The Making of a Trilogy by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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When I wrote my debut novel, Kelegeen, historical fiction set in Ireland during the Great Hunger (aka Potato Famine) I wasn't planning on writing a sequel. I thought all the way through that it would be a stand alone. It wasn't until I completely rewrote the first draft that thoughts about what might happen to the characters after the story's ending started coming to mind. I was nearing the end of the rewrite when I made the decision that a sequel was necessary. I even ended Kelegeen in such a way as to lend itself to a continuation.

Next came Erin's Children. Erin, in this case, is not a character, but refers to Ireland (think erin go bragh), and her children are those who emigrated to escape starvation. 

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My first inclination was to set it in Boston as many Irish settled there at the time. I live in central Massachusetts so Boston is just under two hours from me. I figured I could get out there a few times as part of my reseach. Fortunately for me, I mentioned it to someone at work who told me of a great book about the history of the Irish in Worcester. 

Worcester is the city in which I work and very close to where I live. I changed my mind and, instead, decided to set it here, and I am so glad I did. What a great time I had researching the history of the city in which I've spent the majority of my life! I learned so many fascinating things, many of which I was able to incorporate into the story. After publication, I even had a request from a group of readers to give a walking tour of one of the sections of the city in which a large portion of the book takes place. It was a real joy and a wonderful way to connect with readers.

As with Kelegeen, when I finished Erin's Children I thought I was done with these characters. But, also, as with Kelegeen, they refused to let me go. So now it's on to research for the third in this Irish trilogy. I can hardly wait to dive into more of Worcester's past. This time the focus for the book will be on the next generation, so I'll be looking at the post American Civil War era of the 1870s and 1880s. 

For many writers of historical fiction the research is just as enjoyable as the writing, and I am no exception. Now that I have completed work on my next historical novel, The Folklorist, which will be released by BWL Publishing in October of 2023, I can focus on a deep dive into late Victorian-era Worcester. Yes!