Kuráž pro začátečníky

Welcome to the world, Kuráž pro začátečníky, the Czech edition of COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS, out this month from Albatros. Exciting! 

Reflecting on the Fourth of July, Growing Up In a Family of Patriots

Hey, friends,

Excited to share this article I did with PARADE MAGAZINE about patriotism and family bloodlines and why those themes were so important to me in writing my novel, MAYDAY.

Happy Fourth of July!

kh

Author Karen Harrington Reflects on the Fourth of July, Growing Up In a Family of Patriots

Author Karen Harrington Reflects on the Fourth of July, Growing Up In a Family of Patriots The Fourth of July means different things to every American. Some of us remember picnics, fireworks and backyard barbecues as a kid, others see the holiday as a time of reflection of what it means to be an American.Whatever your thoughts on this spec

Celebrating Pat Conroy

Happy Birthday to the wonderful Pat Conroy. We miss you.

I'm celebrating him today because he celebrated so many young writers like me.

Throwback Thursday

The first ARCs of SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY featured a lovely cover. In 2012, my best friend surprised me with a cake, featuring that same cover. 

Happy Thursday!

20 Days of Backstory: Day 20

Hi, friends,

This is the final day of my blog series on MAYDAY backstory. Thank you for following along.  

BACKSTORY FACT 20

In the first draft of the story, I wrote an epilogue from Wayne Kovok as a young man in the military. 

The idea to write a letter was a good one, but I decided to include a letter from Grandpa instead. This just illustrates how stories morph over time. 

Here is the epilogue, unedited. The “seven things” was a once, now deleted thread in the novel in which Grandpa gave Wayne advice. It refers to completing seven things a person can take pride in, not own, but can be photographed. 

To: Sandy Showalter

I heard a song the other day. It included the word bewildering in the lyrics and it made me remember you and that time in my life when I wrote letters I never sent. But hearing that word caused me to pause and pick up a piece of paper and a pen. I haven’t done that since school days. Usually I just type. But I thought you’d want to know that today, I’m checking off one of my seven things. Serving my country. There will be a photograph and when I look at it, I’ll remember everything. 

Sincerely,

Wayne H. Kovok

2nd Lieutenant, United States Air Force

--

20 Days of Backstory: Day 19

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 19

MAYDAY has a playlist. Most of the time, I bounce around and listen to a ton of songs while I'm editing. For MAYDAY, I had a steady playlist, which provided constant inspiration.

"The Soldier and The Oak" by Eliot Park. (This is the song I heard as Grandpa and Wayne drive East to find the flag.)

"Wave on Ole Glory" by Billy Dean. (Just because.)

"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down (When Wayne finds out Grandpa's secret and runs.)

"America" by Imagine Dragons (Watch the video here )

"Til There Was You" by Meredith Willson (The Beatles' version. This is Denny's song.)

"Hero" by Family of the Year (I think Wayne feels this way.)

"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson (Another running song.)

"Learn to Fly" by The Foo Fighters (A must listen after reading the final page. I listened to this hundreds of times as I edited that final chapter.)

20 Days of Backstory: Day 18

Hi, friends,

 In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story.

BACKSTORY FACT 18

- I had a picture of Robert Duvall on my desk while writing the novel. He served as the muse for Wayne's grandfather. I love him! 

Did you know that one of the major charities Mr. Duvall supports is Our Military Kids, whose mission it is to minimize the emotional toll on military children? True story! Check them out and lend your support, too. 

20 Days of Backstory: Day 17

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 17

In a crucial scene, Wayne and his grandfather eat at The Hamburger Store in Jefferson, Texas. This is a real place! The meringue on the pies is epic.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 16

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

BACKSTORY FACT 16

In one scene, a Blue Jay lands on a mouse trap with tragic consequences. That happened in my backyard right before I was getting ready to go to the American Library Association Meeting three years ago. I cried. It was really awful. 

--

Want to know more about my writing process? Check out this interview I did with Kidliterati blogger and author of COUNTING THYME, Melanie Conklin.

20 Days of Backstory: Day 15

Hi, friends,

In the spirit of Wayne Kovok, the fact-loving protagonist of my new novel, MAYDAY, I'm sharing facts about the story. 

MAYDAY is a story about friendship, fathers and sons, and the importance of finding one's voice. 

BACKSTORY FACT 15

During the first round of edits, my editor remarked that she was “obsessed” with the last line of the novel. I wrote that final line early in the drafting process because author John Irving said he often begins a novel by knowing the last line. I challenged myself to do that. I think it worked. 

See Irving's comments on this idea in "Forward Thinking, Writing Backwards."