From Field Notes to Fiction: Turning Military Experience into Storytelling Gold

Every veteran has a story. Some are heroic, others heartbreaking—but all are worth telling. Whether you’re writing a novel, a short story, or creative nonfiction, your military experience gives you a unique lens through which to explore universal themes like courage, sacrifice, and resilience. But how do you turn those raw memories into compelling prose?

This week, we’ll help you bridge the gap between real-life service and unforgettable storytelling.

1. Start with the Truth

Before crafting fiction, jot down true stories or events that stand out—combat missions, boot camp memories, emotional reunions, or even humorous mishaps. These are your "field notes." Authentic details provide emotional weight and credibility, even if you later fictionalize them.

💡 Tip: Carry a pocket journal or use your phone to capture memory sparks when they come.

2. Identify the Emotional Core

What emotion drove the moment? Fear? Brotherhood? Grief? Focus on that feeling and build the story around it. The military is full of emotion hidden beneath professionalism—and that tension makes for powerful drama.

3. Create Composite Characters

You don’t have to name names. Combine elements of different real people into fictional characters. This allows freedom and protects privacy while preserving authenticity.

🎖️ Example: A hard-nosed drill sergeant who secretly writes poetry can be a memorable character drawn from multiple real-life inspirations.

4. Build a Narrative Arc

True stories don’t always follow a satisfying structure. Your job as a storyteller is to shape events into a clear beginning, middle, and end. Even loosely connected vignettes need momentum.

📘 Read: Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried to see how memoir and fiction blend into thematic storytelling.

5. Use All Five Senses

Let readers feel the weight of the rucksack, hear the rattle of the Humvee, smell the diesel fumes. Specific, concrete details bring your world to life.

6. Decide: Fiction or Nonfiction?

Creative Nonfiction: Stick to true events but write them like a novel—with scene, dialogue, and description.
Fiction: Let your imagination run, using real events as a jumping-off point.

Both have value. Choose what feels truest to your voice and your mission.

7. Join a Community

You're not alone. Many MWSA members have made this journey from service member to storyteller. Our Beta Reader Program and award-winning authors can help you hone your craft and find your audience.

Final Word

Your service was unique. Your story should be, too. Writing can heal, inspire, and preserve a legacy. So dust off those field notes—and start turning them into storytelling gold.

Mastering the Semicolon: A Guide to Correct Usage

The semicolon (;) is one of the most misunderstood punctuation marks in the English language. It sits somewhere between a comma and a period—stronger than the former but not quite as final as the latter. When used correctly, semicolons can add clarity, rhythm, and sophistication to your writing. Here’s a simple guide to help you use them properly.

1. To Join Two Closely Related Independent Clauses

A semicolon can link two independent clauses (complete sentences) that are closely related in thought but not joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as and, but, or so).

Example:

  • The meeting was canceled; no one showed up.

In this case, both sides of the semicolon could stand as full sentences, but the semicolon shows a stronger connection between the two ideas than a period would.

2. Before Conjunctive Adverbs or Transitional Phrases

When using words like however, therefore, meanwhile, or for example to link two independent clauses, a semicolon should come before the transition, and a comma should follow it.

Example:

  • She didn’t see the stop sign; therefore, she ran right through the intersection.

This helps the reader pause just enough to understand that what comes next builds on what came before.

3. To Separate Items in a Complex List

When the items in a list already contain commas, using semicolons can prevent confusion by clearly separating the items.

Example:

  • The speakers at the conference included Dr. Anne Moore, a physicist from MIT; John Taylor, a tech entrepreneur from Seattle; and Maria Sanchez, a journalist from Madrid.

Without semicolons, this sentence would be difficult to untangle.

What Not to Do with a Semicolon

  • Don’t use a semicolon to join a dependent clause to an independent clause.
    ❌ Because it was raining; we stayed inside.
    ✅ Because it was raining, we stayed inside.

  • Don’t use a semicolon in place of a colon to introduce a list.
    ❌ Bring the following:; a flashlight, a map, and a jacket.
    ✅ Bring the following: a flashlight, a map, and a jacket.

Final Thoughts

Think of the semicolon as a tool for connection and clarity. It allows you to show relationships between ideas with precision and elegance. While not always necessary, a well-placed semicolon can elevate your writing and make complex thoughts easier to follow. Use it wisely, and your prose will be all the stronger for it.

What Is a Comma Splice—and Should You Ever Use One?

A comma splice occurs when two complete sentences are joined only by a comma—without the right conjunction or punctuation. It’s a common writing mistake that can confuse readers or make your writing feel unpolished.

Example of a comma splice:
I love to write, it's my favorite hobby.
This sentence includes two independent clauses (complete thoughts) joined incorrectly by a comma.

How to Fix a Comma Splice

Here are three simple ways to correct a comma splice:

  1. Use a period:
    I love to write. It’s my favorite hobby.

  2. Use a semicolon:
    I love to write; it’s my favorite hobby.

  3. Use a coordinating conjunction (like and, but, or so):
    I love to write, and it’s my favorite hobby.

Are Comma Splices Ever Acceptable?

In most cases—especially in formal, academic, or professional writing—comma splices are considered errors. Editors and publishers usually expect them to be corrected before publication.

However, there are some exceptions in today’s publishing world:

  • Creative writing: Some fiction writers use comma splices intentionally to create a conversational tone or a sense of urgency.

    She ran to the door, she didn’t look back.

  • Dialogue: People often speak in run-ons, so comma splices in dialogue can reflect natural speech patterns.

Even in these cases, the key is to use them sparingly and intentionally. Overusing comma splices—or using them by accident—can make your writing feel sloppy rather than stylish.

Final Tip

Know the rules before you bend them. In most writing, fix comma splices to ensure your ideas are clear and your prose is polished. If you choose to use them creatively, make sure it’s a conscious decision that fits your voice and purpose.

Goodreads Tips for Authors

We recommend this article from Goodreads.

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2898-goodreads-tips-for-authors

Topics covered:

  • Connecting with Readers on Goodreads

  • Info on running a Goodreads Giveaway

  • Getting help from Goodreads

While you’re at it, visit MWSA’s page on Goodreads! You’ll find lists of MWSA authors’ books going back to our 2015 season.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/69843339-military-writers-society-of-america-mwsa


New Year’s Resolutions—MWSA Style

Tis the season to make resolutions about losing weight, exercising more, being a better spouse, family member, friend, etc., and then forgetting about the promises you made to yourself two weeks later. How about trying one or two (or more) of the following resolutions to make your 2025 a brighter and more literature-filled one?

Here are a few suggestions to get you started—­MWSA style. 

  1. Help an author get their book a bit more polished before it’s published by offering feedback via our Beta Reader Program.

  2. Buy an MWSA author’s book at least once this year.

    • Try browsing through our award winners to help you pick something worthwhile: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/award-winners

    • Have someone on your gift list you can’t imagine a present for? Buy them an MWSA author’s book as a gift.

  3. Order a paper copy of an MWSA book. Read it and then donate the copy to your local library to help someone else discover their new favorite author.

  4. Promote a fellow MWSA author’s book.

    • Tell your friends and family

    • Write about it in your author's blog

    • Mention it in your communications with your readers

  5. Write a review and post it on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, or wherever.

    • Although everyone knows that it’s better to give than to receive, giving AND receiving is even better. Use MWSA’s Review Swap Program to GIVE a review for another author’s book and RECEIVE a review of yours.

  6. Reach out to another MWSA author.

    • Post on their author page, social media account, or website

    • Send them an email

    • Go to an MWSA conference and talk to them in person

  7. Recommend an MWSA book to your book club.

  8. Share news about a fellow MWSA author’s success.

  9. Make sure you support your local bookstore.

    • Yes, buying online from Amazon is easier, but the trip to your local bookstore will pay dividends—to the struggling owner and you. You might even talk them into stocking one of your books.

    • Attend another author’s event at the bookstore.

    • Request that the bookstore stock one of your favorite MWSA books. While you’re at it, do the same thing at your local library.

  10. Help a fellow author by reviewing for MWSA.

Security Review of your Publication

Are you writing something that you’d like to have cleared by the Department of Defense or another agency?

Our members report varying levels of support and response from the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review.

https://www.esd.whs.mil/DOPSR/

Ten years ago, when I published my first novel, I asked the Defense Intelligence Agency’s public affairs office if my novel passed muster, but I never got a response. I’m not in jail yet, so I guess it worked. ;-)

What are your experiences? If you’d like to share anything with your fellow MWSA authors, please comment on this page.

A Goodreads Primer by Jim Tritten

Click to visit MWSA’s Goodreads page

Goodreads, often referred to as the Facebook or Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb) for readers and authors, is more than just a platform. It's a vibrant community boasting an impressive user base. With over 150 million members, 200,000 registered authors, and a staggering 3.5 billion books on file, it's clear that Goodreads is the go-to platform for readers and book recommendations. Let’s delve into why you should consider joining this thriving community.

Goodreads offers a unique opportunity for authors to connect with their readers on a deeper level. Imagine your book, like the 2024’s most popular book, The Women, being reviewed by a whopping 361,609 readers, who have collectively posted 44,801 reviews, giving it an impressive overall score of 4.66 out of 5.0. These reviews are not just numbers; they are your readers' voices, shaping your work's perception.[i]

This should signal to us that a large audience of users of this database routinely access book listings and express their opinions. Participation is also a straightforward way to keep track of what you have read in the past, much like you can do with movies on IMDb. The more books you enter that you want to, are, or have read, the better the software can recommend books for you to read based on your preferences. Amazon.com does the same thing based on your purchases and browsing history.

As an author, you can post an author profile with links to any work for sale on Amazon.com and attract fans and followers for you and your books. Goodreads will automatically import any book from Amazon.com that lists you as a contributor. A posting of your books affords you the prospect of adding an enticing description that might convince someone to purchase your work (helpful links to sites are included). It also allows you to introduce searchable metadata on your book by readers looking for various subjects and keywords. When readers have read one of your books, they click on a link to your author page and follow you. You can see what friends are reading and how they rank any book. Private messaging and group discussions are allowed between members of groups and friends.

As a publisher, and anyone that is an indie or self-publisher this means you, you will undoubtedly want to take advantage of a highly robust and free author page available to anyone Goodreads qualifies as a Goodreads Author. Generally, this is anyone with a published book who is listed as a contributor – thus including chapter authors for anthologies. As a Goodreads Author, you can post your photo, a bio, answers to questions the site or you provide, a video of perhaps you reading a portion of your work, a list with links to your books, a blog, lists of books you are reading, quotes by you, quotes by others that you like, results of polls, and authors that you like. This is in addition to groups you can join, friends you can collect, and announcements of events sent automatically to your friends, like on Facebook. There is a separate page for giveaways. You can enter some data initially, go back, and fill in the rest later. The author’s page alone should be sufficient reason to get involved.

Goodreads, like Amazon.com, now require separate author pages for each name under which you are published.[ii] Amazon.com owns Goodreads, and books listed on Amazon should routinely appear in it. A librarian group helps fix metadata problems. A Goodreads app is available on most smartphones, permitting access from your mobile device.

MWSA has an active Goodreads profile, where we post reviews of books submitted by members for our annual writing contest.[iii] Each awards season, we add books to a “shelf” for that season’s year. For example, here’s a link to our 2024 season page.[iv] As of now, we have posted over 800 of our MWSA authors’ books. We have forty-nine friends and sixty-two followers. In other words, creating your own author page and having MWSA post your book on our awards season page will help generate sales for your book.

Join your fellow members and take advantage of the opportunities afforded by this excellent and free program designed to support writers like you. Visit our page today… and don’t forget to become a friend and follower of MWSA’s Goodreads page!

 [i] https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2024 and https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127305853-the-women

[ii] For example, https://www.goodreads.com/jimtritten contains my more recent publications where I used the pen name Jim Tritten while https://www.goodreads.com/jamestritten generally contains my older and academic publications. There is overlap just as there are on both of my Amazon.com author pages.

[iii] https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/69843339-military-writers-society-of-america-mwsa

[iv] https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/69843339?shelf=2024

Tips for Self Publishing by Janette Stone

Image by Bing Image Creator (see note)

MWSA member Janette Stone gave a presentation on self-publishing at our New London conference.

She graciously offered to share two documents from that presentation with our members.

  • Resources to add to your self-pub toolkit — covers author support groups, editorial services, cover design, formatting, awards, promotion, publishing services, marketing, free resources, and recommendations concerning the dreaded “author platform.”

  • Taking Care of Business — includes tips and resources for editing, cover design, formatting, Bowker, and much more.

Note that the AI we used to generate the image above either had a sense of humor or needed an editor (like all of us writers). SULF Publishing, really? ;-)

Self-Publishing & MWSA

Image from the Forbes website (Anna David MIKE CARANO). Click on image to go to article.

Image from the Forbes website (Anna David MIKE CARANO). Click on image to go to article.

I recently read an article on the Forbes website titled, The Biggest 5 Mistakes When Self-Publishing A Book. It provides an interesting take on the pitfalls of self-publishing--especially mistake #4. I'd have put it more "diplomatically," but the concept still applies. In this short article, I’d like to expand on that 4th “mistake” from my perspective as awards director.

What problems is MWSA seeing with our members’ self-published books?

Between a third and half of books submitted to MWSA each season are self-published or published via very small publishing houses (who may or may not have a full-time editor on staff or contract). Of those books, quite a few end up scoring rather poorly in our evaluations.

In almost every case, the most noteworthy problems are of a technical nature (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc.). We also see glitches in layout--this is especially the case for eBooks. These types of shortfalls can usually be identified and fixed via a round of editing with a pro. But not all self-published or first-time authors are prepared to go that route (financially or emotionally).

What are your options as an MWSA member-author who isn't quite ready to work with a professional editor?

Use MWSA's Beta Reader Program to have someone other than friends and family check your work.

Through our Beta Reader Program (https://www.mwsadispatches.com/beta-readers), full members of MWSA can arrange to have another MWSA member-author go over their work. Most of our members are not editors, but having written books themselves, they probably have a different perspective than your run-of-the-mill beta reader. Also, since they don't know you, you're likely to get the honest feedback your family or friends might not want to share with you.

Run your manuscript through something other than your word processor's spell-checker.

There are several free or low-cost programs out there--Grammarly seems to be one of the most popular. Give them a try and see what works for you.

It's undeniable that self-publishing a book is becoming easier all the time. However, self-publishing a high-quality book still requires work. That's the difficult part, and MWSA would like to help you get there.

John Cathcart
MWSA Awards Director

Comma Wars

CommaWars.jpg

To comma or not to comma, that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The missing punctuation of outrageous run-ons,
Or to take arms against a sea of commas
And by opposing end them.

There’s no question that when it comes to writing, my wife is my fiercest critic, editor-in-chief, and most steadfast supporter. For the past 40-plus years, we’ve agreed on almost every subject—except for commas. Rather than continue our never-ending skirmishes, I thought it was time to do a little research. After a bit of digging, we discovered that we were both right—and wrong. 

Personally, when it comes to comma use, I had always subscribed to the Theory of Supplemental Oxygen. According to this theory, if you run out of breath and require supplemental oxygen at the end of a sentence, you’re probably missing a comma or two. Although probably true, is this a useful theory? Will it keep any writer out of trouble on the Comma Wars battlefield?

Given my personal experience as MWSA Awards Director—and as a writer and occasional Commakaze—I thought we all might benefit from a refresher course.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to offer a short series of excerpts from various Internet sources, outlining eight basic battlefield rules of engagement for the use of commas. Will this be a dull recitation of something we all slept through—I mean learned, during elementary and high school English classes? Maybe.  But perhaps it’s worth pointing out that one could say the same thing about the instructions that came with that new gas grill you bought at Home Depot.  You ignore those boring instructions at your peril.

After finishing these articles, if you don’t end up winning the Comma Wars, maybe you’ll at least be able to arrange a ceasefire.

rule1.jpg

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction—such as: and, but, yet, so, or, nor, for—when it joins two complete thoughts or ideas (independent clauses).

Examples

1. Betsy read the author’s book, and then she filled out her MWSA scoring sheet.

2. Rob can apply the rules of grammar when writing his novel, or he can suffer the consequences when he doesn’t.

3. Jack and Jill went up a hill, but they didn’t come down together.

rule2.jpg

This comma informs your reader that you’ve finished the introductory phrase or clause, and you’re getting around to the sentence’s central theme.

Examples

1. When Nancy got settled at her desk to read her email, her cat decided it was time to play.

2. After suffering through the book’s early chapters, Jim discovered that the book included some worthwhile information.

3. Before she knew what was happening, Carolyn’s cat jumped on the desk and spilled her tea all over the keyboard.

That’s it for this battle in the ongoing Comma Wars.  In our next campaign, we’ll cover comma use…

  • between all items in a series

  • to set off nonrestrictive clauses (is that when Santa isn’t enforcing his naughty-and-nice list?)

If you want to jump ahead or download a comma study guide for personal use, you can do an Internet search for “comma use.”  I’ve found the one offered by Indiana University East very helpful.

https://www.iue.edu/hss/writingcenter/documents/Commas.pdf

John Cathcart
MWSA Awards Director

Want to put song lyrics in your next book?

Click logo for article

Click logo for article

How many times have you listened to a song that brought back pleasant memories or transported you back to a place or time in your own past? If a song can set your own personal scene, maybe it’d be the perfect thing for you to use in your next book to help transport your readers to a particular place and time.

Over the years, MWSA has received several of our members’ books that have incorporated song lyrics to one degree or another. If you’re thinking that all you have to do is attribute the songs to the band that you remember playing the song… you might need to think again.

MWSA doesn’t pretend to be expert enough to provide legal advice to our members, but you might want to read this article (or do your own Google searching) before you take the plunge.

Just click on the image above. If the image doesn’t take you to the website’s blog article, copy and paste this link into your browser:

http://blog.bookbaby.com/2018/11/lyrics-in-books-your-questions-answered/


Saving your Kindle notes and highlights

This short article covers how you can extract all those notes, highlights, bookmarks, etc. you made on your Kindle (or Kindle app or program).  This will be particularly useful for our MWSA reviewers, as it makes it much easier to document the specific location of any errors (or great parts) of a review book.

Although most of the screen shot images below are from a PC, the same general instructions apply to all platforms.  Click on the images to see a larger version.

Figure 1
Click to enlarge

Step 1.  Click on the Notebook icon (the page with 3 horizontal lines). 

  • On a PC, this opens a bar with all your notes and highlights (Figure 1)

    • Click on the notebook icon again to hide all your comments

  • On an iPad, it opens all your notes and highlights on a new page

    • Click on the "X" at the top to return to your book.

  • Both platforms show the word(s) highlighted, any notes you've written, and the location in the e-book.

 

Figure 2

Step 2. Export your notes

Figure 3

  • On a PC, this opens a small dialog box that allows you to "Export Notebook for Entire Book" (Figure 3)

  • On an iPad, you'll be able to chose between "Email" and "Flashcards" (Figure 4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3.  Save & Send notes as html file (format used in emails and websites)

  • Try to save where you can find it later... like on your Desktop on a PC

  • On an iPad, you'll pick a style (None, APA, Chicago, MLA) and then click "Export," which will open an email with the html file attached. 

 

Step 4.  Share, Email, or Copy and Paste your notes where you want/need them! 

Figure 5.

 

See Figure 5 for an example showing what the exported file will look like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to link to your book on Amazon

linktoAmazon.jpg

Every MWSA author submitting a book for inclusion on our website is asked to provide a link (URL) to their book's sales page.  For the vast majority of us, that means a link to Amazon's website. 

But how do you do it?  Are there any "tricks to the trade?"

The easiest way to provide a link to your book is to 1) search for your book on Amazon or Google, and 2) "copy and paste" whatever you find in your web browser's address block. 

However, if you use this method and don't pay attention, the resultant URL can be very—in fact, ridiculously—long. 

Don't believe me... or don't know what in the world I'm talking about?

I just did a Google search for books dealing with PTSD on Amazon.  I've pasted the resulting link to one of the books (not an MWSA one, so I'm not endorsing it) that came up near the top of the search results below:

https://www.amazon.com/Deepest-Well-Long-Term-Childhood-Adversity-ebook/dp/B01N7HZ73B/ref=zg_bs_16311441_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N5YW9P772K6VB868BSS7

If you were the author of the above book, would you want all that gibberish on your website or on a poster or other marketing media?  Of course not.

Here's a cleaner link to that same book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7HZ73B

The key to a "clean" URL linking to your book's sales page on Amazon is the "/dp/" followed by your book's ASIN number.  All the rest of the "junk" added before or after isn't required!

Generally speaking, the "cleanest" version of your book's Amazon link should look like this:

https://amazon.com/dp/[Your book's ASIN]

Note that the "s" in "https://" will be automatically added, as will the "www." in "www.amazon.com".

Here's another, "graduate-level," Amazon URL tip...

If you want, you can add a slash "/" after your ASIN number and add whatever information you'd like. 

Let's say you want to keep track of the various editions/formats of your book—or direct potential readers to a specific version/format of your book.

For example, I could distinguish between the paperback and Kindle versions of my book, Delta 7, like this (yes, this is a shameless plug):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1438243901/paperback

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ B0043GX216/Kindle

Depending upon which version you're highlighting to potential customers/readers, you could use one or the other—and easily keep track of "which was which!"

That wasn't so hard, was it?  :-)

Good luck and here's wishing for massive increases in your book sales from all of us here at MWSA!

 

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