Sofa Sophia and the Farmer’s Market: A chat with Suzan Lauder!

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13418187I “met” author/blogger/reviewer/Goodreads host Sophia Rose in the virtual world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction before we were both honoured with short stories in the Meryton Press holiday anthology Then Comes Winter, but that’s where I came to know her better and discover her light-hearted wit and joy of reading, which shows in her volunteer capacity on Goodreads.

(A side bit of promo: You should check out Then Comes Winter–it’s a pleasing compilation of romance short stories for the Austen lover, edited by Christina Boyd. Eleven authors have adapted five of Austen’s novels into both Regency and modern situations, with a winter holiday theme. Now that the cooler days of autumn have arrived, it’s a perfect read!)

Since then, I’ve been part of some excellent Goodreads activities Sophia hosts: the 2015 and 2016 Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenges and “Someone Else Pick it for Me” fun reads.

I enjoyed more of Sophia’s engaging personality during our virtual visit to a Michigan farmer’s market as a guest on of her Sophia’s Sofa Chat series on her Goodreads blog.

sophias-sofa-chats_zpsbolbpuhjShe’s truly a fun person!

I hope you hop over to read A Visit with Suzan and leave a comment for either of us!

 

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Learning from my Mistakes: What’s Chunking?

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Writer’s block.

Editing block.

What do do?

block-ok-comm-smallerSome recommend handwriting out your scene to get it out of your head. Blocking out the future sections with ideas on post-it notes can help if your problem is flow or outline. Printing out what you have, cutting it up, and moving it around can help as well. Bullet point notes on the scene help if you can’t even get to writing whole sentences or you’re dealing with broader issues than basic prose.

I’ve written shorter works by the seat of my pants (with no outline) but for a novel, I’m a big fan of the flexible outline: one or two paragraphs a chapter through the conflict and climax at the very least. It’s okay to change an outline as you get closer to the next set of outline chapters. The author can still move scenes or sets of chapters around in a novel to make it flow better or repair continuity problems along the way.

Most authors write in a linear fashion, and others write major scenes (conflict or turning points) and fill in (write bridging scenes). I’ve had success with both. If you’re blocked, sometimes you can go ahead a few scenes and then return to the problem area. Sometimes you have to “Kill your darlings” as Stephen King says. Keep cut scenes in a word processing file for later use.

Many authors know their ending at the beginning of writing, or at least part way through, but I tend to write the end after the story arc is complete. None of this is wrong, and there are other methods that work, too.

Chunking the big fears

Sometimes all the best plans, outlines, and techniques don’t save an author from being blocked.

I procrastinated several times while writing my novels, particularly when continuity issues muddled me. Procrastination continued during editing, as things wouldn’t work out in the linear fashion I wanted, and I had to think them out. At times, I had too much on my plate in real life or wasn’t well enough to write. These are reasonable times to procrastinate.

But there are blocked times that aren’t typical procrastination. I know I’m not the only author who has the story in their head but can’t get started because it’s almost like a fear of opening a file and typing. Artists have the same problem, and it’s known as “Blank Canvas Syndrome.” I learned a technique for this problem that works in some situations (but not all).

parasol resized for bullet pointsSuzan Lauder’s “Learning from My Mistakes” Lesson #4: When you’re stuck, break the task down into chunks. Write each chunk down on paper and schedule them.

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First chunk: read the current text. That way, you haven’t said you’re going to get “Wow” written today, just a manageable chunk.

Next chunk: Write down what chunks you’d like to use. Don’t make them too big. Refer to the techniques at the beginning of this post.

Continue in small, achievable chunks, one day at a time, or one sitting at a time.

When the writing chunk comes, aim for a fixed number of words per day—no more than 500 to start. It may be hard to start, but push for that 500, even if you have to start writing in outline form. It may become more!

That’s today’s chunk.

 

Disclaimer: I’m not a writing expert. I’m just a writer who learned some stuff other writers might like to know instead of learning the hard way. My approach is pragmatic, and my posts are not professionally edited!

 

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Update: Who or what is on the LfR cover?

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Remember Imagining Mr. Darcy: The Faceless Man and the Book Cover from May 2016? Suffice it to say that Mr. Darcy is never a “given” on a book cover, and many surprises are in store for a writer who has no idea what their book cover will look like.

Zorylee Diaz-Lupitou was the cover designer for Letter from Ramsgate, and she does a strategic-type analysis with an author to discover the true themes of the novel in order to know where to start looking for cover ideas. Friendship, trust, and romance figured high for my latest novel, and I was stunned with happiness when I saw her cover design for my book!

On Wednesday, you’ll get to see why! The cover reveal for Letter from Ramsgate will be on Austenesque Reviews on September 28, 2016!

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American artist George Catlin (1796-1872) Self-portrait, 1824.

American artist George Catlin (1796-1872) Self-portrait, 1824. Public domain.

Sadly, our handsome Mr. George Catlin from the May post is not on the LfR cover. Don’t be dismayed! We can still admire him as we sit by the fire! Click on the thumbnail for the larger version!

Better Self-Editing is a Good Place to Start Learning from My Mistakes!

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laptop-notebook-working-internet-ok-comm-resizedSome authors sit down to write, and the words just flow out of them. They do a brain dump, quickly scan and make a few minor changes, and voila, they have a novel.

It’s not that easy for me. I work hard to be a good writer. My sentences don’t always come out in a logical arrangement, and they often come out with weak words or awkward phrasing. Like a certain percentage of writers out there, I’m unable to just leave it as a colossal mess and keep going. I repair and refine as I go to ensure that I don’t forget the nasty spots in my writing and miss correcting them when I do a better edit later on. That means editing as I write.

Many writing advice columns caution against this “bad habit.” I prefer to call it a “writing style.” Those “experts” probably spew out perfect sentences with clear flow every time. Well, at least coherent sentences in a reasonable order. I do not, and I shudder to think of trying to make sense of what comes off the tips of my fingers if left alone for too long! However, the warning is a sound one. A helpful practice for me could be a vice or a trap for writers who are smoother on their first draft. Editing as you write slows writing progress.

Whether you go full speed ahead when writing or fuss with your words, no one is perfect on the first try. NO ONE. The goal is to make the words enjoyable to read. Remember Lesson 1? “Reader Knows Best!”

Savvy authors read through their completed work several times and make changes as a continuous improvement process. This does not mean bigger words, it means better words and tighter phrasing. It means checking for inconsistencies of many types. It’s hard! And it’s worth every minute spent on self-editing. Full reviews should be performed at the chapter level as well as the full story, once it’s complete.

parasol resized for bullet pointsSuzan Lauder’s “Learning from My Mistakes” Lesson #2: Several full author edits are the preferred norm for ensuring quality writing.

 

Like most authors, I had to learn what to look for, and even after a few years of experience, I’m blind to many of my own habits. After my best self-editing, distracting situations may remain, so I utilize several techniques to catch them. Some find reading aloud helps them find errors. I find that lists are the best tool an author can have.

parasol resized for bullet pointsSuzan Lauder’s “Learning from My Mistakes” Lesson #3: Keep a checklist of your most common errors and use a “Find” function to clean them up during your later editing process.

 

In later posts, I’ll expand on the areas my checklists cover. What will yours cover?checklist-okay-for-comm

 

Disclaimer: I’m not a writing expert. I’m just a writer who learned some stuff other writers might like to know instead of learning the hard way. My approach is pragmatic, and my posts are not professionally edited!

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An Untold Life–A “Life in the Georgian Court” guest post

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Catherine Curzon aka Madame Gilflurt is a well-known character within the circles of online fascination with British history of the 18th Century and Regency periods. I was fortunate to share a guest post on her blog, A Covent Garden Gilflurt’s Guide to Life, in January 2016, and now she’s graciously agreed to share a story from her newly released non-fiction book, Life in the Georgian Court, which promises to be a fun romp through history.

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An Untold Life
by Catherine Curzon

Many stories touched me whilst writing Life in the Georgian Court and, as sickly child in infancy myself, I was particularly moved by the plight of some of the more unfortunate royal daughters.

Princess Louisa of Great Britain (1749-1768)

Princess Louisa of Great Britain (1749-1768) Public domain.

Along with her short-lived sister, Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain, Princess Louisa is one of those royal children who were destined to be somewhat forgotten by history, eclipsed by their longer-lived siblings. Louisa was born at Leicester House, Westminster, to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. As grandchild to George II and Caroline of Ansbach her birth could hardly have been more illustrious yet all the privilege in the world would not be enough to save the little girl from a short life. Unlike Elizabeth, Louisa appeared to be a healthy child and this made her sudden decline and early death all the more shocking.

In keeping with her good health, Princess Louisa lived a relatively normal childhood, proving herself to be a bright and inquisitive little girl. Charming, intelligent and popular with her siblings and the household, when Elizabeth died in Louisa’s tenth year, the surviving girl’s own health took an alarming turn for the worst.

Without the buoying influence and friendship of her elder sister, the princess grew increasingly weak and frail. Eventually she took to her bed and it became apparent to her family that she would not be able to fully enter into court life. Although marriage plans had been discussed with the Danish house of Oldenburg, Louisa’s ill health made the prospect of travel an impossibility and instead it was her sister, Caroline Mathilda, who would undertake that ill-fated match.

Weakened beyond recovery, Louise died at Carlton House aged just nineteen. The exact circumstances of her death were not recorded but, given its prolonged nature, it is perhaps likely that she was a victim of tuberculosis.

On 16th May, the St James’s Chronicle recorded that “Yesterday Morning, about Ten of the Clock, died here [Carlton House], after a long and painful Illness, her Royal Highness the Princess Louisa Anne, his majesty’s second Sister, to the great Grief of their Majesties, and all the Royal Family.”[1]. It is a rare mention of the unfortunate young princess, so eclipsed by her illustrious relatives.

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About the Author

Catherine Curzon, second from right, at "An Evening with Jane Austen," Brighton UK 2016 September 4.

Catherine Curzon, second from right, at “An Evening with Jane Austen,” Brighton UK 2016 September 4.

Catherine Curzon is a royal historian and blogs on all matters 18th century at A Covent Garden Gilflurt’s Guide to Life.

Her work has featured by publications including BBC History Extra, All About History, History of Royals, Explore History and Jane Austen’s Regency World. She has also provided additional material for the sell-out theatrical show An Evening with Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton.

Catherine holds a Master’s degree in Film and when not dodging the furies of the guillotine, she lives in Yorkshire atop a ludicrously steep hill.

Her book, Life in the Georgian Court, is available now from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Book Depository and all good bookshops!

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About Life in the Georgian Court

Life in the Georgian Court

As the glittering Hanoverian court gives birth to the British Georgian era, a golden age of royalty dawns in Europe. Houses rise and fall, births, marriages and scandals change the course of history and in France, Revolution stalks the land.

Peep behind the shutters of the opulent court of the doomed Bourbons, the absolutist powerhouse of Romanov Russia and the epoch-defining family whose kings gave their name to the era, the House of Hanover.

Behind the pomp and ceremony were men and women born into worlds of immense privilege, yet beneath the powdered wigs and robes of state were real people living lives of romance, tragedy, intrigue and eccentricity. Take a journey into the private lives of very public figures and learn of arranged marriages that turned to love or hate and scandals that rocked polite society.

Here the former wife of a king spends three decades in lonely captivity, Prinny makes scandalous eyes at the toast of the London stage and Marie Antoinette begins her last, terrible journey through Paris as her son sits alone in a forgotten prison cell.

Life in the Georgian Court is a privileged peek into the glamorous, tragic and iconic courts of the Georgian world, where even a king could take nothing for granted.

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Bibliography

Edwards, Averyl. Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, 1701-1751.London: Staples Press, 1947.

Hadlow, Janice. The Strangest Family: The Private Lives of George III, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians. London: William Collins, 2014.

Hatton, Ragnhild. George I. London: Thames and Hudson. 1978.

Shawe-Taylor, Desmond and Burchard, Wolf. The First Georgians: Art and Monarchy 1714-1760. London: Royal Collection Trust, 2014.

Tillyard, Stella. A Royal Affair: George III and his Troublesome Siblings. London: Vintage, 2007.

Worsley, Lucy. Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court. London: Faber and Faber, 2011.

[1] St. James’s Chronicle or the British Evening Post (London, England), May 14, 1768 – May 17, 1768; issue 1125, p.1. © The British Library Board.

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My ancestor had an adventure, and it’s on Geri Walton’s blog!

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I love to poke around the blog of historian, blogger, and author Geri Walton. It’s one of those research rabbit holes where you can disappear for hours on end. The blog boasts well-referenced articles on everything imaginable for the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as a series of excellent articles with writing tips. When she asked me to write a guest post, I was honoured. But what topic?

Hugh Lauder, author of Notes of a Trip Round the World, in 1896.

Hugh Lauder, author of Notes of a Trip Round the World, in 1896.

A year or so ago, I stumbled across a book on the used book website Abebooks by a fellow named Hugh Lauder of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, written in 1896. My grandfather’s Christian name was also Hugh, and my great grandfather William (Scotty) Lauder, the third son in his family, was born in Kilmarnock. But I hadn’t paid nearly enough attention when older family members spoke of the family.

I reasoned that Hughs are a dime a dozen in Scotland and assumed that this author could be a distant relation. Yet I was curious about the book and mentioned it to Mr. Suze, who purchased it for my birthday.

During his steamship trip to a dozen or so ports around the world in 1895, this Hugh Lauder had sent articles to the local newspaper. The book was a consolidation of those articles called Notes of a Trip Round the World. The flyleaf photo of the author said he was from “The Emporium,” so I asked if our family were “The Emporium” Lauders.

The original Lauder's Emporium, from a billhead circa 1903. This building was destroyed by fire in 1923.

The original Lauder’s Emporium, from a billhead circa 1903. This building was destroyed by fire in 1923.

It turns out that this Hugh Lauder was my great-great-great-grandfather! Little William was seven when granda and his business partner, James Brown, decided to leave Hugh Lauder and Co.’s department store, “The Emporium,” in the hands of Hugh, Jr. and John Brown whilst he traveled the world in a steamship.

Early in the book, there’s a fascinating account of their ship running aground in the Bay of Naples. Four crew drowned while attempting to bring passengers ashore. I found more information on the event and several photographs online as the incident was rather famous in its time.

I’m a Regency (1811-1820) author and costumer, and this 1895 event was a bit out of place for my blog, but an excellent topic for a guest post on Geri Walton: unique histories from the 18th and 19th centuries. My article, The Stranding of the Oroya, 1895, is now on her web site.

I hope you enjoy my g-g-g-grandfather’s story. While you’re there, take time to peruse the other links Geri has in her vast collection of interesting articles. As I said, I love her site!

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References:

The photograph of Hugh Lauder is taken from a bookplate in Notes of a Trip Round the World, Hugh Lauder, Kilmarnock: Dunlop and Dresden, “Standard” Office, 1896.

The photograph of the original Lauder’s Emporium from a billhead circa 1902 is courtesy journalist and author Frank Beattie of Kilmarnock, Scotland. The Words & Works of Frank Beattie on Facebook. Twitter: @mykilmarnock

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Geri Walton’s non-fiction book, Marie Antoinette’s Confidante: The Rise and Fall of the Princesse de Lamballe will be released on Pen and Sword Books and Amazon UK on September 30, 2016. Geri Walton on Facebook. Twitter: @18thand19thC

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Future posts:

Next week, I’ll have that promised guest post by Madame Gilflurt, whose non-fiction book, Life in the Georgian Court, will be released in the US on September 2, 2016!

I’ll follow a week later with several more posts on my “Learning from my Mistakes” blog series on writing and editing.

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