Chapter Member
Spotlight Profile
September 1999
Chapter Member
Spotlight Profile
September 1999
Marthe Arends,
Author and a SinC-IC WebSister
Marthe Arends has a sense of humor. This is easy to tell even when one only "knows" her electronically. She's one of our WebSisters, helping to make sure the SinC-IC site runs smoothly. One of her tasks is hunting down and fixing any Spotlight boo-boos I miss (a task inherited from Mz. Paul) before turning the Spotlight loose on you, the hungry public. Marthe, who also writes romantic suspense, could probably find out a thing or two about any one of us, as you'll see when you read on. And this without being a private eye. Do I dare mention her not-so-favorite movie? Nah. You'll find out below. I expect you'll be hearing more of Marthe as time goes on, but for now, here is a teaser. Read on.
"There's no use trying," she said: "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
IC
You chose this because?
Marthe
I've lived by this ever since I was a wee tot. Trite, I know, but it really has been with me forever; I spent enormous energy as a child trying to believe six impossible things every morning.
IC
Give us your six impossible things for today.
Marthe
- I don't have to get up at four am.
- Spiders are my friends and are not out to kill me.
- I don't need to purchase any more books. Really.
- The small bit of metal that mysteriously fell from somewhere about my person was not an alien implant.
- There are lions in the woods surrounding my house.
- I can too write!
IC
You spend many hours in front of a computer. Doing what?
Marthe
In my former life--before fiction--I was a genealogist specializing in computer genealogy...that's using a computer for genealogy, not tracing the family history of Apple and IBM. Remnants of that life still cling to me--I teach three online classes for genealogists, write Internet genealogy lessons for Broderbund, publish a computer genealogy newsletter, and write (surprise!) computer genealogy books for Genealogical Publishing Company.Now that I've dabbled my toes in the delightful world of fiction, I spend even more time on the computer writing historical romantic suspense books, on the Internet searching bibliographic references and sources, and schmoozing in writers' mailing lists.
IC
What book did you last read--and like?
Marthe
I recently finished Mary S. Lovell's Rage to Live, the biography of Sir Richard and Isabel Burton. Despite finding Richard Burton a pretty obnoxious character, I thought the book fascinating. True, I did spend much of the time making rude comments under my breath about Burton, but I liked Lovell's style of writing.
IC
You've birthed a novel and found it a prospective home. How long, and difficult, was the creative process?
Marthe
I started the The Lion's Shadow in August of last year in a desperate attempt to hang onto my sanity. I had just spent nine months working on my first genealogy book, and needed to do something to counteract the atrophy that had slowly crept over my brain. I heard about Painted Rock's Book in a Week contest, thought it sounded fun, and participated unofficially. I wrote most of the first draft during that week, but being a true neophyte, had no idea how long the book should be. I sent it off to a very kind agent who laughingly sent it back with the recommendation that I add 50,000 words to bring it up to industry standards. By that time I was working feverishly on my second non-fiction book, frantic to get it finished so I could completely rewrite Shadow. It took a few more months of rewriting, but at last I had it where I thought I wanted it.This summer I arranged for a professional critique, which resulted in another polishing edit to smooth out some of the rough spots. In one of my rare "hey, it's good!" moments, I sent a partial off to Avid Press, a new small press that was seeking submissions for their grand opening. Ten days later an editor asked for the entire beast, and three weeks after that she offered me a contract. I did the happy dance for days (and am still prone to happy dance outbursts in inappropriate places like the grocery store and the bank, but I think they're getting used to me).
The creative process was not hard in the least--after slogging through books about genealogy software and CDs, it was a downright pleasure to play with plot points, characterizations, murderous villains, and dialogue. Now I'm hooked! Story ideas are popping out all over my fevered brain, and I find myself--even in the most mundane of circumstances like doing laundry--mentally writing dialogue and hashing out plot problems.
IC
Was this your first work of fiction?
Marthe
Yes, I was a fiction virgin. I'll probably be hideously embarrassed by it in later years, but for the present, this book is my baby.
IC
Any thoughts on the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormon) "Family Search web site?
Marthe
I think it's a wonderful starting point for people interested in their family history, but new researchers should be warned that genealogical information should never be assimilated (we are the Borg!) without verification; genealogists are very big on sourcing every single infinitesimal bit of data, no matter how trivial. While the LDS site is a great jumping off spot, I always remind people to take anything they find on there--or any other online database--with a grain of salt until they have verified it with as many primary sources as they can find.
IC
Is your use of bibliographic references related to the historical side of "historical romantic suspense"?
Marthe
Yes, I'm a die-hard researcher when it comes to my historicals. I love wallowing in books and other resources about the era, people, events, and life in general of the setting, and I use lots of online library catalogs to locate books I might otherwise miss. I'm also impressed with the amount of information that can be found online--the book which follows the one I'm working on now is set on board a ship sailing from France to the east coast of Africa. One day I was poking around Alta Vista, and popped in the name of a French steamship line, and lo and behold! There was a web site devoted to the history of that line, complete with ship histories, photographs, menus, and in some cases, layouts of the ships! I was amazed at (and incredibly grateful for) the time someone had taken to put online pages and pages of information about this obscure shipping line--obviously his pet hobby, but invaluable to me.One of the best resources I've found for locating references is people. I'm on a mailing list devoted to E. F. Benson and have received help from a couple of list members who are knowledgeable about Colonial East Africa, the setting for my current book. We have great discussions about books, people of the era, scandals, and odd little things not remotely related, but still fascinating. If it weren't for such assistance, I'd never have tracked down several excellent books (nor become fascinated with Great White Hunters, but that's another story).
IC
Who is E.F. Benson?
Marthe
Edward Frederic Benson was a British writer famous for the Dodo, Lucia, and Mapp and Lucia books (amongst others). There is a very active online mailing list which conducts periodic discussions of his works and related items. For the last two years we've had a big virtual party on Fred's birthday in July--it's silly, it's crazy, it's kind of wacky, but a good time is had by all. Information about Benson can be found at Amber Tatnall's E.F. Benson page
IC
With all that wallowing in historical data, do you sometimes find you've spent more time there than plotting or writing?
Marthe
I love the feeling of power that plotting allows (it's the despot in me; I just can't resist toying with my character's lives and being evil to them), but it's not something that comes easy. My downfall is in the research--I spend months researching a time, place, and people--taking notes like mad--happily ignoring the fact that I haven't actually written anything yet. Only after I've gathered as much material as I can conceivably use in a lifetime, do I chain myself to the computer chair and start dallying with the plot. The creative possibilities always overwhelm me at that point, usually causing me to run amuck with the plot.
IC
I note that many of our members write romantic suspense. What attracted you to this sub-genre?
Marthe
Hmmm. I could say something flip about crossing lines and incorporating as many genres as possible into my writing, but I'm sure the truth is much simpler--I'm a romantic. Mind you, I'm a romantic that doesn't like to go overboard--some books and films, for instance, like the weepfest movie An Affair to Remember annoy me with too much sentimentality and characters that are just too noble and self-sacrificing. Like many people, I grew up reading Agatha Christie, and always liked her occasional light romantic touches--nothing too overt or sloppy, and oh so British!
IC
My heavens, it sounds like writing fiction comes naturally to you. With your brain bubbling with ideas and plots, what aspect of writing, then, have you found the most difficult, if any?
Marthe
The first draft always kills me. I write out as complete an outline as possible, make character lists, highlight plot points, conflicts, fling red herrings about liberally, layer stories, etc., but when I sit down to write the first draft, my palms go all sweaty. Then I usually hyperventilate for a little while, black out, recover, and find that I've only written the title and my name. Sometimes the title isn't there--on especially bad days, I forget what my name is and just stare at that white Word97 page, moaning softly to myself and wishing I had become an astrophysicist when I had the chance. Astrophysicists always have something to say and are never beset by the devils which plague writers.Once the dreaded first draft is down, I'm happy as a clam--I love to revise. Lately I've tried a free writing approach towards the first draft--typing whatever comes into my head without worrying about the outline; some days it works, other days I end up with scenes that have nothing to do with the story and will end up in the attic file.
IC
What diverted you from the astrophysicist path?
Marthe
A combination of educational burn-out and a desire to play housewife to my new husband. Seven years of math, physics, and astronomy took their toll, and I caved in a year short of my degree. I keep saying one day I'll go back and finish, but after pulling out a quantum physics textbook recently--and finding I had no idea what the introduction meant, let alone the text--I'm now willing to admit that my astrophysics dream has gone astray.
IC
Would you want to be on the first, no, make that third, passenger spacecraft to the moon?
Marthe
Our moon? The one with no atmosphere and a history of being hit by everything that moseys its way? Have you seen the impact craters on the far side? The moon is not for me! Now, Mars is another story...that lovely red dust everywhere, permafrost on the poles, gigantic volcanoes three times the size of Mt. Everest, romantic grabens resembling the fjords of Norway...well, perhaps I'm stretching the graben/fjord comparison, but you get the picture. Mars is downright sexy! I'd be on a spacecraft to Mars in a heartbeat.
IC
Do you read and did you ever consider writing science fiction?
Marthe
I read sci-fi in my formidable teenage years, but never really found it as enthralling as mysteries, although I do love any book that's funny. Douglas Adams and Tom Holt are the two sci-fi/fantasy writers that I read. As for writing it--I don't think I know enough about it to write it, although upon reflection, that may be exactly what sci-fi is about...no rules, just sheer imagination. Hmmm. It has possibilities...I see it now, a version of An Affair to Remember set on Mars...
IC
What time period do you wish you could spend a year in and why?
Marthe
Right now I'd like to be set down in 1901, which is when the book I'm working on is set. I love the late Victorian/early Edwardian period because the pace of life was picking up--motor vehicles were starting to appear, women were fighting for equality, great hordes of people were colonizing new areas--in hindsight, that last example isn't too commendable, but I do admire the spirit of independence that sent many of the explorers and naturalists out into wilds with nothing more than a desire to learn about the region and indigenous peoples.
IC
Here's your chance to redeem yourself re An Affair to Remember comment: what are your two favorite movies?
Marthe
The Maltese Falcon and Young Frankenstein.
IC
If your pets became people, what occupation do you think they would assume?
Marthe
I have three Rhodesian Ridgebacks. These are hounds, large, very laid back, bred to hunt lions. The old man (dog, not husband) would be a gynecologist (we won't go into why lest the net censors crack down on SinC-IC). The middle dog would be a librarian--she loves to lick books, especially as I'm reading. The puppy would be a fashion model--she's petite, a color equivalent to blonde, and she knows she's gorgeous.
IC
How would you characterize a Madagascar hissing cockroach, a flea, and a scorpion?
Marthe
Alex, I'll take INSECTS YOU'LL NEVER FIND ON MY DINING ROOM TABLE for $1000.
IC
Of all the advice you've heard or read about writing, did any of it make a difference?
Marthe
There is so much advice out there--and I read a good deal of it--that most of it just went in one ear and out the other. "Write everyday, whether you want to or not," "write when you feel creative, don't force it," "target a specific market and study the examples," "write from the heart and don't worry about whether or not it 'fits' a category"...the one thing that did make a difference (and I'm sorry to harp on this--everyone must be sick to death of hearing me snivel about first drafts) was the statement that you can allow your first draft to be pure and utter dreck. Once I gave myself that freedom by turning off my internal editor, I found myself with oodles more energy and enthusiasm for writing.
IC
What aspect of SinC-IC have you found most useful?
Marthe
The people! I've received a lot of advice and help in the message boards, and while I know there's a lot more to SINC than just that area, I'm enjoying the Workshop as well as the "seeking advice" boards.
IC
Imagine a gazebo. What others, living or dead (in a more lively state, of course) would you like to be there with you?
Marthe
A gazebo implies a dignified, cultured gathering, and would probably not include the motley assortment of folk who make up my family (sorry everyone! No offense intended, heh heh). There are many figures from the years past I would love to meet--Genghis Khan in particular strikes my fancy. But I cannot envision Genghis Khan in a gazebo, can you? And yet, he is a man I am sure would be fascinating, if a wee tad bit overpowering within the close confines of a gazebo. For that reason, I will limit myself to those people who I would be fairly sure would not lop off my head for any perceived or real offense.For my gazebo party I'd like to have Jane Austen, Elizabeth Peters, Jane Digby, Teddy Roosevelt, Sacajewea, and Arthur Conan Doyle. If there was still room, I'd like to add in a few scientists: Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, and Charles Darwin. If the gazebo were especially large, I'd bring in John Singer Sargent, Mozart, and of course--it wouldn't be a gazebo party without him--Fred Benson.
IC
What mysterious words of wisdom would you like to leave us with?
Marthe
"Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die!"I've heard that this is an ancient Coptic saying, and have no idea if it really is or not (did the ancient Copts keep goldfish?), but I like it.
In the immortal words of Douglas Adams: So Long and Thanks for all the Fish.This interview was conducted during the month of August 1999 for SinC-IC by Louise Guardino
Marthe Arends web page
Marthe@sinc-ic.org spot@sinc-ic.org
Read an earlier Spotlight Profile
