Posted @ 11:42:21 on 13 July 2013
Well, I must confess I have been a little quiet on here. I have been buried deep in the research, and finding that the more in depth I go, the more I absolutely adore Mary Webb. This is a good sign. She and I will be in each other's pockets for the next few years, and while I know (as with any relationship) there will be times I want to throttle her (and possibly vice versa), it bodes well that I still feel that way. Of course I know this is not an actual relationship, as Mary Webb died in 1927, but like my fictional characters, I like to think of my authors as being real people too. I don't quite go as far as having conversations with them on public transport, but I like to get to know them. Perhaps it is the old actor in me coming out. It helps to be a little barking in order to stay sane... This year has been really hard, I cannot lie, for all sorts of reasons. I was expecting a learning curve with the first year of research, but behind the scenes (as Hubby would atest) there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Bless his infinate patience). I think I am seeing the end of that particular 'life laundry without the softener' process. I am beginning to get the hang of the different discipline in academic writing (fiction seems so much easier from this safe distance) but I know it will make me a better writer in the long run. I am also getting clarity on Webb - what do I think about her? Why is she worth studying? It seems like basic questions now, but it is so important to have that sense of clarity in order to be congruent. One of the unexpected bonuses of the last few months is Moon Books. I am writing a 'Work in Progress' series on nature mystics. I have started with Mary Webb (well obviously!) but now I am getting into more unafmiliar territory, as I am now striking out into the other authors I have chosen. In order to write about them, I need to really immerse myself in them. I like to try and get under their skin and try them on for size, to walk around in their world for a spell. The first one past Webb is John Keats, who is one of my favourite poets. More anon once I have tried on him on for size...