The Enid Blyton Society

Thank you Daisy!

Enjoy my story while it lasts, as I haven't got any idea at all for another one yet!

How about a Secret Series or Adventure Series one? The Train of Adventure? or "The Forest of Adventure? Pyramids?
I know it isn't that easy and you need an idea about the story and not titles... And unfortunately I don't know how to write, only how to read and maybe writing some paragraphs into a new chapter but without too much information... I have a lot of respect for all the writers, a great, big THANK YOU from me!

Can you by any chance tell me in which chapter we learn the entire truth about the girl who featured in this chapter? And I do wonder about their uncle, hopefully next week I will know more...

all will be revealed (about the girl) eventually! Around the last chapter!!

yes, I've thought about Adventure books...though not sure what others are doing, and wouldn't like to tread on anyone's toes. Also thinking of another Famous Five, or maybe an Adventurous Four...but all very shadowy and sketchy at the moment.

the way I write books is that I have to have an inspiration. For the narrowboat book it was simply 'five on holiday in a narrowboat' and for this one it was the idea of holidaying in a highwayman's cottage. After that, the rest of the story sort of magically appears. I never feel I have much input and if ideas don't come, I don't write!

I guess that's why I'm an amateur and not professional! I've never been able to think of ideas for plots - just have to wait for things to fall into place.

Rob Houghton wrote:I guess that's why I'm an amateur and not professional! I've never been able to think of ideas for plots - just have to wait for things to fall into place.

Sometimes I get ideas for novels just by reading a novel and then the plot takes a totally different turn than I had expected (or had hoped for ).
There were two novels in particular, one by a British author, one by an American author which both had female protagonists who lived in a cottage in the woods.
I was thrilled by the idea as that's a very old dream of mine (to live in a cottage in the woods in peace and without any stress) since I've read the "Woodswoman" autobiographies by Anne LaBastille in 1984.
So I bought both cottage in the woods novels in the 1990's, but was equally disappointed as in both books the cottage in the woods was just used as an unusual starting point. Soon the cottage was over-populated with too many characters/protagonists. I thought it could as well have taken place in some flat in the city.

Often just a phrase or a setting or character will give me inspiration and I will write a complete novel out of it (The Last Summer, Five Go Off On A Narrowboat and Rawlins' Reach all started in this way!).

Sometimes I just see a cottage or a boat or a cave or a particular character, and I'm off and away.

Before I wrote 'The Mystery of Rawlins' Reach' I had an idea about Snubby seeing a bald man on a train and then seeing him again but this time not bald. That was the starting point. The rest just appeared magically. Personally I dread the magical part not happening! Its always a complete mystery to me, and I know this is what some may call a natural gift - but to me its a bit of a curse. It certainly has nothing to do with talent - its just some sort of weird mystical thing that I have no control over, and that I am always afraid will just disappear.

I'm currently reading some Famous Five books, and I have a few ideas swimming around, but until I get a good starting point, the rest won't happen.

Rob Houghton wrote: Before I wrote 'The Mystery of Rawlins' Reach' I had an idea about Snubby seeing a bald man on a train and then seeing him again but this time not bald. That was the starting point. The rest just appeared magically. Personally I dread the magical part not happening! Its always a complete mystery to me, and I know this is what some may call a natural gift - but to me its a bit of a curse. It certainly has nothing to do with talent - its just some sort of weird mystical thing that I have no control over, and that I am always afraid will just disappear.

My magical part in 1996 when I wrote a novel was the fact that all I had to do was rer-reading and correcting the chapters written on the previous day and then listening to my few protagonists and they kind of accelerated/sped (as in speed) the story development on. It's hard to explain, but my protagonists just showed up in my mind and all I had to do was listening to them.

yes - I know exactly what you mean, because the same happens with me. I just sort of 'tag along' behind my characters and see what happens! Its bizarre!

Rob Houghton wrote:I know this is what some may call a natural gift - but to me its a bit of a curse. It certainly has nothing to do with talent - its just some sort of weird mystical thing that I have no control over, and that I am always afraid will just disappear.

Isn't life hard for the brilliant amongst us.

I wouldn't know - is it?

Chrissie777 wrote:

Rob Houghton wrote: Before I wrote 'The Mystery of Rawlins' Reach' I had an idea about Snubby seeing a bald man on a train and then seeing him again but this time not bald. That was the starting point. The rest just appeared magically. Personally I dread the magical part not happening! Its always a complete mystery to me, and I know this is what some may call a natural gift - but to me its a bit of a curse. It certainly has nothing to do with talent - its just some sort of weird mystical thing that I have no control over, and that I am always afraid will just disappear.

My magical part in 1996 when I wrote a novel was the fact that all I had to do was rer-reading and correcting the chapters written on the previous day and then listening to my few protagonists and they kind of accelerated/sped (as in speed) the story development on. It's hard to explain, but my protagonists just showed up in my mind and all I had to do was listening to them.

Was it a children book? If yes, I would like to read it.

Moonraker wrote:Isn't life hard for the brilliant amongst us.

sixret wrote:Was it a children book? If yes, I would like to read it.

Sixret, in case you are refering to my 1996 novel "Nantucket Winter" it's a manuscript for novel, not a children's book. I wrote it in German.

Rob Houghton wrote:...yes, I've thought about Adventure books...though not sure what others are doing, and wouldn't like to tread on anyone's toes. Also thinking of another Famous Five, or maybe an Adventurous Four...but all very shadowy and sketchy at the moment.

Another Adventurous Four story would be wonderful, Rob!

Thanks for letting me know, Chrissie.

sixret wrote:Thanks for letting me know, Chrissie.