Speaking Out

I just gave what is probably the last speech on a topic that’s been dear to my heart since I began writing historical novels. But that day, I didn’t particularly want to give it.

“The French in America” describes why the French came here in the early 1600s, what they found, and why they stayed for the next 150 years, trying to hold onto their colony and take over North America. But frankly, I was in a foul mood the day I was to deliver this speech for the last time. And, as if anticipating my foul mood, only four people showed up at the library where I was speaking.

Four people! My foul mood could have gotten worse. But my point is, that when I began speaking, my spirits lifted immediately. Unlike many writers, I really enjoy public speaking. And my audience, small as it was, enjoyed hearing new facts and ideas about a place and time they knew little about. It’s always that way with this speech: When I started doing the research for my novel, the research that became the fodder for this speech, I knew very little about Colonial America beyond a few facts. But I learned, and over the last few years, so have my audiences for my speech about the French in Colonial Times.

The moral of the story: People love to learn about history, if it’s presented in an engaging way. Certainly, they enjoy a good historical novel (which I hope mine is), but people also like gathering in one place to hear a good speaker (which I know that I am). People love to learn.

So despite my occasional foul moods, I plan to keep giving speeches on Colonial history. It’s a good way to sell copies of my novel. It’s also a great way to connect with readers, and anyone who knows that history, when it’s thoughtfully presented, can be fascinating.