In a novel the ‘point of view’ (POV) is considered one of the most crucial elements of telling a story. I had a customer complain about the fact that in ‘The War Wolf’ I used what seemed to them to be many or multiple points of view. To date they are the only person to … Continue reading POV – Literally a Point of View
literature
Story writing is just make-believe recorded by the written word
On Saturday I sat down at my computer and restarted work on my fourth novel, ‘The Blade’s Fell Blow’. I was surprised how easy it was. Admittedly I had spent some time organising my work before actually sitting down and starting to write again, and this helped enormously. I knew where all my files where, … Continue reading Story writing is just make-believe recorded by the written word
Sex; I haven’t done it!
I have not written about sex. There, I said it. I have written three novels and not one of them recounts a sexual encounter in any detail. It is not that I have lacked the opportunity, rather that I just that I did not take it, so to speak, when it arose in the story. … Continue reading Sex; I haven’t done it!
Returning to the Sorrow Song Trilogy
Writing Eugenica was something of an interruption to completing the Sorrow Song Trilogy in that it was both unplanned and unexpected. I think that at the time I finished For Rapture of Ravens, the second in the series, I needed a break from all things 1066. Eugenica gave me that break. Now, however, it is … Continue reading Returning to the Sorrow Song Trilogy
Writing About Disability isn’t Pretty is it?
Having just started submitting my manuscript for Eugenica to literary agents I received a comment that made me ponder the wisdom of having four main characters all of whom are disabled; disability is not attractive! I agree, it is not. And the fact is that some people have a problem in dealing with disabled people. … Continue reading Writing About Disability isn’t Pretty is it?
Two Thirds There
I have finished the second part of the Sorrow song Trilogy!Well, almost. The actual writing part is complete. I am now in the process of formatting the manuscript in Sigil, an epub file creator. I write using Microsoft’s Word, which I find to be an excellent word-processor, and as I use more than one computer … Continue reading Two Thirds There
How far should accuracy go in literature?
When writing a book a certain degree of research is necessary. When writing a book in the genre of historical fiction an awful lot of research is necessary. The question is; how accurate should you be in your depiction of the facts that?I have mentioned preciously that the author Bernard Cornwell once said that a … Continue reading How far should accuracy go in literature?
The Social World of the Anglo-Saxons: The Peasants
One of the features of the Anglo-Saxon social structure was its’ obsession with class. There were three basic classes, the ceorls or peasants, the theigns or landowners, and the eoldermen or nobility. These classes were further subdivided again creating a ladder for the socially mobile to climb.The ceorls were the most numerous and, therefore, the … Continue reading The Social World of the Anglo-Saxons: The Peasants
It’s Late in the Day but it is Necessary
It’s not something you expect the day after you put down the manuscript and say to yourself; “that’s finished then!” but there’s that little voice inside your head, whispering like Gollum; “you know he’s right precious!”He was right and I was wrong.The thing is if you ask people to read your manuscript and give you … Continue reading It’s Late in the Day but it is Necessary
Just My Imagination
It is funny how the act of writing is the same as creating a new fantasy world. I used to do that as a child, create my own worlds peopled by fantastic characters from pop culture and the books I read, and dinosaurs! Always dinosaurs! Having decided to write the book and then immersed myself … Continue reading Just My Imagination
Peter C Whitaker 