FASCINATING and varied are the ways different authors work.

Hazel Martell – our speaker at the August meeting of the Airedale Writer’s Circle – told us the ending of her historical romance fiction books come to her first, in that half hour between sleep and full wakefulness in the morning.

Characters and settings then form in her mind’s eye (and stay in her imagination for many months). Hazel constructs a 10-page synopsis of all the chapters leading up to that final scene.

Further notes follow on, for example, historic accuracy of dress and location. This may well involve researching old pictures and maps.

Hazel has professional expertise in this for she has a Master’s Degree in Yorkshire History and was a librarian for several years, although she emphasised how boring the college course in Librarianship was that she took in the 1970s.

She completed a correspondence course in writing which led to her getting short stories published in magazines such as Jackie. With the money earned from these successes Hazel enrolled on another correspondence course.

The fee for that was in turn fully paid off by what the Sunday Post gave her for publishing a short story of hers.

Come the upheaval of local authority re-organisation in 1974, Hazel resigned from public library work and instead became a librarian at Ackworth School near Wakefield.

As this was an undemanding job she managed to write a novel during her time there. It was rejected by one publisher but accepted by another – who not only wined and dined her at a Mayfair restaurant but contracted her for another two books.

In the 1980s however Hazel switched to writing several educational books for children – for example on the Vikings and the Celts. These were extensively illustrated – indeed the artwork was settled by her working with two artists before any text was written.

The whole process took two years for each book but Hazel was very impressed by the finished publication.

When publishers then reduced their royalties for children’s books Hazel reverted to writing romantic fiction for adults, set in the 19th century, mainly for women over the age of 50.

All of these books are set in Yorkshire albeit with fictional place names. Currently Hazel is re-writing a book she wrote 40 years ago as although the plot was to her liking she felt the story needed considerable revision.

Hazel tries to write every day – preferably from midnight to 1.30am.

She drew her talk to a conclusion with encouraging words on believing in ourselves as writers and warned us against the ‘sin’ of procrastination!

Airedale Writer’s Circle was due to meet on Tuesday this week at its usual venue, Sight Airedale, Scott Street, Keighley, when published author and previously entertaining speaker Steve Wade promised us another lively evening.

He planned to talk on ‘Writing locally; Albert and the Yorkshire of Imagination’.

Non- members are most welcome at our meetings. No need to book, just turn up.