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#WritingWednesday with Chris Penhall: A Sense of Place.

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This #WritingWednesday, fellow Ruby Fiction author, Chris Penhall, shares her brilliant tips for writing a sense of place.

I read all types of fiction, from romance to crime to historical and everything in between. When I write, however, what comes out of my imagination are contemporary romances set in beautiful places.

Once I started writing my first novel, The House That Alice Built, I knew the physical setting was very important because of the way it affected the main character. That’s why I decided to place her firmly in Cascais near Lisbon because I know that part of Portugal very well as I used to live there, and now I spend a lot of time in the Algarve in the south of the country. If I want to meditate and take myself off to a beach in my mind’s eye to help me do it, it’ll be a Portuguese beach. If I pop into town and smell a barbecue, I’ll be in the square in Cascais in an instant. It feels so real to me that once I started Alice’s quite literal journey, I found it surprisingly easy to take her there.

The sequel, New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun is located in the same place, but she visits Lisbon more often and also south of the river Tejo. I went on a long weekend break to the city just after I started writing the book and the colours and sounds (and food!) were all very vivid to me when I got home and got to work on it again.

My latest novel Finding Summer Happiness, is based in south west Wales. This time it’s not set in a specific place; I have created an imaginary village by the sea inspired by many visits to Pembrokeshire over the years – most recently when I spent some days walking parts of the glorious coastal path with friends. I was born in Neath in West Glamorgan, so the coast of that part of Wales is somewhere I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy since I was born. My memories of childhood days on the beach can be conjured up in an instant for me because I do the coast!

So, now I’ve written three novels with a real sense of place, I’ve finally worked out how and why I do it.

In all three stories the places my main characters find themselves in are part of the catalyst that makes them want to change, and so in a way the locations are characters in the novels. That is why I feel it’s important to describe them in the way I do.

I write about the locations when I feel it’s crucial to the story. In my first two novels my main character, Alice, is rediscovering her artistic talents and is inspired by what is around her. That’s why the colours and the landscape are so clear to her and help her to find a new way to express herself, which in turn, enables her to move on.

Miriam, the main character in Finding Summer Happiness is looking for her childhood past in a little village on the coast in south west Wales, and her walks along the beaches and the cliffs on the coastal path help her to do that. She is also trying to get some peace away from other people and her busy mind, and there are parts of the path that are very quiet and so provide a contrast to the hubbub she left behind in London.

So, the lessons I have learned whilst writing these three books and my two short stories are:

I love films, and when I’m working on scenes I picture them as if I am watching the characters physically move around in them. I put myself in their shoes in my mind and think about what they are seeing and hearing, whether anyone else is around, even what they can smell – food and flowers and the sea are ever present in my books!

I use things I’ve seen and heard which I have somehow filed away in my memory without realising it. For instance, in The House That Alice Built there is a section in which Alice and Luis watch a ship sail out to sea in the darkness, illuminated by its own lights and the stars above it, so it seemed to be floating in the air. I remember looking out of the aircraft window flying into Lanzarote many years ago, and seeing the lights of a liner down below, near to the island. Our hotel was very close to the airport and when we walked in, the reception opened up to the sea, and I saw the same huge ship almost floating past in the darkness. It was absolutely beautiful and felt incredibly magical and that’s what I describe in the novel as it reflected what the two main characters were feeling having got together for the first time.

When I’m writing the story, although I have it loosely planned ahead, sometimes where the characters physically travel through to affects the action and changes the flow of it. So, when it feels appropriate, that’s what I write.  However, I can also get stuck in a dead end too, so I’ll jump ahead to a particularly vivid scene – which I love writing and therefore motivates me to carry on – and go back and bridge the gap another time.

So, in conclusion, I feel that when writing descriptions of where a novel is located, it’s important to think about whether it’s crucial to the action and to move a story on, or if it’s to scene set. Is it a reflection of how the characters are feeling, and is it affecting them? And also how you do it depends on whether you are writing in the first or third person, and whether the novel is from one character’s viewpoint, or more.

And most of all, once you’ve decided how to write it, just enjoy it!

I loved those great tips, Chris, thank you for sharing. xx

About Chris Penhall’s latest release, Finding Summer Happiness:

You won’t find happiness without breaking a few eggs …

Miriam Ryan was the MD of a successful events and catering company, but these days even the thought of chopping an onion sends her stress levels sky rocketing. A retreat to the Welsh village of her childhood holidays seems to offer the escape she’s craving – just peace, quiet, no people, a generous supply of ready meals … did she mention no people?
Enter a cheery pub landlord, a lovesick letting agent, a grumpy astronomer with a fridge raiding habit – not to mention a surprise supper club that requires the chopping of many onions – and Miriam realises her escape has turned into exactly what she was trying to get away from, but could that be just the thing she needs to allow a little bit of summer happiness into her life?

Publisher: Ruby Fiction
Genre: Contemporary romance.
Purchase here.

About the author:

Chris Penhall won the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, for her debut novel, The House That Alice Built. The sequel, New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun is published on 25th August 2020.

Chris is an author and freelance radio producer for BBC Local Radio.

Born in Neath in South Wales, she has also lived in London and in Portugal, which is where her two novels are set. It was whilst living in Cascais near Lisbon that she began to dabble in writing fiction, but it was many years later that she was confident enough to start writing her first novel, and many years after that she finally finished it!

A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never happier than when she is gazing at the sea.

You can find out more about Chris and her work here: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook 

#WritingWednesday with Angela Petch: Structural Edits.

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I am delighted to welcome my final (for now) #WritingWednesday guest, Angela Petch, as she talks about structural edits. Over to you, Angela …

You’ve typed The End after several months of creating your story. But “it ain’t over”. Now comes the structural editing.

“A novel is a game for two players. The book may get written in solitude but it kicks into life only when a reader’s imagination collaborates with that of the writer…” (Lindsay Clarke from The UEA’s “The Creative Writing Coursebook”).

Here are a few ideas I’ve used over the years.

  • If you have Beta readers who look through your work, be careful that they’re not friends who will only be kind. Ask them to be honest (but not brutal). Negativity bruises. Pay for a professional editor if you can afford it. It is worth it in the end.
  • If are lucky enough to be with a publisher, then start something new while you wait for your editor’s responses, because:
  • You need to distance yourself from your work to turn yourself into a reader. Schedule at last two weeks to put away your manuscript and come back to it as if you are not the author. That way, you have more perspective and it will be easier to take on board revisions and comments.
  • Divide an A4 sheet in two, vertically. Type your chapter summaries on the left and leave the right hand blank to insert your editor’s comments. This is far easier than trawling through your manuscript when you need to refer.
  • Ideally you will have created a timeline beforehand. (Use an old diary). I’m not a spreadsheet person, so I use a strip of paper and pin it to my noticeboard). Plus, a family tree, especially if you write historical novels in dual time. And have your character sketches handy, so you don’t muddle character descriptions and traits. I pin photos of places and characters up and look at them frequently. (They speak to me sometimes).
  • Always make a copy of your manuscript with the editor’s comments and work on that copy. Use the comments box (under review on your bar) and insert reminders to yourself as you work. (They can be deleted eventually).
  • I have listened to Julie Cohen’s excellent talk on using coloured post-its (listen here). It is a brilliant way to see the imbalances in your story: where you need to break a long sequence and bring in another so that your reader does not lose their way; where one character’s story might be too dominant etc. Remember that you know everything that happens and everyone it happens to in your story (hopefully 😉), but it has to be absolutely clear to your reader too. Once you allow your book to be published, it does not only belong to you.
  • Finally, take breaks. I use a timer so that I don’t hunch over my laptop for hours. And do stretching exercises for your neck and shoulders. Be kind to yourself and set rewards. (But not always chocolate. A walk is perfect for untangling thoughts and ideas).

About the author:

Published by Bookouture, Angela Petch is an award winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem.

Every summer she moves to Tuscany for six months where she and her husband own a renovated watermill which they let out. When not exploring their unspoilt corner of the Apennines, she disappears to her writing desk at the top of a converted stable. In her Italian handbag or hiking rucksack she always makes sure to store notebook and pen to jot down ideas.

The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of her family live. When Angela’s not helping out with grandchildren, she catches up with writer friends.

Angela’s gripping, WWII, Tuscan novels are published by Bookouture. While her novel, Mavis and Dot, was self-published and tells of the frolics and foibles of two best-friends who live by the seaside. Angela also writes short stories published in Prima and People’s Friend.

Discover more about Angela Petch and her writing here: Facebook | Twitter | website | Amazon | Apricot Plots

#WritingWednesday with Angela Barton: Plot Holes.

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What is a Plot Hole?

When we’re editing our manuscripts, it’s so easy to focus on the little details that we want to improve, that we miss our story’s biggest weaknesses. The main oversight in editing is the dreaded plot hole.

A plot hole is an inconsistency or gap in the narrative of our story. It contradicts the flow of logic established in our story. Some examples:

  1. The personality of a character suddenly changes.
  2. A secondary character has an obstacle in their life, but it’s never concluded in your story.
  3. Your readers rarely forgive illogical events. For eg. A character travels to Spain from America and is drinking in a coffee bar later the same morning.
  4. One of your characters has forgotten an important fact that they knew earlier in the storyline.

How To Find and Correct a Plot Hole in Your Manuscript.

Readers’ suspension of disbelief may ensure that some of your story’s smaller plot holes are missed or ignored. But there’s a limit to how much they will accept. Here are some tips for finding your plot hole:

  1. Be objective when editing. The easiest way to do this is to step away from your manuscript and leave it for a few days, or longer. Review it later with fresh eyes.
  2. Refuse to be influenced by your own opinions and emotions. Edit from the perspective of your characters.
  3. Writing a continuity list can be helpful. I’ve made my own form which lists the chapter numbers along with a sentence or two about the storyline in that chapter and which characters are present. I also make a note of the month/year the scene takes place which also helps with continuity. (see photograph)
  4. Take time to question the logic of your plot. Does the previous storyline lead to that moment or has a journey or question gone unanswered? Have your characters made choices or said things that don’treflect their personality?
  5. Keep a checklist of your subplots and make sure all of them are complete. Close all open ends.
  6. Keep notes on your revised edits. They may open up a future plot hole that needs managing.
  7. I recommend a professional edit as a safety net to plot holes. If this is too pricey, ask a writer friend to have a read through.

About Angela Barton:

Angela was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She is married with three grown up children and adorable six-year-old twin granddaughters. She is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching for her novels. In 2018 Angela signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels.

In addition to writing, Angela also relaxes by making landscapes using free motion sewing on a machine. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme. Angela is also a member of Nottingham Writers’ Studio, the Society of Authors and Ellipses and Ampersands’ fiction critique group.

Discover more about Angela Barton and her novels here: Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Amazon | Angela is also a member of Apricot Plots.