| 2 | > |
I had a reader ask about future Bec. I sent the following reply, then figured I may as well share it with anyone who is interested.
Re Bec5: I have a concept and a couple of chapters written but hit a massive brick wall. So Bec5 is sitting on a shelf at the moment while I work on some other projects. But just this morning, I opened up my Bec5 file and added some notes that I'd been thinking about. So I still intend to write Bec5, but it might be a while. Sorry if that isn't what you wanted to hear.
Writing: As of the start of this year, I have a little more time and a little more brain-space to apply to my writing, so I'm getting more writing done at the moment than I've been able to manage for a few years.
Jacinta Takes a Walk: Am currently working on a new story (about a character called Jacinta) that is up to about 20 chapters so far. It will probably be about 30 or so chapters when finished.
Others: I also have a couple of other half-written stories that I want to get back to.
Cheers
Barbar
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2020 Clitorides awards. I was very chuffed to have Bec placed 3rd in the Classic Clitorides behind two such outstanding stories as Rebecca Danced and Living Next Door to Heaven. Both stories well worth a read (or a re-read).
Happy reading everyone.
One person asked so that means others probably thought about this.
In The Dilemma, Jen has been driving around since the start of the story on a Provisional (P1) licence. She has just progressed to a Provisional (P2) licence.
In Australia there are differences in requirements between the states. In New South Wales, a person can get their Learner's Licence when they are 16 or older.
While they are on their Learner's they must
* only drive when there is an adult with a full driver's licence (not provisional) sitting in the front passenger seat
* display L plates front and rear
* have 0% alcohol reading and not be under the influence of other drugs
* they may carry additional passengers.
* plus some other rules
After a minimum of 10 months, when they are 17 or older, and they have logged 120 hours of driving experience they may test to progress to a Provisional P1 licence.
While they are on P1 licence they must
* display P plates front and rear
* have 0% alcohol reading and not be under the influence of other drugs
* they may carry additional passengers
* plus some other rules
* if under 25 and on P1 licence, may not drive with more than one passenger under 21 between 11pm and 5am.
There is no requirement to be accompanied by a licenced adult.
Once they have held their P1 licence for 12 months, (ie 18 or older) they may apply to progress to a Provisional P2 licence. They are on the P2 licence for a minimum of 2 years before they can progress to a Full licence (ie 20 or older). The rules for P2 licence are similar to P1 but have a little more flexibility.
From the start of the story, Jen has been on a P1 licence so was not required to have an adult supervisor. She has now progressed to a P2 licence.
barbar
I tried whenever I could to be historically accurate within the story. There are a few places where I knowingly diverged.
One is in names. The naming convention I have used is Virtue names for women and Biblical names for men. In fact, the Puritans used Virtue names for both men and women, but this gave me a more instant way for the reader to differentiate between male and female characters.
Also with names, the Puritans used first name/surname like we do currently in western countries. I liked the Ezekiel son of Samuel format because it gave more of an olde worlde feeling.
The obligations lists at the start of each chapter is all me, but it is based on Biblical tradition so it reflects the type of attitude the Puritans had.
The Puritan men also wore hats which I don't mention at all. The women covering their heads with bonnets is real.
The Puritans most often wore browns and indigos, as those dyes were cheap and readily available. They mostly wore wool or cotton clothing, but they also wore leather and furs.
I have described the villages as mostly farming communities but most of the Puritans in the 1660s relied as much on fishing and hunting for food as they did on farming. The climate in Massachusetts did not support complete reliance on farming. Potatoes weren't widespread until later.
The Puritans were monogamous and the men held all the power. The only way a woman could own anything in her own name was by becoming a widow. I don't think the Puritans practiced the approach of a brother or father taking in the widow of a dead kin as a second wife. That practice is described in the Bible and I have adopted it for the purpose of the story.
The houses out in the country were mostly how I described them.
The Puritans were highly literate. They were all taught to read so that they could read the Bible and try to live by its tenets.
Despite their reputation, the Puritans weren't completely austere. They enjoyed singing and dancing (though men and women wouldn't dance together) and drinking wine during celebrations. An active sex life was required between a married couple. There are examples of divorces being granted and men vilified for not being a 'proper' husband by having regular sex with his wife.
Hope you find all this interesting.
Hi all. I have posted a short story called The Choice, which is new here but was previously posted on a different site under a different pseudonym. If you haven't read it yet, please read it before you read the rest of this post.
A few people have asked for me to continue it as they feel it is unfinished. A good short story should have a beginning, a middle and an end but should leave the reader wanting more. Despite appearances, the story is not about the child, it is about how the parents handle this little bump in the road in the life of their child. The end is the mother giving their child a choice and the parents establishing that they will continue to love and support their child no matter which choice is made. As a result, what the child chooses is immaterial and the ending is supposed to emphasise that.
I hope you enjoyed my story. I have no intention of revisiting these characters in further stories.
Cheers, barbar
| 2 | > |