I’ve been researching this book seriously for three or four years now, but it’s only in the last six months that I’ve really got down to doing some serious writing. That’s been aided by finding a range of new sources, and by setting up a permanent writing station in the cellar (otherwise our dining room).
Blogging seemed a fun thing to do, especially to track my progress and keep me motivated. I’ve also been inspired by the websites and blogs of other historical writers, and it looks like this is something that publishers encourage authors to do anyway. And why the Dustshoveller’s Gazette? Well, that’s because a friend calls all curators, archivists and other written heritage specialists “Dustshovellers”, which I like, even though no archive should be dusty. And since I’m having to work with lots of newspaper accounts, that’s where “Gazette” comes from.
