To give you further insight into the writing of my novel The Jolly Lobster, here’s seven things or bits of trivia about it:
1. I wrote the original draft in pencil.
2. Both the actual speakeasy and Mills House, (Dorothy and Rose’s home) are based on a number of buildings and establishments I’ve been in over the years, including my own house which is a large Center Hall Colonial that used to be a hotel.
3. I made copious notes, timelines, and sketches for various aspects of the story. Some of these were done before I started writing the story, others were made during the writing process itself.
4. I studied thousands of photographs from the era until I went cross-eyed. I also studied maps, newspapers, advertisements, paintings, drawings and other things from the time period as well as nonfictional accounts of rum runners and speakeasies.
5. I’ve walked every inch of ground that I’ve written about in this story.
6. Every name in the story has either a significance or a special meaning of some sort. Only one name in the book is an actual person of historical note. (That person isn’t an actual character but they are mentioned in passing.)
7. After a night of writing I would put the pages aside; when I got up I would read the night’s output to my husband.
