Michelle Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 Linda, what kind of research did you do to write from a blind person's perspective? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) I didn’t do a lot of research, Michelle. I read some books written by blind people that were very helpful (though none of them was written by anyone congenitally blind which was what I'd decided to make my heroine.) I researched on the internet, but mostly I relied on my imagination. It was just a question of removing any visual element from my thinking and allowing the other senses to come to the fore. I did do a certain amount of walking around in the dark or with my eyes closed. (I even tried that in the streets when there was no one around I would bump into!) Once I’d got my brain in gear it was actually quite easy to write like this and very interesting. I enjoyed the challenge of depicting a hero according to what he sounds/feels/smells like! I think writing in this way has changed the way I write now, even the way I think. I’ve realised how limited we are by sight. We are a visually fixated culture, but we look without seeing. We rarely bring our other senses fully into play. Writers tend to focus on the visual, to the exclusion of the other senses. Writing STAR GAZING was an artistically enriching experience for me. I realised I'd previously limited myself as a writer by just presenting a visual picture to the reader, instead of engaging all their other senses. I must say that I never expected readers to be as positive in their response as they have been. I thought they might find the blind "point of view" a bit dull, but in fact they've said they've found it fascinating to experience life in such a different way - one they've never given much thought to. Edited June 7, 2008 by Linda Gillard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 I know that most of you haven't read Linda's books (yet!), but do you have general questions for her, about writing or publishing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelofboox Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) Writing from a blind person's point of view sounds intriguing, I'd like to read Linda's books! (...what are they? ) I'd be interested to know what your favourite books are, Linda, and if/how they influenced your writing in general at all.] EDIT: Sorry for the clichéd question! Just went to the first post of this thread and saw the books she'd written. Silly me! Should have looked first. Edited June 7, 2008 by angelofboox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 Linda's website is here, but I'll let her tell you a little more herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) Hi angelofboox! There's a lot about my books on my website http://www.lindagillard.co.uk including the first chapter of each of them, so you can try before you buy. EMOTIONAL GEOLOGY is a novel about memory, mountains and madness. It's an offbeat love story set on a remote Hebridean island. The heroine, Rose, is a textile artist, a manic depressive, on the run from her life. She's gone to North Uist to re-invent herself and forget the man who wrecked her life. Rose wants to retreat from the world, but life comes crashing in. So does her eventful past. A LIFETIME BURNING is a big family story that covers 58 years in the life of one extended family, rather in the style of a scrapbook. It concerns a pair of twins, Rory and Flora, and their love-hate relationship. The story's told from Flora's point of view but she's actually dead when the book opens, observing her own funeral and narrating from beyond the grave. Flora died in mysterious circumstances, alienated from her entire family. The book is the story of how and why. It has a cover quote from a Lochcarron Reading Group which says, "Disturbing themes, sensitively explored... an emotional avalanche." (Michelle has reviewed this one.) STAR GAZING, my new one, is much lighter. I'd describe this one as a rom-com about coming to terms with bereavement and embracing new love and life. It's unusual in that the 45 year old heroine is blind and much of the book is told from her "point of view". This one is set on the Isle of Skye and in Edinburgh. (I confess I'm madly in love with the hero, Keir, who should be played by Gerard Butler in the film-of-the-book. Please.) There will be another book, FAMILY SHADOWS out next year. Enjoy! Edited June 7, 2008 by Linda Gillard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 I reviewed both. Emotional Geology / A Lifetime Burning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) Sorry, Michelle! I'd forgotten you reviewed EMO GEO as well. My favourite books? THE LYMOND CHRONICLES by Dorothy Dunnett (the first in the series is THE GAME OF KINGS) BLEAK HOUSE, A CHRISTMAS CAROL and A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte Anything by Georgette Heyer (favourites are THE BLACK SHEEP and DEVIL'S CUB) REBECCA, MY COUSIN RACHEL and THE PARASITES by Daphne du Maurier The Lord Peter Wimsey novels by Dorothy L Sayers The Jack Aubrey novels by Patrick O'Brian (the first is MASTER & COMMANDER) COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier The romantic suspense novels of Mary Stewart (eg THE MOONSPINNERS, NINE COACHES WAITING) THE PRESTIGE by Christopher Priest TOUCHING THE VOID by Joe Simpson (n/f) AN EQUAL MUSIC by Vikram Seth LILY JOSEPHINE by Kate Saunders A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson (n/f) SHADOW BABY by Margaret Forster WILLIAM - AN ENGLISHMAN by Cicily Hamilton Influences on me as a writer? Dunnett, Dickens, the Brontes, Mary Stewart and du Maurier. I don't know how exactly they influenced me as a writer, but I think their stories and style have gone in at a deep level. I've been reading and re-reading them them since I was young. I'm now 56, so I've lived with them for a long time. Edited June 7, 2008 by Linda Gillard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 How do you go about choosing a publisher to review and hopefully take on your book(s) and what makes you decide to go with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) You don't choose them, they (if you're are spectacularly lucky) choose you. If you have a manuscript that you want published, you first try to get an agent. When you have an agent, s/he sends your manuscript round to different publishers and you wait... and you wait... and you collect email rejections. This can go on for months, years, forever. Your agent knows the business inside-out and s/he decides which editors are likely to respond positively to your work. It's a Q of matching the book to the publisher. The agent needs to know what publishers are looking for. It's said to be harder to get an agent than to find a publisher. I can believe that. Most agents take on one or two new authors a year. You might be lucky enough to have a choice where publishers were fighting over you. (But this scenario applies to a statistically insignificant number of new authors!) I imagine most authors and agents would then go for the biggest money, but you also need to bear in mind how/if you would be marketed and if you would be a flash in the pan (as so many new authors are), or if the publisher would try to build up a following for you, help you develop a career. I left Transita because they were a small new imprint and I had to do all my own PR. (They just didn't have the resources.) That eats into writing time so I wanted to move to a bigger publisher who would take on the marketing side of things for me, leaving me to concentrate on writing. That's what I got with Piatkus who have been tremendously supportive and enthusiastic about my work. They've been a joy to work with. But I'm really grateful to Transita for giving me the break. I think it was really brave of them to publish EMOTIONAL GEOLOGY because it was such an uncommercial book. Edited June 7, 2008 by Linda Gillard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LyzzyBee Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I must say that I never expected readers to be as positive in their response as they have been. I thought they might find the blind "point of view" a bit dull, but in fact they've said they've found it fascinating to experience life in such a different way - one they've never given much thought to. Gosh - no - it could never have been dull, it was absolutely fascinating - enthralling even! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Thanks Lyzzybee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Linda just wanted to say I loved Emotional Geology, I couldn't put it down! I even got up early this morning to get a bit more reading in I'm looking forward to reading more of your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Thank you so much, Jules! Getting up early to read more! Wow... Lots of readers have said they couldn't put EMO GEO down, which surprised me to begin with because very little actually happens! I suppose it's to do with wanting to know what happened in the past?... Dunno. I just write the books When I'm selling books at author events I often say to people as I hand over a copy, "Don't start it late at night. I've had complaints." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Jules, if you had trouble putting that one down, try A Lifetime Burning.. that one definitely keeps you turning the pages! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Thanks, Michelle! I sold a copy of ALB at the launch on Skye to a man who went home and started it at 11.00pm and finished at 4.00am, having read it in one sitting. He emailed me to say so! I wish I knew what this unputdownable quality was. I really don't! Maybe it's caring about the characters? And that comes from characters being believable?... Over to you, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 (edited) Jules, if you had trouble putting that one down, try A Lifetime Burning.. that one definitely keeps you turning the pages! Can't wait I wish I knew what this unputdownable quality was. I really don't! Maybe it's caring about the characters? And that comes from characters being believable?... Over to you, guys. I think you hit the nail on the head there Linda, when reading Emo Geo I actually felt an affinity towards Rose. I liked her and wanted to know more about her and why she ended up where she was. To me the book made her come alive. Incidently I remember a while back a thread about 'your ideal location' or something similar and I remember putting down that I would love to be in an isolated cottage preferably by the sea, just me and my dogs so for me Rose moved to a perfect place. I'd love to up sticks and do that (just need to find a way to get rid of hubbie and the 2 kids still at home ) Right now I could throttle him ggrrrhhhhh, he's had a few beers and all I'm getting is Jue Jue cup of tea please, Jue Jue check ebay for me and so on. He's just not quite drunk enough to be asleep!!!!! Edited June 8, 2008 by madcow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) People do seem to care a lot about my characters, even the ones that are a bit dodgy. Some of them are eccentric and loveable like Garth the Goth in STAR GAZING and I always aim to have at least one gorgeous (but believable) hero, usually 2. (There are 4 in A LIFETIME BURNING. Too much is never enough! ) I suppose readers get involved because I get involved. The characters really do seem real to me. Finishing a book is a kind of bereavement. I miss the characters dreadfully, so it's really nice for me to be able to talk about the books to readers. I think the absolute best thing about being published isn't seeing your book in Waterstones, it's being able to talk to readers about your characters. Edited June 9, 2008 by Linda Gillard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Do you write better at any particular time of year/day and do the seasons influence the seasons in your books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I seem to always set my books in winter! Not sure why. (Actually I do know why EMO GEO is set in the winter but I can't say without blowing a bit of plot. I will put a cryptic explanation in the next post with a spoiler alert!) I don't think it makes any difference to me what the season is. I wrote a lot of EMO GEO late at night but if it's going well, I can write any time, any place. I'm not one of those people who has to sharpen pencils and drink 3 cups of coffee to get going. (Btw, Inver, there was a big feature about me and STAR GAZING in the Daily Record today. Did you see it?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) !!! SPOILER ALERT !!! for EMOTIONAL GEOLOGY EG had to be set in the depths of winter so Rose's body would remain covered up and it would come as a shock to the reader when we discover she's covered in scars. Edited June 9, 2008 by Michelle spoiler tags added :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 You can use spoiler tags to hide spoilers. Just highlight the spoiler and click the big yellow S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Sorry. I'm not very used to forums - as you can probably tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) (Btw, Inver, there was a big feature about me and STAR GAZING in the Daily Record today. Did you see it?) Sorry no...we buy the Scotsman so if you had been in that !!!! Edited June 9, 2008 by Inver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) I'm interested to know what makes you buy a book? What do you buy, what do you borrow and why? Which books do you feel you must own? And why? When you buy books, are you influenced by covers? Cover quotes from authors? Reviews? Publishers always claim to know what readers want but I've never heard of anyone actually asking us. For example, publishers are convinced that readers like authors to produce similar books. They assume if readers liked something, they want more of the same. My experience talking to readers of my books is that they don't mind variety at all, but they like to have a sense that the book is by the same author (which IMO boils down to the authorial voice. It sounds as if it's by the same person, but could be about quite a different subject.) Any thoughts? Edited June 10, 2008 by Linda Gillard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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