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Scott ‘O Dell award winning author A LaFaye (a.k.a. Alexandria) would prefer to time travel, but since that’s not scientifically possible (YET), she heads into the past by writing historical fiction. She’s also been known to write a little reality based fantasy  and supernatural historical fiction. When she’s not writing, she loves to visit schools, speak with teachers, and attend conferences.  That is when she’s not teaching in the English Department at Greenville College or the low residency MFA in writing for children and young adults at Hollins University.She can also be found at alafaye.com

1) Why do you write historical fiction?

Time travel isn’t possible.  No, seriously, I once read that you should write what you know, but I figured that’d be pretty boring. Instead, I write about what I want to know. History has always fascinating me, so I often write about historical subjects.  More accurately, I write about everyday people engaged in extraordinary struggles that are shaped by the fact that they are from a particular time and place.  My novel WORTH wouldn’t be the same book it is if Nate Peale hadn’t been crippled in a harvesting accident on a Nebraska farm in the late 1870s.  In today’s world, modern medicine could’ve repaired his leg and he couldn’t gone back to work.  John Worth wouldn’t have ridden the Orphan Train to be picked out by Gabriel Peale to work on their family farm and the boys wouldn’t have been thrown into the tensions of the range war between ranchers and farmers because it would’ve been over.

2) What are some historical fiction novel for children that inspire you and why?

I love THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE because it’s hilarious and it pulls you right into the California Gold Rush.  BREAKING STALIN’S NOSE is a heartbreaking trip into the dark days of Stalinist Russia.  WITNESS gives us a shocking and layered look into prohibition in Vermont.  The best historical fiction transports us to the past through the lives of compelling and complex characters.

3) How you do discover what period in history to write about?

I “discover” the time period for my novels by reading a lot about the past and asking what if questions. What if a kid was paralyzed and his father is so worried about keeping their homesteaded farm that he adopts a child through the orphan train?  That question lead to WORTH.  What if plantation owners decided to divide their plantations up amongst the people their family had enslaved? That a question spawned STELLA STANDS ALONE and that novel inspired me to celebrate the reunification of African American families after the Civil War with WALKING HOME TO ROSIE LEE.

4) How do you do your research?

I read everything I can get my hands on–scholarly articles on farming, marriage rights, and plantations, diaries, newspapers, books on history. I also love to travel to museums, especially those inside historical landmarks.  Historical photographs, societies, and libraries are also helpful.

5) How can students in the classroom use some of these techniques when researching or writing?

My best advice is to use something called “triangulation” which means that you don’t trust any one document to tell you the whole truth. To find out what it’s like to ride on the Orphan Train, you might read ORPHAN TRAIN RIDER by Andrea Warren, check out the National Orphan Train Complex which has a lot of fabulous resources, and the website of The Children’s Aid Society which started the Orphan Train. The society has a huge library of primary sources through the New York Historical Society.

6) You are well known for getting diction and voice down just right. What’s your trick?

Dyslexia.  I am being serious here.  As a child, I struggled greatly with reading and writing because of my dyslexia and I discovered that if I read with an accent, I could slow down and focus enough to read–that is if I covered half the book and used a bookmark to keep my place.  As for picking up accents, my mother tells me I did it from the time I was an infant, imitating the sounds and voices I heard.  I loved to read books from England like BLACK BEAUTY because I could practice my British accent. Once I get a sound for a voice in my head, I can translate it on the page with word choice, grammar, and the perspective of the character.  For instance, a kid from the Midwest who sees a train for the first time in 1872 might say, “Ufda!  That iron horse rocked the whole station, rattling the windows and shaking the boards beneath my feet.” “Ufda” is an exclamation of disbelief from Norway, so he’s the son of Norwegian immigrants.  On the other hand, a child from the same time period in England might say, “It was brilliant, I tell you, just brilliant. You should’ve seen the monster of a thing, chugging into the station like furnace in the blacking factory broke free and rode down the tracks all steam and noise.” Here, we know he’s British because he is familiar with a “blacking factory” (they make shoe polish or “shoe black,” as it was called).  He also says “brilliant” which has long been a colloquialism for something really good in the England.  His grammar is often a bit more formal than many American children of that era would be.  To be honest, I never really thought much about dialect when I started writing, it just came naturally.  I’m so glad I was able to pull it off. Thank you.

7) What do you see happening in the future for historical fiction?

Hopefully, we’ll never stop looking into our past because if we do, we will fail to appreciate all of the things our ancestors did to make our world a better place to live and we’ll be doomed to make the same makes they did. I’d love to see writers continue to write about forgotten chapters in our history (like Zeng He, the Chinese sailor who traveled farther than Christopher Columbus 50 years earlier), while including cultural depth, diversity, and accuracy in their depiction of the past.

Thank you so much for your great questions!  Happy time traveling!

Hillary Homzie is the author of The Hot List (Simon & Schuster MIX 2011) and Things Are Gonna Be Ugly (Simon & Schuster, 2009). She can be found at hillaryhomzie.com and on her Facebook page.

The ONLY Conference Guide you’ll ever need!

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!!

Hope all of you are doing well since we last spoke only sixty-six days ago. I know I usually come here and say that I didn’t know what to write about, but this time is different. This time was easy. With the L.A. Conference right around the corner, I figured what better thing to do, than give all of you the benefit of my experience and present:

The ONLY Conference Guide You’ll Ever Need!                  (Cue thunderous applause)

So, you’re going to SCBWI L.A. and you don’t know what to do. You’re afraid of standing out in a bad way or perhaps even worse, getting lost in the shuffle entirely. Well, never fear, because whether it’s your first, second or even twentieth time going, these tried-and-true methods will ensure that you will get the most out of your conference-going experience. So, without further ad, we first start with:

The Arrival: You get to the hotel and are immediately intimidated. After all, it’s a large place and it can feel just a little overwhelming, especially if you’re there alone. So, what do you do? Well the first thing is, you need to get there early. I mean, really, really early. The first day of this year’s conference is Friday, August 1^st. But, if you get there on that day, it’s already too late. You’ve lost and wasted a ton of money. Today’s conference-goers are savvy. They know all the tricks of the trade. My suggestion to you, is to get there maybe Wednesday, July 30^th, or just to be on the safe side, maybe even the weekend before.

Why, you ask? Well, conference-goers are notoriously territorial and you need to carve out the best spots for yourself. Somewhere to see and be seen, if you know what I mean. Some prime locations are next to the bathrooms, near the water-coolers and around the snacks-table. You know, the heavily populated, big-time, foot-traffic areas. This is the way for you to get maximum exposure. But be forewarned, just because you get there first, doesn’t mean you get to keep it. You might just have to defend it. This is not for the weak-of-heart.

Preparation: You want to be feared and admired when you go. The proper attire can mean everything. War-paint is a must. Project an image that you are not to be messed with. Scaring other writers away is half the battle. Better to avoid a confrontation when you can. Newer conference-goers will cower before you, but by the same token, you need to know that the veterans might make you prove yourself. Don’t worry, this is a rite-of-passage. They’re not just going to back away from some new kid on the block. That’s a sign of conference weakness and they’ll lose respect forever. So, be prepared for…

The battles: Gone are the days of violent physical duels. Not since the  incident of ‘96. I’m not going to get into exactly what happened that day, it’s too grotesque for a family site such as this one, but the grizzly facts were that it involved a quill pen, a dozen EMT workers and a moose. It wasn’t pretty. Nowadays, we have literary throwdowns. That’s why they tell you to bring your first pages from your manuscripts. A conference battle is a wondrous thing to behold. Many have gone down in conference lore and passed down through the generations. Who doesn’t remember that day back in aught-two, when Taylor vs. Morales went at it? Two behemoths at the top of their game. The way it works is this; you enter a ring surrounded by a blood-thirsty mob. And as everyone knows, there is nobody on earth more inclined to violence than a writer. You each read your pages and while the winner gets prizes and accolades, the loser is relegated to the Siberia of the conference: Hanging with the technical writers who are trying to dabble in Children’s lit. Oh, and one word of advice: NEVER get into a battle with a poet. Nobody ever knows what they mean and it’s so subjective, that even the worst poetry may touch someone in some weird way, that’ll leave you scratching your head at just how it was that you lost. Trust me, I speak from experience.

On making an impression: You’re going to a conference and you want to leave an impression. They give you those little nametags, but you feel like it’s not enough. You’re right. It’s not. You need to make your mark! Go in there Flavor Flav-style. Wear your name in a giant amulet or even a clock around your neck. Bonus points if it lights up and even more for sporting the gold-tooth grill as well. Remember, this isn’t the time to blend into the woodwork or risk being confused with Edna from Dubuque. You need to make sure that people remember exactly who you are.

On sitting in workshops: You are going to be in different classes learning from experienced pros. Occasionally, in these classes, there’s a chance that you’re going to be called on to read your work. Here’s what you do. Before class begins, you go in at the very last moment and survey the room. Now, this will be difficult, because you’re going by your gut here, but try to pick out the weakest ones, perhaps even a few innocent questions to each person asking how many conferences they’ve been to. After you’ve made your decision, sit down next to them. And once they read, you quickly thrust up your hand to go next. It’ll only make your work sound better by comparison.

On meeting Agents or Editors: Agents and editors will be at the conference, just dying to meet new talent such as yourself. And remember, they are just regular people like you and me. Just regular people who have the fate of your career in their hands. So, conference organizers expect you to treat them accordingly. So, never, under ANY circumstances, make eye contact unless being addressed. You must cast your eyes in a downward glance in a display of deference. When meeting them, please make sure to genuflect before them as a sign of respect. You wait for them to end the conversation, not the other way around, even if you have to go to the bathroom. Hold it. And if by some chance, they ask you to accompany them anywhere, make sure you remember to maintain the required five or more paces behind them in a show of subservience. It’s just proper etiquette.

Well, Mixed-Up Filers, I hope this helps. Please make sure to follow all my advice and drop by here and give me your reports when you get back! I wish you all the best of luck and above all else, have fun and treasure the experience!

Disclaimer:

*** The views and opinions expressed in this piece in no way reflect those of Fromthemixedupfiles.com. Any following of the advice in this post, may or may not get you ejected from the conference and perhaps even get a restraining order issued against you. Proceed at your own risk. ***