I have been tagged by Australian writer Elizabeth Jane
Corbett to share my writing process in the “Tagged” blog tour. When not
writing, Elizabeth
works as a Librarian, Welsh Teacher, and blogger. You can visit her blog at: http://elizabethjanecorbett.com/elizabeth-janes-story/
So, without further ado, let me introduce you to my new novel:
Race to Tibet
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| Tibet by Nicholas Roerich courtesty of the Nicholas Roerich Museum, Manhattan |
What am I working on?
"Race to Tibet" is a historical novel that tells a thrilling tale of high-altitude adventure and survival set in the
world's most forbidden country: Tibet. It is based on the true story of three courageous
explorers who are determined to be the first living European to reach Lhasa during the age of
Victorian Exploration.
When these intrepid adventurers
reach Tibet,
they discover a land of mystery and intrigue, a land of danger that promises
them only one thing: death. In the end, only one of these
explorers will fulfill his lifelong dream of reaching Lhasa, but he will spend the rest of his life haunted by it.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
I have yet to find any substantial work based on the same
theme. There is one book by the English writer, Mike Scholey, called
"Beads of Water, Drops of Gold", but it tells the story of the 1904
Tibetan invasion from the point of view of Sir Francis Younghusband, whereas my
story starts in 1889 and tells a much broader story about three distinct
explorers, Francis Younghusband, Gabriel Bonvalot, and Bronislav Grombchevsky,
who were all vying to be the first living European to reach Lhasa. I was
inspired to write a novel set in the Himalayas after reading the novel "Paths of
Glory" by Jeffrey Archer, but that's where any similarity ends. Archer's
book is solely about George Mallory's attempts at conquering Mount
Everest whereas my book narrates the adventures of three distinct explorers
who set out on life-threatening expeditions between 1889-1890.
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Gabriel Bonvalot, your average intrepid Victorian explorer
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Why do I write what I write?
This story was a dream come true. I found it by chance, so,
in a certain sense, I feel as if I was personally chosen to tell this tale. The amazing
story of Gabriel Bonvalot was languishing in libraries around the world for over a hundred
years and was dying to be retold in a novel. Had it not been for the
geniuses of Google (specifically Larry Page), who came up with the brilliant idea
of digitizing the worlds' books and making them searchable and accessible to all of mankind,
Bonvalot's story might have stayed buried forever. So, in answer to the
question, I'd have to say: when I find a story that captivates me that has never
been told before, I immerse myself in that world and go to work bringing the story to life
one scene at a time.
How does my writing process work?
I start with research, deep, intensive research. I download and purchase every book on the subject. Using legal-sized notepads, I write down
everything relevant to the story or to the time period, such as eating habits, drinking habits, attitudes, unusual observations, medicines, bureaucratic dilemmas, folk remedies, speech habits, etc. Ditto with paper books.
I highlight and underline everything I need to tell the story. This process can
take a year to a year and a half. Then I sit down and start plotting the novel and creating scenes. I
love to start by introducing the characters and building them up as interesting personalities. I keep the action moving forward and build suspense.
I hope you will enjoy "Race to Tibet" when it's released and I love to hear readers' comments and observations.
