Another Friday Blog

Had my Creative Writing Group on Tuesday which was all right, although I had to make a story up about my childhood – because the only photo I could find was this childhood one. I really can’t remember my childhood – and certainly most of my school years have been burned away from my memory because they were horrendously awful. I have brief memories of nice days, but it’s not like University where I can honestly say that from the moment I walked onto the campus I knew it was where I wanted to study. I unfortunately don’t have such good memories of either of my schools and only relatively good memories of College. Even my time at Nursing School is a bit of a mixed bag. But Lampeter was very different, While I still don’t remember every single day; I do have fond memories of lectures and actually feeling as though I made a difference and even enjoyed myself.

I have finally finished Chapter 8 of my Romance Novel which sounded great until I realised that I have another 8-10,000 words to finish up the story. My book cover image is above. Sometimes I feel that it would be easier to have the first layer of skin removed and be lightly friend in boiling oil (although one has to admit that I’d need a very large skillet.) I am thinking about our Homework for my Creative Writing Group which is to write a letter to a historical/fictional character. I tried writing an encounter with a historical character a couple of years ago (I chose William Marshal) and unfortunately it fell completely flat. Not only had none of the group heard of him; but none of them were willing to learn about him either. A little disappointing to say the least. So I have decided to choose a fictional character – although I have many, many choices.

Lt-Colonel Richard Sharpe

Captain Horatio Hornblower

Captain John ‘Jack’ Aubrey

Stephen Maturin

Although since all of the above are military, mostly naval officers, it’s highly likely that most of the group will not have heard of them. I did think of two other characters although I have my doubts about them too. The first is Kitty Bennet, and the second is Eleanor Dashwood. At the moment I am working on Kitty Bennet. I always think that she and Mary are much maligned, it does not help that they have such a pair of useless role models like Mr and Mrs Bennet; Mr Bennet retreats from his family and Mrs Bennet is a vapid, childish, flibbertigibbet whose behaviour influences that of both Lydia and Kitty and in Lydia’s case almost ruins the Bennet family – and it is only thanks to Darcy that they are saved from disgrace. I always liked Kitty although I think that Mr Bennet is far too harsh on her – and to punish her for Lydia’s stupidity will not teach her anything – and may even in the long term lead to resentment.

On the whole I would rather write Mary's story, she always seems to try so hard and gets absolutely nowhere, so I should like to be a concerned friend who knows their Aunt Gardiner and offers to take Mary as a companion for a few months to get her away from her disgrace as a family.