The Body Shop

On my way to the London Chapter of The Romantic Novelist's Association's meeting I couldn't resist popping into The Body Shop. Seduced by various products I'm now way over-budget for the week, but it's worthwhile.

Switching On My Editor.

Over half way through writing Tuesday's Child I wanted to move the novel forward from one part to the next without going into unnecessary detail. I wrote half a chapter in which the heroine is looking at herself in a mirror and thinking about several recent events.Then I decided my readers would prefer reading about what happened when it occurred to being told about it through the heroine's thoughts. I had not intended to do any revision until I finished the novel in record time, but changed my mind and rewrote half of the chapter.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

First Draft of Tuesday's Child Sweet Regency Romance

I have found it difficult to write with my internal editor switched off. When writing my previous novels I edited, revised and researched each chapter before I wrote the next one.

 However, I am a historical novelist so some research has been necessary, but even taking that into account, I have written a thousand or more words every day. I hope to finish the first, 95,000word, draft of my stand-alone novel, Tuesday’s Child, (a follow on novel from Sunday’s Child and Monday’s Child) by the 15^th December.

 So far, I’m pleased with my objective to complete a novel more quickly than I did in the past but admit I still have to silence my internal editor.

 

 

Poetry Workshop

I enjoyed yesterday's workshop, Poetry as Therapy, at Watford Writers. The facilitator works with Mencap using art and poetry. We were asked to write a poem about Nature in ten minutes. Mine began with winter.
 

"Snow when we met pristine beneath our feet. Christmas trees, holly bright with berries. Promise of the festive season, And much more." 

I wrote five verses with four lines in each about Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn and a final verse about Winter: 

"Snow when we walk... beneath our feet. Nature retreating in slumber beneath bare earth. Evergreens rich with spicy perfume. Perfume like incense when enclosed in pine your remains rest." 

Well, it was a challenge and people particularly liked my lines: "Daffodils trumpeting their joy for us to share" and "Apples and pears like Christmas baubles on the trees." 

Members of the Writers' Group interpreted nature in varied ways and, as usual, I am very impressed by their talent.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Poetry Workshop

This evening I'm attending a poetry workshop at Watford Writers. The subject is writing poetry as therapy.  The theme is nature. Personally, I don't think I need therapy but the workshop might be interesting . Anyway, I tend to write mostly in my own comfort zone, historical fiction, so its good for me to dabble in other forms of writing. However, if I'm bored this evening, I shall leave half way through the workshop during the break for refreshments.

Poetry Workshop

About:Far Beyond Rubies:18th century Historical:PG

 

 

Far Beyond Rubies by Rosemary Morris

Back Cover

 

 Set in 1706 during Queen Anne Stuart’s reign, Far Beyond Rubies begins when William, Baron Kemp, Juliana’s half-brother claims she and her young sister, Henrietta, are bastards. Spirited Juliana is determined to prove the allegation is false, and that she is the rightful heiress to Riverside, a great estate.

 

On his way to deliver a letter to William, Gervaise Seymour sees Juliana for the first time on the grounds of her family estate. The sight of her draws him back to India. When “her form changed to one he knew intimately – but not in this lifetime,” Gervaise knows he would do everything in his power to protect her.

 

Although Juliana and Gervaise are attracted to each other, they have not been formally introduced and assume they will never meet again. However, when Juliana flees from home, and is on her way to London, she encounters quixotic Gervaise at an inn. Circumstances force Juliana to accept his kind help. After Juliana’s life becomes irrevocably tangled with his, she discovers all is not as it seems. Yet, she cannot believe ill of him for, despite his exotic background, he behaves with scrupulous propriety while trying to help her find evidence to prove she and her sister are legitimate.

 

Far Beyond Rubies is available from: MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon Kindle, Nook, Omlit, Bookstrand Mainstream, Kobo and elsewhere.

To view the book trailer, read the first three chapters and reviews please visit. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

 

 

 

Writing Historical Fiction and Research

I am pleased because I've nearly written half of my book, Tuesday's Child, a stand alone, follow on novel from my Regency Romances, Sunday's Child and Monday's Child. I had decided that I write too slowly so my plan was to finish Tuesday's Child without spending hours researching the historical background. I have notes in bold to indicate where I need to research something, or check if something is correct. However, I have found it impossible to develop the plot without some research. Fortunately, it hasn't prevented me from reaching my daily output, and keeping up with other 'writerly' matters. 

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Writing Competitions

I enjoy writing historical women's fiction but every once in a while I think it's good to challenge myself. I enjoyed revising my young adult fiction competition entry which I submitted to Fish yesterday. So I have high-lighted all the competitions of interest to me in Writing Magazine's Supplement: 2016 Competition Special. Years ago, I completed the beginner's, intermediate and advanced Open College of the Arts' Writing Courses. The 3000 word stories I wrote are based on classical Indian literature, which rivals classical Greek literature. One of my stories was published but the others have languished in a box file. The tutor was enthusiastic about the stories so it's time to 'test the waters' by entering one in a competition.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

My Young Adult Fiction Competition Entry

My friend, who write's fiction. likes my entry to the Fish Young Adult Competition. This gave me the confidence I needed to tweak it and submit it. The novel, which I have called, Daisy and Savitri is multi-cultural. It is not only about two girls from different ethnic backgrounds but also about different economic backgrounds. I never expect to win a competition but can't help hoping Daisy and Savitri has a chance of making the short list, partly because, through the characters, I have shown two teenage girls from different cultures, which I have described, who are firm friends no matter regardless of the twists and turns their lives take.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

2nd Opinion on My Entry to a Young Adult Fiction Competion.

I whittled my entry into the young adult fiction competition down to 5,000 words. The novel is multi-cultural. To make sure someone unfamiliar with some of the customs  in the first chapter understood them, I asked another author, who visited my house today, to read the first chapter while we drank tea. He really liked it,  and the hook in the first paragraph intrigued him so much that he wanted to know how the plot would be resolved at the end of the novel. Phew! I felt a little more confident so I edited and revised 2,500 words.
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Children's Fiction Competition

A long time ago I wrote a multi-cultural young adult novel. However, it is only 30,000 words long so I thought there would not be a market for it. So, while browsing Writing Magazine's 2016 Competition Special I was delighted to find Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Comp for full-length novels, 30,000 words suitable for readers 7-18. So, I am revising the novel and plan to enter it in the competition.
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Turning off My Internal Editor

During today's tea break read an article in Writing Magazine. It is A Novel in A Month by Steven Chapman. The topic is the annual NANoWriMo challenge about getting 50,000 words in a month.

I am still resisting the urge to revise and edit each chapter of Tuesday's Child before I finish the first draft, so I found the following of particular interest.

"By beating your inner editor into submission you'll soon realise how good a writer you actually are. It sounds contradictory but without that nagging voice beating your every move, you'll focus on plot and character development rather than fussing over the finer details."

Historical Novelis
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Don't Lose The Plot

edited and revised. Now that I am writing my new novel, Tuesday's Child, I want to finish the first draft as quickly as possible. I don't plan to edit and revise until I complete it. However, since I'm writing so quickly I'm afraid of losing the plot, so I've decided to backtrack and record the main events in each chapter. This means that even if I resist the temptation to edit and revise I need to read what have written and make a few notes. If anyone else I meet implies that writing is easy or that it is a nice little hobby I'll want to strangle the person.

Historical Novelist
www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Writing Tuesday's Child

I'm pleased with myself. I woke three quarters of an hour later than usual at 6.45 a.m. It's now 9 20 a.m. and I've dealt with daily, morning 'writerly' business and written over 1000 words of my new novel, Tuesday's Child a sweet Regency Romance.

Flash Fcition Competition

I enjoyed yesterday evening at Watford Writers. There were some excellent entries in the flash fiction competition, the theme of which was the Wrong Room.

I didn't expect to win a prize for my piece which I wrote in haste simply to participate. It is called Five Star Accommodation. A woman is made welcome at a hotel where everything is white. Her clothes are in her room but her knitting is not there. Bored she searches for some books. In the drawer by her bed she finds a pamphlet. The header is: Welcome To Hell. She is in the wrong room at the wrong time and plans to lodge a complaint.

In other words her hell is boredom in a pristine hotel.

Flash Fiction

I'm looking forward to attending this evening's meeting of Watford Writers. Those who wish to have been asked to write and enter anonymous flash fiction. The theme is Wrong Room. The word length is between 250 and 275 words. More often than not, I am too busy to compete in flash fiction at Watford Writers. owever, although I don't expect to win I've written my Wrong Room tale with a twist at the end and chose a title for it. Members will read copies of all the entries and enter a score of 1 - 10 on a tick sheet. There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for the stories with the three highest scores.

Research & Writing Historical Fiction

I had decided to complete the first draft of my new novel, Tuesday's Child, a traditional Regency Novel, without pausing to research. Until yesterday I put a word in bold to remind me to research a fact when I work on the second draft. Having made that decision I decided on the minimum number of words I should write every day in order to finish the first draft by mid December. Yesterday, the current chapter didn't evolve according to plan. I spent most of the time dedicated to writing researching essential facts and failed to complete my self-imposed number of words. That is annoying because it's so difficult to find time to catch up when I don't reach my targets. If I had a report card I would enter :'Must try harder.'