Please welcome C.W. Gortner to kick off a new series titled The Writing Journey. The intent is to showcase authors who’ve had a long career writing historical fiction and to share their perspectives and experiences.
Christopher began writing full time in 2012 and now has thirteen novels to his credit – that’s one a year folks! – including THE SAINT LAURENT MUSE which releases today. Having read many of them, I can guarantee great stories, fabulous characters, and an immersive experience every time you choose one of his novels. Let’s see what C.W. has to say:
- How do your more recent novels differ from earlier novels, particularly the first few novels you wrote?’
C.W. Historical novels are always challenging to write because of the research. Often, the story becomes a moving target, and at the start of my career, I had difficulty carving out the story I wanted to tell from my avalanche of research. I struggled not so much with what to include as what not to include. The issue was always: where to start and where to end? I’ve grown more confident, trusting my gut instinct to guide me in what the story needs.
- How has your writing process evolved since your first years as an author?
C.W. I worry less about how my work fits in the market. Foremost for me is finding a story I can get lost writing. As I’ve gotten older, I crave that sense of wonder, regardless of trends. Sometimes, one of my novels coincided with the current trend, but I try my utmost to avoid formula. I’ve achieved more than I imagined as an author, but success can change how we write. We forget to take risks. I want to write for the joy of it and take those risks.
- Has your readership changed over time? Do you have any insights on why your readership has or has not changed?
C.W. To be honest, I don’t know how my readership has changed. I do know that depending on subject matter, some of my books do better than others and/or resonate more deeply with readers. The drastic ways in which the marketplace has changed also plays a significant role. Overall, we have so many distractions vying for attention. While social media has supposedly facilitated our connection, I find it’s harder to retain reader interest. The downside of all this accessibility is that attention spans are brief. There’s less time to engage.
- How have changes in the publishing landscape affected your writing or your success?
C.W. I was first published in a very different landscape, when titles had more room to grow and chain bookstores exerted enormous influence. Today’s competition for dwindling physical space and the overcrowded online world have made discoverability more daunting than ever. The explosive growth in indie publishing has also dramatically changed the landscape, opening doors to authors across the board. But both traditionally and indie published authors still face the increasing challenge of visibility, as people have less time to read.
- Has there been a fork in the road that changed your writing? Some event, person, book or whatever that has changed what you write?
C.W. MADEMOISELLE CHANEL was transformative for me as a writer. After focusing on Renaissance-era women, I had the sudden idea to write about Coco Chanel. I’d known about her since my time in fashion, and as soon as I started writing, her voice gripped me. I wrote the manuscript on spec, without a contract. It changed what I thought I could write because I took the risk.
- Have you tried a different genre? If so, which genre and to what effect?
C.W. I love fantasy and have been working on a fantasy trilogy for years, reveling in my lifelong delight for the genre.
- Have you tried different eras? If so, to what effect?
C.W. I’ve written from the 15th century to, with THE SAINT LAURENT MUSE, the early 1970s. I’m a creative wanderer, and have been very lucky to write about different eras and diverse characters. I always strive to not repeat myself.
- If there is something else you can share about your writing journey, please do so!
C.W. I’ve learned that writing is a passion. Publishing is a business. It took me years to understand that the writing must remain inviolate from commercial aspiration. It may be that age has mellowed my ambition, but I think every writer must remember why they write. Why their voice is unique. In a world where profit margins are more important than our shared humanity, books connect us to each other in ways no other medium can.
Many thanks for sharing your insights on the writing journey, Christopher. You’ve brought forward insightful ideas and perspectives that I expect with resonate with many writers and interest many readers. I’m delighted to have you begin this new series.
The Saint Laurent Muse by C.W. Gortner
The Paris runways of the 70s come to wild and splashy life in this novel of fashion’s “It Girl” Loulou de la Falaise and her life partying and designing with Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, and Halston. Nightlife! Gowns! Cocaine! Glamour!
It’s the 1970s, and from hippie London to Warhol’s Factory in New York, reluctant aristocrat Loulou de la Falaise is desperately seeking adventure. Having escaped an early, unhappy marriage, she arrives on a whim in Paris—the champagne-soaked heart of the fashion world, where the rigid old world of haute couture and the ffast-paced new world of ready-to-wear are vying for supremacy.
Glamour, sex, and cocaine nights fuel the Paris fashion scene. Its crown prince is the soulful and intensely gifted Yves Saint Laurent, whose sexy tuxedos for women and chic Rive Gauche boutiques reflect women’s desire for seductive independence, a desire Loulou knows all too well.
Loulou’s bohemian flair immediately captures Saint Laurent’s attention, and they embark on a glorious intimate friendship as artist and muse. Together they revel in the excesses of high society, decadent parties, and the hedonistic underworld of gay nightclubs, where the young and beautiful become prey, and dangerous rivalries start to emerge. Their course collides with eccentric designer Karl Lagerfeld, intent on his own conquest. Lagerfeld’s bitter professional rivalry with Yves divides Paris even in an era when anything goes. As Yves plunges into a dangerous, secret affair with Karl’s enigmatic young companion, and Loulou finds herself falling in love with a colleague’s handsome boyfriend, evanescent illusion and savage deception will bring them to the brink of ruin.
Intoxicating and unforgettable, The Saint Laurent Muse is the dramatic imagining of a lifelong friendship between two kindred spirits, and of a tumultuous time and place in fashion history that will never be seen again.
One Response
This is all very interesting. In my case, I had a successful career as a professional historian/writer of non-fiction history and occasional writer of historical fiction, _The Sino-American Tales_, but now having recently retired I am spending all my time working on historical fiction and having a great time.