More Research

Once I was hooked by the character of Michael Collins I decided to broaden my reading. I continued read as many books as I could find about MC. But I also started to read on the War of Independence in general, Irish history, the Civil War, and even novels set in Ireland and about the Big Fellow. One of my favorite historical novels, which I highly recommend, is Trinity by Leon Uris, and I think I might read it again soon

Of course I watched the movie Michael Collins, by Neil Jordan, (which was really quite accurate if you're not nit picky, except that Harry Boland didn't die the way he did in the movie.) When I first saw it I remember being devastated to learn what happened to this amazing, dynamic, charismatic man. Life strikes me that way some times. I stumbled across a movie that was shown on Ireland TV in the 1990's called The Treaty which is thought to be the best movie representation of Collins, but I have been able to obtain a copy as yet. (I am working on it.) I am anxiously awaiting Where the Wind Shakes the Barley which won Cannes last year, but it won't be released in the U.S. until March 2007. I hear very accurately covers both the wars.

The writing is coming along nicely, and I have about eight chapters now, but in the beginning I suffered from writer's block (a future subject!) Now I am going gangbusters as it pours into my head. I usually do about a chapter a week and finished one over the past weekend (as well as creating this weblog and a private one for my family.) Now I have bits done of two new chapters. In the future I will discuss how I do my writing. I have written several books before, but never an historical novel, so I will discuss the differences I am becoming aware of and what I have learned about its writing.

Slainte! (Did I spell that right?)

Next post: The Writer's Group

How I decided to write this book

In October of 2004 I made my first trip to Ireland. I had been infatuated it since I was a child, thanks to the movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"! (How silly, but that's the truth.) I longed to go there some day, and in the fall of 2004 the opportunity came up. My brother was on a professorial exchange at the Dublin Institute of Technology, and I called and invited myself to come visit him. He was living on Bachelor's Walk, across the Liffey River from the Temple Bar area of Dublin. During the day, his wife Deb and I walked around Dublin seeing the sites, and, in the evening when Jim was home, we often went to see a new Irish play or musical which was part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. What delight. I was amazed by the talent I saw, though I think I'd have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn't had to strain to understand their brogues! Still I fell in love. All in all Ireland was wonderful and the people were friendly and generous. I couldnt have asked for more.

While waiting in the airport for my flight home I meandered to one of my favorite haunts, a book store, where I found a book by Meda Ryan called The Day Michael Collins was Shot. I think it was finished by the time I arrived in Seattle. That was it, I was hooked. I remembered being interested in Michael Collins after seeing the movie of the name by Neil Jordan. So I decided to delve into the subject and see what I could find. Well, I was hooked.

Since then I think I have read about 20 books on the subject of Michael Collins and the Irish Revolution. I have always liked heroes, and here was not just one bigger than life hero, but many. For all the men and women who engineered, fostered, brought on, and fought in the Irish War of Independence were heroes in my mind. These were people whose country had been invaded and whose people had been subjugated by the British many centuries before. Their land was taken away, and they were relegated to the status of slaves to the British and Protestant Ascendancy. It was a tragic story, and even after many attempts at revolution they were still not free. Until 1916 and Michael Collins came along. Yes, many good men and women were instrumental, but, after all the research I have done since 2004, I have come to the conclusion that Michael Collins was the lynch pin and the revolution would not have succeeded were it not for him and the amazing man that he was.

As I gathered more and more information and read more and more books, including novels, it became clear to me that no one had written the book that I felt needed to be written. An historical novel which delved into his childhood and showed how he came to be the extraordinary man that he was. It really amazed me that no one had written this book. I felt that none of the books really captured how beloved this man was and how his death impacted the many friends and relatives who loved him. So that is my goal. Slante.

introduction

Hello. My name is Linda Meyer, and I have begun to write an historical novel based on the life of the Irish revolutionary Michael Collins. I have not titled it as yet, but the working title is simply Mick. This blog will follow the process, the whys and wherefores, the frustrations and delights, the new things I learn about him (or about writing) and the attendant insights. Eventually I may even post chapters so that people can comment and offer KIND suggestions. This is all for today. For you Michael Collins-o-philes out there, I hope you will find this interesting.
Linda Meyer