Bits and pieces

[regshoe]

I have reached 40,000 words on my FotH/Kidnapped crossover longfic! And I think I have got to the point of needing a break from it—the last couple of weeks of writing have been a bit tough, and various things are not working out quite how I want. But I am going to be pleased with this achievement, and put it aside and work on Yuletide stuff for a little while—and then go back and decide what to do next. One possibility is that I start to re-draft the earlier chapters before writing more; at the moment it's feeling a bit weighed down by plot and characterisation that I know I haven't got right yet and want to change. We shall see!

Chantemerle is making slow but steady progress. It's the longest ebook I've done so far at 158,000 words, about a third as long again as Sir Isumbras. I'm working my way through rewrapping the text file (making all the lines the right length and organising them nicely); after that will come the slightly daunting task of formatting the (many, varied) chapter epigraphs in both text and HTML.

...But in the course of (unsuccessfully) trying to look up one of those chapter epigraphs today, I have found another Jacobite novel from 1905 which looks like it might be about an intense loyal friendship between female characters! One of them is the famous Lady Nithsdale who memorably and ingeniously helped her husband escape from the Tower of London after the '15. I will read it immediately and report back.

I learnt yesterday that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote an alternative set of lyrics to the Skye Boat Song—number XLII in this collection. I think I like this version better than the more well-known original! The images are less hackneyed and more evocative, and there's a lovely wistfulness to it.

I've been continuing my D. K. Broster researches by looking her up in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, to which I have access through the public library. The entry has some interesting details that I hadn't heard before, including that she thought The Yellow Poppy was her best book, but her favourite was The Wounded Name (I think that shows excellent and hilarious judgement; although the DNB doesn't say, and I'd like to know, when she said it—how many, if any, of her later books were not written yet to compare to those two?), and a little bit about her personality: she was known as a worrier, obsessed by the difficulties of daily living, the need to be ready for any and every emergency. I probably shouldn't quote the whole entry here, but I'm happy to send a copy to anyone who would like one! I'd like to continue these biographical researches properly; I think I'll make another delve into the Ancestry records (now only accessible actually in libraries, so I'll have to make a visit to one), and then see if I can work up the courage to ask the people at St Hilda's College Archive if I can go and have a look at these papers, which sound terribly interesting.

Comments

[osprey_archer]

Ooooh! Please report back about the Jacobite novel that might be about intense loyal friendship between female characters!

Also would be VERY curious to hear what you find if you do visit the archives at St Hilda's. I've always thought it would be fascinating the visit the archives for research but I've never properly done it.

[regshoe]

I read the first chapter this morning and there is already a lot of loyalty! Excited to see where it goes...

And I will certainly report on any archive visit I make—even just those catalogue records are fascinating.

[oracne]

Ooooh Jacobite ladies!

[regshoe]

:D I've read the first chapter and there is a lot of loyalty already—I hope it'll continue to be good!

[garonne]

I have reached 40,000 words on my FotH/Kidnapped crossover longfic

Yay! I'm very much looking forward to reading it.

[regshoe]

Thank you :)

[luzula]

...But in the course of (unsuccessfully) trying to look up one of those chapter epigraphs today, I have found another Jacobite novel from 1905 which looks like it might be about an intense loyal friendship between female characters!
OMG, do report back. How exciting! : D

Also very excited about your Broster research! Can you send me a copy of the DNB entry? And wow, how cool about the archive stuff...

And congratulations on reaching 40K. : D

[regshoe]

Very exciting—there's already a lot of loyalty in the one chapter I've read, so I am looking forward to seeing where it goes...

Sent! And yes, the archives are very intriguing—they've got some of her writings (including stories I don't recognise from anywhere else) as well as various biographical things.

And congratulations on reaching 40K. : D

Thank you :)

[sanguinity]

40K, well done! I've been impressed in your WED updates by your steady progress (I require much more feeling my way, even with a good outline), but I'm right there with you about wanting my character work to be sound before going forward. I'm a big believer in back-burnering a story when you need to; may you have clarity and renewed energy when you take it up again!

And count me among the others who are interested in a Jacobites Ladies story!

[regshoe]

I think a lot of the writing so far has been feeling my way—I'm planning to change quite a lot in the second draft, and I think actually doing some of that will put things on a firmer basis to go forward with. Thank you!

[hyarrowen]

Hurrah for the swift progress on the corssover. A pause for a breather sounds like a good idea too, especially if you've got a nice prompt to write to for Yuletide (anticipatory smile, not to mention grabby hands.)

How interesting that DKB was a worrier. I wonder how she coped with living so close to the Channel during the war, if indeed she still did so at that point.

[regshoe]

Thank you! And not to give anything away, but it is a pretty good assignment... :D

Yes, she did live in Catsfield during the war as far as I know (at least the definite dates include both before and after), and that's a good point about the Channel. That can't have been pleasant at all.

[edwardianspinsteraunt]

Yeah, Catsfield is only several miles away from the Pevensey Bay/Bexhill stretch of coast, widely believed to be a likely landing point for a German invasion...it was also directly in the path of German bombers on their way to London during the Blitz, so I can't imagine it would have been a relaxing place to live during WWII!

[tgarnsl]

St Hilda's — oh goodness. I figured their archive would have something, but I'm really very curious to see what. I'm wondering if I can't make up some excuse to go investigate myself. (Sadly my area of research doesn't cover anything remotely related to Broster, but maybe they might look kindly on a member of the university? Not sure if my courage would hold to make such a random request.) Let me know how you get on!

[regshoe]

I have no area of research and no affiliation with the university, but I'm hoping they'll be nice to an enthusiastic amateur! (A friend of mine who's volunteered in an Oxbridge college archive tells me people would often visit who were not professional researchers but just had an interest in a relevant literary figure—so that's encouraging). I will certainly report back if I do manage to go, and you should totally try too. :)

[luzula]

I learnt yesterday that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote an alternative set of lyrics to the Skye Boat Song—number XLII in this collection. I think I like this version better than the more well-known original! The images are less hackneyed and more evocative, and there's a lovely wistfulness to it.

Yes! That was really lovely, I too liked it more than the original.

[regshoe]

I especially like the list of the islands—those beautiful outlines seen from the coast are a very vivid memory, and it reminds me of them. :)

[luzula]

I thought of that too. : ) Eigg in particular was so cool!