Today, I have the pleasure of having one of my favorite historical fiction authors, Elizabeth Chadwick, as my guest. I love her her stories and have read many of them. What draws me to Elizabeth's books is her love of history. To write good historical fiction one must first know the era well. It's the only way an author can truly open the door to the past and make it alive. It's not just a matter of knowing the clothes or hairstyles someone wore, or who was King or the barons of the land. It's knowing the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a particular time or place— the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits. Elizabeth does it very well. Her characters live and breathe and it's a joy to read such a story.J
Today's authors are very much involved with promoting their work. We tend to think of promotion in terms of online presence and, of course, that is one facet of promotion. Elizabeth shares another form—public speaking. Meeting with audiences and readers can be quite daunting and she shares how she goes about it.
One of the
things I really enjoy doing as an author and that allows me to unfasten my
chain from from my desk, is talking to
audiences and meeting and chatting to my readers over tea and biscuits or a
glass of wine. I've had some great days
out and experiences – and I hope the readers have enjoyed the experience too.
When I first
set out on this published author lark in 1990, I was a stay at home mother to
two small boys. I had never done any public speaking in my life and was terrified at the thought
of doing so. I finally found my courage down to financial incentive! My local arts council was running a series
of talks and wanted to do an author discussion panel, where three writers would
discuss their experience of publishing for about 15 minutes each, followed by a
question and answer session. I was invited to be on the panel as a newly
published author. I was so tempted to
hide my head in the sand and say no, but they were offering a fee of £80 ($120)
which was a pretty decent sum in 1990 for a 15 minute talk and a few
words on the Q&A. So I screwed up
my courage and spent the next several weeks trying out things to say, practicing like crazy and biting my nails.
On the big day
I was fine, I didn't fluff my lines or embarrass myself, but I was terrified
before going up on that stage and if ever I was a candidate for a heart attack,
that moment was it. I don’t think my
pulse rate has ever been so high! It wasn't even fight or flight, it was rabbit
stuck in the headlights. For anyone, public speaking for the first time is a
huge mountain to get over.
Once I had
done the deed, there was that huge sense of relief that while it hadn't been a
thing of polished beauty, neither was it a flop and I’d survived. Nevertheless, I then had to face the fact
that this wasn't the end of it and a career as an author meant that I’d have to
go out and do more on a regular basis.
The local library asked me to do a talk on my own to a reading group, so
that was the next hurdle to get over.
Again, I was terrified, and again I scrabbled through without
mishap. And on to the next and the
next. Somewhere along the line I lost
my fear and it actually began to become enjoyable. These days I can go out and give a talk off the cuff and be
barely nervous at all.
There is no
secret. In my case familiarity bred an
ability to take it as a norm and deal with it.
I also found that doing detailed preparation beforehand and knowing what
I was going to talk about helped tremendously.
Doing that donkeywork meant I was ready. I still have occasions when my brain just steps out of the room
for a moment, and that is unnerving, but so far, if I pause for a drink of
water, it comes back in and I can pick
up the thread. It’s like anything; the
more you do something, the less daunting it becomes. Coping strategies of deep breathing and pretending you’re talking
to one or two close friends also helps.
Also beforehand, visualizing the talk in a positive way will put you in
a positive frame of mind. Dressing to
suit the occasion and to feel positive helps too. I usually turn up in smart casual clothes with perhaps a
statement piece of jewelry, and I usually get my hair done. I do confess though to putting my nail
varnish on in the car en route (I’m being driven!). There’s an art to it…
Most authors will
give readings from their work but I prefer not to and just tell the audience
about the background to creating my novels – how I came to write them, and the
research entailed. I bring a case of
items with me including examples of research works and replica items from my
re-enactment resources, including replicas of a 12thc sword, shield
and helmet from the 12th century!
I feel that the strategy of not giving a reading allows me more time to
talk to readers about novel writing processes and about history, and they can
read the books for themselves. My aim
is to whet their appetites and it certainly seems to work. I know many authors do like to give
readings, but my point is that it is not the only way, and that when giving a
talk, a writer should do whatever feels the most comfortable for them.
After I've finished
my talk, I make sure I’m available not only to sign books, but to hang around
and speak to people and let them look at the things I've brought along. Many readers enjoy staying to chat a little
longer and it’s a great opportunity to exchange more stories and information.
It’s another way too of building an audience.
Nothing worthwhile is easy. Not becoming a knight.
Not when you don't fit in anywhere.
Brunin Fitzwarin knows this better than anyone. Lost
in his own home, he's now a knight-in-training to the Lord of Ludlow—and still
utterly alone. That is, until the youngest daughter of the house befriends him.
But England is in turmoil, and Brunin must fight
with his lord to support King Stephen for the English crown.
As the war rages on and his particularly close to
home, Brunin must defeat the shadows of his childhood and take on the mantle of
knight, confronting the future head on.
A
rich tale of coming of age in a world where chivalry is a luxury few can
afford. Shadows and Strongholds is a tale of earning your place and finding
your way home. Excerpt
Elizabeth Chadwick lives in a 200 year old beamed cottage in the
English countryside not far from Nottingham with her husband and their three
terriers. She has been telling stories
since she was little and went from an ordinary life stacking supermarket
shelves to help make ends meet, to having her first novel win an award that was
presented to her by HRH Prince Charles.
Many of her other historical novels are award nominees and winners too. She is currently engaged in writing a
trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Did you know that Elizabeth creates musical soundtracks of popular songs when she writes? I didn't either--but they do fit the story.
