Of the enormous number of genres we have, historical fiction presents itself to be one of the most amazing to read, for period dramas transport us to another era altogether.
They also happen to the trickiest to write, and Lynn Steward, author of What Might Have Been tells us about the quirks of writing a period drama, including what research goes into writing it.
Here's what she has to say,
"Tons of research! I easily spent a year and a half researching – a minimum of three hours a day, and more than thirty hours many weekends. I studied historic events, iconic women, not only as individuals, but how they related to each other, and interiors of famous locations, such as B. Altman, Café des Artistes, Kenneth Salon, etc. I drew inspiration from archived newspaper articles in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Most important, I painstakingly organized the notes and articles by dates, preparing spread sheets of timelines. Quickly reaching for the right file is crucial when an idea is sparked at the keyboard."
Well, this certainly gives us an idea of what it is like to pen down a literary fiction.
Here's more about the book and author:
They also happen to the trickiest to write, and Lynn Steward, author of What Might Have Been tells us about the quirks of writing a period drama, including what research goes into writing it.
Here's what she has to say,
"Tons of research! I easily spent a year and a half researching – a minimum of three hours a day, and more than thirty hours many weekends. I studied historic events, iconic women, not only as individuals, but how they related to each other, and interiors of famous locations, such as B. Altman, Café des Artistes, Kenneth Salon, etc. I drew inspiration from archived newspaper articles in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Most important, I painstakingly organized the notes and articles by dates, preparing spread sheets of timelines. Quickly reaching for the right file is crucial when an idea is sparked at the keyboard."
Well, this certainly gives us an idea of what it is like to pen down a literary fiction.
Here's more about the book and author:
ABOUT THE BOOK
As
a fashion buyer at one of New York’s most glamorous department stores, Dana
McGarry is a tastemaker, her keen instinct for fashion trends and innovative
ideas coupled with a razor sharp business sense. But like the elegant and
conservative store that employs her, Dana is caught between two eras—between
being liked and standing her ground, between playing by the rules and being a
maverick. Dana is sensitive and beautiful, but what you see is not what you
get. Behind the cool and attractive facade, Dana
is both driven by her need to control yet impeded by her expectation of
perfectionism. As she competes to replace women
at the top of their game, she is challenged by jealous colleagues. And when a
wealthy love interest wants to open doors and support her ambition, she
embraces Coco Chanel’s mantra of “never wanting to weigh more heavily on a man
than a bird.” As the women’s movement paves the way, Dana finds a path to the
career she wants at the expense of happiness that was not meant to be.
Steward
captures the nuances of 70s life in New York City and provides the perfect
backdrop for an independent woman determined to make her mark. What Might Have Been is a story that
transcends any period.
Title: What
Might Have Been
Genre: Literary fiction/women’s fiction
Author:
Lynn Steward
Website: www.LynnSteward.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Steward, a veteran of the New York fashion
industry and a buyer on the team that started the women’s department at Brooks
Brothers, created the Dana McGarry series, set at a transformational time in the
1970s world of fashion and in the lives of multigenerational women. What Might Have Been is the second
volume in the series. A Very Good Life, Steward’s
debut novel, was published in March 2014.
Twitter:
@LynnStewardNY
This Guest Post is a part of the Book Tour hosted by DDS at b00kr3vi3ws
