Mature Adults – A New Genre?

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The wisdom of maturity is a rather unfashionable concept these days. When I was young I wanted to be a writer – but quite honestly I didn’t feel I knew enough about any subject to write about it credibly. That, I thought, takes experience, so off I went to acquire a bit of wisdom.

By the time I got down to some serious writing, then, I was well past the dreaded 50+ mark, and had sailed happily into the over-60s bracket by the time my first book was published. You might feel this is taking it a little too far – but the backward view down the years brought all kinds of insights to my writing that I couldn’t possibly have imagined as a young person. Getting older has its practical disadvantages, for sure – but it brings the gifts of experience and a wider viewpoint toiling in its wake.

If you’d like an example of fine, thoughtful, insightful, mature writing, may I suggest you consider the wonderful stories of my friend and contemporary Jim Bates in his blog The View from Long Lake? There are plenty of other examples, published or not, of people who in their later years have found themselves with both the leisure and, yes, the maturity (there’s that word again) to write well. Let’s not neglect them.

And what of the mature reader, you ask? What indeed. Young adults are well catered-for; they have their own genre – and it’s read by everyone, not just the young. So where is the Mature Adults genre?

This train of thought has been triggered by the efforts of a lady called Claire Baldry. She is in the process of setting up a website called Books for Older Readers. It’s a work in progress, but do go and investigate. I elbowed my way into the queue to have my own books featured on this site, not because I wrote them with older readers in mind, but because I think my contemporaries will enjoy them.

Claire has also set up a Facebook group Books for Older Readers, where those of us who admit to being over 50 can, readers and authors both, discuss this (hopefully) emerging genre. I reckon it can be just as exciting, varied and vital as the Young Adult genre.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Can there be a Mature Adult genre? How would we define it? What would we include in it? Over to you!

Ready soon for discerning readers of all ages…

Whales and Strange Stars

A stunning mystery in the tradition of Jamaica Inn. When a sea captain passes through the forgotten port of Wych Ferry and whiles away an hour at the Tradewinds Inn relating his traveller’s tales to young Rosamund Euden, he has no idea of the dramatic events he has set in action. Adventure, secrets and betrayal in the marshlands of 18^th century Kent.

To be published by Crooked Cat Books, 16 January, 2018

Voice and Volubility

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when two or more writers are placed in a confined space the volume of chatter will threaten to blow the roof off. I suppose it’s the solitary and silent nature of most writing that makes us all so voluble when we meet.

It was certainly the case at the Dorset Writers Network Writers’ Open House at Dorchester last weekend, where I had volunteered to help answer visitors’ questions. And what a range of questions! How can I publish my poetry? What do I say when I’m asked to critique other people’s work at my writing group? How do I pitch my non-fiction book to a publisher? How do I tighten up the dialogue in my TV script? On and on it went –they all certainly found their voices, and I was hoarse when I got home. Many of the questions were tough to answer, especially in a hurry, but I did my best to help. And this was in between diving back to answer questions about my own books. No wonder I lost my voice.

I am always surprised at these events in finding I know rather more about writing and publishing than I thought I did, at least compared to the average member of the public. I have been immersed in the arcane world of the writer for nearly five years now – it’s a hotbed of emotional highs and lows uncomfortably blended with the very practical needs of sales and marketing – so I suppose I’m bound to have learned a thing or two along the way. The top lesson is that it’s a fast-changing, cut-throat business where anything you learn is outdated as soon as you take it on board.

For all that, I hope I managed to point the people I spoke to in the right direction, and I certainly hope I sprinkled a little encouragement about.

Visitors at the Open House event

From my own perspective, I learned a great deal by listening to the concerns, ideas and thoughts of others, and I met a lot of charming and interesting people. I even sold a few books!

We had requests for more events of this type, as well as specific workshops for neglected subjects such as grammar. Dorset has a wonderful resource in its creative writers, and the Dorset Writers Network will do its best to bring this out into the sunlight. It was a pleasure to take part. So I say carry on talking, writers!

 

Ready to read soon…

Whales and Strange Stars

A stunning mystery in the tradition of Jamaica Inn. When a sea captain passes through the forgotten port of Wych Ferry and whiles away an hour at the Tradewinds Inn relating his traveller’s tales to young Rosamund Euden, he has no idea of the dramatic events he has set in action. Adventure, secrets and betrayal in the marshlands of 18^th century Kent.

To be published by Crooked Cat Books, 16 January, 2018

Boats in the Air

Back in 2012 during the London Olympics, I stood in a crowd at Newton’s Cove, Weymouth, watching the sailing events. Ben Ainslie won his gold medal for GB, and we all jumped up and down and cheered like mad. It was a special moment. Five years later I stood with my hands on the gunwale of the boat he sailed that day. That was a special moment, too.

This was one of the wonderful exhibits at the National Maritime Museum (Cornwall) at Falmouth, which I visited a few weeks ago. It’s a striking building, perched right on the water’s edge, and includes a tower with a panoramic view from the top and a glass-walled room at the base under the waterline, so visitors can see estuarine fish and sea creatures swimming right in front of their noses.

I loved that, but it was the huge display of boats that really caught my attention. They don’t just exhibit them, either – they build them, too. A recently-completed reconstruction of the ship’s boat used by Captain Bligh following the Bounty mutiny was the basis of one exhibit, and loud hammering from the rear of the building announced the next project – a reconstruction of one of the lifeboats of the Titanic.

The main hall was full of boats from floor to ceiling, many of them suspended by wires and flying magically so the whole beautiful space was used. Small boats of every kind from all over the world were on show, designed to be propelled by steam, diesel, wind or sheer arm-power, and built for speed, fishing or fun. This cosmopolitan display is matched by side galleries celebrating Cornwall’s (and Falmouth’s) own extensive maritime history from packet-boats to pilchard fishing.

I enjoyed it all, but my particular favourite was a huge glass case containing exquisite models of boats through the ages, also apparently flying through the air. This was so beautifully presented and lit that the little boats looked like jewels in a casket. Stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s plenty for children, too, including boats to climb into and radio-controlled sailing. If you’re visiting Cornwall do go and see this fabulous museum (full details here). I insist!

 

 

And for more boats…Whales and Strange Stars

A stunning mystery in the tradition of Jamaica Inn. When a sea captain passes through the forgotten port of Wych Ferry and whiles away an hour at the Tradewinds Inn relating his traveller’s tales to young Rosamund Euden, he has no idea of the dramatic events he has set in action. Adventure, dark magic and betrayal in the marshlands of 18^th century Kent.

To be published by Crooked Cat Books, 16 January, 2018

The Last Plantagenet?

My guest today is fellow-writer Jennifer C Wilson, author of The Last Plantagenet, released today. Welcome to the Quirky Genre, Jennifer!

Hi Kathy, and thanks so much for inviting me onto the blog today, on launch day for my new release, The Last Plantagenet? This is a debut in a couple of ways for me – my first timeslip historical fiction, and my first attempt at self-publishing. Happily, I’ve learned a lot through the release of the Kindred Spirits series through Crooked Cat, so it isn’t quite as scary as it could otherwise have been.

The Last Plantagenet? follows history-lover Kate as she’s transported in a heartbeat from July 2011 back to the same month in 1485, just weeks before a certain battle, and most of us know how that ended for Richard III… Here’s an extract, just as Kate, now transported, but still unsure where (or when) she is, encounters the King of England for the very first time:

The room they entered was exactly as Kate had always imagined a medieval great hall should be. They never seemed quite right when recreated in the twenty-first centuries, but this, this was glorious. Candles flickered on every surface, catching the hints of gold, silver and jewels on the well-dressed courtiers, or picking out the vibrant hues of the draft-excluding tapestries. Somebody had put plenty of effort into the décor and costumes yet, there was nobody around to see it. The whole walk from kitchen to hall, Kate had seen only costumed participants, not one member of the public. Why would you go to all this effort, and do such a great job of recreating the period, if you didn’t let the public in to see it? It seemed a waste to her.

Then she noticed him. 

Kate had always hated the phrase ‘skipped a beat’, but that’s exactly what she was certain her heart did, as she saw who was literally holding court in the centre of the room.

Richard.

King Richard.

King Richard III of England.

And definitely not the actor who had been playing him with such great aplomb earlier. This man’s hair, dark, shoulder length, was real, no wig, and he carried himself with a charisma that was hard to fake, how ever good an actor you were. Kate caught snippets of conversation as she walked through the room; either these actors were keeping far more in-character than any other re-enactment she had encountered before, or, more worryingly, she had somehow been transported back in time, and this truly was 1485. Her mind whirled at the notion, but whatever had happened, and however it had come to happen, she had to deal with the here-and-now first, and get this platter of bread safely onto the table the servant was moving towards.

Following in his wake, Kate was suddenly painfully aware of the length of her dress, and the uneven nature of the floor; even the kitten-height heeled clogs, feeling suddenly like stilettos, were too much for her at that moment. She felt dozens of eyes burning into her, half-hoping, half-fearing that they might just include Richard. Risking a glance at the king, Kate almost dropped her tray. His piercing eyes had indeed found hers, forcing her to meet his gaze, even as she felt herself trembling with, what, desire, terror? She couldn’t quite tell. The liveried servant nudged her forwards with the jug he was carrying, and she reluctantly tore her eyes away from the king to place her tray on the table in the centre of the room.

Hopefully that’s whetted your appetite! If you’d like to join in today’s online launch, you can find it over on Facebook here, or dive in and get the ebook itself here. If you do either, then I hope you enjoy!

About Jennifer

Jennifer is a marine biologist by training, who spent much of her childhood stalking Mary, Queen of Scots (initially accidentally, but then with intention). She completed her BSc and MSc at the University of Hull, and has worked as a marine environmental consulting since graduating. Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east reignited Jennifer’s pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since. In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and also continues to develop her poetic voice, reading at a number of events, and with several pieces available online. She is also part of The Next Page, running workshops and other literary events in North Tyneside.

Jennifer’s debut novel, Kindred Spirits: Tower of London, was released by Crooked Cat Books in October 2015, with Kindred Spirits: Royal Mile following in June 2017. She can be found online at her website, on Twitter and Facebook, as well as at The Next Page’s website. Her timeslip historical romance, The Last Plantagenet? is available for pre-order now.