Gareth Williams's Blog, page 7

Covid can't stop me!

Just emerging from a bout of Covid, as is my 88 year old father. We are both fine and I am counting the positives in life.

With regard to my writing, I have a few things to look forward to. I am giving a talk to a lunch club on the Isle of Skye at the start of May. Also, a local book club is reading my book and when they are done, I am going to attend a meeting for a Q & A session.

A lovely reader who discovered my book from across the Atlantic is going to put out an interview she did with me, and do a book giveaway on Tumblr; she will also post a playlist I put together with a Napoleon Bonaparte theme on YouTube.

My first book, Needing Napoleon, is also being reviewed by the West Highland Free Press (date to be determined) and the Historical Novel Society (review to appear in their August magazine).

My second book, Serving Shaka, is due to be printed before the end of March and I hope to have it available online soon after that.

The third instalment, as yet unnamed, has now completed its time under my editor's scrutiny - she was very complimentary but is already pestering me for a fourth book in the series!

Now that I am up and running and safe at home, I can get back to my current venture, a fictionalised biography set in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century America (and elsewhere). I am over two-thirds of the way through it and hope to finish the first draft by the end of June 2022.

Political correctness in historical writing

Recently, I have joined a couple of Facebook groups for people writing historical fiction. It's nice to interact with people doing the same sort of thing. However, some of the issues raised puzzle me. A significant number of writers are 'worried' about how to handle terms that might give offence. More specifically where there is a racial component.

An example given was 'gypsy'. I accept it would likely give offence to describe certain groups by this term in 2021. However, if writing a book in Victorian times, it would seem inaccurate to airbrush the word from characters' speech.

After all, we might use the 'salty' language of the time. Where to draw the line? Never write about anything that might give offence? No books on Hitler then, nor slavery. Obviously that is ridiculous.

There is a profound difference between writing something with the intention of disparaging a person or group and crafting a convincing picture of a previous era.

Another illustration of the problem is where the terms are contested within the group described. For example, the indigenous peoples of North America are split over the use of Indians and Native Americans. It is not my place to pass comment. However, in the book I am currently writing, it is 1790. No one talked of Native Americans. They referred to Indians... so that is what my characters do. I have included an Author's Note at the start to explain my approach.

I hope my readers will understand - if I can secure a publisher!

What are your favourite words?

One of the pleasures of writing a novel is taking the time to pick the perfect word. I rarely manage it and sometimes, I am just hammering on the keyboard to get the plot down. But sometimes, either as the first draft unfolds or later, in the editing process, I find myself searching for that elusive word. Often, I don't find it but once in a while I do.

So, what are your favourite words? It might be the way a word captures a subtle shade of meaning. It might be how a word conjures up a particular feeling or memory. It might be how it sounds or feels as you speak it. It could be the way it looks on the page.

I grew up before computers made searching for synonyms quite so easy. I still have on my desk a hardback copy of Roget's Thesaurus. It has my school badge on the front cover and was awarded to me as winner of the Fourth Form Geography Prize! Sadly, my headmaster, Anthony Eggleston, who signed it in 1980 has recently died. But I think of him often as I use this wonderful book, so well worm that the dust jacket has long since disintegrated.

There is something wonderful just leafing through this masterpiece and letting my eye fall where it may. Let me prove it. Here is one I used the other day (edited) - 763 Petitioner N. suppliant, supplicant, claimant, pretender, postulant, aspirant, expectant, solicitor, asker, seeker, enquirer, advertiser, customer, bidder, tenderer, suitor, courter, wooer, canvasser, hawker, touter, barker, spieler, dun, dunner, lobby, lobbyist, applicant, candidate, entrant, competitor, runner.

I love the way it spans so many shades of meaning - taking you far from your starting point, and in this case including what I was looking for... supplicant.

As for my favourite word, I do love onomatopoeia. Not so much the word itself (let's face it, it's a nightmare to spell!) but words that fit that category such as... flutter, fizzle, hiss, squash, screech, hoot and cuckoo.

If we move onto favourite phrases then my favourite sources have to be Shakespeare, King James bible and the naval argot. A subject for another post, I think!

Why not let me know your favourites?

Historical Novel Society interview

The Historical Novel Society is an amazing organisation for any fan of historical fiction. I really enjoyed my recent interview with Keira Morgan of the Society.

Keira crafted a set of thoughtful and interesting questions about my book Needing Napoleon, including:

What drew you to 'what if' historical fiction? What kind of research did you do to imagine your exotic settings during the nineteenth century? Which character challenged you the most?

You can find the full interview by clicking on this link - I hope you enjoy reading it.

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/launch-gareth-williamss-needing-napoleon/

On the radio - my selection

When interviewed by Carole Horton on Radio Skye, she kindly asked me to pick some tracks. So what did I choose?

Well, there has to be a Beatles song so I went for Paperback Writer!

I wanted a link with the subject of my book so that's how I picked the other three. Firstly, Roads to Moscow by Al Stewart. A song that took him years to research and write. It is about the Germans retreating from the gates to Moscow in the footsteps of Napoleon's Grand Army some 150 years before.

This was followed by Josephine by Tori Amos - a short, atmospheric song full of regret but also referencing Moscow - this time burning to deny Napoleon shelter as winter deepened.

Finally, Waterloo by Abba. Not really a song about Napoleon, although he gets a mention.

Let me know what you would have picked!

Radio show catch up

Just a short blog about my appearance on Carole Horton's radio show on Radio Skye on Sunday 9th January. If you missed it and fancy a listen you can get it on their website - just go to Listen Again and scroll down. I was on the first hour of her show, about thirty minutes in.

I did get asked one challenging question from a listener who was reading my book - If Napoleon had won the Battle of Waterloo, would the First World War still have happened?

Let me know what you think!

On the radio

Well, this will be a first for me. I am being interviewed on Radio Skye on Sunday 9 January at about 9.30am. The focus of the interview will be my first novel, Needing Napoleon and encouraging others to believe they can get a book into print. I will talk about the range of options now available to writers but also some of the frustrations!

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert. Nor am I suggesting my book is threatening the bestseller lists. But I hope that might resonate with some listeners. I didn't write Needing Napoleon to sell a million copies or get rich. I wrote it for pleasure. And now I want to share it with as many people as I can reach. Simple as that. But not necessarily that easy to achieve.

I might also get to touch upon the places where my book can be bought. I am delighted Waterstones in Inverness are stocking it. There are three shops on Skye: Carmina Gadelica, Tippecanoe and McIntyres Newsagents who are selling signed copies. Obviously, it is available through most online bookshops too.

The supply chain has been pretty creaky over Christmas and New Year but I am hoping things will settle down soon, although Covid continues to have an impact, of course.

Anyway, here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Zulu Hart

Zulu Hart by Saul David

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A convincing historical novel set in dramatic times, greatly enhanced by being written by a professional historian.
The main characters are well drawn and pace is maintained throughout. The military detail is well-judged and the campaign clearly elucidated.
Thoroughly enjoyable and accessible without sacrificing period accuracy. Further good news is that there is a sequel.



View all my reviews

I've just discovered Goodreads

I may be preaching to the converted here, but I have just discovered the Goodreads website/app which is great for anyone who loves books, wants to discover new things to read, interact with authors and so on.

I am delighted to say, that after a bit of effort getting myself distinguished from other writers called Gareth Williams, that I now have an author profile on Goodreads.

I hope this will be another way for people to discover or comment on Needing Napoleon and my forthcoming books.

If you have read and enjoyed Needing Napoleon can I encourage you to sign up (if you haven't already joined). It is completely free! It would be great if you wanted to follow me and also rated/reviewed Needing Napoleon.

You can also track your own reading and review any book you have read. I have to admit, I have found it easy to use and have enjoyed looking for authors whose works I enjoy and see what they are reading.

To find me, all you have to do is type Needing Napoleon into the search bar.

Where to find my blog

If you click on the link to my website on my author page you can view all of my posts.

Https://www.whatifalternatehistory.com