By Vickie Carroll
Writing is hard work,
frustrating, and wonderful, but writing about Southern characters, towns, and
attitudes can be challenging. I prefer to set my books in Southern locations
because that is what I know best. I know the customs, history, and the secret
codes. But a good writer must appeal to a broader audience. There is a constant
struggle to explain the meaning of some words and phrases in such a way that
all readers can understand the message. Did I mention that writing is
challenging? Every region has its special “flavor” and those things which
identity it as a place in a certain area of the country or world. Writers must
bring out an area’s “flavors” while making sure the reader “gets it” even if
they are not from the area highlighted in our books.
My challenge was (and
is) to “take the South out of my mouth” and write for the reader who wants a
good story and who can also appreciate the special character of an area. I
wanted to set my current book, a murder mystery, in Missoula, Montana, a place
I had spent time and felt comfortable writing about. Three chapters into the
book I ran into a problem. My two main characters were acting like Southern
women. Try as I might to keep them in Montana, they brought me back to the
South. Sometimes a writer must listen to the characters.
The story should
transcend the geography. The location should add to the story, not overshadow
it. In my work in progress I try to pull back the curtain and show the reader
how “bless your heart” can mean several things. If you are not from the South
how would you know it might mean a sincere, “I feel for you” or perhaps more
often mean, “you can’t help being dumb as dirt can you?” Southerners can intuit
the meaning based upon the two characters who are interacting in the story.
Someone not familiar with these regional “sayings” might be temporarily lost
and taken out of the story. This is a writing sin.
Southerners are known
for their manners. But like everything Southern, there are hidden meanings
behind our manners code. We can smile on the outside while plotting your demise
on the inside. A friend from New York once told me that women from the South
terrified him because they could offer you a cupcake with one hand while
pulling a knife with the other. He once remarked Southerners had rules no one
else could decipher. I tried for ten years to explain Southern-ness to him with
little success. I hadn’t thought such differences were that important—until
they were. While in San Francisco on vacation my friend tried to strike a deal
with the salesman to get a discount on expensive Italian leather shoes if he
bought multiple pairs. I was mortified. On the same trip he asked me how much
money I earned. For him this was an innocent question but for me it rang a
warning bell that we may have more important core value differences. This
turned out to be true. In my family’s Southern rule book, it is considered rude
to discuss money outside of the family. You won’t find a Southerner dickering
over prices in a retail store.
If our language and
rules were not challenging enough for outsiders to understand, our food choices
add another layer of difficulty for our stories—our love of grits, cornbread,
and iced tea must be explained. I admit I love all three though grits and
cornbread have gone by the wayside as I have gotten older and more concerned
with my waistline. However, if you come to my house and don’t find iced tea in
my refrigerator you will know I am dead. Winter or summer, you will find a
half-gallon pitcher of tea in my refrigerator. How do I explain this to a
non-Southerner who thinks “pop” is the required drink with lunch?
A good story should
transcend the odd phrases and food choices and I know I must write outside my
comfort zone, but I love writing about the South and sharing that love with
others. My only fear is that I can’t do it justice. But I’ll try, and if you
want a little tea and sympathy, come to my house and tell me your story. I
promise I won’t put the conversation in a book or say, “bless your
heart”—maybe.
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