How to develop a character

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People often ask me how a writer develops a character for a novel. I usually answer:

“It’s easy. You simply make up his or her life.”

This answer is not always helpful, because the most frequent reply is:

“Oh, make it up – but I don’t know how to do that.”

This post is dedicated to all persons who feel fobbed off by my aloof advice. Today, I will explain the development of a character properly. To give you an insight into the creative process, I will use a “real life” example.
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Writer’s Travel Guide: Lyme Park – an Austen Drama in its Own Right

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In this post:
• An illegitimate son rescuing the family seat
• Abduction!
• A haunted bedroom

Lyme Park is located two miles south of Disley, Cheshire.

It goes without saying that every Regency Enthusiast knows Lyme Park as Mr Darcy’s Pemberley in the Pride & Prejudice series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. But drama and romance at Lyme Park are not limited to movies. It has its own drama and romance in an incident worth a Wickham/Darcy tale.
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Adventures for Regency Enthusiasts: Driving a Carriage

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Many readers of Regency novels are fascinated by driving a carriage: It’s partly romantic, partly adventurous and in our accelerated times comfortingly nostalgic. Most people of the Regency period would shake their heads at such attitudes. To them, driving a carriage was mainly a means of transport and not even a convenient one: Stage coaches were crammed with passengers, accidents happened frequently, and to become sick in a carriage wasn’t unusual.

To find out how travelling in a coach felt like 200 years ago, you can visit the museum of travel and traffic, “Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum”, if you happen to come to Munich, Germany. There is a simulator of a historical coach waiting in Hall II. Climb in and experience the Regency period.

If you are really serious about researching carriages and carriage driving in the Regency period, there is a more hands-on option.
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Writer’s Travel Guide: Birmingham

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I bet you hadn’t expected to read about Birmingham here. London, Bath, Brighton and Gretna Green are the typical locations of a Regency Novel. Besides these, you might find Harrogate and Newmarket, but certainly not Birmingham. But, dear Regency Enthusiast, Birmingham has great potential as a location of your novel. Find out why the town used to attract even the wealthy and aristocratic.

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Great Links for Doing Research on the Regency Period (Part I)

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I have discussed Methods of Research for Historical Writers some months ago. Among others, I recommended working with Wikipedia to get a quick overview on a topic. I still stick to this advise. Nevertheless, it is always important and useful to double-check on information and to deepen your knowledge by visiting specialised websites and blogs. Therefore, I have edited links to tried and tested websites for you to help you with your research on the Regency period.  Continue reading →

Writer’s Travel Guide: Kingston Lacy

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In this post:

  • An English House as an Italian Palace
  • A Gentleman Egyptologist
  • The Dangers of “Not Being in the Petticoat-Line”

Kingston Lacy is located 3.5 miles from Wimborne Minster, Dorset. From the 17th to the late 20th century it was the family seat of the Bankes family. The Bankes were leading gentry. Their wealth was founded in land and in owning a graphite mine (1).

  Kingston Lacy 3  Kingston Lacy 1  Kingston Lacy 2
Kingston Lacy is lavishly decorated and famous for its collection of fine art and antiquities. It owes much of its splendor to William John Bankes (1786 – 1855) and his friend, the architect Charles Barry: They worked hard to make Kingston Lacy resemble an Italian Palace. They imported Carrara marble for the staircase, planned and executed designs for new and lavish interiors, built a loggia on the east side and an elegant terrace on the south side. Poor William John Banks could not enjoy his Italian Palace. Due to a scandal, he had to flee the country to save his life …
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Anna and the Mystery of the Triple Minor (part 2) – Free Music Download of “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz”

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In this post:

  • Dance instructions for “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz” for you to perform and enjoy
  • Free music download: “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz” (mp3)
  • Free music sheet for “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz”

Dear Regency Enthusiast

as promised, here is my post with dance instructions and a free mp3 soundfile for “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz”.

Lady Caroline Leigh was a distant relative of Jane Austen. Her son James Henry was a second cousin to Jane. It is easy to imagine that the “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz” was danced as part of the evening entertainment when Jane visited James Henry. The music sheet for the “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz” was part of Jane Austen’s library. It is, however, still the status quo of the Austen-research to have solely proven she danced the boulangère, and I don’t want to imply anything else.

Dance instructions for “Lady Caroline Lee’s Waltz” for you to perform and enjoy Continue reading →

Anna and the Mystery of the Triple Minor (Part 1)

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In this post:
The truth about longway dances of Jane Austen’s time
How to perform a longway dance in a historically correct way
Tips for depicting a ball in your novel
Preview: Dance instruction and music to come in part 2

Dear Regency Enthusiast

A couple of weeks ago I took part in a workshop in Old English Country Dances*. First-hand experience of the culture and techniques of the regency era can be very enlightening for writers (see my post on Five Methods of Research). Indeed I came across very helpful facts – and a dark secret of contemporary country dance teaching. Fancy that: All the longway dances from Jane Austen’s time are today deliberately taught historically incorrect. Shocking! Why are the dances usually done incorrectly? How were they really performed? And what should you know to when you write a scene with a ball for your novel? Continue reading →

Regency-Explorer-Quiz: Who is “Mr X”?

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Regency-Explorer.net is in search of “Mr. X” !

Here is a little quiz for all History Sleuths: Who is the historic person described below?  Read all about his appaerance, his characteristics and his life up to the year 1815.

Questions to answer:

Who is X?
Who is A?
Who is B?
What is the name of Y?
What is the name of Z?

Write your answers in the comment field below. There are glory and honour to gain – as well as the fun of solving a quiz.

Enjoy it!

Here is your challenge:

Name:       X
Birthday: xx. xx. 17xx / London.
Profession: writer
Appearance:

  • Figure: tall, straight and upright in carriage
  • Countenance: His steps are short and firm, his approach cheerful, almost dashing
  • Hair: black and straight, parted in the centre
  • Eyes: brown, brilliant, reflective, kind and gay, with a look of observant humor Continue reading →