Ask the Author: Michèle Callard
Answered Questions (6)
Michèle Callard
Once all the building blocks are in place, the French region, the historical period, the themes, I let the atmosphere of the times fill in the blanks for me. My challenge is not writer's block, but holding back on the research! The final edit is a bloodbath of guillotined darlings. Aïe... so painful.
Michèle Callard
For me, the best thing is the research, delving into the soul of a region, travelling to another era, understanding what makes it tick... and expressing it through the characters.
Michèle Callard
Writing is a craft one has to learn, just like carpentry. Don't rush to publish. You would not sell the first shelves you build or the first picture you paint.
Michèle Callard
I am working on a historical saga set in 1870. It is a love story between a priest from a good family and a peasant girl. They leave Bordeaux for Paris during the siege (the Prussian War). There will be 4 books, some of them set half in America, half in France.
Michèle Callard
I set my heart on a region, draw up a general outline and when I visit it, it all comes together. It is like falling in love. All sensations are heightened, everything is relevant and the most wonderful revelation is that people are so generous with their time. I take that place home with me and owe it to those who have helped me to write a good story.
Michèle Callard
My soon to be published book, The Wolf's Legacy, takes place in the Cévennes, a little known part of France south of the Massif Central. I like writing about lesser known regions, but other writers are catching up! My ideas are often dictated by the region, in this case, the story of a mythical wolf that terrorised the region. Another theme is based on the Wars of Religion and intolerance, which sadly, never ends.
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