So I'm Writing a Novel

I’ve had this idea to write a book for most of my adult life. I knew what I wanted the topic to be, but I didn’t actually put pen to paper until a few months ago. From the get go, I knew the novel was going to be loosely based on my Grandma’s life, starting with her fateful meeting with my Grandpa in the 60s. The two were on the same ship sailing across the Atlantic from New York to Germany. He was a Major, she was a teacher moving to Stuttgart to work at a school on an Army base. The story is the stuff of fairytales. A story I grew up hearing every time we went over there for dinner. A story I continue to ask about on every occasion possible, because every time my grandma tells it, she sprinkles in a new detail. She is 87 years old, and can still recount every moment from those first few weeks with my grandpa like they were yesterday.

As someone who’s favorite genre of literature is Historic Fiction, I knew I had a best seller on my hands. I just didn’t know how to approach it for the longest time. What I realized is that writing a book so different from your own reality is really hard. Despite my best efforts, I’ve never fallen madly in love with an older man (I hope 2025 is the year). I don’t know what it was like to exist as a young woman the 1960s. And writing a book entirely from a perspective that was nothing like my own wasn’t working. So I had this idea. What if I wrote a book that followed the plot line of my grandparents love story, but I am my grandma. My grandma is me. She has my mannerisms, my friends, my dreams, my ideals. And instead of my grandma marrying my grandpa and having my mom, she sets out on a self discovery journey much like the one I’ve been on for nearly a decade.

This idea completely altered the way I looked at this book. It’s no longer going to be a whimsical story about falling in love in the era of typewriters and pantyhose. It’s going to be a story of female friendship and self discovery. And of course, falling in love. Manifesting! I don’t want to give too much away in the hopes that this book comes to fruition and you all can read it one day. But I feel a lot of clarity around the book, and that feels really good.

Stephen King one said “the scariest moment is always just before you start” and that couldn’t be more true. The crazy thing about writing a book is that you just sit down one day and start writing it. Creating structure and learning what processes work for me had been interesting. I am dedicating Fridays to writing my book and Sundays to writing my newsletter. I feel most inspired in the reading room of the New York Public Library.

Grandma and I have FaceTimed twice to deep dive into the more nitty gritty of her life. I want the facts of the book to be historically accurate, so we’re talking about what clothes she would’ve been wearing, what she would’ve been ordering for dinner, what car she drove, what song they’d be dancing to on a date. I’m also doing a lot of research on my own. I’m hoping to tap into Army archives and find photos of the ship they took. I’m researching what life in New York in the 1960s would’ve been like. I’m digging through old family albums in search of photos that give little glimpses into their life. The book is equal parts research project, autobiography, and tribute.

To anyone still reading this, if you’ve written a novel or have any insights into the publishing industry, please reach out. Wisdom and encouragement is highly encouraged right now.

Xo,

Claudia