A writer I’ve been working with on an on-going basis picked a unique time in our country’s history to write about. Built into this time frame is an event where nature colluded with industry and for five days led to the deaths of many in the community.
It’s an age-old dilemma — what brings a livelihood to everyone in an entire community ends up killing them. Unwilling to admit to what is right there in front of them, people trust the “powers-that-be” — they would never knowingly poison an entire community in the name of profits, or would they?? Issues specific to this time in our shared past have been repeated countless times before this specific event and will be repeated countless times in the future = creating a thematic universality to her story.
The event lasts five days and serves as a perfect antagonist. Every step the engaging cast of characters take toward their own personal goals is thwarted by the event. Page-turnability is built in as the events unfold.
Years of research and the author’s own passion for the time have contributed to the authenticity of the project.
As the days pass, the situation worsens. The built-in “ticking clock” creates tension and conflict and challenges all the characters, though in the end the protagonist is affected the most and is transformed at depth.
I’ve always been a sucker for a great historical. Hers has got all the elements. I wish her loads of luck in writing the next draft all the way through, taking care to treat the event as a major character and plotting out each and every turn the event itself takes as it destroys everyone around it.
Hi Martha–part of the trouble with this, the historical tramatic event as character–is not letting the human characters view the trauma through the writer’s, modern perspective. The way we talk about weather, communication, the endless analysis of every inch of our lives–the language around trauma is so analytic (mid-trauma even) NOW as compared to in the past. I have to make sure the reader doesn’t leave the book thinking those people were morons–they were just plugging away with the resources available, but boy, compared to now, it’s almost unbelievable. For instance. One character smokes when she’s pregnant…perfectly normal for a certain subset decades ago, but it’s so hard not to have characters tell her she’s an idiot. Little things like that, I have to give the reader enough information, but in a way that the characters would have dealt with it…sorry to go on and thanks!
I’ve just been working on my antagonists for the WIP, and the time/place is definitely one of them. I think, though, that–in that time/place–my protagonist will also find her support. Very cool stuff!
Hi kathie shoop, you’ll do great! But it’s good you’re aware of the pitfalls of writing a historical — making it believable without overwhelming the reader with too much backstory or research. I have no doubts about you doing it just perfectly…
Thanks beckylevine! Glad you’re forging ahead…