Freda Lightfoot's Blog, page 11

Novelista's Meeting

Attended a fascinating meeting with the Novelistas on Friday, which meet at a venue in North Wales. They are a wonderfully supportive and lively bunch of writers, including Anne Bennett, Valerie Anne-Baglietto, Louise Marley, Annie Burrows, June Francis, among others, and of course Trisha Ashley who was celebrating the launch of her new book, Every Woman for Herself, with a glass of champagne.

Woollen Woods

If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.

I enjoyed a fascinating visit to Sizergh Castle near Kendal, Cumbria, yesterday where they are holding an unusual art exhibition for the summer called Woollen Woods. 



It’s being held in the Knoll just by the lake where the trees are now home to many creatures stitched in felt, crocheted or knitted.



Could these be fairies

The London Book Fair

The London Book Fair was bustling with activity, as usual. Deals were being done all around, which was fascinating to watch, and plenty of evidence of digital and self-publishing. The panels and talks in the Author’s HQ were interesting but attracted larger audiences than could be comfortably accommodated. Definitely more seating needed here. It was much better in the Thames Room upstairs.

The

The Hook of the Novel

A STRONG HOOK is vital as you have 30 seconds to catch the interest of a reader. You start as near to the problem as you can, with action and dialogue - not a long description of the place or the weather. Save the back story and explanations for later.

1. WHAT is the premise of your novel, including the problem your character will have to face?
Preferably in one sentence.

It may start out

‘Perdita’ - Fashion icon.

Mary Robinson would never have been seen out looking anything but at her most elegant, although her style, at least in her early years, was less flamboyant than most. On her first visit to Ranelagh she wore a simple Quaker gown which ensured that she stood out. It was of light brown lustring with close round cuffs. She left her auburn curls unpowdered, upon which she pinned a plain round cap

Practical ways to stimulate the imagination and find ideas:

Write the first thing that comes into your head when you wake in a morning.

Try writing without stopping, thinking or criticising your work. ‘Stream of consciousness writing’ can throw up some wonderful ideas.

Think about your writing as you do chores or walk the dog.

Develop a hobby which occupies your hands but not your mind.

Keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas or bits of description.

Character through Sense of Place

A sense of place is much more than pretty scenery.
It must have a character of its own. It needs to seduce the reader into feeling a part of it, to believe it truly exists. They need to feel the power of its personality. This is vitally important because many people buy the book because of where it is set. Descriptive passages are all well and good but they must have a purpose, and not simply be

Steam yacht Parties on Lake Windermere

During the Industrial Revolution the local gentry, rich cotton magnates and entrepreneurs loved to socialise on Lake Windermere. They held weekend steamer and tea parties, the ladies showing off their elegant dresses and parasols, while the gentlemen competed for the finest looking steam launch. These would display the very best in velvet upholstery, carpets and leather seating. Even the boat’s

Interview

I've been given a lovely interview on the Catherine Gaskin site. I loved her books when I was a teenager. You can read it here:

 http://catherinegaskin.com/features/f...

Is self-publishing for you?

My first published family saga.


I gave a talk on this subject at the RNA-2013 conference at Sheffield, as I started publishing my back list back in 2010. At that time it was early pioneering days for ebooks, and I went on a steep learning curve to teach myself formatting. I soon realised that having the novels up as ebook was only the start, and set about joining the social network scene.