A few weeks back, I reviewed Rags of Time, a wonderful historical mystery by debut novelist Michael Ward. Today, I’m interviewing Michael about his book and writing process.
Readers are always curious about the writing process. Where did the idea for Rags of Time come from?
‘Rags’ is my debut novel and the idea of writing a book came from reading books, in particular by one of my favourite HF authors CJ Sansom. I was attracted to the idea of using a factual historical backdrop to create a fictional story, with a mix of real and imaginary people. The individual plot ideas within ‘Rags’ grew from there, as I researched the period and then during the writing of the book.
I’ve read quite a few mystery series set in Britain, but I don’t think I’ve read one set in Stuart England directly before the Civil War. This seems strange because this was a fascinating time period. What drew you to this particular time period?
Well, I was drawn to it for that reason. There are some historical periods, such as the Tudors or Romans, which I feel have become well ploughed fields. I wasn’t sure I had anything fresh to offer. So I looked around for something less well known. Both the Civil War and the Restoration of the monarchy have inspired a number of books but, as you say, I think the pre-Civil War period has been less well covered.
When I realised what took place in England in just a little over 20 years – Civil War, Regicide, Republic, Restoration – I realised I had discovered a treasure trove of continuous historical drama, a wonderful backdrop for the development of my characters during their adult life. Add to that the tumultuous year of 1666 – the Fire of London and the Great Plague – and the stage was set for my book series, starting with ‘Rags of Time’.
Your background is in journalism. Did this aid you in the research process? A little. Journalism taught me the importance of research and the discipline to keep at it. It took me eight months to research ‘Rags’ but, as I was starting with a blank piece of paper, I was also researching the entire Stuart period, gaining knowledge that will help me throughout the series. I think my journalism has helped more with the writing and, especially, the editing of the book. After I create a first draft, I go over it two or three times, reworking it one paragraph at a time, cutting and polishing. It’s lucky I enjoy it because it takes a long time.
What aspect of the book did you find most difficult to write?
One of my big lessons from ‘Rags’ was the challenge of writing from a single point of view.The reader sees everything through the eyes of my hero Thomas Tallant. Yet events also need to happen elsewhere. If you’re not careful, you spend too much time ‘telling’ not ‘showing’. Still working on this!
I’m a bit in awe of how you balanced character development, historical facts, and the mystery plot in Rags of Time. It’s not easy to develop dynamic characters or create a plot, and you had to work around historical events, too. How did you plot the mystery?
It’s kind of you to say so but, actually, I think this aspect of HF makes creative writing easier for me. I haven’t tried, but I’m not sure I could write a contemporary piece of fiction where surrounding events and atmospheres were not important, and the entire dramatic dynamic has to be created from within the characters. That element, of course, is vital. But for me so is the tide of events that can, and do, sweep people along in HF. I try to explain these events through their impact on individual characters, which gives the history a human scale but also provides me with lots of inspiration for plot development! I believe that’s quite a strong combination for the reader.
As a writer, what advice would you give aspiring writers, particularly historical fiction or mystery writers?
Get something down on the page and then join a writers’ group, where you can get invaluable feedback on your work. You also provide feedback for others, which can be stimulating for your ideas as well.
What should fans expect next in this series?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Rags. It will cover the period immediately prior to the Civil War, when relations between King and Parliament break down completely and battle lines are drawn. Chaos on the streets, in the Commons, everywhere! And a killer on the loose.
Thanks, Michael. A pleasure to have you here at the blog. Readers, you can find Rags of Time (which I highly recommend!) on Amazon.
Talk to me! What do you think?