"Why should I bestow all my tediousness upon you, because I have you in my power, and have ink, paper, and time before me? At the same time I dare not promise that I may not abuse the opportunity so temptingly offered me, to treat of myself and my own concerns, even though I speak of circumstances as well known to you as to myself. The seductive love of narrative...often disregards the attention due to the time and patience of the audience, and the best and wisest have yielded to its fascination."
Sir Walter Scot, Rob Roy
When asked to start up this blog, my response was the same as Sir Walter Scot's. I could not imagine that anyone would be interested in the process of writing my story. However, as I have been assured the contrary and I am willing to share, I bid you welcome with this brief history of the writing to date.
Four and a half years ago, my husband suggested that I place one of the characters of a story I had been writing for a quarter of a century into a new story. "Make her immortal and write a Highlander story around her." As we were both avid fans of the Highlander tv series, I thought this would be an entertaining adventure. I studied the shows in detail and found a place in the Highlander timeline when my intended story would fit. This set the time of my story 1798-1805.
My next task was to devour the literature of the age that I might acquire the proper cadence, sentence structure, and vocabulary. My readings have included the works of Sir Walter Scot, Jane Austen, the biographies of William Wilberforce and Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and a particularly intriguing text, The Pirate Coast by Richard Zacks which details the capture of American sailors by pirates in the eastern med during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. I have studied the letters written by John Adams, Admiral Horatio Nelson, and Napoleon, amongst others.
Concerning the Napoleonic war, I have assembled from multiple sources, a chronology of who was fighting where, with particular interest in the regiments of Highlanders.
From this mountain of research, I have to exert the discipline to delete a majority, keeping only that which is relevant to the story. This is often a painful process, especially when the data was hard won or is particularly tantalizing. Unfortunately, one can only decide what is relevant after the mountain of data has been collected, so much time goes into the research which will later be rejected.
Two books have been especially helpful and I recommend them for anyone investigating this time period. What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool is an excellent compilation of customs, manners, and fascinating details. The History of the Cost of Living by John Burnett provides a launch for further research into such matters as how much servants were paid, and the price for a post coach fare from London to Portsmouth. Countless hours have been spent perusing the web in search of details like the cost of a Broadwood Grand piano in 1805.
A couple of weeks ago I discovered the Kent Brushes company, founded by William Kent in 1777. William Kent was in charge of the company until 1807, so my characters would have dealt with him or one of his employees. Kent's company received a Royal Warrant which means that anyone in the aristocracy would have been eager to own a Kent hairbrush. One of the items they sold was an oval shaped hairbrush for military officers. Their factory today is in Hertfordshire. I emailed the company asking the address in 1798 and the price of a military hairbrush at that time, but have not yet received a reply.
Don't be afraid to ask for information. I wanted to know what shops were available for one of my characters to purchase attire for a ball in 1805 in Southampton. I received a surprising reply from the Southampton Chamber of Commerce listing not only all the shops (with addresses and vendor names) available for men and women, but telling what class of person would go to which shops. The info was invaluable.
I don't know how other writers keep track of their characters, but I have been endeavouring to create a notebook page for each person, listing physical characteristics , personal habits, personal quirks, likes, dislikes, personality traits. I decided at the beginning that each character would have a favourite author, philosophy or book that defines them- like we identify with film stars or sports heroes today. When possible, I choose an actor that I would cast in that role, and attach a photo (preferably in period costume) to the character page. Some characters are being drawn by my very talented artist friend, Patty Williams. I can't wait to see how she draws Lizzie Mountjoy.
Some of my friends have suggested that all this research is just another delay tactic to keep from finishing the story. Perhaps they are correct. With over 1200 pages completed, I feel I am nearly ready to begin the real writing.
One of the most important aspects of my research involves vocabulary. I have endeavoured to check both the words and metaphors to make sure they were in use at the time and possessed the meaning that I wish to convey. The definitions and use of words has changed dramatically over time. The Oxford English Dictionary is my primary resource, though I have several dictionaries of etymology. Partridges Dictionary of the Underworld and his Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English are not only useful, but they make entertaining reading.
I hope I haven't bored you to death. I will keep you posted as to the progress of my research. If anybody wants to talk about the way you construct your stories or share your writing, I'd love to hear from you.
If anyone out there knows where I can get a copy of James MacPherson's translation of Homer's Illiad (around 1790), please let me know.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Donna Kinsey, Wordwright
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