- Joined
- Jul 7, 2006
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OK, I'm coming clean. I have made a complete volte-face and rethought everything about my writing. Most essentially, I'm now working on a story set in Sweden in Swedish, which feels terribly awkward but also like coming home. And I have no idea what this story is supposed to be - I'd say coming-of-age, possibly women's fiction? Not what I usually write at all, but obviously what my brain is wired for because all the little pieces are just falling into place with absolutely no wrestling at all.
Most horribly though, I've landed between my former 18th century infatuation and my current Victorian one, since I've managed to set it in 1824-32. I have no idea how that happened except the historical facts fit the story I want to tell best.
It's set at the Royal Theatre in Stockholm (with a completely made-up cast) and contains opera, love, betrayal, death and all that comes with it. I haven't been this excited, truly excited, about anything I've written in years (and I do mean years - last time was in 2005, I think). I don't care what comes of it, I just want to write it. I love my characters, even the horrible ones, and I love subjecting them to horrid traumas.
It's really nice to be able to rely on my basic knowledge of the layout of Stockholm too - I know how long it'd take someone to walk from A to B, for example, and what route they'd take - but really difficult to figure out the dialogue since the word "you" wasn't usually used back then and you really can't disregard that without feeling terribly anachronistic. It was all "Would Fru Eriksson excuse me?" "Would the gentleman like some coffee?" which makes me feel pretty stilted, but reading period literature is making it flow a little easier.
Anyway, just needed to gush. My cup runneth over and all that.
Lord help me I'm revising. Again. This novel's going to take twenty years, I swear.
On the other hand, I've begun research for what one must now wryly call the "WIP" since apparently I have two of those. "The Ax and the Vase" is going to ge in edits forever.
I've made a pact with myself to write a page every day. It's ben going decently, though I'm a bit stuck at the moment. I'm writing a novella (mystery/thriller) about the US Border Patrol and Mexican contrabandistas in the 1920s. I think I'm in trouble as I've killed off just about everyone who knows anything about the criminal conspiracy except for the criminals. Makes it tricky to figure out how the detective cracks the case.
That sounds great, Flicka! Run with the inspiration. As far as "you", that seems to me like a compromise you might need to make. It could come across as strange if everyone avoided "you". But if you can pull it off, then more power to you.
I thought it could be fun if the people posted briefly on what they're currently working on.
First thing is that this seems to make some pretty aggressive assumptions about politics.
Who is Isabel Santiago? His mother? Wouldn't it be wise to say so?
I have no idea what the Peruvian Embassy crisis was.
Completed two HF novels, one set in the 9th century Carolingian empire and another set before and during WWII about U.S. and Luftwaffe fighter aces. Will be sending both to my publisher.
A few scenes of mine, were written almost thirty years ago
Two chapters away from the end of revising/rewriting draft two of my WIP. Then I'm taking a month off, before beginning a Holly-Lisle style third draft. After which I will be posting in SYW.
In the month off, I'm going to make a start on the next WIP which is set in the opening months of the Bar-Kokhba Revolt (CE 132-5.)
Elsewhere, I've started my second module for my Ancient History degree on Classical Archaeology.
Polishing up the manuscript, I shall be posting in SYW in the coming months. I am also immersing myself in Jewish history and culture for the next WIP.
Would definitely read your book, gothicangel. It sounds right up my alley. I hope you are enjoying your studies--sounds like so much fun.
I am new to AW, and historical fiction is my main writing forte. I have a degree in art history, with a concentration on ancient Roman art. I also studied a lot of eastern art--mainly Japanese woodblock printing and Indian art. Went back to school and got a bio degree with a minor in English lit. Man, if school was a legit occupation, I'd be set and happy. I'm an illustrator by trade, so all in all I am pretty happy, really.
Right now I'm working on a story set at the end of Emperor Claudius's reign about a Briton slave girl who is Agrippina's official cupbearer/taster, and Agrippina has no shortage of enemies--as she is a marvelous and first-rate bitch--so the job is a bit nerve-wracking. Furthermore, Agrippina is flailing and almost in a panic because Claudius has recently been reconsidering his biological son Britannicus as his heir, rather than Agrippina's son Nero; so, she's desperate and is willing to do anything to keep Nero next in line, making her doubly dangerous.
My MC, renamed Derinoe when she was enslaved, also has a trade that she engages in in order to make money to save up to buy her freedom (portrait painting). She's had several close calls already and pretty soon becomes desolate and resigned to death by poison and quits the side job. A fellow Brit freedwoman who runs a small local bath on the Quirinal with her husband/former master gives her the name and location of a Scythian priest (who are notorious for concocting "mithridatia" or poison antidotes). Then, someone comes along and offers an insane amount of money for one of her portraits, she overhears Agrippina and her minion Pallas plotting to kill Claudius, and yes, she almost dies. There's also romance--a Praetorian tribune--ooh la la, which Derinoë resents at first as something she'd rather not enjoy because she's on the brink of death anyway--why torture herself any more? When she finally succumbs to her love for the tribune, when her Brit friend and husband are killed, when she herself almost becomes another one of Agrippina's victims, that's when she starts fighting back.
I love writing against a backdrop of political intrigue--everything seems so much more urgent! The main bulk of my story takes place from May to October 54 CE, when Claudius bites the mushroom and seals the deal on apotheosis.
I am just sooo excited about it. I'm only about 12K into it, but I just love it. I really took Salinger's advice and am shamelessly writing a book I'd want to read.
There are quite a few fairly regular visitors to this sub-forum and I'd really like to get to know all of you a little better. Therefore, I thought it could be fun if the people posted briefly on what they're currently working on.
So: what are you currently writing/researching/plotting/editing?