Fiona Goggin: 'You never know what weird piece of information will spark a brilliant idea'
BY Maya Fernandes
20th Sep 2018
In this interview Fiona Goggin, author of the debut Victorian gothic novel The Silver Bones of Frances Winter, shares her advice for developing an authentic historical narrative.
'I did so much research for this book and probably only around 5% of it made it into the final version. You want enough period detail to build an immersive, authentic world but too much can just detract from the story and risks slowing things down.'
We caught up with Fiona to discuss her time studying with us, her thoughts on choosing the right narrative perspective for your novel and her most anticipated historical reads.
The Silver Bones of Frances Winter tells the story of Frances, an unusually tall young woman growing up in Victorian London. Frances’ extraordinary physical growth is central to the book’s themes of body image and perception. What first gave you the idea for this story?
The book started life as a short story. I had a really strong image in my mind of a mother and daughter, the daughter being much taller than the mother, and their roles confused when viewed from behind. My mum is barely five foot and I’m five foot eight. From about fourteen onwards, I felt huge standing next to her. I’m sure that must have come into it somewhere along the line. I started thinking about how the way you appear physically can influence the way people treat you, the roles people assign you both within a family and society as a whole. That led me to think about how we internalise these roles, how we can become trapped by them.
I loved the idea of exploring these themes within Victorian London. I wanted to explore what it would feel like to look so different as a woman in a society that placed such high value on daintiness and femininity.The first part of the book is all dark cramped corners and narrow streets. You’ve got this girl who won’t stop growing, and the claustrophobic, rigid nature of that world twisting that growth into something she feels is monstrous. As the novel moves on, you see that so much of that restraint comes from herself. I wanted to know what it would take to break those restraints, and what would happen once they were gone.
The novel is told in the first-person present tense, creating a particularly intimate depiction of Frances’ changing relationship with her body. What made you decide on this narrative perspective, and how did writing in the first person shape the way you developed Frances as a character?
Frances’ thoughts and feelings are so integral to the story, I just thought it would be much more powerful and immediate in the first person. When I was writing the book, I was living those scenes, I was walking those streets, feeling those feelings.It was helpful in terms of making Frances’ motivations and reactions seem authentic.
I wrote the first draft of the book in the past tense. Looking back, it felt quite static and lacking in momentum. I was really struggling with how to fix that. I remember one day I was ill and stuck in bed. For some reason I just decided to pick up my laptop and shift everything to present-tense, and the pace picked up and the story just felt more compelling that way. I think it removed a layer of artificiality somehow. It became easier for me to enter into that world and believe in those characters.
The novel is set in Victorian London – do you have any advice for writers struggling to develop an authentic historical narrative without making their writing feel overly researched?
I did so much research for this book and probably only around 5% of it made it into the final version. I cut so much from the first draft. I think it’s just a case of asking yourself why you’ve included something. Does it serve the story? Does it help develop a character? Is the information really essential for the reader’s understanding or enjoyment? It’s a hard one to judge. You want enough period detail to build an immersive, authentic world but too much can just detract from the story and risks slowing things down. Feedback is a great thing. A good beta reader will tell you where things are lagging. Also, just reading back your own work to see if anything jars. If it takes you out of the story, cut it. I still maintain that other 95% of research was worthwhile though. You need that contextual understanding of the time you’re writing in, and you never know what weird piece of information will spark a brilliant idea.
Are there any historical fiction novels on your ‘to be read’ pile that you’re really excited about?
I can’t wait to read the new ones from Kate Atkinson and Rose Tremain. I’ve had both of those on preorder for ages. I’m really excited to read Rebecca Perry’s May We Feed the King. It’s sitting on my pile looking at me but I’m saving it for a day I can shut out all distractions and just read. I’ve heard such good things.
You studied with us on our flagship online Writing Your Novel – Three Months course. How did your time with us shape your approach to writing?
I think it made me so much more ruthless in terms of what stays on the page. I’ll merrily cut entire scenes and characters now if they’re not serving the story.
It really helped me view my work my objectively, to see it through the reader’s eyes. I love writing description. I would happily write a whole book of description but I’m not sure even I would want to read it. The course was so helpful in teaching me how much more effective it is to sprinkle those details throughout the narrative, rather than giving it to the reader all at once.
I found receiving feedback so daunting to start with, but it’s a great introduction into how publishing works. You will get notes from your agent, you will get notes from your editor. You will do the rewrites, and you will get more notes. If you took everything as a personal criticism, it would make for a very painful process. You’re all just working together to make the work the best it can be.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?
It was strange for us as it was just after Covid so everything was online, we never actually met in person, but a few of us are still in touch and everyone has been so supportive. A smaller group of us formed a bit of a post-CBC support club and we’ve helped each other with subsequent rewrites. I am so grateful to them for the number of drafts they have read of my work, and for all their advice, and I have loved reading their work in return. I cannot wait until their books are also out in the world.
And finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
The second book is very much a work in progress. It’s set in 1939 and the central character is much spikier than Frances. I thought writing a second book would be a much easier process but that hasn’t been the case. The ideas are there, the characters, the world, but I keep second guessing myself, thinking I should do everything perfectly to start with to save myself time later on, especially as I now apparently know what I’m doing. I need to remember the best advice of all, which is just write. You can worry about everything else in the edit. Also, nobody ever really knows what they’re doing. We’re all just making it up as we go along.
Get your hands on a copy of The Silver Bones of Frances Winter, out next week with Everything with Words.
Fiona was a student on our online Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in 2021.
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