Another enjoyable meeting of the #HistoricalNovelSociety Devon Chapter last Thursday, even though I had to leave early.

The question of why one writes was raised. I said that I wrote what I wanted to read, but, thinking about it later, I realised that that was a rather simplistic answer.

One of our number was told that the period of her story was not one that was popular. For me that would not be something that I was interested in hearing. I enjoy reading, fiction or non-fiction, about the English Republic. We are often enjoined to write what we know. I think that would be better put as, ‘Write what you are interested in.’ I don’t even aspire to ‘know’ the Republic, but I do my research diligently and I could not do that if I were not really curious about the period. I could not wade through the reading neither could I write with enthusiasm – which I hope comes across in my work – without that relish for the topic.

Part of the reason that I write is that I think other people would enjoy knowing more of ‘my’ period and might come to share my passion for it.

At the end of the day it’s your passion for your period that will make your story worth reading – it’s the story that matters.