tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post41965506384746082..comments2023-10-14T10:14:51.072+02:00Comments on NOW CLOSED: Discovering Diamonds: LIES, DAMN LIES AND … HELLO! THAT LOOKS INTERESTING...Helen Hollickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292983846350273039noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-81310988953753401882018-07-17T21:35:38.076+02:002018-07-17T21:35:38.076+02:00Another interesting point (though not so much for ...Another interesting point (though not so much for this discussion) is whether a 'historical novel' which was written contemporarily is still a historical novel! There was Jean Plaidy and Georgette Heyer and others, of course, but you have made a good point - thank you!Richard Tearlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593521217135620570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-68862196189161650322018-07-17T15:34:41.758+02:002018-07-17T15:34:41.758+02:00Ah, I was asked to ponder this the other day, and ...Ah, I was asked to ponder this the other day, and you know, it seems to be a more modern phenomenon. In the past we had Walter Scott, R.L. Stevenson, John Buchan, Nigel Tranter and John Prebble (yes, all Scots, but I'm biased that way). And now we have very much moved into the realm of the female historical fiction writer. So why? I think it has something to do with the romanticising of the past. I don't mean that in a patronising way. But Loretta may have hit on something, I believe, when she mentioned speech patterns were more elegant in the past, and I know that has the power to draw me personally as a reader. And in many ways life was simpler - no motorways, computers, social media and general media distractions, heavy industry, deadlines etc. Although, of course, there were other stresses. But this slower, quieter way of life, gives more opportunity to explore the less man-made aspects of life and there is a certain charm to that, which I sense women are drawn to, perhaps, more than men. Time to explore the beauty of the landscape the book is set in, the sumptuous clothing, archaic speech patterns, graceful manners, sense of honour that has perhaps fallen by the wayside to an extent these days. Something along those lines, perhaps, a softer side found in historical fiction that women tend to be generally better at and more drawn to. <br />Angela MacRae Shankshttp://angelamshanks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-1763806568769541232018-07-16T19:07:30.372+02:002018-07-16T19:07:30.372+02:00I'm (literally!) just back from a conference i...I'm (literally!) just back from a conference in Leeds and dead tired - I'll be with yo all to reply tomorrow! Helen Hollickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04292983846350273039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-29110359303278390472018-07-16T16:43:11.184+02:002018-07-16T16:43:11.184+02:00Tricky, this one, as I don't want to be accuse...Tricky, this one, as I don't want to be accused of rampant sexual stereotyping! But I wonder whether HF lends itself to more character analysis, which is a rather female interest. I know there is plenty of action in HF, but do male writers prefer to write about more modern equipment - the latest weapon, the fastest car - rather than researching old technology? And maybe women do like to romanticise the past, when chaps were more chivalrous, and all you had to do to attract attention was flash an inch of trim ankle... It's wall-to-wall sexual stereotypes, as feared!Susan Grosseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10376925218913880339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-82856255844659399882018-07-15T21:25:43.908+02:002018-07-15T21:25:43.908+02:00I agree, Pat. Through the skill of the novelist, t...I agree, Pat. Through the skill of the novelist, they can transport what may have been just a name into a believable person with a definite substance and personality.Richard Tearlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593521217135620570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-69309167108610208832018-07-15T15:47:53.752+02:002018-07-15T15:47:53.752+02:00I'm fascinated by history, but it's not al...I'm fascinated by history, but it's not always presented in a very engaging way via textbooks. Historical fiction makes history come alive for me! Pat Wahlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01138619912065680084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-70672824741839464362018-07-15T11:25:05.094+02:002018-07-15T11:25:05.094+02:00Haha, you need to start a campaign for 'real&#...Haha, you need to start a campaign for 'real' heroes with actual guts - not perfectly chiselled ones with bulging abs and flat stomachs. Maybe I'll start one for real heroines - scaredy-cats with specs and messy hair like me who aren't terribly co-ordinated. (You can't trust those author pics of mine, wink! They took hard work and limited visibility!)Loretta Livingstonehttp://www.treasurechestbooks.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-45951811487015370282018-07-14T23:48:23.384+02:002018-07-14T23:48:23.384+02:00Lol! Short beards are fine (I have one!) and proba...Lol! Short beards are fine (I have one!) and probably more authentic than half grown and carefully shaped stuff that spoil the credibility for me! Is there no room for a short flabby, bald guy with proper chest hair and a real beard? I could volunteer to model for a book cover if there was!Lol!Richard Tearlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593521217135620570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-32291956431171043092018-07-14T23:30:03.650+02:002018-07-14T23:30:03.650+02:00Lol, Richard. Well, it is fiction - although I'...Lol, Richard. Well, it is fiction - although I'm afraid my hero and anti hero both wear short beards - but then, so does my husband, so I'm biased.Loretta Livingstonehttp://www.treasurechestbooks.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-86652948466651621862018-07-14T22:24:39.561+02:002018-07-14T22:24:39.561+02:00Thank you for your comment, Loretta. I should have...Thank you for your comment, Loretta. I should have also noted that almost all of these numbers are both new and written by Indie authors. I blame it all on the 'attraction' of hairless Highlanders who still manage to maintain designer stubble! Or Cornishmen, perhaps!Richard Tearlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593521217135620570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804142297590807485.post-6802071076388337302018-07-14T21:25:51.854+02:002018-07-14T21:25:51.854+02:00Those statistics are really interesting, Richard. ...Those statistics are really interesting, Richard. I confess, most of the HF books I read (but not all) are written by women - but maybe that's because of the ratio of male to female authors.<br /><br />As for me - I never even intended to write HF. I always vowed and declared a) I would never write a novel (I wrote short stories before) and b) I would absolutely never, ever write HF. The following year... I'm now extremely careful about saying what I will never do. As for why - I simply don't know but I have discovered I really enjoy writing HF. Maybe it's because the speech style can be quite elegant. Loretta Livingstonehttp://www.treasurechestbooks.co.uknoreply@blogger.com