Doubting Abbey

Swapping downstairs for upstairs… How hard can it be!?


Look up the phrase ordinary girl and you’ll see a picture of me, Gemma Goodwin – I only look half-decent after applying the entire contents of my make-up bag, and my dating track-record includes a man who treated me to dinner…at a kebab shop. No joke! 


The only extraordinary thing about me is that I look EXACTLY like my BFF, Abbey Croxley. Oh, and that for reasons I can’t explain, I’ve agreed to swap identities and pretend be her to star in the TV show about her aristocratic family’s country estate, Million Dollar Mansion. 


So now it’s not just my tan I’m faking – it’s Kate Middleton style demure hemlines and lady-like manners too. And amongst the hundreds of fusty etiquette rules I’m trying to cram into my head, there are two I really must remember: 
1) No-one can ever find out that I’m just Gemma, who’d be more at home in the servants' quarters. 
2) There can be absolutely no flirting with Abbey’s dishy but buttoned-up cousin, Lord Edward.


Aaargh, this is going to be harder than I thought…

1. Thanks for stopping by, Sam. What is it about Downton Abbey that appeals to you so much?

Period dramas fascinate me since, socially, times have changed so much. I like seeing how characters cope with what life throws at them, within the emotional and social restraints of their day. The plots are also gripping (most recently the fall-out from the attack on Anna) and Fellowes has created characters that we care about, from out-of-place Branson and kind-hearted Mrs Hughes, to the sharp-tongued Dowager Countess and butler Carson. Plus there have been some real villains, vile valet Green being the latest.

I read an article recently which suggested Americans loved Downton because the series was rather like glamorous Dynasty – a show I also loved! – and certainly the sumptuous costumes and grand setting are a great background to the dramatic storylines.

2. Do you think the public's attitude towards 'reality TV' has changed since the very first series of Big Brother?

Fly-on-the-wall reality series have always been around, for example Seven Up, but yes, I do think our attitude to reality shows has changed. To a degree, we have been given the power of some Caesar, with the ability to turn our thumbs up or down.

However, I am a big fan and the vast array of these shows now available. Perhaps they appeal to me as a writer, as I enjoy the peek into the human psyche. Plus, on a practical level, some enable contestants to learn a new skill or – in the case of Million Dollar Mansion featured in Doubting Abbey – offer people the potential to win enough money to make a real difference to their lives.

The reality genre will always be one of my favourites, so long as it doesn’t detract from the money and time given to making dramas and comedy shows with real actors. 

3. How did Doubting Abbey come about, and did you start with the plot or the characters?

I asked myself how a modern gal would cope, being thrust into a stuffy, old-fashioned aristocratic home – so I came up with the idea of pizza waitress Gemma having to pass herself off as her posh friend Abbey, for two weeks. So really, the plot came first – closely followed by the title. Before beginning I needed to do a lot of research into stately homes and visited the lovely Lyme Park near me in Cheshire. This building isn’t from exactly the same era, but the interior gave me ideas for how to furnish my fictional Applebridge Hall. I also needed to check my facts on aristocratic titles and find out how one would address an earl, his wife and their son.

4. Do you have a different approach to writing dramatic scenes and comedic scenes?

Adding in emotion is very important for the dramatic scenes and something I have really worked hard on. An editor from the short story world told me this was one of my weaknesses, so during the last year or so I have really tried to up my game – after all, it is getting the reader emotionally involved which is going to make them care for your characters, like in Downton Abbey where, for example, we really feel Daisy’s pain at her unrequited love.

As for comedic scenes, I really let myself go. In Doubting Abbey there is farce which has to be carefully written so that it doesn’t come over as unrealistic – Gemma is an impulsive, wacky character and I found it difficult to reign in my sense of humour! Fellowes does it so beautifully with the Dowager Countess’ and Carson’s one-liners and po faces!

 

5. Would you consider yourself a genre author?

I consider myself a romance writer, albeit of romantic comedies. But I also write short stories and having sold over 80 now to women’s magazines, was recently thrilled that Alfie Dog Fiction brought out a collection of my feel-good stories called Sweet Talk.

I love everything paranormal, though, and might one day shift into that sector of the romance genre!

6. How did you find your agent / publisher?

My journey to finding an agent and publisher has been a rocky one – I started writing in 2005 and finally bagged an agent in 2011, with several manuscripts, by then, under the bed. However, I feel this is a rite of passage for many authors, and if you can survive those years it stands you in good stead for dealing with the challenges of published life. Writing and selling short stories during the last couple of years has really helped boost my (what had become a rather weather-beaten) writerly ego and I wish I’d started writing and sending those out years ago.

But yes, it has been very sweet fulfilling my ambitions of first getting an agent and then a novel deal. If I can do it anyone can – determination is important. I have Samuel Beckett’s quote stuck up on my wall:

“Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

7. What's your next writing project?

I am contemplating a sequel to Doubting Abbey which is very exciting for me! Watch this space!   

8. Where can we purchase your book and where can we find more about your writing? 

Buy it here!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor

Website: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

         Novel: http://doubtingabbey.blogspot.co.uk/

The Gripes of Wrath

Going with the flow can be a bumpy ride. And a soggy one.

Hello there,

I thought it was time for a new post. And this time, the post is mainly made up of gripes I have heard in conversation with other writers.

Are you sitting uncomfortably?

Here we go then, in no particular order (well, other than the one I've arranged them in), and with my helpful commentary in blue.

1. Hardly anyone ever visits my website / blog / poetry shrine, or if they do they never leave a comment. (Whereas...)

2. They (insert famous person here) never Liked me back or followed me on Twitter. (Because that could make all the difference.)

3. I really thought this agent / editor was the one. (The previous ones were just trial runs.)

4. Writing is so damned hard sometimes. (Yeah, why isn't it easy like all the other creative arts - sculpture, painting, textiles, drama, ceramics and music?)

5. I'm skint. I really expected to be making proper money from this by now. (And your accountant and creditors did too.)

6. It's all right for 'x' because they have 'y'. (Ah, that wondrous equation known as 'if only'.)

7. Of course, if I lived in London, this would all be different. (Yes, you'd have an underground rail network at your disposal, for one thing.)

8. A full edit? Really? Again? (You mean the 'three draft rule' doesn't still apply?) 

9. No, I don't want to attend a bloody masterclass where desperation hangs in the air like days' old cabbage. (That's not desperation, that's ambition with a hint of bitterness.)

10. Hey, if we all promote one another, we can all be hugely successful - it worked for Tracey Emin. (Well, maybe with a little help from Charles Saatchi.)

11. Talent will out. (Tell that to Vincent Van Gogh - if you have a time machine handy.)

12. I just don't know what publishers are looking for. (Probably books that will sell in sufficient quantities to make the project financially viable.)

13. How many bloody books does it take? (Answer: as many as it takes to get the contract.)

If there is a lesson to be had here, other than sarcasm being a lifestyle choice, it is this:

THERE IS NO MAP. 

That's right, contrary to popular belief (hope), it's a blank page and all the better for it. 

You may get lucky with your very first novel - I'm fortunate to know people who have achieved contracts and published books with theirs. You might make oodles of money - that too is possible. However, I can tell you empirically and emphatically that if you don't put pen to paper, all you'll have to show for it is a blank page. And believe me, that is a hard sell.

Now, in the interests of promotion, can I interest you in my own blog and in a nifty online writing project themed around the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Derek

Ask yourself this

I was reading The Guardian recently and wondering why the Review section doesn't have a column for aspiring writers. Actually, that's a bit of a fib. I know why because I proposed such a piece and they politely declined, saying they prefer to commission in-house or to work with people they already have a relationship with.

However, my point still stands. Where - blogs aside - are the advice columns from aspiring writers? The ones who don't say 'this is what worked for me and here's the proof', but do say 'this never worked for me at all' or even 'this seems to be working for me although you won't find my books on the shelves yet'?

Despite the well-worn advice to be original, I suspect most writers are looking for a route into publication that has been at least tiptoed through by somebody else. And yet, ironically, each of us is nothing like anybody else. Which is why I thought I'd use this post to do the kind of interview I'd like to see in a writing magazine.

These are the rules:

a) No links.

b) No plugs.

c) Ask yourself and answer the questions you think other people (especially other writers) might want to know about you.

d) Be honest.

Here we go then...

1. What sort of writer are you?

I ask myself that everyday. My standard response is that I write fiction, non-fiction and comedy. But the truth is that I don't know what sort of writer I am. I write for fun / personal fulfilment, I write for cash and I wrote for ambition. Strangely - or luckily - for me, these competing masters rarely conflict. It's as if the respective muses have organised a timetable. So, short answer: I haven't figured that one out yet.

2. Will you ever self-publish a novel again?

Previously, I'd have said no, as it was a labour of love and relied on some expert help from friends. However, lately I've been thinking about why I started writing in the first place and that was for two reasons: to work through the story myself and to have my work read. It's only time, money and my expectations of what conventional publication will do for my work that keep me rooting for the traditional model. Plus I'd love to do a book signing.

3. You're working on your fifth novel - does it get easier?

Yes, because I think you recognise the process and you learn to trust yourself and the muse more. The story evolves and sometimes it goes places you hadn't envisaged. That can be scary and frustrating, but I think it's preferable to having a contrived tale that only meets your requirements. I can't speak for other writers but I definitely do not write only for myself. 

4. What does success look like to you?

Five novels, five ISBNs and a five-figure sum. Also, the experience of collaboration on projects that take me into unfamiliar territory - plays, TV and more radio. I'm both fascinated and envious by the way some writers and performers end up in interesting places because they move in circles where those opportunities are possible. They get to extend their boundaries and develop more of their potential. Writing, as we know, is a solitary business much of the time, so having the right people around you can create unexpected adventures.

5. If money wasn't an issue, would you still write fiction, non-fiction and comedy?

Yes, with changes. I'd pick the freelance work carefully, I'd concentrate on the novels and I'd develop my own comedy projects (and complete others I started way back). I'd also love to do more gratis work to give other people a leg up.

6. How many book rejections have you had overall?

In excess of 100, spread across three novels and four humour books. And yes, that has stung a little over the course of the years. On the plus side, I saved on a roll or two of wallpaper in the downstairs loo. (And loo roll too.)

7. Social media - Holy Grail or crock of crap?

Holy crap. I think my mindset has changed around social media and for me it's more a means of connecting with writers and readers than a PR or sales portal. Apart from blogging and tweeting, I wouldn't miss the rest.

8. What advice would you give to your younger writer self?

Be courageous. Take chances. And, most importantly, live fully so that your writing has maturity and depth. Also, while I have his ear, learn quickly and move on. Don't get stuck in fixed ideas about writing, people or even yourself. Make life an adventure sooner and stop waiting for something interesting to happen. (Although, frankly, that did result in an interesting book.)

9. Any regrets as a writer?

Well, apart from whatever you can pick from the bones of my previous answers, there's the toll it takes on the other areas of your life.

Plus, I'd heard of golf widows before, but I didn't know about writing widows.

Writing is part of living, and not the other way around.

Genuinely, I regret not being able to help other writers more and vice versa. I think we either gravitate to other writers at our level or those are just the people we encounter. Sometimes it can seem like a wonderfully supportive club of fellow creatives; sometimes it feels like a buzzy competitive space; and some days it just feels like we're rats trapped in a bucket, trying to bite the hands of passing agents and editors as they waft overhead, out of reach.

Mostly I regret not getting more of an education - and by that I don't just mean qualifications. I'm talking about a greater awareness of culture and having greater creative aspirations and ambitions from a younger age. Fundamentally, I think, it's a class thing.

10.  Do you actually enjoy being a writer because it doesn't always sound like it?

Absolutely. I enjoy all of it in a way - even the despondency of rejection, the agonies of editing (and then re-editing) and the confrontational challenge of the blank page. We are fortunate to live in a place and a time when we can express our ideas so freely and quickly, and reach some kind of audience within minutes. We take that for granted, but it's a privilege many others don’t have.

Okay, I'm done. So, I have two gauntlets to cast down for you:

Firstly, to my fellow Strictly Writers, to interview themselves in a similar fashion.

Secondly, to our readers. I'll answer any writing-related question about my writing practice, my experience of the world of publishing (mostly from the outside!), or about the wonderful world of freelancing.

Don't be shy now.

Howdy Amigos!

Howdy amigos! Happens that you’ve caught me in a dreadful happy mood. You see, those good folks at Alfie Dog Fiction published my first short story collection, ‘Sweet Talk’ on 24^th September. Finally, after years of grafting, little old me will have a real book signing – ain’t that just as exciting as any old rodeo? ‘Sweet Talk’ is a collection of 21 feel-good stories, guaranteed to leave you feeling as happy as a mustang off its reins. There’s young and mature romance, sibling rivalry, humour and plenty of tales starring pesky animals like cats, stick insects and birds.  That’s why I love writing short stories – I can experiment with any subject matter or genre.

Hence the Old West American tone of this piece. Recently, I woke up with the voice of – now whadda us modern folks call it? – a cowboy in my head. So, goddamn it, I created two characters, Connie and Elijah Boswell. Dreadful in love they were, during the gold rush of 1849. That lady was as fine as cream gravy. Their wicked neighbour Nathaniel was one to watch – a regular wolf, after gambling and whiskey. But good old Elijah, in his broad-rimmed hat, kept that particular outlaw in check. In fact, Nathaniel could have easily ended up in the bone orchard, thanks to Elijah’s rifle.

Hell, yeah, more fun than a hog in mud, I had, writing that story, set near Sacramento River. And fair dumbfounded I was, when The People’s Friend bought it.

So, listen up, y’all - what I’m saying is: go for it. Have fun. Let yourself loose. One story from ‘Sweet Talk’ is set just after the Second World War. Hell, I ain’t never written nothing earlier than the eighties, prior to that. But thanks to some fancy information I found about soldiers and rationing coupons, it all fell into place – same with two stories all about Irish luck and a Scottish poet. I just slapped on my research hat.

I’ve wrote stories about kids, men and women, sexy santas, divorced parents and awkward bosses… Don’t limit yourself. Vary settings, eras, characters and themes. Draw on your own life and that of others.

Most importantly, write from that there heart. Makes me sound as sweet as my ma’s plum pudding to say that, don’t it? But I speak the truth.

So, get a wiggle on and have a go. Best of luck folks! And if you know someone who’d just love a collection of warm, heartfelt stories to dip into, why not order them a copy of ‘Sweet Talk’?

Samantha Tonge has sold almost 80 stories to women’s magazines and her work appears regularly in The People’s Friend. She also writes romantic comedies and her agent is currently subbing her latest novel, ‘Doubting Abbey’, to publishers.

         For more information about Samantha why not visit: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

‘Sweet Talk’ is available here.

Good news alert!

”Samantha has just agreed a 3 book deal with CarinaUK, Harlequin’s digital-first imprint. Her debut novel, “Doubting Abbey” will be published late autumn 2013.”

You are never alone when you have a book to keep you company by Mary Dinan

As I walked by the sea I saw a solitary figure, head down and fully focused. I wondered if she was lonely but then as I got closer could see she was reading a book. She looked as if she was enjoying the experience. I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew she wasn't lonely. How can you be lonely with a good read? She had entered into another world.

It was then I had a thought. 'You are never alone if you have a good book.' A book can fill almost every void. It can advise, comfort, entertain, inspire, and provide a means of escape. A book can change your life and has changed people's lives. God released one of the most read books in the world, The Holy Bible which has changed countless lives.

A book is an ever reliable friend that you can pick up and put down at will. A good book can really lift the spirit no end; even a cover on a book can lift your mood in an instant.

It's a great gift for a child to learn to love books from a very early age, as they will never be lonely while they have a good book and the thrill of going to a library as a child has stayed with me even to this day. I remember the joy of finding another Famous Five book by Enid Blyton and how I loved escaping into the world of ginger beer and Timmy the dog; joining the children who went on adventures.

Growing up, I remember taking a great interest in self-help books. I read them all, Dale Carnegie - How To Win Friends And Influence People, Wayne Dyer - Pulling Your Own Strings, Susan Jeffers - Feel The fear And Do It Anyway and the list goes on...As an only child these books were my big brothers and sisters. I turned to them for advice when there was no family about.
Books and reading are a gift.

A literary great is laid to rest

Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's last words in a text message to his wife were 'Noli timere' - Latin for 'do not be afraid.' His recent passing has had a huge impact on the literary world which is so much poorer now he has gone.

His death has left a void which will never be filled by even the most talented of writers. But Heaney, the legend, still lives on in the hearts of many, as does his poetry with its lyrical beauty. A man who never let go of his roots, Seamus’ observations on life in my native Northern Ireland put the country on a world pedestal for scrutiny.

Heaney, a Catholic nationalist raised in an area called Mossbawn in South Derry (county) had views which clashed with the majority of pupils in my school. When our English teacher, ironically called Mrs Heaney (no relation!) introduced Digging to us, we read it as townie Protestant-like pariahs looking down on this poor rural nationalist world. We learned about his fervently Irish background and the fact he’d written the following shocking words: Be advised my passport's green. No glass of ours was ever raised to toast the Queen.

The life that we were reading about was a world away from ours: as middle class Protestants, none of us could identify in any way with potatoes, bogs, Mass, rosaries, or priests. Granted, he wrote at a time when Catholics felt marginalised, like second class citizens, but with his unkempt white hair and warm smile, there was something so endearing about him. We didn’t study any more of his poetry, so it’s fair to say, we only really skimmed the surface.

However, his poetry become more and more alive as I matured and studied at university, and I soon grew to identify with his sense of loss, his love of nature and his reflections on childhood. Heaney was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995 for what the committee described as "works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.”

He was universally loved around the world and no one could deny that. Often people don't get excited about a celebrity until that person has passed away. Then the bandwagon is filled and it's on its way. Like Kurt Cobain or Michael Jackson: suddenly, a slew of super fans come out of the closet. Thankfully, with Heaney, we have always loved and cherished him, as a fellow countryman, a patriot of poetry and a lover of language.

I must admit I only found Heaney’s poetry mildly interesting as a student at grammar school. Yes, shame on me. But his poetry grew on me the more I studied English Literature until I came to truly love his work. And when that alert came through from Press Association, while I was in Dublin, not only did I feel a sense of sadness and loss, but I started to sift through his poetry. Death of a Naturalist, Human Chain, Beowolf, North. The images lit up. I read slowly and I realised his work is stunningly beautful.

It gave me shivers up my spine as I read: Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops. And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him. For the first time in six weeks. Paler now.


I’m so disappointed I never the chance to meet him. It just wasn’t to be. Last Monday, he was laid to rest in the land which had inspired him. The cortege through the village of Bellaghy was headed by a lone piper, mourners snaking their way along the country roads. Earlier his friends and family bade farewell to him at a funeral service in Dublin.

This video, courtesy of my newspaper The Mid-Ulster Mail, shows the literary great being laid to rest…..

Who do I think I am?

Smiling, it appears, is not an option.

Well, this is me, sitting in the attic and doing my best to look authorial and as non unphotogenic as possible.

I'm woking with a client at the moment to bring her short story collection to life and what struck me most of all was the authenticity of the emotions on the page. I mean, I know we talk about being authentic and moving the reader and all that groovy stuff. But I, as the reader, felt something when I read her words. I laughed out loud several times and I choked a little when I read about death and loss. (Which, if you know me, despite my track record in that department, is not my usual response.)

So, what gives?

Well, I think what gave was the pretence, which can happen when you create fiction a lot of the time, that this whole business of creating characters and words and worlds is all in the mind. 

It isn't - that's bullshit. If there's no emotion, the characters don't live. They simply exist. And we've all known, at some time or other, how soulless that can be. And while we're ensouling our characters, sometimes we need to ensoul ourselves. To really inhabit the landscapes of our creation and to put purselves in touch with the source of it all. Because, often, that source is our own experience.

I had a dream last night, which has inspired me to write this post. 

In the dream, I'm a small child, taking an exam. To my right is a boy I knew from school and he's continually looking over at my efforts to see what I'll write. He's smug because, I think, he's already finished the paper. Or perhaps he isn't taking the exam. Anyway, I ask him politely to mind his own business, but he persists. 

Finally, after maybe the fourth time, I say out loud (in the dream): "That's it. Enough. I'm not doing this." And I close the exercise book, push back my chair and stand up. Smug kid is a little taken aback, but he sits and watches me. Another boy to my left mutters that it's the wrong thing to do. However, I have the bit between my teeth now (in a way I never actually did as a child), and I make my way to the front of the hall where an English teacher towers over me and asks what I'm doing. I explain that I've quit the exam and he tells me it will cost £100 to do it again, and immediately starts planning how he could get funding for me. (He was a great teacher in the real world too.)

I push open a door and find I'm in a deserted London, close to Bank. As I looked down the gentle slope of the road, all I can see is grey stone buildings. And there's this tremendous sense of setting off in a new direction without security or community, and I can hear the echo of that other boy who was to the left of me, telling me not to do it. So I smile a little and start walking.

I doubt this is a dream that Messrs. Jung or Freud need trouble themselves with. As a writer, what struck me was how intense the emotions were. That sense of blood pumping through my veins and a maelstrom of conflicting ideas and fears, all subsumed by my will. 

In the end, that's all it was. No direction, no plan, guarantee, no strategy and no angle. Just the will to move forward. You know, I think there's something in that.