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Tag Archives: 1830 Hunter Valley

Juggling with history

16 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by Paula Beavan in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

1830 Hunter Valley, Colonial Australia, Dawn in the Valley, History, labour, native, Settlers

IMG_0404

There are times reader when I really have to wonder what on earth was I thinking? Historical Fiction, should be fun. Or not. I love historical fiction for so many reasons. I love learning about how people lived, their hardships and triumphs; difficulties and the simplicity. If you can call it that. But let’s face it, the lines were clearly drawn and though we may not like some of the things that happened, given the times, would we behave any differently?

Recently I purchased a book, and paid much more than I could ever have imagined I would. The foreword really resonated with me; expressing my sentiments about the past exactly.

Dawn in the Valley

“The history of the Hunter River Valley is the history of human effort, of lives spent in making clear the path through a continent; for this valley was the road of settlement to the North. Men cleared it and spent their lives and sweat and labour, sometimes from greed, in desperation and sorrow, but with all their strength. And it is these lonely and forgotten and savage lives we think of as we read of their day of toiling behind bullock teams, the long day riding, felling, fencing and building their homes. 

We are now in those easy circumstances where we can reproach them for waste and folly, for killing the native dark people, for destroying the forests, for eroding the hills and causing flood by ignorance, destruction of wild animals that ate their crops. Would we have done as well? At least let us who have our ease from their early labour learn how they went about their sturdy land-getting and reflect that ours must always be a less endeavour. For if we do not honour their toil and hopes we have no right to our bread which comes from the paddocks they cleared.”  Foreword by Kylie Tennant. DAWN IN THE VALLEY by W. Allan Wood. 

I’ve chosen to write an historical novel and include real people with histories. This is a decision I’ve often lamented. Because by including real people and real events, I have to try to make sure my story fits and to know when to juggle the history to suit the story.

George Wyndham

This choice has slowed my writing down considerably. Instead of forging ahead with the first draft {although this WIP is not really a first draft, more like a fifth or sixth} and writing 2,000 -3,000 words each day for a month or so, I find myself stopping constantly to research and read about characters and events. I love this kind of research. I could do it all day. I frequently manage to read all day and instead of clocking up 1,000 words, I’m lucky to add 83!

Will this research be worth it? I hope so. I want to write a story about the people who laboured, dug, cleared and built; who fought, killed and bled. I want to write a great story with the right degree of historical accuracy. Because that’s the kind of story I love the read.

How about you? Does historical accuracy matter? Do you like to understand why the people who went before us did what they did? Tell me, do you even like historical fiction?

 

Using real life in the narrative

04 Monday May 2015

Posted by Paula Beavan in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

1830 Hunter Valley, Floods, Hard times, Hunter River, Hunter River Floods, real life, writing

Hello again reader, it’s me.

One thing that I love about having a crazy topsy turvy life is that everything that happens is grist for the mill!

I’ve lived on a sheep station, I’ve travelled and lived out west. I’ve been through bush fires, and floods. Each and every experience has given me an insight into how my characters might handle various situations.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8336/8111574796_4a3e46e58c_n.jpg

 

After all, historical fiction or not, people are people and mostly people react emotionally to situations.

Recently we’ve had an unusual weather system hit and much of the area was crippled due to category 2 cyclone conditions, flash flooding and heavy rain. It hit close to home when my sister’s property was flooded.

Used with permission.

Used with permission.

I have no idea how many horses, cattle, dogs, cats and other pets were lost in the flood waters. There were several deaths and many dangerous situations. These floods aren’t unusual in themselves, its just that the folk who live in town are less effected by the weather. This storm that lasted days, has impacted tens of thousands of homes and properties. Many of the effected were town dwellers, where water and power supplies were disrupted for days. Phone service was limited and staying in contact was difficult. This really hits home when you can’t contact people who may or may not be in danger.

Hay delivery

In my current WIP (work in progress) I have my MC (main character) battling the elements as she takes on the responsibility of running her father’s property on the newly colonised Hunter River. There are fires, bushrangers, natives, and of course floods.

I’ve made use of 1830’s diaries and journals to get a sense of place and time, and have already written of a flood that decimated crops and livestock. Now, having been through this natural disaster, and experienced the devastation first hand I have more scope for my writing. The above is a picture of my husband (standing in the water) and my sister’s brother in law going by boat to “rescue” my brother in law and nephew from their stranded and water logged house; and taking hay to cattle on tiny islands of high ground and seeing floating dead cows, I have so much more to add to my story. A part of me feels that using this experience is a little off. Like ambulance chasing, but on the other hand, I hope this last week or so can add a depth of reality to my writing.

Sometimes a writer must delve into the darker side of life. We examine the hard stuff. Sometimes we write about the things that make us cry, and sometimes if feels like we can hardly express it.

I like to read the hard stuff, to delve into the real thing. When you read or write, do you like to go into the dark places? Do you like a story with the hardships laid out, or do you prefer a more romantic view of life?

 

 

 

Paula Beavan Author

Paula Beavan Author

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