Excuses for Not Writing

Shame on me I haven't posted here or blogged for two days or met my writing targets for several reasons. First of all I was engrossed in a historical novel, which held out the promise of a new slant on the Princes in the Tower of London allegedly murdered by Richard III. Bitterly disappointed because the slant was not new. Secondly, surprise visitors took up most of my time. They were welcome but prevented me from meeting my writing targets. Finally, yesterday I prepared a la...rge marrow to make marrow and ginger jam, cooked a huge pasta for daughter's children who will come to tea after school, picked apples and pears and did so much more. In the afternoon I went on line to order a repeat prescription, and to order winter lettuce and radish seeds. In the evening I read Grow Your Own from beginning to end and began to read the latest edition of Writing Magazine.

Daily Writing Target

It's now 10.15 a.m. With time out for breakfast, which included a delicious peach from the mini-tree in my greenhouse, I've been writing and dealing with 'writerly' matters for four hours. I have written just over 20,000 words of my sweet Regency Novel Tuesday's Child so I have met my daily target. The sun is shining, I'll be meeting up with most of my family at a festival so it's time to turn off the laptop.

Busy Day and My Writing Schedule

A very early start this morning followed by a busy day, but I'm pleased because, this evening, I've written my daily quota of words for my new, sweet Regency Romance, Tuesday's Child, a follow on novel from Sunday's Child, and Monday's Child which will be published in spring 2016. Phew!

Deep Tissue Massage, Rest, Tuesday's Child.

Yesterday, due to various minor but annoying aches and pains, I had a full body deep tissue massage. It's relieved most of those little miseries but afterwards I was very sleepy. In the evening I watched Jerry Hall in Who Do You Think You Are but couldn't keep my eyes open. Half way through the program I gave up and went to bed. The masseur told me to take things very easy today and I'm pleased to do so as I'm still sleepy. So I've been researching old English Villages for my new novel Tuesday's Child. I'm now about to meet my daily writing target.

Snippets from A Country Parson. James Woodforde's Diary. Two Drunk Pigs.

April 15, 17778. “Brewed a vessel of strong Beer today. My two large Piggs (sic), by drinking some beer grounds taking out of one of my Barrels today, got so amazingly drunk by it, that they were not able to stand and appeared like dead things almost, and so remained all night from dinner time today. I never saw Piggs so drunk in my life, I slit their ears for them without feeling.”

 Which leads me to the question: Why did Parson Woodforde slit their ears. Tut tut, today, what would the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have to say about that?

 April 16, 1778 “My two Piggs (sic) are still unable to walk yet, but they are better than they were yesterday. They tumble about the yard and can by no means stand at all steady yet. In the afternoon my 2 Piggs (sic) were tolerably sober.”

 I wonder if the pigs also had hangovers.

 May 21, 1778. “I walked up to the White Hart with Mr Lewis and Bill to see a famous Woman in Men’s Cloathes (sic), by name Hannah Snell, who was 21 years as a common soldier in the Army, and not discovered by any as a woman. Cousin Lewis has mounted guard with her abroad. She went into the Army by the name of John Gray. She has a Pension from the Crown now of 18.5.0 per annum and the liberty of wearing Men’s Coathes and also a Cockade in her Hat, which she still wears. She has laid in a room with 70 soldiers and not discovered by any of them. The forefinger of her right hand was cut by a Sword at the taking of Pondicherry. She is now about 60 years of age and talks very sensible and well, and travels the country with a Basket at her back, selling Buttons, Garters, laces etc. I took 4 Pr of 4d Buttons and gave her 0.2.6.”

 What would the Ministry of Defence make of her today?

A Country Parson:James Woodforde's Diary 1759-1802

With great enjoyment I am reading A Country Parson. James Woodforde's Diary 1759 - 1802. I hope you will find the snippets interesting.
February 3rd, 1768.

"...One Sarah Gore, came to see me this morning and brought me an instrument from the Court of Wells, to perform publick (sic) Pennance next Sunday at C. Cary Church for having a child, which I am to administer to her publickly (sic) next Sunday after Divine Service."
...

My mind boggles about what Human Rights Ativists would say if this happened today.

" March 29, 1777 ...Andrews the smuggler brought to me this night about 11 o' clock a bagg (sic) of Hyson Tea 6 Pd weight. He frightened us a little by whistling under the Parlour Window just as we were going to bed. I gave him some Geneva and paid him for the tea at 10/6 per Pd."

Well, smuggling tea was definitely preferable to today's People Smugglers.

"July 22, 1777 Robert Biggen for stealing Potatoes was this afternoon whipp'd thro' the streets of Cary by the Hangman at the end of a Cart. He was whipped from the George Inn to the Angel, from thence back thro' the street to the Royal Oak in South Cary and so back to the George Inn. He being an old offender there was a collection of 0.17.6 given to the Hangman to do him justice. But it was not much for all that-the Hangman was an old Man and a most villainous looking Fellow indeed. For my part I would not contribute one Farthing to it."

My mind is suffering from the equivalent of shell shock at the thought of modern day Human Rights Activists having a field day if this happened now. Can you imagine the publicity in the media?

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