A Death in the Royal Family - Writing Prompt (August 2019)

Flowers outside Kensington Palace following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Photo Credit: Maxwell Hamilton from United Kingdom [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The theme for this month's writing prompt comes from our August book review, a murder mystery.

Writing Prompt
There has been a death in the Royal Family.  Write a scene about the aftermath of the royal's death. Feel free to write about a fictional, historical or real royal family. (3-5 pages)

Things you might include:

• Who passed away?
• How did they die?
• Their connection to the Monarch? 
• Their connection to your main character?
• What is the public's reaction? 
• What did politicians and other public figures say?
• What mourning traditions do the Royal Family have?

If you want something more challenging, write the scene twice, changing your point of view to another character.

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Her Royal Spyness Solves Her First Case by Rhys Bowen - Book Review (August 2019)

Disclosure: This blog post contains some links to books on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For this month's book review, we are looking at our first Royal-themed Mystery. It takes place in 1930s London and focuses on the Great Depression's effect on the upper class and Prince Edward's relationship with Wallis Simpson.

I stumbled across the "A Royal Spyness:" Mystery Series at my local library. Originally, I had selected On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service (Book 11) as a possible book review choice. But when I realized the book was a part of a series and all royal related, I had to start with book one. 

The book is an absolute delight. And I'm about half-way through book two. 

Her Royal Spyness Solves Her First Case

By Rhys Bowen

(Book 1 of A Royal Spyness Mystery Series)

The year is 1932, and the world is only two years into the Great Depression and two decades into the reign of King George V of the UK. Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, or Georgie for short, is 34th in line to the throne. As the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she is the pinnacle of high society and has just finished her debutante season. 

The Great Depression and her late father's reckless gambling has left the family in financial ruin. Her brother, The Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch is forced to cuts off her allowance, leaving Georgie broke. Her family hopes to marry her off to a wealthy, foreign prince. But Georgie, ferociously independent, would rather make her own way in the world than marry that fish-face. 

"Things are bound to be brighter in the morning, I wrote in my diary. I have taken the first steps in a new and exciting adventure. At least I am free of my family for the first time of my life." (Pg. 18)

Georgie flees Scotland for London and takes on a series of jobs to support herself: sale assistant at Harrods, housekeeper, and model. Georgie is forced to hide her identity, as it would cause a scandal for a member of the extended royal family to be taking on jobs like this. 

While in London, Georgie is asked by Queen Mary (her first cousin, once removed) to spy on the Queen's son, Prince Edward (then Prince of Wales) and his new fling, Wallis Simpson. Prince Edward has only recently begun his relationship with Mrs. Simpson, and Queen Mary wants to know if things are serious between the would-be king and the married American. 

Things get more complicated when an arrogant Frenchman tries to lay claim to Georgie's 800-year-old family estate, Castle Rannoch. Georgie & her brother are prepared to fight to the death to hold onto the castle. But when the Frenchman is found dead in their bathtub, George must clear her family's name and find the killer. 

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Some Musings on: 

Her Royal Spyness

With each month's book review, I share with you some of my musings on the book. What I thought interesting, thought-provoking and inspiring, etc.

A Cozy Mystery?

One of the goals of our monthly book review is to learn more about the different writing genres. While you don't need to include all of the tropes of the genre in your writing, understanding the genre and what readers expect allows you to craft a satisfying and understandable story. 

Her Royal Spyness can be best defined as a "Cozy Mystery." Cozy Mystery (also called Cozies) is one of the mystery subgenres. I had never heard the term, Cozy Mystery, before reading this book. I first came across it in my library's catalog, which described it as:

These popular mysteries typically feature cleaver amateur sleuths (usually women) with very little violence. Murders happen off stage, and generally to unlikable people.

I think that is a perfect little description. (We do go into a little more detail about the subgenre in our writing research blog post.) As I was reading Her Royal Spyness, I could definitely see how this book, and the subgenre, differed from other mystery novels I have read that weren't Cozies. And I could see how this book shared characteristics with other cozy mystery novels I had read (even if I wasn't aware of the subgenre at the time). 

I really liked the book and the subgenre. And I definitely want to read more Cozy mysteries, starting with the rest of this series. (I am currently half-way through book 2.) I am excited that I now have a term for this kind of mystery I like. It will make finding an enjoyable book much easier. 

I think this book is a very good representation of the Cozy Mystery genre. But, I will note, that in my research on the genre, it seems a lot of Cozies take place in small towns where everyone knows each other. Her Royal Spyness takes place in the bustling city of London. While this is a little bit of a departure from the genre, Bowen created this "small-town" feel by creating a tight social circle of London's high society. So, we still have this tight-knit group where people know each other and are very interconnected much like a small town. 

The Other Genre

Her Royal Spyness obviously falls into the mystery genre. But would we also consider this Historical Fiction? 

We looked at the genre, Historical Fiction, a few months ago, when we reviewed Philippa Gregory's The Last Tudor. While definitions of the genre vary, the definition I most agreed with requires that the time-period play an important role in the plot. (I.e. The story would not work/make sense in a different time period.) (And often the specific location is important to the plot as well.)

As I was reading this book, I kept that definition in mind. And I decided that yes, this qualifies as historical fiction. 

Her Royal Spyness does depict fictional events, and the author made up most of the characters. But the setting, time period and larger events are real. (e.g. The Great Depression, Prince Edward & Wallis Simpson's relationship, etc.)

Historical Fiction is one part fact and one part fiction. The genre allows an author to create a compelling story and use their imagination and creativity. Her Royal Spyness doesn't follow historical events as closely as Philippa Gregory's The Last Tudor did, but it is nevertheless Historical Fiction. 

Character's Name

One of the things I had a bit of difficulty with was keeping track of all the characters, especially the young males. Bowen had the difficult task of managing a large cast of characters, who popped in and out of the narrative. And, like a lot of mystery novels, the final scenes bring most of the characters together for the big reveal. 

One thing Bowen did was carefully tie the characters' name to their identities. She did this two ways, though a good use of titles, and ethnic names. 

Who had a title, and their rank was an important element of the story. Bowen emphasized people's titles throughout the book. And while there were a number of titled characters, Bowen used a lot of different titles to distinguish one from another. For example, there were only two Princes who made an appearance in the novel. And, they were noticeably different from each other. 

The second thing Bowen did was, she gave characters names based on where they were from. (E.g. the man for Ireland had an Irish name, and the man from France had a French name, etc.) Where a character is from was often an important part of the characters' identity and referenced a lot. And while there were a number of British character, there was usually only one or two characters from each foreign country. So, the fact that I could immediately recognize O'Mara as an Irish name, reminded me who this character was.

It is very important that when a character pops back into a story that the reader can immediately remember who they are. Writers can do this through a lot of subtle clues, but names are a big way. So, it is important that you give your characters distinct and memorable names. 

Chekhov's Gun

I had first heard about the writing principle, Chekhov's Gun, a long time ago. But I recently came across it in an article and that got me thinking about it in the context of my own writing and then again as I was reading this book. To summarize Chekhov's principle: If there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first scene, it should be fired in a later scene. If you aren't going to fire the gun, don't include it. In other words, every element in your story should have a purpose. Irrelevant elements should be removed as they give false promises to the reader. 

Photo Credit: rawpixel.com from Pexels

While I don't think Chekhov's Gun applies to all kinds of writing, I think it can work very well in mysteries. Mysteries are all about those little things that seemed insignificant when you first came across them, but they later proved to be very important. You want to give the reader all of the clues to solve the mystery, but keep them guessing until the end.

I'm not saying every detail needs to point to the killer. Mystery Novels are also all about red herrings and making almost everyone, in turn, a viable suspect. But, use your little details with purpose. You don't have to have an empty wall. If hanging a gun there isn't going to have any significance to the story, put something else up. Maybe it's a coat of arms, that later helps you uncover the character's secret lineage. 

As I was flipping through the book to re-read sections or look for quotes, I came across some clues I had totally missed the first time. They seemed so insignificant, but now that I know who the killer is, I wonder why it was not obvious. 

Real-Life Royals

Her Royal Spyness's main character, Georgie, is a fiction member of the extended royal family. But, Bowen does include some references and cameo appearances from real British royals from the time. Bowen's depicts these royals as caricatures of themselves, focusing on the well-known aspects of that royal. 

 In the "Notes and Acknowledgments" page, Bowen says:

"This is a work of fiction. While some real historical personages make cameo appearances in this book, Georgie and her friends and family exist only in the head of the writer. I have tried to ensure that royal personages do nothing out of character and accurately play themselves." 

I rather like that Bowen included the real British royal family in her work, even if they are pretty superficial characters. With historical fiction, I think referencing real events and people can help the reader put the story in the right historical context. My understanding of the 1930s is greatly improved once you remind me what was going on in society and in the lives of the royals. 

While a reader doesn't need to know a lot about British royal history to enjoy this book, knowing a little bit will add some depth and entertainment to the story. If you look closely you will find all sorts of cute little references, like this possible match for Georgie:

"What about the Greek royal Family? That delightful little blond boy? But I'm afraid he's too young, even for you." (Pg. 29)

That delightful little blond boy is none other than Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's future husband. He is 11 years old at the time. It did sort of make me laugh, at him being considered as a suitor for Georgie when I know he ends up with her cousin, Elizabeth. It is also interesting to consider that in 1932, Philip & Elizabeth have not met yet.

One thing I would suggest though is making a little Royal family tree for yourself that you can refer to. Even if you are pretty familiar with the royals, King George V can be easily confused with King George VI. I was a little peeved there wasn't a family tree included in the book. 

Here is a simplified family tree, with people's titles as of 1932: (Fictional Royals in Blue.)

• Queen Victoria I & Prince Albert 
• King Edward VII (Bertie) & Queen Alexandra
• King George V & Queen Mary 
• Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (David) 
• Prince Albert, Duke of York & Duchess of York 
• Princess Elizabeth of York
• Princess Margaret of York
• Daughter of Queen Victoria & Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch
• Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch & Clarie Daniels
• Lady Georgiana (Georgie)

Historically Accurate?

Her Royal Spyness is set in 1932 London during the Great Depression. I think Bowen, in general, did a good job of creating this historical context. It definitely felt like 1930s Britain. And it's interesting to see the effect of the Great Depression on Britain's upper-class.


In the background of the story is Prince Edward's affair with Wallis Simpson. This affair is very well-know because in 1936 it was one of the things that lead to Edward's abdication. But this affair is actually where Bowen took some creative liberties. 

 Lady Thelma Furness & Prince Edward in 1932
Photo Credit: Life, 29 April 1932 [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson first met at a party in January 1931. But their romantic relationship didn't really start until 1934. Between 1931 and 1934, Prince Edward was in a relationship with Lady Thelma Furness, another married American. So, Bowen's depiction of Prince Edward & Wallis Simpon's relationship in 1932, isn't exactly accurate. Bowen shifted the timeline of their romantic relationship by about 2 years. 

Her Royal Spyness is supposed to be a fun cozy mystery, not a serious piece of historical fiction. So, I'm willing to overlook this and the few other historical inaccuracies. 

I think Bowen wanted to create something entertaining, focusing on the well-known details. Most readers know about Edward & Simpson's relationship, but don't know the exact timeline or much about Edward's previous relationships. So, it's an understandable decision to replace the not all that well-known married American that Edward was seeing in 1932, with his very well know future-wife. 

One thing I have to given Bowen credit for is she accurately portrayed Wallis Simpson as married. This is one of my pet peeves about books/films featuring Edward & Wallis. Most of us, today, think of Wallis Simpson as the American Divorcee. But, in 1932 Wallis is still married to her 2nd husband. And it isn't until 7 months into King Edward's reign that Wallis files for divorce for her husband (October 1936). The divorce is finalized in May 1937, and Edward & Wallis are married a month later.

(If you are looking something more historically accurate, I would recommend King Edward VIII: An American Life by Ted Powell, which we reviewed last year.) 



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Chekhov’s Gun - Writing Research

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)
Photo Credit: Author Unknown [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

‘Chekhov’s Gun’ is a writing principle often used in novels and scriptwriting. The principle basically says: 

If you have a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, then it must be fired in a later act.  

If it's not going to be fired, then it shouldn't be there.

Checkhov's idea is that every element in your story should have a purpose. Irrelevant elements should be removed as they give false promises to the reader. 

This doesn't mean every element needs to play a significant role in the plot. You will have elements that help to describe the setting, character, mood, backstory, etc. But there should be a reason you are sharing this information with the reader. 

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Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a famous Russian writer. This principle comes from various letters he wrote.  

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Cozy Mystery Genre - Writing Research

Photo Credit: Anna-Louise, Pexels

Within the Mystery Genre, there are many sub-genre, including Cozy Mystery. The term, Cozy Mystery (or Cozies) was first coined in the late 20th century, to describe a lighter type of mystery. A cozy mystery usually does not involve graphic sex or violence. Murders usually happen off-stage and to unlikable characters. 

Cozy Mysteries often take place in a small town or tight-knit community, where most of the characters all know each other. The main character (usually a woman) is a clever amateur sleuth, who is able to solve the mystery by using common sense and logic. The main character often has friends who assist them. 

The villain is usually a normal person, who is motivated by greed, jealousy or revenge.  The reader is given all the clues to be able to follow the sleuth along and make their own predictions. At the end of the story, the main character solves the crime and can clearly explain how the crime happened and why. 

Cozy mysteries have a much higher emphasis on plot and character development, especially when they are a part of a series. 

Cozy Mystery Book Reviews:

• Her Royal Spyness Solves her First Case by Rhys Bowen
• Reviewed August 2019
• Book 1 of A Royal Spyness series

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Queen Elizabeth II (Pocket GIANTS Series) by Victoria Arbiter - Book Review (July 2019)

Disclosure: This blog post contains some links to books on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I ended up hating our original pick for this month's book review. So, I turned to my bookshelf for a last-minute replacement. This biography had been sitting there, unread, since I bought it in 2016. And I'm very glad I finally got around to reading it.

I choose this book from my bookshelf, partly because it was fairly short, only 117 pages long, and something I could read and write a blog post about before the end of the month. But I also chose it because of the subject matter. I really like Queen Elizabeth and know a lot about her, but I think you can always pick up some new insights.

This book, Queen Elizabeth II, is part of The History Press's Pocket GIANT series, which consists of 100 concise biographies of “people who changed the world.”

The History Press explains that Her Majesty was included in their Pocket GIANTS series:

Because she is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. 

Because her rule has spanned twelve British prime ministers, twelve US presidents and seven popes [as of the book's publication in 2016]. 

Because she heads a Commonwealth over 2 billion citizen.  

Because she is the oldest serving monarch in the world.  

[From inside front cover] 

The book was written by royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter. And was published in 2016, to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday.

Queen Elizabeth II 

by Victoria Arbiter 

The book, Queen Elizabeth II, looks all the important moments [as of 2016] of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. It covers everything you need to know to understand, who the Queen is, and how the monarchy had evolved and modernized over her reign.

When Elizabeth of born in 1926, she was known as Princess Elizabeth of York. No one, at the time, expected she would grow up to be Queen. Her grandfather, King George V, was on the throne. And her uncle, Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales was heir. But in 1936, her life changed. In twelve short months:

• Her grandfather, King George V dies.
• Her uncle, Prince Edward becomes King Edward VIII. 
• King Edward VIII abdicates.
• Her father, Prince Albert, becomes King George VI.
• & Princess Elizabeth becomes heir to the throne. 

The Queen has dedicated her life in service to her country and the commonwealth. These were not just words she said in her 21st birthday speech, but words she has lived by. This biography highlights the Queen's unwavering commitment over her 6-decade reign. Today, Elizabeth is Britain's longest-reigning monarch. While she has upheld may of the important traditions of the monarchy, she has also played an important role in helping it adapt to the 21st century.

I very much enjoyed this wonderful book and I would highly recommend it. But if that is not enough of an endorsement, here is the back cover blurb from former US First Lady Barbara Bush:

"I am a great admirer of Her Majesty. This gem of a book beautifully encapsulates the life of one of history's most iconic royals." (Back cover)

(If you are interested in learning more about King Edward & the events that lead to his abdication you should check out  King Edward VIII: An American Life, which I reviewed last year.)

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Some Musings on: 

Queen Elizabeth II

With each month's book review, I share with you some of my musings on the book. What I thought interesting, thought-provoking and inspiring, etc.

Why this biography?

While this is a good book, it is one of many good biographies about Queen Elizabeth II. I choose this book because it was sitting on my bookshelf unread. But I want to take some time to explain what is unique about this Queen Elizabeth biography.

This book covers everything you need to know about the Queen's reign and how the royal family got to where it is today. It is a short and easy read that gives a general overview. It is very fact-oriented, with a little analysis. 

It is not a tell-all. There are no anonymous sources or juicy details. 

This book is meant for a general audience. It is quite suitable for a reader who doesn't know much about the Queen. But if you are like me, and know a fair bit, you can still get a lot out of it. Especially if you aren't that familiar with the Queen's early reign. (One of the interesting things I learned was how the selection process for a new UK Prime Minister changed during the Queen's reign [pg. 54-55]).

The author herself is also one thing that makes this book unique. Victoria Arbiter is a seasoned Royal Correspondent who has worked with numerous news organizations around the world. She is also the daughter of the Queen's former Press secretary, Dickie Arbiter. And, while her father was press secretary, they lived at Kensington Palace in a grace & favor apartment. 

Why Read A Biography?

While our blog, The Royal Novelist, focuses on writing fiction, I feel it is important that we also look at non-fiction. Different kinds of non-fiction each have their own benefits to a writer. But, overall, non-fiction can teach us about how things work. When you understand things better you are able to write about them in a more vivid and understandable way.

While this biography is going to teach some things about The Queen, her reign, British & Commonwealth history, etc. it will also give you some general insights into royal life that you can use in your writing. You are never going to get a more accurate depiction of the royals than through examining real-life royals. 

One little anecdote I particularly loved was from a reception for the press that the Queen held at Buckingham Palace in 1981. The palace held the reception and press briefing in hopes of getting the media to back off of the younger royals, particularly the newly married Princess Diana. William "Bill" Deedes [1913-2007], the former editor of the Daily Telegraph, recalls:

"I was in a small group with the Queen when she observed, 'It's hard on a girl if she can't go to the local sweet shop without being cornered by photographers.' The then editor of the News of the World, Barry Askew, said rather plaintively: 'Why couldn't she send a footman for the sweets.' The Queen replied, ' I think that is the most pompous remark I have ever heard in my life.'" 

(Excerpt from The Independent, 29 October 2009, obituary page; quoted on page 71.)

While biographies do deal a lot with facts, there is also a storytelling aspect. I found this book especially thought-provoking as my writing involves some back story, that I need to explain succinctly. If you think about it, back story is basically a bit of history that you share to make today's events make sense. 

Chronological order

While covering events in chronological order certainly isn't groundbreaking for a biography, it was a very good choice for this book. (Opposed to structuring the book around themes, or writing it as 3 acts, In Media Res [in the middle of things], or as a hero's journey.)

One of the main things Arbiter tried to show was how the royal family's image changed in the eye of the media and the public over time. And that is something you can only do by looking at events in the context of the time. I particularly enjoyed this because I know about a lot of these events already, but having this historical context added new depth.

BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives from Canada
[CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

For example, Arbiter talks throughout the book about how the Queen has embraced new forms of communication over the years. The Queen showing her coronation on TV takes on new meaning when you realize that televisions are still very new at the time & many people bought a tv specifically to watch the coronation. This is one of the first big international events to be shown on TV:

"Thirty thousand spectators spend a damp night camped along the processional route, and a further 3 million swarmed into London in the early hours. Seats in the stands were filled to capacity, and across the country people gathered around newly bought television sets. Churchill was staunchly opposed to televising the ceremony, but Elizabeth went against the advice of her ministers, believing the nation had a right to participate. [...] It was estimated that 27 million Britons tuned in to watch the coronation. The young queen's decision to televise the event proved a wise one."  

(pg. 45, 47) 

Chronological order also helps show you how one event led to another. This helps to illustrate the impact and importance of each event. 

Quotes

One thing I especially loved about the book was the use of quotes. Each chapter begins with an epigraph that helps to set up the chapter's topic. And then Arbiter used quotes inside each chapter as needed. Quotes can add a lot to the book's credibility since we are hearing things directly from the Royals themselves. Quotes can also help to ground the narrative to a specific event at a specific point in time. This is especially useful in a book that is very fact-oriented.

I loved that Arbiter quoted from so many of the Queen's iconic speeches. I actually took the time to read thought some of them that I wasn't so familiar with. And as a result, I created a blog post with links to the texts of some of Queen Elizbeth's speeches, which includes most of the ones referenced in this book.

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Queen Elizabeth II of UK's Speeches/Addresses - Royal Research

The Queen during her Speech at the Home Office HQ in 2015
UK Home Office [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Here is a selection of Queen Elizbeth II's speeches and addresses, with links to the full-text from Royal.UK & video or audio from Royal Family's youtube when avaliable. It's a mix of iconic speech, important moments and things I just found personally interesting.

Leave a comment if there are any speeches you feel should be added.

1940

• Children's Hour radio address
• 1st radio address
• Audio

1947

• 21st Birthday Radio Address to the Commonwealth
• Audio

1952

• Christmas Address
• (Her 1st Christmas Address as Monarch)

1953

• Coronation Day

1957

• UN General Assembly
• Video
• Christmas Address
• First televised Christmas Address
• Video

1958 

• Christmas Speech 
• (Talked about her children's privacy)

1977 

• Silver Jubliee speech to Parliament

1989

• Christmas Speech 
• Part of the speech was filmed in front of a live audience during a Save the Children's Fund concert

1992

• 40th Anniversary of Accession Speech at Guildhall
• The "Annus Horribilis" speech
• Christmas Speech

1997 

• Death of Princess Diana
• Golden Wedding Anniversary

2002 

• Death of Queen Mum
• Golden Jubilee at Guildhall

2004

• Opening of Memorial Fountain for Princess Diana
• Sovereign's Parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
• When Prince Harry graduated 

2005

• 7/7 Bombing speech at Royal London Hospital 

2006

• 80th Birthday speech at Mansion House
• Opening of new Ascot Race Course
• Children's Literature Garden Party 

2008

• Christmas Address
• 60th Birthday of Prince Charles
• Prince's Trust Headquarters

2010

• UN General Assembly
• Video
• Pope's Visit to the UK

2011

• State Banquet For Queen's Visit to Ireland 
• Video
• Christmas Address 
• Two Royal weddings (Will & Kate and Zara & Mike)

2012

• Diamond Jubliee (On Accession Day in February)
• State Opening of Parliament
• Video
• Diamond Jubliee (To coincide with the week-long celebrations in June)
• Video

2013

• Christmas Address 
• Birth of Prince George

2014

• State Banquet for Ireland State Visit
• Video

2015

• Home Office HQ for 10th Anniversary of the Civil Service Awards

2016 

• Patron's Lunch
• Video (Prince William gives a speech before her.)

2018

• Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
• Christmas Address
• Two Royal weddings (Harry & Meghan and Eugenie & Jack)
• Video

2019

• 75th Anniversary of D-Day

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Forces for Change: British Vogue (September 2019 Issue) - Other Book News

Disclosure: This blog post contains some links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

September 2019 cover of British Vogue

While not technically book news, this magazine will definitely be an interesting read. & it is now available on Amazon!

HRH The Duchess of Sussex has guest-edited the September issue of British Vogue. The issue is titled, "Forces for Change" and highlights female changemakers, who are making a difference around the world.

“Through this lens I hope you’ll feel the strength of the collective in the diverse selection of women chosen for the cover as well as the team of support I called upon within the issue to help bring this to light. I hope readers feel as inspired as I do, by the ‘Forces for Change’ they’ll find within these pages.” 

- Duchess Meghan

The cover features 15 female change-makers, as well as a silver reflective mirror to include the reader and encourage them to be a force for change.

The 15 women on the cover are:

• Adwoa Aboah - mental health campaigner and model
• Adut Akech - model and former refugee
• Ramla Ali - boxer
• Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New Zealand
• Sinead Burke - diversity advocate and lecturer
• Gemma Chan - campaigner and actor
• Laverne Cox - LGBTQIA+ advocate and actor
• Jane Fonda - campaigner and actor
• Salma Hayek Pinault - women’s rights advocate, actor and producer
• Francesca Hayward - Royal Ballet principal dancer
• Jameela Jamil - body positivity advocate and actor
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - author
• Yara Shahidi - founder of Eighteen x 18 and actor
• Greta Thunberg - climate change campaigner and student
• Christy Turlington Burns - founder of Every Mother Counts and model

Duchess Meghan has written a "Letter from the (Guest) Editor" for the issue and gives an interview with former US First Lady Michelle Obama. Prince Harry also contributed to this issue with an interview with ethologist Dr. Jane Goodall.

The magazine is available on newsstands in the UK and digital download on Friday, August 2.

Now available on Amazon Kindle! Amazon offers either a single issue or annual subscription to the magazine. (Make sure the issue you are selecting is 01 September 2019)

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Holiday with an Old Friend - Writing Prompt (July 2019)

Monte Carlo, the Principality of Monaco
R Meehan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

For this month's writing prompt, we wanted to give you a situation and just have you start free-writing.

Writing Prompt
Write a scene where your character is on holiday, and they run into an old friend. (3-5 pages)

Things you might include:
What your character was planning to do while on holiday?
Where are they staying?
Are they trying to keep the visit a secret from the press?
Who is traveling with them?
What is the history between the two friends?

If you want something more challenging, write the scene 2 ways. The first time have the two friends get along great. The second time have there be some hate or animosity between the two friends.

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The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot - Book Review (June 2019)

Disclosure: This blog post contains some links to books on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

You may have noticed we haven't posted a book review in a few months. SORRY! I could write a whole blog post of excuses. But one of the main reasons is, I got sidetracked after I read this book. I had to read the rest in the series. (I've gotten up to book 6 so far.)

But the good news is our June book review gets my highest recommendation! In honor of my birthday, back in April, I decided to reread one of my absolute favorite books.

This book is one of the reasons I love the royals and why I decided I wanted to be a writer. So, without further ado:

The Princess Diaries 

(Book 1)

By Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries is the fictional diary of Mia Thermopolis, a high school freshman living in New York City, USA. Mia has plenty of problems in her life. She is failing algebra. She is five foot nine and flat-chested. She is single and the guy she likes bearly notices her. And NOW, out of 2 million men living in Manhattan, her mom has to go on a date with Mr. Gianini, Mia's algebra teacher.

Mia is a relatable 14-year-old. She struggles in school, loves watching tv, hanging with friends, and is bullied by her school's cheerleaders.

Mia just wants to be normal and fit in. But then her dad comes into town and tells Mia, she is a Princess and heir to the throne of Genovia. And Mia's life gets turned upside down.

"I'm so freaked out I can bearly write, plus people keep bumping my elbow, and it's dark in here, but whatever. I have to get this down exactly the way it happened. Otherwise, when I wake up tomorrow I might think it was just a nightmare. 

But it wasn't a nightmare. It was REAL. 

I'm not going to tell anybody, not even Lilly. Lilly would NOT understand. NOBODY would understand. Because nobody I know has ever been in this situation before. Nobody ever went to bed one night as one person and then woke up the next morning to find out that she was something completely different." (pg. 43)

(And yes, there is a Disney movie based on the book. It's a loose adaption. There are a lot of differences, and the book is much better [in my opinion].)

(Note: As always, page numbers reflect the edition I used. They will be different if you are reading a different edition.)

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Some Musings on: 

The Princess Diaries

With each month's book review, I share with you some of my musings on the book. What I thought interesting, thought-provoking and inspiring, etc.

Mia, The "Normal" Girl

One thing I always loved about this book series is, Mia Thermopolis is a "normal" girl. She struggles with the problems that almost every teenager faces:

• School 
• Self-Esteem 
• Body Image
• Bullying
• Pressure to drink
• Pressure to be in a relationship and hit certain milestones (e.g. French kiss)
• Family problems
• etc.

And the story doesn't start off with a Princess, dealing with princess problems. Rather, it starts with a "normal" teenage girl and her "normal" problems. Mia doesn't find out she is a Princess until over a week after the story begins (pg. 26). And rest of the world doesn't find out about Mia being a princess until two-thirds of the way through the book (pg. 146).

I like to that Cabot waited to bring up the Princess issue. I think Mia being normal is what really resonated with readers and made this such a popular book series. 

One of the scenes that struck me most was a fight between Mia's parents, Helen Thermopolis and Prince Phillipe of Genovia. Mia goes to her room and puts on headphones to drown out the sound of her parents fighting: 

"At this point, I decided it might be best to retire to my room. I put my headphones on so I wouldn't have to listen to them fight. This is a trick I learned from watching kids on made-for-TV movies whose parents are divorcing. 

[...] 

I lift up my headhones. They're still at it. 

Looks like it's going to be a long night." (pg. 167, 169)

For me, this just seemed like an incredibly human moment. Parents fighting is something almost every child has experienced, especially those who grew up with separated parents. And it has nothing to do with being royal. 

I think as we are writing characters who are royal, we must remember they are also human and will go through the range of human emotions and experiences. Don't be afraid to make your characters imperfect.  

French Language

I really liked the use of foreign language in this book. Mia Thermopolis is an American, living in New York City, and her native language is English. But, Genovia's official language is French. So, most of Mia's conversations with her Grandmére (French for Grandmother) happen in French. 

Flag of Genovia, as depicted in the movie
Blakegripling_ph [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

The French language is a way of incorporating some of the Genovian culture and also creating a distinction between Mia's normal New York life and the Royal Genovian life. 

But what I thought Cabot did particularly well was incorporating the French language while not burdening her reader. This is especially important for a younger audience, as they may not have a lot of patience for translation. 

What Cabot often did was have Mia write the conversation in her diary in English, but then tell us the real-life conversation happened in French. 

"Only it sounded even worse because it was all in French." (pg. 86) 

"Then my grandmother used some pretty strong language. Only since she said it all in French, only my dad and I understood. My mom and Mr. Gianini just stood there. My mom looked mad. Mr. G[ianini] looked nervous." (pg. 209)

Cabot also sprinkled in some French terms, many of which were new to Mia, so Mia defined them for herself (and the reader) in her diary.

Diary Entries 

The book is written on the form of diary entries. Cabot does a great job with this medium. She uses it to give the reader a great first-person narrative. We get to see all of Mia's private inner thoughts and the part of her she doesn't share with the public.

We also get to follow events in the moment. This can create great suspense. We finish one diary entry, it ends in a cliff hanger, and we have to flip the page, to the next entry (that might take place a few hours later) to find out what happened. And while we are in suspense, Mia may also be sharing her own excitement, fear, etc. about what is about to happen. 

But an interesting thing about this medium is, while we are following events moment to moment, most of the diary entries are actually written in the past tense, as Mia is writing about that just happened (in the recent past). It does give Mia some time to reflect and come to some conclusions. 

But it's also funny and interesting when Mia writes about what is happening while she writing the diary entry. It reminds us that we are living in the moment with Mia.

Entry Headers

One thing I noted is, the diary entries don't feature a constant header style. For example:

• "Thursday, September 23"
• "Wednesday, September 24, Fifth Period"
• "Really Late on Friday, Lilly Moscovitz's Bedroom"
• "Saturday, October 4, Early, Still Lilly's Place"
• "Saturday, October 11, 9:30 a.m."
• "Later on Saturday"
• "Saturday Night, Ladies' Room, Tavern on the Green"

Cabot didn't feel like she needs to be rigid about the header format. The headers are a way of marking a new diary entry, and showing the passage of time and possible change of location. Cabot gives the reader the information they need to understand this entry and where it falls in connection to the previous one.

It also speaks to Mia's character. She is not the type of person who would be rigid about how she labels her diary entries, especially as this is supposed to be her private thoughts.

This is definitely something I will be keeping in mind, as I like to use headers to mark each scene. And I was debating recently about whether I ought to be consistent or not, given that there are some different location changes, but most of my story takes place in the same location.

Multimedia 

Maggieab10k at English Wikipedia
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

One thing I love about Cabot, as an author, is her use of "multimedia." She does this in a lot of her works.

The Princess Diaries is mainly written in the form of diary entries, but Cabot also includes a lot of other types of things: todo lists, top 10 lists, math notes, poems, etc.

These things may seem like they have nothing to do with the story. But they always relate somehow. Cabot uses it to share information, foreshadow, help to fill a gap of time between story events, etc. For example, when Mia's crush finally really notices her, she is unable to focus on her school work: 

"HOMEWORK 

Algebra: ??? Can't remember!!! 

English: ??? Ask Shameeka

World Civ: ??? Ask Lilly. Forgot. Can't ask Lilly. She's not speaking to me.  

G&T: none 

French: ??? 

Biology: ??? 

God, just becuase a boy might like me, I completely lose my head. I disgust myself." 

(pg. 182) 

Varying Lengths

I also like too how the diary entries varied in length. One line/short entry can be a very good way of showing a passage of time, building suspense/frustration, etc. One of my favorite short entries was: 

"Past Midnight, Sunday, October 12 

She still hasn't called."  

(pg. 112)

The diary entry is in some ways totally unnecessary, as Cabot makes it clear from the diary entries before and after that Mia's friend hasn't called. But the entry helps to show that Mia is really preoccupied by the fight she is having with her friend. Mia's not only staying up late, but this is literally the only thing on her mind. 

(It reminds me of the blank pages in Stephenie Meyer's New Moon. Meyer used black pages as a wonderful way of showing that Bella Swan is sort of out of it after Edward Cullen's departure. Meyer is saying there is literally nothing of note in Bella's life during those few months of blank pages.)

Young Adult (YA)

"What genre is this book?" is an important question to ask and think about as you read. Doing so will help you better understand the genre, and the characteristics of it, which is crucial for a writer.

When I was looking for this book, at my local library, I found it in the children's section, not the teen section as I had expected. This was very interesting as I tend to think of the children's section as ending at Middle Grade and the teen section being Young Adult.

So, while I was reading I kept thinking about how I would classify The Princess Diaries. (And I did try to focus only on this book, not the entire series, as the books get more mature as the series continues.)

I decided that The Princess Diaries is a Young Adult novel and really belongs in the teen's section.  I felt like the subject matter, themes, language, writing style, length, etc. all aligned more with the Young Adult genre. (Cabot's website confirms the book is Young Adult.) 

Princess Lessons

If we are looking at this from a royal research point-of-view, The Princess Diaries book series has some great insights on protocol, etiquette, etc. 

Princess Lessons by Meg Cabo

Throughout the series, Mia has princess lessons with her grandmére, Dowager Princess Clarisse Renaldo, every day after school. Grandmére is instructing Mia on a variety of topics. So, there is a lot of great information to pull from.

I would note though that Grandmére is quite old fashioned and traditional, so her princess lessons don't always apply to a younger modern generation. (And there are definitely rules that Grandmére made up to fit her own personal preferences.) So, take everything with a grain of salt. 

And remember the less your novel is based on the real world, the more liberty you have in creating your own rules of protocol and etiquette.

I would also note that the early books in this series don't go into depth with Princess Lessons, as Mia isn't doing any royal duties yet. We start to see Mia's doing real princess duties in book 4, Princess in Waiting (also called Mia Goes Forth), when she travels to Genovia for her official introduction to the Genovian people. 

There is also a tie-in book, Princess Lessons, that goes into more details about "how to be a princess." But I will note that is more a pre-teen self-help book, aimed at the series's readers, rather than an actual etiquette/protocol guide.  

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