Happy Monday!
I'm in a chipper mood despite the killer headache I have as a result of the lower back ache I have. That is partly because I took painkillers and the pain is greatly reduced, making me happier, and also because I got to spend some quality time with friends last night. It was nice to go out, even though I was very broke and I feel guilty when I'm out on the town without much money.
Still, it was nice.
Another reason for my great mood is the fact that I'm listening to Epic Rap Battles of History; one of my favourite YouTube channels. So far, my favourite rap battle is this one:
Anyway, another reason for my good mood is the fact that today is the day I start writing Daughters of Britain. Unfortunately I left my notes at home. Because of course I did.
Oh bother.
As I've left my notes at home, I'm a little unsure how to proceed, but I do want to get started today. I don't think I need the notes to write the prologue, which is really just information about the Boudiccan Revolt of 61 A.D. Or for the first chapter, really, which is the main character's remembrances of the Boudiccan Revolt before a big battle which sets the whole thing in motion. So, for today, at least, I think I'll be alright, I'm just not allowed to forget my notes again.
Naturally I'm going to forget my notes again. Who am I kidding? It's me.
A great deal of research has gone into this book already. Of course, at the time I was researching, I did not know it was for this particular novel. I was just reading up on it because I find the subject entirely fascinating. I'm particularly intrigued by the Atlantic Façade from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Pre-Roman Iron Age specifically. The events of this novel take place a good deal after my time of the most interest, but are still quite fascinating and so I have done a fair amount of academic pleasure reading about it.
It is possible to read academic books for pleasure, I should point out. What's more, I would encourage it. In high school, my peers would roll their eyes every time I got excited about something academic. Or throw stones. Whichever took their fancy. I have always been academically minded. Learning new things was always fun for me. My academic focus has narrowed considerably to the fields of Celtic Studies, prehistoric anthropology and archaeology (particularly of 'barbaric' Europe) which gets me excited like no other subjects except fiction. New discoveries are thrilling, and anything that serves to deepen our understanding of our distant (and not distant, though I find that less interesting) past ought to be celebrated.
Where was I going with this?
Oh yes, so it seems I have been researching practically all my adult life for this novel.... which is a great thing, as it means I can jump right into the writing of this book without a lot of non-writing work going on. That's always nice.
There will be research still to do, of course. I need to get the dates and names perfectly correct for the important battles which occur at the beginning and end of the book, as well as the dates and locations of other revolts happening at the fringes of the Roman Empire, particularly those in northern Germania. Wondering how the province of Germania factors into a story about a British heroine? Well, you'll have to wait for the book to be released to find out. It's lovely, actually, with enough factuality behind it to make it convincing.
Man, I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK, YOU GUYS!
Seriously, I am bouncing in my seat.
Alas, I cannot start writing yet. First I must finish this blog post. Then I must struggle through my Welsh lessons, and then I can start writing this book. Eeeeee! I can't wait!
Alright, I should go. I should get my work done. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Ahem.
Ciao!