![]() I’m 43, fond of animals, married, with the obligatory 2.4 children. I’ve always had a love of history and after a youth of computer games, D&D gaming, wargaming and art, historical fiction has become a neat fit to my interests. What I need to do now is really stick by my new years resolution and actually do 500 words or more per day. If I’d stuck to that, my third novels first draft would have been close to finished by now. When I look back at my writing, the way it evolved was very much dependent on my own courage. Writing a bit of fan fiction about Farscape on a fan forum is one thing, striking out on your own, with your own characters and situations is another. I’ve read some stunning fan fiction over the years, but no one seems to do their own thing which is a shame. Even so, for all my independence, as my speciality is historical military fiction I’m surrounding myself with an established framework within which I can hang my narrative, I just look for the gaps where my story fits. Does that make me a bit of a coward? I’m not sure. The good thing is that I usually have a very clear idea of how my story starts, how it ends and some key moments along the way, but I don’t subscribe to the idea of rigidly planning everything before I start to write. I have no doubt it creates extra work for me later, when I have to go back over and rejig something, but this flexibility allows the characters to breathe and develop more organically. Sometimes this allows things to go in an unexpected direction as the characters themselves dictate aspects of the story. The only downside to this loose planning is that the story expands exponentially. The flipside of this is that when it comes time to edit and tighten things up, at least I have some material to choose and agonise over. Anything that doesn’t make the final cut is never wasted though, it goes into the ‘could use later pile’. What I have learned from my next novel is not to leave the editing and polish for grammar to the very end. Proof reading 500+ pages for spelling mistakes etc is as exciting as watching 5 day test cricket. This time around, the latest novel is being polished in sections as I go and that will undoubtedly speed up the later editing process. As to individual technique, I like to aim for a flowing text that scans well and does not bog the reader down in tons of description or technical information. I prefer to give their own imagination room to breathe when it comes to settings and characters. I paint in broad strokes and let them do the rest. I think this approach helps pull the reader in and engage their attention more. One writer I would have loved to sit down and have a natter with was Elleston Trevor. He wrote across many genres and he’s most famous for ‘The Flight of the Phoenix’ but a book I read when very young was ‘Squadron Airborne’, a novel about an RAF fighter squadron during the height of the Battle of Britain. Its not long, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve come to appreciate it for its taught narrative, dense characters and subtle touches. If I can get some of that deftness of touch into my own work, I’ll be happy. My recent novel was completed in December 2016 over the Christmas break. It follows the career of an RAF light bomber squadron from the beginning of World War II to the start of the Blitzkreig in May 1940. One of my proof readers said it reminded them of reading a Frederick E Smith novel. Considering that was the sort of style I was aiming for, I don’t think I did too badly. It was produced with technical input from the Blenheim Society based at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. For every copy sold, £1 is donated to help them keep the worlds only flying Bristol Blenheim bomber in the air. It is available as both a paperback or as an ebook on Amazon. When I look back at my writing, the way it evolved was very much dependent on my own courage. Writing a bit of fan fiction about Farscape on a fan forum is one thing, striking out on your own, with your own characters and situations is another. I’ve read some stunning fan fiction over the years, but no one seems to do their own thing which is a shame. Even so, for all my independence, as my speciality is historical military fiction I’m surrounding myself with an established framework within which I can hang my narrative, I just look for the gaps where my story fits. Does that make me a bit of a coward? I’m not sure. Run the Gauntlet![]() From September 1939 to the Blitzkrieg of May 1940, 'Run The Gauntlet' follows the adventures of an RAF light bomber squadron at the beginning of World War Two. Having traded in their Fairey Batttles for new Bristol Blenheims, Falcon Squadron are off to war. The CO, Wing Commander Winwright must overcome the lethargy of peacetime and mould his unit into an effective fighting force. Pilot Officer Chandler is the new arrival and the welcome has not been exactly friendly. The old hands view him with suspicion and he must survive friendly fire as well as enemy action to show them what he is capable of. On a routine training flight, Flying Officer Hagen catches a glimpse of the hell that is waiting for all of them if they let their guard down for a moment. Facing the battle hardened Luftwaffe, Falcon Squadron are about to discover that war is far from a game. Supporting the Blenheim Society. This novel has been written with technical input from members of the Blenheim Society based at Duxford. The worlds only flying Blenheim is owned, operated by Blenheim (Duxford) Ltd who are the trustees of the aircraft and she was restored to fly under the auspices of the Aircraft Restoration Company who provide the licence coverage. Operating such a rare aircraft is an expensive undertaking so £1 from every novel sold is donated to help keep this warbird in the air for future generations to enjoy. Check out Vincent on Facebook Where to Buy Run the Gauntlet
1 Comment
I will buy your book . I wanted to be an author but I had a teacher who told me that my grammar is very stilted (I agree with Miss White ) . My grammar is very stilted even after ALL these years have passed .
7/17/2017 02:57:53 pm
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm generally pulled in a million different directions and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Here's a glimpse of my life - hope you enjoy it! And if there's a big lapse between posts, well, that's the way life goes in Amy's world. Archives
October 2022
Categories
All
|
Copyright 2024 by Amy Rivers. All rights reserved. |