Join we today as I welcome author Wren McCready, who will share how and why we should write what we know. Keep reading and learn how you can download a free short story, too!

Write What you Know

“Write what you know.” You’ve heard that adage, right? Well, I finally took that advice to heart, and after setting my first series in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I set my fourth historical romance, Annie: Runaway Brides of the West - Book 12, in my hometown of Mariposa. As a gold-rush town, Mariposa has a rich history and is the home of Yosemite National Park. Fortunately, after living in Mariposa for over two decades, I was pretty well acquainted with its people and history already.

All of my novels thus far have been set in the 1880s, a period that fascinates me, but a time I know chiefly about from the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. (A childhood staple, and still one of my favorite series today — no wonder I write about the American frontier!) But there are some things I didn’t know about the late 19^th century (and Mrs. Wilder certainly didn’t cover). In Annie, my heroine is a very gently bred lady, and so I had to do mounds of research on social mores and etiquette. Things I learned:

1.    In conversation with people who are not your relations never call your husband by his first name. Instead, refer to him as my “lord,” “husband,” “good man,” or by using his professional title (“Dr. DiMuzio,” “Captain Wentworth,” etc.).

2.    It was considered rude to ask questions about a professional or businessman’s work, lest they feel obliged to “talk shop” in a social situation. In addition, women should never attempt to converse with a man on political or financial subjects.

3.    When meeting someone who provides you a service in the street, say, a milliner or seamstress, you should acknowledge them, lest they think you proud.

4.    If a gentleman who you do not prefer sends you red roses as an indication of his regard, the proper response is to return the favor with yellow carnations.

5.    When shopping for kid gloves, do not try them on. Rather purchase them first, and then, if you do not have a glove-stretcher of your own, ask the shopkeeper to use his to stretch them to the appropriate size.

6.    It was considered vulgar to trim your cap (which all ladies over thirty-five are urged to wear) with purple or deep pink ribbons or flowers.

7.    One should never use the word “stomach” with anyone but your private physician or a close lady friend who is inquiring about your health.

Space constraints forbid me to list more. But I think this, from Florence Hartley’s The Ladies Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness, best sums it up: “…I would lay down the first rule, ‘Do unto others as you would others should do to you.’ True Christian politeness will always be the result of an unselfish regard for the feelings of others, and though you may err in the ceremonious points of etiquette, you will never be impolite.”

About Wren:

  Wren received her degree in English lit. from Oral Roberts University, and has lived in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas. She now resides in a small, gold-rush era town in California's Sierra foothills. At one time, her great-great-grandfather owned the largest cattle ranch in Kansas, and she spent many happy hours with her grandparents at their home in Wichita, listening to tales of prairie life.

  Wren has four children: Charlie, Maggie, Nora, and Jude, and two amazing granddaughters. She also has innumerable cats, most of who seem to know when she's writing, and demand to be pet at the same time. (Seriously, that is happening right now.)

  She likes to quilt, is currently trying to teach herself to knit, and tries to keep things alive in her garden.

Getting to know Wren:

1. What (2 or 3) fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

o  Besides the things listed in my bio, I love collecting vintage clothes — everything from the 40s to the 80s, but my favorite period is early-mid 60s mod.

o  I volunteer with a non-profit called Tier One Tranquility Base that seeks to prevent veteran suicide. Although I was never in the military, I have a huge heart for those men and women who fought to defend our country’s freedoms and suffer as a result.

2. What do you enjoy most about writing?

   I love creating worlds! Looking back at my childhood, I had a huge collection of dolls and stuffed animals who had complex backstories and relationships. I “play” the same way now, just on paper!

 3. What can readers expect from you next?

  I’m super excited about my next project: chronicling the “Mercer Maids,” a group of mail-order brides who were recruited by Asa Mercer to travel from the East Coast to Washington to meet their future husbands. I’m taking a lot of historical liberties, but I love that I can breathe life into these brave ladies’ stories.

You can connect with me on-line below

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075876864170

Instagram: www.instagram.com/wrenmccready/

Pintrest: www.pinterest.com/wrenmccready/

Or go to my website (where you can also find a link to a FREE short story): https://www.wrenmccreadyauthor.com/