The Nurses

Okay, so before I post about the final set of characters - the nurses - I just have to give a rather exciting update. Having sent the novel to the Writers' Workshop, I received the feedback and have made a few adjustments following the advice given. During this process, my dad discovered that he knows somebody who works for a big publishing company, and he passed the manuscript on to her last Thursday. Received feedback from her last night that she had read it and it made her cry, so she has passed it on to an editor! NYDN is one step along the way to actually getting out into the world! No guarantee yet, but is definitely a start!

So anyway, onto the last character profiles.

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“He could see why she had been avoiding her sister; the older woman wouldn’t have been particularly pleased with the girl’s choice of clothing. She had a plain grey hat rammed tightly over her curls and a shabby overcoat that made her almost unrecognisable as the sister of Mrs Peter Gale.”

***

It was not only men who played an important role in the war. Women at home took over work in the fields and the factories, and volunteers travelled to the front itself to work as nurses for the wounded men of both sides. This third viewpoint of the novel follows two sisters and their journey from carefree girls to the blood-soaked saviours of their patients.

Key Characters:

Harriet Redmond: Harriet is the youngest daughter and apprentice nurse of the esteemed Dr Redmond, travelling from London to accompany her newly wed sister to her marital home in the country. Here, she is reacquainted with her childhood friend Ben Stack, who she slowly falls in love with. Feisty and reluctant to do nothing while her friends are risking their lives on the front, she volunteers as a nurse and follows them across the channel. Harriet has always felt inferior to her glamorous sister and finally finds her place caring for the wounded soldiers.

Eliza Redmond: Harriet’s older sister, Eliza is the perfect image of beauty and good society. Having married well above her family’s status, she is used to getting what she wants and has to mature quickly when her sister pulls her into a world where things are suddenly beyond her control. Volunteering with Harriet, she attempts to juggle the responsibilities of nursing her patients while still looking after her little sister. 

Thanks very much for reading, sorry this is a pretty short one - I am far too excited about this editor business!

Oh one more thing, the Writers' Workshop report thought that the title may be a little too hard to understand, suggesting that I shorten it to simply Not Yet Dead instead of Not Yet Dead Nearly. What are peoples' thoughts?

Thanks again for all the support.

Cheers,

Harry

The Tank Crew

 

^the tank memorial at Cambrai^

 

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"He spat on the ground, quickly running a comb through his hair and ignoring the dirt behind his ears; he would only be ten times dirtier soon enough. He pulled on his shirt and checked his reflection in a shattered shaving mirror, pleased with what he saw. Even his mother couldn’t mistake him for a child today. He was a grown man through and through; taller and broader than half his crewmates and proudly sporting a dash of hair across his jaw and lip."

***

 

As well as the infantrymen mentioned in the previous post, another part of the book is from the point of view of a tank crew. With tanks being a new weapon in WW1, and practically untested, these men have to face the hardships of mechanical failure and deadly fumes, combatted only by their sense of companionship, thirst for glory and expectation of success.

Key Characters:

Kit Allenby (Whipper): Nicknamed 'Whipper' (along with his friend 'Snapper') due to the crew's suspicions of him being underage, Kit feels that he has a lot to prove. He keeps his past a secret, but it is known that he is fuelled by the need to avenge his father who was killed earlier in the war. He is determined to prove himself as a soldier, seeing himself as a marker for other boys his age, but behind the strong façade all he ever really wanted was for his father to be proud of him.

Ollie Powell (Snapper): Kit's friend from home, Ollie enlisted at the same time, both showing their interest in the new 'secret weapon' and both having the luck to be placed in the same unit. Though Ollie is keen to be seen as a man, he is less consumed by it than Kit - his softer temperament and occasional homesickness showing him as more of a boy.

Dafydd Jones (Daffodil): Having never known his own father, Dafydd is sympathetic to Kit's loss, often trying to find out his story. They share a similar obsession with pride and glory, but while Kit's is more serious and determined, Dafydd's manifests itself in the form of joking, swearing and gambling. Though they mask their efforts with frivolities, Dafydd and his friend Colm keep a watch on Kit and Ollie as they grow from boys to men.

So, the Christmas period went well. I have finished my round of detailed editing and have even managed an attempt at a cover letter and synopsis (it's harder than it looks!). I have booked myself a place on the Writer's Workshop 'Get Published' day in March, where hopefully I can put some networking skills to good use. I have also sent my manuscript to them for their opinion and some advice on what improvements are necessary before I can start sending to agents. Wish me luck!

My next post will focus on the last set of main characters; the nurses. (And hopefully tell of my glowing success with the Writer's Workshop feedback...)

Thanks for reading, please continue to show your support.

Harry

Remembrance Day

"To the armies of the British Empire who stood here from 1914 to 1918 and to those of their dead who have no known grave."


This is the inscription on the Menin Gate memorial (pictured). This impressive structure was built in place of the old gate in Ypres, Belgium, which was destroyed in the war. On its walls are inscribed the names of 54,900 soldiers of the British Empire who died in the Ypres salient during the first world war, and whose bodies were never identified.

Every day at 8pm there is a short memorial ceremony beneath the Menin Gate, as well as a full-length ceremony at 11am every November 11th, marking the Armistice Day. I have attended a few 8pm 'Last Post' ceremonies, and went to my first Armistice Day ceremony a few days ago during a trip to France and Belgium for further research and to get a real feel of the actual places where my characters (and thousands of real men) fought. I strongly recommend attending to anybody who wants to get a feel of the true scale of the war. Looking at the walls covered in names, and knowing that these are only the ones in this part of the front, and only those who were not found, is truly mind-numbing.

 

 

 



I also travelled to the memorial to the 18th Division, situated against the backdrop of Trones Wood, in the Somme area; where my characters' battalion fought impressively against all odds to capture the wood. Walking through the wood behind the memorial, there are plenty of craters in the ground. These are covered now by leaves and foliage, but it makes you wonder; are these the remnants of shellfire?

The characters in my book are part of the 7th (Service) Battalion, of the Royal West Kent Regiment, formed in Maidstone to answer the call for more men in the early stages of the war. Although I do use artistic licence for smaller patrols and raids, I chose to place my men in a battalion that really existed so that I could trace their movements and ensure that the places they travel to and the battles they fight in are a realistic accomplishment for one battalion. After choosing the West Kents due to their proximity to my own home, I found an article from the time detailing their gallant efforts at Trones Wood - something I was very impressed with and thought must be included in my book!

During my trip, I have also begun a rigorous process of editing at a very detailed level, shortening paragraphs that frankly went on forever about something barely important. Although it is proving to take a long time, I have managed to shorten 4,600 words to 3,000 words in my first chapter, without losing any part of the plot, so there is hope!

Will keep you updated. Thanks very much for reading; I already have more page views on here than I expected, keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Harry