Tag: family-history
-
Behind the Chapter: Who Is Mrs. C. J. Seeley?
One of my favorite parts of writing Countess of Cons was taking the fragments I found in old newspapers, court records, and city directories and figuring out how they fit together into Catherine’s story. Sometimes a single newspaper article gave me the bones of a scene. And sometimes another article came along and complicated everything.…
-
Behind the Chapter: Building a Courtroom Scene from the Historical Record
One of the questions I’m asked most often is: “How do you know what really happened?” Take this 1892 courtroom scene from Countess of Cons. Justice Kersten regarded the woman brought before him—the set of her shoulders too proud for pity, the hands too restless for innocence. Whatever she’d done, she didn’t look like someone…
-
Becoming a Detective: The Research Behind “Countess of Cons”
People often ask how I know what Catherine Seeley was thinking. The truth is, I don’t. That’s one of the greatest challenges—and greatest responsibilities—of writing narrative nonfiction. I can’t invent conversations or emotions simply because they make a better story. Everything has to grow from evidence. Sometimes that evidence comes from a court transcript. Sometimes…
-
Things That Make Me Twitch: Unconfirmed Birthdates
NOTE: I am cross-posting this to my other platforms as the topic may be of interest to all. I am on the very last read of my forthcoming novel, Countess of Cons: The Story of a Gilded Age Grifter. Yes! The last read before I hand it off for one final round with my beta…
-
In Honor of April Fools’ Day… Let’s Play a Dangerous Little Game
It feels only appropriate, given my subject matter, to celebrate April Fools’ Day with a bit of deception. After all, if anyone appreciated a well-executed ruse, it was Catherine, the protagonist of my forthcoming novel, Countess of Cons. She was also my husband’s great-grandmother. Below are five “facts” drawn from her life. Some will sound…
-
When Your Editing Software Loves You… Then Tries to Ruin Your Life
Me vs. ProWritingAid This morning, I made a terrible mistake: I ran two ProWritingAid reports back-to-back. If you’ve never done this, imagine getting a standing ovation and a slap across the face in the same ten seconds. That’s the vibe. I started with the Virtual Beta Reader report for Countess of Cons, which basically sent…
-
From Ancestry Message Board to Arson Files: Uncovering Catherine Seeley’s True Motive
NOTE: This post has also been cross-posted to my genealogy blog, https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.com/ I didn’t set out to write about a con artist. I wasn’t even researching criminals. I was trying to get the facts straight about my husband’s great-grandmother, known in the family as Catherine C. Fitzallen. I was scrolling through an Ancestry message board,…
-
From Family Tree to Novel: The Real Lives Behind My Books
NOTE: I first shared this story over on my genealogy blog, but I wanted to post it here too for those who follow my adventures in writing! On Saturday, October 4, I had the pleasure of being a vendor at Family History Day, sponsored by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. I always enjoy chatting with…
-
Finding Catherine, Finding Connection
On the third day of our writing retreat in Ireland, Lynn Palermo asked us to reflect on the following questions: Think about the connections your story makes possible. What connections brought you to this story? Who are you hoping to connect with through your writing? How do you want that connection to shape the way…
-
From Gilded Age Grifter to Aer Lingus Diva
I’m sitting at Gate 9 at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, waiting to board a 6:05 p.m. plane to Dublin. The seats are filling fast. Uh oh. Does that mean some poor schmuck is going to get wedged between me and my husband? He likes the window. I like the aisle. (Seventy-year-old bladder. Two kids.)…
deborahsholman.com 