Writing, Research, and Completed Goals

I awoke this morning to a thick layer of frost on the ground, and without my contacts in, I almost thought it was snow. That was a very fitting sight for the first day of December. The last week of November was painful for Oklahoma as an ice storm ravaged the state for four days, leaving thousands without power and broken trees scattering the state. But as a new month begins, the sun is shining and the temperature is barely above freezing.

But before we move on to what December holds, we can't forget about November. It's always a busy and creative month for me. The laundry pile is knee high, the kitchen is a disaster, and the floors are horrendous. And while all of this is irritating my housewife tendency to keep everything (relatively) clean, I don't really care. Because I reached my goal. 52,700 words in twenty-six days. The novel total was 86,132 words, 234 pages. The most productive day was November 9th with 4587 words. Now I begin the task of proofreading TWO novels. That will probably take me longer than writing the story, because I get bored of proofreading within about thirty seconds. So if anyone wanted to read anything I've written within the next ten years, think again. Oh, and I came up with a working title. I'm not convinced it's the right or best one, but tentatively it's called The Countess and the Castle.

This is how I spent most of November. Quite cozy.

NaNoWriMo isn't just about writing; it's about discovery and growth. I learned a lot of things both about myself and about Regency England. In every novel I write, I try to expand my horizons and incorporate different aspects of 19th century society into the scenes. Of course, this requires a great deal of research. I've always loved doing research, but it can be very time consuming and frustrating when you have a deadline. Here's a few things that I learned: 

I wrote two Christmas scenes, something I'd never done before, so I had to research Christmas traditions such as what they ate and how they celebrated. Regency Era traditions were very different from how we celebrate today, in fact, they even differed from Victorian and Edwardian traditions! Christmas trees were uncommon, unless the person had connections with Germany or the Americas, but they did decorate with other greenery. The greenery would be put up on Christmas Eve and taken down once Epiphany ended. Leaving it up longer was considered bad luck. Furthermore, I ventured outside my comfort zone by specifying dates and events throughout the story. The novel takes place between 1814 and 1817. Napoleon returned from Elba early in 1815, and since one of my characters was a naval Captain, he potentially would have been in the line of fire had Napoleon not been defeated at Waterloo. Also, 1816 is known as the "year without a summer". Modern scholars attribute this phenomenon to the eruption of a volcano in Indonesia that affected the climate worldwide (New England experienced snowfall in June!) Because of this climate change, crops failed and winters were a great deal harsher than other years. I wrote a line that said "the crop yield was good this year" only to have to change it after I realized that nobody's crops would have excelled that year.

This is a fraction of what I learned, but it all feeds into the vat of knowledge I've accrued about life in Regency England. One day, I'll get through a chapter without having to look something up. I also found a bunch of links that will aid future research. Thank goodness for bookmarks! But what's more important than facts and figures is that I discovered that I can write 50,000 words in a month. I can finish something if I really put my mind to it. No matter what I think, or what anyone else thinks, I can finish what I started. I still don't know exactly how I did it, and frankly sometimes I think that I did my math wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. I suppose it all goes back to the old adage: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

So December. There will be lots of proofreading, cleaning, and video gaming. I'm about a quarter of the way through Cranford, the last book in my list for Reading England 2015. I am looking forward to a great deal of baking, sewing, and decorating, after Advent is over, of course. Also, I should probably mention something about no longer placing my fictional characters above my husband's needs. He probably appreciates having my full attention again. So with the sun shining and essential oils in my diffuser, I delve back into the swing of things after a month's sabbatical. And I'm not even complaining.

NaNoWriMo - Year Two

It's that time of year again where the leaves are changing, people in most of the country don their coats, sweaters, and boots, and everyone prepares for the colder weather by stocking up on firewood, or at least buying a few cans of soup in preparation for foul weather. For some people, November is a time where they don't have to shave for a month. Others spend the latter half of the month preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmastide. Then there's a small group of people who challenge themselves to crank out a novel in just thirty days.

I've always struggled with writing a lot in a short amount of time. Between distractions and my perfectionist tendencies, I've frequently spent a half hour trying to come up with the right word to properly describe a situation. But this year, along with the encouragement of my best friend, essential oils to help stimulate creativity and productivity, and copious quantities of chocolate, coffee, and bourbon, I am eager to overcome all obstacles in my way. My goal this year is to either reach 50,000 words (the typical NaNoWriMo challenge) or finish the novel I started last year, which is currently just shy of 35,000 words. I am estimating the finished product being somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 words, which makes either goal feasible. My daily goal will be approximately one chapter a day, or between 1500 and 2000 words, or a half chapter a day for the longer chapters.

Currently, my Regency heroine, Philippa, has endured the death of her husband and enchanted half the men in the county before she is fully out of mourning. But the Countess' world is about to drastically change as events spin out of control. She finds that her unruly step-son continues to spend recklessly and chooses a bride that threatens the estate's stability even further, and that Napoleon refuses to accept defeat as he returns from his banishment, threatening the entire country. But what becomes of Philippa, the ancient Surrey estate, and her family is a mystery to all but my deranged and devious mind.

For the next month, I'll be positioned, laptop nearby, somewhere between the dining room table, the love seat enjoying the fire, or the bedroom as I cuddle with the cat. So here's to a month of growing piles of laundry and neglected dishes, unswept floors and dusty dressers, empty coffee cups and last minute meals, a lonely husband and limited sleep. And though I may neglect my duties as a housewife for four weeks, I am stimulating my brain and challenging my creativity, which is always a worthwhile endeavor.

Death Comes to Pemberley: A Review

For the last 200 years, Jane Austen has been an increasingly popular literary icon. The 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley reinvigorated interest in the 19th century author, along with other film adaptations of all of her works within the last decade. Austen-inspired spoofs and modern day interpretations have popped up on occasion, too, including three exceptional vlogs. And that only covers the film side. There are countless books about all of Austen's characters, ranging from sequels integrating Austen heroines from different books to the retelling of Elizabeth Bennet's life as a zombie hunter. Most of these tales are adequately done, with a few exceptions, but few measure up to Austen's style and wit.

When the BBC announced the film adaptation of a Pride and Prejudice sequel, I was surprised. Of all the literary sequels that have been released, I never expected to see a film adaptation. Being the dedicated Austen addict that I am, I ordered a copy of this sequel from Amazon in order to read it before the film adaptation aired on BBC America. Even though I am not usually a fan of mystery novels, never before was I so impressed by an Austen sequel in my life. And to be honest, the producers of the film adaptation created something just as remarkable.

The Book

Death Comes to Pemberley is the literary masterpiece of mystery novelist P.D. James. The novel takes place a few years after Darcy and Elizabeth are married. They have one child and are the epitome of marital bliss. Georgianna is unmarried, but has two worthy suitors seeking her hand. On the eve of Lady Anne's Ball, an event which coincided Darcy's mother's birthday, Lydia Wickham arrives at Pemberley screaming incoherently (in a very Lydia fashion) that Wickham has been shot. Upon further investigation, Wickham is found in Pemberley's woods, crying over the body of his best friend, Captain Denny. Thus ensues the investigation, trial, and, eventually, the truth behind the mysterious death of Captain Denny.

P.D. James is brilliant -- but not in the way that most modern authors try to be brilliant. The storyline of this novel is possibly one of the simplest in modern literature. After the death occurs, the investigation is (outwardly) straightforward and the trial is conducted quickly. The motives behind how the characters acted is what gives the novel depth and makes the story interesting. James explains Regency Era judicial practices flawlessly, and uses only the resources and logic that early 19th century investigators had at their disposal.

But none of these reasons account for James' brilliance. Death Comes to Pemberley is magnificent for one reason: James understands Austen. The writing style in Death Comes to Pemberley mimics Austen's style perfectly. Many Austen sequels say that the author has a style like Austen's, and this is rarely true. But reading James' writing truly feels like you're reading an Austen novel. The other part is James' understanding of the characters. Mr. Bennet makes clever remarks; Mrs. Bennet complains about her nerves. Jane provides comfort; Lydia loves pretty dresses. Wickham is a scoundrel. Darcy and Georgianna both struggle to balance their duties with their emotions. And Elizabeth is a beautiful mixture of wit, curiosity, and kindness. Never once did I think, "Oh Lizzy would NEVER say that" or "Darcy would never do such a thing." All of the characters come to a similar ending as Austen envisioned in Pride and Prejudice. Good characters have good endings, and the wicked pay for their deeds. Austen would be proud.

The Adaptation
 
With any film adaptation, I feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Since I always read the book first, I have certain expectations and certain ways which I envisioned the characters and setting. If the BBC produces the adaptation, I have no doubt that it will be excellent. If the adaptation is American, I know that it won't live up to my expectations. (The two 2012 adaptations of Great Expectations is a prime example of this.) The film adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley is no exception.

The film adaptation sticks primarily to the book. The only major way that it deviates is to give Elizabeth a larger role in discovering the truth behind the murder of Captain Denny. Otherwise, the differences are miniscule. Truthfully, this adaptation does a better job at using the original text than any other film adaptation that I have watched. The casting was fantastic -- Anna Maxwell Martin makes a fantastic Elizabeth, and Jenna Coleman deserves an award for her performance as Lydia. My only (slight) irritation was Mr. Alveston's proposal to Georgiana. Another disheveled proposal scene? Didn't we already see that with Mr. Darcy?

If you are an Austen fan, I highly recommend both the book and the film adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley. Both are extremely well done, and worth your time and energy. If you aren't an Austen fan, I suggest reading and watching Pride and Prejudice before looking into this sequel in order to fully understand all the references and character back story. Few adaptations or sequels can measure up to the standard that Austen set, but this one would make her proud, without a doubt.