notes to self.

[erastes]

So... what I need to do (not yet, coz it's The Shiny and I'll let it distract me) when I get to the re-write of Transgressions is to lessen the Mills and Boony beginning, check Jonathan's speech throughout, cos he speaks in Thee's and Thou's and OMG WHAT A STUPID IDEA THAT WAS. *kicks self hard* not recommended, I can assure you.

I also need to characterise Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne more, I havent made it clear that Stearne was married and older than Matthew, but that Matthew was more like Holmes to Stearne's plodding Watson.

What I find amusing is that my boys have been seperated for about half the book, so I've had to run with two stories.

(how George RR Martin copes with books from about 10 points of view and keeping them all in line timeline wise, I really don't know)

But without any outlining my two stories are both coming to their *cough* climax! Go me!

With regard to historical characters in books - does anyone know what one is allowed or not allowed to do? I mean Hopkins and Stearne are both real people and have been described in various books and films over the years so is that the precedent? I wouldnt imagine that they have any descendants who would be upset at my depiction of them, but you never know. anyone have any insights? Has anyone included real people in their books? What about people like Georgette Heyer? Are there any hoops that need to be jumped through?

Comments

[kenazfiction.livejournal.com]

With regard to historical characters in books - does anyone know what one is allowed or not allowed to do?

Not I, but if you find out, I'd like to know. When I read Earthly Joys I kept wondering if distant descendant of John Tradescant would hunt down Philippa Gregory and sue her for claiming her ancestor was the besotted bum-boy of the Duke of Buckingham.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ooops - back in the proper account...

Perhaps it's all to do with the law of privity? Parties that aren't involved can't sue?

I'll ask my writing group in a day or two, I've spammed them enough today!!

Will certainly post if I find out!

*giggles* He probably was, that Buckingham was a bad bad boy...

*rushes to find that book*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's ok, but I worry about this kind of research stuff.

GRRM makes my head hurt, how we keeps the plots going like he does, I couldn't believe it when he started introducing NEW characters!!

[rwday.livejournal.com]

I understand that worry - though what I worry about is placing people in their right place in time. I'm not sure I'd ever write a novel about a real historical character in a major role, as I'd be paranoid about whether George Washington was really in Rome in 1740 (or whatever). When I've tried to write het romances in the past, I get hung up on those sorts of issues and never move past the research.

[rosie-red73.livejournal.com]

Personally I haven't got a clue how you keep just the two plots going with all the twists and turns and different directions. I tried doing something with a subplot once and it ate my brain.

I LOVE the thees and thous! They're so cute, they just make me want to eat him up. You're not dumping them are you?

But YAY to the climaxing stories! Will there be any actual climaxing?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's nice to know, that it's not too intrusive, I'll keep them then.

Isn't there enough climaxing????

*smites*

[rosie-red73.livejournal.com]

Duh. There can NEVER be enough climaxing :D

[jessamyf.livejournal.com]

GRRM does it by reading the one plot line of the one character from beginning to where he left off and carrying it forward, then doing it again and again with each character. This is why his books take 3 years to write ;-)

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

You cannot libel a dead person, is my understanding. Research in case law in that library of yours?

Considering the press Matthew Hopkins has had over the years, you could probably say anything and just get a resigned sigh, if he has any living descendants.

If, as I assume, you're basing your characterisation on research plus reasonable extrapolation, that's more than some published novelists manage to do with major historical characters.

Put a big fat bibliography at the end, and blame it all on the historians.

Roberta Gellis used to explain why she presented characters (like King Richard, or King John) as she did, distinguishing between how historians see them now and how their contemporaries interpreted their behaviour. You could think about a para or so like that as an end note.