Leonardo's revenge?
There's a court case due at the month end, the authors of a book are suing the author of the 'Da Vinci code' for lifting the ideas from their research. They originally proposed this grandiose theory. That aside, the decision may have far reaching implications for historical novels. My reserach as an example, has involved reading mining books covering the area and old newspapers to cover the events of the time. I have to do this, partly because I wasn't around in the 1880s and have little or no recollection of any of my alleged past lives. Can I be therefore accused of lifting the story from other sources?
I wait with bated breath, as I am for response on my writing. I have recently entered two short stories to a competition and reached Chapter 15 of book 2. Just could do with some recognition in the printed form. Ah, the cry of the would-be novelist!
Old Newspaper
I have spent another day at the National library reading newspapers!. The old newspapers give a good indication of what was going on and the issues of the day. I trawled through 1887-95, settling for the Cambrian News as a good read. Good! 19th C broadsheets appear to be reams and reams of narrow columns with not very large headings and limited pictures - admittedly photography was not really around back then.
I did find out some important information though about the Tithe Wars. Back in those days, the Church was entitled to a tithe - a figure calculated to roughly a tenth of income. During the 1880s an agricultural slump was not matched by a reduction in Tithe. This led to farmers saying 'we're not church, we're chapel. Why are we paying for someone else's religion?' The clerics refused a reduction in rate and the farmers stopped paying, leaving the church having to go through the courts. Whilst not the severity of the evictions forced upon the starving Irish, the bailiff was still required to recover the money by selling off goods. The traditional heavy-handed approach of the establishment was common at the beginning, with massive police lines and horses leading to disturbances and riots. It was only when they were on the verge of calling in the troops that the Home Secretary intervened and stopped it all, giving all sides time to cool off. Although the bailiffs work did not stop for years afterwards, the affairs were more of a rabble rousing than a riot then on and less common, as the onus went on the landowner rather than the tenant.
That would have been rather a large event to not have at least referred to! Strangely enough, the mass closures of mines in the 1890's and subsequent depopulation got no more than a passing mention.
No news on the book, not feeling so positive about the process anymore, but at least I keep on writing. Just finishing a short story based in ww1 at armistice. It is good sometimes to take a break from your main work, as you can stop seeing the wood for the trees
