The Great Scrivener Debate

Hands up if you’ve used Scrivener.

(Barely raises hand)

Starting a new novel is always exciting. I’m writing my fifth historical now, and I’ve never used Scrivener. I always tell myself… next time. Next time I’ll use it, figure it out, give it a try! Now that “next time” is here, and guess what? I gave up in like 2-seconds flat. Actually, it was after two days.

I’ve been researching the content for my novel for weeks! I’m sick to death of the research, I have to tell you. I have my outline done. I even did something new (to me) and wrote out an entire chapter timeline on butcher paper and marked all the major events. It’s a roll of paper and I hooked it on a hanger and have it hanging in my kitchen on the sliding door curtain rod. I’d show you, but then I’d have to kill you because all my novel’s juicy bits are on there. But I look at it every day, and remind myself… this is what I’m following.

But back to Scrivener. I registered for the free 30-day trial. 30. Days. That is pretty generous, I think. Anyway, my first mistake was sitting down to figure it out the moment I was ready to start drafting chapters. Silly rabbit!

I found it awkward to navigate, but in the same breath I watched the tutorial videos and… WOW! There are a lot of handy features. The notecards look like an amazing feature. If only I can figure out how to use them myself. Or even start a new chapter after I click the scene tab.

Perhaps I’m just resistant to change? I am pretty set in my ways. My desk is full of notebooks, and when I can’t reach one, I scratch ideas on napkins, sticky notes and even on the back of envelopes (I love to write ideas on bills). I’ve created a messy filing system that up until now has served me well.

(Not my real desk, but pretty close)

But I know there is a better way, and maybe Scrivener is the answer. According to the tutorials, Scrivener takes all these note scratches, research, outlines, character sketches and all the rest of it and complies it into a nice digital notebook. Wouldn't that be nice?

I’m giving it another try this weekend.

Have you used it? What was your experience?

The Joy of Research (or not)

Research.

Usually, my research starts after I’ve had an idea for a book. My work in progress happened the other way around. I was doing research for The Girls from the Beach (out this July), when I came across an unrelated article that has since culminated into an entire separate book!

This was unexpected and exciting for sure!

But let’s talk about what research is really like. Research is both inspiring and exhausting! It really is. If you don’t watch yourself, you can fall down that archive rabbit hole and never come out! Well, eventually you do, but whether or not you are now armed with the research you need to write your book, or bogged down with so much information and more ideas than you can handle, is another thing.

Though, it’s not all papercuts and mad-scientist hair. Research can also reveal some pretty awesome things and leave you laughing like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, and that, my friends, is when I love it the most.

Because I don’t want to give spoilers about my July release, I’m going to talk about the research I did for my debut novel, The Girl I Left Behind. When doing research for this book, I found something so awesome, I obsessed about it for days until I figured out a way to put it in the novel.

The Girl I Left Behind is a story about a young woman swept into the youth German Resistance in Nuremberg, 1941. When I started this book in 2009, there was an average amount of information on the internet and at my library about the youth resistance, but I knew I needed to go to the source and ask questions—I needed to ask Germans in Germany. I knew that Germans were reluctant to talk about this dark period of their history, so I looked up businesses in an around the areas my characters found themselves.

I figured that if they had a section on their website about their shop’s history (which several did—mostly about the building’s history throughout the ages) they might reply to an email. Some got back to me; some did not. The Korn und Berg bookstore was one who wrote back. The email was written in English, and they apologized for their English and the time it took to get back to me, but they wanted to make sure they translated properly.

(Literally my face while reading the email)

They told me that during a Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Hitler noticed the windows of the Korn und Berg bookstore and he didn’t like the shape! He broke away from his entourage, walked right into the store and demanded the owner change them out. The owner wasn’t a supporter of the Party, and I could only imagine how that scene played out, with Hitler throwing open the front door amidst a clang of bells, stomping past all the books and slamming his fist on the counter, shocking a very nervous bookstore owner. Glass was very expensive during that time, and the owner was ordered to fund these changes himself, or risk punishment. Oh, you better believe I included this little gem in my story.

My writer friend, Marie O’Halloran, is always telling me about the crazy things she finds out during her research, so I asked if she’d share some of that with me today.

Hi Marie! Thank you for talking with me today. First, what do you write?

I write crime thrillers, psychological thrillers and police procedurals. I have also tackled a police comedy, think Fr Ted meets Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Once you have an idea, what is your first step towards research?

I usually let the idea roll around in my brain for a little while and let the scene unfold. Then start writing and research as I go. For my psychological thriller set on the Wild Atlantic Way in Dingle, Co, Kerry Ireland, I was able to visit and spend time there. This really adds to the authenticity of the writing once you can immerse all your sense in a place. If you’re not able to visit the location try to get an idea what other peoples’ sense of the place was. A librarian friend of mine suggested using a resource like TripAdvisor. For my gangland thrillers, I don’t have to look far. They are set in Ireland with everything within a few hours’ journey away. There are also ready resources available in news reports, documentaries and newspaper articles. Even though I’ve spent over two decades in the police force and while that aspect of writing procedurals means I have less to research, I still have to double-check some procedures to ensure I too am accurate in how I reflect the scenario. A lot is available through an internet search but I have the extra skill to interpret them and allow them to play out on the page.

Which book have you most enjoyed researching?

My psychological thriller, because I adore the West of Ireland, especially Dingle, and it gave me a really good excuse to spend more time there.

During your research, was there anything that blew your socks off, and couldn't believe?

While researching for a police procedural about human trafficking between Dublin, Ireland and Haiti, I ended up seeking the advice from the Deputy State Pathologist. She was so generous with her information and time. It really did blow my socks off that I was on the phone chatting with her about neurotoxins and Haitian Vodou. It also struck me how generous professions are, in general, when talking about their jobs. It never hurts to ask. For my psychological thriller I got a behind-the-scenes tour of Dingle Distillery as their location, Whiskey and Gin are included in my book. I also had the pleasure of taking the main tour which included tasting. It was very difficult to read my notes taken after the consumption of their tasty product.

What is the craziest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

I could tell you but I’d have to kill you.

😱 Marie writes as Casey King, and you can follow her on Twitter @letstalkcrime.

Research is the joy and splinter of my writing. I love it, but sometimes it feels so tedious. I once spent an hour verifying that Dorothea is a popular name for Italian women in New Jersey over 90 years old. That took a few K-cups of coffee to get through. But it’s the gems, those little nuggets of information you stumble upon that shine up and make it all worth it.

What interesting things have you found during your research? I’d love to know…

Andie

EDITING IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS – Escape to Moniack Mhor

As the days grow shorter, it’s time for some hard-core writing to be done. I have the guts of a novel in place and yet I’d reached a stage where I felt publication might forever be beyond my grasp. The ogre of doubt who leans heavily on my shoulder was growing louder … Your writing’s not good enough. What are you doing? You should find a proper job. What was needed was some focused time, away from family distractions, with others who understand this crazy urge to keep tapping away no matter what. So I set off for Moniack Mhor …

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT MONIACK MHOR?

Located high in the Scottish mountains near Inverness, it’s a writing retreat I’ve been lucky enough to visit a couple of times. Whilst the vistas it offers are awesome (sorry – I’ve spent the summer with teenagers), the peaceful location makes the wider world seem distant, making it easier to concentrate on writing.

The Hobbit House where workshops take place

THE DREAM TEAM

But the main reason I chose this particular retreat was because of the opportunity to learn from two fabulous tutors. Nathan Filer’s debut novel, The Shock of the Fall, became an award-winning bestseller. A multi-talented writer, he also tutors at Bath Spa University.  His latest non-fiction book, The Heartland: Finding and LosingSchizophrenia, quashes myths, offering a fresh perspective on mental health.

Whilst Francesca Main, editor and associate publisher with a list of bestselling fiction and non-fiction titles at Picador - including Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist, Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt, as well as Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce – was someone I knew I would learn from.

Nathan Filer and Francesca Main - our tutors - the Dream Team

WHAT DID WE DO?

The weekend opened with some meditation before we moved outdoors to write a personal reflective piece. Being a part-time yogi (I practice when I remember), I loved that mediation could help writers, or anyone, access thoughts that might otherwise remain stubbornly out of reach. It’s definitely a practice I will use again.

The next two days followed a set pattern, optional workshops in the morning examining character and structure, followed by one-to-one tutor feedback with time to write in the afternoon.

The quirky inside of the Hobbit House

READY, STEADY ... COOK

As well as learning and writing at Moniack Mhor, participants are also expected to help prepare dinner – during which there was so much laughter that it was a minor miracle that a tasty meal for seventeen was served. A highlight of the weekend was when the skirl of bagpipes announced the arrival of the haggis, which was ceremonially carried to the table, addressed then toasted with a tot of whisky.

Addressing the haggis

Hmm - Cranachan, made using cream with a dash of whisky

NEXT STEPS …

Nathan and Francesca’s generous sharing of their expertise has helped bolster my shaky confidence. It’s now time to put their editing tips into practice.

Our final evening before we take our next steps ...

WHERE IS MY OGRE NOW?

And my ogre of doubt - he opted to stay in the Scottish Highlands. Let’s hope he takes up residence there, leaving me in peace for a while!

An early morning farewell to Moniack Mhor

So how do you control your pesky ogre? I’d love to know …

Happy autumn,

Rae x

WHAT DO YOU CALL A MAN WITH NO NAME? by Victoria Cornwall

I am one of those writers who prefers to plot out a novel before I begin to write. It stops me from going down an avenue that I can't get out off, going off piste or forgetting where I am in the story if I take a short break. I felt confident in this foolproof method ... until I wrote The Daughter of River Valley.

Despite plotting the story, I soon discovered I had a major problem I did not plan for. I was only a few pages in at the time and I knew I had several hundred to go before the problem would be solved. "What on earth was the problem?" I hear you ask.

At the beginning of the story Beth Jago, the feisty heroine, finds an intruder in her home. Acting on instinct, she does what any feisty gal would do, she knocks him out with a frying pan. The intruder, which just happens to be our handsome hero, soon regains consciousness, but it quickly becomes apparent that he is very unwell and has no clue who he is. He has lost his memory, cannot recall why he is in Beth's house and, more importantly, who he is. Yes, that's right, he has forgotten his name.

This is the main thrust of the story. Who is this intruder? Will he die? Will Beth be arrested for murder? Should Beth care for him until he recovers? Can she trust him? Is he as dangerous as his nightmares suggest?

So I was happily typing away when I came up with my first problem, namely what do I call him if I don't want to reveal who he really is? Each time he spoke I couldn't simply tag his words with his name, so I had to resort to typing the man/stranger/intruder.  There was a limit to how many times I could use said the man or the man replied. I feared that using the man might form a barrier between the reader and the character and I certainly didn't have the energy (or motivation) to use it for several hundred pages. It's difficult to feel as if you are getting to know someone if you don't even know their name. What was I to do? Simple ... let one of the characters give him a temporary name, thought I.

A temporary name seemed the perfect solution, but even this has its pitfalls. There is the risk of the reader bonding with a character who has one name, then feeling a little disconnected when it is finally revealed what he is really called. Imagine reading Pride and Prejudice, you have bonded with Elizabeth, the heroine, for several hundred pages, yet towards the end of the book you discover she is called Annabelle. There is a slight disconnect, a feeling she is not exactly the same woman you have accompanied through the novel. It was something I wanted to avoid, yet it seemed impossible not to.

So it was a conundrum. How did I solve it? You will have to read The Daughter of River Valley to find out, but the first thing I had to do was go back to the drawing board and re-plot parts of the story. Will I write another story which involves memory loss? I don't plan to, but you know what they say ... the best laid plans ...

The Daughter of River Valley is available in the following formats:-

Paperback 

Audiobook download

Ebook

CD Audiobook

Victoria Cornwall

WRITING OUT OF SEASON by Victoria Cornwall

I've lost count how many times I've written a scene describing the season in some way. Often, my fictional timeline is in a different season to the one I'm experiencing in reality. I've written about the burnt amber leaves of autumn while wearing shorts, a t-shirt and with the pungent smell of suntan lotion on my skin. I've written about the blustering gales of winter as I munch on an Easter egg. I've written about the fresh new shoots of spring  ... well you get the picture.

Last year I began writing my first Christmas novella. I was in the middle of a novel at the time, but I was advised that if I was going to write a Christmas themed story it would be a good idea to set the other novel aside as it would be easier to write about Christmas around the Christmas period.

I seriously considered the advice given to me, as although I can easily imagine a winter season in the summer, there is something magical about Christmas that is not so easy to capture when the celebration has come and gone.

I know that many of my friends have successfully written a Christmas story outside the festive season. They've told me that they have used decorations, mince pies and Christmas music to recapture the mood as they write. This sounded like a great idea and probably works well, but I wasn't so sure if it would work for me and this is why ...

1. Christmas is very special to me and I wanted it to remain that way, neatly tucked away between November and January ... a warm, cosy, spiritual oasis filled with generosity, family and a well known biblical story. Did I want to recreate it in March and April? I'd rather be munching on a chocolate Easter egg by then.
2. By the time Christmas is over I've had my fill and quite relieved to pack the decorations away and give the house a good clean (a task which is so much harder with a wilting fir tree wearing tinsel). The house clean signals that the hard work (and stress) of the big day is finally over. Did I want to be reminded about it during the summer? I didn't think so.

So I set my current novel aside and began to write my first Christmas novella around Christmas time last year.

Did my plan work? Was it easier to write a Christmas themed story around Christmas time?

I loved writing A Daughter's Christmas Wish during the build-up to Christmas. It felt special and not like work at all. I hope I managed to capture the build-up and magic of Christmas, but perhaps only someone who is an expert on Christmas will know the answer to that. What do you think, Father Christmas?

Did I keep Christmas neatly tucked away between November and January?
Not quite. I finished the book in February/March. During the late summer and early autumn I was working with my publisher to prepare it for publication, which inevitably requires immersing myself into the build up to Christmas outside of the festive period.

Although my mind has been pre-occupied with Christmas far longer than I had anticipated (6 to 7 months in all), I've loved every minute of it. Maybe immersing myself in the festive spirit of goodwill outside the Christmas period is not so bad after all!

Now, I think its time to put my feet up. I have a little respite ... until, of course, the real countdown to Christmas begins!

A Daughter's Christmas Wish will be released on 20th November as an ebook and audiobook.
It will be available to pre-order soon!

To find out more about Victoria Cornwall's books click HERE

Dancing With the Devil: the Misery of the First Draft

This was probably not the low point, but it's typical...

I’m writing a book. 

I’m always writing a book. In fact, I’m always writing several books, each one at a different stage. One or more are ideas in my head; one is at the planning stage; one is first draft; one at an advanced second/third draft; one requires a final polish; and one is with my agent (I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying that). 

When I’m talking about the process, I always tell people how much I love every single stage of it, and that’s mostly true — but there is one part of the process that I hate beyond words, and that is the middle part of the first draft. No matter how well I plot, or in his much detail, there always comes a point where I don’t know what to write but I daren’t stop, because if I do I’ll never start again. It’s like dancing with the Devil.

I think this is why the concept of word racing works so well. You set your target and I, being target-driven, always get there. Every November I “enter” National Novel Writing Month (NANoWriMo) and every November I “win”, usually completing 50k words within a week. 

Yet somehow I can’t do this at any other time. I’ve written about the boggy middle of my books elsewhere — that middle third where the plot doesn’t fit together the way I thought it would and the characters go off and do their own thing, so that the second half of the book bears no resemblance to the first. 

Writing that middle third is hard. The opening is easy, with the setup and the back story, introducing the characters and finding a hook. The final third is great, too, as the pace picks up and lives are on the line. (I write crime.) But the middle third is grim. It’s a hand-to-hand fight, a battle with every syllable, every word, every sentence, and it’s a battle that you can’t give up.

In the middle third I hate what I’ve written. The writing is poor, very rushed. Chunks of what I’ve already written are no longer relevant and that the later parts of the plot have nothing to do with it. New characters appear and I know nothing about them, but in order to keep the plot going I write them anyway and they are superficial, inconsistent and not credible. Plot twists emerge from nowhere. They refer to incidents that have taken place in the early part of the plot that are missing from the early part of the draft. A character’s backstory suddenly changes because the plot doesn’t work if they spent last year abroad. That sort of thing.

I’ve been through that fight this week, and it was miserable. When I finally got through it, I looked back and realised that it’s dreadful, full of square brackets in which I shout at myself to GO BACK AND ADD A BIT EARLIER or even THIS DOES NOT WORK! But the first draft is always dreadful. And, crucially, with a lot of work it’s always fixable. 

Did I ever tell you how much I love editing?

Jennifer Young