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Featured Author - Elizabeth Chadwick


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Yes, Stephenie Mayer is a great writer, I'm currently waiting for the 4th book in the Twilight saga to come out - Breaking Dawn. Thanks for the answer to your question.. I look foreward to taking a look at your books. :tong:

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I am yet to read one of your books, but I got Shields of Pride out the library - that is the next book I'm going to read. I was just wondering, are your characters real historic people, completely made up or based on people in history?

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I am yet to read one of your books, but I got Shields of Pride out the library - that is the next book I'm going to read. I was just wondering, are your characters real historic people, completely made up or based on people in history?

 

Ah, this is a difficult one - and it will depend which version of Shields of Pride you have as to what you get!

 

When I first started out, I wrote towards the romantic end of historical fiction, but not historical romance as such. Shields of Pride belongs to that era and the characters are imaginary but set against a background of events that actually happened - the Battle of Fornham for e.g. or the sacking of Nottingham. But Linnet and Jocelyn are imaginary. I have recently re-edited the novel with a new eye and tightened up its knicker elastic so to speak in the light of better skills and better historical knowledge. If your library book has a woman in an orange dress on the cover it's the new version. If it has a man and a woman with a shield in the foreground it's the warts and all older version.

Since the early days I have moved on into the world of fictional biography.

Think Philippa Gergory. Think Sharon Kay Penman. However my stories involve a lot more male viewpoint than Gregory and are set in an earlier period. A Place Beyond Courage, The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion are all about the great Marshal family in the 12th and 13thc and based on detailed research. The forthcoming new hardcover, The Time of Singing is about a mistress of Henry II and a dispossed earl - again researched in depth. My earliest biographical fiction novel was Lords of the White Castle, about the legendary outlaw Fulke FitzWarrin of Whittington. Its prequel Shadows and Strongholds was my first bestseller, although The Greatest Knight is about to overtake it sales wise.

So, bottom line. My earlier novels are of a more romantic and imaginary bent. My later ones as straight historicals in the classical mould.

Hope this helps!!:tong:

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Another quick question. How would you suggest that new young others try and get there ideas down onto paper, and fit them together? :tong:

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Another quick question. How would you suggest that new young others try and get there ideas down onto paper, and fit them together? :tong:

 

It all depends on the individual and I don't have that much advice to give because I write by instinct. I was born telling stories. As far as I'm concerned it's just something I can do without having to think about it. I would say imagine the scenes playing out like a movie in your head and write down what you see. Play 'What if?' with the characters and try out different scenarios in the head movie. It's basically what I did throughout my teens and childhood before I wrote anything down. I played my stories out in my imagination, often changing the scenario, introducing a new character, working out different beginnings, middles and ends. An author should write because it's fun and they should also read, read, read across all genres because so much of structure and technique is picked up along the way from osmosis.

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I have recently re-edited the novel with a new eye and tightened up its knicker elastic so to speak in the light of better skills and better historical knowledge. If your library book has a woman in an orange dress on the cover it's the new version. If it has a man and a woman with a shield in the foreground it's the warts and all older version.

 

I have the new version, I am about to start reading it, I can't wait!

 

Another couple of questions:

 

1) I want to get into historical writing, but non-fiction (I don't have the imagination/capabilities to write fiction) - how would you suggest I go about writing/getting published?

 

2) We are all encouraged to use the library - personally I love libraries - but how does people borrowing books affect your income?

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I have the new version, I am about to start reading it, I can't wait!

 

Another couple of questions:

 

1) I want to get into historical writing, but non-fiction (I don't have the imagination/capabilities to write fiction) - how would you suggest I go about writing/getting published?

 

2) We are all encouraged to use the library - personally I love libraries - but how does people borrowing books affect your income?

 

I'm going to be totally useless on question one because I don't have a clue how you go about getting reference works published, nor how you go about writing them. I would think re getting published that there are some similarities in that finding an agent to represent you will be difficult but useful and that networking by going where agents or publishers are likely to turn up is a good idea once you're ready with your work because then you can pitch your book to them. It might be worth deciding what you are going to write about and then going to conferences or joining organisations were that sort of subject is discussed. Again, it might give you a lead into other things. I would also say in general terms that once you are ready to write, you should write something every day and keep a momentum going. Even if it's a hobby. After all, one page a day = 365 by the end of a year!

 

The library question. In the UK authors receive a payment - starting at 99p and capped at

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Thanks Alison,

I see you hale from Glasgow. I used to live near there many moons ago - in Newton Mearns!

I do yes hale here in wet glasgow the moment!

 

nice to meet you Elizabeth! I read Ian rankin books I must say and also collect autographs and meet famous people.

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I do yes hale here in wet glasgow the moment!

 

nice to meet you Elizabeth! I read Ian rankin books I must say and also collect autographs and meet famous people.

 

What's your most memorable encounter from the above?

My most surreal moment was when I was first published. I had recently been filling shelves at a supermarket to make ends meet, and then suddenly found myself at Whitehall receiving a literary award from Prince Charles.... !! (didn't get his autograph though!:D)

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What's your most memorable encounter from the above?

My most surreal moment was when I was first published. I had recently been filling shelves at a supermarket to make ends meet, and then suddenly found myself at Whitehall receiving a literary award from Prince Charles.... !! (didn't get his autograph though!:D)

I would have to say Derren brown as he was lovely to talk to! and I've met him before!

 

he remembered me and the last time we met!

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Do you have a designated place that you sit and write at and do you work 9-5 as it were, or do you have to wait for inspiration?

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Do you have a designated place that you sit and write at and do you work 9-5 as it were, or do you have to wait for inspiration?

 

Hi Inver,

Yes, I have a study that's our converted 4th bedroom and slightly out of the way, so I get peace to write. I write at least 1,000 words a day, 7 days a week, but it's not 9-5. I can't work solidly, but function in swift creative bursts interspersed with procrastination on e-mail etc. I tell myself it's filling up the creative sump!:lol: I've been out most of the day, showing an American friend around the area, so I'm working late now to catch up. I work better towards the end of the day and I'm a night owl, so sometimes I'll work until 2 in the morning - but I may not have done that much earlier on. I would say I probably work at least 50 hours a week. Some of it is the actual novel writing, but some is blogging and other bits and pieces to do with the job that aren't actually the main occupation so to speak!

Back to the coalface - today is likely to roll over into tomorrow being as I was skiving earlier...:lol:

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Hi Icecream!

I have to say that I don't have special places that inspire me to write. I have special places I love to visit, such as Wiltshire and Shropshire and Wales, but as far as writing is concerned, I can write anywhere. The special place is inside my head and it goes wherever I go. When I was first going out with my now husband, we were teenagers and he played darts for an inner city pub. I used to go along to the matches and sit there in the midst of the smoky fug, writing in my notebook. What I do need is my own space in my head to think my own thoughts. When I had a young family and my head was filled with toddler-scribble it was pretty difficult, but these days it's not so bad!

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Yes that is my problem at the moment. I have just started thinking of some really good ideas and written some out as part of a text, but then I've been distracted by the children's and OHs needs and been forced just to note my other ideas until I can take time to think about them (although I have lots of other things to do too:roll:).:lol:

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Just hang in there Icecream and do what you can. I started writing my first published novel The Wild Hunt when my youngest was 18 months old and I got there - it was accepted by a publisher when he was 3. I used to work at the kitchen table and in the play room and snatch moments when he was at nursery school or when they were both in bed. It was difficult though...

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Who has been your favourite character to research/write so far and why?

 

The Marshals as a family have been fascinating, Lilywhite and at one time I would have said William Marshal, no contest, but since discovering his father John, I have been particularly interested. John Marshal has gone down in history as the callous father who went back on his word and when his son's life was threatened with forfeiture because of it, said 'Do as you will. I have the anvils and hammer to get better sons than him.' He's also seen as a man on the make and a bit of an adrenalin nutter. But, when you begin looking at the evidence, a very different man emerges and it was particularly stimulating to write against the grain of popular 21stC thought and actually go with the medieval mindset and really think about the clues that we've been left. Added to my conventional research, I use psychic research too and 'knowing' John Marshal from that side of matters too, I really wanted to set the record straight. I do enjoy meeting and discovering the wide range of characters from the medieval past though. Roger Bigod who is the star of The Time of Singing, due out in October, has been a real sweetie and although very much a man, he is made in a different mould to John Marshal. It's been interesting to see the differences between the two men and yet both are great in their own way.

I have enjoyed researching royal mistress Ida de Tosney too, who has shown me that not all royal mistresses were willing temptresses. A lot of coercion went on and there were as many victims as vamps.

Hmmm... I guess I just love meeting people from the past in my research full stop.

There is a wonderful folk band called Show of Hands. They have a song called 'Roots' which says 'Without Our Stories or our songs, how will we know where we come from?' I kind of feel that's what I'm trying to give the readers too - the stories that have been forgotten.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still reading The Conquest I was hoping to finish it last week but being ill I didn't feel like reading. Over half way through and thoroughly enjoying it :lol:

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Well as it's the close of the month now I'd like to thank Elizabeth for answering our questions. It's been very interesting and I hope we've convinced a few of you out there to try something new!

 

Many thanks Elizabeth and I do hope you stick around on the forum. It's been great having you here.

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Still reading The Conquest I was hoping to finish it last week but being ill I didn't feel like reading. Over half way through and thoroughly enjoying it :lol:

Sorry you are ill Madcow. Is it your legs that you were talking about the other dayy? Hope it gets better soon.:lol:

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