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Reader Questions for Sharon Penman

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boswellbaxter
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Reader Questions for Sharon Penman

Post by boswellbaxter » Sun October 19th, 2008, 3:48 pm

We're delighted to have Sharon Penman stopping by today! Thanks very much for being here.

To start us off, here are a couple of questions from board co-administrator Marg, who would have loved to be here if it wasn't 3:00 a.m. in Australia:

What prompted you to write historical mysteries, and will there be any more Justin de Quincey books?

Could you ever see yourself writing a novel that wasn't set in medieval times?
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles


http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/

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ellenjane
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Post by ellenjane » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:03 pm

Who has been your favorite character to write? Does it change over time or depending on what book you're working on?

sharon
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Sharon K. Penman books

Post by sharon » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:10 pm

HI, everyone,
Sorry I am a little late, but i got sidetracked answering an interesting e-mail from a woman who wanted to know why I preferred Eleanor to Henry. I had to argue my case, that I care as much about Henry as I do Eleanor. Flaws and all, they were fascinating people.
I was asked if I am doing any more mysteries, right? I do hope to. I was planning to do another mystery next, but my publisher wants me to do Lionheart instead as my nect book. That makes sense; they want to ride the momentum of DB. But after that I hope to get back to the ever so patient Justin.
I was asked if I have a favorite character. Let me send this off to let you all know I am here and I'll answer that next.
Sharon

sharon
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Post by sharon » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:14 pm

[quote=""ellenjane""]Who has been your favorite character to write? Does it change over time or depending on what book you're working on?[/quote]

I usually am partial to the characters who are causing the most trouble! For example, I had a soft spot for Llewelyn ap Gruffydd's scapegrace brother Davydd because he stole every scene he was in. I enjoyed writing about Elizabeth Woodvlle, oddly enough, because she had no sense of humor, was very literal and utterly self-centered, utterly unlike Edward IV. I obviously enjoy writing about Henry and Eleanor. I devoted three books to him and Eleanor has been in four and will have another one coming, not even counting the mysteries when she appears in her Kate Hepburn mode. I always assume everyone saw The Lion in Winter!
But if I had to pick one character who was closest to my heart, I think it would be Llewelyn Fawr, Joanna's Llewelyn in Here Be Dragons.

sharon
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Post by sharon » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:18 pm

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]We're delighted to have Sharon Penman stopping by today! Thanks very much for being here.

To start us off, here are a couple of questions from board co-administrator Marg, who would have loved to be here if it wasn't 3:00 a.m. in Australia:

What prompted you to write historical mysteries, and will there be any more Justin de Quincey books?
After writing Saints, I was in need of a change of pace, for that book came closest to burning me out. Since I read mysteries for fun, it seemed like a natural progression to try my hand at one--naturally a medieval one!

Could you ever see yourself writing a novel that wasn't set in medieval times?[/quote]
Lord, no! That would be cruel and unusual punishment, both for me and my readers. Well, let me modify that a bit. It was the thought of writing a novel set in contemporary times that gave me a chill of horror. If I had nine lives like a cat, though, I would have loved to write of two different times. I played around for a while with the thought of writing a novel about the Roman Republic and the Gracchi brothers, who were sort of like the Kennedys of their day. And I would have loved to write a novel about the American Revolutionary War, approaching it as our first civil war. John Adams estimated that a fourth of the population were rebels, a fourth were Tories, and the rest were on the fence, waiting to see how the war went. So I would have liked to explore that conflict of loyalties.

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boswellbaxter
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Post by boswellbaxter » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:18 pm

You had to rewrite The Sunne in Splendour after the MS was stolen. Do you think it was a better novel for the rewriting? And has the original MS ever surfaced?
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles


http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:21 pm

Hi Sharon and welcome,
How did you originally come across Llewelyn and Joanna's story?
Here Be Dragons is one of my favourite's of yours!
I am delighted to hear also that Justin will be making a re-appearance. I have particulary enjoyed his last two outings!
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:21 pm

[quote=""sharon""]I usually am partial to the characters who are causing the most trouble! [/quote]

I assume then you're going to have your hands full with John in Lionheart?

I loved how well you developed all the characters in Devil's Brood, along with the dialogue -- especially Richard. How do you as a writer gather information from the historical texts, etc. and then breath such life into it?

sharon
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Post by sharon » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:26 pm

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]You had to rewrite The Sunne in Splendour after the MS was stolen. Do you think it was a better novel for the rewriting? And has the original MS ever surfaced?[/quote]

Oh, most definitely! I made a terrible mistake with that first draft of Sunne. I was writing it mainly for myselfr, not really thinking about getting it published. And so I was writing it like a patchwork quilt. I'd think of a particular scene or chapter I'd want to do and plunge into it. But there was no continuity to the story. I might do one chapter set in 1472 and then do one set in 1169. This made it easy for me in one sense, for I didn't have to worry about Writer's Block. If I ran into trouble, I just skipped on to another dramatic episode. But it made it impossible to show character development. In Sunne as it was finally published, Edward was a very different man at his death than the young, cocky seventeen year old who opened the book. And that wouldn't have worked if I'd continued my haphazard approach.
No, the original ms. never surfaced. I had bought a loose leaf binder the week before it was taken, a bright pink notebook with a peace sign. I have always believed that one of the children playing in front of the apt conplex saw it and on impulse, snatched it from the car while it was untended. So most likely the new notebook went to school with the young thief, and the contents ended up dumped in the woods behind us. That seems more logical than to believe in vengeful Tudor ghosts hovering over New Jersey!

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boswellbaxter
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Post by boswellbaxter » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:32 pm

Per Marg, as most readers know, you've had some health issues lately. Has that affected your motivation to write?
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles


http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/

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