This post was inspired by Victoria Lynn, my fellow author and friend. Also, I think Abigayle Claire, author of Martin Hospitality (a book I keep meaning to buy a copy of and read), did something like this? I can’t remember.
Anyway, lots of people inspired me to do this (although Victoria was the main one), and … I loved the idea, so here goes.
Y’all know that’s how blogging works for me …
Also, sorry about the post being out late. I was busy yesterday watching Pirates of the Caribbean. *nods* But isn’t Keira Knightley gorgeous, though!? Admit it. You think she is …
- I first got the idea for TDS in the summer of 2014. It barely resembled the current novel.
- Originally, Alice and Ivy were Alicia and Evette.
- And the book was set in France.
- My idea was for a trilogy. The books went like this: The Dressmaker, The Dressmaker’s Secret, and The Dressmaker’s Legacy.
- I didn’t outline TDS. I just brainstormed a little and started writing.
- When the first draft was completed (at the end of November 2014), it was 36,000 words long.
- The character of Hazel (Mrs. Knight) popped up mid-draft. I have no idea why, but she just appeared.
- Alice was originally six. I decided that that was simply too young and moved the beginning of story from 1868 to 1870.
- I felt so bad for Miss Chattoway that I decided to rewrite the ending. I did this five times (counting this last revision).
- After the third revision, the draft was 65,000 words. Now it’s a little over 50,000.
- I drew a great deal of inspiration from Carrie Underwood’s See You Again and the Everly Brother’s Crying in the Rain during the first four revisions.
- However, during this last revision, the theme song has become White Horse by Taylor Swift.
- I hadn’t originally planned to include a dog, a couple cats, and lots of horses in TDS. It just happened.
- I didn’t include a border collie, though. Which is weird for me. That has to wait for Beyond Her Calling. (His name is Bean!)
- Although this book was hard to write and took years to edit, it’s still one of my favorites that I’ve written.
- Returning to the characters is like returning to old friends.
- I don’t know where the original idea came from, although writing about a mission to find one’s parents has always fascinated me.
- I never intended to write about Ivy, so her personality was noticeably absent in many drafts of TDS.
- Miss Chattoway was supposed to have a personality similar to that of Miss Elton, only a lot more socially adept.
- But that personality didn’t work out, obviously. Miss Chattoway just became her secretive self.
- Little Ned Knight’s original name was Henri. He was only two years younger than Alice and Ivy.
- I wrote the prologue just before my final draft. There was much inner debate as to whether it should remain or not.
- I can never decide what Miss Chattoway’s personality type is (as in Myers-Briggs). I think ISTJ, INTJ, INTP, or ISTP. But I’m not sure.
- But I have figured out to MBTI types of almost all the other characters.
- I never planned on this book being anything but a stopping place on the way to better books. But it has become so much more, and I’m so glad I decided to focus on these lovely characters for a time.
There ya go! 25 facts about TDS. I hope you enjoyed them. 🙂
Before you go … you can still sign up for the blog tour of The Dressmaker’s Secret and Ivy Introspective! I won’t be shutting signups down until mid-June at the latest. I’d love to have as many bloggers as possible involved. In fact, at the moment I have a little bit of a blogger shortage going on. 😛
Anywho, you can sign up here.
See ya Saturday!
~Kellyn Roth~
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p.s.
What did you think of this post? Was it boring or interesting? Would you like to see something like this for other novels I’ve written? Is 25 facts too much? How many facts did you already know?
30 Responses
Whoa. I knew most of those, but Alicia and Evette? …I think I like Alice and Ivy better. 😛
Anyway, this is a really awesome post idea! I think 25 was a good amount and it was lots of fun to hear about the novel. Also I’m excited for Bean! He sounds awesome.
*facepalms* I just realized that I read that song as “Dark Horse” instead of “White Horse”, and I was so confused… (I never pay attention to artists, so…) That makes so much more sense… 😛
And yesss do this for all of your novels! It’s great! 🙂
Yes, I definitely like Alice and Ivy better, too. They’re just cleaner and sweeter. 🙂
Okay, good to know! And yes, I’m sooo excited for Bean! I love this dog and I haven’t even written a word about him …
Yes … White Horse makes much more sense than Dark Horse.
I think I will, although it may be a while because I don’t want to do a ton of one kind of post at once. 😛
Definitely.
And yay! I feel that way about characters a lot…but not necessarily about animals. I just realized I don’t have very many animals in my novels… The Blade has an awesome horse, though. I’ve decided Enhanced needs some sort of animal. Any ideas?
Yeah. I was thinking “Well, maybe Kell wanted to get realllly into the revisions in a super harsh way…?” but then I figured it out. 😛
Yeah, that makes sense. 😉 I’ll look forward to them, though!
Hmm … maybe someone could have an animal secretly in the city … like, they weren’t supposed to have one? (Okay, that’s probably a terrible idea …) I didn’t see any animals in the … farm-area-land. Is it an animal-less area?
Haha, yes, I was being veeeerrrry harsh with my revisions … XD But nope, WHITE. Not DARK. WHITE. 😛
Heheh… Well, I haven’t really decided what place animals have…I mean, obviously, they’re needed. But I don’t know what kinds of animals are still there and to what extent that they’re used. Honestly, I can’t remember if I have a different region for livestock and farming or if they’re the same… I dunno. 😛 I think there might be a couple of pets in the city, though. Maybe I’ll add a dog. Or a cat. Will needs a cat in his life, I’ve decided.
I’m very relieved that I was wrong about that. 😛
YES WILL NEEDS A CAT IN HIS LIFE! Though, let’s be honest, lots of people need cats in their lives … 😛
I THINK HE DOES. They’d get along so well. And so true! Thankfully, I do have a cat in my life, and she’s very cuddly. 😀
I have a cat, too. And three kittens, currently. <3 The cuteness is murderous … 😉
Awwwww! *is murdered by the cuteness* Kittens are so adorable.
Alice and Ivy definitely sound better than Alicia and Evette in my opinion. XD And DARN IT KELLYN YOU MAKE ME FEEL BAD AS A WRITER BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE COOL FACTS LIKE THIS. *cries*
(Also, bad Kellyn! I need to see your Pinterest account and you still haven’t fixed the link! XD )
Oh wait… It’s in your sidebar. XD
Yeah, it’s on my sidebar. I guess the Pinterest link at the end of my posts is off? Is that what you’re talking about? ‘Cause I thought you meant the sidebar. XD Anyway, I’ll check that …
Yes, definitely! Alicia and Evette are just … I don’t know. They sound kinda creepy for some reason to me … but that’s just my weirdness. And I think you’d have all kinds of cool facts! Just different kinds of cool facts. 😀
I love this idea!! Hopefully I can do this someday!
I hope you do … it’s really fun to write, and to read, in my opinion. 🙂
I love these kinda facts. 😛 Thanks for sharing the fun!! TDS is an amazing book. AHH.
I’m glad you enjoyed it … thanks for reading! 😀
This is a cool idea! Now if only I could actually finish the novels I’m working on so I can do this on my blog. XD
Why not try to complete a short story? One time I finished a short story, and then I felt better able to accomplishment a whole novel, which I (eventually …) did! Even if it’s just, like, two pages, it’s a huuuge accomplishment! Seriously, writing is hard! Every little bit is amazing! 🙂
Oh my goodness, Kellyn! There are about five of your most recent posts (before this one) that I haven’t read! In the craziness of this phase of my life, it’s just one of the things that keep getting pushed to the back. :/
My interest is piqued about hosting you for your blog tour. I’m hesitant to even bring it up because I don’t want to commit to something that I can’t do. However, how willing would you be to accept a tentative agreement to be part of your tour? And I have more questions, but first I’ll go read you post where you talk about it in more detail. I’ll “see” you soon when I comment there.
Well, that’s all right! I don’t expect you to read all the posts. Just read the ones you’re particularly interested in (if any).
Okay, I’ll check out your comment! And there’s no need for you to commit completely before … the fifteenth of June, I think? Maybe a little later? It depends on how things go. 🙂
I agree with your friend Lana! 25 was the perfect amount though you could go like to 22 or 27 too if you just wanted to slip in a few more or a few less. The book sounds really intriguing. Is it a standalone now I wonder after you stated it was meant to be three books? A great idea!
Okay, good to know! I guess I’ll stick with approximately 25, then.
It is the first book in a series (The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy) which currently has four books (although … I have an idea for a fifth and sixth. But I don’t want to commit to extra books if I end up deciding the fourth book is the perfect ending). 🙂
Loved reading this, Kellyn! 🙂
It was certainly not boring and I think 25 is a good amount. I also think you should do this for your other books too. 😀 I’ll have to read your book sometime; but it’s out of stock on Amazon!! 🙁 How many books do you have/are planning to have in the series? Or is it not a series?
<3 Zielle
Okay, good to know!
Yes, it’s currently out of stock as I removed it from the market to do some revisions. It needed another run-through, and I replaced the cover, too.
There will be either four or six books in the series (I’m still working it out). Book 2 (along with the revised edition of The Dressmaker’s Secret) will be coming out this June. 🙂
Oh, I have another question I forgot to ask, what is a blog tour? 🙂
A blog tour is essentially a way for authors to get the word out about their new novels. I think I explained in more detail towards the end of this post: https://kellynroth.wordpress.com/2017/05/20/cover-reveal-the-dressmakers-secret-and-ivy-introspective/