Photograph by M.C. Whitney of the Inis Oírr Lighthouse
This Blog is about My Writing Process
I have been writing for six and a half years. Wow, that seems amazing. During those years, I have written enough words for three novels.
Here is the process that works for me.:
I spent the first two years just learning how to write a novel. I am what is called a “seat-of-the-pants writer.” Erh, trousers for the Brits. I don’t recommend this method; I work from inspiration and vomit on the page and then spend twice or three times as much work cleaning up and organizing the mess into something understandable. Needless to say, my idea for the first book came from a dream. My ideas for the other six books came from my inspiration of Inis Oírr, the location of my novels.
This writing time includes research on Inis Oírr, the history of the famine, and the topic I am working on, ensuring my descriptions are accurate. I take notes to help the information stay in my memory bank. Usually, three days after researching, I start writing, and the words flow out of me. I then go back and review my notes before finishing my editing. What am I saying, editing is never done.
The next morning, I will read over what I wrote and edit, then go on with the new writing for the day. I started writing at the age of 69, so I set up my life so that sitting down to write, each day is a joy. I know hard to believe, but it is.
At some time, during my writing day, it could be 2, 3 or 4 hours in, my brain seems to become disconnected from my fingers and I stop and do other things for the rest of the day. I am currently listening to the Mythical Ireland podcast with Anthony Murphy. I exercise five days a week, eat well, and drink plenty of water.
I write for about two weeks and then take two days off and go back at it again. When the flow stops on a topic, I pivot to something new. There is always something else to do when one is writing seven books.
Two weeks ago, I pivoted to writing ten more query letters in an attempt to get an agent. I have written 97 queries so far. Harry Potter took 100 so I am not giving up until I hit around 120. The first 20 I had no idea what I was doing, writing these letters has also been a learning process. Each set of ten, I edited them extensively; early on, it was my synopsis, biography, comparable novels, and pitch.
Last week, I rewrote the cover letter to hit different, more emotional notes from the novel in an attempt to garner attention for my work. In addition, edited the bio, and the first 50 pages to try to eliminate grammatical and comma errors. I look at all of this as a learning process. I am striving to find what makes my writing unique and compelling.
On my birthday, at the turn of midnight, I turned on the light to write down a prediction that came to me that this year I would sign with an agent. So, I am feeling pretty good about this last effort. Two weeks of fine-tuning each letter to an agent's wants and needs can be very time-consuming. Only time will tell.
Here is the process that works for me.:
I spent the first two years just learning how to write a novel. I am what is called a “seat-of-the-pants writer.” Erh, trousers for the Brits. I don’t recommend this method; I work from inspiration and vomit on the page and then spend twice or three times as much work cleaning up and organizing the mess into something understandable. Needless to say, my idea for the first book came from a dream. My ideas for the other six books came from my inspiration of Inis Oírr, the location of my novels.
This writing time includes research on Inis Oírr, the history of the famine, and the topic I am working on, ensuring my descriptions are accurate. I take notes to help the information stay in my memory bank. Usually, three days after researching, I start writing, and the words flow out of me. I then go back and review my notes before finishing my editing. What am I saying, editing is never done.
The next morning, I will read over what I wrote and edit, then go on with the new writing for the day. I started writing at the age of 69, so I set up my life so that sitting down to write, each day is a joy. I know hard to believe, but it is.
At some time, during my writing day, it could be 2, 3 or 4 hours in, my brain seems to become disconnected from my fingers and I stop and do other things for the rest of the day. I am currently listening to the Mythical Ireland podcast with Anthony Murphy. I exercise five days a week, eat well, and drink plenty of water.
I write for about two weeks and then take two days off and go back at it again. When the flow stops on a topic, I pivot to something new. There is always something else to do when one is writing seven books.
Two weeks ago, I pivoted to writing ten more query letters in an attempt to get an agent. I have written 97 queries so far. Harry Potter took 100 so I am not giving up until I hit around 120. The first 20 I had no idea what I was doing, writing these letters has also been a learning process. Each set of ten, I edited them extensively; early on, it was my synopsis, biography, comparable novels, and pitch.
Last week, I rewrote the cover letter to hit different, more emotional notes from the novel in an attempt to garner attention for my work. In addition, edited the bio, and the first 50 pages to try to eliminate grammatical and comma errors. I look at all of this as a learning process. I am striving to find what makes my writing unique and compelling.
On my birthday, at the turn of midnight, I turned on the light to write down a prediction that came to me that this year I would sign with an agent. So, I am feeling pretty good about this last effort. Two weeks of fine-tuning each letter to an agent's wants and needs can be very time-consuming. Only time will tell.
Another Topic: Spiders and Spider Webs.
Continuing my spiritual investigations.
Scott does not mind spiders in his house. He does not kill them, but lets them weave their webs where they will. AI spiritual meaning of spiders: messengers, themes of balance, interconnectedness, and cycles of life. The web, especially, should delineate interconnectedness. That links your experiences, relationships, and spiritual journey.
AI: The duality of a spider can represent creativity and feminine energy linked to goddesses and creators in mythology. On the other hand, spiders sometimes seem as symbols of entrapment or danger.
AI spider webs: In metaphysical traditions, the spider is considered a power animal, embodying qualities of patience, precision, and the ability to manifest. They symbolize balance, intuition, and intricate connections between fate and free will. Spider webs can represent resilience as they can be rebuilt after destruction. Teaching us to adapt and persevere in the face of challenges. Encounters with spider webs are seen as a sign to trust the path we are weaving and embrace the disconnectedness of all things.”
Spiders in the House
AI: “Symbolize protection, creative energy, the process of manifesting desires, wisdom, patience, and good luck… Weaving one’s destiny… Struggling to be patient, focused and persistent in achieving your goals. Or alternatively, a spider descending could signify a new idea. While negative connotations, such as entrapment or being spied on, also exist.”
Scott does not mind spiders in his house. He does not kill them, but lets them weave their webs where they will. AI spiritual meaning of spiders: messengers, themes of balance, interconnectedness, and cycles of life. The web, especially, should delineate interconnectedness. That links your experiences, relationships, and spiritual journey.
AI: The duality of a spider can represent creativity and feminine energy linked to goddesses and creators in mythology. On the other hand, spiders sometimes seem as symbols of entrapment or danger.
AI spider webs: In metaphysical traditions, the spider is considered a power animal, embodying qualities of patience, precision, and the ability to manifest. They symbolize balance, intuition, and intricate connections between fate and free will. Spider webs can represent resilience as they can be rebuilt after destruction. Teaching us to adapt and persevere in the face of challenges. Encounters with spider webs are seen as a sign to trust the path we are weaving and embrace the disconnectedness of all things.”
Spiders in the House
AI: “Symbolize protection, creative energy, the process of manifesting desires, wisdom, patience, and good luck… Weaving one’s destiny… Struggling to be patient, focused and persistent in achieving your goals. Or alternatively, a spider descending could signify a new idea. While negative connotations, such as entrapment or being spied on, also exist.”
Day after 999 Heavenly Configuration
I have been feeling an energy surge ever since I stretched my arms out into the flow with the winds on the island of Samos in mid-April. That feeling is exceptionally strong this week with the full moon, eclipse and 999 portal.
On Samos, the wind never seemed to stop, and I would often find myself, when I was walking down the hill toward the second stony beach, reaching my arms out as if to catch the wind in my wings, filling my arms with the magic of nature.
In Greece, those ebbs and flows of the tides are so much less. The confined basin that is the Mediterranean Sea only has four-inch tides. There is little or no rain, hot, dry, sunny—not scorching because the air is softened by the sea.
However, this feeling of connectedness followed me into the chaotic traffic of Northampton, England. This concreted land and continual clatter… has tried to separate me from the land, the sea, the soft air, and fiery sun.
But, yet, and yet. Nature inserted itself into my life with feathers; I have already discussed the ball of feathers floating to my hand… as if telling me to pay attention. Now that I've noticed, I have never seen so many feathers. Three or four new ones on my daily walks. Mid-summer as I raked the dead leaves away, I picked up five or six feathers and stuck them in a flower pot in the back garden.
Then, a month ago, a feather was on the front porch of Scott’s house. At 9:45, an eight-inch gray banded dove’s feather with an extra-long quill sat on the front stoop. The quill was facing east, parallel to the front door. At 10:15, the quill was facing south, projecting out from the front door. And at 10:30, it turned again, the quill facing west. By 10:45 the feather was gone. Vanished.
Shaking my head, I prepared to go for my walk. When I stepped out, the side door was a new feather sitting on the single step parallel to the door leading into the kitchen. This one, I picked up, unlocked the door and stashed it inside.
Later, I checked in the front yard and could not find the twitchy feather anywhere near the front stoop.
So, I searched on my phone… It is challenging to find scholarly information on Google, these days. AI comes up first. AI: The Meaning of Feathers 1. Angelic Presence. Check. 2. Messages from the Universe. Check. 3. Spiritual Growth. Check. 4. Connection to Nature. Of course. 5. Personal Significance. Yeup.
AI: Examining feathers in the Celtic world… doves' feathers are reportedly associated with healing, signs, oracles and gentleness.
For AI examining feathers and spiritual path = peace, love, hope, new beginnings, fidelity, innocence, and spiritual messengers.
Sometimes connected to a loved one’s spirit or a call for personal transformation and harmony. I won’t even mention waking up to cooing doves each morning.
All righty, then.
On Samos, the wind never seemed to stop, and I would often find myself, when I was walking down the hill toward the second stony beach, reaching my arms out as if to catch the wind in my wings, filling my arms with the magic of nature.
In Greece, those ebbs and flows of the tides are so much less. The confined basin that is the Mediterranean Sea only has four-inch tides. There is little or no rain, hot, dry, sunny—not scorching because the air is softened by the sea.
However, this feeling of connectedness followed me into the chaotic traffic of Northampton, England. This concreted land and continual clatter… has tried to separate me from the land, the sea, the soft air, and fiery sun.
But, yet, and yet. Nature inserted itself into my life with feathers; I have already discussed the ball of feathers floating to my hand… as if telling me to pay attention. Now that I've noticed, I have never seen so many feathers. Three or four new ones on my daily walks. Mid-summer as I raked the dead leaves away, I picked up five or six feathers and stuck them in a flower pot in the back garden.
Then, a month ago, a feather was on the front porch of Scott’s house. At 9:45, an eight-inch gray banded dove’s feather with an extra-long quill sat on the front stoop. The quill was facing east, parallel to the front door. At 10:15, the quill was facing south, projecting out from the front door. And at 10:30, it turned again, the quill facing west. By 10:45 the feather was gone. Vanished.
Shaking my head, I prepared to go for my walk. When I stepped out, the side door was a new feather sitting on the single step parallel to the door leading into the kitchen. This one, I picked up, unlocked the door and stashed it inside.
Later, I checked in the front yard and could not find the twitchy feather anywhere near the front stoop.
So, I searched on my phone… It is challenging to find scholarly information on Google, these days. AI comes up first. AI: The Meaning of Feathers 1. Angelic Presence. Check. 2. Messages from the Universe. Check. 3. Spiritual Growth. Check. 4. Connection to Nature. Of course. 5. Personal Significance. Yeup.
AI: Examining feathers in the Celtic world… doves' feathers are reportedly associated with healing, signs, oracles and gentleness.
For AI examining feathers and spiritual path = peace, love, hope, new beginnings, fidelity, innocence, and spiritual messengers.
Sometimes connected to a loved one’s spirit or a call for personal transformation and harmony. I won’t even mention waking up to cooing doves each morning.
All righty, then.
The Continued Magic in My Life
So, on August 4, 2025, I was still in England. It was the 26th anniversary of my little sister's passing at the age of forty. It is always a poignant day for me. Filled with longing, but also a conviction of a deep connection that remains. She is in my heart, my mind and my soul…
Last week I was walking in a park and stopped to take some photos of the beautiful roses. As I lowered my camera, a fluffy little ball of feathers floated from the sky to land on the side of my hand. It was like “Marilyn, pay attention.”
On the anniversary of the day we lost Marci, I was sitting at the table in the solarium (glass room) having dinner. Through an open window (no screens, because there are not many bugs here), a ¼” sphere of fluff, like a miniature dandelion fluff, floated in the air currents at my eye level. It went up and down, over and back up for what seemed to be 20 minutes. It felt like Marci was saying, “Hi, Mar. I love you, too. I am still here, just at the edge of your notice.” I had such a feeling of peace from this tiny miracle.
But the magic continues, Scott’s landlord is putting his rental house on the market. So, I was helping clean, but the house has a lot of spiders because Scott doesn’t like to kill them. So, there was this inch-round spider in the hallway from the kitchen. As I was cleaning with a broom full of husky fur, I snagged a spider web from the floor in the hallway. As I was purposefully avoiding the spider… he followed my broom, 18” behind it. It was a little spooky, but I managed to cut the connecting cord with my hand and then picked up the ball of fur in my dustpan, leaving the spider behind to scurry into the baseboards.
As I turned to throw away the fur, I noticed on the door frame, his spider web flapping in the breeze from the kitchen, right at eye level. It was like the house saying, “Oh, your books are going well. Keep it up.” The reason I feel it was encouraging my writing is that the first line of Book 1 is “Contentment is as tenuous as dew on a spider web.” Big, big, sigh.
Now that I have opened myself to this gentle magic, I see these little signs almost every day, encouraging me to keep on with my writing, with my loving, with my connection with things unseen. I feel as if an invisible world is finally catching my attention. Almost making me believe… they exist.
Last week I was walking in a park and stopped to take some photos of the beautiful roses. As I lowered my camera, a fluffy little ball of feathers floated from the sky to land on the side of my hand. It was like “Marilyn, pay attention.”
On the anniversary of the day we lost Marci, I was sitting at the table in the solarium (glass room) having dinner. Through an open window (no screens, because there are not many bugs here), a ¼” sphere of fluff, like a miniature dandelion fluff, floated in the air currents at my eye level. It went up and down, over and back up for what seemed to be 20 minutes. It felt like Marci was saying, “Hi, Mar. I love you, too. I am still here, just at the edge of your notice.” I had such a feeling of peace from this tiny miracle.
But the magic continues, Scott’s landlord is putting his rental house on the market. So, I was helping clean, but the house has a lot of spiders because Scott doesn’t like to kill them. So, there was this inch-round spider in the hallway from the kitchen. As I was cleaning with a broom full of husky fur, I snagged a spider web from the floor in the hallway. As I was purposefully avoiding the spider… he followed my broom, 18” behind it. It was a little spooky, but I managed to cut the connecting cord with my hand and then picked up the ball of fur in my dustpan, leaving the spider behind to scurry into the baseboards.
As I turned to throw away the fur, I noticed on the door frame, his spider web flapping in the breeze from the kitchen, right at eye level. It was like the house saying, “Oh, your books are going well. Keep it up.” The reason I feel it was encouraging my writing is that the first line of Book 1 is “Contentment is as tenuous as dew on a spider web.” Big, big, sigh.
Now that I have opened myself to this gentle magic, I see these little signs almost every day, encouraging me to keep on with my writing, with my loving, with my connection with things unseen. I feel as if an invisible world is finally catching my attention. Almost making me believe… they exist.
The Continued Magic in My Life – Letters to Get an Agent
So, on my seventy-fifth birthday, I was still awake, looking at my watch, which said 12:00. Out of nowhere, I received a conviction, like a voice in my head: “This year, you are getting an agent and you will move to Ireland.” It was a kind of clarity that I have seldom experienced in all those seventy-five years. But my heart knows it is right. I had not planned to move to Ireland, but the country has totally captured my imagination.
Mid-June 2025, when I arrived at my friend Scott’s house in Northampton, England, he gave me many nuggets for my writing, as well as a roof over my head and a desk on which to write. Last year, I learned from him how to write a Point of View (POV) for each character. This year, he helped me address the bombardment of the castle at the top of Inis Oírr in 1652 without the blood and gore. “Follow the women and children as they run away in panic.” So, for the first month I was here, I knocked out most of their escape from Cromwell’s army.
When my energy for the storyline dissipated, I decided that it was time to write some query letters. You can’t get an agent if you don’t apply. These letters are similar to job application letters. I do ten at a time. With each set of 10 queries, I update my cover letter and other documents to reflect the insights gained over the last six months. Up to this point, I had written 86 queries (but it took J.K. Rowling 100 letters to finally get someone to represent Harry Potter.) So I am not deterred. Persistence is the name of the game and improvement with each set. I am embarrassed by how naïve I was in my first twenty letters.
It takes me about two weeks to write these letters, researching the agent and weaving their wants into my introduction. This time, my refinement is to invoke the emotions that Bridgette (and I) experience in Book 1. This time, I've taken a new approach by applying to agents from Britain and the Commonwealth. I feel very positive about these submissions. It will take at least two months to get any responses.
Mid-June 2025, when I arrived at my friend Scott’s house in Northampton, England, he gave me many nuggets for my writing, as well as a roof over my head and a desk on which to write. Last year, I learned from him how to write a Point of View (POV) for each character. This year, he helped me address the bombardment of the castle at the top of Inis Oírr in 1652 without the blood and gore. “Follow the women and children as they run away in panic.” So, for the first month I was here, I knocked out most of their escape from Cromwell’s army.
When my energy for the storyline dissipated, I decided that it was time to write some query letters. You can’t get an agent if you don’t apply. These letters are similar to job application letters. I do ten at a time. With each set of 10 queries, I update my cover letter and other documents to reflect the insights gained over the last six months. Up to this point, I had written 86 queries (but it took J.K. Rowling 100 letters to finally get someone to represent Harry Potter.) So I am not deterred. Persistence is the name of the game and improvement with each set. I am embarrassed by how naïve I was in my first twenty letters.
It takes me about two weeks to write these letters, researching the agent and weaving their wants into my introduction. This time, my refinement is to invoke the emotions that Bridgette (and I) experience in Book 1. This time, I've taken a new approach by applying to agents from Britain and the Commonwealth. I feel very positive about these submissions. It will take at least two months to get any responses.
The Magic in My Life
I seem to have moved into another level of mysticism. I still don't fully understand what I am experiencing, but it seems real… or as real as a mystical experience can be.
In September of 2023, I finally accepted the magic that was happening to me. The final straw was that I had won a fundraising lottery for the Artist in Residence at the Art Center in Inis Oírr. It included a free 10-day stay for four on Inis Oírr. At the end of the trip, it took me crying, no bawling actually, for twenty minutes for me to break down my resistance to the magic. My main character, Bridgette, had resisted the magic in all of Book 1, but I finally realized that I was also resisting it. I have to admit the bombshell of that realization left me shaken to my core.
Once I realized, I came to see that the many things happening to me were magical. For example, just finding Inis Oírr during COVID-19 was a miracle. While we were sequestered, I escaped every morning to the island with my imaginary friends.
When I came to the island in October of 2022, every day I met islanders who gave me a nugget of history or mythology that made their way into my books.
But I was dumbfounded by what happened at the end of Book 1. After reading Save the Cat, a book about how to write engaging novels, I found I needed a ceremony at the end of Book 1. I sat down to write without having any plans, and my fingers invented a need for balance between the men and women. Six months later, when I arrived on Inis Oírr, I discovered that some of the islanders believe there is a balance between male and female energy on the island. I was told that “Some of us believe it comes from the two tectonic plates that have raised the island out of the sea. One tectonic plate is masculine and one is feminine.” I have to tell you my head was reeling when I left that meeting.
After winning the lottery in 2023 and realizing I had spent the last two and a half years denying the magic… I arrived home in Vermont shaken, but determined to spend more time on the island. On the Winter Solstice of 2023, I sold my house to follow this elusive web, leading me to a new kind of destiny.
In September of 2023, I finally accepted the magic that was happening to me. The final straw was that I had won a fundraising lottery for the Artist in Residence at the Art Center in Inis Oírr. It included a free 10-day stay for four on Inis Oírr. At the end of the trip, it took me crying, no bawling actually, for twenty minutes for me to break down my resistance to the magic. My main character, Bridgette, had resisted the magic in all of Book 1, but I finally realized that I was also resisting it. I have to admit the bombshell of that realization left me shaken to my core.
Once I realized, I came to see that the many things happening to me were magical. For example, just finding Inis Oírr during COVID-19 was a miracle. While we were sequestered, I escaped every morning to the island with my imaginary friends.
When I came to the island in October of 2022, every day I met islanders who gave me a nugget of history or mythology that made their way into my books.
But I was dumbfounded by what happened at the end of Book 1. After reading Save the Cat, a book about how to write engaging novels, I found I needed a ceremony at the end of Book 1. I sat down to write without having any plans, and my fingers invented a need for balance between the men and women. Six months later, when I arrived on Inis Oírr, I discovered that some of the islanders believe there is a balance between male and female energy on the island. I was told that “Some of us believe it comes from the two tectonic plates that have raised the island out of the sea. One tectonic plate is masculine and one is feminine.” I have to tell you my head was reeling when I left that meeting.
After winning the lottery in 2023 and realizing I had spent the last two and a half years denying the magic… I arrived home in Vermont shaken, but determined to spend more time on the island. On the Winter Solstice of 2023, I sold my house to follow this elusive web, leading me to a new kind of destiny.
The Archaeology of the Island Frames the History
Each of my books features an archaeological site from the island of Inis Oírr. I use the sites to talk about the history of a particular time period on the island. Book 1 is set in the walls of Inis Oírr during the Great Potato Famine of 1845, and Book 2 is located in the old schoolhouse to discuss World War II. Book 3 is O’Brien’s Castle, which was destroyed by the bombardment of Cromwell’s army in 1652. Right now, I am struggling with writing about the toll the violence of the bombardment and invasion had on the islanders.
The Monastery on Inis Oírr 800 to 1100
When I visited Inis Oirr last winter, I discovered that a monastery existed on the island from the 800s to 1100. In 1588, Elizabeth I confiscated the Aran Islands because of those monasteries. She gave them or sold them to the Lynch Family, who were part of the Galway Tribes.
So, I have been looking for information about the monastery. Finding no information about early Irish monasteries, I widened my search for information about Early Christian Monastic life in Ireland. Still not much information.
I talked to the priest on the island, and he suggested I could get information by looking at the rules of monastic life. I realized that what was on the island was similar to what I saw at Glendalough in County Wexford. These monasteries were less structured and not based on a cloister organization of later European-inspired monasteries of the 1600s.
So, during one of the last days on Inis Oírr last March 2025, I saw a lady sitting alone on the boat ramp enjoying the sunshine. I asked if I could sit with her. She shared that she is working on a Master's in Ancient Irish Manuscripts in Dublin. Her partner came over, and we had tea together, talking for a couple of hours. Of course, I told them what I was doing and my struggles with Monastery life in the 800s. It was a lovely afternoon of sunshine and shared dedication to our research.
When I arrived in Greece a month later, I found an email from her with a chapter from the History of Columba of Iona. It told about monastic life in the late 600s. I was thrilled to get what I needed once again, just when I needed it. My magical journey continues.
So, I have been looking for information about the monastery. Finding no information about early Irish monasteries, I widened my search for information about Early Christian Monastic life in Ireland. Still not much information.
I talked to the priest on the island, and he suggested I could get information by looking at the rules of monastic life. I realized that what was on the island was similar to what I saw at Glendalough in County Wexford. These monasteries were less structured and not based on a cloister organization of later European-inspired monasteries of the 1600s.
So, during one of the last days on Inis Oírr last March 2025, I saw a lady sitting alone on the boat ramp enjoying the sunshine. I asked if I could sit with her. She shared that she is working on a Master's in Ancient Irish Manuscripts in Dublin. Her partner came over, and we had tea together, talking for a couple of hours. Of course, I told them what I was doing and my struggles with Monastery life in the 800s. It was a lovely afternoon of sunshine and shared dedication to our research.
When I arrived in Greece a month later, I found an email from her with a chapter from the History of Columba of Iona. It told about monastic life in the late 600s. I was thrilled to get what I needed once again, just when I needed it. My magical journey continues.
Good morning, my Lovely Young Ladies! Bahar, Ilknur, Anna, Dafni, and Aelia: Part 2
When I arrived in Posidonia, Samos, Greece, my goal was to work on Book 3’s dream sequences. This is the time when Cromwell’s army bombards and destroys O’Brien’s Castle in 1652. The viewpoint I am trying to capture is how the women and children escaped the violence of an invasion.
Last year, when I first arrived in Ireland, I spent three weeks researching the horrific history of Cromwell’s army's devastation of Ireland, 1649 to 1653. His army killed an estimated 40% to 60% of the population. The New Model Army waged total war against the population of Ireland. Irish people died in battle, from executions, through famine caused by the burning of anything valuable in the army’s wake, and the plague, which arrived in Galway City in 1652, during the nine-month siege by Cromwell’s army. This conflict shows humankind at its worst.
I really want my books to understand the reality of history, but to focus on our shared humanity rather than violence and brutality. For a year, I have been trying to wrap my head around how to balance reality with my heart telling me to write an uplifting story.
My personal life experiences, I have seen more than my fair share of terror. As a Canadian swimmer at the Munich Olympics, where 11 athletes were killed, and as a graduate student at Virginia Tech, where 32 students were murdered in their classrooms.
In life, I have chosen to focus on how much we ‘foreigners’ are alike rather than our differences. We are all foreign to someone. But my focus for my books is and always will be how our shared humanity and our friendships can transform these horrors into communities of love and acceptance.
So, needless to say, for the last 2.5 weeks, I have been struggling with how to describe Cromwell’s seizure of Inis Oírr. Two nights ago, I talked to my friend in England. Scott said, “Well, Marilyn, I tell my students to look at the problem from the opposite direction when they are stuck.”
The next day, without even thinking about his suggestion, during my walk, I realized that I had not put any magic into Book 3. What could I do to get magic in Book 3? Then it came to me…I can have the faery on the island protect the women and children. A little later, what if the misty veil between this world and the other were to protect everyone on Inis Oírr from the horror that was Cromwell’s army?
Now I am caught between a rock and a hard spot. Of course, this is not true, and I am rethinking this direction because it lessens the experiences of the islanders and indeed the Irish in general. Maybe the magic will help them heal from the chaos of the bombardment of the castle at the top of the island and an army invading a small island of 300 people.
Sometimes, I just have to set something aside and let it bubble on the back of the fire until the correct path comes to me. So instead, two weeks ago I pivoted to work on Book 4 and a story line about a monastery on Inis Oírr.
Last year, when I first arrived in Ireland, I spent three weeks researching the horrific history of Cromwell’s army's devastation of Ireland, 1649 to 1653. His army killed an estimated 40% to 60% of the population. The New Model Army waged total war against the population of Ireland. Irish people died in battle, from executions, through famine caused by the burning of anything valuable in the army’s wake, and the plague, which arrived in Galway City in 1652, during the nine-month siege by Cromwell’s army. This conflict shows humankind at its worst.
I really want my books to understand the reality of history, but to focus on our shared humanity rather than violence and brutality. For a year, I have been trying to wrap my head around how to balance reality with my heart telling me to write an uplifting story.
My personal life experiences, I have seen more than my fair share of terror. As a Canadian swimmer at the Munich Olympics, where 11 athletes were killed, and as a graduate student at Virginia Tech, where 32 students were murdered in their classrooms.
In life, I have chosen to focus on how much we ‘foreigners’ are alike rather than our differences. We are all foreign to someone. But my focus for my books is and always will be how our shared humanity and our friendships can transform these horrors into communities of love and acceptance.
So, needless to say, for the last 2.5 weeks, I have been struggling with how to describe Cromwell’s seizure of Inis Oírr. Two nights ago, I talked to my friend in England. Scott said, “Well, Marilyn, I tell my students to look at the problem from the opposite direction when they are stuck.”
The next day, without even thinking about his suggestion, during my walk, I realized that I had not put any magic into Book 3. What could I do to get magic in Book 3? Then it came to me…I can have the faery on the island protect the women and children. A little later, what if the misty veil between this world and the other were to protect everyone on Inis Oírr from the horror that was Cromwell’s army?
Now I am caught between a rock and a hard spot. Of course, this is not true, and I am rethinking this direction because it lessens the experiences of the islanders and indeed the Irish in general. Maybe the magic will help them heal from the chaos of the bombardment of the castle at the top of the island and an army invading a small island of 300 people.
Sometimes, I just have to set something aside and let it bubble on the back of the fire until the correct path comes to me. So instead, two weeks ago I pivoted to work on Book 4 and a story line about a monastery on Inis Oírr.
Good morning, my Lovely Young Ladies! Bahar, Ilknur, Anna, Dafni, and Aelia: Part I
Oh, my list of readers is growing. I will try to update this blog at least once a week, so you have something new to read and practice your English.
So, as some of you may know, in February, I had a blast of inspiration that came from hurricane-force winds that hammered western Ireland. Storm Éowyn gave me so much to write about… I wrote 1000 words a day for eight straight days. Normally, that would have been two months of writing. But that writing binge burned me out. The last few weeks on Inis Oírr, I pivoted to work on other parts of my writing, including research about monasteries on Inis Oírr and the other Aran Islands, which is work that needs to be done.
Izmir, Türkiye, is the site of my main character, Bridgette’s archaeology dig at Yeşilova Höyüğü. When I arrived in Izmir, I still could not recapture a flow in my writing. When this happens (writing for six years, it happens every six months or so), I pivot to do something else that is necessary for a while. Over the years, I have found that changing my focus to something else that needs to be done helps recharge my creativity and keeps my writing moving forward..
So, I decided to do some housekeeping. As I move through each day, when I get an idea or thought to investigate further, I write notes on anything handy. When I left Ireland, all those little post-it notes, napkins and papers seemed like lead weights in my backpack, which is my traveling office. So, I spent a week typing the miscellaneous notes into my computer, sorting as I went: these notes for Book three, these for Book 4, etc. I probably only got rid of half a kilo or a pound of paper. When I walked on the ferry to Samos, my backpack and my mind felt a lot lighter.
So, as some of you may know, in February, I had a blast of inspiration that came from hurricane-force winds that hammered western Ireland. Storm Éowyn gave me so much to write about… I wrote 1000 words a day for eight straight days. Normally, that would have been two months of writing. But that writing binge burned me out. The last few weeks on Inis Oírr, I pivoted to work on other parts of my writing, including research about monasteries on Inis Oírr and the other Aran Islands, which is work that needs to be done.
Izmir, Türkiye, is the site of my main character, Bridgette’s archaeology dig at Yeşilova Höyüğü. When I arrived in Izmir, I still could not recapture a flow in my writing. When this happens (writing for six years, it happens every six months or so), I pivot to do something else that is necessary for a while. Over the years, I have found that changing my focus to something else that needs to be done helps recharge my creativity and keeps my writing moving forward..
So, I decided to do some housekeeping. As I move through each day, when I get an idea or thought to investigate further, I write notes on anything handy. When I left Ireland, all those little post-it notes, napkins and papers seemed like lead weights in my backpack, which is my traveling office. So, I spent a week typing the miscellaneous notes into my computer, sorting as I went: these notes for Book three, these for Book 4, etc. I probably only got rid of half a kilo or a pound of paper. When I walked on the ferry to Samos, my backpack and my mind felt a lot lighter.
Good News Celtic Mythology Podcast!
I just found a YouTube channel where Anthony Murphy explains Celtic Mythology in an easy-to-understand manner. Over the last three years, I have purchased six books about Celtic Mythology and still feel as if I am just beginning to exploration it. I know Greek mythology pretty well, because of my Master's in Ancient Art History in 1974, but all I can say about Finn McCool is that he has a cool name.
I have started listening to Anthony’s podcasts (one a day) and feel that after a few months of them, I may start to understand the information well enough to be able to write about Celtic mythology with confidence. My brain needs to be able to make connections seamlessly to write with confidence that I am not making a major faux pas. Needless to say, I am thrilled.
I have started listening to Anthony’s podcasts (one a day) and feel that after a few months of them, I may start to understand the information well enough to be able to write about Celtic mythology with confidence. My brain needs to be able to make connections seamlessly to write with confidence that I am not making a major faux pas. Needless to say, I am thrilled.
Good morning, my Lovely Young Ladies! Bahar, Dafni, and Aelia
As you may or may not know, for the last six years, I have been writing seven books about a magical house that I placed on a small island in the Bay of Galway, in Ireland. This part of Ireland is on the opposite side of Europe from Samos, Greece and Izmir, Türkiye.
This story began with a dream on March 19, 2022. The dream was about a fine dining restaurant appearing in the basement of a house I was renting. At the end of the dream, the head waiter whispered, “Be careful what you imagine in this house, it may come to be.”
I was so intrigued by the concept and clarity of the dream that I wrote it down. Eventually, I started playing with the story. By January of the next year, I had written 7,000 words or 30 pages (I thought that was a lot.) When I read parts and pieces of the story to a friend, she encouraged me to develop it further.
Two weeks later, the COVID-19 lock down left me alone in my house in Vermont, but instead of wallowing in fear, I escaped into my writing. I needed a location for my magical house, and I chose Ireland because it is known for its magic. Think of faeries, elves, and shape-shifting seals who transform from human to seal when immersed in water.
I was looking for a small village that my main character, Bridgette, could walk around. It needed to have a grocery store, library, and people who spoke a foreign language because the magic would allow Bridgette to speak Irish before she realized that there was magic. I had already written about the locations and language differences.
Sitting in my dining room, I searched… western Ireland, village, grocery store and library. And up popped Inis Oirr. The Island of Inis Oirr is on the west coast of Ireland also known as the Wild Atlantic Way. Six years into my writing, it has given me so many inspirations, that sometimes I am breathless with awe.
Dafni and Aelia, yesterday was one of those events. I received another nugget just before we met on the stairs...
An Apology...
I have struggled in this last year and a half, actually longer... with spending my energy on writing my books or trying to keep my Blog entries up to date. Needless to say, I chose writing my books. Last year I doubled my output and wrote 90,000 words,(the equivalent of a book, but I spread the words over four different books in my timeline). This year, a cyclone storm inspired me to complete third of Book 5. This is why I came to Ireland, Greece, Turkiye, and England to bask in the history, Celtic mythology and magical inspiration.
Overall, I feel this has been a good choice for me to focus on my writing, while I slow travel in Europe.
I just met three lovely young women, who I am writing this blog too. I hope it will lead me to more frequent posts. Time will tell.
Bahar, Dafni and Aelia here is to you!
Overall, I feel this has been a good choice for me to focus on my writing, while I slow travel in Europe.
I just met three lovely young women, who I am writing this blog too. I hope it will lead me to more frequent posts. Time will tell.
Bahar, Dafni and Aelia here is to you!
May 12, 2022 - Book 2 A Whiff of Smoke
As part of my research for Book 2 – A Whiff of Smoke, I am reading Emigrants and Exiles by Kerby Miller for the motivations of emigrates and what Ireland was like before the famine. He goes into the economics, politics and conflicts inherent in Irish culture. This is a topic for another Blog.
Another storyline in my Book 2 is about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE (Common Era). After all, Bridgette is an archaeologist and would be interested in it. I read Pliny the Younger’s Letters about the eruption and I use these two letters to describe the eruption. But his descriptions stop on the second day. My Book 2 has my characters escaping from the eruption. So I am rereading the escape scenes from Freedom’s Landing by Anne McCaffery.
Another storyline in my Book 2 is about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE (Common Era). After all, Bridgette is an archaeologist and would be interested in it. I read Pliny the Younger’s Letters about the eruption and I use these two letters to describe the eruption. But his descriptions stop on the second day. My Book 2 has my characters escaping from the eruption. So I am rereading the escape scenes from Freedom’s Landing by Anne McCaffery.
May 11, 2022 - Changing Verbs to Reflect Characters Innate Nature.
So once I enfolded Irish mythology and culture into my characters, I went back and changed many of the verbs I used to reflect the true nature. With Bridgette I use water verbs, flow, meander, splashes. With Grace I use fire terminology. Flashing eyes, simmers, and percolates. Róisín I use air terminology she floats up, shimmers, or like a breath of fresh air. It was fun to change up the verbs, so that when I label each character with their true nature, the reader should not question it. It is already visible in my writing.
May 10, 2022 - So Sorry to Disappear...
.I apologize for being gone for a while... I have been working on major revisions on Book One... and writing Book Two. A Whiff of Smoke.
Book One... Learning to write as I edit – Causing Tension
Right now, I have been working on getting tension into my storyline. About six months ago, my editor told me that I didn't have enough tension in the beginning of my book. “We need to really care about our characters and what they are going through.” So, I have edited and edited again… trying to draw my readers into the story. With each version, I feel that I am getting closer.
I don’t want my book to be about conflict. These books are not about large battles but about life-changing story...about the adjustments we must make in life as the years pass.
Normally, when I read a book, I am so involved in the story, I don’t pay attention to the way the author structured the book to keep me involved. I need to explore this with the mind of an author and not a reader.
Back to the tension—for some reason, it is easier for me to see the tension in McCaffery’s book than in the Outlander series. When I mapped out both series I see that Outlander has many more characters with different concerns. No wonder she catches me up in the story.
Here is a map outline of Freedom’s Landing by Anne McCaffery…
Main concerns first chapters – Safety, food, water and shelter
Main Concerns second chapter – Critters in ground that eat people at night, mechanicals and fliers
Later chapters as the first concerns are met – Safety from the aliens who kidnapped us – Cattini
They have stun guns, stingers and all are powerful
Safety from the aliens who farm this planet
Safety from each other
Conflicts within the exiles – Use of stocks and not violence to quell disquiet
What will happen next?
Outlander's Complexity of Tension
As I reread Echo in the Bone by Gabaldon for the history of the Battles of Saratoga she drew me into the story. Even though I knew what was going to happen. I have read it a few times. I like how she engages me and I can't put the book down.
Spoiler Alter… Don’t read this is you are have not read the books. In examining how she hooks me in, I find that Gabaldon is much more subtle in how she builds her tension. This list may give some things away from Book 8.
The drum of history
Internment on Ocean
Drawn into Ft. Ticonderoga and along with escaping army
Jamie pointing out that cannon on Mt. Defiance can bomb the fort.
They escape at night, confusion and panic
Capture Claire and Jamie and Ian help her escape
Battles along the way sometimes experienced by William from British viewpoint
Jamie’s role as soldier and leader
Claire’s role as physician
Conflict innate in war, pestilence and the struggle for survival day to day
The relationship between Jamie and Claire
Suffering… apart, together, apart, together
And sex and meaningful conversation when together
Relationship with their family members
What will Ian do?
From earlier books, we learn more about his time with the Mohawk.
Can his violent nature be overcome to be with Rachel
When his family is threated, he will do what is needed to protect them
What will his family think about him
Rolo
What will William do?
Conflict over Rachel Hunter
Dr. Hunter’s conflict with Quaker religion and war surgeon
Will William find out who his biological father is?
What will Lord John do?
Why is he father to William?
Taking care of Claire leads to conflict with Jamie.
He lets Jamie do what is needed to spare Claire his anger
Taking care of Claire leads to conflict with his own army, Brother, King.
What will Marsali and Fergus do?
Their threat with the printing business
The children in the midst of a war
Marsali’s getting pregnant all the time
What does Bauxchamp want with Fergus?
What of Brianna and Roger and their kids
Bad people in 1980
Did Gemmy go back in time?
Roger and Buck go back in time will they
Will they ever get back
We know that Buck did not get back to his time
Wow, when I read over this list of conflicts I now understand how Gabaldon draws us in and keeps us engaged. She layers these concerns in such an integral way that we do not notice… except it is hard to put the book down.
This other thing that I find interesting is that very few of these tensions are about war or injury. They are about human relations. That really makes me feel better about putting conflict into my writing.
After examining these, I was able to make my rewrite more engaging. I hope...
Book One... Learning to write as I edit – Causing Tension
Right now, I have been working on getting tension into my storyline. About six months ago, my editor told me that I didn't have enough tension in the beginning of my book. “We need to really care about our characters and what they are going through.” So, I have edited and edited again… trying to draw my readers into the story. With each version, I feel that I am getting closer.
I don’t want my book to be about conflict. These books are not about large battles but about life-changing story...about the adjustments we must make in life as the years pass.
Normally, when I read a book, I am so involved in the story, I don’t pay attention to the way the author structured the book to keep me involved. I need to explore this with the mind of an author and not a reader.
Back to the tension—for some reason, it is easier for me to see the tension in McCaffery’s book than in the Outlander series. When I mapped out both series I see that Outlander has many more characters with different concerns. No wonder she catches me up in the story.
Here is a map outline of Freedom’s Landing by Anne McCaffery…
Main concerns first chapters – Safety, food, water and shelter
Main Concerns second chapter – Critters in ground that eat people at night, mechanicals and fliers
Later chapters as the first concerns are met – Safety from the aliens who kidnapped us – Cattini
They have stun guns, stingers and all are powerful
Safety from the aliens who farm this planet
Safety from each other
Conflicts within the exiles – Use of stocks and not violence to quell disquiet
What will happen next?
Outlander's Complexity of Tension
As I reread Echo in the Bone by Gabaldon for the history of the Battles of Saratoga she drew me into the story. Even though I knew what was going to happen. I have read it a few times. I like how she engages me and I can't put the book down.
Spoiler Alter… Don’t read this is you are have not read the books. In examining how she hooks me in, I find that Gabaldon is much more subtle in how she builds her tension. This list may give some things away from Book 8.
The drum of history
Internment on Ocean
Drawn into Ft. Ticonderoga and along with escaping army
Jamie pointing out that cannon on Mt. Defiance can bomb the fort.
They escape at night, confusion and panic
Capture Claire and Jamie and Ian help her escape
Battles along the way sometimes experienced by William from British viewpoint
Jamie’s role as soldier and leader
Claire’s role as physician
Conflict innate in war, pestilence and the struggle for survival day to day
The relationship between Jamie and Claire
Suffering… apart, together, apart, together
And sex and meaningful conversation when together
Relationship with their family members
What will Ian do?
From earlier books, we learn more about his time with the Mohawk.
Can his violent nature be overcome to be with Rachel
When his family is threated, he will do what is needed to protect them
What will his family think about him
Rolo
What will William do?
Conflict over Rachel Hunter
Dr. Hunter’s conflict with Quaker religion and war surgeon
Will William find out who his biological father is?
What will Lord John do?
Why is he father to William?
Taking care of Claire leads to conflict with Jamie.
He lets Jamie do what is needed to spare Claire his anger
Taking care of Claire leads to conflict with his own army, Brother, King.
What will Marsali and Fergus do?
Their threat with the printing business
The children in the midst of a war
Marsali’s getting pregnant all the time
What does Bauxchamp want with Fergus?
What of Brianna and Roger and their kids
Bad people in 1980
Did Gemmy go back in time?
Roger and Buck go back in time will they
Will they ever get back
We know that Buck did not get back to his time
Wow, when I read over this list of conflicts I now understand how Gabaldon draws us in and keeps us engaged. She layers these concerns in such an integral way that we do not notice… except it is hard to put the book down.
This other thing that I find interesting is that very few of these tensions are about war or injury. They are about human relations. That really makes me feel better about putting conflict into my writing.
After examining these, I was able to make my rewrite more engaging. I hope...
October 10, 2021 – Dreaming as a way to Travel in Time
I have always loved science fiction, especially time-travel books. My favorite series include: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, The Windrose Chronicles by Barbara Hambly and even Legend and Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. I also love history. I actually love researching history. I know… I am a geek.
But in this book, I love transforming the analytics of history by writing it as one would experience it. How would it feel, smell or taste… to be on a ship leaving everything you know to sail to Canada or the United States during the potato famine?
Because this series of books began with a dream, I think it is fun to have my heroine travel through time in her dreams… to experience history as it happens. The question is… is she actually there on the ship? Or is she safe in bed in Ireland?
October 7, 2021 – Learning to write – Folding in history to my story
So one of the most interesting things for me about writing Book 1, is that I had to teach myself how to write a novel. I have written quite a few scholarly articles and my dissertation, but this is my first foray into fiction.
I add historical information into my storyline in three ways. First, my heroin, Bridgette, reads a book and comments on it. Second, I fold it into the storyline through conversations between my characters. Or third, by having Bridgette dream about the information I have read.
I know it sounds strange, this is relatively easy for me because I enjoy reading history and figuring out how to bring it to life. The biggest problem I had was cutting superfluous historical information from my book. I don’t want to be lecturing.
Diane Gabaldon’s Echo in the Bone is a perfect example of this enlivening history through her characters. Let me backtrack to explain why I am rereading Book 8 for maybe the sixth time. Not that I am counting or anything.
n August, my cousin Charlie came to visit and I told him I wanted to see the American Revolutionary battlefield of Saratoga while he was here. As preparation, he sent me the history book Saratoga by Richard M. Ketchum.
I have lived in Vermont for three years and have seen Fort Ticonderoga and the Battlefield at Hubberton, but I hadn’t connected them with the battles of Saratoga.
I was only halfway through Saratoga, the book, when Charlie arrived. Our trip to Saratoga included attending the famous horse races, a late Mexican lunch (There are few Mexican Restaurants in Vermont)… Consequently, we arrived at the battlefield only an hour before closing. As we rushed around to see everything, I remembered some scenes from the Outlander book Echo in the Bone that were about the escape from Ft. Ticonderoga and the battles at Saratoga… and the death of Simon Fraser, a relative of our hero Jamie… But, I had read Echo in the Bone a while ago and didn’t remember everything.
After Charlie left, I finished reading the history book and realized that I live in the middle of the escape route from Ft. Ticonderoga. The Battle at Hubberton happened just ten miles away from my house. Castle Town, Rutland, Skenesbouorgh, Bennington and Saratoga have parts in the story and are within a hundred miles of me.
I even turn to get to Vermont at Whitehall, New York. During the Revolutionary War, it was called Skenesbouorgh. It was were the US Navy began in 1775 and ‘76. It was also where the boats filled with supplies, women and invalids were headed as they fled from Ft. Ticonderoga. The fact that battles at Saratoga were a continuation of that campaign in the summer and fall of 1777. How did I miss that they were all attached in one bloody campaign?
Once I finished Saratoga, I opened Echo in the Bone and saw how Gabaldon brought Ketchum’s information to life. She uses the facts of the history but brings it to life through her characters’ experiences, such as… their fright, thirst, hunger and fatigue. She always begins her scenes with the smells of a place. I love how this easily decants me into her imaginary,yet real world.
I add historical information into my storyline in three ways. First, my heroin, Bridgette, reads a book and comments on it. Second, I fold it into the storyline through conversations between my characters. Or third, by having Bridgette dream about the information I have read.
I know it sounds strange, this is relatively easy for me because I enjoy reading history and figuring out how to bring it to life. The biggest problem I had was cutting superfluous historical information from my book. I don’t want to be lecturing.
Diane Gabaldon’s Echo in the Bone is a perfect example of this enlivening history through her characters. Let me backtrack to explain why I am rereading Book 8 for maybe the sixth time. Not that I am counting or anything.
n August, my cousin Charlie came to visit and I told him I wanted to see the American Revolutionary battlefield of Saratoga while he was here. As preparation, he sent me the history book Saratoga by Richard M. Ketchum.
I have lived in Vermont for three years and have seen Fort Ticonderoga and the Battlefield at Hubberton, but I hadn’t connected them with the battles of Saratoga.
I was only halfway through Saratoga, the book, when Charlie arrived. Our trip to Saratoga included attending the famous horse races, a late Mexican lunch (There are few Mexican Restaurants in Vermont)… Consequently, we arrived at the battlefield only an hour before closing. As we rushed around to see everything, I remembered some scenes from the Outlander book Echo in the Bone that were about the escape from Ft. Ticonderoga and the battles at Saratoga… and the death of Simon Fraser, a relative of our hero Jamie… But, I had read Echo in the Bone a while ago and didn’t remember everything.
After Charlie left, I finished reading the history book and realized that I live in the middle of the escape route from Ft. Ticonderoga. The Battle at Hubberton happened just ten miles away from my house. Castle Town, Rutland, Skenesbouorgh, Bennington and Saratoga have parts in the story and are within a hundred miles of me.
I even turn to get to Vermont at Whitehall, New York. During the Revolutionary War, it was called Skenesbouorgh. It was were the US Navy began in 1775 and ‘76. It was also where the boats filled with supplies, women and invalids were headed as they fled from Ft. Ticonderoga. The fact that battles at Saratoga were a continuation of that campaign in the summer and fall of 1777. How did I miss that they were all attached in one bloody campaign?
Once I finished Saratoga, I opened Echo in the Bone and saw how Gabaldon brought Ketchum’s information to life. She uses the facts of the history but brings it to life through her characters’ experiences, such as… their fright, thirst, hunger and fatigue. She always begins her scenes with the smells of a place. I love how this easily decants me into her imaginary,yet real world.
September 20, 2021 – Multiple Names for Buildings on Inis Oírr
In my book... at the Grand Opening of Our Neighbors’ Garden, the following discussion happens about the many names of everything in Ireland:
After a while, I ask, “Why is the church ruin up the road called so many names Teampall Chaomháin, St. Kevin's, St. Cavan, St. Caomhan's, and the Seven Sisters?”
Róisín looks pleased, and Aisling warns, “Watch out, here comes the tour guide! She was a tour guide on the island for over twenty years. Did you know she speaks French and German?”
In her tour guide tone of voice, Róisín says, “Well, Teampall Chaomháin is Irish, St. Caomhan's is Anglicized, St. Cavan is the abbreviated Anglicized version of the same name. (which is more like how it is pronounced). Some people simplify it to St. Kevin or even St. Keevin, but I think St. Kevin was someone else altogether… he is famous on the mainland of Ireland, sort of like St. Patrick.” She savors another sip of tea. I encourage her by leaning forward in my chair.
“St. Chaomháin is the patron saint of fishermen here on Inis Oírr. He was born in Ireland in the sixth or eighth-century… history isn't sure of the date, but they buried him here. The building northeast of the church ruin covers his grave.” She takes a bite of scone, “My goodness Brighid (Róisín calls Bridgette the older name Brighid) these are light and airy. Good job for your first time making them.”
Back to the real world…
When editing my book, Cormac Coyne asked me if I confused Teampall Chaomháin (pronounced Keevaun) with the Church of the Seven Daughters? No…I had not even heard of the Church of the Seven Daughters. Cormac sent me a photograph of the gravemarkers, which is all that is left of that church.
I found the Church of the Seven Sisters on Google Maps. Just to let you know, I did not make this up. The Google Map site calls Teampall Chaomháin the Church of the Seven Sisters. The idea of seven women forms the main framework of my book and the series I am writing. The books are based on seven friends, sooo.. Even though, Teampall Chaomháin may not be called the Church of the Seven Sisters on Inis Oírr. It is in my book.
I now think that the grave markers of the Seven Daughters is just over the hill from Teampall Chaomháin and that is what the map labels the Seven Sisters. I will find out when I visit the island.
After a while, I ask, “Why is the church ruin up the road called so many names Teampall Chaomháin, St. Kevin's, St. Cavan, St. Caomhan's, and the Seven Sisters?”
Róisín looks pleased, and Aisling warns, “Watch out, here comes the tour guide! She was a tour guide on the island for over twenty years. Did you know she speaks French and German?”
In her tour guide tone of voice, Róisín says, “Well, Teampall Chaomháin is Irish, St. Caomhan's is Anglicized, St. Cavan is the abbreviated Anglicized version of the same name. (which is more like how it is pronounced). Some people simplify it to St. Kevin or even St. Keevin, but I think St. Kevin was someone else altogether… he is famous on the mainland of Ireland, sort of like St. Patrick.” She savors another sip of tea. I encourage her by leaning forward in my chair.
“St. Chaomháin is the patron saint of fishermen here on Inis Oírr. He was born in Ireland in the sixth or eighth-century… history isn't sure of the date, but they buried him here. The building northeast of the church ruin covers his grave.” She takes a bite of scone, “My goodness Brighid (Róisín calls Bridgette the older name Brighid) these are light and airy. Good job for your first time making them.”
Back to the real world…
When editing my book, Cormac Coyne asked me if I confused Teampall Chaomháin (pronounced Keevaun) with the Church of the Seven Daughters? No…I had not even heard of the Church of the Seven Daughters. Cormac sent me a photograph of the gravemarkers, which is all that is left of that church.
I found the Church of the Seven Sisters on Google Maps. Just to let you know, I did not make this up. The Google Map site calls Teampall Chaomháin the Church of the Seven Sisters. The idea of seven women forms the main framework of my book and the series I am writing. The books are based on seven friends, sooo.. Even though, Teampall Chaomháin may not be called the Church of the Seven Sisters on Inis Oírr. It is in my book.
I now think that the grave markers of the Seven Daughters is just over the hill from Teampall Chaomháin and that is what the map labels the Seven Sisters. I will find out when I visit the island.
September 18, 2021 – Working from Maps and Websites
Confession #2. I have never been to Inis Oírr, but I have been to the Cliffs of Moher.
I am working from online websites from Inis Oírr and photographs, especially ones by Cormac Coyne. He and I have never met, but when I saw his beautiful photographs… I contacted him and we are now online buddies.
Through his photographs, I captured small details of life on Inis Oírr. For example, initially, I had no cars on the island, like Mackinaw Island in Michigan. But I saw vehicles in his photographs and had to give that idea up. Also, I realized that the lights of Galway would be visible at night from Inis Oírr.
Working from maps, and photographs especially when there are multiple names for sites, can be confusing. For example, I confused An Tur Faire (the Napoleonic Watch Tower) with Caislean Ui Bhriain (O’Brien’s Castle, sometimes also called O’Brien’s Tower).
I was on my eighth revision when I finally realized they were two separate places. Once I figured that out, I now consistently call Caislean Ui Bhriain, O’Brien’s Castle because it is more than a tower and I do not want to confuse my readers.
I am working from online websites from Inis Oírr and photographs, especially ones by Cormac Coyne. He and I have never met, but when I saw his beautiful photographs… I contacted him and we are now online buddies.
Through his photographs, I captured small details of life on Inis Oírr. For example, initially, I had no cars on the island, like Mackinaw Island in Michigan. But I saw vehicles in his photographs and had to give that idea up. Also, I realized that the lights of Galway would be visible at night from Inis Oírr.
Working from maps, and photographs especially when there are multiple names for sites, can be confusing. For example, I confused An Tur Faire (the Napoleonic Watch Tower) with Caislean Ui Bhriain (O’Brien’s Castle, sometimes also called O’Brien’s Tower).
I was on my eighth revision when I finally realized they were two separate places. Once I figured that out, I now consistently call Caislean Ui Bhriain, O’Brien’s Castle because it is more than a tower and I do not want to confuse my readers.
September 16, 2021 – Magical Creatures
Faeries… No leprechauns, please.
While my book is about a magical house on Inis Oírr, I did not want to include all the magical creatures of Ireland. Somehow, I think the story is more believable… without leprechauns. Well, maybe it is… I just don’t like the teasing nature of leprechauns. They seem to always be stirring up people with their tricks. I don’t really like that trait in humans and really dislike it in Leprechauns.
So, this is my story and my excuse for leaving them out. There may be other magical creatures appearing in A Whiff of Smoke, Book Two. Who knows… well, actually, I do, but I am not spilling the beans, yet.
While my book is about a magical house on Inis Oírr, I did not want to include all the magical creatures of Ireland. Somehow, I think the story is more believable… without leprechauns. Well, maybe it is… I just don’t like the teasing nature of leprechauns. They seem to always be stirring up people with their tricks. I don’t really like that trait in humans and really dislike it in Leprechauns.
So, this is my story and my excuse for leaving them out. There may be other magical creatures appearing in A Whiff of Smoke, Book Two. Who knows… well, actually, I do, but I am not spilling the beans, yet.
My Blog about the Process of Writing a Complex Novel
An Unintended Haven: A Modern Celtic Tale is:
A fantasy book of magical realism grounded in mythological Ireland.
Bridgette time-travels in her dreams, which are grounded in historical research.
The grand opening of the magical Our Neighbors' Garden Restaurant that serves re-imagined Irish cuisine.
There are Beltane ceremonies, the Full-Moon Art Festival and St.Chaomháin's Vigil.
Bridgette's island life includes gardening, soaring, sailing and wine making.
The story examines the relationship of extreme commitment to achieving and letting go of perfection to find contentment.
And it is about the relationship between seven women that enable each to find the best in themselves.
A fantasy book of magical realism grounded in mythological Ireland.
Bridgette time-travels in her dreams, which are grounded in historical research.
The grand opening of the magical Our Neighbors' Garden Restaurant that serves re-imagined Irish cuisine.
There are Beltane ceremonies, the Full-Moon Art Festival and St.Chaomháin's Vigil.
Bridgette's island life includes gardening, soaring, sailing and wine making.
The story examines the relationship of extreme commitment to achieving and letting go of perfection to find contentment.
And it is about the relationship between seven women that enable each to find the best in themselves.
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Plassey Ship Wreck Photos by Cormac Coyne Inis Oírr's O'Brien's Castle
September 14, 2021 – Disclosure, I am almost half Celtic
When I began writing this book, I thought I was half English, a quarter Irish and a quarter German.
While writing Book 1, An Unintended Haven, I took a DNA test to write with authority about the experience. Surprise, I actually am 45% Celtic. That is 16% Irish from Munster, 26% Scot and 3% Welsh. I am 48% English and Northwest European, plus 2% Germanic and 5% Norse. Oh, those sneaky Norse marauders left their seeds in all of the above locations. The power of the gene counts.
On Ancestry.com family tree website, I found my English maternal grandfather was a quarter Welsh. My English paternal grandfather was half Irish. Who knew? Now, my Grandfather Corson’s toasts make sense. “Here’s to you Fuzzy Wuzzy, with your fuzzy head of hair. You’re a bold benighted heathen, but you broke the British Square.” That toast is definitely anti-British, which I thought strange... until now.
In addition, for ten years in the 1980s, my mother-in-law had researched her family back to the 1690s in Denmark and 1632 in England. In the 1990s, I traveled with my in-laws to unearth their ‘dead relatives’ in Denmark, England, Scotland and Ireland.
So anyway, when I traveled in England, our hosts at Bed & Breakfasts would look at me askance when I quipped about something inane. But when I did the same thing in Ireland, our hostess quipped right back… “Baby, I am home.” I was happy to discover that my sense of humor is Irish.
I hope my mother-in-law looks down on me with delight that I finally am researching my family tree.
While writing Book 1, An Unintended Haven, I took a DNA test to write with authority about the experience. Surprise, I actually am 45% Celtic. That is 16% Irish from Munster, 26% Scot and 3% Welsh. I am 48% English and Northwest European, plus 2% Germanic and 5% Norse. Oh, those sneaky Norse marauders left their seeds in all of the above locations. The power of the gene counts.
On Ancestry.com family tree website, I found my English maternal grandfather was a quarter Welsh. My English paternal grandfather was half Irish. Who knew? Now, my Grandfather Corson’s toasts make sense. “Here’s to you Fuzzy Wuzzy, with your fuzzy head of hair. You’re a bold benighted heathen, but you broke the British Square.” That toast is definitely anti-British, which I thought strange... until now.
In addition, for ten years in the 1980s, my mother-in-law had researched her family back to the 1690s in Denmark and 1632 in England. In the 1990s, I traveled with my in-laws to unearth their ‘dead relatives’ in Denmark, England, Scotland and Ireland.
So anyway, when I traveled in England, our hosts at Bed & Breakfasts would look at me askance when I quipped about something inane. But when I did the same thing in Ireland, our hostess quipped right back… “Baby, I am home.” I was happy to discover that my sense of humor is Irish.
I hope my mother-in-law looks down on me with delight that I finally am researching my family tree.
September 12, 2021 – The Church of the Seven Sisters
Update as of May 12, 2022... I was confused about Tempall Chaomhain and the Seven Sisters being the same. Seven Sisters is actually called the Graves of the Seven Daughters. It is located on the lane to the lighthouse.
Tempall Chaomhain has four different names and is by the airport.
When I examined the online map, the Church of St. Chaomháin’s was called the Church of the Seven Sisters. I extrapolated this name into an essential aspect of my story, seven women finding strength in their shared relationships.
Eventually, I transformed the idea of seven women to represent Irish mythological traits.
When I examined Irish mythology, I found the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. In addition, I asked myself, “What makes Ireland, Ireland?” I realized that the Irish are known for their music, literature and art.
This gave me seven traits which I applied to seven women who became ‘sisters’ of Bridgette’s heart.
As the story progressed, balance became an important theme; consequently, I re-imagined seven male characters to morph into having similar characteristics. They all come together for the denouement.
Tempall Chaomhain has four different names and is by the airport.
When I examined the online map, the Church of St. Chaomháin’s was called the Church of the Seven Sisters. I extrapolated this name into an essential aspect of my story, seven women finding strength in their shared relationships.
Eventually, I transformed the idea of seven women to represent Irish mythological traits.
When I examined Irish mythology, I found the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. In addition, I asked myself, “What makes Ireland, Ireland?” I realized that the Irish are known for their music, literature and art.
This gave me seven traits which I applied to seven women who became ‘sisters’ of Bridgette’s heart.
As the story progressed, balance became an important theme; consequently, I re-imagined seven male characters to morph into having similar characteristics. They all come together for the denouement.
September 7, 2021 – Chants and Songs
I confess that the ceremonies, chants, songs, and poetry are of my construction. Each time I wrote one, I would read Irish songs and chants. When I sat down to write the words just flowed out of me. I hope that my attempts at writing Irish poetry have not offended anyone. I do not consider myself a poet, but I could not get permissions to use actual Irish chants and songs; therefore my invention.
For the vigil of St. Chaomháin, I examined other vigils. Then wrote. Once I had edited the text to an inch of its life… I asked a local priest to review my work to make sure I had captured the essence of a Catholic vigil. I was relieved when he approved my writing.
The only thing he did not know what 'turas' were. It is an Irish ceremony of walking 'pilgrimage' or 'rounds' a sacred site as a form of blessing.
For the vigil of St. Chaomháin, I examined other vigils. Then wrote. Once I had edited the text to an inch of its life… I asked a local priest to review my work to make sure I had captured the essence of a Catholic vigil. I was relieved when he approved my writing.
The only thing he did not know what 'turas' were. It is an Irish ceremony of walking 'pilgrimage' or 'rounds' a sacred site as a form of blessing.
September 6, 2021 – My Calendar Concerns
My book is done in a blog format, with dates for every day’s events. In the beginning, I invented dates, putting Beltane on Saturday, May 1. I needed to leave time for the restaurant to appear with a couple of days of preparation... before the Grand Opening parties on the following weekend.
Once the book took shape, I wanted to ground the dates in a year. Finally, in desperation, I searched on my cell phone… low and behold, Sunday, May 1, was in 2022. This was a pivotal moment because I did not want the book to be about COVID-19, but it was an enormous elephant in the room because I was writing while being quarantined. By moving the year to 2022, it allowed me to put the pandemic in the past. So I could address it tangentially rather than it being the focus of the story. I hoped that by April 2022 that a vaccine has been invented, tested, and disseminated so that Bridgette could take her celebratory tour of Ireland.
Then my editor, Cherri Randall, suggested that I remove the COVID-19 reference because it dates the book. In addition, I was concerned that readers will be tired of COVID-19 by the time the book is published and will not want to be reminded of it. So I changed Bridgette’s illness to nontubular mycobacteria that comes from the soil. Which, of course, relates to her being an archaeologist. People with this infection have coughed so hard they have broken ribs and it takes a year of a cocktail of antibiotics to recover from the infection.
Although I think that people with this infection can work... I had Bridgette stay home while she was treated for it, I needed her to be separated from her career to add tension.
Once the book took shape, I wanted to ground the dates in a year. Finally, in desperation, I searched on my cell phone… low and behold, Sunday, May 1, was in 2022. This was a pivotal moment because I did not want the book to be about COVID-19, but it was an enormous elephant in the room because I was writing while being quarantined. By moving the year to 2022, it allowed me to put the pandemic in the past. So I could address it tangentially rather than it being the focus of the story. I hoped that by April 2022 that a vaccine has been invented, tested, and disseminated so that Bridgette could take her celebratory tour of Ireland.
Then my editor, Cherri Randall, suggested that I remove the COVID-19 reference because it dates the book. In addition, I was concerned that readers will be tired of COVID-19 by the time the book is published and will not want to be reminded of it. So I changed Bridgette’s illness to nontubular mycobacteria that comes from the soil. Which, of course, relates to her being an archaeologist. People with this infection have coughed so hard they have broken ribs and it takes a year of a cocktail of antibiotics to recover from the infection.
Although I think that people with this infection can work... I had Bridgette stay home while she was treated for it, I needed her to be separated from her career to add tension.
September 5, 2021 – Process of Writing the Historical Part of Fiction
I knew that I wanted Bridgette to time travel through her dreams and wanted these dreams to be based on reality. I ordered the books Paddy’s Lament by Thomas Gallagher and Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett about the famine and immigration. My schedule was writing in the morning and reading in the afternoon. The information just naturally folded into the story. These facts ground my fantasy into the actual flow of history. After all, Bridgette is an archaeologist.
I take full responsibility for any errors in the facts… that are not flat-out lies. (Someone at Writer’s Digest said in fictions write two truths and a lie.)
I take full responsibility for any errors in the facts… that are not flat-out lies. (Someone at Writer’s Digest said in fictions write two truths and a lie.)
September 4, 2021 – How my Story Began
So on March 22, 2019, I had an intriguing dream. It was about a restaurant appearing in a house that I was renting somewhere in Europe. The dream was so clear and exciting, the next morning, I wrote, "As I was crawling into bed, I said aloud, “I wish there was a restaurant nearer. I am too tired to go out.” In the morning, near dawn, I come downstairs and there is an extra staircase into what was a non-existent basement. As I creep down the new stairs, and peak around the corner, I see a sparkling glare. As I move into the space a sea of white linen and glistening silver, china and glassware is set aglow by the rising sun streaming in windows. It seems that I have a fine dining restaurant in my walkout basement. The Maitre d' leans in to tell me to be careful of what I think... It may come to be."
The dream stuck with me… within six months, I had written about 4,500 words. That is about fifteen pages, and that seemed like a lot for someone who has only written professional scholarly papers since I finished my dissertation for my Ph.D. in 2008. My dissertation was agony to write. I researched for two years, wrote for one, and then edited it for two more years. So the thought of writing a book was not in my purview.
But I persisted writing, and in October, I read part of it to friends… and they were not overly impressed. I think I had too many lists of things in the house.
I continued with my writing by deleting many lists. I only for a couple of hours a week. I decided to put the house in Ireland mainly because Nora Roberts had established “the magic of Ireland” in many of her romance trilogies. I looked in western Ireland for a small town with a grocery store and library. The only village I could find on my phone was Inisheer or Inis Oírr in the Irish language.
One of the many bonuses of Inis Oírr was... I had already written my heroine could not understand the language, so while much of Ireland speaks English, Inis Oírr prides itself with still using the old tongue. They actually have students from all over the world studying the Irish language come for the summer to improve their speaking skills.
Another bonus of Inis Oírr is it has a font of intriguing locations, from 1500 BCE Neolithic cist, to two ruined churches and a ruined castle brooding over the village. I was off and flying. By Christmas, I had written 7000 words.
In January, I went to Florida to see friends. I read Phyllis my description of the magic house and she was intrigued. We spent the next three days brainstorming. By that time, I had read her most of what I had written to her and we came up with An Unintended Haven: A Modern Celtic Tale as the book’s title. We changed my heroine’s name to Bridgette O’Brien. Later, I discovered that Brien Boru was the first king of all Ireland, and many buildings carry the O’Brien name, including the castle ruin at the top of Inis Oírr. This opened a whole new line of research about the O’Brien clan.
And then COVID-19 hit in real life and I was sequestered alone in my house in Vermont. Rather than fretting about what I could not do… I escaped by researching Inis Oírr every day and playing in my imagination with my imaginary friends.
As I was writing, I bought books about how to write and I joined the Writer’s Digest and learned more about how to write novels. Someone on that website suggested in fiction the writer can use two truths and a lie. Oh, my goodness, that opened a whole new way of thinking about my book.
My dream began this book and in that process, I became a fiction writer. Who knew?
The dream stuck with me… within six months, I had written about 4,500 words. That is about fifteen pages, and that seemed like a lot for someone who has only written professional scholarly papers since I finished my dissertation for my Ph.D. in 2008. My dissertation was agony to write. I researched for two years, wrote for one, and then edited it for two more years. So the thought of writing a book was not in my purview.
But I persisted writing, and in October, I read part of it to friends… and they were not overly impressed. I think I had too many lists of things in the house.
I continued with my writing by deleting many lists. I only for a couple of hours a week. I decided to put the house in Ireland mainly because Nora Roberts had established “the magic of Ireland” in many of her romance trilogies. I looked in western Ireland for a small town with a grocery store and library. The only village I could find on my phone was Inisheer or Inis Oírr in the Irish language.
One of the many bonuses of Inis Oírr was... I had already written my heroine could not understand the language, so while much of Ireland speaks English, Inis Oírr prides itself with still using the old tongue. They actually have students from all over the world studying the Irish language come for the summer to improve their speaking skills.
Another bonus of Inis Oírr is it has a font of intriguing locations, from 1500 BCE Neolithic cist, to two ruined churches and a ruined castle brooding over the village. I was off and flying. By Christmas, I had written 7000 words.
In January, I went to Florida to see friends. I read Phyllis my description of the magic house and she was intrigued. We spent the next three days brainstorming. By that time, I had read her most of what I had written to her and we came up with An Unintended Haven: A Modern Celtic Tale as the book’s title. We changed my heroine’s name to Bridgette O’Brien. Later, I discovered that Brien Boru was the first king of all Ireland, and many buildings carry the O’Brien name, including the castle ruin at the top of Inis Oírr. This opened a whole new line of research about the O’Brien clan.
And then COVID-19 hit in real life and I was sequestered alone in my house in Vermont. Rather than fretting about what I could not do… I escaped by researching Inis Oírr every day and playing in my imagination with my imaginary friends.
As I was writing, I bought books about how to write and I joined the Writer’s Digest and learned more about how to write novels. Someone on that website suggested in fiction the writer can use two truths and a lie. Oh, my goodness, that opened a whole new way of thinking about my book.
My dream began this book and in that process, I became a fiction writer. Who knew?