Category: courtship
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After the Park
Hello again, and welcome back for another excerpt of “An Interrupted Proposal.” Thank you all for putting up with me doing these excerpts while I work on finishing my degree. I hope you are enjoying the story. For those of you just joining or wanting to reread the prior posts, here are the links: What…
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Why bother with my ‘Darcy’?
Why bother with my Darcy? Why not just re-read – for surely everyone here will certainly have read it! – Pride and Prejudice, itself? I was asked this question by a sceptical fellow tennis-mad friend. “After all,” she added, “You’ve admitted that the plot is mostly the same.” FIRST ANSWER: Because Austen never married. In…
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A Walk in the Park
Happy (almost) Spring! I’m not sure how the temperatures are where you live, but here in Virginia at least one day a week it feels like spring and today is one of those days. Some of the crocuses are up, as are the mini daffodils, and the regular daffodils and tulips are close behind. I…
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Elizabeth Arrives in London Part II
Hello! and an early Happy Valentine’s Day! Can you believe it is February already? Well, since I left you hanging last month, I’ll jump right in this time. For those of you just joining or wanting to reread the prior posts, here are the links: What if?, What if? Part II, The Letter, Elizabeth’s Perspective, A Walk at Rosings, A Walk…
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Writing For Readers
Kurt Vonnegut’s Rules 1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. 2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. 3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.…
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The Problem with the Compromise Trope
Or, The “Who Is Holding The Shotgun” Problem To preface, I totally understand why writers use the compromise trope: it’s a basic forced proximity set up. It can be very fun to read. What I’m addressing here is problems with the execution and why it doesn’t make much sense in historical context. ————————– We all…
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Redemption and Forgiveness
C.S. Lewis, in his 1958 lectures on the BBCidentified four types oflove governing positive human interactions:Storge: Empathy BondPhilia: Friend BondEros: Erotic BondAgape: Unconditional Love. *** I have discovered that the Bennet Wardrobeoperates in the service of other Loves:Exagoras Agapis: Redemptive Love.The Fifth Love drives us to become betterversions of ourselves. *** Yet, ’twas Reinhold Niebuhr…
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Meet the Gardiners
Hello! Has another month passed already? I hope everyone is enjoying the remains of summer. Around here, kids have returned to school and we are starting to plan for next year’s travels. I just finished my first college class and am prepping for the next one. Though I feared not having as much time to…
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What To Do About Wickham
Hello, hello, hello! I finally put the story together (or what I have so far) and it is over 12,000 words! That means it is not a short story after all but more likely a novella. For those of you just joining or wanting to reread the prior posts, here are the links: What if?,…
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Happily Ever After
June is the month of weddings, and my second son married a fantastic young lady during a lovely, outdoor ceremony overlooking the river on June 3rd. The expression on his face as his bride walked to him brought tears to my eyes. I enjoyed watching my son and his new bride celebrate with their friends…