Special guest post with author Gemma Lawrence
Tell us about your latest book:
The Narrowness of Death is the final book in my series on Eleanor of Aquitaine. It deals with her final adventures and misadventures, problems with her sons, family relationships (which could be deadly at this time and in this social position) and her final resolutions about life and her purpose. It was a hard book to write. Whenever I write about a woman of history I start with her childhood and go right through to the end of her life. Since I write in first person, I often end up feeling as if I have become that person, at least for a while, putting myself in their position, trying to imagine what they would do in any particular circumstance and drawing on what is known of their character to work this out. It’s a little like method acting, I would guess (though I’ve never been an actor!) and it’s a very personal, poignant experience. That is especially true when it comes to the end, and death takes them. The last book of any series is, therefore, often the hardest.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Read a lot and write a lot. Read everything you can get your hands on, all the genres you can find, and explore new ones too, then write. Write every day whether you are inspired or not. Frequently, it’s the writing which brings on the inspiration, not the other way around.
Also, for goodness’ sake, don’t listen to all the “book promoters” or “marketing experts” floating about on social media (Twitter especially but they’re swarming to other sites too). The vast majority are scammers who will take your money and do nothing for you. If you really want to engage a marketer, ask other authors for recommendations. There are some real marketing companies out there, but all authors, especially indies, are getting hounded by scammers at the moment and some of these horrors manage to sound sincere enough that they might fool someone new to the market. Stay safe and avoid these people.
I use social media almost exclusively to advertise my books and find new readers. Occasionally, I’ve used Amazon Ads, but I find them a bit hit and miss. I prefer social media because on every platform there are a group of authors and readers banding together to talk about books, promote books and generally help each other out. There’s a real sense of community and friendship, despite the fact that some of us have never met and might live thousands of miles from one another. Without the book community, I would not be a full-time writer. They’re amazing.
Oh, I discover weird and wonderful things all the time when doing research! From ancient cures involving mice or shrews or toad vomit to weird weapons incorporating scorpions and tightly corked jars, to rules of the road in medieval times and what the toilet Henry VIII had built for Anne of Cleves looked like!
Honestly, the problem isn’t finding out all the weirdest stuff from history, it is deciding which facts I should put into a book and which I should leave out.
I would put everything in! But that might not make for such an interesting novel for the readers, who want to follow the story as well as the descriptions!
What are you planning to write next?
Next up I’m heading further back in time to write about Cleopatra. The Ptolemies have always fascinated me so I’m writing an “imagining” of her early life, based on fact but there’s a lot of fiction there too. It’s an idea I’ve been working on for years.
In the pipeline I also have the second book in my series A Succession of Chaos, which began with All the King’s Bastards, a speculative fiction series and the next books in the Heirs of Anarchy series, which will deal with Isabella of Angoulême and Joan, Lady of Wales, who are going to take readers through the reign of King John. Also, in planning stages are books on Katherine of Aragon and Catherine Parr. I very much want to do books on all the Queens of Henry VIII, and I have a series in my thoughts on Katherine Willoughby, the Duchess of Suffolk too.
So… I won’t get bored and hopefully neither will my readers!
I find the experience of not writing to be a most uncomfortable one, so I am writing all the time and often if I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing or doing research. When I am not writing, I become quite low and depressed. I think writing has become something integral to my mental health, so whilst some readers write emails or messages online, praising my work ethic, I would like to say here that really my work ethic is more a mental health ethic. There have been many times books have saved me, I think, both in reading and writing them. Both reading and writing are sanctuaries for me, as I believe they are for many people. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be and I don’t intend to find out, so if you’ve ever picked up one of my books and it’s meant something to you, or helped you through a hard time, I’d like you to know that I’m so honoured and pleased, because that’s one of the purposes of my writing. But you should also know, the same is true for me. That book meant something to me, and it was helping me in ways I would never be able to otherwise express.
Thanks for having me on!
Amazon.co.uk:
Amazon.co.uk:
G. Lawrence: books, biography, latest update
Amazon.com:
Amazon.com:
G. Lawrence: books, biography, latest update
Website:
Substack:
https://substack.com/@lawrenceg?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page
Comments
Post a Comment