Today is "My Writing Process" blog tour day, when authors answer questions about their writing process. Last week, fellow author Debra
Brown posted hers. You can check it out at: http://authordebrabrown.blogspot.com/
Debra writes Regency novels – I loved her first book TheCompanion of Lady Holmeshire:
Many thanks for the invitation, Debbie. Here goes.
So, what is my
writing process?
I write four days a week, leaving
the weekend free for research and leisure, or that is the plan anyway. I am often distracted by other things. First
thing in the morning I answer emails, catch up with my online readers and
fellow authors. Social networking plays a huge part in book marketing so it may
look like play but in actual fact is me hard at work. Then, after coffee, I
settle down to write. I aim to add five thousand words a day, sometimes I
manage that, sometimes not but it is a good goal to have. One of the main
things an author needs, apart from being able to spell, is self-discipline.
Once I have done that I usually retire to the sofa or, if the sun is shining, to the garden to plan an
outline for the following day. I am lucky. I have a lovely study that looks out
across a garden full of flowers and birds to the welsh countryside beyond. Sometimes the only person I see all day is the postman. I
think I have the best job in the world.
What am I working on?
A historical novel called
Intractable Heart which is the story of Henry VIII’s last wife, Katheryn Parr. It
is my sixth full length historical novel and my third set in Tudor England.
Katheryn is not as popular as Anne Boleyn whom I featured in my last release, The
Kiss of the Concubine but my research is revealing a fascinating woman.
Her story has conflict, war, grief, terror, as well as some 'lurve.' Her story is so interesting that I am glad to
wake up in the morning and get started.
How does my work
differ from others of its genre?
Some of the most frequent recurring
words in Amazon reviews on my work are ‘different’ ‘refreshing,’ and ‘new perspective.’ I write in
the first person, which helps me to strip away the magnificent clothes and
jewels and reveal the woman beneath. I think long and hard how it must have
felt to marry a man like Henry. A man very much older than oneself (to
illustrate the generation gap; Katherine was named after Henry’s first wife
Katherine of Aragon), and a man who had already disposed of five wives. Henry
was increasingly ill, increasingly erratic and Katheryn was in love with
another man, Thomas Seymour. She must
have been close to despair on her wedding day. This sort of dilemma is a re-occurring
one in Tudor women’s history, and I love to write about it.
Why do I write what I
do?
When I first began to write I was advised to stick to what I know and keep to a setting where I am comfortable'. I am
far more at home in Tudor England than I am in the modern world. I wouldn’t
have a clue what goes on in a modern office, and I am not up to date with all
the gadgetry that is essential to contemporary life. I have a master’s degree
in Medieval Studies so it seemed natural to write historical novels, especially
as that is my genre of choice as a reader. When I first began to write
seriously I set my novels in the early medieval period. It was constant
requests from readers that prompted me try out a Tudor one and it was a good
decision. My career has really taken off since I wrote The Winchester Goose.
How does your writing
process work?
The ideas for most of my books have
germinated during research for the previous one. For instance, when I was writing
The Winchester Goose I came across an article about how Anne Boleyn has
been seriously misrepresented by novelists – I read a few of the novels cited
in the article and decided she had been maligned rather than just misrepresented. When
I wrote The Kiss of the Concubine I made sure I presented her as neither a
witch nor a scheming whore. She is a woman in a difficult situation, in love
with a difficult man. While I was writing The Kiss of the Concubine I read an article about Katheryn
Parr and was surprised to discover how interesting she was. Katheryn was a
devout, intelligent and educated woman, the first English queen to become a
published author. That is how Intractable Heart was conceived.
Next week the following three authors will be telling you
about their writing process:
Karen Aminadra : http://karenaminadrablog.wordpress.com/
Caroline Storer: http://carolinestorer.blogspot.co.uk/
Rachael Thomas: http://rachael-thomas.blogspot.co.uk/
All my books are available in paperback and on Kindle. My amazon page is here.
For more information please visit my webpage: www.juditharnopp.com
Ohhh. A Master's degree in Medieval studies! Fabulous. I bet you loved every minute of that! Great blog, Judith. Your writing day sounds idilic. Katherine Parr sounds like an interesting lady, and as you say, not one we often think about. Good luck with her story. Caroline xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Caroline, I can barely tear myself away from Katherine Parr at the moment. Good luck with your own new release.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Judith and I can't wait to read Intractable Heart!
ReplyDeleteHi Judith, I'm excited to learn that you are writing about Katherine Parr. She interests me more than the other wives, perhaps because she knew what she was getting and had to face up to it, and because she managed to survive the man despite the antics of his ministers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind mention of Companion!
Judith very glad to know about your books, would love to read them and hope they become available in Mexico soon on kindle edition.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a lovely blog Judith, I loved the Kiss of the Concubine and can't wait to read Katheryn's story.
ReplyDelete