After the lull I mentioned in my last blog post, I have found my new story. Well, as much as a pantser can know at the beginning of a manuscript.
Two Failed Tries
I’d been thinking about a couple of narratives for a while. The first had to do with my grandfather, Willi, who also is Lilly’s father in ‘Surviving the Fatherland.’ He’s not a super likable character because he entered the war quite willingly and sort of abandoned his daughter (my mother) when he didn’t have to. In 1945, three days after Germany capitulates in Europe, he’s taken prisoner by the Russians and spends the next eight years in captivity.
After I began writing the manuscript, I noticed that I couldn’t get excited about it. The work didn’t flow and it was a chore to sit down and write. I think I’ve figured out why. I don’t particularly like my protagonist because my grandfather was a complicated man. To do this story justice, I’d have to step way back, create some distance and develop a character who isn’t so close to the real man. That’s extremely hard and potentially takes years as I had to do this with my parents in ‘Surviving the Fatherland.’
The second story I considered writing was a somewhat true happening about an ill-fated sailing tour in 1984. Because of a terrible storm, human error and plain naiveté, I almost died on that trip. However, this story did not feel right either. For one, it’s not truly historical and for two, it involves me.
My Next Novel
So, I stumbled across another idea, I’d considered a while ago, but hadn’t had time to explore much. In September 1940, Hitler decided to send ALL German children from infant to age 14 to the country. The Kinderlandverschickung (KLV) or Children’s Evacuation Program was immediately realized and as early as October 1940, the first kids left. Officially, this voluntary program was to keep children safe from bombs, provide adequate instruction through accompanying teachers and assure fun activities, including sports, crafts and games. Unofficially, Hitler had other things in mind.
- He wanted to separate children from the influence of their parents, from youth organizations, and churches.
- He also wanted all-out access to the young minds to bend them to his will, indoctrinate the boys to become Nazi soldiers and the girls to become mothers to bear more Nazi soldiers.
Children’s Evacuation Program in WWII
The KLV was a monumental effort, and in many ways succeeded to keep children away from the ever-increasing bombings by the RAF and other Allies. However, many children did not want to go and were forced. Many parents did not want their children to go and were manipulated through media and outright threatened. Of the millions of children who went (it is estimated that more than 2 million children participated, but exact numbers are unknown), many suffered terribly as evidenced by eyewitness reports.
Bed-wetting, illnesses, lice infestations, cruel teachers and zealous Hitler Youth leaders, who btw were supposed to lead all camps for the 10-14 year-old children, are testament to the problems KLV children experienced. There are many others, including inadequate quarters, nomadic conditions, when kids had to move through four, five and even seven camps, and the lethargic oversight of the KLV organizations. Especially, in the later part of the war, those kids staying in camps in the east, often barely escaped the advancing Eastern front. Some never made it home.
As you can see, the KLV program provides ample ‘breeding ground’ for my next story. I don’t have a title yet, but I have my two protagonists, Hilda (13) and Peter (14), best friends and neighbors.
I will share a few tidbits as I go. For now, I’m having fun.
Happy Easter!