interview with Barbara Gaskell Denvil

Barbara Gaskell Denvil has been a writer all her life.  Born in Gloucestershire, England, she soon moved to London, and in addition to working as a literary reviewer and critic for Books & Bookmen, established a career publishing short stories and articles. 
She then spent many years sailing the Mediterranean on a yacht and living in various different countries throughout the region.  Currently Barbara lives in rural Australia.

      

What does writing mean to you?    

I suppose I could say almost everything. After many years sailing with my Italian partner, he died of cancer and left me exceedingly bereft. I felt I had lost everything and I desperately needed to focus my mind on something positive instead of concentrating on the negative and dreaming of the past. So I took a deep breath, upended my life, moved to Australia (I hold joint nationality) and returned to my previous love of writing. Historical fiction became my new passion and as I now live alone, I can spend a great deal of time lost in imagination and inspiration. Escapism perhaps? If so, it has been most effective!

How did you teach yourself to write?   

I think reading teaches us to write. Certainly no one else ever did. Even as a small child I used to write fairy stories, wrote a school play for my class when I was 9, (it was awful) and generally dreamed of making this my career. It was a dream I spoiled myself with marriage, children, initial poverty, endless other problems, and finally a wild romantic getaway. But now I am writing again I do feel I am ‘at home’. Many great authors fall under ‘suspicion; (Shakespeare and Dickens, for instance) because of their rudimentary education, but I maintain that reading is the only tutor, and the love of words must be already in your veins. Every writer is a passionate reader, but there must also be something indefinable inside to work the rest of the magic. The rest is achieved by sheer practice and hard work.

What do you think are the most difficult parts of the craft to learn? 

The sheer hard slog. All those ideas, words and characters are jumbled up inside, and they are constantly demanding to be somehow expressed onto the page – but oh – those long hours at the computer when you just want to rest – or cannot make head nor tale of the latest twist in the plot you have created yourself. It’s hard work although always rewarding.

Your time spent sailing in the Mediterranean sounds wonderful.  How has this- if at all – affected your writing? 

It was wonderful and I met some amazing characters, went to amazing places and saw amazing things. So it taught me a lot. All experience teaches us, I think, and widens our imagination and powers of expression. I believe I’m wiser and more tolerant after those exciting years, and perhaps that shows up in my work too. I certainly have more patience.

Can travelling have any drawbacks for writers?

I really don’t think so. Even just sitting on a beach licking ice cream in the sunshine can teach us something if we watch and listen. It’s the details which make writing fascinating for me – so all detail in living is a way of widening our eyes. Travel really does introduce new aspects, new understandings and new knowledge. Even tiny details come alive once you see them in different ways – for instance, the sun sinking down over the watery horizon, those amazing colours reflected across the ocean. All these tiny details – if you are conscious of them – can enlarge your book’s atmosphere and bring your settings alive. I know you have travelled widely, Jane. I’m sure you have found the same.

What has been the highlight of your writing career to date?

Finding my lovely agent Sheila. She is so encouraging and so knowledgeable. That’s a very valuable backup for an author. I don’t feel I am struggling alone anymore.

What is the most difficult aspect of reviewing/critiquing a book? 

It’s the tendency to review the book you would have liked and think it ought to be – instead of the book it actually is.  You have to forget your own preferences and immerse yourself in what the author was evidently trying to say. Not as easy as it may sound. Most critics complain that, for instance, there was not enough detail, or too much detail. The humour was too sudden, or too skimpy. The book was too long or too short. But this is not the job of the critic. Review the book which is actually there – not the one which is not!

How much has reviewing/critiquing books affected the way you write? 

Very little actually, for the reasons I’ve given above. I write the books I want to write and that is quite a separate issue. Besides, my days as a critic are long gone.

What prompted you to move to Australia? 

The death of my partner. We spent every minute of every day together as he owned the yacht we lived on, and he taught me to sail. He was Italian and also taught me his language. He seemed to become my whole life. When he died I really did feel I had lost everything, and I had to make a drastic change or I would have drowned in my own memories. It has worked out well too  – I love my new life.

What in Australia inspires you to write? 

Principally the countryside and the gentle weather. The scenery where I live is stunning, and my garden is constantly filled with bird life – mainly cockatoos and parrots – literally thousands of them. Wildlife too – as my home is semi-rural with a tiny house in quite a lot of land. I can look up from my computer and through the window I see a wallaby looking back at me from my garden, with a whole chorus of bright red and green parrots sitting above in my eucalyptus trees. Mind you – that can seem a little odd when I’m writing about medieval England. However, the peace is interrupted only by birdsong and that is a wonderful help to inspiration.

What decided you to move from writing short stories and articles to writing a novel? 

Coming to Australia meant I lost all my literary contacts in England, and therefore going back to short stories and reviews seemed pointless. Besides, I had always meant to write something longer and more meaningful years previously – I just simply never had the uninterrupted time for it. Now I have plenty of time – nothing but time – and therefore writing a novel was a clear choice. Besides, I fell in love with historical research and immediately discovered the background for the novels I wanted to write. My new passion was born.

What are the challenges of switching from short pieces of writing to novels?

It’s a whole different world. But of course, the short stories were back when I was a teenager and in my twenties, whereas now I’m 200 years old. The art of writing articles and short stories is quite distinct, with a need to be pithy and concise. Every word used should be relevant and necessary. On the other hand, writing a full-length book (and mine tend to be long) is quite the opposite. Although every word is equally important – it must serve a much greater purpose. There is characterization – plot – atmosphere – explanation – building a climax – changing pace – indeed, creating the whole host of ingredients which make up a book.

Tell me a bit about your novels Fair Weather and Satin Cinnabar 

Fair Weather is a medieval thriller. I became fascinated with the idea of a time switch (something I would adore to do myself – I’ve ordered a Tardis from Amazon but as yet they have not delivered) so I began dreaming of just what it would be like to have two lives – one modern – and one far back in time. Fair Weather is based on this premise, but there is a whole lot more, for there are several elements of the paranormal plus all the fascinating detail of medieval life in England. My hero is rather special, I think. He’s still probably my favourite, but the inherent romance is a major theme rather than the entire plot.

Satin Cinnabar is a straightforward historical who-done-it and is set during the months immediately following the Battle of Bosworth. There’s plenty of romance, but it is a little out of the ordinary – and my characters are very specific – leading to a plot that encompasses crime, history, romance and adventure all together.

In all my books, characterization is a major component. If you don’t believe in the characters and care about what happens to them – then the book becomes boring.

I also have another published book – Sumerford’s Autumn – a big Tudor adventure / romance with many twists and turns of plot, both dark and light. But so far this is only available for sale in Australia. Hopefully it will be published worldwide sometime soon.

What advice would you give a new writer?

I’m hesitant to offer anyone advice since I certainly don’t know it all myself. I would just say – go for it – forget all the so-called rules – but do re-write and re-write  many times until entirely satisfied.

What are your future writing plans? 

I am just completing the first part of a trilogy – my latest book. This is a huge medieval adventure – and will come out in three parts. I am so enthusiastic at present – but of course it’s still hard work. Coming to the end of a book leaves me exhausted – elated – and bereft. It’s a funny feeling.

How can readers connect with you?

I’m on Facebook and I have my own blog: bgdenvil.com and would love it if anyone wants to get in touch through commenting on the blog or writing to me on Facebook.