M.K. Jones's Blog

Yes, it’s a cliché, of the worst kind.
But, it's where I am with Book 2 of the next Curiosity Club of St Foy book, ‘Emily and Star’.
It’s now over 60K words and the action is ramping up. As are a number of new characters who have thrust themselves into the story and seem to be working towards playing a major part in the outcome. I didn’t know these characters when I set off, but now they are here, well, they just have to make themselves useful.
This is always the most difficult part, deciding when to move pieces on this human chessboard, in and out of the plot.
I often wonder what long distance runners think about when they are well into their run. There must be something going on in their mind – more than just occasionally clocking their time. Do they think about their family, their friends, where’s a toilet stop, what they are going to eat when it’s all over. I think about the latter a lot.
I would like to have this book finished before Christmas, but that’s a lot of running.
If you’ve been reading this blog, then you know that have already written the finale. I can’t see the finish line yet, but I know it’s getting closer. I just have to make sure I keep on the right track, and don’t allow myself to go veering off into somewhere that looks really, really interesting. When you arrive at this place, it never is, but sometimes you just can’t help it. The problem is, you then end up cutting it all out because it led nowhere and you could have spent your time more productively by being disciplined and sticking to the plan.
Anyway, I thought you might like a small, very small taster, just a couple of snippets picked out of Chapter One. Here it is. Next time I write, it might all be done! Or, I might be up a tree or down a muddy track somewhere, trying to find my way back to the main path. Wish me luck.

Chapter One.‘Bette Jones was enjoying her party, or at least, that’s what it looked like to Belle Harrington, who could recognise the difference between real and feigned enjoyment. Bette’s husband, Bert, knowing Bette didn’t like to be surrounded by crowds, had managed to keep the group of well-wishers to under thirty – all of them people that Bette liked, or at least could put up with for a couple of hours. They filled the sizeable farmhouse kitchen with chatter, laughter and congratulations to Bette … The chatter halted at a loud banging on the kitchen door, as all heads turned to see who was turning up late for the party … Bert reached the door and flung it open. The group looked over to see who had arrived. For a second there was anticipatory silence. Then, all hell broke loose.’© M. K. Jones 2022

I am normally a linear writer. I mean, after the rather messy planning, I know exactly where I start and have an idea of how it will end up, then allow the middle to take care of itself as I rattle along. A year or so ago, I had the pleasure and honour of meeting Ann Cleves and exchanging a few words. She told me she also works that way. I couldn’t even think of another way to write.

But, in this new genre, and now writing the second book in the Curiosity Club of St Foy series, I am trying out something completely new. I have written the first five thousand words. I should now be checking the plan from time to time, setting a target and getting on with it.

But, that isn’t working, this time. I don’t know why not. I can’t put my finger on it. So, I’ve taken a deep breath and set off down a new path, from which I can’t see either the direction or the sides (rather like the picture above). I’m now writing the end, the final five thousand words. This time, I have more than an idea about the ending. I know exactly ‘who dun it’, why they dun it, and how each and every character relates to the ending.

It feels rather odd, but exciting. Not just the trying something new, but now having to work out the major watershed points in the rest of the book, planning backwards from the denouement.

So far, so good. Once I have it pinned down, I will start to share a few details about the basic plot. But that’s for another blog. Soon.

In the first blog in this series I talked about starting, major themes of the plot and how I write, or scribble, it down.

That stage is now complete and I am currently engaged in fleshing out the main characters, as well as developing profiles for the newcomers.
As I said before: some good, some very bad. The latter are the most interesting, but also the most difficult to develop. Nevertheless, I have a leading character who is, I hope, going to be very interesting to readers. Because, from the start I have decided that no-one will know if that person is good, or bad. And this is the crux of the novel.

For the main characters, I have been spending time developing their back stories. In the series, ‘The Curiosity Club of St Foy’, there will be five main stories, one for each of the characters, this first one being an event in Bette’s history. So, the revelation of who they are and were, has to be spread over five books, without giving too much away each time. You can see how the complications begin to pile up.
I also want to be sure that the story itself is believable, exciting, intense and enjoyable.

Finally, I have started writing! Just the first chapter, but it’s on its way. With a major revelation in the first chapter.

More next month!

First of all, can I say a huge and heartfelt thank you to those of you who have read ‘All Gone’, the first installment of The Curiosity Club of St Foy. And if you have reviewed and rated it, thank you again. The statistics show me that you have enjoyed it and the majority of commentators are looking forward to the next book in the series.

So, here we go.

One of the comments noted that it sounded like there are interesting back stories for each of the club members. Well spotted that reviewer!
Where to begin?

The Notebook
Before I begin any novel, I have the bigger elements of the plot worked out in my head, which is where it starts and where it will end, plus a few important milestones. I write these down – in my notebook. That’s the picture at the top of this blog. Now, strange and possibly silly as this may seem, the notebook is particularly important.
Of course, I write on a laptop, but when it comes to making notes, I’m old-fashioned. I like pen and paper. The choice of notebook comes at the top of my list of priorities. It has to be attractive, fairly light, so I can carry it around in my handbag or briefcase of the day, and lined. Once I have the right one, I’m ready.

Where to Start
As this is the second book, I have already introduced the characters, and given some hints about their backgrounds. Now I need to flesh these out. Deeper personal descriptions, more hints about their character, their strengths and weaknesses. I am getting to know them better too. They each have a past and I am getting to grips with how this will affect the stories I am about to tell.
This book will focus on an event in the past of one of the Club members, something she had thought was long forgotten, but is about to return and haunt her family.

The Cast
You will already know the main cast of characters: Belle, Bette, Posy, Mavis and Rose. And some of their close relatives. In this next story, new characters will come into play. Some good, some very bad. I am currently working on who they are and how they will affect the storyline.
I don’t usually give away spoilers, but I can tell you that the Club member who will feature at the forefront of this second novel is: Bette.

What Next?
I like to work with a map and a timeline. Not a geographical map but a story map, that brings together past and present in a non-linear way. It develops as it goes along and ends up looking like something a three-year-old might produce after a productive drawing session! I can ‘see’ the important plot points, and it’s my way of making sure I don’t miss anything integral to the outcome.
I have almost completed my notes, and later this month I will begin to write. I am expecting the first draft to be ready by Christmas, and, hopefully, with a fair wind and a full sail, ready to publish by Easter 2023.
I will be updating this blog each month as the novel progresses and grows. There will certainly be challenges in this one. But more about that next time!

A quick update on ‘The Soldier’ before I begin the next blog of writing the new book. I am delighted with the response! In its first week the book climbed to within the top 30 Amazon Historical Thrillers in the UK and the US and was just outside the top 10 in Australia. Many thanks to those of you who bought or downloaded it and for writing a review!

In my last blog I described the feeling of being a couple of miles into a marathon and realizing just how far away was the end. Well, in the past four weeks I have crept closer and am now at 25,000 words, or about one third of the way through. And this is the point at which it gets ‘interesting’ – as in the Chinese proverbial meaning.

Another writer, who I follow and admire, LJ Ross, said on a podcast I heard a few months ago that this is the point at which she begins to doubt herself and her husband has to rush in and prise away her hands from the ‘delete’ key. Right now, I know exactly how she feels! The second third of a book is where the most crucial plot developments/twists/tiny but important details are embedded. You really do have to be minutiae conscious and smart to not give vital information away and to throw in a few ‘red herrings’ but also make sure that you haven’t said too little.

My simile now is moving onto a high wire act, the one with the thin cord, the long pole and the total absence of a safety net. I am now inching my way across to the other side, whispering words of encouragement, mainly Get It Right!

I was helped on the way yesterday when I attended the Perfect Crime writing festival in Liverpool. The guest of honour was Ann Cleeves – she of Shetland, Vera and recently The Two Rivers series – with whom I was lucky enough to have a few minutes’ chat. She told me that she isn’t a great plotter but likes solid structure and gave me some excellent advice about making sure that I have a clear view of the main elements of the story in my head, because if I can’t hold it myself, I won’t be able to hold my readers. I have read all of her books and it was an honour to be able to talk to her.

So, off I go across the wire, frowning in concentration on the crucial elements that will bring the story to its climax and showdown. Who knows, by next month, I may be at the finishing line of the first draft!

Forty-eight hours ago I published the next book in the Maze Investigations series, ‘The Soldier’. Today I have discovered that it has entered the top 100 in both the UK and the US on Amazon and sits just outside the top 30 in Australia.

This is both amazing and humbling. My first book, ‘Three Times Removed’, did reach the #1 spot in Australia on release, but this is the first time I have achieved such a high rating in the UK and the US, so I am thankful to everyone who bought ‘The Soldier’ and have given me the confidence and the impetus to keep writing, which is what I am now doing.

Upwards and Onwards
In last month’s blog I described setting off on a new book as being like a parachute jump. I am now four weeks into the manuscript and it’s feeling more like the start of the London marathon, or rather, about five miles into the marathon and realizing that the remaining twenty miles to the finishing line are a very long way!

But I have made progress.

I have mapped out more of the journey, so I now have milestones. I want to have this book finished in its first draft by the end of January 2022. Hmm. Ambitious. But, with enough dedication and hard work I think I can do it.

The plot of this novel is also clear in my head in helicopter view, but not in detail; not yet. And for me, the detail only comes as I write it.

The characters are taking shape in my head and starting to make their way out on the page. I can ‘see’ each of the main people, in 3-dimensional form. I know their individual appearance, how they speak and react and each of their backstories. I am a visual person, so I need a multi- dimensional view of where I am writing about too. This has involved a trip to a part of the country that I love – Cornwall. All in the interests of research, of course.

A fellow author once told me that she writes in ‘islands’ and can write the crucial moments of her novel long before they occur in the plot line. It sounded like a very good idea, but it didn’t work for me. I am linear. For me, plot ideas around the main story only come as I write, so although I have the start and end in my head, how I will get from one end to the other is part of the mystery, and fun, of the process.

This latest book has reached 5,000 words so far. The finishing line is still a long way off, but I see it in my mind and as I pass the milestones and remain on track, I will celebrate each one.

OK. It’s Sunday, 0820. Mental muscles warmed up. Running shoes back on. Time to hit the road (laptop) for today’s hike.

See you next month.

September 2021

I am about to start on the journey of writing a new book and I am both excited and nervous in equal amounts!
With the latest Maze Investigations novel – ‘The Soldier’ – about to be published, it’s time to move onto the next one. I wrote the last three books as a mini-series that concluded with ‘The Soldier’. Now, I must start afresh. It’s like jumping out of an airplane. You know it will be OK, the ride will be exhilarating and the landing – hopefully smooth and successful! But there will be many pockets of air and a few bumps on the way that must be carefully navigated.
I have had an idea, based on a local history event, for some time, one which also had national importance at the time (late 1830s), although these days mostly forgotten. This was the Chartist uprising in Newport in South Wales.
Parachute strapped on, here we go.
The first step – research. I have purchased several books and am now immersed in reading the social and political background to the event, in November 1839, when around five thousand miners and iron workers, led by John Frost, marched from the Welsh valleys into Newport to protest what they saw as the dreadful conditions in which they lived and worked, under the yoke of the Iron Masters. I am discovering that there are many interpretations of what they expected to achieve. The uprising failed, and its leaders were condemned to a horrific death (hanging, quartering and decapitation), which was commuted to transportation for life, to Australia. They were subsequently pardoned but only John Frost returned, eventually.
The next step – the story. How will Maze becomes involved in this history? What is the ultimate goal? For now, the ideas are entirely in my head, and I scribble them down when something new occurs (often, to be later discarded, but that doesn’t matter at this stage). I have the basic premise, but it will soon be time to put the meat on the bones, which doesn’t always go where you expect it to go, but more about that later in the journey.
Then comes – the characters. The usual Maze investigators and their families will be there, of course. But there will be a client, with a hidden agenda.
That’s all I have for now. But I will be writing about progress and how it’s going (or not!) each month.
At the same time, I am trying out a new category (glutton for punishment!). I won’t say any more about that for now – spoilers!
Tune in mid-October for the next update.

The Curse of ‘What If…’

‘The Soldier’ is now in its final stages. I should feel satisfied. But a growing feeling of dissatisfaction had been creeping up on me for a few days. I had to work out why, so I stopped writing and sat in my garden, trying to figure it out. I got there.

I had planned this story as the end of the mini saga of the Quinn/McCarthy Miller and Maze narrative, but I realised I hadn’t thought clearly enough about the ending, not as in how it would end, but what were the events that would bring it to its inevitable conclusion. So, I asked myself - is it the right conclusion? Light dawned and I conceded that no, it was too predictable and safe. Plus, there had been a phrase wrestling its way into my head as I wrote towards the inevitable conclusion, that I had deliberately pushed away. Just three words: ‘but what if…’ which expanded into ‘what if it didn’t happen like that, but like this…?’ and ‘What if xx didn’t do that, but instead did …’ Now that I had accepted the need for change, I gave it free rein.

Once I had given it permission to take root and grow, the results I hope will be a more exciting tale, a page-turning story.

It has inevitably caused a delay, but I know I can make up the lost time with re-gained enthusiasm for the narrative.

Where will it go? For now, I really don’t know. Many writers say that a story writes itself and they follow where it leads. This is exactly where I am right now. I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks as the new ideas play themselves in and out of the narrative.

I am living in interesting times!

Writing in Lockdown



Progress is good! The manuscript is almost 50% complete, at just over 40K words. It’s time to begin the slow build up to the denouement and the end of the saga. Before that I need to pause and reflect, re-read to be sure the plot threads are working and plan out the next sections.

The trickiest aspect of writing this book has been having no access to archives, museums, libraries, etc. Everything has to come from the internet. Normally, I would visit every site, every county and even country where my books are set. This time I have had to make do with Google.

Fortunately, as this book is re-visiting a previous theme – The Spanish Civil War – I still have the photographs, notes, pamphlets and so on that I gathered on my previous visit. Mercifully, my memory is good, so I can recall in detail the two crucial places – one town and one village – that will be a premier feature in ‘The Soldier’.

One big challenge has been to describe a journey by road through France and into Spain, one which I last undertook about twenty years ago. The photograph is of the border pass. Once the action moves on to Catalonia I will be on much firmer ground, literally and figuratively!

The next scenes to be written will include ‘Charlie’, about whom I wrote briefly at the end of ‘The Policeman’. He will rise to prominence in ‘The Soldier’. More about him next time.

Now 'The Policeman', the fifth Maze novel is out there, I am starting on the next one, 'The Soldier'. No time to waste.
'The Soldier' completes the story of the three messages from the medium Claire Lewis, that consisted of just three words: 'lo siento mucho'.
And it will wrap up the story of the Quinn and McCarthy Miller families
25K words written already.
I will update this blog every couple of weeks, as the journey heads towards publication this summer.
The front cover is already done. Here it is: