Category Archives: Uncategorized

Today I finished outlining Ch 21. Chapters 20 and 21 are both trial chapters. First the trial of the defenders, then the trial of the attackers. In Chapter 22, Lincoln gives one of his first public speeches. I started reading analysis of this speech. It is the culmination of the book. Lincoln was, in realContinue reading “Progress”

First of all, if you don’t need to write a historical novel to fulfill your dream, don’t. They are a lot more work and you won’t be able to write as many books because of it. How accurate do you need to be? It is a novel after all. Only you can answer this. ForContinue reading “Researching”

I finished Chapter 19 today and need to do more research and outlining before Chapter 20. Outlining sounds daunting, but breaking it down into smaller pieces makes it easier. Every book starts with an idea for a book. Most people have a vague idea or concept that it is to be about. For example, aContinue reading “Outlining Again”

I’m at the beginning of a week off, so I have a whole week to write and make a difference in my life. The weather here will be beautiful so it may be last chance to make outdoor repairs (scheduled for Thursday) and weed. But I also intend to write. I’m hoping to finish ChContinue reading “Happy Tuesday”

To many people marketing is a dirty word. It used to be something that authors wouldn’t stoop to do. Their publisher was in charge of marketing until they figured out that only the top percentage of books get any marketing budget at all. And, marketing is actually a good thing. It’s how we all discoverContinue reading “Marketing”

Going back to my day job tomorrow and it is very difficult for me to get anything accomplished on those weeks because of the long hours. I still have some major home repairs to make. My garage doors need repair to make it through the winter. I have some trim around the windows to doContinue reading “Back to Work”

Finished it just this morning and have set up Chapter Nineteen to begin. The book really is marching toward its end. Chapter Eighteen was sort of a romantic chapter. From Chapter Nineteen on the book will be marching toward its end. I haven’t committed myself to what adventure I will write next, though I haveContinue reading “Finished Chapter Eighteen”

Typical fall like weather. Instead of writing in the morning, I immediately went out and finished raising up my iris bed. I know, I know, but I do love irises, too. I finished the long Faneuil Hall speech scene I was working on. I’m moving back to Lincoln now. He and Speed are talking aboutContinue reading “Rainy Thursday”

I’m currently working on Chapter 17 again. I had to rewrite Chapter 16 due to computer error (or operator error). I spent most of yesterday working on the second scene. This is the scene with Wendall Phillip’s big freedom speech. I have included most of the speech at this point. I substituted a few archaicContinue reading “The Big Speech”

Well, I rewrote chapter sixteen. Don’t know if I will ever locate the original one, but I’m back to Chapter Seventeen today and the Faneuil Hall speech by Wendell Phillips. I’m excited to be on the last leg of this long journey that has been this novel. I’m not a fast writer. I actually doContinue reading “Back on Track (Again)”