Today we welcome guestblogger, Harlow Coban! Harlow is the author of Life in Death, her debut novel which is now available. A fast-paced murder mystery, Life in Death is the first part of the Kari Marchant series. Read on to find out how to effectively turn your real life stories into captivating fiction!
My story isn’t a warm and fuzzy one.
My father was murdered when I was 12 years of age.
A few years ago, at my uncle’s urging, I looked into what happened to him. The police had suspects, but no one was ever arrested and the case remains unsolved.
I learned a lot about police procedure when I looked into my father’s murder. It was then that I decided to write a novel.
While my murder mystery novella, Life in Death, is not entirely based on what happened to my father, it draws from real life experiences I had with him.
Writing the novel was a cathartic experience for me. What I liked most, and found particularly cleansing, about the experience was my power to spin the story as I saw fit.
We all love, hate, laugh, cry, and everything in between, so we’re never at a loss for stories to tell.
Here’s how you get started writing a novel based on a true story:
- Determine what kind of story you want to write. Talk to family and friends. Look at newspaper articles. I don’t want to be morose, but look at obituaries, too. Take notes. There are stories there.
- Determine the story’s theme: Good/evil, love/hate, birth/death, peace/war, etc. Again, take notes. This may be where the title of your book comes from or maybe not. The title of my book came to me in a dream.
- Construct a compelling plot. I suggest creating a plot outline to start with. I used the “what if” technique to determine what would happen in my chapters. Basically, you ask yourself “what if” this or that happened to your character and expand from there.
- Create dynamic scenes. My advice is something has to happen in “every” chapter or scene.
- Create multi-dimensional characters. Many writers, including yours truly, base their characters on real people and then add nuances to create more complexity and depth. This is one way to go.
- Read, read, read. The more you read, the better writer you’ll become.
- Lastly, start writing. “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.
Truth can be stranger than fiction, but maybe not as entertaining. The key to writing a novel based on a true story is in how you spin the story to make it enjoyable for readers.
About Harlow Coban:
Author Harlow Coban was born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO. She relocated to North Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins.
She shares a birthday with the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. In keeping with his legacy, she is currently working on taking over the world. Harlow’s positive attitude and fresh take on life are her tools and conquest is certain.
She spends her free time writing, dancing, traveling and defending mailboxes from her 16-year-old twins’ driving.
Her debut novel, LIFE IN DEATH (to be published in early 2012), is a murder mystery which pulls from real-life situations from her own family history. She felt compelled to share her story with the world while offering a thrilling, entertaining, and amusing escape for readers.
In keeping with her commitment to improving the lives of children, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in her home state of North Carolina.
She loves to connect with her readers and can be found on Twitter, her Blog or on Facebook.
I’m writing a novel and I have so many questions. It’s based on a true story , but I need some inspiration and help.
Hi Tracy, thanks for connecting with me~the latest issue of THE WRITER (April 2012) has some great tips for fiction writers! Good luck with your writing. I’m here to help~Alice
Hello I need help I am trying to write a story book based on my life from the the day I was conceived until now I don’t know where to start please help me.
Hi Alice
Am writing a true story based on a true story based on a disabled person has equal rights in fact this my true story i have started writing with constantly flowing thoughts, but now am kind of stuck, am having struggles in how to switch topics or even some advise on to better this story. I will really great ful if you can help. I have been try acountless of time to get help for this story.
Hl Alice Osborn
am writing on a true story based on, a disabled person has equal rights, in fact this is my story
i have started with flowing thoughts but now am experiencing problems in adding and changing stories. I love some guidence in how to better this story.
I am trying to write a novel based on the true life story of a woman I met who was in prison, but is now out. She has given me many details. I have tried to write as a novel because of potential legal issues, but then changed to non-fiction. I almost wished I had not agreed to write her story. A literary agent is interested in the story.
Hi Penny,
thanks so much for commenting and great for you for writing that woman’s story! I’m curious: why did you wish you hadn’t agreed to write it?
cheers and visit us again soon! Alice
Hi, I am new to writing novels, although I have a true story I would like to write. I am slightly unsure of how to go about it. For example, can I used the real names for the characters? Or would I have to change the names for confidentiality? Thanks.
Hi Meera, if you’re writing fiction, I’d change all of the names and also change the physical characteristics of your characters so you have more freedom to play and don’t feel to you have to stick to the reality. If you’re writing a memoir, you can change the names or not…
I used to be a dancer, and I met all sorts in interesting people and had many interesting experiences. I want to write them down, i think it would make kind of a funny novel, some of the things that has happened. But I’m not really sure how to go about it and not make it sound trashy or like a boring journal.
Hi Brandy, thanks so much for commenting at my blog–come back and visit often! As far as writing, I suggest you read memoir, fiction, young adult and join a book club. Meet up with other writers to give you support and take writing classes and read book on writing craft–I have many listed here on my website. And most of all, write every day! Get the book Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott–the best writing book ever! Alice:)
hi alice i want to start writting a book of my husbands and my familys life after he was sent to prison, where his attorney paided off the police to send him there and then he got deported out of the us its a very real tragedy that is happening to so many people and im not sure how to go about it could you please give me some advise . the whole legal justice system was involved in the whole case and even a second attorney couldnt get out of it properly without being sucked into the same situation lease help me to get this story out
hi ALICE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOUR TO BUSY I WILL GO ELSEWHERE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIMA
Chere,
thanks for your comments on my website! You sound like you’re ready to tell your story.
If you don’t live in the Triangle area of NC I can help mentor you and get your memoir or novel ready for publication. My mentoring fees are $120/hr for a 60 min session either by email or phone. I edit your work before we connect.
My editing fees are $1200 for 200-250 pages, 60-80,000 words and my fees go up if your book is larger.
Please email me at alice@aliceosborn.com to get a quicker response!
thank you again for your interest,
Alice
thank you for your reply and yes when i get some of it done further i will definently be getting in touch with you just one more thing i have the court transcript and that is 500 pages alone do i include all that in the book
Chere, you would include excerpts from the transcripts, but not the entire transcript–you’d bore your reader! You need to take your transcripts and thoughts and make a cohesive narrative out of them that tells your story and goes from beginning, middle and end. A
Hi
I have been asked for a few years now to wright a book about something that happend to me. i v played a round wrighting in a jurnal know how i want to end the book but not really sher how to start got any tips??
Thank you, Emily, for your comment. I suggest you read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and/or Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg to get you started on your memoir!
I am writing a novel based on my life “true story,real, people, real events” legally can i use real names of people like cops,judges, ect. people of The system? if i have legal documentation to back up what i write am i safe? or can people bring up a cival suit against me? who and what can i “not” put in my book? Thank You
Hi Andy, you can use real names and real people as long as you back it up with documentation. People can only bring a civil suit against you if they can prove their income suffered as a result of readers reading your memoir. My recommendation is to contact a good copyright attorney in your area. Thanks so much for reading my blog! Alice
Hi, I am thinking of writing about a horrendous experience I went through with an ex friend. There is still no absolute conclusion to these events although things have cooled down. Would it be better to write it as a novel yo give it a conclusive end or leave the reader hanging on what might still happen. The person involved has a family building business and I have no doubt it could affect them greatly but if it’s all true can they still sue ?
Hi Jamie-Lee, thanks so much for visiting my blog and asking this great question! Turning true events into fiction is a craft onto itself, meaning you want to take the emotional work and turn it into a plot/situation/characters that your ex friend won’t recognize. To do this you’ll have to change the physical characteristics of your friend and give the novel a conclusive end. Good luck to you!
Hi Alice- As I was researching I came across your site. Great information and advice. Thank You. I am feeling compelled to write a book about the 4+ years I spent with a man who was a narccisist. How he preyed on single women of faith and manipulated us into his lions den. How he masterfully broke me down emotionally, mentally and spiritually. How I got away from him but relived our life together for several years. How I finally had to learn that healing doesn’t come before forgiveness. And now recently just learned he was arrested for murder and possibly the involvement of his sons mother’s death. I believe that once he is finally convicted (Life in prison or Death penalty) it won’t be until then that I will have my stories ending. I am not sure whether to just sit down and write all that I experienced then mold it or try and write chapter by chapter and mold my story into each chapter. I am thinking now that it could be a series of books, because there are many cliff hangers, the verdict that won’t come until 2018. I want it to not only tell my story, but to encourage and empower women all over the world to take a stand, do the difficult things and stand up and firm against this type of abuse that goes unnoticed. It is a Silent Killer because it’s all done in the head. Please advise and know that I appreciate you and your time.
Hi Deanna, thanks so much for writing me here and I appreciate you taking the time to check out my site. Get yourself some how-to books on memoir like Mary Karr’s “The Art of Memoir” and start reading memoirs like Jeannette Walls’ GLASS CASTLE and Mary Karr’s THE LIARS’ CLUB. Your book needs to be a memoir, not a novel based on a true story since what it holds is so valuable. And above all, start writing every day!!
Hi, I am going to write a novel based on my own life story but I wanna ask that the intro or author and also the picture pf author is compulsory or not?
Hi Laiba, thanks so much for reading my post and writing a comment–unless you use a pen name with a novel based on a true story your “real” photo will be on the back of the book and you’ll also introduce the book with your own story and background. Thanks again!~Alice
I need help… I have written down a novel idea containing different life experiences.. Now I have to convert it into a Book… I don’t know how to go about it..
When you are doing a true story how do you put the mysteries of what happen without answers in it especially when you don’t know? Mine involved murder and speculations but no facts. Thanks!
Thank you for your comment, Ruby! With creative nonfiction/memoir, which is a true story told using fictional techniques, you can slowly reveal the mysteries to the reader to create the suspense you need. Check out Jon Krakauer and Erik Larson who write about mysteries/murder/death–all true!
Hello Alice.
I been trying to write a true life story novel of my own life, my childhood abused, my bad marriage,
my divorce, my struggles as single mother. It involves lot abuse and harassments.
I need help to edit to put into better wording. I also need to know how long will it take to publish a book? how much will it cost to get hard cover to get buyers attention? I want to call it a survivor’s self help.
Hi Alice, I want to write a book based on true events and experiences, I also want to remain annoymous. My true life experiences spans over five decades and I can finally put things behind me due to the passing of a close relative. Can you steer me in the right direction please.