The books behind 'A Belfast Tale'

A Belfast Tale, a soulful tale of  troubles, love and friendship set between Northern Ireland and America, was published today. While I await its appearance in the Amazon store, I am all set to address the smudgy windows and the dusty skirting boards after a year and a half of relative neglect. (Yes, Jean Adams would take a turn in her eye!) Before I commence the post-novel-writing spring-clean and tidy all the books away, here are some of the many books that built A Belfast Tale.

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I found this gem of a research resource during a visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol. Children of the Revolution is a fascinating insight into the lives of the sons and daughters of those involved in the Troubles. I couldn't put it down! I came up with the idea of a young boy who is jealous of his friends travelling on a prison bus after reading it. The first chapter of A Belfast Tale is actually called, 'The Prison Bus,' and the thread runs all the way through the story, leading to a pivotal moment on the day of the Shankill Bomb.

   

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After writing two novels, I began to read my first book about how to write a novel! (The cart before the horse on every level.) Anyway, the writing book made me very sleepy, so I decided to read Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project instead. The penny dropped and I learned more about character from this novel than I could ever have learned in a creative writing book. My first attempt at A Belfast Tale lacked strong characters. Don Tillman saved the day!

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Lost Lives is the backbone of A Belfast Tale. Every death associated with The Troubles is chronicled in a non-political way. You'll feel like crying just by holding the weight of 3600 lives. Every household in Northern Ireland should probably have a copy of this book as a reminder of what went before. 

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The message I took from this beautifully written motivational guide is that I am an apprentice writer with lots to learn. Anyone who has ever enjoyed writing will be able to make sense of their lives if they read The Art of Work by Jeff Goins.

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I discovered Away up Thonder on my first research trip to the Spectrum centre on the Shankill Road. I met some people from a local historical society whose tales of Belfast's past served as seeds for my story. Someone told me to buy Bobby Foster's wee book. I loved reading his wee book and gained an understanding about the Shankill past and present.

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What can I say? It all started with a Roxboro horse and a statue of King Billy outside Carrickfergus castle. Then I found this great wee history book in the Book Nook in Larne and a motif was born. As I progressed through the three versions of A Belfast Tale, I reached my own King Billy-life balance of less is more. Phew!

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I love exploring the connections between the US and Ireland and particularly the lesser known Scots-Irish connections. In Born Fighting by James Webb, I learned that the bloodline of the Scots people who left these shores due to religious persecution after the Battle of the Boyne is still flowing through the Southern States today, a result of years of consistent emigration and stagnant immigration. It makes me smile to think that protagonist Annie might hae a freen who crossed the Appalachian mountains in the mid 1700s! 

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We each wrote a story about the Troubles on this John Hewitt Society course at the Shankill Road library last October. 'That Day', by a lady called Barbara Gowdy, was a touching short story about one of the most tragic days in Northern Ireland's history. I included the words 'That Day' in reference to Bloody Friday in A Belfast Tale. Thank you Barbara for a really moving story. And thank you to all those participants on the course for your help. Sally, the handbag story made it in!

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​Although A Belfast Tale is written in Standard English, there is a bit of Ulster-Scots in the dialogue and within the prose. I was armed with these resources at all times because I hadn't a clue how to spell many of the words. I also depended on www.dsl.ac.uk for words that were not in The Hamely Tongue. The spelling throughout A Belfast Tale is a mix of Scots and Ulster-Scots. Thanks to  the Discover Ulster-Scots centre for the material.

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December Bride was an inspiration on so many levels. I read it after writing A Belfast Tale, but it certainly affected many of the edits made in the final draft. I have used Bell's first paragraph as inspiration for the personification of the buildings in the story. If I can ever create a character as intriguing as Sarah Gomartin, I'll be a happy writer. 

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Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman came right in the middle of publishing Snugville Street, which was just before the final re-write of A Belfast Tale (I do multi-tasking well!) Harper Lee's first novel was slated by the critics, but I loved it for its purity, its historical context and the story of its journey to being published. Lee's editor advised her to re-write this story from a child's perspective and To Kill A Mockingbird was born. As I said above, I'm an apprentice writer and I'll learn from the great crafts men and women of this trade. 

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Here she is. A novel primarily narrated from an Irish Protestant perspective, all dressed up in emerald green. I think she suits it:) Amazon will send you an email to let you know it's available if you click here.