INTRODUCING PHILIP

PELLA

 

 

I have just introduced Olwen to Pella. The first couple of chapters set in the Macedonian royal city have gone fairly smoothly. She has been rescued by the young Alexander and put in the care of a court physician, Theon, on a farm in the north.  But Alexander wants them to come the Pella before winter sets in, so they have arrived there and Olwen is introduced to Macedonian royal life. Quite a stretch of imagination for her after her months of wandering as Sholto's 'hostage', far away from her Celtic home on the Salisbury Plain.

 

 





ALEXANDER, a bust from Pella, aged about 15

 

This is the Alexander who rescues Olwen from her captor. He is fifteen at this time, and soon his life will take a drastic change, just as Olwen's has. 

 

She has already had one encounter with his mother, Olympias, and has been warned.  Now she's going to meet his father, Philip, who has been away in Thessaly.  This is the chapter I'm starting now and having a little bit of trouble setting it up just right. I'm finding it a bit more difficult writing this first-person totally fiction story than I did Shadow of the Lion which was based on an actual historic plot. Dragons in the Sky has a particular cadence and it is strictly in Olwen's point of view, so a bit more restricted than third person. So far, I've managed to capture her voice and my critique group is very enthusiastic about this story. 

 

I'm sure I'll find my way around this chapter, introducing Philip who is an interesting character to say the least. I'll also be introducing Olwen to the family dynamics between Olympias/Alexander/Philip. That should be quite a fascinating experience for her. 

 

KING PHILIP of MACEDON

Artist's reconstruction of Philip's face from the skeleton found in his tomb. Notice the scarred right eye. Quite a formidable fellow!





THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

 

Writing historical fiction can mean that a lot of time is spent doing research.  I try to limit this time for myself (because I love researching!) by making sure exactly what I want and need to find out.
There's lots of info available on-line now but it is still a good idea to visit  your library and find some of the books written on the subjects you want to know about.

Not everyone has been as lucky as I have in actually being able to visit some of the places that I am writing about. Even though some are now just archaeological ruins, you can still get the idea of the way things might have been, along with visits to the local museums and all the book research you've done. Certain things can't be 'fictionalized' and you need to be as correct as possible when describing habits, customs and locations of the places in your novels.

For my novel "Dragons in the Sky" I really lucked out when I discovered the Iron Age Celtic village at St. Fagan's Heritage Park near Cardiff Wales. Not only did I see first-hand what the houses were like people lived in back in the days I was writing about, but you could go inside the houses as well. There were people in period costume demonstrating what went on inside the houses as well as some of the materials and possessions Iron Age people would have.

I also visited the site where my story first takes place, Old Sarum on the Salisbury Plain in the south of England, and the remains of the hill fort which gave me some idea of what the terrain was like where my fictional village of Caer Gwyn was located.

But there were still lots of details I needed to know about the life of the Brythonic Celts.  So I went back to the books and spent a couple of weeks jotting down bits of trivia (eating and drinking habits, warriors customs such as the chopping off of enemy's heads and keeping them for trophies. And I had to learn as much as I could about the healing arts, potions and spells so I could add these details to the story. Now I must go back over what I previously had written and add these little tidbits of information which is going to make Olwen's story even more realistic and visual.

Although I am writing a strictly fiction account of this young Celtic priestess's abduction and journey across Europe to Macedonia, I still have to get certain facts straight. I have learned the names of all the tribes and some interesting facts about them. I figured out travel times (by horse) and was able to scope some of the terrain on the google maps. It's been an interesting journey so far. And I want to make it as realistic as possible so that the people come alive and are believable.

It bothers me sometimes when historical fiction writers just second-guess at details and don't take time to make sure that what they have written is logical or truthful. Yes, it is 'fiction', but if you are including historical facts, those details must be correct. As for your interpretation of the characters you have a lot of leeway and, as the saying goes "The historical fiction writer can take as many liberties as they wish in making it a better story".  When I wrote "Shadow of the Lion", I was writing from a historically recorded plot-line so much of the novel had to be correct. Luckily I had some Classical Scholar friends in Greece who helped me with some small details like the way sacrifices and offerings were made etc, what they wore, what they ate. And I was able to interpret my characters according to what research I had done about them. I was also fortunate to be able to visit many of the locations in my story, to study flora and fauna and the lay of the land. It helped me describe things in a very realistic way so that the reader can imagine being there.

"Dragons in the Sky" is not written from a historical plot-line but at some point in the story when Olwen meets Alexander, there are certain events that must be recorded accurately. I can fictionalize her view-point of these events, but historians would have objections if I had things happening with Alexander that were not possible. So I have returned to my big box of research notes that I have kept from "Shadow", and this has really been helpful to me in plotting out the next part of "Dragons."

Remember, when you write historical fiction, you must do the work. Otherwise you are bound to have readers who throw the book down saying 'this is all nonsense'. Make your fiction as realistic as you can get it, make the characters live and breath, laugh and cry. That's what makes a great story!

PLOTTING FICTION: Where to Next?

An Iron Age Celtic Village  (St. Fagans Heritage Park, Cardiff, Wales)

 

 

 

When I started writing Dragons in the Sky back in the early '80's, I had a pretty good idea of how the story began. It started with me hearing the voice of the girl, Olwen, telling me her story, as if I was channeling Olwen. She is a young Celtic girl, raised by the Druids to become  priestess and medicine woman. The first chapters of the story came easily as I wrote down Olwen's words, sometimes using Bardic verse instead of regular prose chapters. She lives in a village called Caer Gwyn, much like the one in the above photo, located below a hill fort at the site of what is now called Old Sarum, on the Salisbury Plain. I've made a number of trips there to research and conjure Olwen's spirit.

 

 

Something dreadful happens at the Midsummer when Olwen is soon to be sent to the Holy Isle for her initiation.  The ricon's (tribal chieftain) renegade son, Sholto, has arrived at Caer Gwyn with a woman, the wife of another chieftain and a young boy he has taken as hostage from a rival tribe.  At the Midsummer Ceremony at the Great Stones, the angry warriors of the opposing tribes attack Caer Gwyn.  In the chaos that ensues when the village is set on fire, Olwen runs to the woods to hide and witnesses Sholto killing his younger brother Ned. He takes her as a hostage and heads south to the Narrow Sea where they take a boat across the Channel to the lands of the Belgae tribes. Olwen tries to alert the ship's boy that she is being held captive, and he tries to help her escape, but Sholto kills him.

They head off toward the east on horseback, crossing the lands of various other Celtic tribes until they reach the Alps, the country inhabited by the Helvettis, and continue on their journey.

As they proceed they meet a young warrior/hunter who tells Sholto that a king to the south is recruiting warriors for his army. This interests Sholto so he heads south, keeping a close eye on Olwen as she is his 'luck piece' because nobody dares to harm a Druid.  I know what happens once they reach Illyria, but it was the in-between part of the journey that has puzzled me.  So I have taken time to write out a rough plot of the possible things that might happen along the way, including several more escape attempts by Olwen.

I've decided to put some of it into Bardic verse rather than describe things step-by-step. The story, as told by Olwen, is written in a poetic cadence. One thing I've decided is that, having been held a captive for so long (it would take them a couple of months to cover the territory), she likely developed what is known now as "the Stockholm syndrome" where a captive becomes somehow 'attached' to their captor.  I also can see her using magic and her skills with herbs and medicines, to help her survive the arduous and sometimes frightening journey. But it was Sholto that was causing me some concern. Although the story is in Olwen's voice, I still need to make it clear what his intention are, what is he hoping to achieve on this journey?  Hopefully I have that taken care of now with my ideas for the plot outline.  It has been quite a different writing journey for me after spending all that time writing Shadow of the Lion which was based on a historic plot.  Writing pure fiction is quite a lot trickier!

Celtic Warriors



PROGRESS REPORT #8: INTERLUDE

Alexander riding Bucephalos

EPITASIS: The part of a play developing the main action and leading to the catastrophe. GK: increased intensity

I've been keeping to my writer's schedule and working like crazy. Yesterday I finished Part V and today I began Part VI, some bits of which I've already written or sketched in, so I am hoping to sail along quickly. I'm already day-dreaming about the party I'll throw when I finally write THE END to this long, difficult Homeric saga.

I took a little break after my day's work the other evening and watched a movie I'd seen once before, "The Age of Innocence" starring Daniel Day Lewis, Winona Ryder and Michelle Phieffer. An interesting story about the very proper Victorian society of turn-of-the-century New York. In spite of the prissiness of the time, there was a lot of excellent sexual tension in this film, although I could have kicked the characters now and then especially that 'innocent' fiance/bride of Archer who turned out to be so devious!

The next day I had to write a scene for the Interlude (Epitasis) of Part V in which there is a hot scene between Ptolemy and his mistress Thais. I just love doing those sex scenes and choreographing the characters. (No, I'm not going to publish it here!) Unlike prissy May in "The Age Of Innocence" Thais was a world-renown courtesan who traveled from her home of Corinth all across Asia with her lover, Ptolemy, who was one of Alexander's Companions and alleged illegitimate half-brother. She's only got a small part in my novel but she's another of the most fascinating women in history, also given bad press by the historians, her main notoriety being that she encouraged the Companions to torch the palace at Persepolis, thus burning up all the Persian's holy books. Unlike some of the other more vicious women in "Shadow of the Lion" Thais proved to be a faithful companion and good mother to Ptolemy's children. And even though he had to legally marry into 'royalty' in order to have legitimate children to inherit his throne (he was the first Ptolemy of Egypt), she accepted her role as 'mistress' graciously.

I must explain here my use of "INTERLUDE" or, as I will call it in the final draft manuscript 'THE EPITASIS". At the end of each Part of my novel I have one of these interludes that takes the reader to a different part of the world where another character is plotting or an event is happening that will have a direct and often drastic affect on the outcome of the main plot. Ptolemy Soter is one of the main threads running through the tapestry of the story. I'd say he's the bright royal blue thread. I begin my novel with a "Prelude" (or Prologue) in which he is writing down the events taking place in Babylon as Alexander lies dying. And he appears throughout the novel, though not always actively involved in the main plot. The novel will also end with an "Epilogue" in which he appears and records the final chapters of Alexander's dynasty. Ptolemy's journals were one of the main sources for the historians (ancient and modern) recording Alexander's exploits and eventual death. Some of the historians claim he was 'self-serving' and slanted his journals to glorify himself. I disagree. From what I have researched I see him as a compassionate man, a faithful friend and loyal soldier of Alexander. He could have vied for command of the army after Alexander's death but chose instead to accept the satrapy of Egypt where he established the city of Alexandria as Alexander had wished. He also 'stole' Alexander's body and brought it to Egypt for burial at Siwah, where the King had wanted to be interred. (Alexander's body was still on display at the time of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, who was a descendant of the Macedonian royal family.)

So I have ended Part V with a scene taking place in Alexandria when Ptolemy has been called upon to join the coalition of generals opposed to the Regent, Polyperchon. Because he is married to the villain, Kassandros', sister, he is bound by family ties to take part. This is just a little bit of the final scene in the Interlude (Epitasis) of Part V.

* * *

Ptolemy stood and paced the room, while a deluge of doubts and memories poured over him, eroding the armour of his resolve, washing away the shell of his invulnerability until he was stripped bare and floundering in a sea of nothingness and rendered defenseless.

Should he pledge allegiance to Kassandros and join forces to expel the Regent? It was clear that Polyperchon made a weak link in the chain of command and so long as he remained Regent, the future of Macedon and the Kings was in jeopardy. He had already launched an attack on Phoenicia and Syria against Eumenes destroying the ships that were to be sent to Polypcheron’s aid. Antigonos now commanded the world’s largest army and had established his superiority over the satrapies. The aging general was in the strongest position of all the Successors to keep control. He knew Antigonos shared his belief in an independent kingdom. If he allied with Antigonos and the others to oust Polypercon, it would ensure Macedon’s future and the safety of Alexander‘s son until he was of the age to take the throne and rule on his own.

The foreign ambassadors had reported that there were rebellions and upsets in some of the satrapies. In Media, Peithon had revolted, and there was unrest in Seleukos domain. Alexander’s empire was in danger of dissolving and the man in the strongest position to reunite them was Antigonos One-Eyed.
He recalled how once, as proud Companions of the King, they had all pulled together like a prize team of stallions pulling the chariot of a god. Yet as soon as their god, Alexander, had died, they had bolted like a team of unbroken wild horses. Ambition and greed had become their only cause. The Successors were living off Alexander’s bounty. (Eumenes had even used some of the royal treasury to fund his naval battles at Byzantium and Tyre.) Little did it matter to any of them whether Alexander’s world, the one they had fought so hard for, would be destroyed.

He thought back with great sadness to those long hours that led to Alexander’s death, how they had kept vigil at his bedside. Even now the scene was as clear as yesterday. Alexander had looked small lying on Nebuchadnezzar’s great bed under the high canopy. They had propped him on a heap of pillows to aid him in his breathing, and stripped him of his clothes because he was burning with fever. The only sound in that ponderous room was the light swish of the peacock fans and Alexander’s shallow gasps of breath. He had leaned over Alexander’s still form to whisper in his ear. “I swear an oath, my brother, that I will defend your empire and be loyal to you till the end of time.”

Alexander’s eyes had flickered open and he thought he saw the faint shadow of a smile on his parched lips. Alexander had moved his hand and squeezed his own slightly as if he had heard and understood. Then his hand went limp and the breath went out of him as his ka took flight.

“Oh Alexander,” he prayed, “look down on your earthly descendants. We are the survivors of your Empire. Help us.”

He repeated aloud the vow he had made to his beloved Companion and King. “I will defend your empire!“ Here was his answer. He knew what he must do. He picked up the stylus and wrote a declaration which he would send first thing in the morning.

“I commit my navy and my troops to your cause. In the name of Alexander we must preserve the empire and protect the Kings.”

* * *

"As on the peaks of a mountain the south wind scatters the thick mist...so beneath their feet the dust drove up a storm cloud of men marching..."
Homer "The Iliad" book III