veronicaleighauthor

[veronicaleighauthor]

no excuses writing meme, askbox version

drop one of these bad boys in my askbox and i will post, without editing

FIRST – the first two sentences of my current project

LAST – the most recently written two sentences of my current project

NEXT – the next line. meaning i will finish the sentence I’m on and write a new one, which you’ll get.

[insert prompt here] – you post a prompt, and i’ll write three sentences based on that prompt, set in the same time/setting as my current project

WHAT IF – i will pick an important choice or event in my current project and write three sentences (or more?) about if it’d gone done differently

THE END – i’ll make up an ending, or post the ending if i’ve written it

BEFORE THE BEGINNING – three sentences (or more) about something that happened before the plot of my current project

POV – something that’s already happened, retold from another character’s perspective

feel free to specify a specific project, if i have more than one, or a fandom*, if you don’t know what i’m working on. 

#writing ask meme #ask meme #ask me anything

[veronicaleighauthor]

#jane austen #humor #lol #costume drama #period drama

[veronicaleighauthor]

#writing humor #writing is hard #writing

[veronicaleighauthor]

#writing humor #lady sheriff novel #lady sheriff series #fire by night #eye for an eye

[veronicaleighauthor]

#writing humor #writing is hard #writing

[veronicaleighauthor]

Courage Under Fire

Wonderful news! I just learned that “Courage Under Fire” released by Hiraeth Books, (the kind folks who published a couple of my other stories) has been published and it features my historical fantasy, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.” If you’re interested in buying a copy, you can do so here.

I intend to do a Fun Facts post in a few days.

I hope you’re all having a good Monday.

Until next time!

#historical fiction #fantasy fiction #fearfully and wonderfully made #courage under fire #hiraeth books #short stories

[veronicaleighauthor]

Q&A with After Dinner Conversations

I recently did an interview with After Dinner Conversation Magazine - the awesome publication that published a few of my short stories! If you're interested, please check it out!

#interview #after dinner conversation #ethics #ethical fiction #short stories #fiction #historical fiction #literary fiction #writing

[veronicaleighauthor]

I feel this on a deep spiritual level.

*actual footage of me editing*

I'll finish the novel someday.

#writing humor #editing #revision #writing is hard

[veronicaleighauthor]

Fun Facts About “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters”

In my previous post, I announced that my story “The Light House Keeper’s Daughters” was published in the latest issue of Black Cat Weekly. If you’re interested in buying a copy of the magazine for your eReader, you can do so here.

Whenever I publish a story, I try to do a Fun Facts post about the story, to share what inspired it and what I learned in my research along the way.

Let’s begin with the two main characters – Minnie and Brenna Smith. Many, many years ago when I was a teenager, I wrote about a character named Minnie Smith. She had a younger sister named Brenna and she was an aspiring writer. I had planned to do a whole coming of age series on her. Though the stories were based in the early 20th century, Minnie Smith was supposed to be based on yours truly and Brenna was supposed to be based on my sister. A couple of years ago, I revived the characters Minnie and Brenna, only this time it was for a short mystery story that has yet to be published. And I have continued writing about them. So, after like twenty-five years of living in my imagination, Minnie and Brenna have finally appeared in print.

“The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters” is the start of a new series. I’m not great at titles, but for now I’ve been calling the it “The Sleuthing Smith Sisters Series.” I’m open to suggestions, if anyone can think of anything better.

The second story in the series, “A Slice of Life,” has just been accepted for publication.

I’ve been picturing Sophie Nelisse as Minnie Smith. Unfortunately, I don’t know who I exactly picture Brenna as. Though Minnie is my literary counterpart, I didn’t look at all like Sophie Nelisse when I was in my teens. My hair was often a greasy mess, I had bad acne, and I had glasses. But hey, this is fiction, right?

This story is based in January 1918, in Michigan City, Indiana. It was partly inspired by this photo of a mother and two daughters near the Michigan Lighthouse, after a blizzard hit. The father, who I assume took the photo, was the true historical lighthouse keeper of Michigan City. But for the sake of this story, it is Mr. Smith. I also researched lighthouses, and in the end, I had to create my own version of the Michigan City Lighthouse to fit my story. The Michigan City Lighthouse still stands today and it is a tourist site.  

“The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters” is set against the backdrop of the January 1918 Blizzard. The winter storm paralyzed the Midwest and it was considered the Blizzard of the Century until the Blizzard of 1978 hit. I did copious amounts of research about the blizzard, how long it lasted, the descriptions were based on photographs and commentary of those who witnessed it.

If you were alive in Indiana in 1978, you have a Blizzard of 78 story. To this day, no storm compares to it. I grew up hearing my parents, grandmother, and friends talk about it. Whenever we have a winter storm now, the Blizzard of 78 is referenced. When the blizzard hit, my dad lived in Michigan City, so some of the descriptions of the area and what he experienced found its way into this story.

Until next time!

#historical fiction #mystery fiction #crime fiction #the lighthouse keeper's daughters #black cat weekly #sleuthing smith sisters series #blizzards #blizzard of 1918 #blizzard of 1978

[veronicaleighauthor]

Black Cat Weekly #137

Wonderful news! Black Cat Weekly released their latest issue and it includes my story, “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters.” The BCW website hints that my piece could be the start of a new series…and it is. The second story has sort of been accepted by BCW and I’m trying to think of a third story, that way it’ll be a proper trilogy. Right now, I’m calling it the Sleuthing Smith Sisters Series, until I can come up with something clever. I’m up for suggestions too. Anyway, if you’re interested in reading the issue, you can purchase it here for your eReader.

In a few days, I’ll do a Fun Facts post about the story.

I hope you all have a Happy Sunday!

#historical fiction #mystery fiction #crime fiction #the lighthouse keeper's daughters #christian fiction #young adult fiction #sleuthing smith sisters series

[veronicaleighauthor]

Dear @rarepairheathen:

I want to personally thank you for your honorable mention, as well as offering your assistance in telling my story.

If I can do anything for you- solve a mystery or a crime - please telephone my office. Also, if you happen upon any corpses, please inform me or my deputy.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Claire Williams

Ouabache, Indiana

What are you currently obsessed with?

Heyy thank you for the ask @moonlightredfern !!

The better question might be what am I not currently obsessed with? I always have quite a few hyperfixations battling each other in my mind.

Which might be the reason for my persistent migraines.

But if I had to make a list of top hyperfixations:

Rumitch, as always they've been my favorite obsession for a decade!

Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story by @shipwreckedcomedy I'm on my third rewatch and I first watched it in February.

Currently juggling artists: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Pink.

Also beta'ing my sisters ( @veronicaleighauthor ) unpublished novel for her Lady Sheriff series and I think I'm about halfway through and began it last week.

Crochet. I've made 3 baby blankets and currently working on the last baby blanket, about half a dozen baby hats because my kiddo is going to have a baby!!!

I think that's about it!! Thank you for asking. <3

#lady sheriff series #eye for an eye

[veronicaleighauthor]

The Great Depression

It’s odd to admit that The Great Depression fascinates me, especially since it was a dark period in American history. But it does fascinate me, enough so that I’ve written several short stories and a couple novels (unpublished) based in the era. How people lived, what they ate, how they entertained themselves – most of all how they survived that period – it intrigues me.

Following WWI, during the Roaring Twenties the economy and America thrived. The present and future appeared bright. A few economists predicted that the good times couldn’t last forever, but the world paid little attention. Throughout 1929, there were signs of a slowing economy, and then on October 24th – what is now known as Black Thursday – the stock market crashed. In the following weeks, it was confirmed that the perpetual party of the 1920’s was over and that a new, bleak era was being ushered in.

For the next decade, America and the rest of the world endured the Great Depression. Images of bank closures and people lined up for soup kitchen often crop up in the history books and on the internet. As well as the famous photograph of the careworn mother and her children. My four grandparents lived through the Great Depression and that part of their lives affected their experiences and behavior. Even late in life, they couldn’t shake off those memories. Growing up, I heard countless stories of those days. My grandmother, Margaret, was very candid about the past. She would have just turned twelve when the stock market crashed and she would have been sixteen in 1933, which was considered one of the worst years during the Depression. Her memories were vivid, painting a picture that the history books couldn’t. She was the third of six children – her eldest brother died as a baby – her father was a boiler maker and her mother a housewife. They were a loving Christian family, which is what I believe brought them through the hardest of times. Grandma and her family never went hungry, however, there were many times they didn’t know they’d make ends meet. Yet somehow, they always did.

Hobos would show up on their back porch. A picture of a cat had been drawn on their fence, signaling to other hobos that a kind lady lived there. And my great-grandmother, Edith, was kind, feeding whoever was hungry. If great-grandpa, Charles was present, the visitor would be welcomed in the kitchen to eat and for a nice conversation. Charles always had a job, unfortunately he didn’t always have work and was often sent home. By 1933, his health began to fail and two weeks before Margaret’s sixteenth birthday, he died. Extended family planned to help, by splitting up the family. So-and-So would take Margaret, So-and-So would take Bettie, So-and-So would take Russel…but Edith was adamant: “We may starve together, but we will stay together.” For the remainder of the 1930s, they banded together to survive.

The weather seemed to turn against the country as well. Dust storms struck all over America, costing lives and ruining livelihoods. It soon became known as the Dust Bowl. Lightening accompanied the storms, and folks would hang chains off the bumpers of their cars to prevent them from being stuck. If caught in a dust storm, one would have to cover their face with a cloth and walk backwards against the gusts. Houses had to be shut up tight, windows closed and key holes plugged to prevent the dust from seeping in. But old houses had their crevices and dust would get in somehow. Decades later, Margaret and others who lived through the Dust Bowl, out of habit would place cups and bowls upside down in the cabinets because that is what they did to prevent dust from collecting on their dishes.

Clothing was rarely store bought. Dresses were made from stylishly printed feed sacks, using patterns, and sewn by hand, or by sewing machine. Sweaters and cardigans were knitted or crocheted. Shoes were worn at work and school, but at home if the weather was seasonable, they went barefoot to preserve their shoes. Clothing was patched and mended and passed from one sibling down to another, then onto another family. Like many of that era, Margaret left high school early to work. She was first a maid, then she worked in a number of factories. Her earnings of $4 a week went to the household. Later during WWII, when she earned $16, she was allowed to keep $4 for herself, and felt she was rich.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president and was eventually voted into office three more terms, holding the position until his death in 1945. After Herbert Hoover, who was oblivious to the suffering of the American people, many trusted Roosevelt would lead the nation through the dark times. His New Deal, his relief programs, his steadiness, his fireside chats were a beacon of hope. His assurances that they had “nothing to fear but fear itself” spoke volumes. Despite his attempts to alleviate the financial woes and troubles of the 1930s, the US didn’t rise out of the Great Depression until the onslaught of WWII.

            Years later, Grandma told me that her life had been a hard one, but it had been good and satisfying. I believe many of that era would say as much. I don’t know if it is the Great Depression that is my favorite era, or if it’s the people who lived during that time. They possessed an indomitable spirit. After the Great Depression, they endured WWII and more or less saved the world. That generation proved to us that whatever trials we may face today, this too shall pass.

#the great depression #the dust bowl #wwii #1930s #american history #family history #family stories

[veronicaleighauthor]

Yet another fic writer ask: 10 & 14

Thank you for sending these in!

10. Top three favourite fic tropes.

I'm going to list my favorite romantic tropes since I'm in a romantic mood. Friends to Lovers. Think Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley. The best romantic relationships begin as friendships. I also like Arranged Marriage, especially if it's set in a historical era. And I do like Enemies to Lovers, but only if it's well done. I see it in every Hallmark movie and romance novel. A great Enemies to Lovers is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It's a modern au of "Pride and Prejudice," but the way it's portrayed, it's not cheaply or badly done.

Write and share the first sentence of a new fic. Just that.

Minnie Smith tightened the bow on her mask, which was securely tied over her mouth and nose, before entering the empty hospital room. - A Slice of Life

#ask the writer #writing ask meme #ask meme #a slice of life #the smith girls mysteries

[veronicaleighauthor]

Writing asks: 1, 16 and 37

Hello! Thank you for sending this in. :)

Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

I have this one novel, based in Nazi Occupied Poland...I kind of rewrote it from scratch using a previous draft as a template. But it's one of those novels that I think, if I just opened a new document, I would and could rewrite it in a completely different way. The version I have now has a hopeful/happy ending, and if I were to rewrite it, I'd give it a more realistic plot and ending. The characters could be more three-dimensional. I mean, I'm proud of what I wrote and it is what it is. But I play the what if game with that novel.

2. Are one-shots really underrated?

Absolutely not. I love one-shots. Sometimes they're just the fix I need. Especially after a hard day, I need to check in on my favorite OTP, falling in love and being adorkable.

3. Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

I generally know a little bit about the topic I'm writing about. Like, I've written stories in various eras like the Regency era, WWII, the Great Depression, because I do know about those eras. But I'd never write anything set in first century Judea without reading a couple hundred books, watch movies and documentaries, scour the internet, etc. An era like that is beyond me. I know my limits. With that being said, even with the eras I do know about, I do the bulk of my research before I tackle the second draft. And I *LOVE* research. It's fun and exciting. Whatever I learn I try to incorporate into the second and third drafts. I think the research is my favorite part of writing - you never know what you can learn.

Again, thanks again for sending these asks!

#ask meme #writing ask meme #ask the writer #ask me anything

[veronicaleighauthor]

#writing humor #writer memes #writing advice #bad reviews #lol

[veronicaleighauthor]

Thank you so much for being my beta reader, and taking your one day off to go over it. Also, thank you for all of your support. ❤️

It's finished and printed off! Well, all except the last ten pages. Darn printer ink ran out. Refills arrive Sunday. ::sighs:: Back to writing short stories until I start revisions.

#eye for an eye #lady sheriff novel #mystery fiction #crime fiction #historical fiction

[veronicaleighauthor]

Yet another writing ask

Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

How would you describe your writing style?

Do you have any OCs? Do you have a story for them?

What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

What's your ratio for rating your works?

Your favourite ao3 tag.

How slow is a slow burn?

Thoughts on cliffhangers.

Top three favourite fic tropes.

Three tropes that are fine but overrated.

If you write in more than one language, what's the difference?

Rate your worldbuilding skills from 1 to 10.

Write and share the first sentence of a new fic. Just that.

What's your favourite plotless fic you have written?

Are one-shots really underrated?

Past or present tense? Why?

First, second, or third person?

Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Do you work on a single project or many at the same time? How does that work for you?

Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what's your secret?

What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again?

Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

Thoughts on flashbacks/flashforwards.

Is writing the whole thing beforehand better or worse than writing it as you go?

What would you describe as OOC?

Do you agree that one shouldn't start a story with a piece of dialogue?

Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

What's the hardest thing about writing?

Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't.

What was the most difficult fic for you to write (but in the end you made it)?

Do you have a word/expression that you always use in your writing?

Give your writing a compliment.

Do you write to improve? Or is that not a concern for you?

Thoughts on writing challenges/contests.

How do you come up with fic titles? What's the one you're most proud of?

Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

"This never happened" fix-it fics or "this happened but" fix-it fics?

Wildest AU scenario you have written?

Write a 9-word fic.

#ask the writer #writing ask meme #ask me anything