Tracey Enerson Wood: On Having a Personal Connection to a Setting
In this interview, author Tracey Enerson Wood discusses the process of writing her new historical fiction novel, Katharine, the Wright Sister.
Tracey Enerson Wood loves discovering amazing women whose stories have been lost to history, and bringing them to life for today’s readers. An internationally and USA Today-bestselling author, her most recently released novel, The President’s Wife, tells the tale of Edith Bolling Wilson and her whirlwind romance and marriage to Woodrow Wilson. This fascinating and complex character is sometimes thought of as our first woman U.S. president.
Tracey’s debut novel, The Engineer’s Wife, about the woman who despite tremendous obstacles completed the Brooklyn Bridge. Following that is The War Nurse, the unforgettable story of Julia Stimson and her nurses in WW1 France. All three novels are published by Sourcebooks.
Her co-authored anthology/cookbook Homefront Cooking, American Veterans share Recipes, Wit, and Wisdom, was released by Skyhorse Publishing and all authors’ profits are donated to organizations that support veterans. Life Hacks for Military Spouses is her latest non-fiction release, also an anthology from Skyhorse.
A New Jersey native, she now lives with her family in Florida. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Tracey discusses the process of writing her new historical fiction novel, Katharine, the Wright Sister, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Tracey Enerson Wood
Literary agent: Lucy Cleland, Calligraphy Literary Agency
Book title: Katharine, the Wright Sister
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release date: September 10, 2024
Genre/category: Historical Fiction
Previous titles: The Engineer’s Wife, The War Nurse, The President’s Wife
Elevator pitch: A novel based on the hidden story of the woman behind the invention of the airplane. Katharine’s hard work and sacrifices changed the history of aviation, and likely the world.
What prompted you to write this book?
My passion is finding amazing women in history, whose stories need to be told—stories about women who changed history, but are little known or understood. Katharine Wright Haskell certainly fits that description. She was the backbone of the pioneering Wrights, and without her it’s unlikely that the airplane would have been invented when it was. In addition to the massive changes aviation created worldwide, the accomplishments of the Wrights helped put the allies ahead of the Central Powers of WW1, possibly changing the outcome of the war. Plus, I have a personal connection to the setting of Dayton, Ohio, and with the field of aviation.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
About two and a half years. Something that changed, or rather evolved during research was exploring the complex relationship between Orville and Katharine. The nature of their special bond and how it affected Katharine’s romantic relationships became part of the story arc that I hadn’t expected.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I have to say no surprises because Sourcebooks is a fantastic publisher and is on top of things! Everything went according to schedule. The various teams, from editing to cover and interior design to marketing, worked together seamlessly, and I was always kept in the loop. A good thing, because one of my idiosyncrasies is that I hate surprises!
As far as learning moments, I learned a lot about the science of flight, the history of Dayton, Ohio, and strangely enough, Henry Ford.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This is the first novel I have written in third person and in multiple points of view. It is also the first one that I used both past and present tense. These choices seemed organic to the story. In my first draft, I began in first person, past tense as in my previous novels, because I like the close perspective of my protagonist, and I find present tense somewhat awkward to read and write at times. But this story just wanted to flow another way. When I realized it was the brothers’ own historically documented words about their sister that helped me understand her importance, I stopped fighting Orville and Wilbur’s voices and let them tell the story.
The change to present tense at the end of the story just sort of happened without me planning it. When I read over my draft the next day, I realized why it had happened. It was the moment the story burst from and just made sense.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I always hope my readers learn something about the world and themselves. I hope they both laugh and cry and have some moments of pure escape from their everyday routine.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Be patient. Even though the words may flow fast and furiously at times, good writing takes lots of time. I might compare it to cooking. Writing is more akin to making a slow-cooked stew then a quick stir fry. The flavors and nuances need time to meld into something delicious!
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
