Synopsis

Whilst this will be a blog in the conventional sense, including: random posts, stories, anecdotes and vignettes, I am also working on a structured account which I am hoping one day to publish as a novel. I have drawn inspiration for this ‘Novel in search of a book-deal’ from Belle de Jour (although she was actually just blogging and was picked up because her writing was so popular and good) Bearing this in mind I studied the website of her agent ‘Conville & Walsh’ and noted their guide for submissions and shall attempt here to provide a synopsis according to their specifications, in case my blog becomes popular and they pop over to have a look!

Setting:

• Sandstone University – A leafy campus in the lovely, historic City of Sandstone.
• Granite University – A large University in the City
• The Pantry – A downstairs restaurant and bar in the City where the Inklingettes hold most of their gatherings.
• Fennland – the rural area where Alwen lives
• MarketTown – the nearest town to Fennland
• Glanrafon – the Welsh village Alwen escapes back to from time to time

Themes

• The quarter-life crisis (turning 30 and beyond)
• What it is really like to work in academia in the 21 Century (not the kind of tosh portrayed on soap operas)
• The creative scene and an aspiring author’s attempts to ‘break in’ (and her friend’s efforts to help her!)
• Linguistic and cultural diversity
• Rural life
• Friendship

 

Characters:

Alwen Jones (main narrator and central character) is in her early 30s and works as a Researcher in the higher education setting. She dreams of a successful career in social research, with the ultimate ambition of eventually being Professor of Language, Health and Society at Glanrafon University, Treffin. Alwen also dreams of having a successful career in creative writing and to this end she writes poems and short stories, in both Welsh and English, submitting them to magazines and websites which publish the work of ‘budding authors’. She has also managed to convince the community magazine back in her home town to publish her column ‘Literary musings’. (For more information on Alwen see the page dedicated to her).

Gareth Williams (the other main member of the Inklingettes and a fantastic friend). Despite the Welsh-sounding name, Gareth is originally from St Bees. He is extremely laid back and very friendly and nice to everyone. However this often leads people to believe that he lacks confidence and is unconcerned with the future; however underneath the relaxed exterior is a steely determination to succeed in his chosen area of research and his cup-half-full approach to life means that he is actually supremely confident and responds (quietly and modestly) to all situations as affirmations of his excellence. He also has a quirky fondness for the more traditional elements of the academic milieu, for example: academic dress. He is a Research Fellow at Granite University.

Veronica Moore (Gareth’s girlfriend and the 1^st person to be convinced into joining the eventual group) A Catherine-Zeta-Jones alike, bafflingly modest with a brilliant brain and a very caring nature. She is one of those women that other women fear as she is so pretty and successful you expect her to be arrogant, aloof and cruel; however, perhaps because people have always responded to her in his way, she is actually quite shy and cares what is thought of her. She is a good listener and, as a result, often ends up listening for hours to people’s problems. She is a Research Fellow at Granite University.

Wendy Cartwright-Maddox (2^nd convinced member) Wendy is a complex young woman who manages to juggle a baffling array of social activities with a staggering workload, whilst also studying for a PhD and cheerfully organising elaborate holidays to exotic locations. She has recently found the girl of her dreams and is living in wedded bliss. She is a Researcher and PhD student at Granite University.

Jenny Hau (Cyber member) Jenny studied for her PhD at Granite University and the time of setting up the Inklingettes had just passed her viva with corrections and secured a job over in Canada…all in one week! Jenny is very ambitious and not afraid of anything, but she is also a very giving person and invests a lot of time in helping her friends. She loves to travel but has a vision of eventually returning to Hong Kong to settle down and run her own business.

Faith – A tall, willowy blond, smartly dressed and very determined and business-like about work matters, but with a somewhat bohemian quality to her which hints at her more whimsical character outside of the work setting. She is a part of the hippy-ish clubbing scene of the Balearic Islands and has a very wide social circle, including her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Connor. She has a warm heart and is very protective of her friends.  In terms of academic qualifications, she is me…but a few months ahead – she has secured her PhD and works as a full time researcher on the same project as me in Sandstone University.

Caroline – Very, very cool, with so much mojo she can seem intimidating at first – I was personally concerned that she would find me to nerdish and annoying, but the interesting twist to Caroline is that she is as sweet as can be, and non-judgemental. She has a lovely easy going nature, reflected in her easy smile. She has a young son.

Elizabeth – Creamy skin, curly hair and quite shy; she is sweet as can be and my ally in my love of woollens, homemade jams and all things twee. Whilst we do not work on the same project we meet weekly to discuss matters of mutual work interest, including systematic reviews, which we will be conducting simultaneously, and possibilities for future research and grant applications. She has a young son the same age as Caroline’s (4).

John Hanlon (Alwen’s first ever best friend whom she met at University) A very relaxed individual who treats life as a delight; every day brings new opportunities to have fun. He does not overly-concern himself with career ambitions but enjoys working with computers, especially when people (like Alwen) get ‘computer rage’ and are clearly distressed but he is able to fix the problem so that they can get on with what they were doing.

Maribel Hanson-Rees (Alwen and John’s friend from University) Maribel has a heart full of love and a strong sense of right and wrong. She is dedicated to ensuring lasting friendships and is often the ‘social secretary’ of the ‘trio’ (which actually has 5 members!) and regularly coordinates meetings in town and parties at her house. She is a passionate about football and is a fully signed-up ticket holder of the city team. She is also a passionate geologist and a member of the local Geological Society. She is happily married to Seren.

Seren Hanson-Rees (Maribel’s wife and Alwen’s friend) The youngest member of the trio, she shares several hobbies with Alwen including cooking and a love of Science Fiction. Seren is famed for her elaborate dinner parties and love of decorating the house for occasions such as Halloween and Christmas. She is also a passionate geologist and is an even more dedicated member of the local geology group than Maribel.

Candy Balducci (the 5^th member of the trio and long-time friend of John) The original wild child, she was sporting a bright green Mohican and piercings back in the late 80s when it was mostly students in the city that dressed like this, and she was a local with the accent to prove it. She met John whilst they were at college together, studying as mature students for some A-levels. In a twist of fate she and John decided to go to the local University having completed their exams. It was here that the trio was formed (her hair was bright pink and fluffy by this point). During her final year at University Candy had her first Child, Cameron, and she settled down with her childhood sweetheart, James.