Welcome to OPEN BOOK, where we open the book on our authors and discover their literary stories!
In this edition, we'd like to introduce Geoffrey Davies, author of the gripping new English historical fiction novel, The Bloody Siege, 1417.
What was your planning process for writing this novel like?
I didn’t really have a planning process. It just flowed. I think what I did do was concentrate on different sections or parts of the story and then decide to write them. The most important thing was to have the original idea but also to know where it was going to end and the rest you fill in. Because it is a historical novel the actual events took place so I look at it as a number of coat pegs and they are what you can hang your story on. It’s just a question of filling in the blanks.
What is the story behind the title?
The story behind this title is about my ancestors which I discovered whilst researching my family tree on ancestry.com. I learnt that they came from the area where I now live which I didn’t know before I came here and that they took part in the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 which is where the novel starts. The rest of the novel focuses on what happened in the hundred years war when Henry V invaded France and tells the stories of ordinary people caught up in the horrors of war as indeed they are today.
I also I’m fascinated by the Celtic Otherworld and therefore I decided to intertwine the story with myth and legend very much in the style of Tolkein
Who or what inspired your characters?
That is straightforward - my ancestors inspired my story but some of the characters that are not historical fact were based on friends and experiences in my life. I am fortunate to have had a rich and varied career, and I’ve met many interesting characters and heard many stories some of which I’ve incorporated. There is no substitute for experience, and I think it will be difficult to write for me at least unless I could put these stories into the novel. Try and make it funny.
Where do find your writing inspiration?
My inspiration as I said came from my family history but the decision to put it on paper came from deep within and I can’t answer that question. I have been fortunate in that I enjoy socialising and telling stories and have done all my life. It helps if you are a bit of a natural storyteller and it also helps if you listen to other people stories because in my experience everybody is keen to tell you about themselves.
Where do you find it easiest to write?
I write at home. I was fortunate that I retired in 2019 and having spent my life as a doctor. I needed to fill it with something that I felt was useful. I needed to keep busy and writing these novels has been a godsend.
Where and when do you get most of your writing done?
I get most of my writing done in the morning. I usually write about 1000 words and then run out of steam. The actual preparation for the story takes much longer and occurs at any time and often I’ve lost deep thought and my wife will say to me, are you in the 15th century again? You need to know what you’re about to write before you do it and then it is a rush to get it all on the page. Each novel takes about a year and I’ve written four so far all part of the same series.
What piece of writing advice have you found the most helpful during your writing career?
The most useful piece of advice I received was when I looked at Bernard Cornwall‘s website and his advice was to make sure you have a good story, then the rest will follow. In my style of writing I tend not to plan, my style is to think about what I’m going to write and then do it. I have received advice from my wife and I have revised passages. It is important to receive constructive criticism and not be defensive when someone is suggesting that something could be changed.
Did you encounter Writers Block? If so, how did you overcome it?
No, I didn’t experience writers block but for me the best thing to do was not to try and force it but to wait until the inspiration came to me. I found the hardest part actually to be the proofreading. It was a long time ago when I did English in a formal setting and there are many grammar rules that have changed. Also, during the proofreading process some sentences need to be rewritten and punctuation changed so they didn’t lose their meaning which an inappropriately placed comma can do to a sentence.
Are there any books which have inspired your writing?
There are many books that have inspired my writing the most obvious is the Bernard Cornwall series the Last Kingdom also Ken Follett and his historical novels. I read Tolkein when I was 10 and one cannot help but be influenced by him. The John Connolly Charlie Parker series helped inspire the exploration of the Shadowland which is a feature of my books then there are classics which I won’t list, every book you read influences you I wanted to write a book that people can go on holiday and relax and lose themselves in before they go back to their busy working lives and family.
And finally… Why should people read your book next?
If you like Game of Thrones, you’ll like this.
If you like historical fiction, you’ll like this.
If you want to be entertained, you’ll like this.
Please be aware it contains adult themes.
