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Saturday 16 March 2013

What would Jane Eyre have tweeted?



A few weeks ago, I re-read Jane Eyre as research for The Painting which is partly set during the same period. Even though this classic was published in 1847, Charlotte Brontë's beautiful description and skilled storytelling drew me in and I finished it quickly.

Inspired by the novel, I wrote a piece to submit to Mslexia's 'A Week of Tweets'. As it wasn't accepted, I'm posting it here. I used the most significant week in the novel and it was a good exercise. When I read the piece a few weeks later, the huge events seemed trivial which made me wonder if I got it wrong.

The tweets written by those I follow are mainly positive and I go on Twitter to be uplifted. I'm the kind of person who doesn't make telephone calls when miserable and I tend to go on Twitter when in a good mood. As in real life, I think that many of us smile on the outside when using social media.

It's unlikely that Jane Eyre would have been so laid-back, but when writing this piece, my goal was to translate the events into tweets, rather than make the tweets authentic.

I might try this exercise when developing characters because it made me view Jane Eyre in a different way.

Monday

Been travelling by coach since yesterday to visit an old friend. Hoping he hasn't moved to France. Should arrive tomorrow.

Tuesday

My friend's house is a ruin. Looks as though it burnt down. Hope friend didn't burn down with it. Going to ask at the local inn.

Wednesday

The innkeeper said my friend survives. Sadly he lost his sight and an arm because he rescued his servants when the house was on fire.

Thursday

Got a chaise to my friend's house last night. He's in a terrible state, but pleased by my visit. I offered to be his lifelong companion.

Friday

Took friend for a walk in the fields and described the scenery. Then I told him where I've been for the past year. He proposed.

Saturday

The wedding is on Monday! We tried to get married once before but were stopped by a rather significant impediment.

Sunday

Excited about the wedding tomorrow. Will post photos on my blog: www.missjaneeyre.com


Jane Eyre is free on Kindle at the moment.

Friday 1 March 2013

Launch of Inceptio by Alison Morton!



Today Alison Morton is visiting to talk about her novel, Inceptio. I know Alison from the Romantic Novelists' Association and we often chat on Twitter.

Thank you very much for welcoming me to Neetswriter’s Blog, Anita.

My debut novel, INCEPTIO, is published today, the end of three years of slog – researching, writing, and polishing. It’s a thriller, so it’s doubly exciting. You’re writing history with your latest work in progress The Painting so I think you’ll understand about inspiration and the long haul.

What inspired you to write Inceptio?

An eleven year old fascinated by the mosaics in Ampurias (huge Roman site in Spain), I asked my father, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the men?” Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartarse question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?” Real life intervened (school, uni, career, military, marriage, motherhood, business ownership, move to France), but the idea bubbled away at the back of my mind.

I’d play with words much of my life - playwright (aged 7), article writer, local magazine editor, professional translator and dissertation writer. But I came to novel writing in reaction to a particularly dire film; the cinematography was good, but the plot dire and narration jerky.

‘I could do better that that,’ I whispered in the darkened cinema.

‘So why don’t you?’ came my other half’s reply.

Ninety days later, I’d completed the first draft of INCEPTIO, the first in the Roma Nova thriller series.

Of course, I made the classic mistake of submitting too soon, but had some encouraging replies. Several rewrites later and I’d had some full manuscript requests, even from a US agent (INCEPTIO starts in New York)! I had replies like ‘If it was a straight thriller, I’d take it on’ and ‘Your writing is excellent, but it wouldn’t fit our list.’

I was (am!) passionate about my stories so I decided to self publish with bought-in publishing services. Using very carefully chosen high quality professional backing (editing, advice, registrations, typesetting, design, book jacket, proofing, etc.), I’ve found it a fantastic way for a new writer to enter the market.

What is the difference between an “alternate history thriller” and a normal thriller?

Alternate history is based on the idea of “what if”? What if King Harold had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or if Julius Caesar had taken notice of the warning that assassins wanted to murder him on the Ides of March? Sometimes, it could be little things such as in the film Sliding Doors, when the train door shuts and Gwyneth Paltrow’s character splits into two; one rides away on the train, the other is left standing on the platform.

The rest of the story, or history of a country, from that point on develops differently from the one we know. In my book, Roma Nova battled its way from a small colony in the late fourth century somewhere north of Italy into a high tech, financial mini-state which kept and developed Roman Republican values, but with a twist. It’s really fun working this out! But you really have to know your own timeline history before you can ‘alternate’ it. The thriller story then takes place against this background.

Stories with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles, depravity, intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords. But imagine the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward into the 21st century. How different would that world be?

What is Inceptio about?

New York – present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe. Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, a ready-made family and a new career. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...

And next? I’m polishing up PERFIDITAS (betrayal), the second book in the Roma Nova series before it goes to the editor.

You can find INCEPTIO on Amazon UK and Amazon US


You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing here:

Blog: www.alison-morton.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

Twitter: @alison_morton

Best of luck with the launch of Inceptio Alison and thanks for visiting!