Dec 8, 2021The Cup of Jamshid in “The Stonemason’s Secret”The protagonist of every story needs to seek an object of desire. Learn about the artifact at the center of The Stonemason’s Secret, and the facts and fiction in the book. The Object of Desire in Fiction The protagonist of every fiction book searches for something. It can be a physical object, a relationship, a resolution…History5 min readHistory5 min read
Oct 8, 2020Medieval Minstrels and Their Music: A Brief OverviewWhat was a minstrel? What role did they have in medieval society? What type of music did they play? Here is a brief overview. The minstrel carvings in Beverley Minster are central to the plot in The Stonemason’s Secret. …Medieval History3 min readMedieval History3 min read
May 31, 2020East Yorkshire Villages in “The Stonemason’s Secret”East Yorkshire is not as well known as other parts of England, but it is home to many medieval churches and sites which feature in The Stonemason’s Secret. The book is set in Beverley, York, and several East Yorkshire villages. I previously wrote about medieval buildings and sites in Beverley…England5 min readEngland5 min read
Mar 30, 2020Medieval Sites to Visit in Beverley EnglandBeverley is located in East Yorkshire, England. Though overshadowed by York, 30 miles to the northwest, Beverley is home to a number of medieval buildings and sites. Beverley is also 10 miles south of where I lived in England. I visited quite often, volunteering at a charity shop, researching my…Art In Fiction9 min readArt In Fiction9 min read
Aug 29, 2019Writing the First Draft During NaNoWriMo | Gladys StricklandThinking of participating in NaNoWriMo? Below I share my experience of doing it for the first draft of The Stonemason’s Secret. What Is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal is for participants to write 50,000 words on their novel during the 30 days of November. That averages out to…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Aug 7, 2019Medieval Minstrel Carvings in Beverley Minster | Gladys StricklandThe Stonemason’s Secret, my forthcoming novel, follows the adventures of art historian Sarah Walker. While doing research for her dissertation, she discovers mysterious symbols carved on several of the minstrel figures in Beverley Minster. …Travel5 min readTravel5 min read
Jun 26, 2019The Stonemason’s Secret — Beginning Idea | Gladys Strickland“I’ll never write fiction,” I said. “I have no interest in writing fiction and besides, I have no ideas for stories.” This is what I told myself when I started writing two years ago. At the time I was drawn to personal essays, to telling my stories. I wrote and…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Jun 4, 2019The Stonemason’s Secret — First RevisionsAfter the thrill of printing off the first draft, I took a couple of days off then began a read-through. The idea was to sit back and catch the big things — where the plot didn’t make sense, information that needed to be added in, things like that. But I…Writing3 min readWriting3 min read
Aug 23, 2018The First Day (A Year In England)I stand at the crosswalk as lights flash and cars whiz by the wrong way and wonder when, or if, I will be able to cross the street. It is early afternoon on my first day in London, on my first trip outside the United States. …Travel3 min readTravel3 min read
Aug 1, 2018Road Map SkillsOn a warm Sunday morning, Daddy parked our blue Buick by the back door and opened the trunk. Handing him my suitcase, he added it to the other luggage in the massive compartment. Back in the house, I picked up a couple of books, a stack of Teen and Tiger…Travel5 min readTravel5 min read
