Today, I am having a quick chat on Helena Schrader’s Historical Fiction Blogpost about why I write Historical fiction. My piece there explains my thinking behind the creation of the Clearwater Mysteries, and how I set out to write characters in a world where being gay was illegal, as, sadly, it still is in many countries around the world.
Dr. Helena P. Schrader is the author of 24 historical fiction and non-fiction works and the winner of more than 53 literary accolades. Click Here.
Current Work in Progress
At long last I am able to read through the first draft of Follow the Van. This has been a work in progress for some time now, thanks to various interruptions, such as putting together ‘1892’, Christmas, a trip to Athens, Covid, trying to find some work, but it’s here at last, draft one. Almost.
I have to write two more chapters to finish things off, but before I can do that, I need to go right back to the start to make sure the story works, everything ties up, the clues are there but not too obvious, and I know what I have to explain at the end. I have already started weeding out stray threads that I put in thinking they would be a good idea, only to find out they didn’t work, or they led nowhere. Once that’s done, I’ll have a clear second draft on which to work, will know exactly what the main story and emotional threads are, and I can start polishing the thing.
The best thing about writing every day is that I get better at first drafts. I often reach the end of one thinking the thing is terrible, then go back and read again, only to think it’s not too bad. I don’t just mean the writing style improves every time, but the storytelling too. I know instinctively when something will work, when to leave out unnecessary observations or details, and how to make every sentence about character development or plot. (Well, not every sentence, as I also like description and atmosphere, but seen/described from the character’s perspective.)
So, that’s where I am today, but I am also on Helena Schrader’s Historical Fiction Blogpost, so please click over and take a look.
