In what she describes as ``a moment of artistic grace'', Winspear says the character of Maisie Dobbs developed in her mind while stuck in traffic. From there, Winspear began intensely researching the Great War and 1920s England. While recovering from an accident that broke her arm and crushed her shoulder, Winspear completed over half of Maisie Dobbs with just one hand on the keyboard. She sent out sample chapters and proposals to thirty literary agents and received several phone calls back within a few weeks.
In what she describes as ``a moment of artistic grace'', Winspear says the character of Maisie Dobbs developed in her mind while stuck in traffic.
case
in
In
ADP
IN
obl
PronType=Rel
what
what
PRON
WP
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
she
she
PRON
PRP
acl:relcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
describe
describes
VERB
VBZ
case
as
as
ADP
IN
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
moment
moment
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
artistic
artistic
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
grace''
grace''
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Number=Sing
Winspear
Winspear
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
say
says
VERB
VBZ
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
character
character
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
Maisie
Maisie
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Dobbs
Dobbs
PROPN
NNP
ccomp
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
develop
developed
VERB
VBD
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
obl
Number=Sing
mind
mind
NOUN
NN
mark
while
while
SCONJ
IN
advcl
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
stick
stuck
VERB
VBN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
traffic
traffic
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
From there, Winspear began intensely researching the Great War and 1920s England.
case
from
From
ADP
IN
obl
PronType=Dem
there
there
ADV
RB
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Number=Sing
Winspear
Winspear
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
begin
began
VERB
VBD
advmod
intensely
intensely
ADV
RB
xcomp
VerbForm=Ger
research
researching
VERB
VBG
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
great
Great
ADJ
NNP
obj
Number=Sing
War
War
PROPN
NNP
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
compound
Number=Sing
1920s
1920s
PROPN
NNP
conj
Number=Sing
England
England
PROPN
NNP
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
While recovering from an accident that broke her arm and crushed her shoulder, Winspear completed over half of Maisie Dobbs with just one hand on the keyboard.
mark
while
While
SCONJ
IN
advcl
VerbForm=Ger
recover
recovering
VERB
VBG
case
from
from
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
an
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
accident
accident
NOUN
NN
nsubj
PronType=Rel
that
that
PRON
WDT
acl:relcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
break
broke
VERB
VBD
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
obj
Number=Sing
arm
arm
NOUN
NN
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
crush
crushed
VERB
VBD
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
obj
Number=Sing
shoulder
shoulder
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Number=Sing
Winspear
Winspear
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
complete
completed
VERB
VBD
case
over
over
ADV
RB
obj
NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac|Number=Sing
half
half
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
Maisie
Maisie
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Dobbs
Dobbs
PROPN
NNP
case
with
with
ADP
IN
advmod
just
just
ADV
RB
nummod
NumForm=Word|NumType=Card
one
one
NUM
CD
obl
Number=Sing
hand
hand
NOUN
NN
case
on
on
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nmod
Number=Sing
keyboard
keyboard
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
She sent out sample chapters and proposals to thirty literary agents and received several phone calls back within a few weeks.
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
she
She
PRON
PRP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
send
sent
VERB
VBD
compound:prt
out
out
ADP
RP
compound
Number=Sing
sample
sample
NOUN
NN
obj
Number=Plur
chapter
chapters
NOUN
NNS
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Plur
proposal
proposals
NOUN
NNS
case
to
to
ADP
IN
nummod
NumForm=Word|NumType=Card
thirty
thirty
NUM
CD
amod
Degree=Pos
literary
literary
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Plur
agent
agents
NOUN
NNS
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
receive
received
VERB
VBD
amod
Degree=Pos
several
several
ADJ
JJ
compound
Number=Sing
phone
phone
NOUN
NN
obj
Number=Plur
call
calls
NOUN
NNS
advmod
back
back
ADV
RB
case
within
within
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
few
few
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Plur
week
weeks
NOUN
NNS
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.