:
Parents: Physical Flaws: Introvert/Extrovert/Other:
Love vs. Hate: Siblings: Habits: Mental Illness (if any):
Panic vs. Calm: Spouse (if any): Health: Strengths:
Worthiness vs. Unworthiness: Children (if any):
Skills: Weaknesses: Pertinent Backstory: Hobbies:
Triggers: Disabilities: Spiritual Life (if any): Speech 

After this exercise, take the five category headlines (Vital Statistics, Physical Traits, Socio-Economic Situation, Personality, Gut Reactions), winnow it down, and write a character synopsis. I repeat this exercise for every major character in the book, first the worksheet and then the paragraph.

Note that these are more detailed for primary characters than secondary characters. Tertiary characters and cameo characters are not as fleshed out (or at all).

Here’s an example of a character synopsis of the protagonist, Ruby Fortune, in my recent release, Hardland.

Ruby Fortune: protagonist; VS: Ruby Barstow Fortune, b. 1873 in Tucson, Arizona (6 years old (1879) to 34 years old (1907) in span of novel), only child of now-deceased George “Big Burl” Burlingame Barstow, widowed, mother of five boys (one deceased), resides in Jericho, A.T. north of Tucson, kills husband, Willie Fortune, in self-defense, swindles co-mine owners for claim of Silver Tip Mine outside Jericho, A.T. 

PT: Short, blonde, thin, flat-chested, weathered face, fit, attractive, low voice

S-E: Eighth-grade education, "Girl Wonder" (sharpshooter in her father’s Triple B Traveling Carnival and Wild West Show), now owner/proprietor of Jericho Inn/The Miracle.

P: Extrovert, outspoken, hard worker. Character Strengths: willful, loyal. Character Weaknesses: details, men. Triggered by nightmares of past abuse. Admits mistakes. In awe of nature.

GR: Difficulty working through change. If taken once by someone, vows not to be taken again (exception: Willie Fortune). Accepts everyone at face value, although not without judgment; slow to alter first impression, but does, when warranted (for good or evil). She-bear about sons; puts them first at her own expense. Struggles with relationship to God. At times, hot-tempered and foul-mouthed; at other times, reflective and soulful. Often own worst enemy. Makes mistakes in relationships. Works to manage pain and panic. Questions whether she is worthy. 

You’d be surprised how many times I returned to this synopsis while writing. When Ruby is hot-tempered, her mouth runs ahead of her thoughts. Check. I’m being consistent. When she’s reflective, she goes somewhere deep, into a place reserved for interior dialogue. Check, again. Consistency to character is paramount.

If it sounds like a lot of work to create characters through devices such as worksheets and synopses, it is. I contend you’ll be more satisfied with your characters, though, and so will your editors and readers.

But wait, there’s more!

PLOT DEVELOPMENT

After getting to know my characters, my editor then assigns a chap-by-chap plot summary worksheet, using the following classic plot template:

DATE/SETTING

Opening: Falling Action: Inciting Incident: Denouement: Rising Action: Ending: Climax

My entry for the first chapter of Hardland begins this way:

September 7, 1899, Jericho, Arizona Territory

Opening:

Weather detailed: windy/cloudy/dark
Locale detailed: dry/unforgiving/spare
Character detailed: stature/anxiety/bruised neck from recent abuse

Inciting Incident:

Ruby Fortune navigates steep, dangerous incline to Silver Tip Mine outside Jericho, A.T., almost falling into a crevice

Rising Action: 

Ruby Fortune arrives at Silver Tip Mine with forged will of dead husband Willie Fortune to claim ¼ of mine ownership; plans to buy a dilapidated roadhouse with funds 

Climax:

Ruby confronts and pulls gun on mine owner, Jimmy Bugg

Falling Action: 

Sheriff Sheldon Sloane arrives at mine on business

Denouement:

Sloane arranges for Bugg to pay Ruby the next day at Jericho First National Bank

Ending:

Ruby and Sloane ride back to Jericho in middle of monsoon

As a classic “pantser,” this worksheet is not nearly as detailed as outlines of classic “plotters,” but it does give structure to each chapter. And remember to end each chapter, as novelist Olivia Hawker says, with a “cymbal crash” (others call it a “cliff-hanger” or an “uh-oh” moment, something to keep your readers going and not wanting to put your book down).

In closing, there is much we can do before we even start our stories to flesh out characters and give our stories shape. Of course, authors must be flexible as writing is underway. Maybe a character develops an unforeseen ailment to deepen the plot, or we have to switch up or delete chapters for clarity. Life—in reality and in fiction—is full of surprises. Be open to them!

Until next time, Happy Writing!

Ashley E. Sweeney is the winner of the 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award for her debut novel, Eliza Waite. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and resides in Tucson. Answer Creek, released in May 2020, is her second novel. Her third novel, Hardland, is set in the Arizona territory at the beginning of the 20th century. It was released on September 13, 2022. Find out more about Ashley at: ashleysweeneyauthor.com  

 

He Said, She Said - by Ashley E. Sweeney

This month, we’ll turn our attention to dialogue in our manuscripts. I’ve spent the better part of the last 15 years learning to craft more efficient and snappy dialogue. Before turning to writing novels full time, I spent a dozen years as a journalist. Following the familiar 5-W concept (who, what, where, when, and why), all of my articles relied on direct quotes from sources. Never did I misquote or embellish; whatever the source said—unless edited for clarity—wasn’t tampered with. Ever. 

When I began my full-time writing career (writing a novel can’t be that hard, can it?!), I had little trouble with plot, characterization, or description. Where I found myself lacking: dialogue. To remedy that, in addition to buying numerous books on the subject, I took a one-week intensive course with American playwright and screenwriter Theresa Rebeck (Smash, NYPD Blue) at Hedgebrook on Whidbey Island, Washington. There I came to learn how dialogue is critical to story. 

The first rule learned: Always tag dialogue with only “John said” or “he said”/“Jane said” or “she said” (the only time to break this rule is when a character asks a question; in that case use “he asked” or “she asked.”)

What, you say? None of “he whispered” or “she shrieked” or “he cried” or “she demanded?” And how to do this without pulling our hair 

 This is where your scene set-up and character description is paramount. If you’re setting up a passage where Jane might shriek, it’s all in the build up, i.e. a door opens, someone comes up from behind and accosts the character, the character bristles and screams. In this case, you might write “Get your hands off of me!” or “What the . . . ?!” An exclamation point alone will convey surprise or fright if the scene is set with tension.

If you’re intent on Jane demanding something, again, scene set up and description, i.e. Jane bursts into the office, slams her fist on the table, the room goes quiet. “Hand them over,” she said. “Now.”

We all know the old adage: Show, don’t tell. With this in mind, it’s important not to modify dialogue tags with adverbs, i.e. “she said resentfully.” Again, show, don’t tell that Jane resents John. You can use internal dialogue or backstory. It’s also unnecessary to use character’s names every time they speak.

See how unnatural this sounds:

“What do you want, Jane?” John said.

“I want the divorce papers,” Jane said. 

“Jane, you know I won’t hand them over without a fight,” John said.

“John, you exasperate me,” Jane said. “Hand them over. Now.”

Try this instead:

Jane bursts into the room, her face pock-marked with red blotches. Damn it that she forgot her concealer. A quick trip to the office ladies' room wasn’t worth the effort; she looks like shit. 

John looks up from his desk, his glasses perched low on his nose. She can feel his hostility across the room. “What do you want?” He looks down then, as if she’s not worth his attention. 

“The divorce papers."

He looks up, eyes narrowed, a sneer searing his lip. “You know I won’t hand them over without a fight. Not to you.”

Bastard. All those years living with bruises. He won’t beat me here. She advances toward the desk, knotting her hands to keep them from shaking. I can do this.

“Hand them over. Now.”

* * *

Now let’s dig deeper to uncover best practices for writing good dialogue. 

The first book I bought on the subject was titled eponymously, Dialogue, an imprint from the “Write Great Fiction” series by Gloria Kempton (Writer’s Digest Books, 2004). 

Here are 10 nuggets I underlined from Kempton’s book with comments of my own in parentheses:

1. We must slip inside our characters and become them; from inside of our characters, we begin speaking (be sure to do a complete character map before putting words in their mouths).

2. Dialogue reveals the character’s motives and opposing agendas (both external and internal dialogue accomplish this).

3. Effective dialogue always delivers tension (i.e. leave out the boring parts!)

4. Dialogue moves the plot forward (always). 

5. Dialogue gives the scene a three-dimensional feel (think all the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch). 

6. Use contractions in dialogue to make the conversation feel and seem natural (you’ll notice the difference when you get to tip #10). 

7. Write dialogue that is eavesdropping-worthy (now we’re getting to the good stuff!) 

8. Pace your dialogue by inserting character movement (sometimes this will result in sentence fragments or sentences left hanging 1) with ellipses after train of thought, i.e. “I thought you said . . .” Jane looks at her feet. Can I really say this aloud? She dusts dried dirt off her foot and wipes her hand on her jeans. “Like I was saying . . .” OR 2) an em-dash if character is interrupted mid-sentence, i.e. “You said you meant—” “I did.”)

9. Clearly show character emotion in dialogue (your characters aren’t robots, or even if they are, you’ve no doubt infused them with human emotion).

Other good resources on my bookshelf: The Fiction Writer’s Guide to Dialogue, by John Hough, Jr. The Writer’s Guide to Realistic Dialogue, by S.A. Soule Writing Dialogue, by Tom Chiarella

Many other resources are available online; simply do a search for “craft of dialogue” and you will find a plethora of choices. And be sure to check out the recent AAA webinar by Penny Orloff titled, Let Them Talk! Writing Compelling Character Dialogue. Find a link to the webinar on the Arizona Authors website.

One parting thought. I like to visualize all of my scenes, as if I’m seeing them cinematographically. Everything in the scene should transfer from the page to the reader’s mind as if they are seeing it. Great dialogue is key to this. 

As I say every month, “take or toss” any tips found in this column or in other resources. It’s your manuscript and you get to set the rules. Until then, Happy Writing!

Ashley E. Sweeney

Ashley E. Sweeney is the winner of the 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award for her debut novel, Eliza Waite. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and resides in Tucson. Answer Creek, released in May 2020, is her second novel. Her third novel, Hardland, is set in the Arizona territory at the beginning of the 20th century. It was released on September 13, 2022. Find out more about Ashley HERE.  

Back to Basics - by Ashley E. Sweeney

 Back in 8th grade English class, fusty grammarians in drab housedresses and sensible shoes hammered parts of speech into our brains. Remember diagramming sentences? Scouring the dictionary for transitive and intransitive verbs? Learning proofreading marks? With all stereotyping aside, it’s the Mrs. Carrizzos of the world that might very well have set us on the path we find ourselves today.

Oftentimes, though, we’re so caught up with publishing and marketing that we don’t take time to review craft. In this column over the next year, we’ll do just that: work on craft.

This month, we’ll review basics—and then dig deeper to see how choosing the right word is our job #1. By identifying heroes and villains in writing, incorporating robust words in our manuscripts, eliminating unnecessary words in our work, and editing productively, our manuscripts—and our readers—will thank us for it.

* * *

PARTS OF SPEECH:

NOUN: A word that indicates a person, place, thing, or idea, i.e. girl, classroom, pencil, satisfaction

PRONOUN: A word used in place of a noun, i.e., she, he, they

 VERB: A word that specifies action, i.e. run, talk, sing

ADVERB: A word that modifies a verb and tells how, when, where, why, how often, or how much, and often ends in – ly, i.e., loudly, strongly, bravely

ADJECTIVE: A word that describes a noun, i.e., experienced, powerful, new

PREPOSITION: A word or group of words that show the relation or position of the noun, i.e., before, alongside, across

CONJUNCTION: A word that connects other words, i.e., and, but, yet

INTERJECTION: A word that indicates surprise, and often ends with an exclamation mark, i.e., Yikes! Wow! Ugh!

* * *

HEROES:

Nouns and verbs are the heroes in writing and form complete sentences in and of themselves. Writing guru Natalie Goldberg, in her iconic Writing Down the Bones, advises writers to name your nouns.

“Be specific,” Goldberg writes. “Not car, but Cadillac. Not horse, but palomino. Not fruit, but tangerine.” By using concrete nouns, you place the reader in the setting.

When selecting verbs, we can also be specific. Goldberg goes on to say, “Verbs are the action and energy of a sentence. Be aware of your verbs and the power they have and use them in fresh ways.”

Take the verb “walk” for example (there are more than 30 synonyms for “walk,” beginning with amble and ending with waddle). By using vivid verbs, you can convey your character’s mood.

Let’s consider the sentence: Anna walks toward the house. 

What kind of house? The blue split-level at the end of the cul-de-sac? The stately mansion on Garden Avenue? The squat adobe squeezed between First Methodist and the Lucky Lady Saloon? 

And how is Anna walking? Does she amble, hobble, or march? Stagger, shuffle, or stride? Or does she tiptoe, trot, or trudge? 

With these specifics, we give our readers two important pieces of information: what is Anna’s mood (verb) and what is her destination (noun).

If we say Anna ambles toward the blue split-level at the end of the cul-de-sac, what picture/mood do you conjure when you read this sentence? By using “amble,” we could assume 1) she’s not in a hurry and/or 2) she might not be looking forward to going home for some reason. By using “blue split-level at the end of the cul-de-sac,” we could assume 1) she probably lives in suburbia and/or 2) she’s from a middle-class family.

Now use the verb “stride” in the second example to “feel” how Anna walks toward the mansion. Use the verb “trudge” in the third example to “feel” how Anna walks toward the squat adobe. See what a difference vivid verbs and specific nouns can make? It’s so much clearer than the original sentence: “Anna walks toward the house.”

VILLAINS: 

Most authors agree the villains in writing are adverbs. Used sparingly, they can be effective. But if you overuse them, you fall into what author Steven King, in his classic book, On Writing, says is the “fear of not being taken seriously; it is the voice of little boys wearing shoe polish mustaches and little girls clumping around in Mommy’s high heels. With adverbs, the writer tells us he or she is afraid he/she isn’t expressing himself/herself clearly, that he or she is not getting the point or the picture across.” Ouch. 

Another caveat about adverbs: Show the reader! Don’t tell the reader! And always use either says (present tense) or said (past tense) for dialog tags instead of using an adverb. For example, have your character slam his fist on the table instead of saying “he said loudly.” Or have your character whisper to her friend instead of saying “she said quietly.” Let your dialog and action show, not tell, how the character speaks.

The same goes for interjections. Using sparingly, they can be effective. But! If you use them, too much, they can be ineffective! Right?!

As to the other parts of speech, use as needed and be intentional in your writing.

* * *

Now let’s turn our attention to our manuscripts and how to edit them, keeping in the forefront of our minds that every word matters. 

Rule #1: Edit with dispassion and ruthlessness

Rule #2: Separate yourself from your work (note to self: your work is not your persona

Rule #3: Seek and be open to critique and advice from early readers

Rule #4: Be brutal in revisions

Gary Provost, in his The Seven Beacons of Excellent Writing, writes: “Don’t think about what you can put in. Think about what you can leave out.”

How to do this? 

First, in your final edit, analyze every sentence by reading aloud. Ask yourself, “How is the flow? Is there a stronger word to use?” Then go to print or online helps—dictionary, thesaurus—and audition new words. Read the sentence aloud again with new choices and don’t stop until you’re satisfied with one sentence before going on to the next. This is a lengthy yet invaluable process. And remember that sometimes the original and simplest word is best.

Once you’re satisfied with word choice, its time to slash away. Unnecessary words bog down a manuscript. The biggest culprits are the articles, a, an, and the, followed by superfluous words, including:

That     Each     Other     Every     More     Yet     Very     Actually     Just     Quite     Really     Rather     Like     Simply     Best     Up     Pretty     Down     See     Which 

How to find them? Search document for culprit words and use online helps such as Scrivener, ProWriting Aid, Grammarly, Autocrit, Word Hippo, or My Word Count. You can often trim your manuscript by 1,000+ words by removing inessential words.

You can, as my editor always points out, “take or toss” any writing advice. In the end, the choice is yours. It’s your story in your words.

Until next time, Happy Writing! 

 

Ashley E. Sweeney is the winner of the 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award for her debut novel, Eliza Waite. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and resides in Tucson. Answer Creek, released in May 2020, is her second novel. Her third novel, Hardland, is set in the Arizona territory at the beginning of the 20th century. It is scheduled for release on September 13, 2022. More about her HERE.

Accuracy in Historical Fiction: Does It Matter? by Ashley E. Sweeney

 In children’s literature, if a frog and a monkey wear striped pajamas and go on vacation to the moon, we think nothing of it. But give Wyatt Earp a cellphone or Calamity Jane a sports car and poof! Our credibility as an author is shot. 

Back when I was a reporter at a rural weekly newspaper in Washington State in the 1980s and 1990s, the Five W’s ruled first paragraphs. The thinking behind this formulaic style of journalistic writing is that if stories must be shortened due to space limitations, all the facts still appear in the story: Who/What/When/Where/Why. 

And our editor drilled into our heads: Check your facts. Get them right. Period. 

 You might ask: What’s the big deal? No ones cares. Or: Why attempt to “get it right”? I don’t have the time for that. 

I subscribe to the camp that authors have both a burden and a responsibility for being as historically accurate as possible, unless it gets in the way of the story (and, in that case, mention any discrepancies in the afterword). As authors, we want readers to trust us (and come back for more), which is why we can’t risk making reckless mistakes. 

 It’s important here to delineate the difference between material facts and immaterial facts. With material facts, i.e. what date was Abraham Lincoln sworn into office, there is no margin of error. What he ate for breakfast, what color socks he wore, or what time he retired that night are immaterial facts, and we, as authors, can color our manuscripts with our imaginations when writing in this type of detail. 

 How to do this? For each of my manuscripts, I begin collecting resources as soon as an idea surfaces. In the early stages of any manuscript, I amass 50-100 books on various subjects pertinent to the era and turn to librarians, historians, museum curators, authors, storytellers—and the Internet—to fill in holes. 

 Here are some other tips for sourcing data: *Visit locale/setting of novel, if possible, to flesh out all sensory elements *Read/research anything and everything about the era you are writing about: Literature Newspapers and Magazines Advertisements Maps Art Encyclopedias Photos/Film Diaries/Journals Music Census Data School, Church, and Land Records Calendars/Phases of the Moon/Tide Charts Almanacs and Catalogues Birth, Marriage, and Death Announcements Recipes *Visit museums/historical societies (actual or virtual) *Use print, digital, audio, and crowd-sourced material

In writing Answer Creek and Eliza Waite (and in my current work in progress), I fact-check myself constantly. Did matchsticks exist in the late 19th century? Who was president of the U.S. in the 1840s and 1890s? What were accepted practices for births and deaths in remote settlements? Where did pioneers access herbal remedies commonly used for constipation and ulcer? When did women get the vote in each of the states? Why were oxen and mules preferable to horses? How did men and women cook and bathe without any modern conveniences, especially on overland trails or in rural areas? 

When writing, I place a triple XXX as a placeholder to remind me to return to fact check that piece of information as I don’t want to disrupt the flow of writing to check every detail when creative juices flow. It’s easy to find this marker (or TK, i.e. “to come”) in document searches. On days when I don’t feel particularly inclined to churn out a thousand words or two, I use that time for historical research. It’s one of my favorite parts of the writing process, but it can become very time consuming. 

Some authors fear they’ll get it all wrong and that fear stops them cold—this line of thinking is writer’s prison. If you’re scared before you put anything down on paper or computer, you’re compromised every time you sit at your desk. Days and weeks turn into months of procrastination. Your story dies on the vine because you’re worried that some aficionado/reviewer is going to tank your manuscript once it’s published. You’re not any closer to getting published if fear is crippling you. 

Instead, try turning that fear around and calling it confidence—confidence in your skills as a researcher and a writer, confidence that you’re aligning yourself with history and paying attention to detail, confidence that you will endeavor to get everything right (not just facts, but characters and settings and plot), but not at the expense of never getting anything down on paper or computer at all. Through this lens of confidence, you’ll turn prison into permission. You’ve got lots of time to check and re-check facts. 

 That’s why in my new manuscript, set in 1905 rural Arizona Territory, you won’t find my protagonist driving a Jeep, reading a book or magazine that wasn’t published yet, or saying something that wasn’t in vogue at the time. Every day, I find myself going down proverbial rabbit holes doing historical research—but that’s a topic for another newsletter! 

Remember what Thomas Edison said: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” 

 So get to work! In the meantime, I’m back at it, too. Perched on my shoulder, my old editor keeps whispering in my ear. Check your facts. Get them right. Period. 

Find Ashley and her books HERE

Ashley E. Sweeney is the winner of the 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award for her debut novel, Eliza Waite. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and resides in Tucson. Answer Creek, released in May 2020, is her second novel, and winner of the 2020 Arizona Authors Association Literary Award. She is at work on a third novel set in 1905 rural Arizona. Find Ashley’s books by clicking these links: Answer Creek and Eliza Waite Visit Ashley’s website HERE. Winner: 2020 Arizona Authors Association Literary Award Winner: 2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award Finalist: 2016 Sarton Women’s Book Award Finalist: 2017 WILLA Literary Award