Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US
1461: Richard Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place.
I'm pleased to welcome author Wendy Johnson to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

‘The Traitor’s Son’ is my debut novel, and the first in a proposed trilogy re-imagining the life of Richard III. This first instalment covers Richard’s ten formative years between 1461 and 1471 and tells of how a grieving, fatherless boy grows into a courageous warrior of eighteen. 

It is a story of inner conflict, of love, loyalty, sacrifice—and treachery within the House of York. It culminates in a heart-wrenching dilemma, when Richard is forced to choose between Edward, his blood brother—and king—and the man he has come to look upon as a second father: Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I try to write every day – on average for around two hours. My habit is to continually edit my work as I go, so that only when I’m happy with what I’ve written do I carry on with the next scene. This can make for slow progress, but in my experience, makes the final edit much easier, because most of the hard work has already been done. 

I enjoy listening to music as I write: sometimes I’ll find authentic medieval music on YouTube, as this helps to set the scene, but mostly I listen to the Wolf Hall soundtrack by composer, Debbie Wiseman. Of course Wolf Hall is set at a later date, but the music is very stirring and I find it helps galvanize my writing. I’ve recently discovered the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings, too, and find that really emotive.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Two things in particular really helped me improve as a writer. The first was advancing my knowledge of how to write—the Writers and Artists Guide to How to Write by Harry Bingham was invaluable. It helped me hone the craft, teaching me such a lot and opening my eyes as to what was required of an aspiring author. 

The second thing was to constantly read the novels of award winning authors and try to learn from them. Both of these things helped me no end and if new writers are serious about their work, I would recommend trying something similar. I think the third piece of advice I would give would be to never give up—it's a hard road, but if you really want to write and are determined to succeed, then you will. Have faith in your work and just keep going!

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Adverts, articles for Ricardian magazines and Amazon reviews.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

As someone who has been fascinated by the Wars of the Roses for most of my life, I was already very familiar with the history, so I wouldn’t say I was too surprised by anything thrown up by my research. However, while I was writing this first volume, concentrating on the childhood and youth of Richard III, something did occur to me which I decided to incorporate as the major theme of the novel. Richard’s father, the Duke of York, was slain in battle when Richard was only eight years old.

We know from the contemporary record, and from the evidence of his later life, that Richard greatly venerated his father’s memory and its clear he’d felt very close to him. It has often been suggested that this void in young Richard’s life was filled by his elder brother, Edward (later Edward IV), but this has never rung true to me. At the time of their father’s demise Edward himself was only eighteen years of age, and although Richard must have admired his brother’s military prowess and may even have considered him in heroic terms, I believe the ideal candidate for the role of father figure would have been his thirty-seven-year old cousin, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. 

Edward assigned to Warwick the tutelage of his young brother, and Richard underwent his knightly training in the earls’ household. Warwick must undoubtedly have been an influence on the youth and between the ages of twelve and sixteen Richard must have surely sought the paternal guidance of his cousin, as well as the affection of a father figure. 

The more I thought about this, the more I felt I had to introduce the theme to the novel as I had begun to wonder how Richard must have felt when Warwick rebelled against the king. Should he pledge his allegiance to Edward, his blood brother as well as his king, or did he support Warwick, a man who had become a second father to him? Of course, we know from history, that he supported his king, but was that an easy choice to make? In ‘The Traitor’s Son’, Richard sees both options as a betrayal and this heart-wrenching dilemma forms the main thrust of the novel.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

By far, the hardest scene to write was that which described the battle of Barnet. For most of the other scenes in the book, I felt I had at least some point of reference, but a battle was something I found extremely difficult to imagine.

The historical events were easy to research, but the emotions involved are something the vast majority of people will never have to face. At times, it almost felt as though I couldn’t bring myself to write it, but I knew I had to, as this forms the climax of the novel. I got there in the end, and I’m pleased with the scene, but I didn’t relish having to picture it in my mind’s eye.

What are you planning to write next?

‘The Traitor’s Son’ is the first in a proposed trilogy and I’m currently working on the sequel. The second volume will take Richard up to the age of thirty and will cover the events of 1471 through to the early weeks of 1483. The story will be a rollercoaster ride for my protagonist and will once again focus on the trials and tribulations of the three York brothers – what I like to call the ‘fraternal triangle.’ 

As with ‘The Traitor’s Son’ I want historical fact to be the backbone of the novel and so, as well as having to place myself as far as is conceivably possible in Richard’s shoes, I also need to ensure the storyline is as accurate as it can be and that the characters ring true to their real-life counterparts. The trilogy will end with a final book covering Richard’s all too brief reign, and there is a possibility that sometime in the future, I may choose to write about his brother, George duke of Clarence, a man equally maligned and caricatured by history, but that will be some time in the future.

Wendy Johnson

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About the Author

Wendy Johnson has a lifelong passion for medieval history, its people, and for bringing their incredible stories to life. Her specific areas of interest are the fifteenth century, the Wars of the Roses, and Richard III in particular. She enjoys narratives which immerse the reader in the past, and tries faithfully to recreate the later Middle Ages within in her own writing. She has contributed to a number of historical anthologies and was a runner up in the Woman and Home Short Story Competition 2008. Wendy is also a founder member of Philippa Langley’s Looking for Richard Project, which located the king’s lost grave in 2012. She co-authored Finding Richard III: the Official Account of Research by the Retrieval and Reburial Project in 2014, and in 2019 received the Richard III Society’s Robert Hamblin Award.