Alcott. Austin. Bronte. Dickens. Dumas. Lovecraft. O Henry. Poe. Stoker. Tolstoy.
These were some of my favorite authors growing up (and still are today). Included in that list are the many others that wrote pre and early twentieth century vampire stories.
Young adult titles whose stories resonated with me to the extent I read them until they fell apart include A Candle in her Room and Jane/Emily. Subtle "don't open that door" kind of psychological creepiness against a story and characters that seemed so real, I would have read those novels just to immerse myself in their lives, even if the supernatural part was eliminated.
The challenge: how to write a novel that echoes that era, a sixty chapter novel (with a prologue and epilogue). I must confess I have not felt this over my head since writing Bryony. And yet, I am so thoroughly head over heels enjoying it.
It's slow going. Writing a chapter a day (as I did with Visage and Staked!) is not happening with this book. I can spend an entire weekend in research, working out a scene, and perhaps (if I am lucky) outlining a few more.
Lots of rewriting with more to come. Demoralizing? Absolutely not. Each picking apart of the prose is bringing me closer to the goal, the one I set when I began writing Bryony.
And that is writing something I will want to read. Once I accomplish that goal, maybe someone else will want to read it, too.
These were some of my favorite authors growing up (and still are today). Included in that list are the many others that wrote pre and early twentieth century vampire stories.
Young adult titles whose stories resonated with me to the extent I read them until they fell apart include A Candle in her Room and Jane/Emily. Subtle "don't open that door" kind of psychological creepiness against a story and characters that seemed so real, I would have read those novels just to immerse myself in their lives, even if the supernatural part was eliminated.
The challenge: how to write a novel that echoes that era, a sixty chapter novel (with a prologue and epilogue). I must confess I have not felt this over my head since writing Bryony. And yet, I am so thoroughly head over heels enjoying it.
It's slow going. Writing a chapter a day (as I did with Visage and Staked!) is not happening with this book. I can spend an entire weekend in research, working out a scene, and perhaps (if I am lucky) outlining a few more.
Lots of rewriting with more to come. Demoralizing? Absolutely not. Each picking apart of the prose is bringing me closer to the goal, the one I set when I began writing Bryony.
And that is writing something I will want to read. Once I accomplish that goal, maybe someone else will want to read it, too.
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