Category Archives: Research

July 10, 2026 · 10:59 am

Half Way Through 2026 ~ Where am I now in my plans, hopes and dreams?

We have just passed the longest day and now is a time when we experience light for about 19 hours in Scotland, dependent on the weather. Here’s a general catch up in what I’m doing:

WIP

My current work in progress is complete (HOORAY!), has undergone proof-reading, editing for content, authenticity and copy. It has one more hoop to go through before publication, a cover designed and a date to set, probably in late autumn. I will not reveal the title as yet, only to share that it is the final book in my ‘Mystery Inspired by History series’ and, although stand-alone, the sequel to MISSING Past and Present.

MEANWHILE ADVENTURES…

Roger and I decided that 2026 would be a year of mini adventures, with old friends and new. Having moved to Fife ten years ago (11 year with a break of a year in between) we left special people down in Bedfordshire, but they were not forgotten. So far this year we have visited the Lake District, Gairloch, The Chelsea Flower Show, Arran and the Wirrel. With other adventures still to come, we are overwhelmed by the love and affection we feel with those we have shared these precious moments. It is heart-warming, albeit exhausting. I aim to share some of these trips with you on this blog in the coming weeks, as I await news of the publication of new novel.

FUTURE WRITING PLANS

I have one final book I would dearly like to write before I review the future, and that is the third book in my ‘Riduna Series’. I have begun the serious research for this novel, difficult to do so far away in Fife from the South Coast and the Channel Islands. Nevertheless I’ve made a start. Thus I will write more about these trips in due course. Apart from rough notes of events in history I would like to include, a reread of book two and a draft of the first chapter, this is very early days.

A BIG THANK YOU

A big thank you to those of you who have followed my writing journey from the outset and those new readers and casual visitors along the way. I would not have continued in good faith without you!

Photo by u0158aj Vaishnaw on Pexels.com

Leave a comment

Filed under Author Diana Jackson, Inspiration, MISSING Past and Present, Mystery inspired by history series, Publishing your novel, Research

Tagged as , , , ,

June 26, 2025 · 4:39 pm

How to Create an Imaginary Setting for a Novel

Draw a map

Draw out a basic map with streets, footpaths, houses, shops and any other key places. Make it large enough to add to. Link it to other towns, real or imaginary, with arrows at the edge of the page. (eg Bedford 5 miles) Add in railway stations and bus stations, if they feature in your novel.

Add Key Illustrative Details

The village or town in your mind’s eye has streets, crossroads and roundabouts, yes, but what makes it come to life is the detail; the gardens and parks with trees, cafes with tables outside, footpaths along rivers, derelict land maybe, the style of buildings, churches, shops and homes. If your map is big enough, you can sketch these on to your original map.

Add descriptive detail

There is a limit to the amount a small sketch can convey. Possibly using post-its, which will grow in numbers even as your novel develops, write key words, adjectives and features, to help each place come to life. (a cafe might have ~ round bright pink bistro tables with fold up chairs outside, a cosy private corner inside with scatter cushions ~cerise pink and yellow, or arm chairs)

Add photos to give a sense of location and the surrounding area

The photos you add may not be exact but, as authors, we often see buildings, people or scenes which remind us of our novel. Even with imaginary settings, the place you have in your mind’s eye is a composite of many pictures of real places.

Photo by Egor Kunovsky on Pexels.com

Cross reference notes

Use a notebook for extra details which you are unable to add to the map, or on postits. (19th century Victorian red brick church, alcoves with carved saints observing you as you pass by, dark wood panelling inside, triptych of gold and vibrant colours …)

Why?

Why go to such detail and trouble? With an imaginary place it is much harder to be consistent. If you are in the middle of writing and a query pops into your head, as to whether you remember the details correctly, it takes a long while to find the previous reference or description in your manuscript.

With the visual and written prompts, you can ensure consistency, and enable reader to imagine the setting almost as clearly as you can.

Include the map

Some authors even include a map at the front of their novel. This is not necessary, but some readers appreciate them, especially if a ‘sense of place’ is key to the novel.

Leave a comment

Filed under Planning a novel, Research, Writing, Writing a novel

Tagged as , ,

April 3, 2025 · 6:24 pm

Choosing a Book Title

Background

Choosing a book title is a personal thing. Some authors know the title before they begin to write, in fact it appears miraculously as they are doing their research.

Others wait until they have written the first draft. On reading and editing it a title appears as being an obvious choice.

Then there are some novels which arrive at the publishers and one of the team, it could be the editor doesn’t like the chosen title and persuades the author to choose a different one.

Choosing Janus ~ Gateway to Heaven on Earth

My parent’s original title of their novella was simply ‘Heaven on Earth’ so why did I think fit to amend it? Firstly it is a prequel to my Riduna Series, set from the late Victorian era through to WW1 and on to 1920. For both books in the series I chose names which reflected the setting but added an air of mystique.

Riduna, my first novel, is allegedly the ‘Roman’ name for the island of Alderney. Although some researchers have cast doubt over this more recently, Riduna was once seen on shop fronts and as the name for the local rugby team. In fact, folks from Alderney used to call themselves Ridunains.

included with permission

Ancasta, from my second book Ancasta ~ Guide me Swiftly Home, is the Goddess of the River Itchen, Southampton, from which this novel flows, before, during and after WW1.

Thus, when I decided to publish my parents’ novella, I thought it would be quite nice to continue the theme. Janus is said to be the ‘door’ or ‘gateway’ to another dimension. Since my parent’s little book was titled ‘Heaven on Earth’ I felt that Janus would be a perfect Gateway to the island life they described therein.

This is what Wikipedia says of JANUS:

“In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (/ˈdʒeɪnəs/ JAY-nəs; Latin: Ianvs [ˈi̯aːnʊs]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways,[2] passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (Ianuarius).[3] According to ancient Roman farmers’ almanacs, Juno was mistaken as the tutelary deity of the month of January,[4] but Juno is the tutelary deity of the month of June.”

The paperback was released, appropriately, in January this year

Janus ~ Gateway to Heaven on Earth is now available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon,

in paperback from The Great British Bookshop,

as an e book on various sites including Barnes and Noble, Apple and Kobo

and can be ordered from any good bookshop too giving the ISBN:978-1-7393286-4-1

Wikipedia writes of JANUS:

“In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (/ˈdʒeɪnəs/ JAY-nəs; Latin: Ianvs [ˈi̯aːnʊs]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways,[2] passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (Ianuarius).[3] According to ancient Roman farmers’ almanacs, Juno was mistaken as the tutelary deity of the month of January,[4] but Juno is the tutelary deity of the month of June.”

3 Comments

Filed under Alderney, Author Diana Jackson, Channel Islands, Research, Riduna, Writing a novel

Tagged as , , ,