Tuesday 11th October 2022
Report by Sarah Noon
Gregory writes historical fiction and his debut novel, set in Hampshire, is entitled “Looking Through the Lace Curtains.” It is a family saga set in the 20th century. Gregory is currently working on his second novel. He is here to talk to us about the learning curve of a new writer (although he describes it as a vertical line rather than a curve!) and the ins and outs of publishing one’s first book.
Gregory is originally from Petersfield, although has not lived there for some time. He talks about how when leaving one’s home, one will “…look back many years later with a certain amount of affection.” This, he explains, is one of the reasons why he wrote his first novel. He talks about the drive which many writers have – his being to leave a tribute to those “… who went to hell and back” in the late 19th century / early 20th century.
Sharing his thoughts about a new writer’s learning curve, Gregory describes it as “…your very own mini Everest.” Adding “…it’s not easy.” However, he says that when writing historical fiction – where the writer is dealing with history – it means that there is some structure already there “…to cling on to.” He goes on to express his admiration for those who are able to write from an empty page.
He describes looking back through Petersfield’s history and events in his life as …”looking in your rear-view mirror.” He explains that there is a blind spot which you know is there but you don’t know what is in it. He continues, “You can see a car coming up to overtake you, then it’s gone.”
“Looking Through The Lace Curtains” stems from a letter that was written in 1994, but unknown to the majority of his family until 2010. The letter was from two sisters in Australia, trying to trace their ancestors. Their father (Freddie) had been born in 1909, and his story began somewhere in England. The two sisters had travelled to England and visited London and Petersfield to try and find out more about where their family came from. Initially, Gregory tells us, they were “…greeted with silence.” But they eventually found family, and went back to Australia in 1994 with many documents. When the sisters’ letter was discovered in 2010, Gregory tells us that there was “…a moral decision to be made,” knowing that delving into family history may bring to light things which may upset others.
Gregory decided that he did want to find out more about his family and the sisters, and he enrolled on a Master’s Degree course in order to “…set himself up to write.” This got Gregory back into the habit of writing. He then went on to research his story of Gertrude and her son Freddy who travelled to Australia as one of its “home children.”
Freddie had told his two daughters what he wanted them to know and what he remembered about his childhood, but Gregory tells us, there were still “…many blind spots.” This issue led him to the issue of “Fact versus Fiction” – can the two meet? However, alluding to the point he made earlier, Gregory reminds us that was not starting with a blank page, as he already had a huge subject “…that needs to be dealt with.” It is, he says, “…a question of organisation.” Gregory also tells us that the era in which his story is set (WW1, suffragettes etc.) means that there is a huge background to put in place, which also requires a huge amount of organisation.
One of the first questions Gregory tells us he asked himself was “How many people do I keep in? How many people do I take out?” He also considered the timeline – should there be flashbacks etc. to explore others’ points of view? He explains that he is also mindful of the fact that his story would affect people still living today who are part of the family. He considered whether there would be possibilities of libel and slander. He explains that he balanced this with the fact that he was making “…an honest attempt…” and was doing his research thoroughly. With this aim, Gregory tells us that he obtained many official documents such as reports, birth certificates and public notices. He goes on to say that these documents gave him the structure for his story. Other tools a writer has, says Gregory, then enable the writer to give sentiment to the story.
Gregory reminds us that before social media was around, people would write several postcards a day to each other, and these sorts of things are often to be found in families’ attics etc. He says that these sorts of things give us “… a notion of the attitudes of the time,” and describes them as “vital” and adds sentiment and emotion to a historical story.
However, Gregory then goes on to show us several images of letters, photographs and documents pertaining to the family, and discusses the internal struggle between fact and emotion that these images create.
The second half of Gregory’s talk, explores the pressures of self-publication. He suggests that even when self-publishing, a writer still needs an agent or someone to assist, as it is “… a monumental task.” Gregory also reminds us that we need an editor. This he tells us, is not always an easy relationship, but it needs to be with someone the writer can trust. Gregory also advises us to ensure we are ready before we go for the final print, as once a writer is committed, the deadlines which loom can create a great deal of pressure.
Gregory ends his talk by sharing with us his three aims when he wrote his book:
- A tribute
- A testimony
- A reminder
We wish Gregory success with his forthcoming second novel.
Gregory Sayer’s website: https://gregorysayer.wordpress.com/
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