The very first book review I ever published on my shiny new website was “A Chat With Joy” back in March last year. I love a prequel and I was eager to catch up with my Instant Apostle stablemate Joy Margetts to find out how the writing process for her second book went, what was different this time around and whether we’ll be hearing any more about Brother Hywel and Philip de Baose in the future.
When we last spoke, you told me that you felt that “The Healing” was almost downloaded as if God was speaking directly to you. Did you have the same experience with The Pilgrim?
Not exactly the same, no. There were periods when it came very easy – mostly towards the end, and times when it really didn’t. It did make me question at times whether I should be writing a second book. I expected it to be as easy to write as The Healing and it definitely wasn’t. Every time I prayed about it though I felt God reassure me to carry on. And as the story unfolded and particularly as Hywel grew closer to God, and deepened in his own spiritual experience, the writing flowed much easier. I knew then that Holy Spirit was helping me to write this book too, but perhaps in a different way.
As we both know that second book can be difficult! How did you find the writing this time? What did you do this time that you didn’t before?
It was definitely different and definitely more difficult! I started well, writing the first few chapters not long after The Healing was published. I knew the main points of Hywel’s back story and fleshing them out was relatively easy and enjoyable. And then I hit a bit of a brick wall. I knew where I needed the story to end, but wasn’t quite sure how to get there.
It didn’t help that we were in the throes of major house renovations, or that we had just become grandparents for the first time. That was definitely a distraction! I actually stopped writing completely for several months.
The breakthrough came when, knowing that there had to be a spiritual journey for Hywel, I came up with the idea of taking him on a physical pilgrimage. That meant I could use places I was familiar with, ancient pilgrim sites that are close to me here in North Wales. That gave me a framework of sorts, but still I had to work out what happened to him personally at each physical stage of the pilgrimage. I also decided that Hywel’s travelling companions had to have their own stories and experiences. In The Healing Philip had Hywel as his spiritual guide. In The Pilgrim, there was not one single spiritual guide figure to help Hywel on his journey. I had to use what Hywel observed as the work of God in the lives of others, plus God speaking to him personally, to fill that gap. That was harder to do.
Brother Hywel was the main character in The Healing, an incredibly compassionate and engaging man. How did you feel about picking up his story and going back in time to tell us more about him?
At first I was really excited to tell Hywel’s story. He had endeared himself to so many of my readers, and I loved him too! As I got further into his story, however, it began to feel really daunting. Would I be able to do his story justice? Would I be able to connect him convincingly with the character I had created in The Healing? People had warned me about writing a prequel. I began to understand why! You are definitely constrained - you have to end the book, and the character development, in a way that links naturally with where the original story began. It became my greatest concern to do that right and I hope that I have been successful. The Brother Hywel at the end of The Pilgrim, is not quite the Brother Hywel of The Healing, but I hope he is well on his way to becoming that compassionate, wise, gentle man.
I loved hearing about your research last time. Your social media is always full of wonderful pictures of abbeys and monasteries.
I love old places! Sorry, not sorry! Cistercian Abbeys appear in this book as they did in the first. Interestingly, as the book is set between 25 and 30 years earlier than The Healing, in the height of the Cistercian expansion, some of the abbeys featured were still in the construction stages! Valle Crucis is a beautiful abbey, even in ruin today. When Hywel visits it, it is a building site. But the fish pond is still there today, with the green sloping lawn.
It was also wonderful to be able to include some of my favourite local pilgrim sites. Clynnog Fawr now has a fine 15th century church on the site of the simple church that Hywel sat in, but the sundial is still standing in the graveyard. The little church at Pistyll is still as I described it, and one of my favourite places to visit. Second perhaps to the headland that overlooks Bardsey Island. A definite ‘thin place’ as well as stunningly beautiful.
I loved your epilogue where we come full circle and meet Philip de Braose for the first time (lying unconscious in a bed). It’s pretty soon to ask this question, but do you think there will be a third book?
As I said earlier, writing a prequel was not easy, but funnily enough I do have another story in my mind, based on the back story of another character from The Healing*. Glutton for punishment perhaps?
That story is burning to be written – it’s at the stage of keeping me awake at night. But it needs me to do some more research, and it needs me to have the time and space to do that. Much as I would love to just write, I want my stories to be historically authentic and set in places that are accurately described.
For now I have to focus my energies on getting The Pilgrim launched and out there. If it is well received and does well, then I may just feel free to write again. God knows… really, He does!
(*And there might even be a fourth…)
Writing is a solitary business and we could even liken ourselves to monks, sitting alone, contemplating and seeking after wisdom (bit of a stretch, perhaps). You mention the many people who have encouraged you through the writing process at the end of the book. What would you say to anyone who is in the throes of writing their first book?
The actual process of writing is definitely a solitary one. I don’t mind it because for me it is a form of escapism, much as getting lost in reading a good book is. I get drawn into the world I am creating and lose myself in it. So much so that sometimes I find it hard to return to the real world!
When the writing comes easy that is great. When inspiration is lacking, or self-doubt rears its ugly head, not so much. What I would say to anyone applying themselves to writing a book is not to do it alone! Find like-minded people, other writers, people who share your passion. They are the people who understand when the inspiration dries up, who can encourage you to keep going, who will happily critique your work, and help you to become better. In my experience, no-one, not even your closest loved ones, understands the needs of a writer like writers do.
Monks might seem like solitary people, but in fact they join communities in order to live together, serve one another, and hopefully encourage one another in their vocations.
And to finish, Joy?
Sometimes it is only through our mistakes that we realise how much we need the mercy and grace of God. That, I believe is what transforms Hal/Hywel. And what I believe God wants us all to discover. To realise that we can live free from our pasts. We can live our best lives, find our true identity and purpose when we choose to pilgrimage in intimate relation.
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You can buy a signed copy directly from Joy herself at her website
The Pilgrim will be available in all the usual places on 22nd July including Eden, Waterstones and Amazon. You can follow Joy on Facebook as Joy Margetts Author, on Instagram as @joymargetts and on Twitter as @jamarge.