Respect the Writer

Tonight (Wednesday) sees the final installment of the current Line of Duty story. It's been an excellent series and one of its many strengths is that each episode has ended on a gripping cliff-hanger. But, even more commendable, there have been NO irritating "next time...." trailers shoe-horned in before the credits. 

Sadly such restraint is rare on TV these days because the "they" (producers? directors? programme controllers? who?) seem unable to appreciate the power of the cliff-hanger to create tension and anticipation, further amplified by having to wait a week to find out what happens. Not only is the "next time" trailer unnecessary it's detrimental, as it immediately releases the suspense the writer has worked so hard to achieve. 

Please, please, please, whoever you are, learn a few basic lessons about suspense from the master,  Alfred Hitchcock: "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."

And for pity's sake, have some faith! If the writing is good enough, the audience WILL return to watch the next episode. 

Engaging Write Brain

I've been putting the title of this blog and post into full operation over the past few weeks. Having completed one draft of my current novel, the usual has happened. I suddenly decided there was a different, and better, order of the final scenes at the end of the novel.

So it was back to the index cards and pencil to re-jig things. And, recalling my O-level Physics - every action has an equal and opposite reaction - I've then had to deal with the knock-on effects of each of the changes. Phew! Spinning plates doesn't even start to cover it.

But now it's done. Next stop - print out again and read through, red pen in hand!

So while I let things settle in my head before I do that, I thought I'd update the blog.


In January I took part in the SilverWood Books Open Day in Foyles Bookshop, Bristol. Having only 'met' many of the SilverWood authors online, it was good to meet them in the flesh. The talks were very informative and lots of interested members of the public came along to listen and learn.

The SilverWood authors.
The debate's still on as to the correct group term:
a scribble? an anthology? a binding?

Some of us read short passages from our books.

There have been some very nice reviews posted on the internet recently which you can read about on my website here. It's heart warming and exciting to read a good review of a book you've sweated blood and tears to write, so thank you all those who have taken the trouble to read Blood-Tied and share your thoughts. In many ways, to read such enthusiastic reviews helps and encourages the writing of the next novel but it also piles on the pressure to make sure the standard is kept high! Which is good in the long run, I guess...

I've also been busy digging in the online archives for a few more stories for my other blog - familyhistorysecrets. If you haven't had a look-see recently, there's the latest revelations of the black sheep of the family, Edward Henry Coules Colley.

Ah, well - back to the coal face! Which reminds me... I've just discovered a coal miner ancestor in Shropshire I need to investigate...

Chain of thought

commons.wikipedia.org

Today I'm taking part in a Blog Chain, where bloggers post their thoughts on an a particular theme and then provide a link to another blogger who does the same. In this case, the subject is a series of interesting questions for each author to answer on their blog.

1. What am I working on?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. Why do I write what I do?
4. How does my writing process work?

 Thank you to bestselling author, Helen Hollick, for her responses to those questions which she posted as her link to the chain, on 20th January. 

Helen has written The Pendragon Banner Trilogy, about King Arthur and is about to start the fifth in her pirate adventure series about the voyages of Captain Jesamiah Acorne on his ship, the Sea Witch (and if you read her post she'll tell you why that's proving a little difficult at the moment!). Read more about Helen's novels on her website www.helenhollick.net, about life in Devon on her blog  leaningonthegate and much more besides on her excellent blog, ofhistoryandkings.

Now Helen has passed on the baton to me - and here are my answers to those questions!

What am I working on?

As well as writing posts for my familyhistorysecrets blog, I'm currently battling away to finish the final draft of another Esme Quentin novel.

Esme was the protagonist in Blood-Tied and I received so many enthusiastic comments from readers about her as a character, that I decided, after much deliberation to write about her again.

The novel is set on the wild north Devon coast, near where I live. Esme stumbles upon a dying woman at the foot of a cliff and is sucked into the mystery surrounding the death and its connection with the untold story of a 19th century convict, transported to Australia in 1837. 

At the moment I'm making sure everything fits together properly, that all the pieces are in place in the plot, that it flows smoothly and at the right pace, that the characters are doing what they're supposed to... Then I shall get to the tweaking stage, where I concentrate on the words. Non-writers assume this is what you mean when you're revising your work but there's SO much more involved before getting to that point on a novel. I really enjoy the last stage. Perhaps it's because it IS the final stage and it means the book is almost ready!

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

The story of Blood-Tied falls naturally into 'mystery' genre and could also be called crime fiction. And there are other novels out there which fuse genealogy and crime. But although Esme is an investigator of sorts, she's not a professional working on a case. That might put her into the amateur 'cozy' category but I didn't want to write cozies. I wanted to write something different. (Hence my deliberation about whether to write another Esme novel.) In most crime fiction a crime is committed and the story follows the protagonist as they uncover the identity of the perpetrator. My fascination is with the notion of crimes committed years ago and only now impacting on people and events in the present day. So I weave past events, crime and genealogy together to write a story around the repercussions. A snappy sound-bite of what I write would be handy! Suggestions gratefully received....

Why do I write what I do?

I guess because I'm a sucker for an intriguing mystery! I've always liked stories with secrets, especially where the protagonist has to follow a trail to discover the truth. And as the accepted wisdom is to write what you like to read... well, says it all!

How does your writing process work?

I usually start with an idea, often from something I've read about during my family history research, around which I build a web of interconnected links and characters. It's very much like spinning plates when I get up and running! I'm a planner - I think you have to be when writing crime and mystery because everything has to unravel in a controlled manner or the secret risks being revealed too soon. I use old fashioned index cards to plot my way through the story, though, things change regularly and even with the order decided, I can find myself re-writing huge sections if I get a 'better' idea of how things will be worked out. I guess there's no quick and easy way to write a novel, which ever way you do it!

***

Now I hand over the baton to food writer Suzy Bowler.

Suzy Bowler has been a chef for more than 30 years initially in the UK and then for many years on a small island in the Caribbean where supplies were limited and unreliable thus stretching her creativity even further. Now back in the UK and no longer cooking for a living she is sharing her ideas, recipes and experiences (often do to with food!) via her blog and other writing. Suzy’s book “The Leftovers Handbook” was published last year, she has written several magazine articles and also publishes ebooks on Amazon Kindle when she has a good idea.

I came across Suzy's clever book The Leftovers Handbook  in the summer and bought a copy so that those pathetic items of food left brandishing in the fridge might find a new lease of life instead of succumbing to their usual fate of being consigned to the kitchen bin. Try it - it's full of great ideas! And there's lots more to read on her food inspired blog - SuddenLunch.

Over to you, Suzy, for your link in the Blog Chain!

Chain of thought...

WELCOME...

 TO MY LINK IN THE BLOG CHAIN!

Click here to read my post!

Launch into 2014!

It looks like 2014 is going to be a busy year! 

Lots of books to read for Christmas presents. A heap of Daphne du Maurier old favourites, plus two by Virginia Nicholson. Millions Like Us about women's experiences and the Second World War, and Singled Out, on the effect on women's lives after so many men were lost in WW1.

I also had a Kindle for Christmas (I mean, any author who publishes an e-book has to have an e-reader, don't they?) and the novel I've chosen to read first is Helen Hollick's The Kingmaking, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.

I've got my current novel draft to read and revise, so that will keep my nose to the grindstone.

Plus I have lots of family history leads to explore. After the Midwinter Blog Hop on Family History Secrets, I've learnt a little bit more about that black sheep of the family, Edward Colley.

Then, at the end of the month we have SilverWood's Open Day at Foyles in Bristol. I'm looking forward to meeting my fellow SilverWood authors.

And it's only January!

Happy New Year to all of you.

Goal!

Well, I did it! The draft of my next novel which I promised myself I would finish, is tucked away until after the Christmas break, ready for re-reading and revising. I must try not to think about it now so it's fresh when I next take a look...

There's lots to look forward to in the new year but for now, it's time to switch off the old Write Brain and let it freewheel.


Meanwhile I can get into the Christmas mood and catch up with family and friends.

Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New Year!

Here's to an exciting 2014...

NaNoWriMo... Or not

A writer friend (newly cometh to the writing life) asked me if I was an 'Edit As I Go Along' writer, or of the 'Write, Then Edit' camp. I'm definitely the latter. For some writers going over what they've written the day before works for them but for me, it would inhibit me to the point where I'd fret so much about what I'd already written I wouldn't make any progress at all. Get it down then get it edited, is my mantra.

This is one of the ideas behind NaNoWriMo,  - National Novel Writing Month, to the uninitiated - which ends today. Write every day in November and rejoice in what you achieve by the end. Many contributors have posted during the month, fretting or otherwise, about their daily word counts. And well done to all, whatever achieved!

I, meanwhile, I've been engaged in a different version of the NaNoWriMo concept and I've called it LoNoWriMultiMo - Local (my desk) Novel Writing Multiple Months.

Although I didn't give myself the end of November as a deadline, it seemed like a good idea to 'join in' and use the occasion to focus on completing the draft of my current novel before succumbing to the festive season.

So far, I'm holding my own (the evidence of all that hard work must be in the fact that I've done a post since 8th November!) and I dare to hope that by Friday 13th December (unlucky for some!) I'll have reached my goal.