My grandmother’s second wedding was in October of 1977 when she was seventy-five. Unfortunately, my husband and I were students living in Vancouver at the time with insufficient funds to afford plane tickets for the big event. We sent a telegram with our congratulations in advance – the custom in those days for guests who could not attend – then telephoned my parents’ home at the time when the reception was scheduled in order to talk to the bride and groom.
Imagine us hearing the stunning news that my grandmother had died of a massive heart attack on the way to the church!
Reeling with shock, Ian and I went for a long walk before deciding that I would fly to Toronto that night on the red-eye flight to be with my family, attend my grandmother’s funeral, help deal with condolences and pick up the pieces. Over the years, I’ve come to think of her death with gratitude for how happy she was when it occurred. And I always thought it would make an amazing ending for a story.
However, writers are not always masters of their stories. In my case, it was my son’s friend Ashley, who made the difference. She agreed to read the first draft of Unravelled. She was an ideal reader, an English major and a woman of twenty-five who could give me insights into whether younger women would enjoy the story while at the same time providing useful editorial feedback. Ashley hated the ending.
I still remember her comments, written in large, underlined capital letters “YOU CAN’T LET HER DIE!!! IT’S TOTALLY UNSATISFYING.”
Well, the rest, as they say, is history! Unravelled does not end with a death. Instead it ends with hope. I won’t say anything more in case you decide to give it a try.
DON’T MISS OTHER POSTS ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION. FOLLOW A WRITER OF HISTORY (using the widget on the left sidebar)
M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.
11 Responses
Unravelled is a wonderful story. You have made it all the more interesting by sharing this personal history. Thanks!
Many thanks, Patricia.
I haven’t read Unravelled yet, but I think you could have ended it with a death. In real life, that was stunning, in the most literal way. Our books don’t always have to tie up in a bow – or even loose ribbons. Sometimes, the wrapping is ripped right off our souls.
I haven’t read Unravelled yet but I think you could have ended the book with a death. In real life, that death was stunning, in the most literal sense of the word. Our books don’t always have to end with a bow – or even loose ribbons. Sometimes , the wrapping is ripped right off our souls.
Perhaps I’ll write a sequel!!
Great Post. And readers don’t want you to kill off any animals either!
Hadn’t thought of that, Katherine. Best wishes for your writing.
Wow! What a story in real life. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. And less satisfying as plot. But what a shame to change the history, which brought tears to my eyes.
Exploring their past was such a satisfying experience … many thanks, Theresa.
This is an interesting story, love the pic!
Many thanks, Claire. Glad you stopped by.