How I'm Conquering Both Fiction and Nonfiction - Melina Druga

Hi everyone!

Today we have a guest: Melina Druga, an amazing author that will share with us how in 2019 she conquers both fiction and nonfiction!

Please stay tuned till the end to see her books and more info about her!

Fiction and nonfiction are two completely different beasts. In 2019, I will be slaying both.

I will be publishing my next nonfiction book, tentatively titled Murder and Mayhem in the 1910s, and my first published novel, Angel of Mercy. That wasn’t, however, always the plan. Fiction – historical fiction to be precise – has been a love of mine since I was in fourth grade. That’s when I wrote my first “novel”. It was about two sisters in an 1810s canal town, and while it was mostly dialogue, it did spark in me the creation of many more novels and an even deeper love of bringing the past to life. My only goal for decades was to become a published novelist.

So what happened? This brings me back to the fact that fiction and nonfiction are two completely different beasts.

While fiction is where my passions lie, nonfiction is simply easier to write. I can write nonfiction very effortlessly and quickly. With nonfiction, I only need to be concerned with the quality of my information and how to make the manuscript interesting. With fiction, there are more ways for authors lose their way. Are the characters realistic? How about the dialogue? Does the plot make sense? Is it exciting and interesting enough?

There also is some vanity and a whole lot of fear that goes into the process as well. I read some advice recently on the business of book publishing. The expert said that it is possible for an author to love his or her story and characters to the point that it’s a detriment, that the more the author cares, the longer it takes a novel to reach its final draft. I see a bit of myself in that statement. Angel of Mercy has been rolling around in my mind for nearly a decade, as have sequels and prequels, but making that next step has been almost paralyzing.

It doesn’t help matters that I have had my nonfiction praised while my experience with beta readers left much to be desired. Almost all the fiction writing advice you’ll ever read says that beta readers are a must. What the advice doesn’t tell you is how to find reliable readers. I, thankfully, have others in my life that I could turn to help in the revision process, because all the beta readers failed to follow through with what they promised.

I am frightened, as many authors are, by negative reviews, but I also realize that in order to follow my dream, I must take this huge leap of faith and get my work published.

Since fiction and nonfiction are different, my planning process varies considerably.

For nonfiction, my writing process goes like this: I get an idea, research it, organize the information I have found into chapters and sections and begin writing.

For fiction, my writing process includes copious notes. I write character bios, detailed outlines and do extensive research before writing.

Both go through several rounds of revisions.

Melina Druga is an author, freelance journalist, and history enthusiast. Her focus is on the period 1890-1920 with a particular interest in WW1 and how the war changed the lives of ordinary people. In addition to her books, Melina blogs mostly about history on her website with the goal of educating those who know little or nothing about the topic.