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Dear friends,
I guess everyone has heard the expression that truth is stranger than fiction, and I’ve covered this topic in a previous newsletter but bear with me as I take us into that world again. Like many of you, I’ve encountered situations that stretch the imagination. And yet when writers try to build a plot around these weird and wonderful situations, we often find ourselves in a dilemma because the situation, incident or people in the plot don’t appear authentic. My reason for discussing this topic again is that in Redemption, book 3 of my West Series, a secondary character who comes across as far-fetched yet is based on someone I met while working in the racing industry as a young girl. I embellished this character’s traits to ramp up the stakes making him bigger than Ben Hur. If I’d set the book in the dark ages when men had ownership over women, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but the story is set in current times, which caused a rethink. Many people would say it’s fiction, so what does it matter? I’ve been one of them, but as writers, we want our stories to be authentic. We want readers to relate to the characters and story, not turn away because they don’t trust the writer knows what they’re doing. I buried my head in the sand over this character and sent the story to my editor, who came back with concerns. Thank God for editors, and mine, is brilliant. She returned with many suggestions for fixing this person, changing the storyline, which meant additional work hours. If only I’d listened to my gut because I’d had a niggle about this character but chose to ignore it. The setting for Redemption is Newmarket in the UK. I couldn’t resist bringing the West family to the UK. Britain has many top-notch races worth winning, and the Triple Crown is right up there. During a racing season, a colt or filly must win three races to win the Crown, the Two Thousand Guineas, The Derby, and Saint Leger. Our hero, Faith Clifford, is a jockey at her grandmother’s stable. Grandmother, Vivienne Harrington, trains out of Newmarket. We’re reacquainted with Oliver West, who takes care of the racing side of West Enterprises in the US. He takes two three-year-olds to Vivienne’s stable to train and contest the Crown, and we meet Jack Chenley, who will inherit a Lord’s title when his father dies. The Chenley’s have never won the Crown, and Jack’s greatest ambition is to put that right. Jack has an old-fashioned view of life. It’s those beliefs that caused my issues. But I’ll leave it there because you need to read the book to learn more. The funny thing about this notable change to Jack is that the changes made him extremely real. You never know when you make an extensive change if you’re fixing it or making things worse. In this case, I was relieved when my editor returned the final edit saying she loved the changes. Editors are a wonder, and I wouldn’t be without mine. Redemption is planned for release in July 2023. Because of time restraints this will be my last monthly newsletter, before moving to a quarterly newsletter, with the next one due in September. So, until next time, stay safe. Suzie
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Dear friends, Greetings from sunny wintery South Australia. Yes, I made it home after an adventure of a lifetime in Antarctica. Our trip was everything and more, and I now have fond memories to look back on and a story to write. I don’t know how you all feel after returning from a holiday, but I feel a little flat, so I tend to start planning the next. I think it has something to do with ageing. It’s like time is running out, and we must fit in as much as possible while we have our health and mobility. Our next holiday won’t be as exciting as Antarctica, but it will still be unique. The trouble is the more I see; the more stories present themselves. I’ve started penning a story from Whalers Bay, Antarctica. So, I thought I’d talk about how that process beings. The period will be interesting. Whalers Bay ceased operation in 1939 (Deception Island – Antarctica - Norwegian Hektor Whaling Station – 62-59-00 S 60-34-00 W). I want to set the story in the mid-1920s. It will put my heroine in her late thirties, a widower, as her husband died during the First World War. Women in the 1920s were gaining more independence. The suffragette’s fierce efforts finally secured women’s voting rights in 1918. With millions of men serving overseas during the war, women found themselves taking on jobs traditionally given to men. Married women still tended not to have their own passports. They travelled with their husbands. But life was starting to change significantly, and if you were a single woman, you travelled on your own passport. So, I have a woman who will have a passport and travel to South America alone. Her family won’t like it, but she’s a strong-minded woman. Already I’m getting a feeling for this person. It wouldn’t have been easy losing a loved one. Her marriage had been happy, so to pick herself up from that loss and go against her family shows a woman with grit. Yep, she must have grit to work at Whalers Bay. No gentlewoman would stand the weather, the stench, the living conditions and standing her ground amongst a bunch of whalers. As you can see, I’m starting to get a picture of my heroine. My hero is a man caught between worlds. After he returned from the war, life wasn’t the same as when he left. So many menfolk never returned. He lost his father and two brothers. His mother is mourning her loss, as are his sisters-in-laws. He can’t help them, and only time will heal their wounds. Not knowing how to help and suffering survivor guilt, he decides to see the world and starts a journey to South America. These two unlikely people will be flung together on an adventure they might ordinarily regret if it wasn’t for meeting up. And so, you see how slowly I’m getting a feel for the period and the people. So, when I’ve finished editing book three of the West Series, Redemption, which should be soon, I will head down the research tunnel and see what the mid-1920s offers. It’s an adventure I love. Until next time, stay safe. Suzie |
AuthorContemporary adventure with Archives
August 2023
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