Category: Writing

Posts in which we talk about the writing craft and process

I’ve always loved Persuasion

Updated on January 24, 2023 by Diane Gaston

I came late to loving the Regency, not until I started writing in 1995. I’d read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility in some English class along the way, but it wasn’t until my writing pals Helen and Julie introduced me to Georgette Heyer and Regency Romance (the Signets and Zebras) that I began to really fall in love with the Regency.

One event clinched it.

Helen, Julie, and I went to see the 1995 Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds movie Persuasion, which had been a BBC TV production in the UK but released in theaters in the US. It was this movie adaptation of a Jane Austen book I’d never read that made the Regency come alive for me.

From the country house of the Elliots to the chic rooms in Bath to the simple seaside abode of the Harviles, the Regency world the move depicted seemed so real to me. Maybe it was because the whole movie was filmed on location, but, even so, the details were not prettied up for film. The livery of the Elliot footmen looked a bit shabby, as it would have for a baronet whose fortunes were dwindling. Skirts and boots got muddy during country walks, as they would have in a time without paved walkways. The dancing was boisterous but not polished and practices, as professional dancers would have performed. The hero and heroine were attractive but not “beautiful people.”

The Regency people in the story also acted in ways I believed were true to the period. The emphasis on status, on honor and obligation seemed genuine to me. There were bored privileged young women, proud impoverished ones, scheming social climbers. There were also “normal” people, like the Musgroves and the Crofts. And Ann and Wentworth, of course.

Jane Austen may have been exploring the role of persuasion throughout the story, but she also crafted a lovely, satisfying romance, with familiar Romance themes. Persuasion is both a reunion story (Ann and Captain Wentworth were once betrothed) and a Cinderella story (Ann, the put-upon sister finds great love in the end). The conflict was poignant – Ann regretted breaking her betrothal to Wentworth; Wentworth remained bitter that she threw him off in order to seek better prospects.

There’s a lovely villain in Ann’s cousin, William Elliot, who becomes intent on courting her, and more complications ensue when Wentworth considers himself obligated to marry the injured Louisa Musgrove. The steps Ann and Wentworth each make to find their way back to each other are subtle, but very satisfying and very typical of romance novels of today.

After seeing the movie, I had a picture in my mind that was my Regency. I read Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice and all of Jane Austen’s books, even Lady Susan. Persuasion is one of the few books I’ve read more than twice. I’ve watched the movie more times than that. The social attitudes from Jane Austen’s books seeped into my brain, as did the language, the rhythm of the conversation.

So you might say Jane Austen helped create my Regency world! And now I’ve decided to write my own Persuasion story. It is just the germ of an idea right now, but, if all goes well, it should be for sale late this year or early next year.

It will be my homage to Jane Austen and her wonderful book, Persuasion.

(I adapted this blog from an earlier one written in 2012)

Posted in Diane Gaston, History, Jane Austen, Regency, Research, Writing | Tagged Diane Gaston, Persuasion | 2 Replies

We’re all in Trouble Because I’ve been Thinking

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

Here’s what I’ve been thinking.

1. It’s important, to me, to know a lot about the historical era I write about (The Regency).

2. Some things were invented/discovered/thought of AFTER the Regency

3. People haven’t changed all that much.

4. People today have been affected by things invented/discovered/thought of AFTER the Regency.

5. Because of No. 4, people in the Regency used/believed/needed things we don’t today.

So. If you’re going to write historical fiction, you should know about the things invented/discovered/thought of AFTER the Regency so you don’t have your hero driving a car a wee bit before Henry Ford started mass producing the automobile.

Number 5 is interesting, though. There’s all these things we know nothing about that people in the Regency used every day. And it shaped their world and their view of the world.

How you interact with the spaces around you is different if there’s no electricity. When you enter a darkened room, you don’t automatically reach for the light switch and speed along into the room on your merry way.

Instead you have to go a little slower, maybe. You, or your servant, might be carrying a light source already. But it’s not as bright as electric light, right?

And if you don’t have your light source with you, then there should be one by the door. Where else would you put it? It has to be by the door so you don’t kill yourself walking about in the dark.

Since the room is darkened (assuming you didn’t bring your light with you) you have to pause to light a candle or a a lamp or something else before you proceed.

Now you’re carrying something flammable…. I’m not aware of non-flammable light sources until electricty came along (no sun, doh, the room is darkened, besides, the sun IS a flammable object) you need to be paying at least a little bit of attention to how and where you’re walking.

Your light source is also unlikely to light the entire room the way turning on the electric light does. Again, you probably have to watch your step.

We know there were clever ways to increase the amount of light in a room, mirrors, for example.

I really do sometimes just sit and think about all the ways things were different and how that shaped what people did. In the dark I can proceed to the light switch and flick. Instantaneous light fills the room. Now I can walk quickly to my destination. Also, I am not wearing layers and layers of clothes…. I am less encumbered by my clothes, I’m pretty sure, than a Regency lady was by hers.

I do my thing and turn out the light on my way out.

The Regency woman is either still carrying her light source or still followed by the servant with the light or is headed where she won’t need the light. But the light needed in the darkened room can’t be disposed of with a flick. Someone has to deal with that.

That what I was thinking lately. About all those extra things people had to do or think about. More steps. More work. More time.

Thank you Mr. Edison. And Mr. Tesla.

Posted in Former Riskies, Regency, Research, Writing | Tagged Lights, Thinking | 10 Replies

Coming up For Air

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

Yesterday I turned in my revisions for Not Proper Enough, the sequel to Not Wicked Enough, which I hope you have all rushed out to buy, because I could use another couple of sales, let me tell you.

Whenever an editor says to me something along the lines of “My revisions are really light, I don’t think they’ll take long,” I kind of die inside because that inevitably means there are 3-4 offhand comments that require massive rewriting to properly address. Likewise, I’ve had revision letters that apologize for the huge changes requested and then when you look at them, the huge changes take a couple sentences to fix. Literally.

This time was an in between case. Yes, the revisions were thought to be light but I revised A LOT on my own and to support the revisions requested. Plus the day job required a kind of dreadful amount of my time and attention, so wow. It’s been a tough 2 weeks.

The good news is, as I was working through the MS, I kept thinking, gee, this is WAY better than I remember. And way hotter.

I am brain dead mostly.

And now, as the kitty sez. We all wait for the awesomeness that is Not Proper Enough. September 2012.

Posted in Former Riskies, Risky Book Talk, Writing | Tagged Ninja Cats, Not Proper Enough, On Being Brain Dead, revisions | 4 Replies

“Mistorical?”

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I think it was the fine folks over at Dear Author who coined the phrase “Mistorical” to describe historical romances that are, for lack of a better term, light on the accuracy. “Wallpaper Historical” is a similar term. Mistorical, I believe, is intended to describe not just books that are light on the factual accuracy, but books that appear to be set in a world that never existed. It’s a Meta-Regency setting as opposed to an actual-Regency setting.

The term mistorical is a bit perjorative in that it implies something that is wrong — hence the Latin prefix mis. There is a suggestion in there that perhaps the author is not aware of any errors. Although I think that’s true for some authors, I’m not sure about that as a blanket statement.

The Meta-Regency

The meta-Regency is, for me, a world that never existed and, moreover, is a world that the author and reader very likely both understand did not exist. The stories are built on a set of Regency signifiers that the savvy reader instantly recognizes and navigates.

It’s a world where a woman’s Empire gown can be removed by unfastening a few hooks, no one goes to Church or is genuinely afraid for their immortal soul, and no one blinks an eye when a woman demands to know why she can’t go to Oxford, as if the unfairness ought to be patently obvious (even though, historically, the “fairness” of that prohibition was so obvious as to not need discussion). Reform is in the air and the hero supports it. There may well be sexy lingerie, even though sexy underwear didn’t exist. There are horses and carriages, slippers and ballrooms, eleven o’clock tea and the use of the word “rather” in place of the modern intensifier of “fucking.” I rather think that’s awesome, my lord instead of Dude. That’s fucking awesome.

A Less Meta-Regency

Then there’s the historicals that exist in a Regency constructed through use of a greater set of known facts. In this sort of historical you are unlikely to find a heroine who decides to dispense with her corset in the name of fashion. This heroine might recognize the unfairness of not being allowed to go to Oxford, but she will also be aware that the weight of public conviction is against a change in the policy.

These books tend to explore the impact and meaning of these very real power legal and cultural imbalances and the ways in which the hero and heroine can both transgress those boundaries.

Tomayto Tomahto?

While I enjoy and tend to prefer historicals that are strong on the history, I also enjoy historicals that appear to be set in this Meta-Regency period. I have read and re-read certain “Wallpaper” historicals multiple times.

I’ve reached the point, however, where I don’t feel these two kinds of books should be lumped together at all. When I’m in the mood for the Meta-Regency, I wish I knew a quick way to find one, other than by author name. And when I want a book that gives me a more historically accurate grounding, I wish I could more easily find them, too.

There’s nothing worse than finding out you’ve just paid money for a Historical romance only to find you have a meta-Regency world instead.

So, where do you stand? Do you have a preference? Do you care? Opine in the comments.

Posted in Former Riskies, Reading, Regency, Writing | Tagged accuracy, Genre, History and Research | 13 Replies

Alter Egos

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

Hi! Risky Kelly here!

I know Carolyn usually blogs on Wednesdays, but something came up on my regular day and she agreed to swap days with me, because, well, Carolyn is awesome that way.

Don’t worry, everyone goes back to their regular blogging schedule next week, and I’ll be my pretty great self on my usual day. Only better.

I wanted to share with you just how great the Riskies are, all of us. Diane, Amanda, Carolyn, Janet, Elena, Megan, and me, Kelly. As you know, of all the Riskies, I’ve been blogging here the longest. 15 years ago seems like only yesterday! And now, at last, I’ve been recognized for all my hard work.

Late last week I got this email. I’ve removed certain information as I don’t want this site to be flooded with so many requests for their services that they can’t get the Risky program in place.

Here it is:

Hello Kelly,

My name is Mxxxxxxx Txxxxxxxxxxxxx, social media manager at xxxxxxxxx.com. We’ve been following your blog at http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com for a while now and your writing style is pretty great! I’m willing to bet PR agencies and Brands might find it appealing as well.

So we selected your site to offer you a revenue share partnership. Let me know if you’d be interested in this opportunity and I’ll follow-up with more details!

Best regards,

Mxxxxxxx Txxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mxxxxxxx @ xxxxxxxxx.com

www. xxxxxxxxx.com

The Real Story

Risky Carolyn here for a sec. Believe it or not, the email is genuine. I can’t tell you how excited I was when Kelly contacted me about her lengthy time blogging for the Riskies and what an amazing job she’s been doing for us all this time.

I really love her post about that thing. It’s my favorite post of hers. Do you remember? So insightful. But, then, she’s insightful for us every week. I know she and Diane are besties, so don’t be surprised if Diane shares some favorite recollections, too. One time Kelly gave Megan a framed picture of Clive Owen so, yeah. I think we all teared up when that happened. One time she saved Amanda from a runaway train, and most of you probably remember when she built that rumpus room for Elena a few years back. Most imaginative use of egg cartons EVER! And who can forget the time she performed an emergency appendectomy on Janet? I know!

We all love Kelly and are so grateful that she’s been blogging with us for so many years. And now this. Gosh. Bringing us the opportunity for additional revenue streams.

The Real Kelly

Wow. I didn’t realize I had even more alter egos! Let me tell you, it’s hard enough with the one alter ego I’ve got. Why even have an alter ego? There are many reasons out there. In my specific case, I’ve got two sisters-in-law who share my first name and took our family name. They both work in schools. I write erotic fiction. I think you can do the math.

However, in the last year or so, the line between my two identities has been blurring. In my day life, I work as a librarian. I’ve started becoming known as one of the “go to” people in the field who can be considered a reasonable expert in erotic fiction. Part of that is because people are finding out I’m also a writer of the stuff.

Even with my routinely being “outed”, I still do my best to separate my names. I never deny what I write, and give this name when asked. But, I still don’t want to link my two names. Again, it’s because of my sisters-in-law. To me, this is a basic courtesy to them. I’m not afraid to be known for what I do, but with the Internet these days, I don’t want anyone to make trouble for them due to an incomplete investigation as to which of us this alter ego belongs.

The next question that I’m usually asked is how I handle the two identities online. Frankly? I suck at it. I’m your classic example of how not to manage your identity or brand as an author. Seriously. Use me as a case study. My blog is dead. I can’t even remember if I put up an “On Indefinite Hiatus” post. I have a Twitter account that I periodically post to, and when I do, it’s because I forgot to check which account I was posting from and it had defaulted to this ID. I have a Facebook page, but I hate that no matter which identity I’m using. I’m in the process of revamping my website, so that should hopefully be updated soon! Why, if I know this is all poor web management, do I not do better? Well, I’m usually busy posting in these places as my real life identity. I’ve been on Twitter as myself for over five years, and have built up a following of nearly 4000 people. Darn keeping these identities separate! If I were to tell you my real name/web ID, you’d probably all go “I know who she is!!” Wish I could tell you. I really wish I do. However, to give you a few clues:

1. remember what I said my day profession is,
2. I’ve been at the profession for nearly ten years, but chronologically I’m still well below the average age,
3. my first initial for both of my names is the same,
4. I frequently refer to my “alter ego” (Kelly) when talking about writing under my real name. If you figure out who my day identity is, please don’t post it in the comments!

A final bit of trivia about me. I’ve been asked how I came up with my name since neither Kelly nor Maher are in my legal name. My undergrad degree is in anthropology partially because I’ve been a fan of Indiana Jones almost my whole life. Like Indy, I’m named after the dog. Seriously! We had Kelly for fourteen years, and during that time, I got very used to my mom calling me Kelly, and answering to it!, because our names sounded so similar. Maher is a family name, specifically my one great-grandmother’s maiden name. The stories my grandma would tell me of her mom showed me what a strong and progressive woman my great-grandma was. I’ve told my grandma that I’ve taken her mother’s maiden name for my writing name, and she was very proud. I even told her what I write. However, Grandma’s on the elderly side of things (even if she calls ladies 10-15 years her junior “those old ladies”), and is a wee bit forgetful. Mom and I figured she wouldn’t be too shocked for long 😀

So that’s my story of alter egos! You can find me on Twitter as @kmmaher (I was a bit slow on signing up over there) and you can do a search for me on Facebook as Kelly Maher. [NB: Probably NSFW – Not Safe For Work due to slightly racy images.) My real face is on the page! Look for reddish hair and a purple swath of fabric. Oh! I should probably mention that I’ve got a new release this fall, shouldn’t I? See, case study for bad marketer! I’m very pleased to share that my story “Homecoming” will be in the upcoming “Duty and Desire: Military Erotic Romance” anthology from Cleis Press. Kristina Wright is the collection editor and there is a great group of authors in the anthology!

Thanks so much for having me, Carolyn and the fellow Riskies! I hope I’ve kept up my great tradition of posts here.