Those Moments of Indecision...

This week is passing quickly, and I'm only just getting back into routine.

I've completed 75% of my weekly writing total, and I'm now at a scene in my Nottinghamshire novella that takes some thought in how I proceed with it.

Writing modern romance there would be no problem about the hero being in the heroine's bedroom, but even in innocent extenuating circumstances it was an issue back in the early 19th century.

Likewise, I'm trying to walk a line between the acceptability of conduct in the country, compared to that of society in the town; and the difference there is between the conduct of a lady of noble birth and a young woman of good (but just comfortable) family - without a personal maid, or someone who can be called upon to go with her when she ventures out of the home.

If you live in a small village now, then you probably know quite a few people by name, and others perhaps only by sight.

A couple of centuries ago everyone would probably know who was who, so any seen transgression would soon be known about - and probably the subject of gossip.

In public it's relatively easy to have your characters conform to social conventions - in introductions the social 'inferior' is introduced to the person of higher status, not the other way round...

I have a facsimile reprint of the 1737 book, 'The Rudiments of Genteel Behaviour' by Francis Nivelon, and it has some plates of basic figures with a brief description - I can safely say from this instruction I could perform a reasonable curtsy. :-)

There's even an instruction for placing your hands when dancing a Minuet.

Which reminds me of an article I saw in one of the online newspapers last night that you may like to hear about.

"Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will be turning - gracefully - 200 years old this month. To celebrate the BBC are screening a 90-minute recreation inspired by the book’s great event, the Netherfield Ball. Pride and Prejudice: Having A Ball at Easter aims provide a detailed look into the parties of the period." (Telegraph)

When I was in primary school, our winter PE lessons consisted of country dancing, and I now realise that many of those dances we did then would have been the same or similar to those danced all that time ago...

As to my writing problem, I'm just going to write it and let protocol come round in the editing process...

Winding Down for Christmas is Not Easy...

Only 13 days to go to Christmas Day...

One Day...
(created by and copyright Dane Bevitt)

I thought it would all get easier now my children had finished school: no more Christmas Concerts to attend; no Christmas card lists with the name and class number on the front of the envelope; small thank you gift to the class teacher...

This month I've already attended one progress evening at college for one of my younger three- so had to give up going to the belly dancing Hafla as they were taking place at the same time...

Got through awards night at Nottingham Writers' Club; performed my first solo belly dance in front of an audience- and a repeat performance for next year has been requested... gulp! :D
(If you missed the pictures in my earlier post- I didn't have them available when I did the post, so they were added later- here is one of them.)

At least I was smiling...

 A few posts back I reviewed my writing year. Though I hadn't set myself any targets for 2013 at that stage.

Well I've thought about it...

The only fixed target I have set myself, is to complete my Nottinghamshire novella 'After the Storm'.

As I've discovered in the past two years, 'real life' can throw all your plans out.

I'll be open to entering competitions, trying out different genres, and any opportunities that come my way to promote myself and my writing- can't be a wallflower in the publishing world today!

I will be creating a website for my alter-ego, Serena Lake. But in the meantime any news will be on Serena's page at the top of the screen (just click on the tab).

There will be a few posts yet before I shut down for Christmas.

Hope you like the little animation that one of my sons created for me last year (with limited programmes). I didn't use it then, so I'm adding it now.

Now where did I put the wrapping paper...? :D