A Different First Draft

ByD'Ann Mateer
11 Comments

I’ve written many, many first drafts of novels, most of them “by the seat of my pants.” This means I have a story idea but don’t know exactly how it plays out until I write it. However, I have written a few (very few) first drafts from a synopsis. These drafts tend to have a little more structure when the story first goes down on paper (or screen). 

I’m now beginning different kind of first draft, a new one for me because this is a type of novel I’ve not written before and that has led to quite a different drafting process. What to hear about it?

This historical (not romance) novel will be my first attempt at one based on real people and a real situation. I’ve mashed up historical facts, people, and situations to create other works of fiction, but never have I tried to fictionalize a true story in its entirety. This is a form of fiction I enjoy reading and have long wanted to write. And now is the time. 

Why does this type of story crash my normal writing process? Simple. It comes with a built-in outline! 

Because this story is based on a specific history of people and places, I have the bones of the story mapped out by the real timeline. And the characters already have names and situations within the story. I was able to do an intricate timeline of all the major events of the story and who is involved in them. (I used a great app called Aeon Timeline!) Suddenly, this non-outliner has an outline!

What I love about this particular story is that there are a lot of facts but not much about the true personalities of the people. This means I can look at their actions in light of the era in which they lived and draw my own conclusions as to their motivations, feelings, and conversations. I have just enough research through scholarly works–historians who pulled their facts from letters and other primary sources–to have the historical foundation, but the rest will be created by my imagination. 

Now, when I write, I open up my document and know what happens next in the timeline of history—who is involved and where. Then I get to “pants out” how things might have looked in the nitty-gritty of living in that moment. 

No, I’m not sticking entirely to the history. Some things have been added or changed to make a better story. But I am following it as closely as possible to still create a compelling novel. 

It’s been fun, actually, to be forced into a new kind of draft. I like shaking things up every now and again. And it also bodes well for some other “based on history” story ideas I want to write since I’m enjoying this process. We’ll see where this goes once it is all out of my head and on the page!

Have you ever taken on a new project—writing, work, house—that required tweaking your normal process? Does that energize you or make you anxious? 

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Inspired by novelist Eugenia Price, D’Ann’s dream of writing historical fiction with an element of faith began in middle school, though her serious drive toward publication took a bit longer. D’Ann is the author of four historical novels and one novella, as well as a contemporary short stories in a compilation volume. D’Ann and her husband of 30 years can be found in Austin, TX when they aren’t touring historic sites or visiting their grown children.

11 Comments

    1. Check out Aeon Timeline! It’s amazing! A little bit of a learning curve but so much to help set up a timeline that becomes an outline.

  2. Let me just say again how MUCH I admire those of you who write historical novels! The amount if research you do and the level of study required to write authentically and credibly boggles my mind. But I am so grateful because I reap the benefits as a reader!

  3. I love that you’re putting your love of history and research to such great work, D’Ann. I look forward to hearing more about this project. 🙂

    When I was first starting out as a writer, I wrote several short stories based on women of the Bible, using much the same technique as what you describe. I knew the events that occured and even a bit of dialog here and there, and I stayed true to those facts. But digging into the characters and seeing them as real people with emotions and families and varying levels of faith really enriched the experience for me.

  4. I love that, Karen! Biblical fiction is great for that very reason–it humanizes the people we read about in scripture, for they were, indeed, human. 🙂

  6. My sisters and mom LOVE reading historical fiction! I’ll have to point them to your book when it releases. 🙂

    (I’ve followed other authors over the years who wrote fiction and switched gears into historical fiction. It always seemed like a wonderful move for them.)

  7. I started in historical fiction, but it was more romance-focused. This is fictionalizing a real story. I think it will end up reading more like women’s fiction or book club fiction. I hope! 😉

  8. If you don’t already know the website archive.org it is a great research tool. They are attempting to digitize ALL libraries of the world. Millions of items are already digitized. Books, microfilm, film, audio, etc. If an item is in copyright you have to log in and borrow it and it cannot be copied — but like a physical item, you can take your own notes. Most items in public domain can be downloaded for offline reading in pdf, jpg, or several other formats. I avoid using the ebook creator as it is really buggy!
    Can’t wait to hear more and to eventually read this one!
    God Bless,
    marie

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