So, who is this person?

One of the lovely things about being a writer is getting to invent people. When I start a story I usually have a really clear picture of the main character. I know their name, what sort of person they are, little details about their background. I even go as far as to know what they'd have for breakfast or if they prefer tea or coffee. Details like that rarely make it into the story but they mean that the character is 'real' to me and I feel able to tell their story.

But sometimes there is a character who hides in the shadows, who won't reveal themselves to me as I begin. The novel I'm writing at the moment had such a character. I had a name for them and a vague idea what they were like but so much was hidden. Even as far as their physical appearance. Is she tall? Thin? Blue eyes? Nothing seemed 'solid' about her. She was like a ghost. How do you write about a character that hided from you?

But then suddenly she stepped out of the shadows and stood there clear as day. From the depths of my memory came the figure of a Great Aunt who was just the type of person I needed my character to be like. A few alterations and she was perfect - not my Great Aunt, my antagonist. She arrived with a full set of quirks and foibles and waited for me to bring her into the story.

So maybe all the characters are there in my head already, standing in the wings, waiting for their cue. No wonder I'm so flaky sometimes: my head's full of people jostling for their moment in the spotlight.

Book Review - The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Hello much neglected blog readers. I realised that it's ages since I did a book review and I've read some cracking stuff lately so I'm popping a quick review of the book I finished last night up here. Hope you enjoy it.

Who doesn't know the story of the siege of Troy and the beautiful Helen? It's a tale that we were told as kids and we've also probably seen a film or two about it. Some of us may even have read The Iliad - most probably in translation. I read it a few years ago and found it hard work, so many strange names and so many lists of terrible ways to die. But it's a compelling tale of love, lust and power so I guess that's why it's lasted through the centuries.

Pat Barker tells the story from the point of view of the women. But not the powerful and beautiful women, although some of them used to be like that. This is the tale of the women who are captured and enslaved by the Greek army as they besiege Troy. The protagonist is Briseis, who was a kings daughter and married into royalty before the Greeks overthrew her home . She was given as a 'prize' to Achilles, the great Greek hero of The Iliad. We learn of her life among the other enslaved women, how they serve their captors and watch as their homes burn. We see the great Greek heroes through her eyes and they don't often look very heroic.

We also see things from the perspective of Achilles who lives to fight, lets his pride rule his head and loses all he loves as a result of his stubborn decisions. He's not a likable character but it is easy to see that things turn out they way they do for him because of circumstances beyond his control. For this is a world ruled by gods, fate and destiny. Achilles knows his fate and seems powerless to change it, in fact he doesn't seem to want to even if it means losing the one mortal he loves.

There are some gritty descriptions of the brutality of war both on and off the battlefield and there are tender moments that brought a tear to my eye. Pat Barker's style is very readable and I loved that as a contrast to the rather lofty translation of The Iliad I read previously. She keeps the pace going and I was eager to find out what happened next despite it being and old, well told story. I have yet not read anything else by her but will certainly look at her previous work and see what other tales she has to tell.

Times They Are A Changing

It's hard to know what to say at the moment. Things are odd and people odder. Whichever way you turn there is someone screaming that it's all too much, they can't cope, it's not fair. And so you turn away and there's another person shouting that everyone's being selfish, why can't the schools re-open, how are they supposed to manage if they can't see their mates.

And on and on and on.

I try to hold on to the little moments of kindness, the little moments of joy in this chaos and drown out the noise with bird song. I've been planting seeds and am enjoying watching them germinate. Hopefully if I look after them and the slugs stay away we will have some lovely veggies to eat later in the year. I have been planning a new book and enjoying the process of stepping into a new story.

So we soldier on, following the rules and hoping things will soon improve. Stay safe and look after your loved ones.