Daily Writing Target

It's now 10.15 a.m. With time out for breakfast, which included a delicious peach from the mini-tree in my greenhouse, I've been writing and dealing with 'writerly' matters for four hours. I have written just over 20,000 words of my sweet Regency Novel Tuesday's Child so I have met my daily target. The sun is shining, I'll be meeting up with most of my family at a festival so it's time to turn off the laptop.

Busy Day and My Writing Schedule

A very early start this morning followed by a busy day, but I'm pleased because, this evening, I've written my daily quota of words for my new, sweet Regency Romance, Tuesday's Child, a follow on novel from Sunday's Child, and Monday's Child which will be published in spring 2016. Phew!

Tuesday's Child Traditional Regency Romance, Back Story and Conflict

My new novel is Tuesday's Child, a traditional Regency Romance, by which I mean I don't open wide the hero and heroine's bedroom door.  It is a follow on novel from Sunday's Child and Monday's Child, which will be published in spring, 2016. It is a stand alone novel but because the heroine was a minor character who played an important part in Sunday's Child the back story is crucial. Back story is always tricky. I think I've solved the problem by the heroine observing a scene and reflecting on the effects of past events effects on her present and introducing conflict.

Tuesday's Child. False Start, Wrong Point of View

I made several false starts when I began to write Tuesday’s Child. I had decided to write an author’s note to explain some of the events in Sunday's Child. After I finished the note, I began the novel, but no matter how often I wrote and rewrote the first page explanations about events in Sunday's Child were necessary

 

I needed a fresh approach. While I worked in the garden I considered the two important characters I had introduced in the first paragraph. Only one of them knew what happened in Sunday's Child so it became obvious that I should write from his point of view which would make it unnecessary to refer to previous events. .

Yesterday evening, after dealing with a lot of other ‘writerly’ business, I deleted the author's note and the first page. I then rewrote page one. As you can imagine, it's a relief to have solved the problem.

 

 

 

 

Tuseday's Child, Author's Notes, First Paragraphs

Characters from Sunday's Child and Monday's Child, my Traditional Regency Romances in which the hero and heroine's bedroom door remained closed, will appear in Tuesday's Child. The novel is not a sequel. It is a follow on novel in which Harriet, Lady Castleton and her son Arthur were introduced at the end of Monday's Child, so there is no need for the previous novels to be read in order to follow the story.

My first attempt to begin the novel was an extract from Monday's Child that partially introduced Harriet's recent past. I wrote a page and a half, then realised it didn't work. Next I wrote a brief author's note, in which I refer to Monday's Child to introduce the circumstances which led to the fraught situation in the opening paragraphs. I might change my mind later but, at the moment it seems an excellent solution.

The remainder of Harriet's immediate past can be revealed through conversation, body language and her thoughts.

I'm really looking forward to 'getting to grips' with the story which is taking shape in my mind.

Heroine of Tuesday's Child and The Zodiac

After filling in the character profile for Harriet, the heroine of Tuesday's Child, my new Regency Romance, I have strengthened it by consulting the Zodiac and decided she is a Cancerian.

According to The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Fortune Telling by Francis X. King, "The psychological nature of the pure Cancerian is rather like the physical nature of the crab and other crustaceans; a hard outer shell conceals an interior that is soft and vulnerable to injury. To outsiders Cancerians present a hard appearance, giving the impression that they are rough and unsympathetic; to those who know them well they are gentle and compassionate. A sea crab is totally attached to his/her home - his/her life is centred on partners, parents, children and their surroundings."

There is much more which is useful and has helped me to make Harriet a rounded character.

Hero of Tuesday's Child and The Zodiac

I spent hours thinking about writing my new Regency novel, Tuesday's Child, which I am nearly ready to begin.

 Before I begin a new novel I must know the hero and heroine's names. Their names have to be appropriate for the era in which the novel is set.

 After I have named the main protagonists, I visualise them and complete a character profile. When I have filled in all the details, I strengthen it by consulting their sign of the zodiac and adding to their profile.

Dominic, aka Dom, is a Sagittarian. The summary of Sagittarians in The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Fortune Telling by Francis King under the heading Life Style is:-

 "Sagittarians are always versatile and it is quite common for them to change from one career to another that, on the face of it, calls for quite different qualities. But both careers will have in common freedom from dull routine work and will give the Sagittarian a change to use his/her versatility and intelligence. Challenge is important to the Sagittarian...."

Sagittarians are also described as happy-go lucky.

 There is much more in the book about Sagittarians. I have made good use of it to bolster Dom's personality.

 

Tuesday's Child - Regency Romance - Planning a Novel

I had a very enjoyable, but busy weekend that left me with not time to write, but I thought a lot about the opening paragraphs of Tuesday's Child. I had planned the beginning of the novel, however, the heroine, Harriet, Lady Castleton's past is crucial. I realised that I had decided to begin the novel at the wrong time in her life. Today, I jotted down the contents of the first couple of pages and am almost ready to write Chapter One.