New Projects

Now that I am almost nearing the finish line with my first novel, which may or may not be published (we shall see... busy taking out adverbs at the moment...ARGH!), I have a couple of new projects in mind. I am really entertaining the idea of writing a historical fiction about John Keats. As many people know, his short life was marked by quite a lot of drama and illness. Keats died of consumption (tuberculosis) at the young age of twenty-six. Before his death he had made the acquaintance of and fell in love with sixteen year old Fanny Brawne. Of course, a very sweet love story ensues but ends with the sad circumstances of Keats’ disease and inevitable death. Many of his poems are said to have been written for her, and the sadness behind them really tugs at the old heart strings. Of course, Keats had many interesting acquaintances, such as Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, who will lend a little interest to the overall story.

The next project I was thinking about is a short novel with an “obsessive love” theme; a Heathcliff and Kathy type story but in a modern setting. I have always admired Emily Bronte’s style of poetic prose. I want to try to capture that style in this book. I think it would be really fun and imaginative.

The first one, the historical fiction, is rather ambitious and will require a lot of research. I would really like to get back to England and Italy so I can walk in Keats’ footsteps. Right now, it’s just an idea. Once I do a little more research I will know for sure. I read a book called Passion by Jude Morgan about two years ago. It was mostly about Byron, but so good! I think that’s what is inspiring me. I have always thought that Keats was the better poet of the three, and his life was so short and tragic. It will be an interesting read.