One of my favorite things about writing fiction is figuring out which hobbies and jobs my characters should have. I want my characters to have lots of experiences (beyond what I’ve personally had), so I have to look outside of my own life for inspiration.
I think God knew I’d need help in that department, so many years ago I wrote for several local, small-town newspapers. Those papers only came out once a week, so they didn’t try to print breaking news stories; instead, they printed slice-of-live, hometown living pieces. Personal stories. Fluff pieces.
I tapped into my fluff-writing experiences for Avoiding Marriage: A Practically Married Novella.
Small Town Historical Societies
If you’ve never visited a small-town museum, you’re missing out.
Most of the time, they’re in abandoned or donated buildings with historical value but no current practical purpose, like churches or storefronts. The staff is always a volunteer staff, and most of them are retired. Whether they were born in the area or relocated, there’s something intimate connecting them to the museum (it’s usually family or a passion for history…sometimes both).
Local Historians
Though the history is often interesting and the museum displays can be intriguing, it’s really the people that make the museum—men and women who’ve collected decades worth of photos, letters, artifacts, and stories. They have it all, and they love talking about it.
One time, I was tasked with writing a 500-word article (roughly two pages, double spaced) about the local historical society’s progress on their new building. I set up the interview, and when I showed up, there were four women there with scrapbooks full of school pictures, special event announcements, and several antique cookbooks from past fundraising events. I spent two-hours with these women and left with enough information for at least ten 500-word articles…or a few novels.
In Avoiding Marriage, Carter is a history teacher and genealogist. When he and Jess volunteer to help the local museum, I describe the museum in my town (housed in an old Methodist church). I made up the letters in my novella, but Carter’s description of working with historical societies comes from my experiences, and Kathleen’s and Gran’s excitement was inspired by so many of the local historians I’ve met.
If you haven’t visited a small-town museum recently, I encourage you to stop in. You might learn something fun and interesting, and you’ll definitely meet some wonderful people.
Two years ago, Jessica Miller made a mess of her already confusing life. Now, she’s back in Boyne Heights, and she’s determined to fix her reputation. She can’t seem to avoid the past that haunts her, but that’s the joy of small-town life—word spreads and people remember. Intent on her mission, however, she faces her past head-on, taking a job with her ex-boyfriend while avoiding her grandmother’s attempts to find her a new one.
Karin Beery grew up in a rural Michigan town, where she wrote her first novel in high school. Today, she writes contemporary stories with a healthy dose of romance. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s reading, editing, or teaching it. In her free time, she enjoys watching University of Michigan football and action-adventure movies with her husband and fur babies.
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