Ask the Author: Annette Ranald
Answered Questions (6)
Annette Ranald
I heard somebody on a TV sitcom make a joke about the Donner Party, so I got curious and started researching. I soon came to believe that Louis Keseberg, the arch-type villain of the piece, was probably not guilty of a lot that he was blamed for, including several murders. The idea of telling the story from his perspective came from the work of Prof. Clay Jenkinson, a lecturer at North Dakota State University. He lectures on Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Meriwether Lewis, and other characters, dressed up as and talking from their perspective. I've seen his Jefferson and Roosevelt lectures and got the idea to write as though I'm Louis, telling the story.
Annette Ranald
My characters find me somehow. I do a lot of reading. When I run across a character that intrigues me, that I can't get out of my head, I start researching. If a story starts to string together, I go with it. Many of my leading characters were the antiheros of their era or event. For example, in Under an Evil Star, my protagonist and narrator is Louis Keseberg, the villain of the piece. I chose him because he was the last survivor of the Donner Party. As awful as he was, he was one with the most information about what happened during the last 6-8 weeks of it. Also, when I read about him, I realized he was being blamed for a lot that he didn't do. He wasn't a nice guy, but he wasn't a murderer, either. My defense attorney's instincts kicked in at that point.
Annette Ranald
I have a series going now about a 21st Century Senator who's descended of some of the Founding Fathers. Would the Founders survive in today's Washington, D.C.? Would they recognize the government they created? Is their voice and spirit still alive in our nation's capitol? Is there anything else going on in fictional Washington besides bed-hopping? I've written historical fiction stories before, so I decided to write about Sen. John Parker Revere (D-MA), and his three best friends as though they were already characters that existed, and to tell their present-day story using some of the same skills I would use when writing novels about real characters.
Annette Ranald
Don't quit your day job. Even as an Indie author, this is still a long process. Be true to yourself. One of the reasons I went Indie is because I won't write gore, supernatural, etc., which seems to be the prevailing market. Don't be afraid to let yourself explore and write. Work your ideas through, no matter how dumb or lame they may seem at the time. Let your characters help you tell your story. And, if you're writing history, research and get the basic details right.
Annette Ranald
I get to combine two things I love, history and writing. Writing for me is an escape. I have a stressful day job. A few minutes of writing, even on a break or lunch hour, helps me unwind. I also get to present history to people in a fun way. I get to explore questions about what really happened behind the scenes, why did characters act as they did, or even play with theories that non-fiction writers have discarded or can't get into.
Annette Ranald
My answer to writer's block is not to force it. The story will tell itself in your mind if it's a story worth telling and you're going about it right. Your characters will get minds of their own and start moving the story for you. Sometimes, it's best to let them have their heads and then work from the direction they've taken you. Also, trust your instincts. Even if you have to delete a scene or part of the storyline later, it served its purpose at the time. Don't fight it, work with it.
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