All Visible Things is set in the world of Leonardo da Vinci, probably the greatest all-round genius to ever live. Here are ten true things about Leonardo that appear in the novel that may surprise you. There is a strong probability that Leonardo was an animal-loving vegetarian.Leonardo was strikingly handsome and a rather vain dandy.He … Continue reading 10 Things About LdV
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FACT OR FICTION? ACCURACY IN HISTORICAL FICTION
Readers of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and its sequels know that however much the author has used her creative skills to fill in the many holes in our knowledge of Thomas Cromwell, she will have taken no liberties with the facts that are available to historians. I’m pretty confident that Ms Mantel could authoritatively lecture … Continue reading FACT OR FICTION? ACCURACY IN HISTORICAL FICTION
RESEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL FICTION
Doing the research is one of the chief pleasures of writing historic fiction. There’s nothing like having an excuse to spend hours immersed in the everyday lives of artisans in Tudor England, artists’ models in Renaissance Florence, minor officials in the court of Louis XIV or whatever place and period you have chosen as your … Continue reading RESEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL FICTION
Global Virtue Signalling
A thought experiment. Imagine a big red button on your desk or table. It is prominently labeled 'STOP'. If you press it, all fossil fuel extraction will cease within 24 hours, everywhere on earth. Did you press it? I've no idea how much energy inventory is held – oil, gas and coal. Let's say 90 … Continue reading Global Virtue Signalling
Art / Decor / Garbage
For the past year or so I've been immersed in the world of traditional figurative art of the Italian Renaissance, researching my novel, 'All Visible Things'. In the course of this eminently enjoyable endeavour, a number of questions have been nagging at me. – Why is it considered a bit tacky to hang a reproduction … Continue reading Art / Decor / Garbage
A Tipping Point?
The recent UK election may presage a 'tipping point', a transformation of the British political landscape. The next few years may witness the implosion of the Conservative Party as we know it; the election of Corbynesque Labour government, followed by a period of political unrest. The UK Conservative Party is one of the longest-lived political … Continue reading A Tipping Point?
The Joy of Research
Although novel writing is thought of as 'creative fiction', there is, or can be, a surprising amount of non-creative research involved. For 'Bunco', I had various references to contemporaneous cultural and sporting events - new shows opening on Broadway, 'date' movies on general release, important events at the end of the baseball season, facts about … Continue reading The Joy of Research
Starting again
Yesterday I finished the final edits to my short story collection, 'A Cold Dish and Other Tales' as suggested by my editor, my daughter Marianne. I ordered ten copies of 'Bunco' which I'm going to try to sell at events in our village this summer. I also had a coffee with a former neighbour, and best-selling … Continue reading Starting again
Community Spirit
When I wrote 'Bunco', my initial idea was to explore some of the differences between US and European lifestyles and cultures. When we lived in the US, we enjoyed a very particularly 'American' lifestyle. Initially, I had moved to Manhattan. I feel that New York City and London have more in common with each other … Continue reading Community Spirit
What Did I Learn? Pt.2
There is a reason why editors exist. I am still learning this the hard way. When I wrote 'Bunco', I had a small team of editors working with me. Development Editors. My development editors were my wife, Sheila, and my cousin, George, but especially my daughter, Marianne. These early readers gave me feedback on plot issues, … Continue reading What Did I Learn? Pt.2
Aiming for a Writer's Life 