Describing Mrs Mallowan's character

Although I feel as though I've done very little towards making this project happen, I should give myself credit for doing something. The project itself has had to change anyway because of the war in Syria. Originally, I wanted to write a book following the Mallowans' journey to Tell Brak on the Orient Express and then across Syria. Now I feel that this particular part of Agatha Christie's life should be told and I'm brooding on a screenplay. As always, I lack confidence in my ability to 'just do it', so I've signed up for a FutureLearn screen writing course. What follows is an exercise in Week 2 designed to develop the main protagonist's character. As I've read about Mrs Mallowan quite extensively, I feel I can make a start on describing and developing her character. Wonder if she would approve.

The instructions:

• List the character’s major actions. Start from the end and work backwards. (Don’t analyse how or why; just create a list of actions.)
• Analyse the list to reveal the character’s wants and needs. Is the character aware of what they want?
• Describe how the character thinks and look at his or her basic psychology. Intelligent? Intellectually engaged? Cognitive Biases? Impulsive? Cautious?
• Describe the character’s superficial affect. How might a casual acquaintance describe them?
• List any important physical characteristics
• This is just an outline, so stick to that format and make lists; avoid long prose descriptions.

Marries Max Mallowan
Has cold feet about marriage and goes to Scotland with friend to reflect, discuss and decide
Accepts Max's apology and agrees to marry him
Returns home to deal with family situation and hides from world because of assumed rejection
Left alone in Athens with painful sprained ankle and has to find her way back to London
Max tells her he has to go back to Ur (or Nimrod or wherever) because Leonard Woolley has contacted him. She pleads with him to at least keep his promise to accompany her to London.
She falls in street and sprains ankle
Enjoys journey from Ur to Athens with Max Mallowan.
Spends time in desert with Max.
Goes to Baghdad for adventure. Goes to archeological site and meets Max Mallowan.
Looks for ways to get out of her depression after divorce and decides on travel.
Pleads with Archie not to leave her.
Disappears to Harrogate with possible mental breakdown.
Finds out that husband is having an affair and wants a divorce.
Falls in love with Archie Christie. He goes off to WW1. Have daughter. Writes first published novel.

Agatha wants to be secure and safe in a relationship. She wants to be loved and to be able to give love. She is aware of what she wants.
Agatha is very interested in psychology anyway. She is very intelligent - gifted pianist, quickly acquired knowledge and skills of pharmacology, excellent surfer and skater. Curious about the world and loves to travel. Intrepid approach to exploring difficult territory. She is a compulsive collector of houses.
Agatha's superficial affect might be hostile to new people. She would be wary, especially since becoming famous. She would be curious but want to test people to find out their motivation in wanting to know her. She does not like publicity; prefers to be private. Modest, yet proud of her achievements in the literary world. Very clear about her own worth.
At the time of this particular story she was overweight and cumbersome. She didn't feel attractive.
 

Normal service resumes

This blog has been neglected for almost four years, but there are several reasons for the lack of attention. I moved back to the UK in July 2013 with a dog and two cats, struggled to find a job but managed to find a good post out of teaching. Moved house in 2014 to be closer to my mother who has Alzheimer's Disease (and several other reasons), which proved to be difficult and stressful. Changed my job in 2015. I'm back in education and the college is 10 minutes walk from my new home. Finally life is settling down and perhaps I can focus on this project. I have not forgotten Mrs Mallowan and have visited Wallingford where I completed the 4 miles circular walk (with dog) and saw the outside of her house there and her final place of rest. Pictures must be posted, but not today.

The real Aleppo

At the end of my short trip to Syria in 2009, I hoped that I would return to visit Aleppo and Palmyra. Of course, if I actually follow through with this project, I will also visit north-eastern Syria to find Chagar Bazar and Tell Brak.

Aleppo was important to Mrs Mallowan. She clearly loved to visit with her husband. She thought of it as a place to regain comfort and composure. According to the notes, it was the location for the start of the novel 'Murder on the Orient Express' (note - ought to read this and shouldn't let the movies put me off).

The current news bulletins show Aleppo as a place of death and destruction. It wasn't always. I had hoped to stay at the Baron Hotel as part of the revisiting project. I wonder if it still stands.

The link below is an informal report from a variety of travellers to Aleppo. Notice the note at the start of the website explaining that things may be very different now. What a terrible tragedy.

travellers' tales from Aleppo

The following link is a report from 2007 in the UK newspaper The Independent. The writer makes Aleppo sound very inviting and gives rates to stay at The Baron (very reasonable too).

Travels with Agatha Christie

How much longer with the people of Syria have to suffer?

Lost motivation

Oh dear. Very, very bad. How can I possibly hope for anyone to support my project if I don't DO anything. After such a lot of work was done last summer, I lost heart after sending the letter to Mrs Mallowan's grandson and receiving no reply whatsoever. No excuse.

My punishment is that the Google Blogger website has completely changed since my last post in October 2011. I hate Google these days. The man in charge seems to have no idea of the original soul of the company and it's clear that all revisions and 'great ideas' have been designed by IT MEN who have no idea that most of us, particularly women of a certain age, feel our way through online tools, rather than using logic. Yuck, I hate logic too.

The outcome is that I have no idea how to write new posts. I have always hoped to do something more dynamic with the blog area, but that's not going to happen given that the current screen is confusing to say the least. That will teach me. At least I have some time now before starting back to work on 26 August.

What has spurred me to resume writing is watching BBC World's bulletins about the continuing murder, nay massacres, of the Syrian people by the country's government. Tonight it's all about the destruction of Aleppo. It made me think of Mrs Mallowan's relief to travel to Alep from Tell Brak in order to have a shampoo and set. It makes me more determined that I WILL retrace her steps and that I will use this time to do more research and find a way to revisit Chagar Bazar and this delightful side of Agatha Christie. Come on girl, you can do it!

BBC reports conflict in Aleppo

Doubt prevails

More than a month has gone by since my last blog and I have so much to record from my trip to Devon and my reading during the summer. There is no excuse for dragging my heels in this way, except for Doubt. Doubt that spending time on this project is sensible or useful. Out damned Doubt. There is no reason why I should not continue, even for my own amusement. Work has begun again, which drains my energy and my creativity. I've been frontloaded and have new courses to teach, so I am in that panic mode again. Walking that tightrope of complete fear because I have to convince a room full of people that I know what I'm talking about and make it seem fantastically interesting at the same time, while smothering myself in a veneer of self-confidence so that no-one will find out the truth. Added to all of this, I've been working on sending a dog that I rescued on the compound to the UK. She arrived yesterday and, as I knew this was meant, she has been welcomed by abnormally high temperatures for the end of September, so she will not suffer the cold and wet just yet.

I did send the letter to Mathew Prichard. I've had no reply so fear that, even if he read the letter, he thinks I'm a complete lunatic and has thrown it and my request to the rubbish bin. I don't blame him, but I am hugely disappointed. It would have been such a boost for me to have had his blessing. I knew it was too much to ask though. Look at me - a middle-aged teacher with nothing published (except research articles in academic institutions) and nothing to commend me as a possible writer. Still, that could be said of all writers when they first began so I'm going to have to pull up my socks and start believing in myself before I asking other people.

As it is, Syria continues to be out of bounds while Assad thrashes the people who dare to question his authority. Every Friday there are more deaths. I do wonder why the holiest day of the week in the Muslim religion is always the most violent.

Progress

Six weeks of vacation spent in England and Scotland have given me the opportunity to have a Christie Fest. I finally own a copy of Mrs Christie's autobiography and have read Unfinished Portrait by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie's pen name which she used to write books about human emotions and relationships). More on those two books in particular in a separate posting. I went to Churston Ferrers and stayed in the most excellent White Horse B&B, as well as visiting Greenway and the Churston Ferrers church. Oh my, I feel rejuvenated and excited about this project, although still reticent to contact anybody who could help me to produce something for publication. The more that I read, see and understand, the more that I feel compelled to continue with this project, whatever the outcome.

Many coincidences this summer, which I have taken as signs of encouragement - this is meant to be. For example, before my visit to Churston Ferrers, I looked up the town in the index of Mrs Christie's autobiography. There is only one actual reference and it was to do with the sponsorship of a stained glass window. Mrs Christie had a small battle to make the Good Shepherd the subject of the window as she wanted something cheerful. She won her battle. I visited the church (during a rainstorm) just to see the window, although neither window nor church are relevant to the purpose of the project. The church was my big disappointment, as the door was locked and there was no notice of how to contact someone for a key. What I discovered, while sheltering from the rain in the porch, was that the church is linked to the Christian church in the Middle East, which must be influenced by Mrs Christie.

Although my hope of at least getting a photograph of the window was thwarted, on my return home to my mother's house, where I stay during UK visits, I happened to look at the picture on my bedroom wall for the first time. It was labelled 'The Good Shepherd' and I've slept under it for years without giving the image any thought. See? Does this mean something?

On the back burner

It is so inconvenient to have to work to earn money to live. How I wish I could devote my time to what I really want to do. I wonder how many successful and would-be writers have said much the same thing. Struggling for art is normal, but most of us forget that books, music, paintings, poetry, etc don't just happen or are given to an individual on a plate.

Now that April is here again thoughts have turned to the summer and what I will do with the 8 weeks given to me as a summer vacation. When I write that I realise how fortunate I am to have that much time. I really must plan what I am going to do and do it.

There is a possibility that I will meet up with a Canadian friend in Turkey in the middle of July. Before that I'm thinking of taking an 'Introduction to Proofreading' course in London (I'm thinking of finding a way of making an income which can be done online and in any location in the world). I realise it would be ludicrous to travel back to Norfolk after the one day course, then back to Gatwick to fly to Turkey (cheapest flights to Istanbul). When I am in Turkey I can look for locations visited by Mr and Mrs Mallowan. While I am in southern England perhaps I could visit Devon, and certainly visit locations in London including the British Museum. Planning is important if I start now I can take advantage of the cheaper fares. I really must get in touch with Mrs Mallowan's grandson to see if he would give me access to any documents related to the trips to Syria. Perhaps I could visit Churston Ferrers and take a train to Gatwick from there. It's where Mrs Mallowan caught trains on many occasions, so there would be a sense of following footsteps - for whatever reason. After all, the whole point of the project is to follow her footsteps into Syria.

Useful link to visit locations in Devon: Travel through history