LIFE BEFORE GOODREADS...

Recently, on Twitter, I noticed the hashtag #Goodreads trending and was surprised to discover a debate raging about the pros and cons of the site. For those yet to discover Goodreads, it is a social media platform established in 2007 for book lovers to catalogue, share and review books. Today it is owned by Amazon and is the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations.

Back to the debate, and though some readers confessed to finding the platform clunky to navigate, for the most part bookworms seemed happy with what Goodreads has to offer. They find it informative (number of pages per book, genre, release dates), great for goal setting (e.g. committing to reading X number of books per year), a useful way of finding new authors, as well as a practical way of tracking books read.

Conversely, authors expressed frustration with the Goodreads star rating system, complaining that it is a blunt instrument only offering an overall rating for a book, rather than for specific elements of writing - character development, setting, dialogue, pace etc...

I have been a member of Goodreads since August 2014 but confess to mostly using it to note books reads and discover new authors/reads, rather than using it to engage with other bookworms. And this got me thinking about life before Goodreads and the notebook I used, and still use, to log my reading.

Years ago, during a rainy afternoon spent with my Granny, I began rummaging in her cupboards to help pass the time and came across an empty jotter with an index running down one side. There is a crown on the front and is says Supplied for Public Service HMSO Code 28-610. Granny had no idea where it came from. I asked if I could keep it to record books read and being at that stage in life when she was considering downsizing, she was grateful to have it taken off her hands. I can't remember if I began using it immediately, but the first entries date back to 1988 when I was still working my way through Agatha Christie and Maeve Binchy, before moving on to my John Grisham phase. A quick Google search reveals that HMSO stood for Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

As I flick through the notebook, the books I've read are like old friends reminding me of days spent on beach loungers in my twenties; time off work due to a small operation on my foot; many many hours plonked on the sofa breast-feeding. The memories roll on.

Last Sunday, as I settled to watch the TV adaptation of David Nicholls brilliant novel, Us, only a couple of minutes in and I was certain I'd read it. A quick check of Granny's notebook and there was the proof - finished reading Us on 20th April, 2015.

I have no problem with Goodreads, but will never give up on my precious notebook, as it's a link to my lovely, patient Granny, who not only spent endless hours listening to my stories but also encouraged me to write.

So, do you keep a record of books read? And if so, how? Do you love (or detest) Goodreads?

Until next time, whichever books you choose - happy reading!

Rae x

 

LEARNING FROM THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF OTHERS by Victoria Cornwall

'Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life: & it ought not to be.'

Poet Laureate

Robert Southey

 Letter to Charlotte Brontë.

At the beginning of her writing career, Charlotte Bronte sent copies of her verses to the poet laureate, Robert Southey, for his feedback. His harsh assessment, quoted above, must have been painful to read, but the path to publication is often littered with criticism and rejection, a lesson Charlotte was about to find out.

It was not until May, 1846, when she joined forces with her sisters, Anne and Emily, did Charlotte finally see her poems in print. However the momentous day came at a cost, both financially and emotionally. Although the verses were published by Aylott and Jones, Charlotte and her sisters had to use their inheritance from an aunt to pay the expense of publication. Yes, they self-published! They would not have the joy of seeing their names on the cover as they felt it necessary to use male pseudonyms to avoid discrimination based on their gender.

Following this, Charlotte and her sisters tried to have their novels published. Charlotte's first novel, The Professor, was repeatedly rejected. It would be published later, but not until after her death. Her second attempt, a novel called Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, was more successful and was finally published in October, 1847. Once again Charlotte used her male pseudonym of Currer Bell. It went on to become a best-seller. Following its success, Charlotte finally revealed herself as the writer. I wonder if she recalled Robert Southey's harsh words as she walked into her publisher's office to introduce herself as the author.

There are many stories relating to an author's bumpy journey to publication. The international best seller, Stephen King supposedly nailed his rejection letters to a wall, replacing it with a spike when it could no longer cope with holding them. It would take six years of rejection letters before his first short story was published. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected thirty times, but eventually went on to sell over a million copies. King takes us on his painful writing journey in his memoirs and writing tips, Stephen King On Writing and, like many writers, it took him many years to be an overnight success.

Through her detailed and technically accurate illustrations, Beatrix Potter became a scientific illustrator long before her fiction career took off. Her first work of fiction, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, was initially less successful and turned down my several publishers. Determined to see it in print, Potter felt compelled to publish it herself. A traditional publisher finally took it on and published it in 1902 on the agreement that Potter would replace the black and white illustrations with coloured ones. Needless to say, The Tale of Peter Rabbit and her subsequent books, quickly became children's classics.

Agatha Christie is world famous for her detective novels, but her quest to be published was as difficult to solve as the majority of her crime novels. Magazines rejected all of her early short story submissions and her first novel, Snow Upon the Desert in Cairo, also received the same fate. Hercule Poirot, the detective who feature in so many of her novels, finally came to her rescue. His first appearance in The Mysterious Affair at Styles was initially rejected, but the manuscript finally found a home with John Lane at The Bodley and was published in 1920. Christie went on to write  66 detective novels, 14 short story collections, the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, and (under the pen name Mary Westmacott), six romances.

So what can we learn from these successful writers? I think H.G.Wells sums it up very well.

The only true measure of success is

the ratio between what we might have done and what we might have been

on the one hand

and

the thing we have made and the things we have made of ourselves

on the other hand.

H.G.Wells

In other words, keep going and keep improving ... and you will be more successful than if you didn't try. It is a valuable life lesson to learn, whichever path we choose to tread.

In April, I celebrated the publication of my fifth novel, Daughter of the House. Were my first attempts at being a published author initially rejected? Yes, several times! Those rejections crushed me and I nearly gave up writing, however today they are just distant memories of an experience I once had ... an experience shared by many of the bestselling writers of our time. My conclusion is that I am in good company and the challenges we face are nothing to be ashamed of.

Fiction by Victoria Cornwall.

By

Victoria Cornwall

TERRY LYNN THOMAS WITH THE SILENT WOMAN

Today we continue with our Question and Answer series, introducing a Novel Points of View author and their writing. I’m delighted that it’s the turn of our American team member, Terry Lynn Thomas and her historical fiction novel The Silent Woman.

Hello Terry,

Let's begin with a little teaser of what readers can expect in The Silent Woman… 

Would you sell your secrets?

Catherine Carlisle is trapped in a loveless marriage and the threat of World War Two is looming. She sees no way out… that is until a trusted friend asks her to switch her husband’s papers in a desperate bid to confuse the Germans.

Soon Catherine finds herself caught up in a deadly mixture of espionage and murder. Someone is selling secrets to the other side, and the evidence seems to point right at her.

Can she clear her name before it’s too late?

1) Where did the inspiration for Cat’s character come from?

When I set out to write this series, I knew that I wanted a protagonist who was older and who lived outside the conventions of society. In The Silent Woman, when Cat is a suspect in her husband’s murder, she set herself up to be shunned by her friends and the social circles in which she runs. I spend a lot of time reading mysteries and fiction from the 1930s and 1940s, and I’m always taken aback by the way women are expected to take a certain subservient place in society. Even the most forward thinking people expect the woman to bow to her husband, not have a job, and not be too smart. I deliberately set out to shine the light on those issues, so I created Catherine Carlisle who is outspoken, sassy, sophisticated, intuitive, and — most importantly — doesn’t like to be told what to do. This sets the table for drama and turmoil surrounding her. The upside of Cat’s character is her commitment to helping others who are not as fortunate, be they man, woman, child, or animal. She really does have a soft spot.

I’m looking forward to letting Cat age through this series as well. Many writers leave their protagonists around the same age during the course and scope of their stories, but I’m going to let Cat grow old. This will allow me to explore social/economic conditions during and after World War II. I’m hoping to fashion her after the great spinster detectives of the past, namely Miss Silver and Miss Marple.

2) What drew you to this particular period, before the outbreak of WW2, when the powers that be choose to ignore Hitler’s flagrant violation of the Treaty of Versailles?

First of all, my father fought in World War II, so I have a soft spot for his generation. I also appreciate that during this time the people were united — and made sacrifices — to fight for freedom. I think a lot of things are happening now in the socio-political environment that we don’t know about. This is a scary time for the world in my view. And I don’t mean to sound trite, but the lessons of history are so important. I have a passion for politics, but the topic is so incendiary at this time that it’s difficult to have a cohesive conversation with anyone with whom you share a different point of view. This time period—long past—lets me explore issues that are relevant today without offending anyone. (True confession: I also love the clothes and the music.)

First in the Sarah Bennett Series

3) Compared to your Sarah Bennett mystery series, how much easier was it to research life in London in the 1930s? How do you prefer to conduct your research?

The Sarah Bennett mysteries were really easy to research because I lived and worked in San Francisco for a good portion of my life. My parents lived in the city, so I had stories handed down about the time. It was really easy for me to feel the vibe of San Francisco during the 1940s.

As for hands-on research, I read novels of the time, watch movies, plow through newspapers for nuggets, and let my imagination go wild. The secret is to gather all the historical data regarding day-to-day living, and then sprinkle it in with a light hand. It’s really important to be mindful of the reader in this regard. I don’t want to info bomb with historical facts and take away from the story. After I’m finished researching, my mind and my research binder are full of a lot of information that I will not use. It’s important to keep the research and history that I’ve learned relevant to the story.

4) What drew you to include characters with an interest in art?

I think I’m a frustrated artist. Someone once asked me if I could have any job in the world what would it be, and of course I said writing. But when I stepped away and thought about it for a while I realized how much I would love to get on a scaffold and restore works of art like the Sistine Chapel. So having characters in my books who are struggling artists is sort of a metaphor for me as a writer, and it also lets me explore my passion to create. I noodle around with pastel crayons. The result is horrible, but the process is very relaxing. At the end of the day, I love all forms of art and am inspired by those gifted with the ability to create it.

5) Which authors inspire your writing? Which books might we find on your beside table?

My favourite book by a living author is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. The story encapsulates all the things that make a story great for me: Gothic tropes, a love story, a mystery, superior sentences, and a twisty plot. I also love the way the author sets the book in a period before society was taken over by electronics, but she doesn’t specifically tells us when this is. It gives the book a haunting timelessness.

I re-read all the books by Agatha Christie (especially Miss Marple and the Beresfords), Patricia

Author, Terry Lynn Thomas

Wentworth, and (another author who is still alive) the Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn. I also love Susanna Kearsley, Rosamund Pilcher, and Maeve Binchey. I could keep going… My to-be-read pile is toppling. So many books. So little time. Since I broke my arm, I’ve been binge listening to audio books. I just listened to When Never Comes by Barbara Davis. It is rocking the best seller lists for good reason.

6) A little teaser about book two?

My writing came to a grinding halt after I broke my arm, but I am now mastering Dragon Naturally Speaking software and am dictating! I will tell you that Cat Carlisle just cannot seem to stay out of trouble. Can’t really say much more at this point, but followers of The Novel Points of View will be first to know developments about this book.

Thanks for hosting me, Rae.

You're very welcome, Terry. Thanks for providing us with an interesting insight into the inspiration for The Silent Woman and we look forward to following Cat's journey.

Join us next time when author and short story writer, Linda Mitchelmore will be in the spotlight.

Until then, happy reading!
Rae x

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