Sunday, May 29, 2016

Kris Tualla - "When" is she now?

Kris Tualla
Where am I now? Don’t you mean “when”?

As the author of mostly (I’ll get to that in a minute) historical novels, I find that when I am deep into writing the story I actually forget what time it is, what day it is, and even what year it is. I’m not kidding. I have to look up from my laptop—where all fiction lives—and focus to bring myself back into the present. Hopefully before I miss some important appointment or meeting!

Since stepping down after five years as a regular blogger on Romancing the Genres, I published a mixed-genre trilogy: a Viking caught between life and death for 950 years who manifests to my modern-day heroine, a collections manager at a museum.

This story encompasses several elements of a historical novel, both in the hero’s character and the heroine’s job. It also includes a light paranormal aspect in the hero’s condition, one that is remedied at the end of the second book when he returns to physical life. I’ve never written paranormal before, so that part was fun.

And it’s a contemporary story; the first one I’ve written for publication. That was fun as well, but I doubt I’ll do it again. Turns out I really like creating worlds, and writing the here and now doesn’t present the same challenges as either the parameters of a non-corporeal existence, or the environment of say, 18th-century life.

My current works in progress, however, are bridging this gap: I am telling my contemporary heroine’s great-grandfather and great-uncle’s stories. These brothers were involved in World War Two, but not the WWII that Americans are familiar with.

I’m telling Norway’s story. At least part of it.

The upside of writing an era which people remember is that there are plenty of first-hand experiences to tap into through social media—and I have. I’ve been given wonderful anecdotes to include in the narrative and will give credit in the end notes.

The downside of writing an era which people remember is that there are plenty of first-hand experiences to contradict what I might include. Memories of seventy-five-year-old events aren’t perfect for one, especially if the reporter was a child at the time. And people in different parts of the country experienced different things.

I knew this was going to be challenging when I had to stop halfway through the opening sentence to look up what high schools were called in Norway (secondary schools) and the task went on from there. Detail after detail needs to be right or I’ll be called out on it. I do plan on asking some of my anecdote contributors to read the pre-published proof and let me know if I blew something.  Not only will this help my accuracy, but it might garner some new readers in the process.

Anyway, that’s “when” I am now. Once the books are completed, I’ll come back and finish this tale. Until then, I’ll be disappearing into the Nordic world of Nazi occupation.

See you on the flip side.

Learn more about Kris by visiting her website: http://kristualla.com

5 comments:

Diana McCollum said...

Your series sounds wonderful! Isn't it great when you get caught up in creating a good story? Good luck with sales.

Lynn Lovegreen said...

Great post, Kris. I have also been lost in time--kind of a neat feeling, isn't it? Good luck with your WWII book--these stories need to be captured while we can.

Kris Tualla said...

THANKS! Boy, will I have random knowledge when I'm done!

Rita A. said...

Great post. As a historian I admire your dedication to getting it right. It isn't easy to find some of those answers even in my favorite era (the Old West.)

Judith Ashley said...

It is difficult to live between to periods in time. But when you are know for historically accurate stories (as you are) anything less isn't an option.