Wednesday 2 May 2007

New work begun


I have taken the plunge. I started writing, as opposed to researching and generally fiddling about, yesterday. I had huge doubts about the time period but once I began, it flowed down onto paper very easily. I suppose I have read such a lot on the mid-sixteenth century over the years that some of it is now hot-wired into the brain, which is very handy.


This seems a good point at which to pay tribute to Historical authors whose work has influenced me. They are in no particular order, and some are very old.

Elizabeth Byrd and her book Immortal Queen about Mary Queen of Scots
Rosemary Hawley Jarman: We speak no Treason
James Clavell: Shogun
Georgette Heyer: almost any title you care to name
Jane Austen: any, but particularly Pride and Prejudice
Dorothy Dunnett: any and all of both the Lymond and Niccolo series, though Game of Kings will always, always be my Absolute Favourite
Joan Grant: Time out of Mind, Winged Pharaoh

The authors above made me stop and ponder the craft of writing, or gasp with admiration at their style, or they made me want to write for myself. Below is another list of writers whose books I have read and enjoyed, but I don't think they had quite the same impact on me as the first list:

Barbara Erskine
Gabaldon

Elizabeth Chadwick, who gets better with every book


Among the historical romance writers I enjoy - mostly, I have to say because their sense of humour seems to fit comfortably with mine, and because they don't make any faux pas about the historical detail :

Louise Allen,

Nicola Cornick

Deborah Hale

Helen Dickson

and Juliet Landon grows on me.


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