Monthly Archives: April 2013

MY WRITING LIFE

April 25, 2013Books, News

088 Jessica Blair about to lay down ‘her’ latest book, IN THE SILENCE OF THE SNOW, to embark on ‘her’ next novel. Computer at the ready. Reference books to hand.

Now there is always an exciting time ahead for me. At this stage I have a broad outline in mind; also several characters, certainly the main male and female characters. I will have a background and time for the story. Into these I will put my main characters and ask the question ‘What if?’ That question will keep recurring, thus helping the story develop. 100,000 words later I will know if all the questions have been answered correctly. Wish me inspiration and luck alongside the hard work.

Latest Novel’s Progress

April 19, 2013Books, Jessica Blair Country

Yorkshire coast near Robin Hood's Bay — Yorkshire coast near Robin Hood’s Bay

With my new novel started – outline and first three chapters almost ready to get my publishers OK, I decided to use my first Chapter later in the body of the story and therefore do away with a flash-back. I believe the narrative will read better. The result – I have a little more work before I look for the publisher’s approval to go ahead. Once I have this settled I am sure the novel will flow. It is buzzing and fingers are itching on the computer. Exciting days ahead!

I attach another picture of what I term Jessica Blair Country. I took this picture on the Yorkshire coast about six miles south of Whitby. This stretch figures in a number of Jessica Blair novels and makes a dramatic backdrop to the stories.

New Novel – progress

April 11, 2013Books, Jessica Blair Country, News

I am on the point of deciding on a title for my new book but I am keeping it under wraps for the moment as there is another contesting for the place. However both have focused my mind on the broad content of the novel. I am in the process of working on an outline and sample Chapter. For this I always have the two main characters in mind but in the case of the book I now have in mind I will have to mention in the outline eight characters who will play a major part in the development of the story so that my editor will get a better idea of what I am attempting. (Intrigued?). It is always a fascinating part of the development of a new novel because it is here that the characters begin to come alive and talk with me. The novel will be set in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (Jessica Blair Country)

Lincoln Cathedral West Front 12 Nov 2008 — Jessica Blair Country : Lincoln Cathedral, West Front

New Novel

April 3, 2013News

A satisfactory title still escapes me but it will come; one morning I will wake up and it will be there leaving me wondering why I hadn’t thought of it before. In the meantime I have written the first short Chapter and have got the two main characters alive on the page with several other characters hovering in the wings. Now I am about to use flashback, something I don’t usually do, unless i believe it is essential to the story. In the present case, because i have used the first Chapter in the way I have, I think using a flashback here will enhance the story. After I have written some more, my characters will no doubt tell me if I am right.