To Choose When In History
If you write historical fiction, what era do you choose to place your story? Or is it the time period that chooses you?
History as a backdrop
I dropped my heroes in the throes of the French Revolution, in Paris, the day after Marie-Antoinette’s execution. France is imploding, uprisings are sweeping the provinces, the people of Paris are marching on the Royals’ castles, the guillotine is overworked.
Meanwhile, in London… nothing much is happening, except King George is sick. In fact, all the European monarchies are riveted by the French Revolution and busy maintaining order in their own country.
Historical Figures
Maximilien Robespierre is in my story but I don’t actually have a scene with him. He’s ever present though, my villain’s mentor and hero. Tomorrow stop by Romance & Beyond, I’ll have a full article on Robespierre.
I also show Monsieur Sanson, the Executioner, whose charge is given by royal decree. His father and grand-father were also the Kingdom’s executioner. Except the job changed when the guillotine was adopted as the only death penalty. Before, death for the low classes came in the form of the breaking wheel, beheading by sword for the aristocracy, which usually took at least two blows. With the concepts of equality, liberty and fraternity, death came in one format for all.
Do you include real historical people in your stories? How do you weave them in?
Picture: From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the time turner with Harry and Hermione.
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Healthy Writer: Bulging Discs
As a writer, the only discs I want to bulge are shiny and flat and I want them to bulge with zillions of manuscripts.
As a writer who spends long periods of time sitting at a desk, I unfortunately have to deal with lumbar discs bulging out my spine.
Bulging Disc Causes
When I googled bulging disc causes, I grimaced at the answer I found: aging. I had some age-inapropriate cuss words for the computer screen. Don’t you find that aging has a large back? (Pun… intended 
)
But Laser Spine Institute’s website added these additional causes:
- Severe trauma (like a car accident)
- Improper lifting techniques
- Family history
- Participation in sports
- Smoking (??)
I like to think my bulging disc were caused by my ten years of karate. Sounds better than aging. Whatever the cause, bulging discs are painful.
Treatments Available
My low back pain increased year after year. I spent fortunes on mattresses before knowing about my building discs. I blamed my bed, my pillow, my posture. I complained to my chiropractor and despite several X-Rays, my condition went undiagnosed.
Read MoreHealthy Writer: Interview with Dr. Davis
I’ve shared in past blogs my health progress, how I was able to control my thyroid disease, arthritis, brain fog, and general fatigue. With lab testing and a new way of eating, I’ve been able to get rid of all medication (except for my thyroid), and my inability to lose weight went away. Suddenly, after years of dieting, exercising to no avail, I’ve lost weight without much effort.
I believe my body is getting what it needs in nutrients, and is thankful for the food I don’t consume anymore that were hurtful to me. This morning, I’m thrilled to have on my blog Dr. Brian Davis, D.C., who guided me to a better health. In five months, Dr. Davis resolved health issues that my regular medical doctors have never been able to help in years.
CS: Good morning, Dr. Davis, and thanks so much for accepting to be on my blog.
B.D: Good Morning! Thanks so much, for letting me contribute!
CS: I found you through a book I read last November, Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests Are Normal, by Dr. Datis Kharrazian. A good friend of mine recommended the book and I devoured it in one sitting.
Thyroid problems were only one part of the health problems that brought me to your office. I felt like food had become my enemy; bloating, belly pain, inability to lose weight. I was discouraged, especially since I’d been diligent about my diet and exercise regimen.
I also complained about brain fog. And for writers, brain fog is a curse.
Can you tell us about Dr. Kharrazian’s book and what brought you to offer thyroid health treatments?
B.D: Absolutely, I love talking about this topic!
Dr. Kharrazian’s book was written for individuals who are asking that exact question (why do I have thyroid symptoms when I have normal lab tests?). My wife and I stumbled into both Dr. Kharrazian’s book and his approach because we were finding thyroid problems with so many of our patients. Now, being chiropractors, we would do everything we could to help them through adjusting their spine and helping them with their diet and lifestyle. Despite our best efforts, these patients weren’t improving like we had hoped. And to further complicate this, their doctors would tell them they were “healthy” and that it was their family, busy schedule, or stressful job that was to blame.
Read MoreReady, Set… Go Summer!
Summer starts right after South Carolina’s tennis State Championships. Summer starts the week mixed doubles kicks off. Summer starts with the new season of True Blood.
Sunday, June 9th, is the official first day of my summer.
Ah, summer sundays. We practice tennis later at night, enjoy drinks with friends and go home to watch True Blood. It doesn’t get any better.
The year has markers of new beginnings for me: my birthday in January, the end of tennis spring season, August for back to school, November for a reflective pause before the bustle of the Holidays. Each marker allows me to make time to define where I am in my life and where I’d like to be at the next marker.
I haven’t written my goals religiously despite my best intentions. For the sake of avoiding the negative death traps along my trail of thoughts, I will not rap a wooden ruler on my fingers. Instead, I will focus on my positive accomplishments in the last 6 months.
I finaled in two contests.
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