I've said it before, but it bears repeating--one of the reasons I began doing a blog on writing and writers was because I loved the idea of learning about fellow writers--why they write and how they write. Today's guest in My Writing Corner, Mary Georgina de Grey has a wonderful story to tell. Her newest book is Then Time Stands Still and it was released in September.
Welcome, Mary. Please tell us a little about how you got started as an author:
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As a linguist, it seemed logical to use the countries I’d lived and worked in. Stuck at home, I wanted to travel, and Italy glowed in my mind as a really desirable place to visit, and so my first published novel began. Then The Earth Moved was published in 2023.
What do you find is the most challenging part of being an author?
Getting published, of course, but then once that’s happened, other things challenge you. I’m very focused, and when I’m in the story, I have to force myself to do the marketing – but then I do enjoy some of that.
I designed my own website and that was fun. I think what I do most on Facebook and in my newsletter is to give background to my books. And I do a lot of research, so I’ll have taken interesting photos, and then I enjoy creating text to accompany them. For instance, with this new book, Then Time Stands Still, the background is about the food, the customs and the architecture of Zaragoza (Spain), where it’s set. I think getting the balance between writing and marketing is the most difficult.
How do you develop characters?
Sometimes it begins with a news headline, but generally, I’ll be in a place or read about it, and if it sparks my interest, a shadowy character lodges itself in my mind. But it needs filling out. I write a bio for each of the main characters, feeding in past traumatic events, good qualities and bad, which will shape the way they react to what happens. Then I may choose an aspect of the character and push it as far as I can to increase the intensity – you want the person to stay with the reader long after they’ve finished a book.
Of course, I might get an idea from someone I know, but it’s never them – more like a characteristic they have. I live with the main character for a long time before really writing anything, often working on the what ifs in the middle of the night – light out, just thinking. I find it impossible to make notes in the night but somehow all these thoughts come together.
Tell us about your road to publication
Being published for non-fiction did not help to find a publisher or an agent but it did teach me self-discipline and how to work with an editor, not be too precious about my creations. I submitted to both agents and publishers and The Wild Rose Press (TWRP) was the first to ask to see the MS – I’d suggested I could write a series in that each book would be set in a different European country, and each heroine would be strong and determined to make the most of her life, despite a few earlier setbacks.
I’ve been lucky with my editor, Eilidh Mackenzie, who has taught me so much.
What is your book that will be featured today and how did you come up with the idea to write it.
Having worked and lived with mixed-race people in Bristol in England, I know that the path isn’t always smooth, and this was something I wanted to talk about.
I’ve always been interested in archaeology, but I still had to do a huge amount of research to get an authentic feel to the story. But you know, the research also suggested lots of plot points.
Let’s get a blurb:Damaged by war in Ukraine and a tragic event in his past, Max has given up on relationships and taken refuge in making wine, but the attraction he feels to Amancia forces him to confront painful issues. There’s also the gulf between their two cultures to consider if a relationship is to have any chance of success.
Ambitious and fiery in character, can either accept that compromise is sometimes necessary to find happiness?
How about a quick excerpt?
What are you working on now?
I’m on the third of the novels for TWRP, Then Love Burned Bright. It is set in France, and I’ll soon be organizing a research trip to Toulouse and Bordeaux to make sure my memories of the area are up to date. I’ve found the internet to be very helpful as well.
I’ve also started what I call the ‘Island Series’, and the first is likely to take place on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. A recent visit inspired me to set something there.
What advice do you have for beginning writers?
- Read a lot in different genres, fiction and non-fiction, and some psychology won’t come amiss. Reading in your own genre can be helpful and you begin to respect others, seeing how cleverly they handle a difficult transition or an emotional situation.
- Here are three books I have recently read:
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- A modern version of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid
- Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
None of these is about writing but such reading will feed your imagination.
- Writing is hard work, so settle down at your desk and write – and ditch perfectionism at this stage. Find out what’s most comfortable for you – paper or computer – and write. I like to get through the first draft quickly because I love editing. Writing friends have recommended participating in NaNoWriMo – 50K words in one month – to get going,
- What helps you? Make a plan, a pathway to the end you envisage. If you haven’t envisaged an ending, this is probably the first step. Your plan can be quite sketchy, but don’t be afraid to tackle a later scene that’s already fully formed in your mind as soon as it arrives there.
- Courses and books are useful. I’d recommend a series of books by Janice Hardy. If you are writing romance, her book on Show Don’t Tell is hugely helpful for the beginner.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086424198194
Email: marygeorginadg@gmail.com for newsletter and other enquiries.'
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