The tagline is classic: "Women won't know what's coming when a doctor develops a revolutionary new technique for pelvic massage."
You may know that Victorian doctors gave women 'pelvic massage' in order to treat 'hysteria.' Well, one doctor revolutionized the business...read on.
The Five Step Plan is set in Victorian London, and made me laugh out loud. I'll let her tell you about it--and about her, in the interview she gave me. Enjoy!
About THE FIVE STEP PLAN
It's 1829 and Dr. William
Whitcraft has his hands full. When he's not trying to dream up a cure for
hysteria—the scourge of London's polite society--he juggles a busy medical
practice, a lovely but demanding fiancée, an over-enthusiastic patient seeking
his affections, and the emergence of an ominous rivalry with a dashing fellow
professional. Not to mention a secret dalliance of his own with a locally
famous procuress. The Five Step Plan is a light-hearted farce, illuminating the
hypocritical world of 19th century English society, where one must navigate the
bounds of propriety, while mastering the art of clandestine intrigue.
Excerpt
“Where
is she, then?”
“Can’t
you hear, Doctor? Just follow the screaming
up
the hall and to the right. She’s destroyed every piece
of
furniture in her dressing room and has moved on to
Mr.
Wedfellow’s study.”
“Good
Lord.” Dr. Whitcraft quickened his pace.
The
butler followed closely behind. Now that he was
deeper
into the house, he could make out the ravings of
his
patient, unquestionably in the throes of a hysterical
rage.
It was likely going to be a difficult morning.
“Where
is Mr. Wedfellow?”
“I
would guess he has stepped out, sir.” The butler
rushed
past and stopped in front of the closed study
door.
Inside, it sounded as though a team of laborers
were
rearranging the room.
Dr.
Whitcraft stepped forward, flattened his palm
against
the door, and leaned in to listen. He grimaced at
a
profoundly unfeminine string of curses—and then
there
was a monumental crash.
The
two men drew breaths and looked at one
another
with wide eyes. Dr. Whitcraft pursed his lips
and
placed his hand on the knob. It was locked, of
course.
“Is there a key?”
The
butler’s frightened countenance turned
contemplative.
“I believe there may be, sir. In the
pantry.
I’ll have to see.”
“Splendid.”
The
butler scurried away. Dr. Whitcraft turned
back
to the door. What was the best way to go about
managing
this difficult situation? He had diagnosed this
unfortunate
woman with hysteria only a few months
back,
but it appeared that the rigorous treatment
regimen
he had devised was not exactly doing the trick.
About Elizabeth
My name is Elizabeth Welsford and I write historical
fiction. The Five Step Plan is my debut novel, and was published in February
of this year by The Wild Rose Press. It won
a bronze in the 2015 IPPYs in the best eBook category.
The Five Step Plan is a light-hearted farce that tells the story of an
ambitious young doctor in 1829 London who stumbles upon a miraculous new
treatment for hysteria. Soon, he’s
bombarded by throngs of hysterical females, all of whom seem strangely
enthusiastic about this radical, five-step variation of pelvic massage.
I’m a northern transplant living in the southern United
States. Along with having a passion for researching history and writing historical fiction, I'm a Great Dane wrangler, culinary adventurer, and single malt scotch aficionado. When
I’m not writing, I’m busy being a mom to two school-aged boys.
What kind of books do you love to read? Why?
As for nonfiction, I’m a
sucker for American history and early presidential biographies. I’m particularly fascinated by the founding
fathers, and what gave them the courage to abandon the status quo in favor of a
philosophically driven dream to create a new government. When I’m in a more macabre mood, I can’t
resist a tale of disaster and survival.
If a book involves an explosion in a fireworks factory in 1920’s
Cleveland or a corporate driven coal mining catastrophe, then I’m on
board.
On the fiction side, I’ll
read anything from the latest cozy mystery to a classic Russian novel. I do tend to get baffled by heavy duty
science fiction or fantasy, but other than that, I’m up for anything.
What is your stress buster?
Me with a glass of wine
cuddled up to my husband and watching a really good TV show.
What is your favorite food? What food do you seek when you're sad, sort of a comfort
food?
Cheese. Be it melted and dripping from a grilled
cheese sandwich, or on a plate with fruit, nuts and bread—cheese simply makes
me happy. If I were headed to the
electric chair, a lovely cheese plate would surely ease the nerves.
Describe yourself in one word.
Sardonic
What is the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
As a fourteen-year-old kid,
I decided to go to Germany over the summer as an exchange student—and I didn’t
speak German. Turned out to be
incredibly fun, too.
How would readers find out more about you?
I
have a woefully unattended website at ElizabethWelsford.com. I am eternally optimistic, however, that my
fifteen-year-old son will help me reinvigorate it in the coming months.
Your writing
When did you write your first book? How long did it take you to
write it?
The
first manuscript I wrote is still resting comfortably in a drawer by my knee,
and periodically I get it out and tinker with it. My first published book is The Five Step Plan. I completed the first draft in less than three months, which is insanely fast for
me. I was having so much fun with the
topic of misguided male doctors treating female hysteria patients with pelvic
massage, I just couldn’t stop myself. Of
course, there were several more drafts and changes to come, but I pretty much
finished it in a year.
What do you think about editing?
There is nothing like having
a talented editor get a hold of your book and make it better. With me, I can’t tell you how relieved I was
to finally have someone else become as intimately familiar with my story as I
was and provide their perspective and input.
I’d had beta readers, of course, and edited it to death myself, but my
editor, Cindy Davis, really helped to make it shine.
Where and when do you write? Tell us about your favorite work place
and time. Any special reason?
My very favorite time to
write is when my husband is at work, my kids are in school and I have the house
to myself for at least several hours. No
commitments, nothing else that I absolutely have to do to distract me. Then, I can sit in front of my keyboard and
just let it all flow, and totally immerse myself in my character’s world. Heaven.
How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot
or the world of the story? How do you go on from there? Maybe you can give us
an example with one of your books.
So far, it’s been plot first
and characters second. I generally
become fascinated by some esoteric aspect of history or some quirky idea and
then develop a plot around that. Then, I
flesh out the characters around the plot.
What books can you recommend to aspiring writers to improve on
style, character development, plot, structure, dialogue, etc?
I heartily recommend the following books for the newer writer.
How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
by
Howard Mittelmark
The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile
by Noah Lukeman
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
by Renni Browne
Your books
Why do you write the stories that you write?
So far, I’ve gravitated to
writing historical fiction. The idea for
The Five Step Plan came to me when I
was researching fainting couches for my first, unpublished book. When I discovered that women had actually
been draped over fainting couches and treated with pelvic massage for their
“hysteria,” I knew at once I’d stumbled across the makings for a comedy. Although I love everything about writing
historical fiction, I can imagine myself in the future writing something more
contemporary, maybe even a mystery.
Which of your books feature your family/friends, etc? What characters
are modeled after them? Why?
Most often, my characters
aren’t based on anyone in particular from my life. Maybe a few traits here or there, but for the
most part they are inventions of my mind.
The one exception is Dr. Marplot, my villain in The Five Step Plan. He is
very loosely based on someone my husband knows and who I’ve met on
occasion. I’ve often wondered if anyone
will ever guess who it is.
Have you ever wanted to write your book in one direction but your
characters are moving it in another direction? What did you do in such a
situation?
As I wrote The Five Step Plan, I became more and
more haunted by my poor, profoundly misguided Dr. Whitcraft. He’s a good man, whose greatest desire was to
make a contribution to the field of medicine and yet, everything he so dearly
believed was completely and utterly WRONG.
So, as the story moved along, I couldn’t help but channel him into some
other area of scientific research that would perhaps generate some lasting
scientific contribution.
Any new projects, work in progress?
I’m currently working on two
radically different projects. The first
is historical fiction that tells the story of a Nez Perce girl who was taken as
a slave in the late 1700’s and ends up living among white fur traders by the
Great Lakes. My other project is my
first attempt at a contemporary dark comedy about a band of incompetent
criminals tasked with stealing a grand piano.
Do you have or belong to a
writing organization? Which one?
I’m
a member of the Historical Novel Society.
What books are on your
nightstand or by your chair?
The History of Underclothes by C. Willett and Phillis
Cunningham
The Foundations of
Screenwriting
by Syd Field
The North West Company by Marjorie Wilkins
Campbell
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Northwest to the Sea by Marjorie Wilkins
Campbell
Grand Obsession by Perri Knize
The Piano Shop on the Left
Bank by
Thad Carhart
I’ve
learned something while I typed this out.
First, I am a book hoarder.
Secondly, anyone stumbling on this stack could learn just about all
there is to know about me by skimming the titles.
Do you have a favorite book from childhood?
The Shining
by Stephen King
Bookmark or Dog ear?
Dog earring a book makes
me cringe. I’m a total bookmark girl,
but it’s usually some scrap of paper that I found rather than an official
bookmark.
Visit Elizabeth
Purchase The Five Step Plan
