Category Archives: Writing

SISTER SCRIBES: JANE CABLE ON CONTRADICTIONS AND RABBIT HOLES

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For the first time in my writing life I am going back a couple of centuries. Not just with a glance over my shoulder, but really, properly back. With a good half of the novel taking place in 1815. It’s frightening – and exciting – and it’s requiring a great deal of research.

My research is centred on one family, their homes and their business interests. From that point of view, it should have been easy. Their country estate is in the hands of the National Trust, their town house still exists (albeit as offices) and their mine was one of the richest in Cornwall. What could possibly go wrong?

I knew before I started that nothing existed on the ground to show where the mine buildings once stood. I’ve walked past the field in roughly the right place numerous times, and apart from a few lumps and bumps, which may or may not be indicators, there is nothing there. What I didn’t expect was that the mine itself has almost completely disappeared from the records.

There is a portrait of the owner though, and a copy of it is in St Agnes Museum. It’s labelled as showing Ralph and his mine captain, with the mine in the background. Perfect. Except the original of the same painting in the Royal Cornwall Museum says it’s Ralph’s father, and that the mine is unknown. When I eventually found some corroborating evidence, and given when the artist died, the RCM version is almost certainly right.

This sort of thing has dogged my research. Sources you believe would be credible contradict each other. The National Trust had little to offer, telling me there was some confusion in the records as to which works on the house were completed by Ralph, and which by his son. Other sources claim more precision, but are they right?

My husband thinks this is a good thing, his theory being that if nobody really knows what happened, then no-one will know if I get it wrong. But as far as possible, I want to get it right. And thanks to the wonderful Courtney Collection at the RCM I am making progress. Not only are there some records of the mine (very little of it contemporary, however), but also an article from the 1960s about Truro’s Georgian townhouses. I popped in for an hour or two and stayed all day.

Herein lies the rub. The biggest danger of research isn’t necessarily the inaccuracies, it’s the rabbit holes. Does my story require me to know there were eleven shafts in the mine and their precise locations? I found myself becoming a total bore, pointing out to longsuffering walking friends exactly where they all were and the order they were dug. And how much a share in the mine was worth and how that was calculated. And the ages of the pumping engines. No, no, no. Completely irrelevant.

But all the same, it helped me to paint a picture, and some very useful facts did emerge. Like the mine was closed in 1814. It reopened later, but my novel deals in a very thin slice of time. And actually, the fact it was temporarily abandoned suits my story very well. Now I need to sift and sort through the rest of the information covering many pages in my notebooks, to work out what might be right – and what I actually need.

Oh, and I need to avoid any more rabbit holes and actually get writing.

My Writing Process – Ada Bright

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First, thank you very much to Frost Magazine for inviting me to be here, specifically during this week which is quite a big deal for me!

My name is Ada Bright and I am a writer born, raised, and still living in Southern California.  I make a point of it because I’ve learned that alot about me can be traced to this little factoid. I am laid back about life and stressed about that three pounds I gained in 2017, I don’t own a coat that can withstand temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, foodie menus float my boat, and I am very leary of how you store your dishes considering the fact that I’m ready for the earth to roll and shake beneath my feet at any moment. Also, I’m married to a very cute, blue-eyed guy who gave me no blue-eyed children (0/3), I have a photography following, and my mother lives with me and still does my laundry (but none of this stuff can be blamed on California living).

Today, September 12, Canelo Digital Publishing is releasing a book I wrote with British-born-and-raised Cass Grafton called The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen. It is the first book we’ve written together, but it’s sequel will follow shortly behind – being released in November of this year. The tagline for our first book is “a comedic tale of time-travel and friendship” and honestly, that about sums it up. Cass and I have been friends for nearly two decades and the many varied and often hilarious differences we’ve discovered in how our two cultures have shaped us is as much at the heart of this book as our love for Jane Austen’s novels.

Even as we work on the marketing for these novels (and start outlining a third in the series), I am also working on a romantic mystery set right in the US. This is quite a shift to try to work alone. I realize that what Cass does effortlessly (keep in mind the structure and order of the story throughout) I struggle with. My natural rhythm of writing is to compose a scene in my mind almost entirely, then write it all on the page in one quick lump of words (after that initial rush, I’ll slowly revise everytime I read through it). Therefore, I jump around from scene to scene as the inspiration strikes. Since I don’t have Cass to give me order, I’ve been meticulously writing scenes on sticky notes and moving them around on the floor to figure out the order they need to go in. It’s been fun and overwhelming and a bit of a housekeeping mess, but I think, in my own meandering way, I’ve found a way to thread it all together. 

Writing is like that for me. I write because the words give structure to my mind. I wrote as a child to understand my feelings and my choices. I wrote as a teenager to entertain my peers with “friend fiction” (Yes, that boy at the mall who took your lunch order did fall in love with you immediately! Or, even if he didn’t, I’ll write a story that will make you feel like he did). I write today because I hope that what makes me feel excitement, joy, and love will entertain others as well. 

Thank you again for having me, Frost Magazine! 

 

SISTER SCRIBES GUEST: ALEXA ADAMS ON THE GIFT OF TRUST

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Meet Alexa, a fellow writer and Jane Austen fan who’s become a trusted friend and needs no better introduction than that.

 

For most of my life, I did not have many female friends. As the only child of a woman who prized sincerity above all else, many of the unwritten rules of girlhood were lost on me, and I often said things that offended others, never really understanding why what I perceived as honesty provoked such backlash. I was occasionally bullied, and the lesson I took away from those experiences was not to trust women professing friendship. Apart from a few, lifelong attachments, my friends were always mostly men. As I grew older and got married, this became more isolating. Inevitably, I would find myself at parties grouped together with a bunch of other women, nervously tottering through conversations, struggling to get through the evening without trespassing on those invisible boundaries established so many years ago on the playground.

I was often depressed in my 20s, but I had no idea the lack of a female support group contributed to the problem. I thought my career in sales and marketing was the driving issue. I wanted more purpose and independence, and in a leap of faith I am still amazed my husband supported, I quit my job to write. This was a whim; I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. It was other women writers who showed me my path through their guidance, support, and acceptance.

I truly was shocked by the kindness of the woman writers I met. I didn’t expect it, and it took me a long to time to trust it. I hid for years behind my pen name, using it as an excuse to keep all my authorly interactions online, dreading having to explain to someone I had now known for years that no, Alexa is not my real name, though my middle name is Alexandra, while I simply appropriated Adams from a few notable figures in US history. Perhaps by not acknowledging my real identity earlier in my relationships with these women, I had once again trod on one of those unspoken laws of female friendship?

Cass Grafton, the Sister Scribe who invited me to contribute these thoughts, was one of the first fellow writers whom I revealed my true identity to, and she took it in such stride that it taught me how paranoid I had been behaving. In the few years since, so many of my online relationships have been solidified into real-world friendships. My network of women who I can depend on, confide in, and trust has exploded, and I have a hard time recalling how I ever got by without them. These friendships are the most unexpected gift that writing has bestowed on me, and for them I am immeasurably grateful.

 

Biographical Info:

A devoted reader of Jane Austen since her childhood, Alexa Adams is the author of several Austenesque novels and short stories including Being Mrs. Bennet, Darcy in Wonderland, The Madness of Mr. Darcy, and Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice. Alexa is an American residing in Switzerland with her husband, daughter, and son. She blogs about Austen and Austenesque literature at alexaadams.blogspot.com, is a contributing member of AustenAuthors.net, and a founding member of the Jane Austen Society of Switzerland.

 

My Writing Process – Georgia Hill

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Huge thanks to Jane Cable for inviting me! I write romance – romcoms and historical. I live on the Dorset coast with my two beloved dogs (a sprocker and a delinquent cockapoo puppy) my husband (also beloved but not at all delinquent) and a ghost called Zoe. I love Jane Austen, elephants and Strictly Come Dancing. I’m also a complete museum geek and find inspiration for my writing from the folklore and history of the many places in which I’ve lived.

I’ve worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making up things was what I really wanted to do. I’ve been very happily living in a fictional world ever since.

My writing

I began writing professionally in 2009, have had 6 novels published, a volume of short stories and have also written short stories for magazines. 

My writing process

I used to walk the dogs, then write throughout the day. Nowadays I find being glued to a screen for too long makes my eyes gritty and my shoulders stiff. I’m far more likely to write for an hour, put some washing in, write some more, make a cup of tea – you get the picture. I’m always thinking about the work in progress, so even when I’m not at the keyboard, I’m wondering about my characters. They become very real. There’s a certain amount of promo on social media to fit in too. Luckily I enjoy that.

Planner or ‘pantser’?

I’m a convert to planning – reluctantly! Using Post-its, I brainstorm the story, working backwards from the end listing the main plot points. Those are written up into bullet points as a crib sheet. This guides me through the story and avoids the ‘what was going to happen next?’ issue. However, characters often take on a life of their own and the crib sheet has to be rewritten as it’s scribbled over so much. If I’m writing one of my dual narratives, I have to plan out more carefully and often end up writing a chapter by chapter synopsis to help me keep track. Helps with the edits too.

Word count?

I keep a tally on the crib sheet when writing the very ‘dirty’ first draft. I tend to write that quickly and usually add about 20,000 words during the second draft so I usually know where I’m going.

Structure?

I have the three act structure in mind and occasionally have even been known to apply it! Instinct guides me more.

What’s hard about writing?

I love writing the first draft. It’s very rough and, as I’m not a skilled typist, has lots of strange typos and very little punctuation. I’m strong on dialogue so the first draft is often little more than that – with ADD DETAIL written in lots of places for the second! I love telling myself the story, which is why I’m a reluctant planner – I like to see where the characters are going to take me. Once their story is told, I lose interest and have to force myself to do the next round of edits – that’s when, for me, the hard work begins.

My advice to other writers

Keep abreast of social media, especially Twitter; you can pick up current trends, tips and useful features. Develop a writing community but choose your writing pals wisely and build up trust; they can be your most valued supporters. Read widely and often. Take a notebook absolutely everywhere. Do your research. And develop a very thick skin!

Links

www.georgiahill.co.uk

Facebook georgiahillauthor

Twitter @georgiawrites

Instagram @georgiahill5681

 

My Writing Process – Juliette Quenin

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I was born in France but I travelled and lived in many countries as a child and as a teenager. I always had two certainties in life. One was that I wanted to be a creative, artistic person and the other one was that I wanted to live in London. I have now fulfilled both those dreams so I am a happy person. I have tried my hand at different creative mediums. I studied acting in Paris, I sang Opera for a few years and I have done a cinema school. As such I directed a couple of short films and worked on other fellow students’ short films. But writing has always been a constant passion of mine and since in London (nearly 12 years now), I have dedicated myself to playwriting.

What you have written past and present?

Over a period of 10 years I have written 8 full length plays. The Beauty of the Cactus Flower talks about the difficulties of being a woman in this age and time. Dear Wallis is about a teenager revolting against an abusive alcoholic mother. My play Sugar talks about the strong bond in between a grandmother and a granddaughter and the healing power of baking. 430 King’s Road, An Urban Odyssey tells the story of the punk movement’s birth, narrated as a Greek Tragedy. Little Wing exposes the difficult relationship between two brothers carrying the burden of a past accident. Womb’s talks about the demolition of buildings and key historic buildings in the Soho Conservation area and the impact this has on the local residents. Catsville tackles the problem of animal hoarding and loss. And my last play is still a work in progress, so I won’t be talking about it today.

What are you promoting now?

I have decided to self-produce and direct one of my plays. Little Wing, the story of the two brothers, is going to be on stage at the Jack Studio Theatre in London from the 7th of April till the 18th of April 2020. I have produced and directed short films and readings before, but this is a very different adventure and I am very excited about it. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a new modus operandi: Part time playwright/part time director.

Do you plan or just write?

Years ago, I used to just write. Not anymore. I miss this very spontaneous way of working because it can produce beautiful and poetic writing but I have noticed that in terms of storyline I would get stuck, sometimes finding myself in a cul-de-sac. I wanted to take my writing to the next level, so I started planning. Now, as far as I am concerned, the work is less spontaneous but much more structured and of course playwriting is about structure, structure and more structure.

What about word count?

For me as a playwright, it is more about number of pages. I know that when I hit the 70 pages mark (knowing that a page of dialogue is more or less 1 minute and half on stage) I have a play that is about 1 hour and 30 minutes long, so then I can relax, before starting a new draft.

How do you do your structure?

The play and the subject matter command it really. My plays are rarely about big dramatic situations and twists, so I am not worrying too much about the climax for instance. Of course there is always a climax, but mine tend to be quite subtle. I tend to favor two act plays. They work well for me. I’ve learned through the years that a scene did not need to be of a certain caliber and length, that it’s all about balance and rhythm. I have studied music for many years and I love the idea that my plays are like scores. 

What do you find hard about writing?

Endings! It’s always hard to finish a piece. It’s like a little death and I don’t like that. Also, the time in between two plays is a difficult one for me. I get crippled with doubts, I become a bit crazy. Will I ever be able to put pen on paper again? I have a few coping mechanisms now but it’s still difficult. One thing I don’t have, fingers crossed, is the famous writer’s block.

What do you love about writing?

The craft. It puts me in a zone like nothing else does. Nothing makes me happier than a well-produced page of dialogue. I love this wordsmith business. I fancy myself as a lacemaker, only it’s with words and sentences. Beautifully written pieces can move me to tears (more that the content of the play itself actually). For that reason, I am a big fan of Jean Cocteau, J. M. Barrie,  Edmond Rostand and William Shakespeare for instance. I recently reread Hamlet. Everything, absolutely everything you need to know about plays and playwriting is in there. And if I dare say, everything you need to know about life!

Advice for other writers?

Do the 1%, which is present yourself to the page consistently and preferably at the same time of the day, and the universe will do the 99% left, which is inspiration, willingness and the courage to push forward. Drink lots of water, exercise (I’m not very good at that myself) because sitting hours in front of the computer can be hard on the body. If it’s a first draft, don’t indulge in endless rewriting (that’s a tough one). And don’t give up! My production company is called Five Minutes Before the Miracle (short for Don’t give up five minutes before the miracle!) which is a constant reminder that one needs to be perseverant in life. That’s the key.

 

SISTER SCRIBES: KIRSTEN HESKETH WRITING ON THE RUN

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I’m writing this a service station halfway up the M6 – en route to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where I am singing on Saturday with the Rock Choir. (I know!)

To be fair, this particular writing session was prompted and necessitated by the email I received when I pulled into Sandbach services and turned my phone back on. Had I remembered that my latest Sister Scribe missive was due like now …?

But I got me to thinking about how I love writing out and about. I do a lot of it. Part of this is due to sharing a home with teens and a newly retired husband. I love them all to distraction – but without the luxury of my own dedicated writing lair, distraction is often the operative word. It can be really hard to concentrate on my WIP when the children are on holiday and demanding my attention and hubbie wants to involve me in his plans. Far easier to decamp to a convenient coffee shop and give myself over totally to my project.

Sister Scribes write cafe-style

And what a buzz it is. I love it all – being amongst – but not with – people who demand and expect nothing of me, the background chatter, people watching, coffee and CAKE. Best of all, I find, is writing in a café with other writers. That really is the crème de la crème. For me, this happens most often during the school holidays – not just because it is when I need most to escape – but because so many of my writing buddies are teachers. We have our favourite venue – Coppa Club in Sonning – and our favourite table; the big round one in the corner with ample plugs for everyone. This particular table is in hot demand – and we used to amuse ourselves with elaborate plots for how we might secure it (you could tell what genre we were writing by our suggestions!) Then we worked out we could just book it in advance!

I asked a couple of my fellow writers what they most like about these writing sessions. For writer and poet Becci Fearnley, author of Octopus Medicine, it is all about the support. ‘I would probably get more writing done at home,’ she admits, ‘but discussing my progress, sharing in triumph and failure and even just the quiet company of people who understand you are all very much needed in the life of a writer. Writing can be a lonely business and we all need allies.’ Claire Dyer, author of The Last Day and The Perfect Affair agrees, although for her, the background noise can be an issue. (Note to cafes; sometimes the ‘background’ music can be very insistent). ‘I do enjoy the camaraderie of writing with others,’ she says. ‘There’s something collegiate and nurturing about it – and the coffee and breakfasts are scrummy.’

I think that’s it. Writing in cafes with other writers nourishes body, soul and our creative output. More than once, a brief discussion on something I didn’t even really know I was struggling with has been magically solved by a ‘chance’ comment, a plot hole closed or a character developed. Sometimes we muse that advances are being eroded and waistlines expanded, but – hey – everyone knows that you have to suffer for your art, don’t they?

And today, once skinny latte and a toasted sandwich later, my article is complete, and I am ready to hit the motorway again. I’ll proof it in another service station somewhere south of Glasgow and then hit the road for the final push to Edinburgh.

My Writing Process – Sue Kittow

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I’m Sue Kittow, a Cornish author, freelance journalist, researcher and copywriter, been living in Falmouth for 25 years.

I have written five books on Cornish walks – Discover Cornwall, Walks in the Footsteps of Cornish Writers, Walks in the Footsteps of Poldark, Walks in the Footsteps of Daphne du Maurier and Walks in the Footsteps of Rosamunde Pilcher. I am also writing a novel set in Cornwall but don’t have an agent or publisher for that – yet!

As a freelance journalist I have interviewed many authors including Bill Bryson, Ian Rankin, Lionel Shriver and Rosamunde Pilcher. I have also written for Daily Mail, Cornwall Today, Writers’ Forum, Woman’s Weekly, Classic Boat and many other magazines.

I am currently promoting Walks in the Footsteps of Rosamunde Pilcher, published by Sigma Press August 2019.

Walks books need a lot of research and planning so my writing is quite structured – I write lots of notes for research then incorporate that into the walks as I transcribe them. It’s lovely playing the tape back and listening to the conversations we had, the birds and sea and whatever else going on. When I’m writing fiction it’s very different – I plot a lot and make notes on that but the writing itself is very free – I love the excitement of a first draft. Editing I find much harder.

As these are books on walks, a lot of planning and research goes into each one. My publishers like a geographical spread of walks around Cornwall, so I have to start off with ideas and make sure the walks are all over the county, not just focused on a few areas. Then research them, walk them, take photographs, transcribe them – it’s a lot of work!

My contract stipulates 35-45,000 words but that’s quite a loose guide.

The structure for each chapter is roughly the same so I’m used to it now – Introduction (about author, character, location), The Walk, incorporating more research as relevant, Factbox, Content, Photographs, Summing up.

The hard bit is always the editing, then the proofing and checking the maps. And self belief.

I love the physical part of writing – actually putting the words on the page and then transmitting the idea of the place – capturing the sounds, the sea, the birds, the trees etc, so that the reader can come on this walk with me while they read it.

Advice for other writers – find your voice. Read lots. Be realistic. Study agents and publishers carefully, see what’s happening online but don’t compare yourself to others – social media is full of people sharing their Amazon rankings, reviews etc. For every good review there is a not so good one (don’t read reviews!). Make sure your work is as good as it can be before you send it out – get advice from people you trust and listen to what they say. Good criticism can only improve your work. Persevere. This is a lonely business, so network with other writers. And write because you love it.

 

SISTER SCRIBES: JANE CABLE CATCHES UP WITH TAKE FOUR WRITERS’ LUCY AND ANGELA

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Carrying on with our catch up with last year’s Take Four Writers, today it’s the turn of Lucy Coleman and Angela Petch.

Lucy:

This year has flown by and I can’t believe it’s August already – eight months since the last of Jane Cable’s series: ‘Take Four Writers’. As we all catch up, I suspect the main theme running through our updates will be that there are never enough hours in the day. But a writer’s life is never dull, and we are blessed!

Writing as Lucy Coleman, by the end of 2019 I will have had two new books out this year with Aria Fiction, the second of which is ‘Magic Under the Mistletoe’ due out on 5 September. Set in the hamlet of Porthkerry, near Cardiff, it begins in a snowstorm. It was inspired by the heavy snowfall in December 2017, which turned much of the UK into a winter wonderland.

A new publishing contract with Boldwood Books will see the first of six novels published over the next two years, beginning with the release of ‘A Springtime to Remember’ in December 2019. The story is set in Versailles, a place that is very dear to my heart.

I’ve also recently returned to blogging and my monthly feature ‘The Happiness Factor’ covers tips on motivation and generally surviving the ups and downs of a busy life. Also fun things – interior design tips, home spa pampering, the aesthetics of your workspace if you work from home, and my best buys. A treat doesn’t need to break the bank, but it can lift the spirits.

I don’t ‘endorse’ products, but share things I’ve purchased which make me smile, or have helped me. One of my best buys recently was a back brace I wear when typing, which has taken away my spells of backache!

If you get a moment, do drop by my website https://linnbhalton.co.uk/the-happiness-factor-blog/ and check it out.

Angela:

The Tuscan Secret was published by Bookouture on June 26th, after rigorous editing. At first I panicked at the structural changes suggested. I had written this book originally in 2012 and had to reacquaint myself with the story. But then I settled and began to enjoy the challenge. Today my editor told me it has sold just shy of 10,000. I could never have imagined that figure as a self-published author. (There’s also been a knock-on sales increase of my other books).

This week I sent my first draft to my editor of the second commissioned Tuscan novel, and the editorial roundabout will again whir into action. Hopefully, what I learned from the first round will ease the process.

Downsides:

  • I’m at least half a stone heavier from spending many hours sitting in front of my laptop.
  • I am developing bad posture.
  • My hubby says my head’s in another world half the time. (It is!)

Positives:

  • I’m loving what I’m doing. There was never enough time to concentrate on my writing before. It’s fun to live in a “what-if” world.
  • I have made great new friends in the writing community.
  • I’m gaining self-belief.
  • Far from being escapist, I firmly believe that writing helps me connect more with the world.

We all know that very few authors make a mint. It would be great to have more pennies and pounds in my bank account… but money is not the only measure of happiness. Connecting with readers (even with those who give less than shining reviews) makes all those hours of being hunched over my writing; all those hours of my head feeling it’s going to burst, my eyes squinty and itching — all worth it. Hand on heart.