Author Sharon Dobson spoke about National Novel Writing
Month and writing about what you know at the October meeting of the Carroll County Chapter of
Maryland Writers’ Association.
Sharon used Hershey kisses to illustrate how writers can
take a thought and a brief sentence and build on it to create a story.
She gave us a six word sentence. Then used information about
how Milton Hershey built his business and about his world-famous candy kisses
(which she distributed to entice us more into the story. Yum) and increased it
to 130 words and enhanced her story.
Added information helps draw readers into your story, she
said. You want to give them something more than quick details.Using methods like this can help those writers who participate in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) which is in November. Writers try to write an average of 1,667 words a day to reach 50,000 by the end of the month.
Writers can prepare for Nanowrimo ahead of time by deciding on their story, making an outline and a timeline, but shouldn’t start writing. Actual writing of the novel has to start on November 1 and end by November 30.
Sharon said she would encourage writers to participate in
Nanowrimo and recommended using methods such as above to expand sentences. Think
of connections, she said. When you are painting a picture with words, you need
more.
Use day to day experiences. Tell your reader about the blade
of grass that you know and feel it under their feet. Have them eat with you. Smell
and taste the food.
Develop a personality for your characters. Search for the
human aspect of each story and scene. Write in people you know, but first ask them
if you can use them.
Don’t edit while you write during Nanowrimo, she said. Just
get the words down. The first draft is always bad. Editing comes later, but
writing so quickly during November will give you a good start to your novel.
Do the best that you can and have a critique group of
someone else read your story, comment on it and then make any last minute
changes you feel are necessary before publishing.
Sharon was raised between Monkton, Maryland and Chincoteague,
Virginia. She uses details from those locations in her books. Each book
addresses a social problem, she said.
Her first novel was Murder
at Swan Cove. The fictional murders in this book revolved around child
sexual abuse.
The idea for another book, Witness to War, was based on stories her great grandmother used to
tell. “I am sorry we caused the Civil War,” Sharon remembered her great
grandmother saying.
Years later she discovered that was at least partially
true. It started when an escaped slave fled north to Pennsylvania in 1881.That
action led to Pennsylvania’s Fugitive Slave Act.
You will have to read her book or do some research to learn
more. The social problem in Witness to
War is mental illness.
Her newest book, Middle
Plantation, will be coming out soon. The social problem in this book is
connectiveness and the difficulty of getting unconnected.
You can find more information about Sharon’s books through
Goodreads and Facebook. Also, if you are interested in National Novel Writing
Month, check out http://nanowrimo.org 
