society, a culture, even a political milieu. I usually start with a vague idea or principle and do some additional reading. When a story emerges, I start to write. Sometimes the emergence can be gradual, sometimes it just pops into my head. The story evolves through the writing process, and I continue to research as I find the gaps in my knowledge. Once I have identified my story and it starts to take shape, I like to visit the setting, if I can, and if I have never been there (or even if I have). The physical characteristics of a place add a lot to my own understanding of it and are very important in creating a believable historical novel.
What do you enjoy most about writing novels?
Where could I start! Writing novels gives me so much joy, and so much pain. I love the challenge of making a story work, of pulling together the pieces of the plot and molding the characters. Usually it’s not putting down the first draft that I like best, because that can be excruciating, but taking that initial outpouring and working with it, nurturing it into something that comes close to saying what I hoped to say.
