Research can take you there!
There are so many touchstones that I come across in my research. Small poems, articles, images or videos that connect me to my story. In the spirit of my promise to not make my every blog post lengthy, I want to share more of these poignant and emotive links to a … Read More
Libraries Rule for Research
As a writer of historical fiction, many an hour I’ve spent to great result in the State Library of Victoria, PROV and various local and overseas’ libraries. So it was dismaying for me to read a recent blog post on research, on a major, international writing website, that alleged researching your novel in a … Read More
Writer Meets Research
From the instant the wheels of the London train began to cross the twenty-four arches of the Ribblehead viaduct, it seemed everything Mary had ever known fell behind and no one seemed even to care. Every thud served a stab to her heart like each span were crumbling, blocking her way … Read More
Dangerous Research on The Burning Sea – Sean McMullen
Today I am delighted to welcome Sean McMullen back to From Hook to Book to celebrate the launch of his latest fantasy novel The Burning Sea, the first of six books in The Warlock’s Child series, co-authored by Paul Collins and published by Ford Street Publishing. Fans will be thrilled to learn that they won’t have to wait long for the … Read More
Authenticity vs Action
Certain indisputable beliefs were planted in the minds of all television-watching children of the fifties and sixties raised on a diet of cowboy and wild west movies. And of course John Wayne. Settlers rode horses, carried guns, could shoot an indian off a hillside half-a-mile away and pick off their … Read More
Killer Clothes – Literally
During the 1800s the population of Victorian England were quite literally eating, wearing, sleeping and washing themselves to death with arsenic. While researching rat poison, strictly for my novel, of course, I came across some startling facts. Arsenic was used as a common green colourant, creating the gorgeous Scheeles green, … Read More
A Writer’s Week Done
Read: 2 junior novels 1 YA novel Words Written: 4700 Words Edited: 9300 CONVICT SLANG: bolter – one who runs away or leaves a place suddenly crap’d – hanged qock’d – forgetful, absent in mind DID YOU KNOW? Horses in convict Tasmania were a rarity. The high cost … Read More