Ask the Author: Rohase Piercy
Answered Questions (9)
Rohase Piercy
I'm thinking Helen Mirren would make a rather sleek, inscrutable older female Holmes - with possibly Anne Reid as Watson. Unless we're thinking cross dressing, in which case Holmes would have to be someone with a strong, challenging face - Tamsin Greig? Gemma Whelan might make a good Watson in that scenario - I was very impressed with her performance as 'A Perfect Gentleman' in the recent BBC series of monologues 'Queers'.
Rohase Piercy
It would have to be Susanna Clarke's 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell''s late 18th century England, to take part in the 'restoration of English Magic'! Not that Norrell would have me as a pupil, being such a misogynist, and Strange would be too busy with all his adventures; but maybe I could come in at the end of the story, and join the reconstructed Learned Society of York Magicians when it opens its membership to anyone, regardless of gender or social class, who genuinely wants to study Magic ...
Rohase Piercy
I'm working on a memoir presented in the third person, recounting my husband's childhood experiences. He was an abused child, but I know the world doesn't need another 'misery memoir' so 'The Rock Dove' will consist of a series of short stories, each following on from the other. It's a very different project from my other writing, so I'm taking it slowly. I'm not happy with the last two stories (there are seven in all) so I'm taking a break before going back to look at them through fresh eyes. In the meantime, I'm running through an idea in my head for another 'alternative perspective' novel, based on Alice Thomas Ellis' 'Summerhouse Trilogy'. I'll keep that to myself for the time being as I don't want anyone to nick my idea while it's still percolating!
Rohase Piercy
I guess it can be summarised as 'start, then stop, then start again!'
Getting started if the most difficult step for some people. Just go for it, write down that idea, that imaginary conversation, that vivid description, using whatever words you have available at the time, get it down on paper or on your PC. But once you're got a chapter or two down, stop. Stop and read it through, aloud if it helps, and see what you think. You'll certainly find it can be done better. Make corrections, find new adjectives and adverbs to avoid that case of repetition, cut out that totally unnecessary description or explanation. If there's a sentence or paragraph you know isn't quite right but you can't find the words right now, just mark it with a question mark. Leave it for twenty-four hours, and go through the whole process again. By now an idea should have arisen as to how to proceed from there. If it has, go on, write the next bit, then go back and correct it etc, perhaps reading it together with the first chapter which can still be improved. If it hasn't, go on anyway, force those words out, get something down that you can then work with and improve. And so on ... it's rather like doing back-stitch. It's a laborious process, but a strengthening one! Then you may get halfway through and decide the whole thing is a load of rubbish, but actually you've got a better idea, you could re-work it ... so do that, make a new start using your existing material but taking it in a new and better direction!
Don't despair, but don't get ahead of yourself either. That's my advice.
Getting started if the most difficult step for some people. Just go for it, write down that idea, that imaginary conversation, that vivid description, using whatever words you have available at the time, get it down on paper or on your PC. But once you're got a chapter or two down, stop. Stop and read it through, aloud if it helps, and see what you think. You'll certainly find it can be done better. Make corrections, find new adjectives and adverbs to avoid that case of repetition, cut out that totally unnecessary description or explanation. If there's a sentence or paragraph you know isn't quite right but you can't find the words right now, just mark it with a question mark. Leave it for twenty-four hours, and go through the whole process again. By now an idea should have arisen as to how to proceed from there. If it has, go on, write the next bit, then go back and correct it etc, perhaps reading it together with the first chapter which can still be improved. If it hasn't, go on anyway, force those words out, get something down that you can then work with and improve. And so on ... it's rather like doing back-stitch. It's a laborious process, but a strengthening one! Then you may get halfway through and decide the whole thing is a load of rubbish, but actually you've got a better idea, you could re-work it ... so do that, make a new start using your existing material but taking it in a new and better direction!
Don't despair, but don't get ahead of yourself either. That's my advice.
Rohase Piercy
I take a break! Then when I go back in I don't try to carry on where I left off, I edit what I've already done, and that gets me back into the swing of it. Actually I usually start every writing session, writer's block or no, by editing what I've done previously ... it's like doing backstitch ... it's a slow progression, but it works for me.
Rohase Piercy
Oh that's easy - working from home, in your own time!
Rohase Piercy
With a idea! It's as simple as that. More often than not, the idea will take the form of 'what if ...?' and I'll follow it through to see if there's any mileage in it, and daydream about it for a while, and try out various little conversations or scenarios that would fit it, and maybe jot them down, and then decide if I think it's worth putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). And then, if I can't find the beginning, I may do a sample chapter from the middle or somewhere to get me in gear, and carry on from there.
Rohase Piercy
I'm really looking forward to reading Joanne Harris's 'Different Class', because it's the sequel to 'Gentlemen and Players' which is my favourite Joanne Harris book ever.
Then seeing as I've been into crime fiction lately I'm going to try Sharon Bolton's 'Lacey Flint' books, starting with 'Now You See Me' - I devoured Tana French's books one after the other so I'll be really pleased if Bolton's writing is anywhere near as good!
Finally, my curiosity has been piqued by Beryl Bainbridge's 'Master Georgie' - I thought I'd read most of hers, but this one is new to me, so I'm looking forward to giving it a go.
Then seeing as I've been into crime fiction lately I'm going to try Sharon Bolton's 'Lacey Flint' books, starting with 'Now You See Me' - I devoured Tana French's books one after the other so I'll be really pleased if Bolton's writing is anywhere near as good!
Finally, my curiosity has been piqued by Beryl Bainbridge's 'Master Georgie' - I thought I'd read most of hers, but this one is new to me, so I'm looking forward to giving it a go.
Rohase Piercy
I'll take this as a question about 'Before Elizabeth'! I got the idea of presenting the 'Pride and Prejudice' story through the eyes of Anne de Bourgh many, many years ago, after watching a 1980s adaptation (precursor to the famous 1995 Andrew Davies adaptation) which included a scene where Anne impetuously grabs hold of Elizabeth's hand when saying goodbye to her as she leaves Rosings. I thought, 'That's the first time I've seen Anne de Bourgh portrayed as a character with any feelings at all!' Then I thought, 'In this portrayal she clearly wants Elizabeth to think well of her, but what if she wasn't really such a downtrodden wimp? What if she had ideas and opinions of her own about her supposed engagement to Darcy? What if she suspected an attachment between him and Elizabeth Bennet?' And then I thought, 'What would Anne's childhood have been like? Was she always so delicate, always an invalid? Who would have educated her? What was her father, Sir Lewis, like?' And so it went on, from there ... it's been through several different versions, it's been shortened, lengthened again, and edited to death over the years. But I'm pleased with the finished version, and hope a few readers like it too ....
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Jun 28, 2021 01:33PM · flag
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