who is to say a character is not alive because it didn’t arrive in the usual way

once again my fragile body has taken me away from my books, research, school visits, letter answering, and blog entries and answers. thanks to my red pencil (editor Pierre;some of you have met) I have heard your wonderful letters to me. Thank you.

If I have any say in the matter, this silly nonsense of bones disappearing and needing replacing (thumb this time) will end. Of course I have no say which is why I like to write.I can tell my characters what to do and say at all times except when they interrupt. In writing the 4th Blackbeard book, I have re-read books 1,2,and 3. Loved them. They live and breathe and play in a place and time I am not well enough to visit. I visited through them and got better faster.I read other favorites that worked the same magic. The authors that live in the places I can only sort of visit must have so much fun. Go write. Then read. I’ll see you in school. Love, Audrey

when the words get in the way of a good story

I recently spent two weeks on a chapter that I really liked. It had great dialogue, my favorite thing to write, good descriptions of Blackbeard’s ship, Ocracoke Island during the Civil War at Fort Hatteras, Fort Clark, and Fort Ocracoke. I spent much time researching and writing about the different ships, the Union Army and the Confederate Army, and how Blackbeard acquired The Queen Anne’s Revenge which had been a French slave ship. The chapter was chuck full of information I thought would be great for y’all to read. Then…I chucked the chapter.

When reading the chapter back to myself I realized the information, no matter how well it was written and no matter how many times I revised it (at least two dozen times) it slowed the story. When I took it out and pulled together what was before it and what came after it, it read like a race between rabbits instead of a race between turtles. The writing got in the way of the story.

I would love to say that this was the first time this happened to me, but that would be a lie. I write like a garden is planted. The seeds are tossed to the ground and watered. When the flowers rise up and bloom, the weeds have to be removed. If they’re not, the garden flowers will be choked and overrun. I think I weed words and sentences and paragraphs as much as I leave in the story. Afterwards, I’m left with the perfect garden. Every sentence is a flower with room.

Writing the Kissing Hand series is completely different than writing the novel. Chester Raccoon is a little person and I try to speak to him and from him with a simplicity a five year old can understand. Barbara Gibson’s illustrations are amazing and well worth admiring. If you don’t have the Kissing Hand books you should read them at the store or library just to enjoy her art work. I am always amazing by my illustrators. I can’t draw a straight line.

Have any of you figured out my quiz? A pencil represents a segment. The segment (not the pencil) is the greatest gift you have ever received. It is a gift worth more than the price of rubies. What is the segment that represents this gift? Email me your answer. You might get the forth Blackbeard novel free.

Well, it’s back to my garden. Good writing, everyone.

Research is my favorite part of writing, but boy can it get me waylaid.

I’m doing most of my hard research now for the fourth Blackbeard book Blackbeard’s Legacy: Shared/Time. About a third of the book takes place on Aug. 28th, 1861, the day Fort Hatteras, Fort Clark, and Fort Ocracoke were destroyed or disassembled. My husband, being a Civil War enthusiast has dozens of book shelves filled with research books that I have been perusing for the past three years. By now that I’m down to the wire, I seem to find one sentence out of each book I read that I actually need making the pile up on my desk a bit overwhelming. I can’t even find my desk. This morning my laptop was straddled on my knees while my mouse was on my lap while my book was open and leaning on my desk while balancing on my laptop. I have papers everywhere, but if a gust of wind or one of the dogs upset one piece of paper, I’d be lost. I really do know where everything is. It’s just getting to the right piece of paper or book without toppling everything over that’s the trick. Research takes forever for one reason. I start reading and I can’t put the book I’m looking in down. The information I don’t need is so interesting I can’t stop reading. You know the saying, “It’s the last place I looked.” Well, once you find something you can stop looking. I need to apply that to my research. When you’re writing something you really love,,you’ll see what I mean. Can any of you guess what the connection between Blackbeard and the Civil War is? Ha! Bet you can if you read the first tree books.

Dear Lattice,

You have no idea how excited I am about your blog entry. Being new at this, I’ve been waiting for someone to catch on and communicate. I’m especially excited about your response to the Blackbeard mysteries. Writing them is the most fun I have ever had.

When I speak at schools, I go into the research part of writing the mysteries. I actually borrowed children and over a period of ten years, broke into church steeple windows (with permission), had free weights representing old Mrs. McNemmish fall out of the coffin when the children pushed the Gurney into the beach and listened to the real Stefanie say, “I’m Southern. We don’t touch dead bodies.”

Ocracoke Island is a living, breathing island of history, pride, and ghosts. Book four involves the Civil War on Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands. I was amazed to find out that Blackbeard had a connection to the Civil War. I don’t know who was more surprised to find out; me or Blackbeard’s ghost.

I’m back to writing two to ten hours a day depending on my health. My research has once again taken over the household. I rewrite each chapter at least twenty times and when the book is complete, within the next few weeks I pray, my assistant and editor Pierre will begin red penciling the book with me. We will edit the entire book at least five times, Let me know how your students react to that news.

Best wishes and good reading to all of you. Audrey

love hearing from you

Dear #1. Thank you so much for reading my blog and writing to me. I’m very new at blogging and have to practice writing on it a lot more. If you want to write a letter to me you can send it to P.O.Box 1, Olney, MD. 20830. Where do you live? I’m so glad to hear about your dancing. I loved the feeling of being on my toes and moving to the most beautiful music. I also loved jazz dancing and did as much of that as I could. I look forward to hearing from you. Audrey

I’d also like to thank everyone who was kind and gracious enough to send me letters and pictures. They truly helped me to get well. I ask forgiveness for taking so long to answer these letters. It has taken me this long to feel well enough to write. Again, thank you everyone. I could not have gotten this strong this fast without you. Audrey

Chester Raccoon is doing very well. Although, he’s very afraid of rain storms. He’s also having a little trouble falling asleep during nap time. Mrs. Raccoon is working on helping him with these problems. Maybe you can help with suggestions.

Blackbeard is explaining time travel to Mrs. McNemmish. It’s fascinating.

I’m getting a new hip tomorrow, November 19th, so I won’t be hopping around for a while

I want to wish every reader a Happy Thanksgiving. I will be healing for a while so I won’t be on line. As soon as I am well I will get back to my Blackbeard mystery #4 and another Chester Raccoon book.

Read a Thanksgiving book, or better yet, write one. Write about your day; who was there; what did you eat; was it good?

Then, if you have pets, watch them. They are the best resource for wonderful stories.

When I was nine, my mother set the table for Thanksgiving and turned her back. In just a moment our dog Friskie had the turkey on the floor and was chomping away. My mother used stuffing to put it back together again.

Talk with you soon, Audrey

What a great time to be a character in a book

Happy Halloween everyone. Today I am dressed and made up to be Mrs. Raccoon. I really am Chester Raccoon’s mom which is a very wonderful thing to be

We’ve decided not to dress Charlie, our boxer; or Koko, half boxer half lab. When ever we try to pin them down and dress them up they shake it off. So they will help distribute the candy.

We keep our treats for the dogs in a lighthouse cookie jar. At least we did. A few years ago, my son left the top off the cookie jar and Koko carried the heavy base of the jar outside. She then helped herself to treats. But then our scotti Shadow who had a very big head as scotties do, put his head in the jar and couldn’t get it out After several tries, Shadow pulled and the cookie jar fell apart. Shadow was fine and both dogs had a feast.

That story will show up in a book someday, I’m sure.

I hope y’all are keeping diaries with stories of your own. That’s where books come from.

my brothers were my reason for writing

My parents were so busy after school, they often couldn’t take time to hear what I had to say about school or my complaints about my two older brothers. So…., I discovered if I wrote down my complaints and what I wanted to say about my day at school and stuck it on the dining room table where I knew my parents would end up eventually, I would be heard when they read my letter. Tattle-taleing was the highlight of the day. I remember the day my brothers told me not to dangle my feet when sitting on the bed or the ankle grabbers would pull me under the bed, take me to their secret hiding place, and keep me until I was 20. I remember the day they told me there was someone lurking behind the shower curtain and if I didn’t check it out every single time I was in the bathroom, I’d be jumped. I am now an adult with three grown children and I still look behind the shower curtain every time I enter anyone’s bathroom. These became the subjects of my first book, Happy Apple Told Me. See that. Just start leaving messages for your parents and you’re an author.

I’ve discovered the words “was”, “would”, and “could” muck up a story

I’ve discovered that I have run into a pattern of using the words was, would, and could when writing my novel.

He was walking to the store.

It would be better if he did it himself.

If only I could have seen it coming.

I’ve read so many books where sentences like those above are common place.

Since I am the kind of writer who rewrites everything one hundred times, I’ve discovered how much time I’ve lost by using these same types of verbs. They are sedentary verbs. That means they just sort of sit there but they don’t do anythng exciting.

He walked to the store.: I can see that.

Have him do it himself. : Dynamic,

Why didn’t I see it coming? : Makes you want to cry.

I love rewriting. It’s actually my favorite part of writing.