MEET MY MAIN CHARACTER Blog Hop.

I have been tagged by my friend Paula Lofting, author of Sons of the Wolf, to take part in the Blog Hop: Meet My Main Character. You can read Paula's fabulous Blog Hop here.

This is my first venture into writing historical fiction, it has been my preferred subject for reading for many years. My first book Future Confronted was a memoir/biography of my son Rob, which was published in December 2013.

St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland

I am finding that researching my historical fiction novel is an absorbing process, I love the research.  Now to define my main character which is somewhat of a 'This is Your Life' moment as I try to answer the questions that each of us on the Blog Hop have been given.

1. What is the name of your Character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

The name of my main character is Nychol Granger, and he is a totally fictional character, but caught up in the historical events of the time.

2. When and where is your story set?

My story begins in Edinburgh, Scotland in the year 1400 during the times of The House of Stewart (Stuart) with all its political intrigue.

The Rosslyn Chapel Scotland

3. What should we know about him/her?

Medieval Stone Masons

He is the youngest son of a stonemason, and will, therefore follow in the father's footsteps, as will all his brothers, as is the tradition. He has a good head for ciphering, and an artistic eye. He has watched his father from a very young age, and has learned that it takes a lot of concentration and strength to do the stone work. He has great ambition and drive to be the best. 

4. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

The main conflict is that my main character doesn't want to stay in Scotland and work with his father. He still wants to be a stonemason, but wants to work on many different buildings. His father thinks that travelling to different places will hinder his craft, but Nychol doesn't see it that way. His father tries to talk him into staying, but fails. His mother is so distraught because her son is leaving and cannot accept that he will actually go. Nychol is her youngest, and holds a special place in her heart because he was a sickly child and was not expected to survive infancy.

Canterbury Cathedral Kent England

His other brothers are always trying to bring him down, and this causes animosity between them. This rift between he and his brothers is another reason why he wants to leave. Nychol's leaving creates a brutal divide between them all except his sister. She understands her brother well, and she stands by his decision to leave. Can the rift be healed? Will Nychol return? Will Nychol achieve his goal? He meets many conflicts on the way, and discovers that life isn't simply a case of black and white - right and wrong, there are different shades of both in between. His travels take him from his home in Edinburgh to Florence in Italy, and all places in between. His adventures are many and varied and I am enjoying taking this journey with him.

5. What is the personal goal of the character?

My character's personal goal is to be the finest stonemason he can be. During his travels he seeks out stonemasons where they are building or repairing cathedrals. He offers to work for little money in return for being taught the finer skills of their art. It's a profession where one is always learning, honing skills acquired over many years. His main ambition is to work on one of the finest cathedrals of his time.

Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore Florence Italy

6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The working title for this novel is The Touching of Stones, and more can be read about the writing process here on my blog.

7. When can we expect the book to be published?

I have really only just started to write the first draft, but I am hoping it will be ready to publish in a year, well that is my plan, so it is head down, and carry on writing...

I have tagged the lovely Tinney S. Heath, the author of A Thing Done to follow me on 22nd April. You can find Tinney's blog on this link.