Judith Hudson's Blog, page 12

Inspiration for Summer of Fortune

A few weeks ago, in a bold and possibly stupid  move, I decided to change my website address, and yes, lost the whole darn thing. So I’ve been rebuilding the site from scratch. But it’s okay. It feels appropriate to start over with the series coming out this summer.

But yesterday I realized I had not put an “About Me” or “My Writing”  page on the website yet, so I searched through my old posts  and stumbled on this one about how I got started on the series. It seemed appropriate for this new phase of my career, so here it is.

How and Why I Write

In June 2008, I had been writing travel articles for magazines with limited success, when I had a minor operation on my foot and had to keep it up for what turned out to be 6 weeks.  At the same time, I got a new laptop and my husband went away for two weeks leaving me alone.  Now this does not happen often since we both work at home, so I love it when he goes on a trip without me.

I could hobble for a few minutes at a time, so I was okay on my own.  The weather was lovely and I remember thinking, gleefully if slightly timidly, that this was the time.

I started my first novel.  Plunged in, working hours each day, foot up on the coffee table, the chairs on the screened-in back porch or further outside, almost unheeding of hummingbirds buzzing by me.

The premise?  I didn’t really have one.  I work a lot on visuals and that’s where I started.  When I lived at Honeymoon Bay on Vancouver Island there was a cabin on the lake around the corner from our house (which was not quite on the lake).  Like my heroine, I couldn’t really see the cabin.

“Her foot hit the brake when she saw the cabin by the lake.  All that was visible through the trees was a crumbling chimney and broken window, half-hidden by overgrown lilacs . . . A rope hung across the head of the lane that wound through tall fir trees toward the cabin.  Nailed to one massive trunk was a faded No Trespassing sign.  Squinting to read it, she decided it was so faint, it could almost be considered and invitation …” (From the original version)

The cabin that sparked my imagination.

The cabin is still there, and I have still not seen all of it, which was probably for the best because for years I had half-heartedly been hanging stories on that chimney.  There were other things that sparked stories for me too and I just started rolling them all together.  I was a dark room photographer at that point making art prints, and so is my heroine, Maddie.  In some ways, she is my alter ego, for instance she is on the brink of becoming a successful photographer – something that never happened to me, not in that way.  In other ways, most other ways, we are totally different.

It was amazing to me how the story emerged from somewhere with what felt like no help of my own.  Although the place, which I called Fortune Bay, was very like Honeymoon Bay, the people were not based on anyone I knew there.  The characters emerged fully formed, and were revealed to me as the story progressed.  I would say to people, “And it turns out she was”, or “had been”, or “her mother was”, and they would say, “What do you mean ‘It turns out’!?”  So much of it came as a surprise to me.  I couldn’t concentrate on other stories I tried to read, I just wanted to know what happened next to my characters.  It was out there somewhere, I just had to sit down and type it.

Now this doesn’t mean the story came together quickly.  I made every mistake in the book, in all the books. And I did read them all.  In fact, I am still reading about how to write.  They say to write about what you know, and writers out there have complied.  If you are beginning writer and haven’t availed yourself of this fount of information, by all means do, either from the library or buy the books.  Most are very inexpensive.  In another blog entry I will list a few I found particularly helpful.

So what would I encourage someone else who has been playing with ideas for years to do?  Plunge in.  If worst comes to worst, there is always the delete key. And who knows, you might get carried away like, I did.

 

Now, eight years later, in June, I am publishing this first book, originally called The Cabin, now titled Summer of Fortune,  along with the three other books that have come along in the Fortune Bay Series. Summer of Fortune will be available for pre-order on amazon on May 17, so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by.

The Guardian – by Jacquie Biggar

Author Jacquie Biggar

This post falls under the category of “now for something completely different.” I always enjoy Jacquie’s small town romances, (I’m hoping to interview her in my Guest Author series, starting soon) so I’m definitely going to give The Guardian a try.

Great cover – intriguing excerpt.

Judy

 

 

A Walk in My Garden

A Rhododendron

I’m taking a little break from thinking about publishing and websites to enjoy the season.

A fragrant azalea just starting to bloom.

Indulge me. April is over ( I almost typed “almost over” because I can’t believe it!)

I’ve had my nose to the proverbial grindstone for months – ever since I decided to publish these four books this summer –

A giant white Rhodo against a Bloodgood Japanese Maple.

and am trying not to miss one of the most beautiful springs I can remember on Vancouver Island.

An incredibly fragrant French lilac – I wish the internet had scent capabilities.

Don’t ask me the names of any of the types of Rhodies and azaleas in the garden, I just go by colour.

I apologize to Easterners who have not had such wonderful past-few-months, but I can’t lie any longer.

It’ll be a couple of weeks before the peonies are in bloom.

It’s been glorious here. The weather’s been good and the blossoms have been spectacular.

And although I have been busy and holed up in my

My abundant fig just starting to fruit.

workshop, I do try to take at least a walk around the yard every evening, see what’s new and to just enjoy it, because spring is the nicest season in my garden and  soon it will be gone.

Flowering blueberries. Better cover them before the deer get them.

But in amongst the flowers there are  hints of things to come.

Peonies, Foxglove, Lavender and all the fruit.

I can’t wait.

How are you enjoying the season?

 

Almost Up And Running

I’m struggling working on many fronts these days,

brand new website
formatting two ebooks for Amazon
formatting two print books
dealing with the US government since I had the brilliant idea to start up a publishing company under our family limited corporation
planning a launch party in my garden in June.

Surely there’s something else too! And I haven’t even started to think about getting the books up on other retailers. But I will. Soon. I promise.

It’s exhilarating and exciting and frustrating – all rolled into one – did I mention exhausting? –  feeling.

But I’m determined to get the website up and running so I can announce that the first ebook is already up on Amazon, the prequel novella to the Fortune Bay series. But wait – in a couple of days I will be giving it away for FREE here on my website, along with a book a week once I get rolling. Hopefully next week. So stay tuned.