"I didn't think it out at all...I just wrote it! Like a stream of consciousness" says Elspeth Duncan, author of The Daisy Chain in response to my surprise about penning a 50,000 word novel in just 7 days! Yes, 7 days! The first-time published novelist recently hosted her book launch at NALIS on September 10th to great reviews from readers, evidenced by the sold out response at her book signing. Duncan, who described her inaugural launch as "fantastic" said that it wasagreat forum to promote her work and connect with fans.
Forty-four year old Duncan says "I took upthe challengeto write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. It's an international challenge that is put on by NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which brings together amateur and professional writers all over the world." The end result for Duncan was a novel about 53 women, each donning their own character and story that is interwoven throughout the entire book.
Looking back at her work, Duncan, a former St. Augustine Girls' High alum stated that she was always a creative person. "As a child, I would take copybooks and write stories and give it to my parents and siblings as gifts" she said. Elspeth went on to major in Psychology at the University of the West Indies and later studied Criminology at Cambridge. She worked in the advertising industry for 10 years but later left ,admitting that the creativity was limited and clients were not always open minded. From 1999, Elspeth works as a freelancer and has manifested her creativity in varied capacities. She is a musician, film maker, writer and certified Khundalini Yoga instructor.
With such a vast imagination and a natural knack for innovation, it is not surprising that Duncan excelled, exceeding her personal expectations. Admittedly, the time spent writing the novel also taught her many things about herself. "I am a very creative person, its like breathing to me. Daisy Chain taught me about not giving up, commitment and perseverance" said the new author, after disclosing that her computer crashed while writing the novel. Since the protagonists were all women, Duncan stated that it was much easier to relate to them and write so fluidly about their experiences. "Each character is completely different with her own story that shares a snippet of her life" she revealed.
Duncan who first wrote the book some years ago, decided to publish it at first as an e-book in 2010. "I then focused on making a print version so I refined it with an editor" she said. The Daisy Chain became so popularized that UWI's Department of Gender Studies decided to feature it in a presentation at their monthly lunchtime series seminar where excerpts of the book will be read. As a filmmaker , Duncan has also shot introductory film sequences to complete each excerpt , giving the audience a chance to genuinely experience each character visually.
Her successful launch at NALIS has also encouraged her to do further presentations of the novel at different locations throughout Trinidad and Tobago , and even abroad. Duncan is also working on converting the print version of her novel into an audio CD and DVD to accommodate a more inclusive public. Unfortunately, avid fans of The Daisy Chain should not keep their hopes up for a sequel but should take comfort in the fact that Duncan is already working on refining another masterpiece. "I'm not going to write another Daisy Chain but I would like to work on films about each character that can stand on its own" she revealed.
Persons interested in purchasing The Daisy Chain can visit the Paper Based Book at Hotel Normandie or email Elspeth Duncan at nowiswowisnow@yahoo.com
