Ask the Author: S.D. Sykes
Answered Questions (9)
S.D. Sykes
Hi Anthony. Thank you for this question, and I'm so pleased that you have enjoyed the Somershill books. I have two main ways of approaching my research before writing. Firstly, I'm lucky enough to live in rural Kent, where there are many buildings that have survived from the 14th century - such as Penshurst Place, Ightham Mote, Scotney Castle and Bodiam Castle to name a few. I make an effort to visit and spend time in as many of these places as possible, just to soak up the atmosphere and imagine how life must have been 650 years ago.
In terms of desk research, I have relied heavily on the following primary sources, all of which date from around the period I'm writing in:
The Luttrell Psalter - a 14th Century prayer book with incredible illustrations of everyday life from the 1340s.
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Piers Plowman by William Langland
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville
The Book of Margery Kempe
My secondary sources have included the following books - all of which I can thoroughly recommend if you are interested to find out more.
The Black Death by John Hatcher
The Scourging Angel by Benedict Gummer
The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
Other than that, it is trips to many museums, the British Library and reading PHD papers from students with a specific interest in medieval history.
In terms of desk research, I have relied heavily on the following primary sources, all of which date from around the period I'm writing in:
The Luttrell Psalter - a 14th Century prayer book with incredible illustrations of everyday life from the 1340s.
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Piers Plowman by William Langland
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville
The Book of Margery Kempe
My secondary sources have included the following books - all of which I can thoroughly recommend if you are interested to find out more.
The Black Death by John Hatcher
The Scourging Angel by Benedict Gummer
The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
Other than that, it is trips to many museums, the British Library and reading PHD papers from students with a specific interest in medieval history.
S.D. Sykes
Hello there! This depends on the genre, I guess. In terms of literary fiction, I have always been fascinated by the intensity of the doomed love between Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights. There is such a passion and affinity between the two of them - even after death. In crime fiction, I'm a great admirer of Agatha Christie, and particularly enjoy the relationship between Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings. Hastings can be something of an amusing side-kick, but he also asks the questions that we are asking as a reader. I also like the way that he makes fun of Poirot's rather pedantic and sometimes conceited nature.
S.D. Sykes
Thanks Thomas. I tend to read historical fiction - particularly historical crime fiction, so a historical setting always appealed to me . In the 14th century there were (obviously) no phones, forensics, police force. This makes the solving of a crime a little more of a cerebral exercise, involving deduction and interrogation. I like the challenges this presents to me as a writer. It makes the investigation less procedural and more about the strength, and weaknesses, of the protagonist. I also just love history - particularly medieval!
S.D. Sykes
I've always been in love with Venice. It is the most inspiring, beautiful, mysterious, even spooky place that I've ever been. In fact, it's like nowhere else I've ever visited. I would defy any writer not to be inspired by this city! Writing a series in the 14th century, I knew that my characters would just have to travel to Venice, when it was a key provider of pilgrimages - offering a fleet of galleys that set off twice a year to Jaffa in the Holy Land.
S.D. Sykes
Like many authors, I've been writing stories since I could write! I still have my first story, written when I was five or six years old. I guess writing is just something that I've always done. It's a part of who I am.
S.D. Sykes
I'm currently working on my third book in the Somershill manor series. It's 1358 and my protagonist, Oswald de Lacy has travelled to Venice, as he makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The city is an overcrowded, thriving and exciting place - but it is also dark and dangerous - full of temptation, corruption and paranoia. When Oswald makes a terrible mistake, he finds himself at the centre of a murder investigation.
S.D. Sykes
Write every day. Get into this discipline and let the habit form. Love writing for its own sake, and not because you think it will be your ticket to fame and fortune. And read, read, read! Read as many books as you can - from every genre. It will teach you so much.
S.D. Sykes
The best thing about being a writer for me is the work itself. The process of imagining, plotting and then writing a novel. I love spending time with my characters. I love spending great stretches of my life in the 14th century. I love seeing my daily word count grow into a world that I've personally created. The whole process is incredibly rewarding.
S.D. Sykes
I'm not entirely convinced by the concept of writer's block. There are always issues with any piece of work - but these are just problems that need solving. So, I either sit down and analyse the problem and try to come up with a solution. If this isn't getting me anywhere, I take a break. I go for a walk and then come back to my desk, and once again sit down and try to come up with a solution. It usually works.
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