Aurora: Blog

When someone writes and says they love your story you hope that there are lots of others out there who enjoyed it, but just haven't written. If a couple of people write and say they're upset then you know there are a lot more out there who are also upset.

I'm talking about killing off Millie, which has not been well received, and it seems that some people think Jake has a poison penis! There are several reasons as to why I did that, some of which I can't talk about because they are part of the ongoing story. Let me say first that Amelia will be fine and will reappear at a later date.

Now, in Victorian times, and up to within living memory, childbirth was a very dangerous affair, and the chances of losing either mother, child, or both were very good. So poor Caroline, who had already been sidelined was destined for the chop which created quite a lot of drama for the story.

Millie was never going to be exciting character, pretty girl, enthusiastic in bed, good mother, what more could you want? Characters who can create more drama like Victoria, Mary and Hermione that's what. So from the story point of view she had to go. I didn't do it lightly and I was upset. As to how she went, at that time city traffic was building, there was little control and despite the fact that maximum speeds were only a little in excess of 20mph (and mainly much slower) there were nevertheless a lot of casualties. People bounce off cars at that speed, they go under horses, and carriage wheels have a much higher loading per square whatever.

So, there we are, I could be like the Queen, who told the King of Spain when he opjected to Charles and Diana landing in Gibraltar, 'It's my son, my naval base, and my protectorate', but I'd rather say sorry, it's just the way the story goes. Remember, it isn't always the baddies who bite the dust!
Martin

I asked a question and I got replies. So many that all I have done is say thankyou, if I discussed the items individually with each respondent I'd be at it 'til next week! I was actually amazed, as I often am at how little I know (and I'd describe myself as being at least reasonably well informed) about individual things. I'd happily thought that gold was the answer, apart from which SF at that time consisted of bars and brothels. But no, manufacturing and agriculture and other minerals. hopefully my character will be able to fill a ship or two!
Martin

I find some things difficult to research and there are a lot of you out there so: What cargoes would have been exported by sea from San Fransisco in the second half of the 19thC?

I was going to end the story here, I guess it was a bit like Conan Doyle chucking Holmes off a waterfall, but the littel bugger has got to me. The end of this chapter was very difficult and took quite a long time. I'll say no more.

I have substantialy rewritten this chapter (17) because in writing 18 I found that in describing what Hermione was up to I was out of sequence and so parts of 17 have moved to 18, so you will already have read them when that is posted - but it's jolly good so that'll be no hardship! 18 is well under way so perhaps by the weekend... 18 will have a reminder to go back. I expect someone will miss this and that and I'll get messages. Make sure they're not from you!!