My writing challanges

Watch out, long winded writer here!

I've loved writing since I was a kid. In the first grade, we had a creative writing corner we could go to when we were done with work. It was my favorite of the centers to go to. I was a terrible speller. :) As I got older, I continued to write stories. My stories were always conversational - just one person talking to another. My mom, who was also my elementary school teacher at school, told me once to write less conversation. I became aware of what and how I was writing and worked to change it.

As a teen, I wrote a "book" (more on that later). I took the challenge of writing the entire story with no conversation at all, just story telling. It was told entirely from the perspective of the main character. It was a challenge, but I was pleased that I could write without conversation. It forced me to be more creative and descriptive.

Now, I get a little too wordy and descriptive....

Years later I was watching a Doris Day movie and one of the characters in the movie wrote a play. Doris Day's husband was reading the story and told the writer that he should stick to his own backyard. Don't try and write about things and places you know nothing about.

At the time, I was writing a story that took place in modern America, but it was about some Irish families. I know nothing of Ireland, other than a few basic facts. I know nothing of the life and culture there. While the story idea was good, it was in no way believable because I can't write from and Irish person’s perspective. I was out of my backyard and looking ridiculous.

Back to my book I wrote as a teen - I was very proud of it, until I reread it a few years ago as an adult. I was ready to burn the pages! I was so embarrassed. I sure hope my writing and storytelling skills have improved since then. My story was a historical fiction. It took place in the 1840's. I really know very little about that time period. It was about a family from Scotland. I've been to Scotland, I have seen it, I have studied it a bit and am more familiar with the culture. Still, I know nothing of Scottish life in 1840 or any who moved to Texas.

I also had some interesting choices for names. My lead character was Katharine and her hubby was Barrett. Those are not good Scottish names. Katherine or Catherine might have been used in Scotland in that time period, but not the spelling I choose. Also, Katharine's brother was named Kristofer. NO ONE in Scotland in 1840 would have named or spelled that name the way I did. It is silly.
There are so MANY historical inaccuracies that it would take an entire book just to tell them all.

The story was a good one (most of it) and I think I would someday like to rewrite it. I'll research things first. Someday my story might become a great historical fiction, but for now, it will stay hidden and no one will see the original.