Hello, I've just finished a first draft of a time travel romance called MUST LOVE CHAINMAIL that takes place during Madog's Rebellion of 1294-95 and I was going to see if anyone would be interested and willing to read my 10 page chapter and character outline to see if there are any glaring historical problems with the plot? Much easier to change plot problems at this stage :D Msg me if you're interested, thanks!

I may not be familiar with Wales in the 1290s because I don't know how that country looks like during the Middle Ages.
And your book Must Love Chainmail is about a future bride who accidentally wishes herself to travel back in time to medieval Wales after she became enchanted by a folk hero, who is half-Welsh.

Well, for one thing, no one who is particularly well-informed on arms and armour calls it "chainmail". The term "chainmail" is an 18th century anachronism that arose based upon a misinterpretation of medieval art which led to speculation that there were several types of mail, like ring mail, banded mail, reticulated mail, and so forth. With these other types of mail, a term was needed to distinguish between them and "chain"mail, hence the term. But none of these other speculative types of mail have been found in archaeological finds, meaning there's only one kind of mail, and the designation of "chain" is unnecessary, not to mention that it was never used in the Middle Ages.

Obviously, the great majority of modern people only know the anachronistic term "chainmail", and calling your book Must Love Mail would lead readers to assume your story is talking about Sleepless in Seattle type mail. But maybe Must Love Mail Armour would be a good compromise; it is historically accurate and tacitly educates your reader without causing unnecessary confusion.

Shwmae, creoso!

I don't mind much about the chainmail thing much anymore, except in cursory passing. Its so ingrained and there are better things to bang on about.

'You've got chainmail' works well... :-)

Quote:

I may not be familiar with Wales in the 1290s because I don't know how that country looks like during the Middle Ages.

It doesn't look that different to now to be honest, I'm sitting in it right now. Isolated farms and rural communities, newcomers raise eyebrows and the transport system awful. We don't hate the English, just they are so far beneath contempt that forming an opinion isn't worth the bother... :-)

I read and advise for a fair few authors, read my credits in Robyn Young's books for example. Happy to cast an eye, send it on over!

Yours, in the ancient principality of Powys,

Griff

Nos da. Pob hyw, po lwc!

best use email, mark@griffinhistorical.com

I often used to have picnics at Castel y Bere, my wife lived just below it.

I'm not Welsh, but I would also be interested in reading it if you don't mind several people seeing your work before being published... ;)