A Salute To Those Who Do Their Research . . .

I've been reading some Historical Fiction recently - Judith Arnopp to be more specific. Next on my reading list is the 'The Kiss of the Concubine' which is an Anne Boleyn story, but the one I've just finished is the 'Intractable Heart', which is the story of Katheryn Parr (you'll be amazed how many different ways you can spell Katheryn/Kathryn/Catherine. Seems Henry VIII was working his way through them all).

I've read other historical fiction authors - Philippa Gregory comes to mind - but out of everything I've read, I've not come across one that tells the story of the 'wife that survived', and I found it really interesting. When people talk about HenryVIII, the mind automatically moves to the tales of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - occasionally Jane Seymour, the mother of Edward VI - as these have always been the more popular stories, but the other three wives are less mentioned, as if the notion of  'yet another new wife' grew tiresome and their stories less worthy. But they're far from that and I do love a bit of history.

One thing I do have to praise these authors for is their dedication to research. All writers need to do their research, regardless of what their working on. If you delved into my recent Google search history, which I don't recommend, you'll randomly find lots of articles on how to slit someone's throat. No, I'm not secretly planning on changing my career to one more gruesome. This occurs in my recent piece, and even through it sounds like a simple enough thing to write about, believe me, it's not when you have to consider the damage involved. And unless you have experience in this kind of thing - which I DON'T - then research is needed.

Writing historical fiction can be a dangerous thing. Everything needs to be spot on and accurate, and you only get a tiny amount of creative licence. Stories told in a modern setting are easier as we already know the mundane stuff needed, but for historical fiction, research is imperative. Having a chambermaid walk into the bathroom to find Henry VIII standing against a porcelain urinal isn't going to work, even if you call it Genuine Tudor Porcelain. It's a nope. Catching a cook stealing some leftover food and heating it in the microwave? Again, nope. I know these are obvious things but you get my point. It's the little details like this that can make or break historical fiction, the details of the Queen's dresses, the specific name for a hat, what they use to ease a headache or treat a wound, and to avoid screaming reviews of inaccuracies from readers, you need to do a copious amount of research.


I write dark fantasy and horror - hence the throat slitting thing. You get a lot more creative leeway with these genres, but you still need to do a lot of research. Many fantasy stories hold a historical element, usually medieval. We get characters riding across the lands on horseback, carrying heavy swords or huge axes that have seen more deaths than the grim reaper. So, travelling characters, what do they eat? How do they cook? What do they use as shelter at night along their way? Their weapons; how were they forged? How do the keep them sharp after slicing numerous heads off? For this we draw on history, and it has to hold some element of realism for the reader to be able to connect, to believe.

I find this historical research interesting, and often do find myself getting carried away, reading much more than is needed. But there is a drawback reading into history, and this is why I say 'History should come with a Spoiler Alert'. You know the end to the book you're reading before you get there. History has told you that. Still, we all enjoy the journey getting there, be it factual or fictional.

So to those who have to do a copious amount of research to keep those annoying inaccuracies away, I salute you. A job well done!

Lore - Rope & Railing . . .

I've recently started listening to a podcast called 'Lore'. It's a series that covers folklore around the world and unexplainable history. Each episode provides a scary story that shows, as they say, the 'dark side of human nature'. Me being me, I quickly become addicted to listening to it and am slowly working my way through past episodes of the entire podcast.

One episode in particular struck me, episode 23 - Rope and Railing. It's one of those tales that doesn't really show the dark side of human nature as much as it does sheer bad luck. It takes place around Smalls Lighthouse on a rocky island off the shores of Prembrokeshire, Wales, UK. The original lighthouse was built between 1775 - 1776, but one grisly episode in 1801 brought about a revision in the whole lighthouse policy.

Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffth made a two-man team who run the lighthouse, ensuring it was lit every night for months at a time. The pair never really got along, and were often seen arguing when they come home to the mainland. The state of their relationship was common knowledge, so it was understandable that when Griffth died in a tragic accident on the island, Howell was concerned it might look like murder. He considered throwing the body in the sea but knew this wouldn't bode well for him, so kept Griffth in their room until the smell of his decompostion got too much. Howell then went about gathering what wood he could, from floorboards to pieces of furniture, and made his colleague a makeshift coffin. He then placed this outside and strung it up to the railing with rope.

He didn't foresee the storm that hit soon after. The waves battered the island, smashing the coffin to pieces, but the body become entangled in the ropes that was supposed to hold it secure, and as the storm abated, Griffth remained hanging from the railings right outside the window. Howell, unable to retrieve the body, had no choice but to spend the next four months alone on the island, watching his colleague decompose outside. When he was finally retrieved from the island, he was a shadow of his former self. He said the way Griffth was hanging from the railing made it look like he was continuously beckoning to him, with his arm swinging in the wind, driving him crazy.

The coastguard said that numerous times within the span of those four months, they rowed out to the island to check the pair were ok, and always saw the figure of one of them standing against the railing, waving to them to let them know all was good, so, satisfied, they turned around and rowed back home. Poor Howell. Talk about bad luck.

After this, the lighthouse policy was changed so that no fewer than three men should be present at all times.

I'm eagerly listening for more interesting tales to come...

Religion in Fantasy . . .

I've just recently finished the first draft of my current piece, Blood for Blood. It's basically the 5th installment in my Dark Fantasy series, The Egaean Archives.

I've struggled with this piece, I won't lie. Hidden sub-plots kept springing up and I think I felt a little over-whelmed at times, like I had bitten off more than I could chew. (What didn't help is that I broke my own rule and wrote and self-published Tunnel half way through this one). But chew I did, and 120,500 words later, it was finished. Again, just the first draft I have to keep reminding myself. I am pleased with it but it's far from perfect.

One charater turned out to be not quite who I expected. He ends up being my main antagonist, and throughout the story, he has changed who he wants to be; an Advisor, a Priest, a Commander in the Royal Guard. He just hasn't been consistant, but as the piece drew to a close, he eventaully made up his mind. He's a Cardinal (still going along the priest line), which is great. The end climax is in a monestary and this now makes perfect sense.

BUT...

What is he a Cardinal of? Religion does feature in my world, but it's only been something I've touched on. In order to flesh out this character, I need to know who he is and what he does, and in order to do that, I need to flesh out my religious system. I already have one historical story set in place which features heavily in two of the other pieces, but it's not enough. So where do I even start? It's like world building from scratch.

I've decided to go along the similiar sort of lines of ancient Greece with many gods, each with their own role to play. I'll have the people aware of these gods, but the majority will only worship one main one. I just need to figure out who these gods are now. A fun way to spend Easter Weekend.

What about you guys? Have you ever had to create a whole new religious system for your piece? How did you go about doing that?

A Black Hole in the Blogoshpere . . .

Hey! It's been a while.

So what's happened since I've been on my hiatus? BIG news currently going round the globe is NASA taking pictures of a huge Black Hole 55 million light years away from Earth. The pictures I've seen online are phenomenal. And do you know what else is phenomenal? The size of that thing. It's estimated to be 6.5 billion - yes, BILLION - times bigger than our sun. Can you imagine that? Can you even comprehend that size? I'm certainly struggling.

6.5 billion...*Shakes head. Can you imagine the affects that would have on us if it were closer? I dread to think. Although one theory has already crossed my mind. That theory goes that it's sucked up all the regular bloggers from 3-4 years ago.

Seriously!!! Where have all you guys gone?

I have a huge long list of blogs that I followed back in the day when I was blogging regularly. I flicked through them the other day and sadly only a tiny percentage of them are still running - and kudos to you guys for keeping it up. There were some real good blogs out there that are now just drifting aimlessly in the blogosphere. Mine, admittedly, is one of them. I guess life gets in the way, better things come along, priorities have to be made. I joined twitter a while ago (in a bid to give up the unhealthy addiction to Facebook, I found myself filling the void with Twitter. Urm...) I follow many authors on there - as well as stalking potential agents - and even though I rarely post, it's a good way to keep up to date.

So why do I feel Twitter is taking over Blogging? The convenience? A way to keep in touch with more people without the need for typing out long-winded blog posts? I don't know. But I sure hope the Blogosphere doesn't get sucked too far into this black hole. I may not blog regularly but I do still dip in and read those that are still up and running.

Does anyone have a lifeline...??

Inspiration de France ...Mont St Michel

It wouldn't surprise many to hear that I went on another cruise not so long ago. It was only a six dayer from Southampton, stopping at Lisbon and Oporto in Portugal, Vigo, Spain, and Cherbourg in France. For those who are unfamiliar with cruising, when you get to ports, you have the choice of either going it alone and exploring where you want, or booking one of the many excursions they offer. We weren't going to book any excursions on this trip, but then I saw that Cherbourg were offering a coach trip down to Mont St Michel in Normandy, France.

As soon as I looked this place up, I knew I couldn't turn this trip down.

I cruised with my mum and aunt but due to the warning of LOTS of steps, they opted out of going so I braved it alone. And I'm so glad I did.

Mont St Michel is an old monastery, still in use, literally built on a rock about half a mile off the coast. They've built a walkway out to it now but before you could only reach it when the tide was out, and even then it was treacherous as it's surrounded by sticky mud. The rock has been inhabited since before the 8th century, however, the main structure of the abbey that we see today wasn't built until the 11th century, and throughout the years has been adapted and altered to the stunning structure we see today.

Tolkien even found inspiration here and based Minas Tirith in Lord of the Rings on Mont St Michel, and you can see why.

Obviously more about Mont St Michel can be read on Wiki but in the meantime, here are a few photos. I loved this place and took so many it was hard to decide which ones to share...

As you approached, it appears like the Disney Castle on the horizon, and yes, I was like a big kid when I saw it...

Ignore the tour guide's fantastic photo bomb...

The shops below are like something out of Harry Potter...

Looking up...

Steps...

Looking up again...

More steps...

Looking down this time...

Looking out across the flats...

The abbey itself perched on the very top...

View to the West where a second rock sits which was apparently a retirement island for aging monks of old. It's now a bird haven...

The abbey again...and my finger

If you look to the very front, you will see monks. There was a service in progress so we couldn't go much further...

Cloisters with medieval seagull..

Other side of the cloisters, still complete with medieval seagull...

Impressive chamber full of pillars. No one knows what it was used for, except as a weight-bearing structure to support the abbey above...

Yep, you guessed it. More steps...

Saying goodbye on the walkway...

The place is amazing, and if you happen to be in Normandy, France - and you're okay with steps - it has to be a must on your list of places to see...

Jousting at Warwick Castle . . .

Can you imagine the look on people's faces when they ask what plans I have for the weekend and tell them I'm going to Warwick Castle to cheer my friend on in a Jousting tournament? Yes, that's right. Jousting! People do that 'double take' thing which does make me chuckle. Jousting was a dead sport, but with the help of the Knights of Middle England, it looks like it may be fighting for a comeback, and my friend and fellow writer, Lucy, is right up there with them. 

Her love of jousting came after she received a Red Letter experience day. She's a horse rider anyway and loves a challenge, and she loved it that much she decided she wanted to train and has been jousting for a good few years now. And we are talking the proper lances, shields and full chain mail and armour here. Proper medieval stuff.

This year, however, was the first time the tournament was allowed to take place in the grounds of Warwick castle. The Knights of Middle England, also based in Warwick, do a lot around the UK and for films/TV (they did the jousting in A Knight's Tale) and have recently started doing events and shows for the castle, so for these amateur jousters to be able to joust with the castle as they're backdrop must have been an exhilarating feeling. And I have to say, it looked absolutely spectacular.

If you write medieval fantasy, the whole day would have been filled with inspiration. But because you missed it, I took a few photos for you instead...

Lady Lucy is on the closest steed in the picture

I believe they named a Pub after this horse - 

The Prancing Pony

 

Does Writing Have To Be A Solitary Business? . . .

My friend and I decided to try something new the other evening - a group writing session. I say 'group' but there were only two of us. We were each armed with our laptops and each prepared for an evening of tapping away. She trundled over to mine where we had tea and munch, played with the cats for a bit and then settled down. We've both written flash fiction in writers' groups but never done serious work on our own WIPs.

I had this idea a while back. I was watching the first episode of Castle (back when it was semi new. I refused to watch it when it first aired in protest for the way they killed Firefly. I couldn't see Nathan Fillion as anyone else and the loss was still too painful then). Anyway, there he was, Rick Castle, a writer battling writer's block. Oh I was right there with him. The frustrations of the block. Anyway, I watched as he stalked the NYPD, chose a target, and wormed his way into a relationship that would forever be known as Caskett. Then came a scene where he sat down at his laptop and wrote.

Now, I'm not sure how scenes like this affect other writers, but I can only liken it to someone watching porn. Oh, just watching Castle tapping those words on the screen got creative things flowing in ways only other writers can know and understand. This got me thinking. What if I was in a room with other people all tapping away on works of fiction? Would this have the same affect as watching someone on the screen? Would it induce inspiration? If we're still talking porn, I imagine most people would say yes, this theory would work, but writing??

Turns out, it's also a yes. It worked just as good as porn, in fact even more productively so. Within a space of an hour both of us had cleared well over 1500 words. I understand many writers out there may clear that easily in that time, but for those who sometimes struggle, just listening to someone else tapping away, seeing the creative cogs turning in their eyes, is enough to get their own creative cogs shifting into motion.

So there you go. I was being both social and productive at the same time. How about that? Turns out writing doesn't always have to be a solitary business. Now, I wonder how Nathan Fillion would feel knowing his writing scene in the first episode has just been compared to pornography. Hmm...