Guest post with Tudor fiction Author Elizabeth Kelly:
What is the appeal of writing Tudor fiction?
To my mind, no other period of English history can compare to the drama and spectacle of the Tudor dynasty (1485 - 1603). There are so many incredible characters at the Tudor court and the chronicles are filled with fascinating episodes. So, there is endless potential to write compelling stories.
What is your preferred writing routine?
I like to write in the morning but I have no set target of words per day. It always takes a great deal of time to complete the historical research for each novel, but often I will come across an interesting detail that will spark a scene in my mind. I start out by writing the first chapter and by the time I have got half-way, I know how the story is going to end.
Where do you find inspiration?
I like to visit Tudor sites, art galleries and museums to give me insights into life at court. And I have accumulated a vast library of books to enable me to understand the reign of each Tudor monarch in detail. Often, there will be valuable information concealed in the palace accounts, the court portraits and the more obscure writers of the period. Often, I feel like a detective trying to track down and verify the source materials. It gives me a feeling of great satisfaction whenever I discover a new vein of information that I can share with my readers.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Choose a subject that you feel passionate about. Then you will stay committed to writing the story. I enjoy writing about different characters of the Tudor court and how they experienced the incredible upheavals of the sixteenth century. I’ve written about the lives of monarchs, nobles, maids of honour, royal servants and boy actors. Every novel is like climbing a mountain. But you learn something new every time!
Tell us about your latest book.
I've just published "First Lady of the Realm," the story of Anne Stanhope. She was a lady-in-waiting to the six wives of King Henry VIII. She was the wife of Edward Seymour who became the Lord Protector of the Realm during the reign of Edward VI. So, she experienced a remarkable rise to power followed by a disastrous fall.
Tell us something unexpected that you discovered during your research.
Anne Stanhope was the step-daughter of Sir Richard Page. He was a gentleman of the privy chamber to King Henry VIII. It's likely that he managed to arrange a position for her at court as a maid of honour to Queen Catherine of Aragon. However, when Queen Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery and treason in May 1536, he was one of the seven courtiers who were arrested and sent to the Tower. Five of those men were executed on 17th May 1536. However, Richard Page and Thomas Wyatt were both released from the Tower the following month. No-one knows why Richard Page was arrested nor how he managed to escape the axe. But it's likely that he was spared because Anne Stanhope had married Edward Seymour in 1535 and the Seymour's were in great favour at court.
What was the hardest part of the book to write?
The most challenging part was researching and writing about the great progress to the North in 1541. Henry VIII wanted to strike fear into the hearts of his subjects after the Pilgrimage of Grace and show off his beloved new wife Catherine Howard. I wondered what Anne Stanhope might have seen and suspected about the young queen's liaison with Thomas Culpeper. In the end, the ill-fated progress became a fascinating story to tell. What a blow it must have been to Henry VIII's esteem to learn that his wife preferred the attention of another man!
First Lady of the Realm is Book 7 in The Tudors Series on Amazon.
Elizabeth Kelly is a former teacher with a degree in Ancient History and Archaeology. She is fascinated by historical research and the discovery of lost stories from the past. She has a passion for investigating the Tudor period and exploring its dramatic potential. Her novels vividly bring to life the Tudor court, featuring a diverse cast of characters with unique perspectives. Her stories delve into the lives of kings and queens, noblemen and noblewomen, ambitious ladies-in-waiting and humble seamstresses, child actors, and royal fools. Her imaginative writing offers readers an enthralling escape into the alternative reality of creative historical fiction.
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