It has been a blast investigating historical fiction that's a little different, a little unexpected. Not only have I learned a lot, I've met so many fantastic people over the last few months. What more can you ask for?
I hope we've inspired you to check out something different in the historical fiction (or speculative or romantic fiction) realm!
It's been wonderful collaborating with Rima and Heather. They are incredibly talented writers, and fantastically funny women, and a real joy to spend (virtual) time with.
As you might recall, commenters on our blog were entered in a drawing to win e-book copies of The Pilgrim Glass, The Soldier of Raetia, and The Noble Pirates. I'm happy to announce that commenter starfishchick has won the prize!
Big thanks to all of our commenters (and lurkers!). I really hope you've enjoyed this blog series, and hope you'll stick around with me, Heather, and Rima. As you can imagine, we've got a lot to say and share and hope you'll continue the conversation with us!
Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
All good things must come to an end, and sadly, our blog series has done just that. Tomorrow, we reveal the winner of our three-book giveaway - but you can still be included in the drawing! Comment on any of the blog posts below, and we'll include you in the drawing to win e-books of The Pilgrim Glass, The Soldier of Raetia, and The Noble Pirates.
We hope you've enjoyed this look into our different approaches to historical fiction, and fiction in general. There is a lot of great stuff out there - unusual protagonists, unique relationships, under-represented settings (both time and location). We hope we've introduced you to the richness of historical fiction beyond the Great Personages and the familiar settings.
Jan 11 – Introductions: Heather - Julie - Rima
Jan 12 – Why you chose your time/setting: Heather - Julie - Rima
Jan 18 – Writing historical adventure: Heather
- Julie - Rima
Jan 25 – Benefits/challenges of writing real historical
figures: Heather - Julie - Rima
Feb 1 – Tips & tricks for historical research: Heather - Julie -
Rima
Feb 8 – When supporting characters take over: Heather - Julie
Feb 15 – Writing battle/fight scenes: Heather - Julie - Rima
Feb 22 – Male & female protagonists: Heather - Julie
Mar 1 – Soundtracks: Heather - Julie - Rima
Mar 8 – Offbeat protagonists: Heather - Julie - Rima
Mar 15 – Director's Commentary: Heather - Julie - Rima
We hope you've enjoyed this look into our different approaches to historical fiction, and fiction in general. There is a lot of great stuff out there - unusual protagonists, unique relationships, under-represented settings (both time and location). We hope we've introduced you to the richness of historical fiction beyond the Great Personages and the familiar settings.
Jan 11 – Introductions: Heather - Julie - Rima
Jan 12 – Why you chose your time/setting: Heather - Julie - Rima
Jan 18 – Writing historical adventure: Heather
- Julie - Rima
Jan 25 – Benefits/challenges of writing real historical
figures: Heather - Julie - Rima
Feb 1 – Tips & tricks for historical research: Heather - Julie -
Rima
Feb 8 – When supporting characters take over: Heather - Julie
Feb 15 – Writing battle/fight scenes: Heather - Julie - Rima
Feb 22 – Male & female protagonists: Heather - Julie
Mar 1 – Soundtracks: Heather - Julie - Rima
Mar 8 – Offbeat protagonists: Heather - Julie - Rima
Mar 15 – Director's Commentary: Heather - Julie - Rima
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Pilgrim Glass: Director's Commentary
In this penultimate blog post, each of us are doing a Director's Commentary – choosing a scene or chapter and giving you some behind-the-scenes information on our characters and stories.
This is Chapter Five of The Pilgrim Glass.
This was the first full scene I wrote with Dubay. He was not planned in the story, he just kind of appeared (as I talked about in the podcast on secondary characters) and became the heart of the story. I wish I could remember when I wrote this - sometime in 2003, and probably sitting at my makeshift desk in our blazingly hot upstairs apartment, or maybe - like many of the chapters - sitting on an airplane on the way to or from a trade show (I was an events manager at the time). Anyway. I hope you enjoy this introduction to Dubay.
The soft knock on his bedroom door told him it was well past the hour he needed to get up. He rolled over with a grunt and cocooned in the covers against the cool darkness. Blessed silence surrounded him for two minutes. Then another gentle but insistent knock.
"Monseigneur?"
This is an Abbot? But of course, in many ways he mirrors the Benedictine Clunaic Abbots (Cluny is just down the road, and a center of power in the early Middle Ages) who were very worldly indeed.
Dubay sighed. "Oui, oui, un moment," he croaked. He threw the covers off and stood quickly, before the urge to lie back down again overtook him. In his years of service to the church, and all his years as a Catholic, he had never quite understood why prayers had to start before dawn. Who do you impress with prayers at 5 a.m.? God? Time doesn't exist for God. But there was no sense in arguing with thousands of years of tradition.
I have to admit, I love this chapter a lot. It’s the first real introduction to Dubay's personality, and frankly it came out of nowhere and made me love him, a lot. It was also the first time I got a hint that there was more to him than simply being an Abbot.
He shuffled to his small bathroom and flicked the single bulb on, squinting against its harshness. He reached in and turned on the shower, then turned to face the small round mirror above the chipped white sink. "Oooof," he muttered, shaking his head. His short-cropped grey hair spiked in odd angles all over his head. He passed a long, thin hand, marked with deep and jagged scars, over his stubbly chin and cursed for the thousandth time the prohibition against beards.
The beard thing just makes me laugh.
After a short and painful interlude with the razor, he stepped into the frigid shower. The cold water wasn't a sign of piety or self-abasement; Dubay simply knew that if he didn't take a cold shower, he'd stand in there all morning, letting the hot water and steam envelop him. Better to get in and out quick and not be tempted. He stepped out, shivering, and pulled the towel around his waist, rushing into his bedroom, which was somewhat warmer.
Who hasn’t stood in the shower, early in the morning before work, so tempted to say "screw it" and just stand there until the hot water runs out? Why would an Abbot be any different? I love how human he is.
"Monseigneur!" A surprised and clearly very frightened novice of his order stood on the threshold of his room, coffee tray in hand.
Dubay choked back a laugh at the look of confusion and embarrassment on his face, but smiled, "Thank you. Right there on the desk is fine."
He has a wicked sense of humor, and I love that. I love that he can both be dedicated to his work and his spirituality, and not lose his sense of humor.
The novice scurried to the well-ordered desk and dropped the coffee tray, spilling cream and rattling silverware. He refused to look the Abbot in the face as he backed toward the door. "I apologize, I had not realized –"
Dubay couldn't quite remember the name of this thin dark-haired young man, who looked as if he had joined them at Vézelay straight out of his nursery. He smiled. "There is nothing to apologize for. You were simply following the instructions of the good Soeur Marie, and have not yet learned that she has a – how shall we say – unique sense of humor." The novice smiled but his eyes darted to the open door to the hallway.
Dubay folded his hands with as much dignity as he could muster standing half-naked in the cold pre-dawn. "Thank you. That will be all," he said gravely.
The novice tried all at once to bow and run out the door. He tripped on his robes, knocked his elbow against the doorframe, and stumbled down the hall, cheeks flaming. Dubay shook his head, snickering, and closed the door.
Dubay is more of a sensualist than anything else, though he honestly and truly loves the church.
He crossed the room to the worn and ancient armoire in the corner. Rows of neatly pressed designer shirts and carefully tailored slacks hung side-by-side with his vestments in the musty closet. He selected a pair of tan linen pants and a crisp white shirt and laid them carefully on the unmade bed, then returned to the drawer, filled with silk polka-dot boxers of every shade. He hummed a passage from Dvorak's New World Symphony as he dressed and poured himself a cup of black coffee, his humming buzzing on the rim of the delicate china.
He and Jonas are more similar than perhaps either might admit.
Dubay set the cup down and pushed the coffee tray and largely undrunk coffee to the side. He pulled his diary toward him and chewed thoughtfully on the cap of his fountain pen. Mmmm... Jean at 1300. Flycatcher this morning. What an odd name.
He flipped through the rest of the week's appointments, then set the diary down and scanned the massive cherrywood bookshelf, which took up an entire wall, and selected a slim burgundy-leather volume. He turned to the first chapter and returned to his chair. As he sat, a small photo slipped from the pages of the book and fluttered to the floor.
What happens when the past you've spent your adult life trying to ignore suddenly reappears? Has the church been his refuge, or his way of escaping his past? Or both?
Dubay stooped to retrieve the photo and gasped. "Oh. Oh," he whispered, dropping into his chair. A young woman, in her early thirties, perhaps, with long, curling black hair grinned at him, the murky Seine flowing lazily in the distance. He turned the photo over with shaking hands.
Michel – je t'aime!
May, 1982.
There was no signature.
Dubay sat staring at the photo, tracing its edges with his thumb, Augustine's Confessions forgotten on the desk. Fifteen minutes later, his alarm clock rang five o'clock. He placed the photo back into the book, downed the rest of his coffee, and bolted out the door.
Why the Confessions? It was the first name that came to me, and I think it was because Augustine too was a sensualist who turned to the church – though of course he saw his past and proclivities as deeply sinful and regrettable. Does Dubay? Check outThe Pilgrim Glass and see what you think.
I hope you enjoyed this sample, and the commentary. It was so fun!
Don't forget to check out Heather and Rima's commentaries at their blogs.
Make sure you check back next week, when we reveal the name of our book giveaway winner!
This is Chapter Five of The Pilgrim Glass.
This was the first full scene I wrote with Dubay. He was not planned in the story, he just kind of appeared (as I talked about in the podcast on secondary characters) and became the heart of the story. I wish I could remember when I wrote this - sometime in 2003, and probably sitting at my makeshift desk in our blazingly hot upstairs apartment, or maybe - like many of the chapters - sitting on an airplane on the way to or from a trade show (I was an events manager at the time). Anyway. I hope you enjoy this introduction to Dubay.
The soft knock on his bedroom door told him it was well past the hour he needed to get up. He rolled over with a grunt and cocooned in the covers against the cool darkness. Blessed silence surrounded him for two minutes. Then another gentle but insistent knock.
"Monseigneur?"
This is an Abbot? But of course, in many ways he mirrors the Benedictine Clunaic Abbots (Cluny is just down the road, and a center of power in the early Middle Ages) who were very worldly indeed.
Dubay sighed. "Oui, oui, un moment," he croaked. He threw the covers off and stood quickly, before the urge to lie back down again overtook him. In his years of service to the church, and all his years as a Catholic, he had never quite understood why prayers had to start before dawn. Who do you impress with prayers at 5 a.m.? God? Time doesn't exist for God. But there was no sense in arguing with thousands of years of tradition.
I have to admit, I love this chapter a lot. It’s the first real introduction to Dubay's personality, and frankly it came out of nowhere and made me love him, a lot. It was also the first time I got a hint that there was more to him than simply being an Abbot.
He shuffled to his small bathroom and flicked the single bulb on, squinting against its harshness. He reached in and turned on the shower, then turned to face the small round mirror above the chipped white sink. "Oooof," he muttered, shaking his head. His short-cropped grey hair spiked in odd angles all over his head. He passed a long, thin hand, marked with deep and jagged scars, over his stubbly chin and cursed for the thousandth time the prohibition against beards.
The beard thing just makes me laugh.
After a short and painful interlude with the razor, he stepped into the frigid shower. The cold water wasn't a sign of piety or self-abasement; Dubay simply knew that if he didn't take a cold shower, he'd stand in there all morning, letting the hot water and steam envelop him. Better to get in and out quick and not be tempted. He stepped out, shivering, and pulled the towel around his waist, rushing into his bedroom, which was somewhat warmer.
Who hasn’t stood in the shower, early in the morning before work, so tempted to say "screw it" and just stand there until the hot water runs out? Why would an Abbot be any different? I love how human he is.
"Monseigneur!" A surprised and clearly very frightened novice of his order stood on the threshold of his room, coffee tray in hand.
Dubay choked back a laugh at the look of confusion and embarrassment on his face, but smiled, "Thank you. Right there on the desk is fine."
He has a wicked sense of humor, and I love that. I love that he can both be dedicated to his work and his spirituality, and not lose his sense of humor.
The novice scurried to the well-ordered desk and dropped the coffee tray, spilling cream and rattling silverware. He refused to look the Abbot in the face as he backed toward the door. "I apologize, I had not realized –"
Dubay couldn't quite remember the name of this thin dark-haired young man, who looked as if he had joined them at Vézelay straight out of his nursery. He smiled. "There is nothing to apologize for. You were simply following the instructions of the good Soeur Marie, and have not yet learned that she has a – how shall we say – unique sense of humor." The novice smiled but his eyes darted to the open door to the hallway.
Dubay folded his hands with as much dignity as he could muster standing half-naked in the cold pre-dawn. "Thank you. That will be all," he said gravely.
The novice tried all at once to bow and run out the door. He tripped on his robes, knocked his elbow against the doorframe, and stumbled down the hall, cheeks flaming. Dubay shook his head, snickering, and closed the door.
Dubay is more of a sensualist than anything else, though he honestly and truly loves the church.
He crossed the room to the worn and ancient armoire in the corner. Rows of neatly pressed designer shirts and carefully tailored slacks hung side-by-side with his vestments in the musty closet. He selected a pair of tan linen pants and a crisp white shirt and laid them carefully on the unmade bed, then returned to the drawer, filled with silk polka-dot boxers of every shade. He hummed a passage from Dvorak's New World Symphony as he dressed and poured himself a cup of black coffee, his humming buzzing on the rim of the delicate china.
He and Jonas are more similar than perhaps either might admit.
Dubay set the cup down and pushed the coffee tray and largely undrunk coffee to the side. He pulled his diary toward him and chewed thoughtfully on the cap of his fountain pen. Mmmm... Jean at 1300. Flycatcher this morning. What an odd name.
He flipped through the rest of the week's appointments, then set the diary down and scanned the massive cherrywood bookshelf, which took up an entire wall, and selected a slim burgundy-leather volume. He turned to the first chapter and returned to his chair. As he sat, a small photo slipped from the pages of the book and fluttered to the floor.
What happens when the past you've spent your adult life trying to ignore suddenly reappears? Has the church been his refuge, or his way of escaping his past? Or both?
Dubay stooped to retrieve the photo and gasped. "Oh. Oh," he whispered, dropping into his chair. A young woman, in her early thirties, perhaps, with long, curling black hair grinned at him, the murky Seine flowing lazily in the distance. He turned the photo over with shaking hands.
Michel – je t'aime!
May, 1982.
There was no signature.
Dubay sat staring at the photo, tracing its edges with his thumb, Augustine's Confessions forgotten on the desk. Fifteen minutes later, his alarm clock rang five o'clock. He placed the photo back into the book, downed the rest of his coffee, and bolted out the door.
Why the Confessions? It was the first name that came to me, and I think it was because Augustine too was a sensualist who turned to the church – though of course he saw his past and proclivities as deeply sinful and regrettable. Does Dubay? Check outThe Pilgrim Glass and see what you think.
I hope you enjoyed this sample, and the commentary. It was so fun!
Don't forget to check out Heather and Rima's commentaries at their blogs.
Make sure you check back next week, when we reveal the name of our book giveaway winner!
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Guest Post: Heather Domin on Offbeat Protagonists
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
Julie, Rima, and I have written three very different novels, but they share one common trait: they cut across genre formulas and aren't easy to label or categorize. This makes them difficult to market by traditional means, but it also makes for stories that readers respond to with enthusiasm. The same is true for the characters who embody them; an unusual story requires an unusual protagonist, one who might be difficult to pigeonhole but to whom readers will gravitate. Julie's wonderful Jonas in The Pilgrim Glass comes to mind – not a standard hero in the romantic sense, Jonas is reluctant, skeptical, cynical, and far from a paragon of virtue; but rather than finding him unlikeable or unsympathetic, readers take to him readily as a symbol of their own rough sides. Julie could have made him fit more smoothly into the standard protagonist mold, but that would have worn off all the bits that make him so endearing. As an offbeat protagonist, he's something special.
In The Soldier of Raetia, Dardanus and Valerian fit more easily into standard roles – Valerian as Byronic hero, Dardanus as coming-of-age idealist. But as one of the protagonists, Dardanus embodies some of the hard-to-categorize qualities of the novel itself.
Is he a warrior starting the hero's journey? Is he one half of a romance novel? Is he just a catalyst for Valerian? Some readers enjoy his soldier's story but are turned off by his amorous discoveries; some enjoy his love story but not the graphic battles and military philosophizing. Romance or adventure? The book is both, and so is Dardanus as a protagonist. Personally I think they are two great tastes that taste great together, but then I eat peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, so I realize my tastes aren't universal.
I am fond of tropes and archetypes in characters – they are the familiar ingredients by which we explore a story and, through that story, ourselves. It's what we do with these ingredients as writers that makes a novel special. Sometimes you want the comfort food of the expected and familiar, but there's something to be said for combining your ingredients in unexpected or unusual ways, like an eclectic fusion cuisine. The result might not be easy to label, but it's often the most delicious.
----
Now I'm all verklempt :)
Check out what Rima Jean has to say in Heather's journal and check out my take in Rima's blog! Next week? Director's Commentaries!
Don't forget: commenters on all three blogs during this series are eligible to be entered in a drawing for our books in March!
Julie, Rima, and I have written three very different novels, but they share one common trait: they cut across genre formulas and aren't easy to label or categorize. This makes them difficult to market by traditional means, but it also makes for stories that readers respond to with enthusiasm. The same is true for the characters who embody them; an unusual story requires an unusual protagonist, one who might be difficult to pigeonhole but to whom readers will gravitate. Julie's wonderful Jonas in The Pilgrim Glass comes to mind – not a standard hero in the romantic sense, Jonas is reluctant, skeptical, cynical, and far from a paragon of virtue; but rather than finding him unlikeable or unsympathetic, readers take to him readily as a symbol of their own rough sides. Julie could have made him fit more smoothly into the standard protagonist mold, but that would have worn off all the bits that make him so endearing. As an offbeat protagonist, he's something special.
In The Soldier of Raetia, Dardanus and Valerian fit more easily into standard roles – Valerian as Byronic hero, Dardanus as coming-of-age idealist. But as one of the protagonists, Dardanus embodies some of the hard-to-categorize qualities of the novel itself.
Is he a warrior starting the hero's journey? Is he one half of a romance novel? Is he just a catalyst for Valerian? Some readers enjoy his soldier's story but are turned off by his amorous discoveries; some enjoy his love story but not the graphic battles and military philosophizing. Romance or adventure? The book is both, and so is Dardanus as a protagonist. Personally I think they are two great tastes that taste great together, but then I eat peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, so I realize my tastes aren't universal.
I am fond of tropes and archetypes in characters – they are the familiar ingredients by which we explore a story and, through that story, ourselves. It's what we do with these ingredients as writers that makes a novel special. Sometimes you want the comfort food of the expected and familiar, but there's something to be said for combining your ingredients in unexpected or unusual ways, like an eclectic fusion cuisine. The result might not be easy to label, but it's often the most delicious.
----
Now I'm all verklempt :)
Check out what Rima Jean has to say in Heather's journal and check out my take in Rima's blog! Next week? Director's Commentaries!
Don't forget: commenters on all three blogs during this series are eligible to be entered in a drawing for our books in March!
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Guest Post: Soundtracks
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
This week, Rima tells us about the music that fuels her writing!
So this week's topic in our magical historical fiction series involves our novel's "soundtracks." I fear that, by sharing what music I used as inspiration for The Noble Pirates, I will lead you all to believe that 1. I have no taste in music and 2. I'm a huge dork. Although you can believe the latter regardless, since it is true.
I listen to music mostly for inspiration. I actually prefer silence while I write, although low-volume instrumental music works fine too. So what inspired me? Soundtrack music. Yes, I mean soundtracks to actual movies. Since I imagine my story as a movie in my head, soundtrack music is pretty appropriate. Ok, let me say that while I did listen to a bit of the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, my album of choice was The Dark Knight. The movie itself was awesome, and the music got my creative juices flowing, it was so dang epic. I just listened to that album from beginning to end nonstop.
A couple other random things I listened to for inspiration were selections from Hybrid, which is electronica, but... Well, it's very soundtrack-y. My fave was the soundtrack edit of "In Good We Trust." I also listened to OneRepublic and Coldplay.
As for the actual soundtrack of the movie version? I'd hire James Horner or Hans Zimmer and let them have their way with TNP.
Check out my response in Heather's journal and and Heather's in Rima's blog!
Don't forget: commenters on all three blogs during this series are eligible to be entered in a drawing for our books in March!
This week, Rima tells us about the music that fuels her writing!
So this week's topic in our magical historical fiction series involves our novel's "soundtracks." I fear that, by sharing what music I used as inspiration for The Noble Pirates, I will lead you all to believe that 1. I have no taste in music and 2. I'm a huge dork. Although you can believe the latter regardless, since it is true.
I listen to music mostly for inspiration. I actually prefer silence while I write, although low-volume instrumental music works fine too. So what inspired me? Soundtrack music. Yes, I mean soundtracks to actual movies. Since I imagine my story as a movie in my head, soundtrack music is pretty appropriate. Ok, let me say that while I did listen to a bit of the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, my album of choice was The Dark Knight. The movie itself was awesome, and the music got my creative juices flowing, it was so dang epic. I just listened to that album from beginning to end nonstop.
A couple other random things I listened to for inspiration were selections from Hybrid, which is electronica, but... Well, it's very soundtrack-y. My fave was the soundtrack edit of "In Good We Trust." I also listened to OneRepublic and Coldplay.
As for the actual soundtrack of the movie version? I'd hire James Horner or Hans Zimmer and let them have their way with TNP.
Check out my response in Heather's journal and and Heather's in Rima's blog!
Don't forget: commenters on all three blogs during this series are eligible to be entered in a drawing for our books in March!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Male vs. Female: Reading and Writing Protagonists
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
The Pilgrim Glass is my first published novel, though I've got three more completed (which you'll see over the course of the next few years ☺) and I have two more in draft. Of the six novels, four have male protagonists (including Jonas in The Pilgrim Glass). I can't really say that I have a preference one way or the other, or set out to write one or another; it's just how the stories have shaken out. I feel the same about reading – I don't really have a preference, I'm more interested in the story.
I hesitate to talk about this, because I'll just end up jinxing myself, but on the whole, writing male protagonists feels very natural for me. When I write female protagonists, I put extra pressure on myself: am I being true to the character, or do I have an agenda? Am I speaking through them, or letting them speak for themselves? I feel like I have to watch myself, to make sure I'm letting them be who they are, rather than some kind of avatar of Strong Feminist Woman.
When I write guys, I just let them be who they are. Isn't that a sad commentary?
Now, when you take the protagonist label out of the picture, writing male and female characters is pretty straightforward – they're just individuals with their own unique goals and quirks.
What weird pressure I put on myself.
So, when you write or read, do you have a natural preference for writing/reading male or female protagonists? I'd love to get your thoughts.
Check out what Heather Domin and Rima Jean have to say on this topic!
Don't forget: commenters on all three blogs during this series are eligible to be entered in a drawing for our books in March!
The Pilgrim Glass is my first published novel, though I've got three more completed (which you'll see over the course of the next few years ☺) and I have two more in draft. Of the six novels, four have male protagonists (including Jonas in The Pilgrim Glass). I can't really say that I have a preference one way or the other, or set out to write one or another; it's just how the stories have shaken out. I feel the same about reading – I don't really have a preference, I'm more interested in the story.
I hesitate to talk about this, because I'll just end up jinxing myself, but on the whole, writing male protagonists feels very natural for me. When I write female protagonists, I put extra pressure on myself: am I being true to the character, or do I have an agenda? Am I speaking through them, or letting them speak for themselves? I feel like I have to watch myself, to make sure I'm letting them be who they are, rather than some kind of avatar of Strong Feminist Woman.
When I write guys, I just let them be who they are. Isn't that a sad commentary?
Now, when you take the protagonist label out of the picture, writing male and female characters is pretty straightforward – they're just individuals with their own unique goals and quirks.
What weird pressure I put on myself.
So, when you write or read, do you have a natural preference for writing/reading male or female protagonists? I'd love to get your thoughts.
Check out what Heather Domin and Rima Jean have to say on this topic!
Don't forget: commenters on all three blogs during this series are eligible to be entered in a drawing for our books in March!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Guest Post: Writing Battle Scenes
Check out the introductory post for more information on this blog series.
This week, Heather Domin talks about how she approaches the writing of battle scenes.
Being about a Roman legion, The Soldier of Raetia naturally contains a few big battles, and a few small ones too. As a reader I adore a good battle scene (it's one of my favorite things, actually) but until that point I had never written one — fights, duels, and confrontations, yes, but not a full army-on-army clash. I was very intimidated by the prospect — was I up to the task? Would my scene make any sense? Would it be too long, too short, too gross, not gross enough, or just a hopeless mess? Would Bernard Cornwell reach through the internet to punch me in the face? All very serious concerns.
Being me, I over-planned every last detail: maps, diagrams, flow charts, you name it. I procrastinated as long as possible, making mountains out of a molehills, until one afternoon I just sat down and wrote the whole first battle in one long shaky stab. Here's how I approached it.
1. Think big by thinking small. Battles are made of large anonymous masses, but my protagonist (in this case, Dardanus) is an individual. He can't see the whole field; he has no idea what's going a few yards away. Forget formations and choreography, he's just trying not to get his ass killed. I shrank everything down to the inside of his helmet: what is he hearing, seeing, smelling, doing? Dardanus experiences the battle from the inside, and therefore so does the reader. By doing that, I actually got a pretty good picture of the battle as a whole.
2. Write what I know. I've read battles written by former soldiers, historical reenactors, weapons experts — obviously I am none of those. I've never been in a fistfight, much less a kill-or-be-killed situation. I get the shakes when I have to write deadline reminders at work. How could I possibly tap into the mind of a warrior? Easy. Battle is all prettied up with uniforms, fancy weapons, ordered rows, etc, but the reality is basic animal instinct: rage, aggression, panic, fear, lust, danger, madness. I've felt all those things; every human being has. We all have those dark places inside ourselves, things we pretend we've evolved past. I let mine out in the safe confines of paper and ink. It's easier than you think.
3. Let fly. (I almost wrote "unleash hell". Aren't you glad I didn't?) Yes, to be accurate, I had to understand how a Roman legion worked, how it moved, tactics, formations, weapons, historical fact, etc. But I don't need to use all that on the page. Knowledge will come through on its own. Writing a battle scene is like writing a sex scene: you can scale it back later if it's too messy, but it's really hard to add in more if you lack the initial spark. Don't hold back. Get it all out and clean it up later. Put on music that makes your heart pound (it worked for me) and then let 'er rip.
This is how I handle all types of confrontation scenes, not just big battles: one-on-one duels, punching matches, supernatural showdowns, or burned romance. Whether a clash of sword-wielding warriors, a mid-air vampire fight, or a cheating lover confronted, the raw emotions are all there. Getting them out on the page is not only therapeutic for me and hopefully entertaining for you, but it's also fun as hell.
Check out my take on battle scenes at Rima's blog, and Rima's take in Heather's blog!
Don't forget: comment on any of our posts during this blog tour (even the old ones!) for a chance to win our 3 novels on March 22!
Next week, we'll cover writing male vs. female protagonists. See you then!
This week, Heather Domin talks about how she approaches the writing of battle scenes.
Being about a Roman legion, The Soldier of Raetia naturally contains a few big battles, and a few small ones too. As a reader I adore a good battle scene (it's one of my favorite things, actually) but until that point I had never written one — fights, duels, and confrontations, yes, but not a full army-on-army clash. I was very intimidated by the prospect — was I up to the task? Would my scene make any sense? Would it be too long, too short, too gross, not gross enough, or just a hopeless mess? Would Bernard Cornwell reach through the internet to punch me in the face? All very serious concerns.
Being me, I over-planned every last detail: maps, diagrams, flow charts, you name it. I procrastinated as long as possible, making mountains out of a molehills, until one afternoon I just sat down and wrote the whole first battle in one long shaky stab. Here's how I approached it.
1. Think big by thinking small. Battles are made of large anonymous masses, but my protagonist (in this case, Dardanus) is an individual. He can't see the whole field; he has no idea what's going a few yards away. Forget formations and choreography, he's just trying not to get his ass killed. I shrank everything down to the inside of his helmet: what is he hearing, seeing, smelling, doing? Dardanus experiences the battle from the inside, and therefore so does the reader. By doing that, I actually got a pretty good picture of the battle as a whole.
2. Write what I know. I've read battles written by former soldiers, historical reenactors, weapons experts — obviously I am none of those. I've never been in a fistfight, much less a kill-or-be-killed situation. I get the shakes when I have to write deadline reminders at work. How could I possibly tap into the mind of a warrior? Easy. Battle is all prettied up with uniforms, fancy weapons, ordered rows, etc, but the reality is basic animal instinct: rage, aggression, panic, fear, lust, danger, madness. I've felt all those things; every human being has. We all have those dark places inside ourselves, things we pretend we've evolved past. I let mine out in the safe confines of paper and ink. It's easier than you think.
3. Let fly. (I almost wrote "unleash hell". Aren't you glad I didn't?) Yes, to be accurate, I had to understand how a Roman legion worked, how it moved, tactics, formations, weapons, historical fact, etc. But I don't need to use all that on the page. Knowledge will come through on its own. Writing a battle scene is like writing a sex scene: you can scale it back later if it's too messy, but it's really hard to add in more if you lack the initial spark. Don't hold back. Get it all out and clean it up later. Put on music that makes your heart pound (it worked for me) and then let 'er rip.
This is how I handle all types of confrontation scenes, not just big battles: one-on-one duels, punching matches, supernatural showdowns, or burned romance. Whether a clash of sword-wielding warriors, a mid-air vampire fight, or a cheating lover confronted, the raw emotions are all there. Getting them out on the page is not only therapeutic for me and hopefully entertaining for you, but it's also fun as hell.
Check out my take on battle scenes at Rima's blog, and Rima's take in Heather's blog!
Don't forget: comment on any of our posts during this blog tour (even the old ones!) for a chance to win our 3 novels on March 22!
Next week, we'll cover writing male vs. female protagonists. See you then!
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
When Supporting Characters Take Over
This week, Heather, Rima, and I talk about that frustrating and wonderful phenomenon: when supporting characters take over.
Of course, I gotta be a little different, so I recorded a short podcast on the subject. Check it out!
Check out Heather's take and Rima's take at their blogs!
Don't forget: comment on any of our posts during this blog tour (even the old ones!) for a chance to win our 3 novels on March 22!
Next week, we'll cover writing battle and fight scenes. See you then!
Of course, I gotta be a little different, so I recorded a short podcast on the subject. Check it out!
Check out Heather's take and Rima's take at their blogs!
Don't forget: comment on any of our posts during this blog tour (even the old ones!) for a chance to win our 3 novels on March 22!
Next week, we'll cover writing battle and fight scenes. See you then!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The benefits and challenges of writing real historical personages
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
I chose to go the road of writing non-famous historical personages. Everyone, except the Clunaic Abbot Pons, is a figment of my imagination. We never actually see Pons, but we see the effects his (imagined) actions and his attitudes have on other people.
I suppose this approach makes sense, given my interests. If offered the choice between a biography of a great king, and a history of daily life during his reign, I'll always take the latter (in fact, I named Abbot Dubay in The Pilgrim Glass after historian George Duby, author, of among other things, the History of Private Life series).
Political history is obviously incredibly important and can be fascinating, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Thousands upon thousands of people lived out their lives during that king's time on the throne, or that president's term. What were their lives like? What did they eat, what did they smell like, what was the state of their teeth, what colors were their clothing, how did they greet one another, what was the sound of their daily life? How was daily life different based on their class, gender, skin color, orientation? What were their marriage customs, their schooling, their death ceremonies? How can we recognize ourselves in that long line from their time to ours?
Of course, there are great benefits to writing about famous historical personages – for one thing, it's an easy shorthand for readers, a quick way to entice them into reading about a time period. It also affords writers a great starting point - the sketch of a character and plot to flesh out or refute with your own take. It's just not where my heart lies.
So, what do you think? Do you prefer to read about famous historical people? If you write Historical Fiction, do you find writing real historical people is easier or harder? Is it even an either/or construction?
Check out what Heather Domin and Rima Jean have to say on this topic!
I chose to go the road of writing non-famous historical personages. Everyone, except the Clunaic Abbot Pons, is a figment of my imagination. We never actually see Pons, but we see the effects his (imagined) actions and his attitudes have on other people.
I suppose this approach makes sense, given my interests. If offered the choice between a biography of a great king, and a history of daily life during his reign, I'll always take the latter (in fact, I named Abbot Dubay in The Pilgrim Glass after historian George Duby, author, of among other things, the History of Private Life series).
Political history is obviously incredibly important and can be fascinating, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Thousands upon thousands of people lived out their lives during that king's time on the throne, or that president's term. What were their lives like? What did they eat, what did they smell like, what was the state of their teeth, what colors were their clothing, how did they greet one another, what was the sound of their daily life? How was daily life different based on their class, gender, skin color, orientation? What were their marriage customs, their schooling, their death ceremonies? How can we recognize ourselves in that long line from their time to ours?
Of course, there are great benefits to writing about famous historical personages – for one thing, it's an easy shorthand for readers, a quick way to entice them into reading about a time period. It also affords writers a great starting point - the sketch of a character and plot to flesh out or refute with your own take. It's just not where my heart lies.
So, what do you think? Do you prefer to read about famous historical people? If you write Historical Fiction, do you find writing real historical people is easier or harder? Is it even an either/or construction?
Check out what Heather Domin and Rima Jean have to say on this topic!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Guest Post: R.L. Jean and Historical Adventure
R.L. (Rima) Jean is the author of The Noble Pirates.
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
History is chock-full of unbelievable stories. I’ve always been surprised that so little of the real adventures are used in historical fiction; oftentimes, authors feel the need to invent complicated plots to create a compelling story. But the truth is, sifting through the history books will open your eyes to some of the most amazing adventures out there.
Naturally, not every writer of historical fiction wants to dig around for these hidden gems; I attribute my tendency to “dig” to my archaeology degree. Most of my stories revolve around little-known personages who actually existed and had lives that are perfect fodder for good adventure stories.
In writing historical adventure, I also try and find sources in the modern world that reflect how things were in the era of my choosing. This includes talking to people of similar occupations to my characters (sailors, soldiers, etc). One of the greatest resources to me has been historical re-enactments. By watching a re-enactment, or speaking to a seasoned re-enactor, I am able to really get a feel of what life was like, and how people of the time behaved in dangerous situations.
One of the trickiest parts, for me, is understanding how people of a completely different time period dealt with imminent danger, with how those peoples felt about life and death. Their lives were shorter, and their loved ones often died prematurely from illness. To them, “adventure” was far more about surviving from day to day than it is now, that’s for sure. There was no romance in it, for the most part, and they expected the worst.
Many of the answers can be found through careful research. As I said before, history lends itself to creating fictional adventures. After all, truth is often stranger than fiction.
Check out my take over at Heather's blog, and Heather's post at Rima's blog.
Next week, we'll talk about the benefits and challenges of writing real historical personages.
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
History is chock-full of unbelievable stories. I’ve always been surprised that so little of the real adventures are used in historical fiction; oftentimes, authors feel the need to invent complicated plots to create a compelling story. But the truth is, sifting through the history books will open your eyes to some of the most amazing adventures out there.
Naturally, not every writer of historical fiction wants to dig around for these hidden gems; I attribute my tendency to “dig” to my archaeology degree. Most of my stories revolve around little-known personages who actually existed and had lives that are perfect fodder for good adventure stories.
In writing historical adventure, I also try and find sources in the modern world that reflect how things were in the era of my choosing. This includes talking to people of similar occupations to my characters (sailors, soldiers, etc). One of the greatest resources to me has been historical re-enactments. By watching a re-enactment, or speaking to a seasoned re-enactor, I am able to really get a feel of what life was like, and how people of the time behaved in dangerous situations.
One of the trickiest parts, for me, is understanding how people of a completely different time period dealt with imminent danger, with how those peoples felt about life and death. Their lives were shorter, and their loved ones often died prematurely from illness. To them, “adventure” was far more about surviving from day to day than it is now, that’s for sure. There was no romance in it, for the most part, and they expected the worst.
Many of the answers can be found through careful research. As I said before, history lends itself to creating fictional adventures. After all, truth is often stranger than fiction.
Check out my take over at Heather's blog, and Heather's post at Rima's blog.
Next week, we'll talk about the benefits and challenges of writing real historical personages.
Interview with PC Wheeler
Good morning! The lovely PC Wheeler has interviewed me over at her blog Tea & Magic. Check it out!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Guest Posting over at Reading the Past!
I'm super excited to let you guys know that I'm guest posting over at Sarah Johnson's awesome blog Reading the Past. She was kind enough to let me blather on about a sense of place in historical fiction. Check it out, and make sure you read through her blog - she is, after all, a leading authority on the topic! Historical Fiction: A Guide to the Genre and Historical Fiction II: A Guide to the Genre
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Guest Blogger: Heather Domin and Augustan Rome
See the intro post for more information on this blog series!
My novel The Soldier of Raetia is set in the year 10 BCE, smack dab in the middle of the Augustan period. The first act takes place in Rome, but then the setting moves to the border province of Raetia. Why did I choose to write about this time and these places? The long answer is: rekindling old loves, the chance for more research, and the comfort of indulging in pure fun. The short answer is: laziness.
The initial idea came to me as a quickie short piece, nothing less shallow than "hot Roman soldiers in love", without need for a bigger picture. I've been a fan of Ancient Rome since I was a little girl, but I had never set a story there (Greece and Troy, yes, but not Rome), and I thought it was time to correct that. But pretty soon the characters were expanding in my head like armor-wearing Magic Grow Capsules, and I realized I had a much longer and more complex story on my hands — maybe even enough for A Serious Novel! gasp! — and so I said what the hell and decided to try a full-length novel after a lifetime of novellas and short pieces. In order to spin a decent plot, I was going to have to nail down the setting to a specific time and place. Time to put that Classics minor to use!
But with 1000 years and half a planet of geography to choose from, where would I settle down? After reading through the contents of my Roman bookshelf, I decided to go with the reign of Augustus, that pause between Republic and Empire when things were relatively simple and I wouldn't have to juggle too many current events at once. I knew a bit about that time period already, and what I didn't know I would enjoy researching.
The more I got to know Valerian, the more I knew he was an Augustan kind of guy. As for setting, I definitely wanted to get out on the frontier (all the better to write big battle scenes, my dear), so I decided to go for Germany, because I wanted to use my memories of the scenery there. I love Germany and the German people, and I thought a fictional Germanic tribe would make honorable and sympathetic antagonists instead of some generic barking savages. But I am greedy, and I wanted to spend time in Rome, too — so I tweaked the outline to make that possible. Next I couldn't decide whether to write a genre-specific romance novel or go for a straight (har har) coming-of-age story with no erotic content — and then I thought, why should I have to choose?
If I was going to do this, I was going to do it with both barrels, and I was going pour in as many things I love as possible until I had the kind of novel that I would want to read. Ancient Rome, the forests of Germany, blood-sweat-and-tears, and a bloody battle scene or two — those are all things I love. I couldn't think of a better backdrop for the love story I wanted to tell.
So in the end, my choices for time and setting were a mix of "write what you know", "write what you love", and "write what you would want to read". There was also the laziness of staying within my comfort zone, because I was already taking a big step outside of another comfort zone by writing A Serious Novel! and sharing it with the big bad world. I knew the result would be something not easily categorized and not publishable in the current historical fiction market, but I didn't care, and I knew there were plenty of people like me out there who didn't care either. This novel is for them.
Check out Rima's thoughts on setting her book in the Caribbean in the 18th century over in Heather's blog, and my post on 12th century Burgundy at Rima's blog.
Next week, we'll tackle Writing Historical Adventure.
My novel The Soldier of Raetia is set in the year 10 BCE, smack dab in the middle of the Augustan period. The first act takes place in Rome, but then the setting moves to the border province of Raetia. Why did I choose to write about this time and these places? The long answer is: rekindling old loves, the chance for more research, and the comfort of indulging in pure fun. The short answer is: laziness.
The initial idea came to me as a quickie short piece, nothing less shallow than "hot Roman soldiers in love", without need for a bigger picture. I've been a fan of Ancient Rome since I was a little girl, but I had never set a story there (Greece and Troy, yes, but not Rome), and I thought it was time to correct that. But pretty soon the characters were expanding in my head like armor-wearing Magic Grow Capsules, and I realized I had a much longer and more complex story on my hands — maybe even enough for A Serious Novel! gasp! — and so I said what the hell and decided to try a full-length novel after a lifetime of novellas and short pieces. In order to spin a decent plot, I was going to have to nail down the setting to a specific time and place. Time to put that Classics minor to use!
But with 1000 years and half a planet of geography to choose from, where would I settle down? After reading through the contents of my Roman bookshelf, I decided to go with the reign of Augustus, that pause between Republic and Empire when things were relatively simple and I wouldn't have to juggle too many current events at once. I knew a bit about that time period already, and what I didn't know I would enjoy researching.
The more I got to know Valerian, the more I knew he was an Augustan kind of guy. As for setting, I definitely wanted to get out on the frontier (all the better to write big battle scenes, my dear), so I decided to go for Germany, because I wanted to use my memories of the scenery there. I love Germany and the German people, and I thought a fictional Germanic tribe would make honorable and sympathetic antagonists instead of some generic barking savages. But I am greedy, and I wanted to spend time in Rome, too — so I tweaked the outline to make that possible. Next I couldn't decide whether to write a genre-specific romance novel or go for a straight (har har) coming-of-age story with no erotic content — and then I thought, why should I have to choose?
If I was going to do this, I was going to do it with both barrels, and I was going pour in as many things I love as possible until I had the kind of novel that I would want to read. Ancient Rome, the forests of Germany, blood-sweat-and-tears, and a bloody battle scene or two — those are all things I love. I couldn't think of a better backdrop for the love story I wanted to tell.
So in the end, my choices for time and setting were a mix of "write what you know", "write what you love", and "write what you would want to read". There was also the laziness of staying within my comfort zone, because I was already taking a big step outside of another comfort zone by writing A Serious Novel! and sharing it with the big bad world. I knew the result would be something not easily categorized and not publishable in the current historical fiction market, but I didn't care, and I knew there were plenty of people like me out there who didn't care either. This novel is for them.
Check out Rima's thoughts on setting her book in the Caribbean in the 18th century over in Heather's blog, and my post on 12th century Burgundy at Rima's blog.
Next week, we'll tackle Writing Historical Adventure.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
There's More to Historical Fiction Than the Tudors
Historical Fiction. Makes you think of Tudors, doesn't it? Or maybe (yet another) Jane Austen pastiche. Or perhaps one of the many novels that set out to repair or resuscitate the honor/memory/perception of a range of Anglo-Norman kings or queens*. There's more to historical fiction than this, though. Right?
Yep.
There is so much variety and vigor in the Historical Fiction field, from non-hetero romance to timeslip to real-life pirates and beyond. Our goal over the coming months is to introduce you to Historical Fiction that isn't necessarily in the mainstream – and to convince you to put down that book about the Tudors and try something different.
So, who is "we"? Well, it's me, Heather Domin, and R.L. (Rima) Jean – three women who have unique approaches to Historical Fiction, as well as strong opinions about writing, history, and publishing.
We will be covering a multitude of Historical Fiction topics, guest-blogging in each other's blogs, mixing it up with some podcasts as well.
Every week, we'll cover topics ranging from writing historical adventure, offbeat protagonists, historical research – even a director's track commentary on our novels.
Plus, all blog commenters will be included in a sweepstakes to win copies of our books – The Pilgrim Glass, The Soldier of Raetia, and The Noble Pirates – in early April.
So come on back tomorrow, when Heather will be talking here about why she chose to set her novel in Augustan Rome.
ALSO! Check out the introductory pieces posted by Rima and Heather. Great stuff!
*Not that there's anything wrong with these trends in Historical Fiction. They're incredibly popular, and for a reason. They're just not all that there is.
Yep.
There is so much variety and vigor in the Historical Fiction field, from non-hetero romance to timeslip to real-life pirates and beyond. Our goal over the coming months is to introduce you to Historical Fiction that isn't necessarily in the mainstream – and to convince you to put down that book about the Tudors and try something different.
So, who is "we"? Well, it's me, Heather Domin, and R.L. (Rima) Jean – three women who have unique approaches to Historical Fiction, as well as strong opinions about writing, history, and publishing.
We will be covering a multitude of Historical Fiction topics, guest-blogging in each other's blogs, mixing it up with some podcasts as well.
Every week, we'll cover topics ranging from writing historical adventure, offbeat protagonists, historical research – even a director's track commentary on our novels.
Plus, all blog commenters will be included in a sweepstakes to win copies of our books – The Pilgrim Glass, The Soldier of Raetia, and The Noble Pirates – in early April.
So come on back tomorrow, when Heather will be talking here about why she chose to set her novel in Augustan Rome.
ALSO! Check out the introductory pieces posted by Rima and Heather. Great stuff!
*Not that there's anything wrong with these trends in Historical Fiction. They're incredibly popular, and for a reason. They're just not all that there is.
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