February - Rosemary Temple
Rosemary Temple
Rosemary Temple début fantasy novel ‘Found’, has been recently published by Pegasus. She was born and raised in Essex and grew up riding horses and enjoying outdoor pursuits. Rosemary studied Education and Drama at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln. During her time at University she became involved in two theatre companies who performed at the Fringe in Edinburgh. She is currently working as a Primary School teacher in Lincoln. Rosemary has always had ambitions to write from a very young age and is now working on her second novel.
‘Found’ by Rosemary Temple
The world is divided into those modern industrial societies, caring only for materialism, and the primitive, tribal cultures that still value the natural world. Each tries to avoid the other. But there are wanderers, people who rebel against the world they were born into and try to find solace in the other form of society. Uncle Joe and his niece, Autumn, are two such wanderers. Joe had left the rat race to discover the tribelands, to find a simpler way of living, and he had cared for Autumn from tragic childhood to burgeoning adulthood.
Autumn loved her carefree life, her traumatised early childhood a mystery to her. Their arrival amongst a previously unknown jungle tribe leads Autumn to discover her need for more than the companionship of Joe. As she finds herself falling deeply into a new relationship, she also discovers the terrifying feral secret held by the tribe; a secret which will tear their worlds apart.
For a chance to read the opening chapter of ‘Found’, please see here.
Writing East Midlands discussed writing and her inspiration with Rosemary.
Your debut novel, Found, has recently been published by Pegasus. Can you tell us about the book? How did you get the idea?
Found is set in a divided world, split between the primitive, tribal lands and the modern, materialistic societies. Autumn and Joe are Wanderers, both from the modern world but choosing to live a life of discovery amongst the tribal people. Joe is Autumn’s uncle, and has cared for her since she was five years old. Autumn has no recollection of her life before Joe, not even her parents, and is seemingly happy to leave it as a mystery until they come across the Myat tribe. Autumn discovers her need for more than the companionship of Joe, and finds herself falling deeply into a new relationship as the feral secret of the tribe begins to unveil itself.
The idea for my story literally fell into my head one day, and just flew from there. I had spent a little time in The Gambia whilst training to be a teacher, and was inspired by the people I met there and how content they were with the simple lives they had and the natural amenities around them. They wasted nothing and had a respect for their environment that ran deeply. That experience definitely sparked the need to write about people like that, and to contrast their way of life to the one most of us lead. The characters are inspired by people I know, which makes them very real for me, and I suppose there is a little of me in there too. I want readers to believe in my characters and to connect with their stories, that has always been the aim and something I will strive to achieve in all my writing.
What is it that draws you to writing fantasy?
I have always been a daydreamer, thinking big and transporting myself to different worlds and unusual situations. There is nothing I like better than losing myself in my own or someone else’s imagination. Fantasy has the potential to transport you from the mundane and present you with a completely new world, where anything is possible. The books I lose myself in most are the ones that do just that. The power and breadth of imagination is incredible, and I often find myself marvelling at how an enormous, detailed, new and exciting world can emerge from someone’s mind. I also think it is so interesting to see everyday issues being combated in alien worlds by unusual characters. Fantasy can give perspective as well as be a release from reality. Working with children, I see everyday the power fantasy has to inspire and engage them. It’s just a fantastic genre!
What writers and books have most inspired your writing and why?
When I was a child, I grew up on Enid Blyton which is where I first found my love for reading. I remember being completely captured by the mystery of her books and the vivid images she created in my mind. When I was a little older, in the latter years of Primary school, Harry Potter appeared on the scene, and I lapped up those books with as much awe and intrigue. I think I am very lucky to have grown up with J.K. Rowling’s characters and remember feeling at a loss when I finished one book and had to wait for the next. Now, as an adult, I am equally inspired by novels such as Wuthering Heights, The Lord of the Rings and Great Expectations. Characters such as Heathcliffe and Miss Haversham have such depth and believability. When a reader puts their faith and belief into a character, they will believe in the story and the world created by the author. I like to feel connected to a book and connected to the author. Stephanie Myer is another of my inspirations. It’s incredible that she was able to create a character that had girls and women falling head over heels in love with!
Can you tell us about your writing process, are you a detailed planner, or do you like to let an idea sweep you away?
I am definitely not a planner, not initially at least. I let an idea grab me and then run with it to see where it leads. When I started Found, I had no idea where the story would go, but that made the process more exciting, if not a little scary! I had the characters of Autumn and Joe clearly in my mind from the start. I knew their backgrounds, their needs and wants, and I couldn’t wait to find out where they would end up. It felt like I was walking through the story with them. The story definitely swept me away, and unravelled fairly quickly. By the time that initial burst of writing energy was out, I had the skeleton of a novel. Then it was time to absorb myself in research about the legend of Jaguar, South American tribal life and the characteristics of big cats. Editing was a lengthy process, and at times I found myself needing to take a step back from the novel for a little while and come back with fresh eyes. My mum was a big help during that process, and at one point literally took the manuscript away from me and read it with a fine tooth comb front to back, all the while making editorial notes that were invaluable. From my own experience, it is definitely important to get other people involved in your story and the editing of it. Sometimes, they can help you see past a blockage and get it resolved in half the time you would have done by yourself.
What advice would you give to writers looking to get their book published?
Trust the people around you to read and critique your work. I know it can be a scary thought, but what they think matters. As I mentioned before, my mum was my first editor, and I couldn’t have done it without her. She was so encouraging, but wasn’t afraid to tell me the truth when it mattered.
When you finish your novel, get hold of a copy of The Writer’s Handbook and find the publishers or agents that would best suit your genre. Then buy lots of stamps and envelopes and get it out there! Just keep going, accept the rejections and move onto the next with determination. For me, it was a lengthy process and I faced lots of rejection before Pegasus accepted me. They were the second publishers I sent my manuscript to, and the last I heard back from! I was so determined to see my book in print that, had Pegasus not taken me on, I would have gone down the self-publishing route. There is no feeling like the first time you see your novel as a proper book. It is most certainly worth all the nervous hope and waiting. Stick with it!
As well as writing, you’re also a full time Primary School teacher. How do you find the balance between work and writing?
It’s very difficult. I wrote Found during my first year of teaching, and I look back now and wonder how I managed it. The story really gripped me, and I found that no matter how tired I was from my day, I would still have the passion and motivation to write. The story carried me through, and I wanted to see what would happen to my characters. I couldn’t leave them hanging. Writing became an escape for me, but I still had to get myself into a strict routine, working in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. By the time I had finished, I was exhausted, overwhelmed and enormously proud.
Do you find a lot of inspiration for your writing when working with children?
Yes. Children are not afraid to let their imaginations run wild. They have so much belief in the impossible, and I find that incredibly refreshing. The conversations I have with the children in my class are sometimes the most fulfilling and leave me smiling for the rest of the day. I would love to write a series of children’s books, and have an idea up my sleeve, but we shall see. My sister is an illustrator (she designed the cover of Found), so I would love to collaborate with her.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently working on the sequel to Found, which I am finding quite a daunting process. There is always a worry that it won’t live up to the first, but I am excited at the direction it is going. I feel that there is still so much potential in my characters. They still have far to go, and I’m enjoying taking them there. I am also working on another fantasy novel that I am very excited about. It will be aimed at teenagers, and I hope they enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it.
To view Rosemary’s Writer Profile on the Writing East Midlands ‘Writers Database’, please see here.
