Writing & Sore Muscles

Recently I've been spending more time than usual working on the laptop or computer. It's made my back, neck and shoulders ache and caused sore muscles, so I saw an osteopath earlier in the week and yesterday I went swimming. I have another appointment with the osteopath and have made up my mind to swim more often.

At long last the sun is shining so, after dealing with various 'writerly' matters I shall gather vegetables from my garden for lunch, probably turnips and curly kale to have with peas and a vegetable pie and gravy. I will then sow vegetable seeds in a heated propagator, and if I have time begin tidying the greenhouse

Submission to Publisher

This morning I checked and double checked my submissio and ran it through the grammar and spell check on the computer and then submitted it with the hope that the publisher will ask to read the complete novel which begins:


Chapter One

Cassio Castle – South East England

1298



Alice stumbled after the sturdy squire, who guided her from her home in Lovage village to the nearby island fortress, Cassio Castle. After ascending steep stone stairs, they trod the length of a dim corridor. The squire halted. He pointed at a massive oak door which stood ajar. “In there.”

With faltering footsteps Alice stepped across the threshold of a magnificent bedchamber furnished with a huge bed, painted coffers and many other items. She gasped for she had never imagined such luxury. Until now she only knew the two rooms in the thatched cottage she and her large family shared with the livestock they hoped would survive winter’s frozen grip. Here a log fire blazed and a blend of dried lemon balm and lavender, which she was familiar with, scented the air.

Publisher's Questionnaire

This morning I tackled a publisher's lengthy questionnaire. Writing a short biography is not one of my favourite things. Listing the authors and titles of the books for research was easy. Answering the questions about which niche my novel would fill and which are the primary competitive books on the market were difficult.

Tomorrow I have to polish my letter of introduction and the synopsis as well as formatting the first three chapters of the novel, and then I can submit them together with the questionnaire by e-mail.

Hopefully, the publisher will want me to submit the complete novel to consider publication.

Revision, 'Writerly' Activities and Snow

My New Year Resolution was to blog daily. I've broken it.. This weekend was taken up by family. I treasure my time with them so, as the saying goes, I went with the flow, and enjoyed myself.

Today, apart from beginning to revise a novel set in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart, 1702-1714, I began to tackle a backlog of writerly activities. After that I planned to sow seeds in containers which fit into a heated propagator but when I looked out of the window I saw a winter wonderland of snow and ice. Instead of sowing seeds I continued decluttering my house. I'm still going through files full of my short stories, cuttings, letters and other material, keeping some and discarding a lot.

Growing organic food.

I am planning what to grow in my greenhouse and organic garden.

At the moment, in spite of the heavy snow earlier in the year, and the cold weather, I have curly kale, New Zealand spinach, brussel sprouts, winter cabbage, turnips and beetroot greens (which can be cooked like spinach) in the garden; and I have lambs lettuce and radishes in the greenhouse.

Every year I grow something new. Two years ago I planted an expensive disease resistant peach tree but so far it has only produced one delicious peach. This year I am going to grow a dwarf, self-fertile, nectarine that I can grow in the greenhouse and which will crop well. Talk about being optimistic!

Keen gardeners always visualise perfection but rarely achieve it, howevewr if one thing fails something else is sure to be successful. Usually I manage to grow 50 or 60% of my own fruit, herbs and vegetables. I also utilise weeds such as dandelions in various ways.

Finished my novel

I am patting myself on the back because, this morning, I finished tweaking my novel set in Edward IIs reign. Writing this novel has been so intense that I felt exhausted and when back to bed to have a nap.

All that is left before submitting it is applying the spell and grammar check and tweaking the synopsis and my letter of introduction to the publisher I plan to submit it to.

Revision, Writing and Research

Only two more chapters of my novel set in Edward II of England's reign to tweak. Phew! This novel is - to use a cliche - a labour of love.


Writing and researching a novel without any assurance that it will be published requires enthusiasm,dedication and perserverance.

There was a time when I thought I would never be published and am delighted because MuseItUppublishing has published three of my historical novels and will publish a fourth in March. One is set in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart 1702 - 1714, and two are set in the Regency Era, and my fourth also set in Queen Anne's reign will be published in March, 2013.

More about revision.

Lots of things I should have done today. Instead I concentrated on tweaking my novel set in Edward II's reign. When I revised the novel I was also working my way through a vicious infection. It required two lots of antibiotics and left me exhausted. At the time, I though I did a good job of the revision. All I can write is that I made a lot of mistakes. It really isn't worth persisting when really ill.

Historical Research

While tweaking my novel set in Edward II's reign I found a historical inaccuracy. That sent me scuttling to my non fiction books on the era. I also consulted Burke's Peerage and Baronetage which is very helpful. I'm very relieved  to have solved the problem which saved me having to re-write the last third of the novel.

Yesterday my thoughts turned to my organic garden so I went to the garden centre to buy first early seed potatos. I'm also growing micro greens and sprouting beans.  At lunchtime I looked at the home grown vegeables from the freezer with great satisfaction. The beetroot were particularly sweet.

 

Historical Research

Writing, Redecorating, GardeningStill tweaking my novel and can hardly believe it's taking so long. Oh well, when I finish I hope to have an extremely well-written manuscript.

Still tweaking my novel and can hardly believe it's taking so long. Oh well, when I finish I hope to have an extremely well-written manuscript.


Also, the re-decorating and gardening bugs are slowing me downToday, my son put two shelves by my bed. So, when I'm working in my bedroom on the laptop I will have everything within easy reach.

Next week the fireplace in the living room will be removed and the wall replastered and, when the plaster dries, repainted. I have some gorgeous silk cushions embroidered in the Chinese style and intend to choose a pale golden-yellow which matches one of the colours in them for the paint.

Historical Research

I'm really glad I don't have a deadline for my novel set in Edward II's reign.

I was checking something for a friend, another historical novelist, in Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, and read the entry re:letters patent. To my dismay, I realised I had got the facts wrong in my novel.Phew! I am very glad I found out before I finish tweaking the novel and submit it.

Sun at Last and My Novel

It might be only temporary but at long last, here in South East England, there is a yellow orb in the sky! I'm staying at my youngest son and daughter-in-law’s house looking through the large patio windows at the large snow-covered garden at the end of which is a gate giving access to the forest.


So far I've seen a variety of birds and lots of squirrels when I glance up and out from the lap top while tweaking my novel set in the reign of Edward IInd.

It might be only temporary but at long last, here in South East England, there is a yellow orb in the sky! I'm staying at my youngest son and daughter-in-law’s house looking through the large patio windows at the large snow-covered garden at the end of which is a gate giving access to the forest.


So far I've seen a variety of birds and lots of squirrels when I glance up and out from the lap top while tweaking my novel set in the reign of Edward IInd.

Revision and A Change of Scene

I'm one third of the way through my novel set in Edward II's reign and looking forward to researching and writing the sequel.

Due to the snow I haven't been out and about much so I'm more than pleased with my change of scene. I'm spending tonight and tomorrow night with my youngest son and his family. His older son made me laugh, he wants to be an author when he grows up if he can make a living at it.

Cuttings Files + Cutting re:Frescos

As part of decluttering my entire house I have been going through box files in which I have been filing cuttings for yearsonly . I am only keeping ones pertinent to history.  Amongst them I found one I had forgotten about medieval frescoes.

A character in my 'Edward II' novel has built a manor in the early 14th century with all the latest 'mod cons' century and decorated it. Amongst the decorations is a frescoe my imaginary character thinks even the king might envy.

In the medieval era the choice of colours were limited because only natural pigments were available. For example in the great Chamber of Longthorpe Tower three miles from Peterborough red, the same colour as nearby iron deposits predominates, in some of the best frescoes in the country.

Final Check after Revising My Novel

I'm glad I decided to read through my 'Edward II' novel once more. So far I haven't found any historical inaccuracies but I have fund some misplaced commas and a few, a very few typos. I have also exchanged some weak verbs for stronger ones. Hopefully, I will definitely be able to submit it in the ver near future.

Snow versus gardening

Covered with snow the garden looks very pretty, however, by now the curly kale will be too tough to eat.


I can't wait for the snow to go so that I can sow micro greens, lettuce and tomatos, as well as going to buy new potatoes to chit. For the uninitiated chitting potatos means putting them in separate spaces in a warm dark place and waiting for them to sprout before planting them out.

Every year, I grow something new. I'm tossing up between a grape vine, a nectarine or kiwi fruit,

Research

Some time ago my computer crashed. Unfortunately I had not backed up the bibliography for my novel set in the reign of Edward II. I rechecked the research but, to my annoyance, I can't find the source for something concerning Aymer de Valance Earl of Pembroke. It's only a minor detail in the novel, and I'm almost certain the research was correct but nevertheless I would like to double check it. 

Review of False Pretences by Rosemary Morris

F. Way’s review of False Pretences on Amazon




I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot of False Pretences. When reading the novel I felt Annabelle’s overwhelming mission is to find her origins so she tenaciously pursues all clues.

Annabelle puts her life in danger when she runs away from the boarding school where she has lived since the age of five. She is rescued by Roland, who is too much of a gentleman not to help the intriguing young lady.

I particularly relished the suspense of the reciprocal love between Roland and Belle desire, which is thwarted by misunderstanding after misunderstanding which prevents them achieving mutual fulfilment. I wanted the truth to replace the false pretences and for Roland and Belle to overcome each other’s prejudices.

Rosemary Morris’ major and minor characters spring to life. I sympathised with Annabelle and liked Roland, and was particularly amused by the snobbishness of Roland’s grandmother. Apart from this Rosemary’s great attention to every aspect of the Regency era is impressive.

False Pretences is a ripping read and I look forward to reading this author’s next novel.