Kathleen Heady's Blog, page 3
January 25, 2014
Full English Breakfast with Variations
On the first page of my novel The Gate House, the main character, Nara, bemoans having to prepare a full English breakfast at her aunt’s bed and breakfast. If you have not had the opportunity tuck into one of these artery clogging delights, I will describe it for you.
A full English breakfast consists of thick British back bacon, eggs, sausage, baked beans, tomato, mushrooms and toast. Just so you don’t have the impression that the tomato and mushrooms add a healthy touch to the meal, these are cooked in the frying pan in the grease left from the bacon and sausages, hence another name for these concoction, the fry-up.
There are many regional variations in England itself, before moving on to Scotland and Ireland. Every region has its own sausage and bacon, and chips (French fries) are often included. In the north of England, as well as Scotland, you will likely find a slice of black pudding on your plate. The Irish prefer white pudding (same as black pudding but without the blood), and a slice of thick brown bread. The bread is the best part of the whole deal in my opinion.
In my travels around the British Isles, I have learned to order only a part of an English breakfast, if at all. Scrambled eggs, toast, maybe a sausage. Or eggs, toast, tomato and mushrooms. I first encountered a Scottish breakfast in a bed and breakfast in Lincolnshire. It was the original Gate House, for which my book is named. The proprietor, who was Scottish, prepared the whole meal for us, including the black pudding, which I passed on. By the time I reached Ireland, I had learned to order only portions of the meal, but I do love that brown bread. I also learned that in Ireland, and probably Scotland too, I could order porridge (oatmeal) and clean out my arteries once in a while.
My character Nara, who grew up in the Caribbean, craved the fresh fruits of the islands. She has my tastes.
A full English breakfast consists of thick British back bacon, eggs, sausage, baked beans, tomato, mushrooms and toast. Just so you don’t have the impression that the tomato and mushrooms add a healthy touch to the meal, these are cooked in the frying pan in the grease left from the bacon and sausages, hence another name for these concoction, the fry-up.
There are many regional variations in England itself, before moving on to Scotland and Ireland. Every region has its own sausage and bacon, and chips (French fries) are often included. In the north of England, as well as Scotland, you will likely find a slice of black pudding on your plate. The Irish prefer white pudding (same as black pudding but without the blood), and a slice of thick brown bread. The bread is the best part of the whole deal in my opinion.
In my travels around the British Isles, I have learned to order only a part of an English breakfast, if at all. Scrambled eggs, toast, maybe a sausage. Or eggs, toast, tomato and mushrooms. I first encountered a Scottish breakfast in a bed and breakfast in Lincolnshire. It was the original Gate House, for which my book is named. The proprietor, who was Scottish, prepared the whole meal for us, including the black pudding, which I passed on. By the time I reached Ireland, I had learned to order only portions of the meal, but I do love that brown bread. I also learned that in Ireland, and probably Scotland too, I could order porridge (oatmeal) and clean out my arteries once in a while.
My character Nara, who grew up in the Caribbean, craved the fresh fruits of the islands. She has my tastes.
January 17, 2014
The "Nature" of Setting
I have always wondered how a person’s surrounding affect they way they live. How is it different to grow up on the flat land of Illinois in the midst of corn fields and soy beans, compared to a city overlooked by an ancient castle (Edinburgh, Scotland), or the lushness of tropical trees and flowers. Different people react in different ways to their childhood environment, and I am not sure it has anything to do with whether or not a childhood was happy. I had a very happy childhood in Illinois in the midst of the corn fields, but I have no desire to go back there, and neither do my brothers. We were always taught to think big, dream big and explore the world, and we have done just that. Illinois is where I am from, not where I am.
In my latest Nara book, tentatively titled Hotel St. Clare, which is actually the beginning of her story, we go back to the island country of St. Clare, where she grew up, and will see how her island upbringing helped to shape her personality and character. At that time, and at the beginning of The Gate House, Nara had very strong ties to St. Clare and life on the islands. But circumstances and people change, and perhaps if she returned, it would not be the same. By the end of Lydia’s Story, how would she feel?
What do you think? I would love to hear how other people have been shaped, or not, by the place where they grew up.
In my latest Nara book, tentatively titled Hotel St. Clare, which is actually the beginning of her story, we go back to the island country of St. Clare, where she grew up, and will see how her island upbringing helped to shape her personality and character. At that time, and at the beginning of The Gate House, Nara had very strong ties to St. Clare and life on the islands. But circumstances and people change, and perhaps if she returned, it would not be the same. By the end of Lydia’s Story, how would she feel?
What do you think? I would love to hear how other people have been shaped, or not, by the place where they grew up.
August 29, 2013
Guest Blogging Today
Guest blogging today at
http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot....
http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot....
August 9, 2013
Death Knell V
If you enjoy short stories, take time to check out the new anthology from the Delaware Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime. My story, "At War," set in Connecticut during World War II, appears.You can find it on Goodreads and it is available on Amazon. If I could figure out how to create a link, I would!
July 12, 2013
Could You Live in a Lopsided House?
Could you live in a lopsided house? We are accustomed to straight lines, parallel sentences, and the value a sense of uniformity. But is this the best way to live, or to write?
Some writers recommend using outlines, and have many valid reasons for doing so. I was always the kind of student who wrote my outline after I finished my research paper or essay. How else would I know what I was going to say until I wrote it down?
As a writer, I am what is know as a "pantser." I write by the seat of my pants. I have a vague idea where my story is going, but I don't know for sure until I start writing it. For me, the most fun part of writing is the surprises, when a character jumps into the story when I didn't know he was going to be there, or when a character encounters a situation that I did not plan, and the writing just seems to flow. That is exciting.
So what would you do with a lopsided house? Straighten it up? Or change your life?
And just so you know, the lopsided house in the photo is a "goblin house" at Tyler Arboretum, outside Philadelphia. It is great fun for the imaginations of children and adults. I play there whenever I have the chance.
May 19, 2013
Seeing It Through
I am currently working on finishing a writing project that I began at least nine years ago. Yes, nine years. It was the project I was working on before my trip to England and the inspiration for The Gate House, my first published novel. After that I wrote Lydia’s Story, a follow-up to The Gate House. But I have always felt that I needed to go back to the first story, tentatively titled Nara of the Islands. This is the Nara who appears in both of my later books. In The Gate House, Nara has recently arrived in England from a fictional Caribbean island called St. Clare, and her boy friend back on St. Clare has stopped calling her.
I thought it was important to finish telling the first part of Nara’s story because it shows who she is and where she came from. Her background is half British and half islander. She never knew her mother. Her father kept secrets from her. Telling the beginning of her story is important to the development of Nara as a character. When I wrote The Gate House, I took the characters from this earlier piece and simply placed them in a new situation. Now is it time to finish the beginning of the story.
And there is something satisfying about finishing a project. I have a knitting project I began in January and hope to finish in another month. And I will finish both of these projects. Completion is difficult — everyone has unfinished projects of one kind or another lying around — but the satisfaction of completion is worth the work.
I thought it was important to finish telling the first part of Nara’s story because it shows who she is and where she came from. Her background is half British and half islander. She never knew her mother. Her father kept secrets from her. Telling the beginning of her story is important to the development of Nara as a character. When I wrote The Gate House, I took the characters from this earlier piece and simply placed them in a new situation. Now is it time to finish the beginning of the story.
And there is something satisfying about finishing a project. I have a knitting project I began in January and hope to finish in another month. And I will finish both of these projects. Completion is difficult — everyone has unfinished projects of one kind or another lying around — but the satisfaction of completion is worth the work.
May 2, 2013
Believe in Your Work
I was delighted to find out that my latest book, Lydia's Story, is one of the top two sellers at my publisher, Sage Words Publishing. This is a small publisher and hardly puts me on the New York Times bestseller lists, but it still tells me that people out there are reading my book, and I hope are enjoying it.
As well as a boost to my ego and a confirmation of my storytelling and writing ability, I also feel an increase in confidence and belief in my work.
Throughout the writing process, from rough draft and idea stage all the way to post-publication promotion, I have to believe in my work. I have to believe that my story of Lydia, the British mother who became a spy, is worth reading, and was worth my time in writing it.
A big reason for giving up, whether as a writer or any other endeavor, is lack of belief in oneself and what one is trying to do. Would-be writers have unfinished stories lying around. Would-be photographers have boxes (or computer files) of photos that never see the light of day. People take foreign language courses and then give up when it becomes difficult.
Do you see yourself in France, conversing in French? Do you see your book, poem, or article published? Are your photographs framed and hanging for sale in a local coffee shop? You don't have to be a star, or make a lot of money, to believe in and appreciate your own talent. You just need to stand tall and have confidence.
As well as a boost to my ego and a confirmation of my storytelling and writing ability, I also feel an increase in confidence and belief in my work.
Throughout the writing process, from rough draft and idea stage all the way to post-publication promotion, I have to believe in my work. I have to believe that my story of Lydia, the British mother who became a spy, is worth reading, and was worth my time in writing it.
A big reason for giving up, whether as a writer or any other endeavor, is lack of belief in oneself and what one is trying to do. Would-be writers have unfinished stories lying around. Would-be photographers have boxes (or computer files) of photos that never see the light of day. People take foreign language courses and then give up when it becomes difficult.
Do you see yourself in France, conversing in French? Do you see your book, poem, or article published? Are your photographs framed and hanging for sale in a local coffee shop? You don't have to be a star, or make a lot of money, to believe in and appreciate your own talent. You just need to stand tall and have confidence.
April 27, 2013
Forward to the Past
Writers never throw anything away, or at least they shouldn’t. This week I pulled out an old “almost novel” that I wrote before my first one, The Gate House, was published.
This one, tentatively titled Nara of the Islands, is really the original story of my protagonist who appears in both The Gate House and Lydia’s Story. This book tells of the years just before she and her father moved to England, and her life in the fictional Caribbean island nation of St. Clare.
It is interesting to read something that I wrote almost ten years ago, and to see how my style has changed, and the images of my characters. It is a very different book from the last two in some ways. Although it is somewhat a mystery, there are elements of magic that I let go of in the later books.
I think it is a story that needs to see the light of day, for better or worse. I plan to polish it and at least self-publish on Kindle later this year.
If you are a writer, do you sometimes “resurrect” old pieces to rework them? And readers, what about other types of old projects? Is it fun or frustrating to go back something you worked on in the past?
This one, tentatively titled Nara of the Islands, is really the original story of my protagonist who appears in both The Gate House and Lydia’s Story. This book tells of the years just before she and her father moved to England, and her life in the fictional Caribbean island nation of St. Clare.
It is interesting to read something that I wrote almost ten years ago, and to see how my style has changed, and the images of my characters. It is a very different book from the last two in some ways. Although it is somewhat a mystery, there are elements of magic that I let go of in the later books.
I think it is a story that needs to see the light of day, for better or worse. I plan to polish it and at least self-publish on Kindle later this year.
If you are a writer, do you sometimes “resurrect” old pieces to rework them? And readers, what about other types of old projects? Is it fun or frustrating to go back something you worked on in the past?
March 25, 2013
Do You Want to Hear about My WIP?
Sometimes people ask me, “What are you working on now? Can you talk about it?”
It is always a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, I like talking about writing. And it does help sometimes to bounce ideas off someone else. But on the other hand, it’s kind of like talking about the baby early in a pregnancy. It’s too soon. There are too many unknowns. And both pregnancies and writing are very personal, especially in the beginning stages.
One advantage I have found to talking about my work in progress, otherwise known as WIP, is that it motivates me to keep working. If I tell you that I am working on a young adult novel set in thirteenth century England, and that it has magical elements in it, you have a perfect right to ask me next month, “Hey! How’s that YA novel going?” I need to at least be able to say, “It’s coming along.” Of course I can say that even if it’s not, but I would feel terribly guilty.
My advice to myself and other writers is: Don’t say too much. And don’t bring the subject up, unless you are in a critique group and really looking for suggestions and help. And just like that baby, remember that it is personal. You don’t have to talk about until you are ready. But when the writing, like the baby, is ready to make its debut in the world, shout it from the rooftops!
It is always a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, I like talking about writing. And it does help sometimes to bounce ideas off someone else. But on the other hand, it’s kind of like talking about the baby early in a pregnancy. It’s too soon. There are too many unknowns. And both pregnancies and writing are very personal, especially in the beginning stages.
One advantage I have found to talking about my work in progress, otherwise known as WIP, is that it motivates me to keep working. If I tell you that I am working on a young adult novel set in thirteenth century England, and that it has magical elements in it, you have a perfect right to ask me next month, “Hey! How’s that YA novel going?” I need to at least be able to say, “It’s coming along.” Of course I can say that even if it’s not, but I would feel terribly guilty.
My advice to myself and other writers is: Don’t say too much. And don’t bring the subject up, unless you are in a critique group and really looking for suggestions and help. And just like that baby, remember that it is personal. You don’t have to talk about until you are ready. But when the writing, like the baby, is ready to make its debut in the world, shout it from the rooftops!
February 20, 2013
Is It OK to Quit?
How often do you give up on a book and quit reading it?
It's a rare occurrence for me. I have a real problem just giving up and putting the book down. I feel as if I have wasted something -- wasted time, wasted the book itself. But what if I am just not enjoying it? Isn't it OK to stop? Won't I be wasting my time if I continue?
A dear friend of mine gave me a formula for quitting a book. She says that if you aren't really into it by page 50, you can stop. And if you are over fifty years old, you can subtract a page for every year you are past fifty. So if you are fifty-five, you only have to read to page forty-five. So as the years progress, you have less time to waste on reading what you don't enjoy.
This doesn't always work. I have kept reading past page 50, and finally gotten into a book. I have given up on page 200 of a 400 page book.
Why is there so much guilt with putting down a book? How do you feel?
It's a rare occurrence for me. I have a real problem just giving up and putting the book down. I feel as if I have wasted something -- wasted time, wasted the book itself. But what if I am just not enjoying it? Isn't it OK to stop? Won't I be wasting my time if I continue?
A dear friend of mine gave me a formula for quitting a book. She says that if you aren't really into it by page 50, you can stop. And if you are over fifty years old, you can subtract a page for every year you are past fifty. So if you are fifty-five, you only have to read to page forty-five. So as the years progress, you have less time to waste on reading what you don't enjoy.
This doesn't always work. I have kept reading past page 50, and finally gotten into a book. I have given up on page 200 of a 400 page book.
Why is there so much guilt with putting down a book? How do you feel?
