My new fascination

You've heard me talking about it already - Dark Academia. I want to write one, so I'm having a try. As I do not intend to give up my preferred genre of romantic suspense, it is going to be my version - maybe a sort of hybrid? We'll have to see what comes out.

I've read a few  over the years. Memorable ones? Donna Tart's Secret History, M L Rio's  If We Were Villains and Katy Hays' The Cloisters. Personally I'd also add KJ Charles' Death in the Spires to that list, although it is actually promoted as an historical  mystery. And Gilly MacMillan's The Burning Library also has overtones. And although no one has ever mentioned it, as far as I am aware, and I have to admit I've never watched it, lots that I've heard about the TV series The Traitors goes with the vibe. Castles, tartan, betrayal ...

As well as reading I've researched tropes and ingredients. 

Of course it starts with the pursuit of knowledge - that can be art or literature.  The protagonists have to be pretty expert at what they do and usually that's as part of a small and exclusive group.  The setting is gothic and we know I've wanted to try my hand at one of those ever since doing an evening class on gothic novels with Cardiff University's Lifelong Learning Department. The atmosphere is autumnal - not my favourite time of the year, but you can't beat it for atmosphere, There are cloisters, libraries, obsessions, secret societies, secrets, power. Plenty of scope in that soup for me to have some fun. Also apparently the right kinds of clothes are a thing - tweed, plaid, tailoring, blazers and loafers, leather bags, (Google it and you get all sorts of suggestions for a capsule wardrobe.)

One of the element that I do have a bit of an issue with is the assertion that the protagonists are morally grey. That does not go along with my romantic leanings. Those around them may be ambiguous, or even down right nasty, but my hero and heroine have to stay true to my genre. And there will have to be a happy ending. Although not for everyone. Body count is already rising.. 

Not sure what I'm going to get at the end of this, but I'm looking forward to the journey. 

The last February prompt.

 The Romantic fiction prompt for today is what film or TV series is most like your books? 

My earlier books are inspired more by other authors  - American romantic suspense from authors like Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz and Karen Rose. 

My most recent books - the Riviera series - those owe a lot of all those glossy TV series from the 80s. If I have to pick one I’m choosing the American TV show Remington Steele, but it could equally have been any of those glossy detective shows of the 1980s – Moonlighting, Scarecrow and Mrs King, Hart to Hart. Remington Steele gets the vote solely on the strength of staring Pierce Brosnan – the classic tall, dark, handsome hero. They were glitzy, sophisticated, action driven, with a central couple with a teasing will they/won’t they relationship (although the couple in Hart to Hart were married) – the kind of escapist entertainment that I was aiming for in the Riviera series. Of course my hero and heroine do get together – that’s why it’s romantic suspense.

And the WIP? Well, I'm really not sure about that one. It's early days. I want to go back to a grittier style - I'm not sure that I'm doing that, but the body count is certainly rising. I want to explore the gothic and dark academia, but at the moment I seem to be channeling a vibe from Raiders of the Lost Arc and The Da Vinci Code. There is a distinct treasure hunt feel going on. Not at all sure where it is going, but it is going and I am enjoying it, so at the moment it's all good. The pushing treacle up hill bit doesn't usually set in until later. 

Prompt of the day

 Still with Romantic Fiction Month. A lot of the prompts have been what you write, but today's is about how - by hand, on computer, dictated to your secretary. Okay, so I don't actually know anyone who does that last one, but apparently the legendary Barbara Cartland wrote that way.

Me, I'm an advocate of handwriting. That's how the first draft gets done. After that I get it into typing by reading it to my Dragon (dictation program) which is also the first round of my own edits.

I can think onto the typewriter for short things, like this blog, but not for a novel. Writing by hand has advantages. corrections and changes of mind are easy, though not always later when I am trying to decide whether that additional paragraph comes before this one. I've always used handwriting in work - as a committee administrator, taking notes, hand writing was the only mean possible, and I am old enough that a large chunk of my working life took place when there was still such a thing as a typing pool. The same applies to my academic career, notes, pages and pages of them. Hand writing is what I am used to. And they say that the connection between hand and brain is greater and better for the creative process when you hand write, which is a nice idea.

And, of course, you can write anywhere. At the moment it is mostly in my posh orthopedic chair, which was actually made to measure - and priced accordingly, but we won't go there. It is very comfortable and it reclines! Trains are also a favourite place for writing too. And in the summer in the garden, but not at the moment. The paper would get too soggy. 

The big thing is that you should write how and where you are most comfortable. A book takes a long time to write - or for me it does - so the process has to be enjoyable. And that, I think, comes through in the words, however they get on the page.  

And today's prompt is ...

 I'm not officially taking part in the romantic fiction month, except for liking and sharing posts and reels from lots of friends -and there are some really fun and informative ones out there, I hope you have found and enjoyed a few - but I couldn't resist today's prompt, which was 'What would your characters wear?'

As a well known clothes horse, this is right in my wardrobe, so to speak. Clothes are my thing. And they are also an important element in my writing. A short hand for character and a fast way of setting a scene, introducing a personality, and generally having a bit of fun. Dress your hero in a  black leather jacket- and you know there is going to a bit of the bad boy in there. A brown one is a whole different story - upmarket and well dressed. A heroine taking time over her appearance, whether it is for a business meeting or a date, and you know it is important to her. Clothes are fast clues - dowdy, over revealing, age inappropriate tell you so much about a supporting character without having to go into a lot of detail. 

The IDEA, currently brewing, has a number of places where clothes are part of the story. Art is involved, so there is an element of costume. I have a feeling that Tarot cards will be involved too, so clothing that echoes elements of the card deck may well make an appearance. I've just made the acquaintance of a woman who I know is going to be a minor villain - very expensive and rigid in her tastes. The hero has quite a significant life change after the first third of the book, and the change in the way he dresses is a big part of it. And, of course, I am aiming to incorporate an element of Dark Academia - although I have to say that the moment it is heading closer to Raiders of the Lost Ark!

But Dark Academia has it's own dress code - tweed and wool, dark muted autumn colours, vintage pieces and  classic and tailored styles, leather shoes and accessories, heavy knitwear, blazers and trench coats - everything that says scholarly and traditional. I'm looking forward to enjoying myself  with that. 

Coming to Social Media near you.

 Currently lots of author friends are celebrating Valentine month by posting a series of prompted posts all about their romance writing. Not everyone will post every day and not on all social media but you should be seeing some posts and shares on whatever your scroll of choice is. Today's prompt is a question on whether you write in other genres except romance, so there will probably be fewer posts from the die hard romantics, but you might learn something interesting about  one of you favourites? More genres for the TBR pile. I've threatened to try my hand at cosy crime, but it ain't happened yet. Not sure if Dark Academia counts, but that isn't written yet either and it is going to be still heavy on the romantic suspense, because that's who I am. 

Anyway, I hope you see some of the posts and enjoy them. You'll know what you are seeing from the hashtag 

RomFicFeb26

At the start?

 I'm in a scary place at the moment - hovering on the edge of starting a new manuscript!!! 

The idea that has been bugging me since Xmas is still bugging me, and now I've signed on for a workshop in March that requires a new piece of work for a critique session - so it looks as if I am doing this. I have notes. I have research - lots of stuff on Dark Academia, which is where the thing seems to be taking itself.  More of that in future posts. I've back burnered the projects I was struggling with for the moment and I'm gathering myself for the cliff. 

If you are writing fiction there is always a series of simple questions to be answered at the start of the project – even if the author is not consciously following a framework.

Who? What? When? Where? How? 

Who – the protagonist, the villain, the key supporting characters,

What – overall premise – murder mystery, jewel heist, treasure hunt.

When – historical, contemporary, futuristic

Where – the setting – cosy village, desert island, outer space.

How – that’s your plot - and the point where it all starts to get way more complicated ...

I'm assembling those elements. I don't have all my cast yet. I have hero and heroine, but not the supporting players - or not all of them. I know roughly where the thing is going. It's contemporary, but over an extended time line. It will be set primarily in Wales - yes, I am coming home. 

And the plot? Like I said, it's complicated. 

I'll keep you posted. 

(Apologies for the absence of a post last week. My computer, a venerable old lady, who is showing her age a bit, had a hissy fit and would not let me near half the display and controls. I've sorted it out now for the moment, but something will probably have to be done long term.) 

Because of the hissy fit I did not get to wish you a happy St Dwynwen's Day on Sunday. So I am saying it now. 

Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen Happus. 

Technical Hitch

 Apologies for the absence of a new post on Wednesday 21 January. I'm having an irritating technical problem.

I hope that normal service will be resumed in the near future.