#dickfrancis — Public Fediverse posts

@HollieK72 @ccferrie @sarae @zmef42

Yeah, Mary Francis had a very recognisable writing style, and Felix's style is nothing like as snappy and succinct. I distinctly remember the moment, in the library one day, of reading the first page of the first book after she died, and thinking "okay, now we know".

I later read a biography which i.i.r.c. said that before the first "Dick Francis" book came out, they'd actually discussed with the publisher having _both_ their names on the cover, and decided the promotion would work better with only his. So I have the impression it wasn't completely a secret within their inner circle.

But I also have this theory that in Mary Francis's case, she may have actively enjoyed the dynamic of secretly being "the power behind the scenes" - in addition to finding it commercially advantageous. A recurring motif in the plot of her books is the protagonist presenting an unassuming front in order to lull people into underestimating him, or a moment when other characters get a surprise at the protagonist's previously unmentioned accomplishments. And the way those scenes are written, I get the vibe that the writer themself relished that dynamic of hidden resources. So I find it easy to imagine her enjoying that people didn't know she was the writer, and going around being like "I have powers that you don't know about" like her protagonists do.

Someone who could be bothered could write a pretty entertaining essay (a) comparing M's and F's opening paragraphs, and (b) collating her fictional examples of "hidden powers revealed" :-)

#DickFrancis #writing #UncreditedWomen