Potential…

There are a few aspects in which my chosen subject matter could appeal, as a piece of creative non-fiction, to both the potential audience and publishers in the contemporary market. For instance, the sheer mystery behind Richard Cabell, his death, his wife's supposed death, and the various stories of hounds around his grave is enough to entice anyone into reading a story with quite a bit of potential. Also, the way in which my subject matter is veering towards how Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired by such events, could create an interesting change for readers, particularly to read about such an infamous figure and learning new things about him. Also, the structure I intend to write in, such as, the investigative narrative approach as well as the non-linear structure; this could both appeal to readers as opposed to the tedium of a regular narrative and typical chronological telling of the story. Summerscale utilises both of these techniques in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher effectively and successfully.

This could have potential, not just for the audience, but for publishers in the contemporary market because of such a seemingly untouched subject matter. Revealing information on Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration, that few people know about, could potentially fill a gap in the publishing, and non-fiction, market. Not to mention the fact that, if readers receive this story well, publishers would definitely be interested as their main goal is to sell. Hopefully, I will manage to construct a compelling opening with equally compelling scenes to follow as part of of the building blocks to writing creative non-fiction, a subject discussed and practiced in Week 3 of our Telling True Stories lectures.

Practical Problems...

I am facing various problems and issues when it comes to dramatizing and fictionalising the life of Richard Cabell; these include the lack of direct information I receive when researching his man. There are so many different versions of his life and the 'death' of his wife, however, I cannot seem to find any more information, such as, his wife's name, how he became squire, any factual records of his existence. The problem I face with this is that I am not sure if it is ethical for me to write about this man if I am not sure what information is true or just plain myth, which is something previously discussed in a seminar during Week 8 on ethics and a writer's responsibility; it is therefore my responsibility to only write about the truth. This, however, leads me to information about how Cabell's various stories inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I feel would be a better subject matter since there is a lot more information on this event.


Another problem I face is the fact that I only have other people's views and opinions - and also images online - to go by when describing the moors of Dartmoor, Buckfastleigh. Lee Gutkind suggests to choose somewhere/something right on your doorstep, however, Devon is a little out of my reach to research and immerse myself in. However, researching the opinions of people who have been to these moors may prove helpful in describing the place and its supposed eerie qualities, with the aid of photographs provided on various blogs.

Investigative Narration…

I am considering developing an investigative narrative to help create an engaging read, since there are so many unanswered questions about Richard Cabell's life and I can only write about the aspects I do know. Therefore, the narrative can lead the reader through me trying to find out as much as I can about this man's life, in effect, following me on my journey to discovering more about this man. I will include my own thoughts and feelings about the man, asking rhetorical and non-rhetorical questions, probably that readers will have too. I am also considering writing in a non-linear structure, since my research is steering more towards that of Arthur Conan Doyle and the influence Richard Cabell's stories had on his own writing, I may begin with Doyle visiting Dartmoor and then perhaps flashback to the 1600s during the time of Cabell and his evil influences on the village. Hopefully, this will be a more effective structure to entice readers than it being a chronological order of events, which can become tedious. This was discussed during Week 10 of lectures in which we discussed the various structures, such as, chronological, convoluted and manipulated time, which influenced me to choose the non-linear structure.

There is also the element of imagery that I can include to aid the realism of such a story, reminding the reader that this was indeed a real person. I can include images of his tomb, the markings inside and out, images of the moor and surrounding area; this would not only help me immerse myself into this man's life, but help the reader to do the same thing, which even more effective. Similarly, Kate Summerscale included an array of photographs in The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher of the family members, the manor house/scene of the murder, blueprints of the house and even the family tree. As a reader myself this really helped me feel as though I was a part of the investigation as more things were discovered.

Satanists and Paw-prints…

Within a week, I have attempted to take on the advice of Lee Gutkind when he says there are three ways to research a potential idea, "Begin with library research, then interview the most important people, then allow yourself a personal experience by immersing yourself in the place or experience about which you are writing." With this in mind, what I have learned about Richard Cabell and the area of Buckfastleigh is that at Cabell's tomb itself, there is the belief that Satanists would perform rituals and other manners of worship at the tomb, as well as Buckfastleigh Holy Trinity Church having been burned down, with images of pentagrams carved into the walls, with Cabell's tomb just a few yards away. I have also learned that Arthur Conan Doyle had visited these exact moors in 1901 when researching the tale of Dartmoor's ethereal "hound" after hearing it from his friend, Bertrum Fletcher Robinson.

I have also seen many images of what the Dartmoor moors, the moors that inspired that of Arthur Conan Doyle, look like today, including an image of a paw-print in the mud. This really helps me imagine the atmosphere of such a legendary place that holds so many ghost stories, but also, helps me immerse myself in what I imagine it looks like from the images and descriptions from other people, using various methods of immersion, discussed in Week 6 of our Telling True Stories seminars.