What, I write?

Those who have only just started following this blog may not be aware — and those who have followed long may have forgotten — that I call myself a writer. I say that I'm currently retelling the King Arthur legends. What's more accurate is that I was retelling them and stopped. I haven't written since the first few weeks of January; before that, I cannot say. Well, this writer misses her Arthur and I hope that eventually the writing that is not quite as fun will be over, so that I can pursue this story again.
There have been many times in my life where writing has seemed like an indulgence. A waste of time. If I'm not writing something that will directly help someone (i.e., a devotional book) then I am being selfish. I could be spending that time either working on my school, cleaning the house, or actually helping someone.
Recently, I've come to realize that my abilities, meagre as they may be, are a gift from God. I don't mean to say that I was just told that I've been ordained to be a writer and from now on I'm pursuing writing over everything else. But I have realized that a thing of beauty, even if it never directly says the word "God" is just as likely — perhaps more — to touch those who need it. And if I have been given some ability to create such a thing, then I do have a duty to work at it.
So! All that to say, that I am once again trying to get back to writing and actually FINISH this thing. Most of my school will be over in early May. Although I do hope to get a part time job this summer, I shall have a great deal more time that I intend to share with Arthur.

In anticipation of this, I am doing a Beautiful People questionnaire (from May 2015) for Owain.

Does he get nightmares? If so, why or what of?
Owain is a hard worker and is always very tired when he lays down to sleep. He doesn't usually have dreams — or at least doesn't remember them — but he has had some nightmares about his uncle's drunken rages.

What is his biggest guilty pleasure or secret shame?
Owain almost hates his uncle, but he is also ashamed of this. He was brought up to regard family ties as very important and, despite his uncle's behavior he feel that he ought to care for him in some small way, or at least pity him.

Is he easily persuaded or does he need more proof? 
Owain is definitely more easily persuaded; however, I would say that this is more because he is desperate than due to naiveté.

Does he suffer from any phobias? Does it affect his life in a big way?
Owain is much too sensible (or has too little time) to have a serious phobia.

Morvydd

What does he consider his "Achilles' heel?"
Morvydd, his sister, you might say is his Achilles' heel. She is a cowed, nervous person (due to said uncle) and he is very protective of her.

How does he handle a crisis?
Owain is not the sort of person to take charge over everyone in a crisis. Neither is he paralyzed. He generally realizes pretty quickly what he can/should do, and does it quietly and quickly.

Does he have a temper?
No. He can definitely get very angry, but not easily.

What are his core values and/or religious beliefs?

Owain is nominally Christian. He has a strong sense of justice and values protecting the weak.

I think that Owain looks rather like Dominic Muir.

What things does he value most in life?
It may sound cheesy, but his friends/family. When once he becomes attached to someone he has strong affections.

What is one major event that helped shape who he is?

His father's accident and eventual death definitely affected his life; because of the former, he was apprenticed to a different miller, rather than learning at home. Because of the latter he is now stuck with his uncle. But as to what shaped him as a person: his father was not perfect but he always treated women and the elderly with respect. Because of that, Owain finds these things very important and is put off by people who don't do likewise.

Well! I certainly enjoyed getting to understand Owain a little better. Now I feel sentimental and close to my medieval friends again. To writing I go!*

*I do not mean this literally. I mean it in a... figurative sense. In a vague kind of way. In a very, very, general way. With an assumed "At some point" at the beginning of the sentence... Anyhow!

Beautiful People (September 2016): Rayfus

What? Two posts in two days? We thought this was the blog of the woman who doesn't live here any more. After all, the only thing that has happened recently was a tag (which scarcely counts) and a 69-word "happy birthday" post, which definitely does not count.
Nonetheless (don't you love that word? and nevertheless...), here I am. I realized that I have never done a BP for Rayfus*, or any other character questionnaire that I can remember.

Well obviously that's got to change, so here we go.

*The disgusting and weird and very not medieval name is going to be changed in second drafts to Lancelot, as this character basically fulfills Lancelot's functions in my Arthur story. However, I currently have another character named Lancelot (for no other reason than that when I was twelve I thought it would be fun to name a character Lancelot and make him have nothing to do with Lancelot — ???), so I'm waiting to officially change it until he has another name.

1. How did you come up with this character?
 Rayfus appeared at the same time the story did. I was (not surprisingly) talking to myself and making up a story, in which a woman who had just given birth was worried about her baby's safety. It came out that her husband was dead and she was worried about this man, Rayfus, because he wanted to be king, but her son was the heir. At some point in here, Rayfus became her son also. And then I said, "Hey, I could make this a King Arthur story" (because this sounds just like a King Arthur story).

2. Have they ever been starving? Why? And what did they eat to break the fast?
Definitely not. Princes in wealthy kingdoms don't have to worry about that sort of thing. And while he has been on war campaigns where belts might have been tight, Rayfus is not the sort of person who'd feel oblige to deny himself because "the men have to."

3. Do they have a talent or skill that they're proud of?
Rayfus is not an unemotional person, but he prides himself on his control of his emotions. Also, he is very good at reading people and staying in control of most situations. Thirdly, he feels that most people don't have the "vision" he does to see bigger and better things happening. (Except for being politically conservative/old-fashioned, he is in favor of "progress" — *shudder*).

4. List 3 things that would make them lose their temper.
1. His wife, Guillamine (another name that is likely to change) gets on his nerves, so if he was already stressed/annoyed he might lose his temper with her.
2. When his carefully laid plans are ruined because one of his "lackeys" makes a mistake.
3. If someone started saying he was very incapable and had no ability to rule, etc. it would make him very angry, but he would still be able to control his temper, partially by assuring himself they had no idea what they were talking about.

5. What is their favorite type of weather? Least favorite?
Rayfus isn't too particular about the weather, but I think he likes cloudy days best. He doesn't like snow.

6. What is their Hogwarts House or MBTI personality?
 Well, as I said yesterday, I don't believe in MBTI so much... but I think he is either ESTJ or ENTJ (probably more of an ESTJ).

7. Are they more likely to worry about present problems, or freak out about the unknown future?
Rayfus doesn't "freak out", but he definitely plans ahead for different problems and scenarios. Current events can stress him if thing aren't going according to plan.

8. What is their favorite thing to drink?
A good red wine.

9. Favorite color? Least favorite?

Indigo/Royal Blue would be his favorite. Practical, not too "flashy", yet denotes his status with proper dignity. Least favorite: Beige. Too plain.

10. What is a book that changed their life?
Reading wasn't very common in the Middle Ages, and Rayfus isn't a big reader. He does read books on military tactics and such, and no doubt those have affect his life.

Beautiful People: Geraint

I am doing Beautiful People for the first time in almost a year. And ironically, the last one I did was a combo-edition with Geraint and Kay.

Today we're featuring just Geraint. I'm really very fond of Geraint. Despite his hard, even harsh exterior, he can be very gentle and compassionate. Suffering bothers him more than it bothers, say, Kay.

1. Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?
Yes, Geraint wants to get married. Or it might be more accurate to say wanted. He was once in love and he's relatively fond of children, so getting married was obviously on his to-do list, so to speak. But the girl married another. He would not marry without being in love, and he doesn't think he could fall in love again after her. (But we'll see about that.)

2. What is their weapon of choice?
Bow and arrows. Geraint is a fletcher.

3. What's the nicest thing they've done for someone else, and why did they do it?
I don't know about the very nicest. As said above, he has a very harsh exterior but he's really a softie. He's kind to children and thoughtful to other people when they're hurting.

4. Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?
In training to be a knight, which he did, learning how to be physically violent is part of it. Outside of his training, not much; he isn't a violent man. He and Kay have fought before, though.

6. Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?
Geraint used to be a rule-follower. He's not a rebellious person, but he has grown cynical about those who make the rules in his area of the world and therefore he does not follow their rules.

7. Are they organized or messy?
Organized.

8. What do they eat for breakfast?
Ordinarily, just bread; on occasion, bread with fish. He has the latter more often than some, because he lives by a river.

9. Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?
Geraint's mother died in childbirth; his father did not remarry so he is an only child. His father died of old age a few years ago. When Lady Enid decided to marry Sir Erec instead of himself, he felt that he had lost her. He hasn't seen her for years and he and his cousin Erec have a very uncomfortable relationship as fellow Knights of the Round Table.

10. What's their treat of choice? (or how else do they reward themselves)
Geraint likes poached pears with honey and ginger, when he can get it.

Finally getting around to...

August Beautiful People!

I wasn't kidding in my last post when I said that ⅓ of all of my thoughts concern Arthur. When you write 500-1000 words per day, you have to be thinking about the story a lot. It used to be that when I fell asleep, thinking about a scene in Arthur would be a sort of pleasure I gave myself. Now when I go to bed, if I consider writing myself to sleep, my mind reacts with a shudder. This isn't a fun little thing any longer— this is work!
I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Sort of.

Anyway, this month BP is doing a "friendship edition". Naturally, I'm picking characters from Arthur.

August Beautiful People: Kay and Geraint

Geraint

Kay (in very modern clothes, how strange)

1. How long have they known each other, and how close are they?
They met when Geraint was fifteen and Kay twenty-one; that was almost fifteen years ago, as Geraint is now twenty-nine and Kay is thirty-six. How close are they is difficult to say. They became fast friends, despite the difference in their ages, but they quarreled and separated when Kay was twenty-six. They didn't see each other for ten years because of that, but on meeting again, they were both secretly very pleased to see the other and affectedly very irritated at the other. There is no awkwardness at being  long apart, though, which I think shows they're pretty close.

2. What's their earliest memory of being friends?
They pulled a prank on the castle steward together, and it was a that moment, sitting in a tree and laughing, that they realized they were friends.

3. Do they fight? How long do they typical fight for?
They argue all the time. B.Q. (Before the Quarrel), they didn't argue as much, but would still get into lively debates, which could last all day. They always parted for the evening as friends, though. They did have the occasional fist fight. A.Q. (After the Quarrel) they are constantly arguing, but as they've been back together for less than twenty-four hours I don't think that's to be expected and shouldn't last.

4. Are their personalities similar or do they compliment each other?
Geraint and Kay are both sharp-tongued, Geraint because he's painfully blunt and Kay because he's terribly sarcastic. They're both honest (Geraint more so; see former sentence), hate injustice, and are very loyal. There the similarities end: Kay is generally good-natured and jovial, though, while Geraint can tend to brood (particularly A.Q. ); when together, they balance each other out.

5. Who is the leader of the friendship (if anyone)?
B.Q. it might have been Kay, because Geraint looked up to him (as he was the older one and he had just been knighted, rather than being still a page). A.Q., there is none, as Geraint has ceased to care about the latter difference and the former difference is now inconsequential.

6. Do they have any secrets from each other?
B.Q.: none, except for one large one which Kay kept from Geraint. Kay was enamored with a young lady, who Geraint was also in love with. Well, that came out, of course. A.Q. they have many things they haven't shared (an absence of ten years will do that, you know), but nothing which is deliberately secret. After the rent in the friendship, both came to abhor unnecessary deception, particularly Geraint.

7. How well do they know each other's quirks and habits?
B.Q. Very well, as they were with each other as much as possible for five and half years. A.Q. Little quirks don't change a lot over ten years, so I'd say they still know those, although habits are now very different as their respective lives have changed a lot.

8. What kind of things do they like to do together?
B.Q. Hunting, playing pranks, sparring, debating, swimming—they shared almost all of their interests. A.Q. Arguing vehemently.

9. Describe each character's fashion style (use pictures if you'd like!) How are their styles different/similar?
B.Q. Very similar. Young medieval knight/knight-in-training. A.Q. Geraint dresses in the plain clothes of a forester, while Kay still dresses like a noble (well, currently he too is dressed like a forester, because he's living in a cottage in the woods). So their style is actually still pretty much the same when they meet again.

10. How would their lives be different without each other?
Geraint would be left in PEACE (shut up, Geraint) and Kay would be bored without someone worth laughing at (I suppose that's their versions of saying they'd be lonely; certainly it's true that Kay's early twenties would have been friendless, as he didn't meet Bedivere or Raymond till after the split, and Geraint wouldn't have had anyone either. Without the big hubaloo with Kay in his twentieth year, Geraint would have gone through with becoming a knight, only to discover afterwards how much he disliked nobles).



Well! Doing Beautiful People always helps me get out my thoughts about my characters, although (sadly) a lot of what I get worked out changes later. Even if I don't stick to what I wrote here, though, it always helps me, because having some terrible frame to edit and perfect is always easier to work with than a hazy blob that isn't here nor there.

Beautiful People: Merlin

Well, we did survive the ball, and I think we all had a little fun, too. The Arthurian Chronicles are going splendidly, and that's all I'm working on, so naturally I'm doing this month's BP for the same story as in June.

This month I am doing Merlin. Nearly everyone who's even once heard of King Arthur has heard of Merlin. My Merlin has gone under various changes, but he is probably the character most like the original from the legend. If you haven't noticed, it seems to me all the best fantasy books have a character like Merlin: very old, bearded magic-doer who's a little strange at times but has very good advice and helps the main characters out of a tight spot more than once. Lord of the Rings has Gandalf, Harry Potter has Dumbledore, The Prydain Chronicles has Dallben, the Dragon Keeper Chronicles has Fenworth... With all of these examples it is hard to keep their characters from spilling over into Merlin's. I shall try to answer the questions without copying from the above mentioned. Merlin's past, magical abilities, and general personality are not very developed either in the legend or in my story; that is why he takes the spotlight here.

Beautiful People: Merlin Uwain of Avalon

1. What's their favourite ice cream flavour?
Well, living in the Middle Ages, Merlin doesn't get ice cream much... Haha... He's partial to the flavors of brown bread and vegetable soup, and other plainer food, so I'm not sure that he would like ice cream if he got the chance to taste it (he wouldn't want it often, even if he liked a particular flavor [likely cherry]).

2. Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where are they going? What are they wearing? Who will they be with?
Merlin has a general dislike of "night out"s (nights out?). If he was going out, it would be for one of two reasons: 1) He would be going to the castle to see Gwenore, in the short days of their courtship. He would be dressed in the rich clothing of the men of those days, you know, something more or less like this:

Have you noticed how much harder it is to find a prince-like picture than a princess? Particularly when your cat is sitting on the keyboard...

2) After Gwenore married Uther, Merlin would be out by himself, wearing his usual plain clothing and brown cloak, more or less like this:

He would be out for one reason: to pick up information of some kind or another. Therefore he would go to the loudest, busiest tavern.

3. Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Do they wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Are they in socks that are ratty and full of holes? What do they consider comfortable and what do they consider agony?
Merlin wears brown traveling boots and wool socks, plain but in whole condition (not hole condition). What he considers comfortable is broken in. Footwear doesn't have the power to cause agony in Merlin. His tolerance of pain is much higher than that.

4. Do they have any birthmark or scars? Where are they and how did they get them?
Merlin has several scars on his arms and legs, mostly from hard work. He also has a thin scar near his left ear… from a fight.

5. What kind of music do they listen to? Does it change depending on their mood or is it always consistent? (Feel free to share samples!)

Merlin appreciates minstrels' singing but he doesn't own an iPod or employ his own musicians so he rarely hears music.

Confession: I have no idea what all that is, I just searched for Medieval music on Youtube. Funnily enough it begins with a song called "Avalon", and Merlin's roots are in Avalon.

6. Do they have any musical talent? Play an instrument? How’s their singing voice?
Merlin has no musical talent at all. It's one of the few things he has no gifting for. His voice is rough and unmelodious.

7. What kind of book would you catch them reading?
You would catch him reading most any book imaginable (though he dislikes silly romantic ballads). He loves to learn and to read.

8. How would they spend their summers (or their holidays)?
Merlin loves to visit his father's home of Avalon. He is proud of his family heritage and introduces himself as Merlin Uwain of Avalon, though he was raised in Camelot. His father was not such a great person, and Merlin knows that, but because his father was a wizard (and his mother wasn't) he feels more of a connection to that side. He has been to Avalon (a distant, magically hidden island off of Scotland) only a few times.

9. It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. Ex. If they’re eating breakfast, what’s on the menu? Are they hiking, shopping, lazing around?
At what time in his life? In his teenage years he would have been studying like many fairly wealthy boys (you know, history, geometry, the normal things). In his later teens and early twenties he would have been at the castle wooing Gwenore. In his twenties-fifties he would have been studying – but this time it is magic, magical theory, magical history, etc. that he studies. In his mid-fifties to sixties he would be mostly studying.

10. Is there anything your character wants to be free of?
Merlin would like to be free from his regrets: regret that Gwenore married Uther, that Merlin didn't watch Arthur more carefully, that his father left his mother, that he was born into wealth… Often he half-wishes he was not a wizard. It is a burden and a responsibility. It enables him to help people but it sets him apart in a very lonely way.

Well, don't we all feel better for that? I do, anyway. Usually if I know a character very little I subconsciously avoid thinking about him (as I've done for Merlin). But now that he is understood it makes me very, very happy (not completely and perfectly and incandescently happy, you know, but very pleased).

Au revoir,

Beautiful People: Arthur (surprise, surprise)

It is no surprise that I'm using this month's Beautiful People for my King Arthur tale (it may be a surprise that I'm posting at all, but enough about that). This time, though, I'm actually using it for Arthur himself.
Who would've thought, right?


1. Do they know their biological parents? Why/why not?
He knew his biological mother for several months before she died. His father was killed before he was born. He was not raised by his biological mother, which is why he only knew her for a few months.

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?
Yes. He has his mother's nose, his father's green eyes, and his father's light brown hair (his mother's hair is a darker brown). He has more of his mother's build than his father's, being less muscular and broad-shouldered than his father and eldest brother.

3. What's their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

This is not a picture of his parents, but the dress is similar to what they'd wear, except that the man's clothing would be finer, less plain. You know, medieval royalty stuff.

Also something like either of these:

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?
Hmm. Gwenore (his mother) was very mild when calm but easily excited emotionally; she was smart but she always hoped for the best in people. Uther was kind and well-meaning; he was not as mild when calm or as easily excited as his wife. He was very even-keel. Arthur hopes for the best, as his mother did; he looks out for the good of others and is even-keeled like his father. His non-biological father, Virgil, was very honest and hard-working; Arthur takes after him there. He probably takes after his father more.


5. Do they get on with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?
He didn't have time to clash with either one. With Anna and Virgil, who were not his real parents but the people he thought of as his parents he got on well.

6. If they had to describe their parental figure(s) in one word, what would it be?
 (I'm going to cheat and say one word or a three-word phrase)
Gwenore: Loves her sons
Uther: Upright


7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life?
Virgil taught Arthur to work hard and to be self-sacrificing, which is just as important for a king as for a blacksmith. Gwenore gave him a new family; at the time he didn't appreciate this but when his adoptive-family wasn't there any more he greatly appreciated having his brothers.

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?
Hm. Again, he never fought with Gwenore or Uther. I don't know that he ever had any huge fights with his parents, none that really hurt their relationship or that they didn't get over quickly.

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?

Well, there is some British, before that there was British, before that there was more British... Seeing a theme here?

10. What’s their favourite memory with their parental figure(s)?

His eighth birthday. His father (Virgil) gave him a real sword. Not a thing of beauty, but Arthur was very proud of it. He didn't have the struggles of kingship or poverty or knowing he wasn't their real son, then. It was a very peaceful birthday. The first time his mother (Anna) took him riding is a special memory, too. She was just going over to the next village, but she couldn't leave him behind because he was only five. He was too little to walk the whole way but too big to be carried. He'd never gotten to ride the horse before and from then on he loved horses. (They probably never even cantered but for a five year-old a quick trot from the top of a tall horse is very exciting).

"His name is Arthur Pendragon."

Beautiful People: Araldon

Here we are, and it's time for Beautiful People again!

So, this is technically for villains. And although Lord Araldon is not "the villain" of my story, he marries Gwennie and so he is a villain of a man. It counts. Really.

1. What is their motive:

Okay, so this is hard, because he personally doesn't have a motive for his villainous action. He was told to do so by his superior because it was politically a good idea (you know, the motives for a good deal of noble marriages back in the Middle Ages). He's just following orders. He'd prefer not to marry Gwennie. He'd rather have his own life.

2. What do they want and what are they prepared to do to get it?

Lord Araldon is a handsome young man, smart, strong, but not overly ambitious. He is willing to help his master overthrow King Arthur because he'd like to be settled comfortably in his own castle. One day, he'd like to settle down, but currently he likes being the object of multiple young ladies. When forced to marry Gwennie, she's a little too spunky and less in awe of him than he'd like. He would, quite bluntly, be happy if she died and left him to be a happy bachelor, drinking, riding in tournaments, and flirting again.

3. How do they deal with conflict?

He is the oldest of three brothers, and when he and his younger brothers would argue, he would simply knock them down. Not a great way of dealing with conflict. Nowadays, when knocking people down isn't always convenient or politically correct, he uses words. He is not brutish, but actually pretty smart and perceptive. He will use what he knows about you to hurt you. And if all this fails and you are unintimidated, he becomes passive aggressive.

4. Describe their current place of residence.

Araldon lives in the castle, like most of the knights and lords. His chambers are on the southwest side of the castle (the back and to the left); they are very nice. High ceilings, one or two expensive tapestries on the walls, a large oak bedstead, elegant sconces, that sort of thing.

5. If they were writing this story, how would it end?

Gwennie would die, his master would conquer, and he'd be rewarded handsomely for his trouble.

6. What habits, speech patterns, etc. are unique to them?

I always have a hard time with these kind of questions. Umm… I don't know of any speech patterns. He clenches his jaw when angry. He drums his fingers while having conversations.

7. How do they show love? What do they like to do with/for people they love?

He likes to spar verbally with people he loves.  Most likely, if you and he are friends, you like to eat, fight, banter back and forth, do the things he like to do, so that would be what you would do together. If he wanted to do something for you, he'd probably buy you something.

8. Do they have any pets?

He has a horse, but it is not a pet.

9. Where would they go to relax or think?

Probably he'd take a ride if he wanted to think. He's not fond of horses but he does like to gallop across the moors. To relax, he'd go to the Great Hall or to a tournament. He likes fighting and eating.

10. What is their weapon of choice?

A sword. But he is not above using his own two hands or his words.

Beautiful People August 2014: Gwennie

Welcome back, Beautiful People! This is one of the first times I've actually used the current, and not an archived, question list.

Without further ado…

1) What does your character regret most in their life?
I don't know. Most of the bad things that have happened to her were not her fault. Probably a careless word or deed.

2) What is your character's happiest memory? Most sorrowful memory?
Happiest probably several years ago when she and Arthur were young and carefree, before her father lost his money. Most sorrowful memory hasn't happened yet – her mother dying. Before that it was probably when she heard that Arthur was getting married.

3) What majorly gets on your character's nerves?
People who complain, who are lazy, or who are condescending.

4) Do they act differently when they're around people as opposed to being alone? If so, how?
No, not really. Although she can hide her feelings, she's more likely to be bluntly herself.

5) What are their beliefs and superstitions? (Examples: their religion or lack of one, conspiracy theories, throwing salt, fear of black cats.)
She is a nominal Christian, but I'm not sure if she really knows God. I think she probably will by the end of the book, though.

6) What are their catchphrases, or things they say frequently?
Hmm, I'm not real sure what her catchphrases are. One would be "Really?" She can put all sorts of different stresses into it, from a polite, "Really?" when she doesn't care what you're talking about, to a sarcastic, "Really?" with an eye roll.

7) Would they be more prone to facing fears or running from them?
Facing them. She is more afraid for those she loves than for herself; with her mother sick and her father gone a lot, she is the strong one right now and knows she must be. She is more afraid of fear itself, you might say.

8) Do they have a good self image?
I think so. Sometimes, though, when around Arthur she is… shy? awkward? because she is very aware of her low status.

9) Do they turn to people when they're upset, or do they isolate themselves?
She isolates herself. She is very independent.

10) If they were standing next to you would it make you laugh or cry?
After I got over the shock of seeing a fictional character in flesh and blood, I'd be more likely to cry because I know the diabolical thing that's going to happen to her soon.

Beautiful People Archives: July 2011

I just finished a very good book. If you've read it, you shall know it by this quote:
"I shall have twenty cats and talk to them all. My cats and I shall have fish every day for dinner."
I'm actually rereading it so as to better appreciate it. I really like fairy tales. This weekend, I hosted a writing group meeting thing, and the theme was rewritten fairy tales (either Cinderella or The Princess and the Pea). I rewrote Cinderella, sort of combining it with The Blue Bird (Madame d'Aulnoy). That was really fun. That was what got me in the medieval fairy tale realm again. My sister suggested that I rewrite another fairy tale and reuse one of my side characters, which did appeal to me. But I didn't feel like taking on a whole new story, even if I do have some ideas for other fairy tales. So it's back to Arthur I go.
Basically, his plot line will stay essentially the same; everything that happens will still happen, but it may happen in a slightly different way, or I may tell it in a different way. I am doing a Beautiful People archive thinger (July 2011) for Vivian.

July 2011
What is his/her biggest secret?
Ummm… she has quite a few secrets, all regarding her race and her loyalties. Probably her biggest secret is how much she hates Arthur.

Has he/she ever been in love?
Ah, yes. She was (and still is) in love with King – erm, Prince – Rayfus.

What is his/her comfort food?
Hmm, I don't know about this one. Some sort of bread, probably.

Does he/she play a musical instrument? If so, what?
Nay, she dost not.

What colour are his/her eyes? Hair?
Bright green eyes; long golden hair.

Does he/she have any pets?
Umm, no. She doesn't like the nasty creatures. She tolerates only those that service her – horses, dolphins, snakes, and Arthur.

What is his/her favorite place to be?
Her underwater palace.

What are some of his/her dreams or goals?
Dreams: Marry Rayfus and become a double queen.
Goals: Assassinate Arthur. Rule all England.

Does he/she enjoy sports?
*haughty sniff* Definitely not.

What is his/her favorite flower or plant?
Probably some magical herb.

Hundred-and-seventh Beautiful People this month

But it's not about Win this time. It's about Finn.
Finn is in her story. He's her one friend. He is NOT a beau of any sort! At least, he's not supposed to be (he's not her love interest in this story, but I can I help it if in years to come…)
I'm doing two, from April (Year of Grace 2011) and May of the same year.

How old is he/she?
Almost seventeen.

What does he/she do with his/her spare time?
He's usually with his family.

Does he/she see the big picture or live in the moment?
Big picture. (Now, Win is is a live-in-the-moment-er, for sure).

Is he/she a perfectionist?
No. (But Win is.)

What does her handwriting look like? (round, slanted, curly, skinny, sloppy, neat, decorative, etc.)
Large, sometimes misspelled words (he only had three-four years of schooling).

Favorite animal?
He loves horses. He loves their gentle strength. And sheep, because they're so dumb (his neighbor has sheep).

Does he/she have any pets?
A flock of chickens, but they don't really count.

Does he/she have any siblings? How many? Where does he/she fit in?
He's the eldest of five siblings (all girls, ages 14, 11, 9, and 6-almost-7). His father is dead and his mother is a semi-invalid, so he mostly takes care of them.

Does he/she have a 'life verse' and if so what is it?
Philippians 4:4, 6-7 : Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Favorite writing utensil?
Doesn't have one.

(My apologies for the comments about Win (since this IS about Finn!). She is very proud and insists that I write about her.)

What type of laugh does he/she have?
Sometimes a quiet chuckle, or a very loud, and long.

Who is his/her best friend?
Probably Winn.

What is his/her family like?
Loud, giggly, a little wild. But he loves them.

Is he/she a Christian, or will he/she eventually find Jesus?
Yes, he is. But the story doesn't really talk about it.

Does he/she believe in fairies?
No. But he tells stories about fairies to his sisters.

Does he/she like hedgehogs?
Yes. He finds them interesting and funny.

Favorite kind of weather?
Sunny and warm. 80s or so.

Does he/she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? (Slapstick, wit, sarcasm, etc.?)

Yes. He's not sarcastic but he can appreciate sarcasm (Winn can be sarcastic!). He likes teasing his sisters and Win.

How did he/she do in school, or any kind of education they might have had.
He was taken out of school at about 9 or ten, because his father and mother and one sister were all sick. So he had to help out. (His father and sister ended up dying, and his mother is a lifelong semi-invalid.) But he loves learning, so he tries to learn by helping his sisters with their school work.

Any strange hobbies?
Hmm… Not that I know of.  Ask him. :)

Beautiful People

I'm between stories right now, and I'm trying to decide which story to go with. The two I'm deciding between both need some more development, so I'm going to do a Beautiful People thingy for them both. They haven't made a new one for quite some time, so I'm going to use some from the archives.
When I'm finished, you'll have to tell me which one to work on. I'm just not sure...

The first one, which I'm using on Hellen McCoy and her husband, Kenneth, is the March 2012.

1. Do they believe in anything that most people think is impossible?
Hellen believes in True Love. As in, fairy tale, happy ending, no problems that can't be solved by a rescue scene and sword fight, sort of true love.
And Kenneth? Well, Kenneth is Different (but only on his mother's side). So of course, he knows that many things which people think are untrue are really quite possible and real.

2. Are they strong, or the "damsel/knight in distress" sort?
Hellen is definitely a damsel in distress, but in her own way, she is strong. She is a wistful dreamer, and longs to be rescued by a knight. That is why Kenneth's strong personality (and arms! Ha ha) appeal to her.

3. Do they have a special place? (e.g. a corner in his/her bedroom, under a tree…)
Kenneth does not, unless it's where his father is not.
Hellen does, because she's that sort of person (easily attached to people and things). In her closet (in her parent's house), behind her clothes, there is a pillow where she sits and dreams.

4. What occupation do they have, or plan on having?
Kenneth was a teacher before he was drafted into the army.
Hellen had no real ambitions – she really just imagined herself living at home for the rest of her life, or getting married and having a passel of children.

5. Describe their current place of residence.
Hellen has just moved into a tiny (no, I really mean TINY)  four room house (bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen). It is very bare, with a comfortable chair and one table in the living room, a bed in – you guessed it! – the bedroom, and maybe a few other sticks of furniture. But she spends most of her time in her parents house.
Kenneth has just been drafted, so he lives in... wherever army people live, I guess. I have no idea. But the story isn't  from his POV, so I don't really care.

6. Explain their last crisis. How had they changed when they came out of it?
When Kenneth was drafted. They found out the day before their wedding day (great timing, right?).
Because of this, Kenneth decided not to tell Hellen that he was Different (to protect her, you see, because he knew the army might find out and then she might be in danger if she knew).
I think Hellen became stronger. I think she stepped into the position of wife/grown-up in general, faster than she would have otherwise (She's only 19, peoples!)

7. If they could drive any kind of car they wanted, what would it be?
Hellen does not actually know how to drive (she learns how to in the course of the book). So she doesn't really care. And Kenneth is not a car person. He's more of a gryphon person.

8. How do they deal with change?
Hellen does not deal well with change. As I said above, she is easily attached to things, so she has emotional trauma over losing even little things (like getting new shoes).
Kenneth is more used to change, and he adapts better to it. He clings to what stays the same (God), and isn't rooted in this world.

9. If they had to amputate one body part, which one would they choose?
Hellen would choose a leg, because, as said above, she's a damsel-in-distress kind of person, so she wouldn't mind not having her legs because it would mean that she would have to be rescued.
Kenneth would, of course, not choose his legs (they're very important to him). He would choose his ears, because he knows how often people lie, and he communicates quite well without needing to hear people.

10. What would their favorite be at the local coffee shop?
Hellen would have a mug of steaming tea to go along with her book. Kenneth would have black coffee.

11. How did they meet?
Well, they live in the same smallish town, so they've always kind of known of each other. They met at a benefit dinner, and then her parents had him and his mother over for lunch one Sunday, and they just hit it off.

12. How do these two deal with conflict?
Kenneth grows quiet. ("What's to be done with a man who just looks?" Congrats if you know that quote.) He doesn't say anything. Just stays firmly, stubbornly, sure of his opinion.
Hellen gets hurt, then defensive.

13. Do they have a special song, phrase, item, or place that they share?
No.

14. What kind of things do they like to do together?

15. Describe their relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.

Trusting, confusing, shallowish.


This one, from August 2011, is about my laundress, Win.

1.What is their biggest accomplishment?
She would say it was turning down her cousin Colin and moving to town as a laundress. And at the beginning of the story, I would agree. But by the end, I would say solving the mystery is her greatest accomplishment.

2.What is one of their strongest childhood memories?
Her father teaching her to brush her horse.

3.What is their favorite food?
She's not picky. But she likes fried food – not like french fries, you know, but fried greens, or fried eggs, or fried rice.

4.Do they believe in love at first sight?
No. She's not the romantic type.

5.What kind of home do they live in?
A one room cottage at the edge of the town.

6.What do they like to wear?
Practical, no nonsense clothing. But this is several hundred years ago, so even the plain dresses were beautiful. She wears black a lot after her parent's death.

7.What would they do if they discovered they were dying?
She wouldn't be sad for herself exactly (until she really realized that she was dying) but would set about making preparations for Laurelle (her baby sister).

8.What kind of holidays, or traditions do they celebrate?
Her parents used to have lots of grand feasts for no reason at all, but now she doesn't really have celebrations.

9.What do your other characters have to say about them?
Colin would say she's foolish and naive. But he's prejudiced because she refused his offer of marriage. 
At this point in the story, I don't have many characters. I need to bring in another one, as an friend or mentor sort of person, but I don't have that worked out yet.

10.If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be?
She would not have to go to the run-down apartments (to deliver laundry) in the southern part of town, but they pay too well for her to just stop going.

So, which one should I work on? I'm still undecided. 
Ta ta for now, darlings!