Reading books as a child started me on a lifetime love affair with stories. My father and I would go to estate sales and look for books. We crawled under tables and pulled books out of drawers to put in a carton sold to us for a dollar or five at the most. My father was interested in history. I read anything I could hold in my hands. I had not yet decided what I liked to read. As I began choosing books and authors, I found I was branching way out of my rural Southern roots to learn from my reading. I realized I was looking for stories that could leave me thinking about the characters long after I finished the book. I wanted to know who they were and why they did what they did. Now that I am writing historical novels, my goal is to create my characters the way I like to read.
Tag Archives: storytelling
Leara’s Lore #18: Where Do Writers Write?
To have a place to write is part of the writing process and takes consideration. My
writing place was not chosen haphazardly. I thought long and hard when I was
beginning to write as to where I could write. I tried many different scenarios. Ultimately, I
discovered that I could write just about anywhere I have a surface, a window, and time.
Leara’s Lore #17: Why There Are Book Clubs
The December meeting of the book club I attend is the one meeting when the women really dress up. There is the Christmas sweater bought in travels to Germany, a swanky scarf gotten at a local fair, a dress held for special occasions, and a red jacket with a Christmas wreath pen attached to the lapel. The hostess decorates every corner of the house with wreaths, angels, and even Christmas plates in the dining room breakfront. A collection of nutcrackers guards the stairs leading up to the bedrooms from the front door.
Leara’s Lore #16: Storytelling
Storytelling is central to why I write. My father told me stories as a child. He would ask for me to choose something in the room and then he would make up a story about that object. To test his abilities, I once chose a speck on the tile floor. I heard a story about how the mark got there and why it was important for the mark to stay as a way of remembering what happened on that day. Though I can’t remember the details of the story, I remember the message and the enjoyment of hearing my father share his creativity. He was my first storyteller.
Leara Rhodes 