Saturday, January 19, 2013

Meet Velda Brotherton


Greetings, writers! Today I have the pleasure of introducing a prolific and talented—and multi-published—author: Velda Brotherton. I have asked Velda to write something about what “The Joy of Story” means to her. I know you’ll enjoy reading what Velda has to say.

The Joy of Story, by Velda Brotherton

My dad was a storyteller. He never wrote down a word, but he kept in his memory stories from his youth and delighted in telling them. One of the main reasons, I'm sure, was that his life was filled with adventure. He had three brothers and their mother passed away when he was sixteen, the eldest of the four boys. They followed their dad on jobs in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma. Both parents had Cherokee blood, and though that was looked down upon by the elder family members in those days, the boys were very proud of it. He often said they grew up like "wild Indians." Casting no aspersions at all. He enjoyed the role and loved his heritage.

Some people are meant to be the keepers of the story for their family. Writers also have the same role. We are the keepers of stories, both truth and fiction, for don't we develop our stories from the truth that's remembered? I think my dad being a storyteller had a lot to do with my growing up to be a writer. I made up stories in my mind as long as I can remember, tales of wild adventures in which I was always the central character.  The hero. And don't we all want to be the hero? Therein lies the true joy of story. Heroic acts performed by ordinary people. Those years I sometimes thought I might be a little crazy daydreaming those tales. I didn't know at the time that all over the world, other writers were developing their craft by doing the same thing.

Stories carried down through generations are what makes it possible for us to write historical fiction. Most of the nonfiction columns I wrote for 20 years for local newspapers came from oral history repeated to me by family members who kept those stories alive. Stories passed down to them by fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers.  Such tales make up much of what we know about our history. And then there are journals and diaries kept by the women of the family. While men tell their stories, women tend to write theirs down. Those diaries help us write our stories of mothers, sisters, aunts, and wives.

Most publishers are aware of the value of story, too. If they receive two manuscripts of equal writing skills, they will choose the one with the better story. Often, the better story with lesser writing skills will win out over a perfect manuscript with a weaker story line. So it's  important that we develop good, solid stories because without them our writing skills may come to nothing in the marketplace.

What makes a good story? Strong but flawed characters, unusual and fascinating settings, tidbits of back story (character's history), intriguing and twisting plots and subplots, and most of all that well distinguished voice we hear so much about. All editors look for a special and unique voice. But there's something else, isn't there? Something difficult to put words to. When we as readers open a book, we feel an excitement much like that of opening a gift. What will we find? Where will the author take us? Who will we go with? What will we discover? There's a promise of adventure, learning, experiencing new and different things. Take me somewhere I've never been with someone so wonderful I'll hang onto their hand as they lead me through this truly unusual experience. A new, shiny world, or one so frightening I shiver, or so delightful I giggle, or so horrible I cringe, or so unique I can't wait to tell others about it. This is the promise of a good story.

There's evidence that readers value good stories over all else. Just look at the best sellers today. Some of them are not that well written, but something resonates in the story that attracts millions of readers to buy the book.
So, should we neglect our writing skills in favor of good stories? Of course not. The best writer should produce both and do it with pride of accomplishment.  I don't want to be the writer of whom it is said, "Well, the writing is lousy but it sure was a good story." Do you?


About our guest…

Velda Brotherton writes of romance in the old west with an authenticity that makes her many historical characters ring true. A knowledge of the rich history of our country comes through in both her fiction and nonfiction books, as well as in her writing workshops and speaking engagements.  She just as easily steps out of the past into contemporary settings to create novels about women with the ability to conquer life’s difficult challenges. Tough heroines, strong and gentle heroes, villains to die for, all live in the pages of her novels and books.

A Sample of Velda’s writing:

Here's a short excerpt from Wolf Song, a paranormal mystery/romance ebook published by SynergEbooks and available on Amazon as well.



Olivia finds a terrifying surprise, a warning to stop supporting the Gray Wolf Restoration Program by the U.S. Fish and Game:

“With shaking fingers, I twisted the knob on the lock and eased the door open. Still not turning the flashlight on, I held the screen open just far enough to slide through the crack. Back against the house so no one could sneak up on me, I flicked the light on and began to sweep it back and forth across the porch. Nothing, nothing, more nothing. Then the beam moved to the swing, and lying in the still-swaying seat, blood-smeared teeth bared in final agony, lay a half-grown gray wolf.”

That’s good writing! Story-telling at its best. (Great cover, too.) You’ll want to read more, and here’s how:







19 comments:

  1. Hi, Velda, loved the post. "Growing up like wild Indians" is what my relatives used to say and none of us had any Indian blood.

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    1. Hi Marilyn, thanks for the comment. I guess that isn't PC today, but didn't we have fun?

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  2. Great post, Velda! Reading it reminded me of when I was a young girl and used to make up mysteries for my best friend, her brother and my brother. I was always trying to "draw them into the story." It must have worked because, to this day, they still remember how much my stories frightened them.

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    1. Patricia, yes, I too recall such "play acting" while visiting friends. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. Your essay resonates with me, Velda, because my grandfather was a storyteller like your father. In fact, I believe I owe my love of story as much to his influence as anything else.

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    1. And doesn't that make for wonderful memories? Thanks for joining in on this post.

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  4. Lovely post, Velda. I'm happy to be a storyteller, and I work every day to be a better writer.

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    1. Hi William, Good to hear from another storyteller and writer.

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  5. My father was a storyteller, too, Velda. It sure made growing up fun. And when I was a kid we spent every possible moment outside and making up scenarios to play out. Excellent post, and I loved the excerpt you posted. Sounds like a Must Read.
    Marja McGraw

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    1. Hi Marja, Good to hear from you. Thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy Wolf Song.

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  6. It's great to learn how other writers get the inspiration, learn the joy of writing, then carry through as you've done, Velda. I'll be sharing your thoughts with my writing students. Thanks, John, for bringing us this blog.

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    1. Eileen, thanks so much for your comments. Hope your writing students are inspired by your sharing.

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  7. Excellent post! Well done, enjoyed.

    Madeline

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    1. Thanks, Madeline. I appreciate your comment.

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  8. An interesting blog post, Velda, to be sure! I enjoyed reading about the love of story and how its many entities help writers produce the stories they write from their hearts. Brava! And thanks to John for sharing his blog with you and all of us.

    Alice

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  9. Well done Velda. This was a neat read that I enjoyed quite a bit. Thanks for joining John and thanks for posting John!

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  10. Velda, thanks for your fine post on my blog. It's a pleasure and an honor to host you. And thanks to all of you who have visited and signed the guestbook by commenting!

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  11. Reading about your storyteller lineage was very nice. My mother read to us as children every evening and put the books away when she saw how interested we'd become. We'd immediately pick them up to finish. My love of reading and writing had begun. Thanks for eliciting the memories!

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  12. Velda, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thought they were crazy as a child because they daydreamed so much! Great post.

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