Writer2Writer Event with Nancy Bo Flood

 

Yesterday, I attended the Writer2Writer event hosted by Catherine Linka at the Flintridge Bookstore.   The guest speaker was Nancy Bo Flood, author of Warriors In the Crossfire, a historical novel based on the dual invasions of the U.S. and Japan on the island Saipan.  Here's a book trailer:

Before the Writer2Writer event there was a lunch for Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Children's Writing prospective students.  Nancy Bo Flood and Catherine Linka are alum of the program, and there were several other alumna there ready to answer questions and share their experiences.  Interestingly, one of the topics that came up was how writing for children trains you to write novels with a strong story, which translates well into writing for adults.  At the Writer2Writer event, Flood emphasized how the story is more important than the history.

She asked us to think of historical novels we had read and to think about what we think of first: the story or the history in which the events take place.  The history should be in the background, and the story front and center.  Flood emphasized, though, that the history needs to be absolutely accurate.  This might be the only source a child uses for that particular piece of history, so you need to make sure that what you are giving them is authentic.

The culture of the place also reflects on the character.  The decisions that characters make and how they think is depended on the culture they are from.  If you're writing about a character that is breaking their culture's taboos make sure that you show how that affects the people around them (for instance, their family and friends).  What are the consequences of their actions?

It was a wonderful event, and made me think hard about my own work.  The Shaman Apprentice, while completely fictional, is set in a place where various events bring about a war.  Have I emphasized the history over story?  I'll be considering this in the future.