Historical Fiction

Have you read Noah's Wife by Teresa K. Thorne? It's a great read...fast moving with more unexpected turns than you can count. It has inspired me to consider writing a historical fiction book for middle/upper grade kids about Mary, mother of Jesus. I want to write about her first 16 years, ending when she receives word of her pregnancy from the angel. But, like Noah's Wife, there won't be any angels or direct words from God.

Getting the Word Out

It can be difficult letting the world know you've written The Great American Novel, but it's getting easier. Blogging is one way to share what you've done with like-minded folks. To that end, I spent the better part of last week pounding my head against the keyboard, trying to find the right way to do this.

I went to one of the lists I belong to - Historical Novel Society - and pitched the idea of a blog for and about writers in this genre. The results were mind-boggling, to say the least. At last count, the blog (Clio's Children) has 17 members and I was able to network the blog after just two days.

We'll share posting responsibilities, but for the next three weeks, I'll get it going. It goes without saying (but I'll mention it anyway) that we'll support each other by buying each other's books, writing reviews, and spreading the word to friends.

The math goes something like this: 17 people each tell 10 other people about a particular book. That means the first step involves 170 people. If each of these individuals tells just 5 more people and those people tell even 3 others, the effect is exponential. It's been shown that word of mouth is still the best method of selling, so if you're not a dedicated blogger, it may be time to consider this method of networking for introducing yourself to the world.