Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Simple Gifts
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Secondary Characters by Victoria Chatham
A story without a good character or story arc is like a straight piece of string. Boring. Uninteresting. Then tie a few knots in it here and there, and it becomes a different beast. Why is the knot in that place rather than in this place? Why is that knot bigger than the others? Does its size mean something important in the plot or an ‘aha’ moment for the character? And what does that squiggly little knot between two bigger ones indicate? Could it be a red herring slipped in there to catch the unwary?
The plot arc is the story’s shape, while characters have internal and external arcs that can create conflict. At the beginning of the narrative, Character A may be lacking in confidence. He or she thinks they are useless, unlovable, and ordinary. Then events test them as the story progresses, and we see that character overcome their ‘negative press,’ the false image they have of themselves, and by the end, they see they are useful, lovable, and extraordinary.
Secondary characters in a story are there to bring out the best in or give support to Character A, which doesn’t mean that they are less critical. They still need a good backstory, and the author needs to make them as well-rounded as Character A and not a caricature. They need names, strengths, and weaknesses, the same as Character A. While we might lay out every aspect and nuance of Character A for our reader to get to know and understand him or her, we don’t need to see that for the secondary character, even though the author will know it. Secondary characters are great for discovering facts, as Lord Clifton instructs his secretary Edward Pargetter in my book His Dark Enchantress.
Lucius tapped his forefinger against his lips, his eyes narrowing as a scheme began to form in his mind.
“That could be most fortuitous, as long as the under-secretary is not one James Horace.”
“If you wish, I could make enquiries as to whom exactly my cousin is attached.”
“I do wish, Edward, and it must be done as discreetly as possible. I also wish you to discover who else Lady Darnley has invited to dinner. Now, will I be signing my life away if I do not read these damnable letters?”
“You’ll never be sure, Sir.” Edward handed him a freshly trimmed pen.
Because Edward has been employed by his lordship for some time, they have developed respect and liking for each other, as indicated by Edward’s quip. Or this example of a working relationship from Legacy of Love. Ranch foreman, Colt McKeacham, relies on his lead hand and horse wrangler, Bailey Johnson.
But still, the worm of misgiving in his gut wouldn't give up. He twisted in the saddle and motioned for Bailey to join him.
"What's up?" Bailey asked, pushing his horse up beside Colt's.
Colt shook his head. "Not sure. Something's not sitting right." He swore under his breath. "Hell, I'm going back. Take over for me."
"Sure. You worried what Callie might get up to on her own?"
Colt nodded. "I didn't believe Robert. Now he's dead. Callie's only been here a few days, and she's already been involved in one accident. Bailey, did she fall off that fence when we drove the horses in, or was she pushed?"
Secondary characters will have a different perspective on Character A, and understand and appreciate their likes and dislikes. They can help the reader build up their image of the main protagonist, like peeling an onion in reverse. They might be more like the person on the street, someone the reader can easily relate to, rather than a lord of the realm, hot-shot sports hero, billionaire, or whoever your Character A might be. One thing is sure, don't ever underestimate the strength of a secondary character.
Victoria Chatham
Friday, June 23, 2023
Trash or Treasure? by Victoria Chatham
We writers can be a weird lot. And before you ask, yes,
I include myself in that statement. Writers are well known for being a bit
different, and thank goodness for that. Every single one of us is, like
snowflakes, unique. What makes writers different is their penchant for often
being somewhere else, off in the clouds, or out of it entirely while their brains
deal with recalcitrant characters, create new worlds, or give birth to dragons.
There are myriad ways in which writers write. Some
need utter peace and quiet while other writers like listening to music or even
require the buzz off a pub or coffee shop, ‘white noise,’ to keep them focused,
or partnering up with one or more other writers and having group writing
sessions. Like diets, one way does not suit all.
Then there are those writers who like a pristine work surface with no clutter around them. Then there are the clutter bugs who, like bingo players and their lucky dobbers, have to have their talismans, good luck charms, or just things that make them comfortable while they write.
I come somewhere between the two. I like my desk to be clear, but I have objects around me that create
My right-hand aid is my Scotch whisky-tasting glass. This
glass was a birthday gift from said DDH to me, along with a bottle of 15-year-old
Dalwhinnie, my preferred Scotch, although I’m happy with any single-malt Scotch.
I might add that my glass doesn’t always have Scotch in it! My other aide de
comfort is my collection of owls. Owls symbolize wisdom, knowledge and good
luck. I hope I have the wisdom and knowledge to write exciting stories and the
good luck to have readers enjoy them. Each of the owls in this picture is from
different places. The tall, black obsidian owl at the back came from a location
close to Teotihuacan in Mexico, while the little white owl in the front came
from the island of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland.
So what might be trash to one writer can be an absolute
treasure to another. It is up to the individual writer what they are
comfortable with, what aids or deters them and sets them up to write in their
own distinctive voice.
Victoria Chatham
Images from author's collection.
Monday, May 29, 2023
How We Saw Tina & Ike - Or, Once Upon a Time in the 70's
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
August Days by Victoria Chatham
August is a month of long,
hot days when the cats stretch out lazily in the sun. Raspberries ripen
seemingly by the hour, Saskatoon berries hang heavy and black on the bushes,
and the day bleeds into balmy evenings. How idyllic is that?
It is a month that
means many things to different people. It might be baseball played on community
diamonds, boating on lakes, soaking up the sun on the dock or a beach, or leaning
on a farm gate inhaling the scent of freshly mown hay.
Image courtesy Claire E Henderson |
My most memorable August was the summer of 1960, the month between leaving school and starting work. The August when I told my mother I would enjoy four weeks of doing exactly what I wanted to do before beginning job-hunting the first week in September. I hung out with friends in the daytime, feeding jukeboxes in coffee shops to hear ‘Cathy’s Clown’ by the Everly Brothers or ‘Shakin’ All Over’ with Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. We crowded into jazz clubs in the evenings to listen to Acker Bilk or Chris Barber.
According to Sue Monk
Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees, “The month of August had turned into a
griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” How vivid a description is
that? It makes me wish I had written it. Hers is not the only quote from
literature about August. Here are some more:
“Leaving any bookstore
is hard, especially on a day in August, when the street outside burns and
glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to the touch.” – Jane Smiley,
author of One Thousand Acres.
But my favourite August
quote is this from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. “The first week of
August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the
highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that
come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to
the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot.”
And yes, this year, it
has been and still is hot. We open all the windows at night to let in the cool
air, close them in the morning, and pull the blinds to keep the heat out. Fans
keep the temperature bearable. All too soon, August will become September, and
the fall will be upon us. Oh, and that job hunt my mother was so insistent about?
In the first week of September 1960, I had seven job interviews and five offers
and finally entered the workforce as a hospital records manager.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
With This Ring by Victoria Chatham
Here we are in June, the traditional month for
weddings. Who doesn’t love a wedding?
As a romance writer, both historical and contemporary,
my books invariably have a wedding in them, either actual or implied. But from where
did the tradition of weddings and rings originate?
In ancient Rome, June 1st was a traditional
date for a wedding because it was the day to celebrate Juno, the goddess of
marriage, childbirth, and feminine vitality. The wife of the god Jupiter, she was
also the protectress of Roman women. Wherever the Romans invaded, their gods
and goddesses went with them, so it is unsurprising that June became a popular
month for weddings throughout Europe and England.
The Goddess Juno |
Back then, personal hygiene was next to non-existent,
with bathing considered to cause disease rather than prevent it. The nobility
might bathe two or three times a year, while the peasantry might only bathe
once yearly to get rid of their winter grime, usually in May. It then made
sense to marry in June when everyone smelled better. The scent of the flowers
that bloomed in June could mask any lingering or beginning body odours, so
brides carried bouquets of sweet-smelling flowers mixed with herbs.
Pregnancy in the first few months of marriage was also
a serious consideration. It meant that a wife would still be fit enough to help
with the harvest that year and would have had the baby and therefore be fit
enough to work in the fields the following year and after that. No such thing
as a welfare state or maternity leave in those days.
As for the wedding ring tradition, we apparently have our
heavy-browed ancient ancestors, the Neanderthals, to thank for that. They wove
twigs or reeds into rings to symbolize commitment. Later, the Ancient Egyptians
made rings from bone, ivory, wood, leather, or hemp. Rings were worn on the
fourth finger of the left hand as it was thought the vein in that finger connected
to the heart. Today science has disproved that theory, but romantically wedding
rings are still worn on that finger. Eventually, wedding rings were made from
metal and were known as ‘ring money.’ By law, once a woman accepted such a
ring, she would then have a claim on her husband’s possessions, a far cry from later
times when a woman’s wealth went to her husband.
The Greeks adopted the tradition of giving rings after
Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, and then the Romans adopted the custom
after they conquered the Greeks. The Romans were a little more romantic as they
often marked their rings with the symbol of a key. Like the Ancient Egyptians,
a ring indicated the woman’s right to her husband’s possessions, but the key indicated
that she had unlocked his heart.
In Medieval England, getting married was often no more
than an agreement between the bride and groom, with the groom giving his intended
a ring with no clergy or witnesses involved. This meant that should a dispute
arise, either party could dispute the agreement. In the 12th Century,
the Christian Church declared marriage a holy sacrament and established the
church ceremony.
St. Cyr's Church, Stonehouse, UK |
Today rings for both bride and groom come in many
different materials. Gold, white gold, and platinum bands can be embedded with
precious stones or not, depending on the couples’ requirements. At one time, the
groom gave his wife a ring. Men did not begin to wear wedding rings until WWII
as a means of carrying their loved ones with them when they went off to war. Although
weddings can and do take place during any month of the year, June is still a
most popular month. Were you perhaps a June bride?
Victoria Chatham
Images
St Cyr's from author's collection
others free downloads from Pixaby
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Writing Phoebe Fisher by Victoria Chatham
I think most authors have a favourite book, hero or heroine,
amongst the books they write. I would have said my first heroine, Emmaline Devereux
(His Dark Enchantress), was my favourite, with her sister-in-law Juliana Clifton
(His Ocean Vixen) a close second. Now, I think my latest heroine, Phoebe Fisher,
has topped the lot.
When I first had the concept for my series, Those Regency
Belles, I wanted characters who were young ladies but not necessarily titled.
Hester Dymock (Book 1) did marry a lord and so became a lady, Charlotte Gray (Book
2) accepted a proposal from the gentleman in her life, and Phoebe Fisher, an
educated farmer’s daughter, becomes a lady in her story.
Right from the beginning, Phoebe, as had Julian Clifton when
I was writing His Dark Enchantress, kept intruding in the writing of Hester and
Charlotte’s stories. If I hadn’t already had plans for her, I would have had to
come up with something, so insistent was she to be on the page. Phoebe, having
no pretensions, quite sound common sense, and giggling a lot was fun, right
from the beginning. She was also quite a little flirt in an honest-to-goodness
way.
I set the story in my home county of Gloucestershire, in England, and thought I knew its history well. In researching several themes to make sure I had my facts right, I came across other snippets of history and information that I thought might be fun to include. Other facts came from books I read and internet searches, although that can be a dangerous route to take as one fact often leads to another and then it becomes like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates – which one do you pick? One I could not let go of was the exhibition of animals from the Royal Menagerie held in Well Walk, Cheltenham, on June 12th, 1812. What animals were exhibited? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I also found that catalogue shopping for their homes was something applicable to both the Georgian and Regency eras. How about this hand-dyed leather chair and
Persian silk rug? Both appear in my story.
Phoebe Fisher will be released in June, 2022. I hope you enjoy reading her story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Victoria Chatham
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Make Believe World
https://bookswelove.net/dowell-roseanne/
I live in a make-believe world. Okay, not literally, but vicariously through my characters. I decide where they live, name their towns, or sometimes I let them live in a real city/town. I prefer small towns, maybe because I’ve always wanted to live in one. I especially like towns with Victorian houses and apparently so do my characters, because I use them a lot. I often say I must have lived during the Victorian area, probably as a mean old nanny. I’m sure I wasn’t the lady of the house, and by house I mean mansion. Queen Anne Victorian homes are my favorite. I love the round turrets, all the gingerbread, and wrap-around porches. It was always my dream to buy one and restore it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be and I’m past the point of wanting one now.
Back to my make-believe world. I’d like to say I
choose my characters, but truthfully, they choose me. Sometimes I even get to name them, but if
they don’t like the name, well, believe me, they misbehave until I change it.
And, yes, that’s happened several times. Just because I like a name doesn’t
mean they do. The last time it happened it wasn’t even a main character. She
was only in the story for a short time, but boy was she stubborn. She refused
to talk to me and anything I wrote was garbage, better known as dreck in the
writing world.
As I’ve said previously, I write many different genres, from Women’s Fiction to Romance to Mystery and even Paranormal. Most of
my books are a combination of romance and another genre. As a reader, I’ve
always favored mystery and romance, so it only made sense to combine them. Mine would be classified as cozy mysteries,
the gory stuff takes place off scene.
I also love
ghost stories – not evil mean ghosts though. One such story is Shadows in the
Attic and another Time to Love Again. I’ve always been fascinated by ESP, hence
my story Entangled Minds – previously published as Connection of the Minds.
My character’s ages range from their mid-twenties to
middle age and into their seventies. Yes, seniors need love, too. Geriatric
Rebels is a favorite. It’s fun working
with different characters, and I especially like when they add a bit of humor.
I really form an attachment to them. Once a character chooses me, I make a
character worksheet so I know everything about them, not just what they look
like.
I love creating my characters, picking their careers,
anything from housewives, authors, teachers, floral designers, and interior
designers. Sometimes their careers play a part in the story, sometimes not. The
character in my work in progress (WIP in the writer’s world) is a former
teacher. It’s not a big part of the story, but it’s something I needed to know.
She’s a real character in the true sense of the word. She came into being in a
previous story, All in the Family. It started out with her having a small part,
but Aunt Beatrice Lulu (ABLL) grew into a big part of the story. Once I
finished that book, she popped up again and demanded her own book. Problem is,
she takes fits and goes into hiding every so often, which is where she’s at right
now and has been for some time. Sometimes she pops up for days of writing. Other
times, I get a paragraph or two. I’ve never had a character do that before.
Oh, I’ve had writer’s block a time or two, but once
I’m over it the writing flows. Not so with ABLL.
It’s also fun
describing my characters, their hair and eye color, height, even their weight. I’m
often asked if I’m a plotter or punster. I tried plotting once and ended up
blocked for almost two years. For me, plotting doesn’t work. I usually know the
beginning and end of my stories. What
happens in the middle is as much a surprise to me as it is to my readers. ABLL
is full of surprises. What that woman doesn’t get into. So even though she goes
into hiding, it’s generally worth it when she reappears. I’m not sure where she
came from, but I’m sure enjoying working with her. Okay, I’ll be honest, a
little bit of her is me, a little bit my sisters, and even my mother. She’s a
combination of all the people I love and it’s so much fun living in her make-believe world.
You can find my books at https://bookswelove.net/dowell-roseanne/
Monday, November 23, 2020
It's That Time Again by Victoria Chatham
Dear Reader,
So much has changed in our world this year, but one thing that hasn't is the will to connect with friends and family for Christmas.
Hey, you might think. It's still a month away. That's all well and good, but with me in one country and many of the aforementioned friends and family in other countries, I need to have my Christmas cards and letters prepared well in advance and this year I would like to include you.
My usual Christmas letter is a bit like the old 'what I did in my summer holidays' exercise in school. It is a round up of the highlights of my year for those with whom I am not in regular contact. I try to personalize each letter, to acknowledge each individual for who they are and what they mean to me.
Do you still get letters? Real, honest-to-goodness letters? I love receiving them even if many of them are no longer handwritten. I remember watching my mother's handwriting deteriorate over the years. Then receiving cards written in another hand and simply signed 'Eve' once she slid into the grip of Altzheimer's. My handwriting is no longer as legible as it once was after a page or two, so now I type to save the recipient the effort of having to decipher the loops and swirls that spread like cobwebs across a page.
This year has been the maddest of mad years, but there is still so much to appreciate and enjoy. I was lucky enough to have managed to get away to Mexico before the lockdown and have the memories of fun in the sun, tequila tasting and the company of friends. Once back home, I had my own writing to come back to but kept up my social activities where I could. I walked and rode horses during the summer, found places to go where I either hadn't been for a long time or never been before. I had the choice of writing or reading, or some of each and discovered many new authors. My to-be-read list has grown exponentially.
The Skype and Zoom platforms have enabled me to keep in touch with writer friends, to have taken workshops and webinars with my own writing group and others. In a year that could have been written-off as abysmal I have strengthened friendships, shared experiences, and learnt so much. I am rounding up my year participating in National Novel Writing Month, something I tried once before and failed miserably! This time I focused on the target and know I'm going to make it.
So how was your year? Haveyou managed to stay in touch with friends and family? Have you been able to rise above the doom and gloom and sense that this too shall pass? What is your hope for next year and beyond? Whatever it is, be kind to yourself and others.
I wish you all the compliments of the Season and a happy, healthy New Year.
All the best, Victoria
Saturday, November 21, 2020
The Seduction of Parodies by Diane Scott Lewis
Blurb: The Defiant Lady Pencavel. In 1796, Lady Melwyn Pencavel has been betrothed to Griffin Lambrick since she was a child—and s
she hasn’t seen him since. Now almost one and twenty, she defies being forced into an arranged marriage.
She aspires to be an archeologist and travel to Italy during the upheaval of the Napoleonic Wars.
Griffin Lambrick, Viscount of Merther, resents these forced nuptials as well, as he desires no simpering
bride and wants no one in his nefarious business. For the thrill of it, he smuggles artifacts from Italy at
his Cornish estate. Two reckless and stubborn people will meet—with chaos and humor—in this romantic
satire, and face their fears.
Review: "Fans of the English-style romance will have to put aside expectations and let
themselves enjoy some silliness here - a worthwhile read (and nice change of pace)."
~ Long and Short Reviews
Find out more about me and my writing on my website: Dianescottlewis
Diane Scott Lewis lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Dazzling Diamonds by Victoria Chatham
For writers of
romance, diamonds, or at least a diamond engagement ring, tend to have a place
in their stories and in His Unexpected Muse my heroine inherits a whole cache of them. Carol Channing first sang the song ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s
Best Friend,’ in the 1949 show ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ by Jule Styne and Leo
Robyn, but it was the iconic Marilyn Monroe who made the song so famous. So
what is the fascination with diamonds?
As with so many roots, we can go back to the Greeks and Romans for the early mention of diamonds. Greeks thought they were the tears of the gods or splintered stars, and the philosopher Plato considered they contained celestial spirits. As early as the first century AD, Roman literature mentions that diamonds tipped Cupid’s arrows. Romans believed them to be pieces of their gods, valuing them more than gold to protect them from any harm. It became common practice for soldiers to wear them in battle. Diamonds then were of the rough, uncut variety, and it was bad luck to cut one as that would counteract its protective qualities. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the magic and mythology of diamonds faded. Other cultures mention diamonds, but never to the extent of the Romans.
There is a common conception
that diamonds are formed from coal because they are both sourced from carbon. Intense
heat and immense pressure deep in the earth’s mantle about 1 billion to 3.5
billion years ago caused the formation of diamonds. The movement of tectonic
plates compressed buried organic material found in swamps and peat bogs, into coal. At 360 million to 290 million years old, a piece of coal is a
mere child compared to a diamond.
Cullinan Diamond, Wikipedia.com
While India was
the ancient source of diamonds, deposits today are located around the world in
North and South America, Australia and especially South Africa, home of the massive
Cullinan diamond found there in 1905, all 3,106 carats of it. When cut, parts
of it were incorporated into the British Crown Jewels, which are housed in the
Tower of London.
There are many
famous diamonds, including the Kohinoor or Mountain of Light, the largest
diamond ever found in India. The Orloff, the Hope Diamond, the Taylor-Burton, the
Esperanza Diamond are just a few of the world’s famous diamonds. They come in a
range of colours from green, blue, yellow and pink, with red being the rarest
and most expensive and still found only in India.
Diamonds did not
regain their popularity until the Renaissance when Ludwig von Berquen, a Dutch
lapidary, invented the art of faceting on diamonds in 1475 to enhance their
glitter and beauty. The first known diamond engagement ring was given to Mary
of Burgundy by Archduke Maximilian of Austria in 1477. Through the 17th
and 18th centuries, the wearing of diamonds as solitary stones in
rings, pins, and pendants became popular. Fashions changed how diamonds were
worn. Large diamond brooches were popular on tight bodices, and long drop
earrings complemented a low neckline. During the Victorian era, etiquette
demanded that young, unmarried women did not wear diamonds, and married women
only showed them off at balls or court appearances.
image from Bluenile.com
The tradition of
wearing a diamond engagement ring on the fourth finger of the left-hand stems
from
the belief that for a diamond to release its full power, it must be worn
on the heart, or left, side of the body. Diamonds now come in various cuts from
bezel to princess, cushion to emerald, rose, radiant, pear, marquise. They are
said to protect the wearer, are reputed to detect guilt or innocence, indicate
good luck, and increase fertility. Whatever the cut, whatever the reason for
wearing them, diamonds really can be a girl’s best friend.
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