Mary Peace Finley is the author of western historical fiction for young people. Her award winning Santa Fe Trail trilogy has proven her to be a first rate author. Soaring Eagle (Simon & Schuster, 1993) won the Top Hand Award from the Colorado Author's League and was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award and was included in Best Books for Young Adult Readers Grades 7-12, by Stephen J. Calvert. White Grizzly won the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Publishing Association Award in the Juvenile/Young Adult category, the Colorado Independent Publishers Association Award and the EVVY Book Award. White Grizzly has also been transformed into a play and is included in Ann N. Black’s Reader’s Theatre for Middle School Boys—Investigating the Strange and Mysterious (Teacher Ideas Press, an imprint of Libraries Unlimited, 2008). Her most recent and final book of the trilogy, Meadow Lark won the Colorado Book Award and was a finalist for the WILLA Literary Award. Most recently, Finley was the recipient of an Award of Merit from the Santa Fe Trail Association.
Perhaps a surprising outcome for someone who wanted to be a musician while growing up, “in school, I didn’t like writing and I didn’t like history.” Finley didn’t start writing until the age of thirty-three. She was born and raised on the southeastern Colorado plains, near the site of Bent’s Fort and her books tell the historical fiction based in the land she knows and loves. Her tales of the journey across the Santa Fe Trail capture the hearts of young and old alike.
“I love ‘being’ a kid, experiencing the newness of life, humor, and the
many firsts of life through my young characters, but I didn’t consciously
set out to write for any particular group. My first novel, now turning to dust
in a box somewhere, was a huge adult novel of international intrigue set
on two continents---a much bigger book than I had the experience to write
at that time.”
Her first writing course was a class in writing for children offered by the University of Colorado Continuing Education,
“My focus on stories for middle grade and young adult readers came, I
suppose, because of that first class. The pacing of short novels with short
chapters is second nature to me now. I can’t imagine wanting to write a
long complex adult novel, but who knows? Given the inspiration…?”
Writing historical fiction requires a certain finesse. The idea is to write an entertaining story, while remaining true to the facts in some degree. Incorporating facts with fiction can be a tricky business,
“It’s all about story. Stories are to entertain. History can only be a backdrop
to the fun. Any ‘teaching’ about history must be so integral to the story that
it is undetected. Fascinating historic episodes or tidbits can lure the author
away from the storyline and into months of extra work that eventually will
have to be cut. The trick is to use only those bits of history that work in the
on-going story line.”
The actual writing is only a portion of the work in writing historical fiction.
Research plays a big part, as well. Finley breaks the research down into four types: “Intellectual research”, which consists of primary sources, books, Internet, old songs (anywhere where historical information can be found); “Accidental research”, which is drawing on life experiences and previous knowledge; “Experiential research”, which Finley describes as, “---my favorite! I do what my characters do to learn what they know, and to discover the textures and scents and all the details of their experiences. (This is great fun, and these experiences make great, funny ‘stories about the story’ for audiences later on.)”; and “Synchronistic research”, which is “an openness to that mystical dynamic that happens when you focus intently.” Finley advocates finding what works for each individual writer, rather than trying to follow specific guidelines set by someone else. Writing the Santa Fe Trail trilogy,
“I set for myself strict standards of accuracy for who was where when, for
events, places, geography, cultures, dress, music and more, but I put
words into the mouths of people like William Bent, a person who lived
and died and would be puzzled by what I had him say.”
Her passion for her work leads her to teach writing classes and workshops, do book talks in the local community and beyond, (her book talks have taken her “from Kansas to the Island of Tinian”), and she is a contributor to Writing, Etc…, (published by Ghost Road Press). “The book talks, author talks, writing workshops and classes I give are for all ages. In September I’ll be working with a group of senior citizens to evoke their stories.”
Finley is also a member of the Colorado Author's League, Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Women Writing the West and Western Writers of America, proving that she follows her some of her own advice for new writers,
“Invest in your profession. Take classes, attend workshops, join a
supportive critique group, participate in professional writers’ organizations
and as early as you possibly can go to workshops and conferences
(SCBWI, Chautauqua, and Highlights Founders Workshops). Look into
correspondence courses such as those offered by The Institute of
Children’s Literature. And, if you are serious about becoming a top quality
children’s writer, consider finding the $20,000 to enroll in a low residency
MFA program in writing children’s Literature.”
Other advice for new writers that Finley has to offer:
“Read what you’d like to have written. Learn about the story arc, the three
act structure and plotting. Write as if you are practicing the piano, not as if
you are performing in a concert hall. Dare to make mistakes. Be free to
write beautifully. Learn, even with the beautiful, what to keep. Know the
difference between signification and insignificant action, and eliminate all
insignificant action from your story. Keep only those events or scenes (or
chapters or paragraphs or sentences or phrases or words) that move the
story forward. Understand all characters’ motivations, not only what drives
the protagonist. Above all, be sure that your protagonist is an active main
character, not a reactive main character who is not the prime mover of the
story but rather one who responds or reacts to what happens to him. And
finally, beware of advice. It isn’t “true.” There are exceptions for everything
I’ve suggested.”
Finley is currently working on a new historical novel, based on an actual humorous occurrence that took place in 1886, “The seed for this story has germinated for about thirteen years, I’ve been actively researching for two months and for the past week. I’ve lived day and night with my nine-year-old main character, Raephy. I began writing only four days ago and---can you believe this? I’m half way through! I’ve never written more quickly or had more fun writing!” Most exciting for her and her readers, there may be a Finley novel in store very soon, as well, as she anticipates a contract for a novel that she has been working on for many years. She is not ready to elaborate more on this one right now, but she feels that a signing is very close on this novel that has been many years in the making, and her enthusiasm is high. Finely fans will hold our breath in anticipation as we watch and wait for its arrival on the shelves.
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