A New Method to Write Novels.

To write my sweet Regency  novel, Tuesday's Child I have changed my method. I have decided how many words I need to write a day in order to finish the first draft, which will be approximately 95,000 words. Previously, before I began to write the next part I would read the previous day's output. Now I continue without revising or editing. Also, instead of simultaneously researching and writing, I am now noting the need to research something in bold. I hope that by changing my method I will complete and submit Tuesday's Child more quickly than I finished and submitted my previous novels. It's a bit scary writing like this but I'm hoping it will be worthwhile.

Apples and Plums

After torrential rain today I ventured out to pick ripe apples and plums from the trees in the garden. The fruit is delicious. The apples crisp and sweet, the plums sweet and juicy. And, for a change, this year there aren't many wasps buzzing around the plums.

'Writerly' Activities and Family

Must confess I've neglected 'writerly' activities. It's still the school holidays so, on Friday, I had the pleasure of three of my grandchildren's company for the day. In the evening my daughter joined us at dinner. I served a vegetarian version of a Boston three bean bake with creamy mashed potatoes and a blackberry and apple pie with cream for dessert. Yesterday, guiltily aware that I had not met my writing target for the previous day I doubled up on the number of words that I usually write. I exceeded the target for Tuesday's Child, my new sweet romantic historical. I then indulged in reading for the rest of the day. Daughter's children are back at my house for the night. They are sleeping like angels. Today, we are going to lunch at our favourite vegetarian restaurant, Sakonis in Harrow.

Writing Target, Cooking, Cook in A Stately Home

This morning I met my writing target earlier than usual. After breakfast I nipped out to get some milk and take some money out of the bank.

After I came home I made 4lbs of redcurrant jelly. (I didn't have time to make it before I went on holiday at the end of July, so I boiled the redcurrants with the correct amount of water, strained it through muslin and put the liquid in the freezer.) Next I made a blackberry and apple pie, after which I made more mango ice-cream - the g...randchildren will really love me this year as its their favourite homemade ice cream. I then made my lunch, a vegetable pie, sweetcorn, potatoes, gravy and home grown runner beans. By the time the kitchen was clean and tidy I needed to put my feet up after I ate.

How did a cook in a stately home cope? Meals for the upper class and dinner parties etc., as well as meals for the servants. No electric gadgets such as food mixers and blenders, no fridges, freezers and dishwashers. Ranges fuelled by wood or coal etc. etc. How on earth did the cook keep going even if she had kitchen staff?

Rainy Day

Yesterday, the weather didn't look too bad but the minute after I hung the washing on the line in the garden it started to rain. I left it on the line overnight. Today the rain poured as though a monsoon had arrived. The laundry's still outside. Unable to finish tidying up the front garden, I made more plum cordial and mango ice cream as well as starting to tidy my office aka the spare bedroom.

Which Are the Correct Classification of my Novels?

I write novels set in times past. I agonise over how to describe them. The hero and heroine are imaginary but they are not 21st century people dressed in costume. The novels  are romances enriched with historical facts and  social history. My hero and heroine's bedroom door is never wide open. So, how should I describe my books? Are the historical novels, historical romances or romantic historicals? And which term is the best to describe them - traditional, sweet or clean? I want to send a clear message to potential readers.

Writing Targets - Cooking - Plum Cordial - Ice Cream - 3 Bean Bake

The weather forecast predicts rain so I shall cook after I finish this morning's writing targets. To start with I'm going to make plum cordial. I shall simmer the bullace, small wild plums with water until they are soft, then strain them through muslin overnight. Tomorrow, I shall bring the liquid to the boil add sugar, stir the cordial until the sugar has dissolved and then bottle it in sterilised bottles. I am also going to make several strawberry ice cream and at least two batches of mango ice cream which I shall freeze. (My ice cream maker is an excellent investment.) Finally I shall make a vegetarian large three bean bake with black eye-beans, cannelloni beans and freshly picked runner beans. I shall add deep fried cubes of paneer, an Indian cheese, which will soak up the flavours of the tomato and spices.

Early Morning Service and Today's Targets

I went to the early morning service this morning. I enjoyed the excellent sermon about appreciating others and thanking them for what they do. After all, what would the premises look like without the unpaid cleaners, the flower arrangers, fund raisers  and others who serve God. I left feeling energised and full of good will. On the way home I stopped at my daughter's house, then socialised wither her and my grandchildren instead of going home and getting on. I have a lot of writing to do if I'm going to meet today's targets. There's also 8 pounds of rather small plums in the fridge to be made into something, 3 cartons of double cream, a large punnet of strawberries and 2 boxes of mangos in the fridge. I plan to make strawberry ice cream and mango ice cream. Then there's the week's laundry to catch up on, and I'm baby child sitting this evening while my daughter goes out. Before I go I should pick the ripe plums from my tree and...and...and. Deep sigh. I doubt that I will accomplish all of today's goals.

Novel Competions

I entered a novel in two competitions and paid extra for the readers' comments. Well you know the saying you can please some of the people all of the time but not all of the people all of the time, it certainly applied to the comments. One reader praised my writing style but didn't like anything else about the novel. He or she couldn't identify with the main characters. Although I won neither competition the other reader really liked it. However, if I had depended on the first writer's opinion I might have given up on the novel.

Good Weather and Home Grown Vegetables

Today the weather in South East England is perfect - sunny with a pleasant breeze After writing for two and a half hours I ate breakfast in the garden. An hour later I picked pounds of runner beans, half of which I gave to a friend.

Before I went on holiday this year I transferred some of the six different varieties of tomatoes I grew from seed into pots. The rest I planted in a space in the front garden. The ones in pots haven't done very well. The outdoor ones have run wild without any care and attention. Today I began to prune them and discovered that the lower part of each plant is loaded with cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, salad tomatoes and a new striped variety. They are looking good pruned and tied them to bamboo canes. I incerely hope they won't be attacked by tomato blight.

The rest of the vegetable patches and the fruit trees are very productive this year. I'm looking forward to delicious apples, pears and plums.

Finding Time for Historical Research

Finding time to research historical facts by reading non-fiction.

Last night my five year old granddaughter had a sleepover at my house. This morning, as a reward for her excellent behaviour for the last month I took her to Gambados, an indoor play area. We were there for two hours. In spite of the loud background music, parents talking and many children having a good time, I got on with my research.

I read and put post it notes with remarks on pages of particular interest. An added bonus were the ideas for the plot and descriptions in my new clean Regency novel, Tuesday's Child.

Very Unwelcome London Visitors

According to my research, in the past, bedbugs were far less prevalent in the country than in the towns.

At the Bell Savage Inn in London, in May, 1782, Parson Woodforde recorded that in 1782, when he stayed at the Bell Savage Inn in London,  "I was terribly bitten by the buggs last night, but did not wake me." In 1786 while staying at the place he wrote that buggs pestered him so much that he slept all night in a chair fully clad.

Moving onto a much later period my great-grandmother stood the legs of her beds in bowls of paraffin to prevent bedbugs getting into the beds, and she swept underneath the beds every day.

And people talk about the good old days.

Horror of horrors, I've heard that in modern times bedbugs brought into the country from overseas have infested some London hotels. The thought of staying in one literally makes my skin crawl.

Research- Regency-Water Closets-Coaches

Today, we take lavatories, toilets, loos - call them what you will - and public conveniences for granted, unless we are 'in the back of beyond'.

While reading A Visitor's Guild to:Jane Austen's England by Sue Wilkes, I made a note of the following. After all, one never knows what will come in useful when writing historical fiction.

"Many people love travelling despite the discomforts, but you'll have to endure some discomforts if travelling far off the beaten track. A writer in 'The Monthly Magazine' advised their readers to ask their coach builder to fit a substitute 'for a water closet' when having a new closed-carriage built. In remote places like the Scottish Highlands some of the smaller stages have no privy attached; even the inns in little towns often have no conveniences where you can relieve yourself, except 'a dirty exposed' place."

Writing Technique for my New Novel

Really pleased with myself. I've kept to my target of writing a minimum number of words every day and have written the first 10,000 words of Tuesday's Child. On good days I exceed my target. I'm writing faster than usual because I'm leaving blanks re:historical details that I need to research. I have a comprehensive library of non-fiction books about the Regency Era so I should be able to fill in most of the blanks without much difficulty.
Rosemary Morris
Historical Novelist
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Bhagavadgita As It Is.Philosophy, Sentimentality. Fanaticism

At the moment I am re-reading The Bhagavadgita As It Is translated into English and with purports - by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The following made an impression on me: "Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism." Chapter Three Text Three.

The Regency and The Minuet

I enjoy historical research. Today I have been reading about dancing and music. In 1816 Thomas Wilson, a dance master, insisted the stately minuet should open a ball. In 1813 the Prince Regent held a ball that began and ended with a minuet. As far as I know, it was unusual to end a ball with one,
In towns such as Bath where there were many elderly people balls began with a minuet during the first quarter of the 19th century and, possibly, later.

Historical Research

It is all too easy to become careless about research when writing a novel whether it is contemporary or historical

I knew that young boys in the Regency wore dresses and ankle length drawers. However, I assumed they were breeched by the age of three.

The heroine in my new novel, Tuesday's Child, has a three and three quarter year-old son.

I researched children's clothes. Boys wore skeleton suits. The ankle length trousers fastened with buttons to a tight jacket that had a double row of buttons fastened down the front. Alternatively, the trousers were fastened to a shirt, so that the jacket could be left open to reveal frills down the front of a blouse, which had a wide collar edged with a frill.

I described young Arthur in his 'skeleton suit' and tried, unsuccessfully, to find out if the term was used in the Regency period.

After much more research I found out that boys were not breeched until they were about five years of age. Arthur now wears a  gown with a high waist and low neck, ankle length drawers, and white stockings. When he goes out he wears a top hat instead of a bonnet that girls wore.

I still need to research fabrics - materials, wool, cotton, silk, plain, sprigged, patterned or tartan.

As a historical novelist I try my hardest to be accurate. 

Rosemary Morris

http://www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

http://rosemarymorris.blogspot.com

Gardening, Rain, Mango Ice Cream, Cous-Cous Recipe, Delicious Lunch

By midday the rain poured down so I retreated indoors, having planted out lupins and sweet Williams I grew from seeds, which will flower next year. Unable to do any more gardening I made a batch of mango ice cream and put it in the freezer. After I emptied the dishwasher, cleaned and tidied the kitchen it was nearly time to have lunch. I had intended to make a salad but didn't brave the rain to forage in the garden. So I made cous cous. I put one third of a cup of cous cous in a saucepan and added one third of a cup plus a little extra of boiling water and a vegetarian stock cube. I stirred the mixture well. I then cut up the left over potato and runner beans from yesterday into small pieces and added two chopped, fresh apricots. After ten minutes I added this to the cous cous, heated it in the mircrowave and topped it with a generous helping of butter. For desert I couldn't resist some mango ice cream. As I say to small children. Yummy, yummy for the tummy.

My Guest Interview at Love Romance Cafe

Whenever I am interviewed online, I look at the webpage and think: Is that really me.

 Today my latest interview with Love Romance Café is at:-

 http://www.allyshields.com/7/post/2015/08/coffee-chat-author-interview-rosemary-morris.html

 Wow! My thanks to Ally and any of you who visit it.

 

Blood Test and an Apricot Tree

Mixed day today. The worst thing was a blood test. My veins object to parting with blood so my doctor uses a butterfly needle which was invented for premature babies. Afterwards I had a decaffeinated latte with my daughter before going to Homebase. The local branch is closing down so everything is on sale. I treated myself to a self-fertile apricot tree which will take 2 years to fruit. Pleased with the bargain I lunched with friends, had a natter and then went to the library. I put my feet up in the afternoon and am now child minding my daughters' children. The youngest, my five year-old granddaughter is playing on the wee with a loud running commentary and her brothers are playing on the wi fi. Mind you, their mother limits the amount of time they may spend on these devices. On reflection not a bad day in spite of the dreaded blood test before which I wrote my self-imposed number of words.