Before starting to write a story I need to gather people and places using photos, pages from magazines, whatever it takes to build up characters , wardrobes, homes, hobbies, and the places they live in and visit in the course of the novel.
As soon as I start to get the story written, the characters tend to take over and then I must just follow and record the events. But at the planning stage I'm still in control. This bunch are going to be wealthy and dandified, hence my obsession with hats and cravats. However, the biggest dandy may not be the one I now intend for that role....
[PS. Shhh...any excuse to gaze at a picture of Alan Rickman...]
