Could You Tell Us About Yourself
My name is Sarah F. Noel, and I’m the author of the Tabitha & Wolf Historical Mystery series. I’m originally from London, but I now live in Grenada, in the Caribbean.
What made you write your book (s) ?
The idea for this book had been rolling around in my head for some time. At the end of last year I was in between jobs, and so just decided finally to sit down and start writing. And then, when I was done with the first book, I found I wasn’t done with the characters. Now, I’m about to start working on book 4!
What’s your favourite book?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It’s just sublime.
How many hours a day do you write?
I’m an early riser, so I try to get an hour or two in each morning before I start my day job. At the weekends, I will often write for 8 hours straight.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
It’s important to me that my mysteries make sense; there’s nothing I hate more than when an author makes a huge leap in logic in order to wrap things up. It takes a lot of thought to work through all the possible strands of a story and the motivations of all the characters in order to make sure that it all ties together as logically as possible.
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
Most of the time, I start the next one!
Where do you get your idea (s) for your book (s)?
Before I wrote historical mysteries, I was an avid reader of the genre. I thought a lot about what I most liked in the books I enjoyed and what most annoyed me. The 19th century was a time of such upheaval in Great Britain; social, technological, and political. I felt that many of the books I read didn’t immerse themselves in enough of these issues (of course, some do). I wanted to have my characters respond to the changes they’re seeing and experiencing around them.
Do you try more to be original or rather give readers what they want?
I think there are some aspects of the genre that people expect. I want to upend some of these expectations while creating stories that still feel satisfying to my readers.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
Developing the plot can be hard (see above), but the characters often seem to write themselves. Particularly after writing the first book, I sometimes feel that the main characters have taken on a life of their own, and I’m just the vehicle for getting them out in the world – I know this sounds silly, but it is what it sometimes feels like.
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
Any scene with the Dowager Countess of Pembroke in. Honestly, I might do a whole series about her at some point, just because I enjoy writing her so much. And if there’s any character I feel controls me rather than the other way around, it’s this character.
How did you come up with the title for your book (s)?
Well, not to give too much away, but the title of each of my books is about an admirable trait in my heroine. She’s been in a terribly abusive marriage for the two years preceding book 1, and these traits are starting to reveal themselves as she discovers who she really is outside of being a daughter and a wife.
Would you and your main character get along
Well, my husband claims I am my main character or that we at least share some important characteristics. So, I’m assuming we’d get along very well.
What do you hope your readers take away from your book(s)?
More than anything, I hope readers enjoy my books and get caught up in the characters and the plot. But I also hope they learn something about some of the social and political issues of the day.
After writing your book (s), what is your advice to people who want to become writers?
Publishing is a business at the end of the day; unless you want to just get a book out there and don’t care about sales, understand what is popular. But also, write in a genre you enjoy reading, and make sure you have read a variety of authors within that genre.
Sarah F. Noel Media Links
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