This year, I can quote Anne Shirley and say, "I'm so glad we're in a world with Octobers". Because we're actually having fall here????

It's cool, crisp, and there is COLOR outside!!!

You have to understand that I haven't had an actual fall in a few years.....let me tell you it really stinks going straight from summer into winter. I swear, the southern end of the Northeast is weird sometimes....





1. I finished watching my When Calls the Heart DVDs. I watched the Season 5 movies (at least all except the last two *sobs*) and then went right back and watched Season 1. Gosh I love that show so much.....

2. Alpha reading has been going well. I finished one alpha, am about halfway through a second, and have started the third. And I love all of them.

3. I was bored one day....and made some new mock covers for Shattered Chandelier, Ancora Spei, From the Cave and The Snow Dancer of Iclyn (which you can find published on Wattpad). You can check out the other three on my "Muses' Works in Progress" page.

4. Two of my babies (Ancora Spei and Shattered Chandelier) woke up to give me some ideas.....and then went back to sleep again. *sigh*




For Working by Candlelight, I published no posts. HOWEVER, the reveal for OVM is COMING REALLY SOON!!!

For The Rebelling Muse, I wrote 5 Preptober posts (Music in Verden; Music Impacting Verden; Music, Magic and Verden; Celebrations and Superstitions; Week 2)  and one regular post (My Own Manuscript Mothering Troubles).

I started a new blog called The Cat in the Barnyard, which focuses on agriculture. Yes, I am crazy. We all knew that. But I'm doing it anyway....

For Rebellious Writing, I wrote no posts.

For Maidens for Mary, I wrote no posts.




Monthly Goals:

1. Make the chapter outline for TWR

Welllll.....the chapter outline didn't happen per se. But I DID put together an events/arcs timeline that will help keep everything straight. At least, that's the plan anyway. We'll see what my pantser self does with it....

2. Finish the remaining draft posts

I finished one.....but there are still 3 more that have been sitting around waiting to be written....

3. Finish alpha-reading 2 friend's drafts before NaNo

Well, I got about halfway through this goal. One did get finished - though it was needed before NaNo, so I had motivation. The other got set aside because TWR needed me again....I tell you, she's a needy little WIP....

4. Do the Preptober prompts

I managed to squeeze in two of the four weeks. Then we got to the plotting and flash fiction prompts...which I had to make a pass on. I just couldn't devote the time to write.....



Yearly Goals:

1. Finish The White Rose - and have it ready for betas by May at the earliest.

All the arcs and all the events got plotted onto an events timeline after much mental cursing and pulling of hair. Thank heavens for alphas, that's all I have to say about that. It's not a chapter map, but it will do for NaNo. 

5. Watch Season 5 of WCTH and possibly get a season on DVD.

October Update: I watched the Season 5 "movie collection", which had several episodes of Season 5 intermixed into it. So I watched the big moments of Season 5 that I wanted to without getting my heart smashed to bits. Oh, and I did watch my DVD copy of Season 1 *heart eyes*
Sooooo, I think we can call this one completed? 




November Goals:

1. WIN NANOWRIMO

.....that's it. Not even thinking about everything else. It IS keyboard smash season, after all.


And now I'd like to hear from you! How has your October been? Has autumn arrived for you? Are you ready for NaNo? 

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

Hello everyone!

I'm back again with the rest of the Preptober prompts that I've missed this past week :)



Prompt 8:

Janina really likes music but she doesn't really play music herself. She's more of a singer and a poet than a musician.



Prompt 9:

Magda doesn't really have a song special to her, I'm sorry to say. She doesn't mind music, but she's not exactly a musical person?


Prompt 10:

Alvilda is the main "musical" side character of all of the cast. She is the Patroness of Musicians, and plays several instruments - including the Ceberlandonian clavi, 2 different eijas, as well as a drum or two.


Prompt 11:

I don't know what kind of music exactly was around during Janina's childhood, but I'm sure that Janina has a favorite song somewhere. She just hasn't told me what it is yet.


Prompt 12:

Oh great, now you're really making me stretch. I seem to remember something about Janina gate-crashing into one of Alvilda's music lessons. But beyond that, I couldn't tell you.


Prompt 13:

I have a couple of themes relating to Janina, but this is the main theme:




Welp. That wasn't as in-depth as I had hoped. But for a rush job, I suppose it will have to do.

I'll be back with more later on!

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

Hello Everyone!

So I got wickedly behind on Preptober because my schedule at work has increased steadily. So I'm working to combine a few of the prompts.


Prompt 5:


While there are definitely music involved with almost every celebration and holiday preparations, I'm not certain whether there is actually any celebrations centered around music. Will need to investigate that further.



Prompt 6:




That would be a solid no again. Superstitions are strictly forbidden in Verden, in accordance to the laws of the Ecclesia. Even Ravndal tends to stay away from superstition. The only group that is actively superstitious is the Taika and as I mentioned, they are not musical by any means.

I'll be back again soon with some more!

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

A character mommy must be ready to sacrifice part of her sanity.

Especially when she has a large brood of literary children that insist on growing up faster than what she is ready for.

*hears a crash and yelling from the other room*

Oh no, not again. *scrambles to find the cause of the disturbance*

*Catherine shouts offstage: HEY! What is going on back....now SOI, do me a favor and stop....White Rose PLEASE! I've got this! No, Fair Winds, you may NOT bring that character onstage, now escort him to the stage door, we're about to begin here!* 

*Catherine returns to the stage, a little discomposed.*

My darling friend and fellow manuscript mother Megan Chappie @ The Pen and the Cross created a post about her writerly mother woes, which you can find HERE.

And as a fellow sufferer of writerly mother woes myself, I decided to try her cure for it.

And now let me introduce my brood of manuscripts....

Hello everyone!!

So I'm combining two Preptober prompts into one today because the answers are so short....and I'm behind again.

But then, what else is new?


Prompt 3:



At risk of repeating the answer to my last prompt....I would say that music is viewed as a common good. There is no culture that doesn't have some sort of music, though I dare say most people of Verden would view Ravndal's music as decidingly crude and not worthy to called such.

In Duventoliel, Ceberlandon, and Shaltei; music is very much embedded into civilized culture. Most children are schooled in music, there are lots of folk musicians, and it is considered a high accomplishment to be able to play an instrument.

In Gwydion, Aistaraina, and Jaqaru; music is more of an entertainment form. It's the basis of dances and some story-telling. It's also a way to pass the long winter evenings. The military of Aistaraina also uses the pibroch for marching music to lift up the spirits of the men.

In Maisaka, they make music to help pass the work along. Ravndal's music is more work chants than anything else. 

The Taika will use some music to entice people, but they typically don't make music for themselves.



Prompt 4:



That would be a solid no.

The only peoples that wield any form of magic is the Taika, and I already mentioned that they are not a musical people.


Ooops! Have to run now, we're going to the orchard today to pick up our yearly supply of apples! 

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

Hey y'all!

Yes, I know, second post of the day, but this was a really quick one and I was behind anyway.

Today's Preptober prompt is...




I'm going to stick with just Duventoliel at this point, but this probably extend to the rest of the world too.

Music is, for all the cultures, a means of relief. It's entertainment. It's a way to pass down stories. It's great for teaching math, believe it or not.

I guess music impacts Verden the same as it does in any other world?

How does music impact your world? 

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

Hello all!!

It's the start of Preptober! I decided to paticipate this year to help with the re-plot of The White Rose and to fill in any spots in which I had missed.

Today's (or should I say yesterday's) prompt is.....

To see the original post, CLICK HERE.

So, contrary to other areas of my world-building and to my musical self....I didn't really develop this area of Verden very well?

But this is a perfect opportunity to do so! So, I shall rummage through my Pinterest and get some ideas flowing here....

*Catherine flies about the stage, opening cabinets and flinging all sorts of strange instruments around.*

*Catherine mulls over them and examines the labels for several minutes*

AH! I think we've got something here....



When I first drafted up ideas for Verden, I wrote down three things for instruments - eijas, jalos and drums - and never really got much further. It was kinda a background thing, I guess?

I've determined by further research that these are the Duventolian names for these instruments. They are, of course, known by other names in their respective cultures, but for the sake of clarity, we're sticking with one set of vocabulary (which is good because I don't know what other words there are...)




Eijas (A-yas) are the woodwinds of Verden. They are similar to either recorders or flutes, depending on the culture. They are often made with local wood, producing a regional sound for each one. The word eija is Finnish for "happy", in case anyone was curious.

In Duventoliel, eijas are small and produce a high, chipper sound. They are often of dark-stained wood and have carvings all over them. These carvings are of a lighter color, and often have ethnic symbols over them, which can include old runes or pictographs. They are based on soprano recorders.

In Aistaraina, eijas are even smaller, and produce the highest sound of all the eijas. They are not decorated, and great care is taken of them. They are based on the Celtic whistles.   

In Ceberlandon, eijas are held/blown out to the side, and have a complicated series of keys on them. They have a high pitch, often described as in between the Duventolian and Aistarainan eijas. They are based on the modern flute.

In Gwydion, eijas are much bigger and blown straight down. Some have keys and some don't. They have a mid-range pitch. They are based on alto and tenor recorders.

In Jaqaru, eijas are thick and produce a haunting mellow sound. They have a griffin carving tied with leather near the mouthpiece, and are sometimes decorated with feathers and other things from nature. They are based on the Native American flutes.

In Maisaka, eijas are long and not a straight tube but thicker on one end. They produce a deep mellow sound and are held/blown out to the side rather than straight down. They are based on one style of African flute.

In Shaltei, eijas are long and thick, and blown straight down. They are thicker at the bottom. They produce a deep sound, and a haunting quality similar to the Jaqaru flutes. They are based on the Shakuhachi flutes from Japan.

In Ravndal, eijas are thick, extremely long and produces the deepest sound of any eija. They have a unearthly tone that echos around a room. It is often exquisitely carved with various ethnic designs. They are based on the Austrailian didgeridoo.




These are the stringed instruments of Verden. They are also made of wood, often furnished with gut or wire strings, depending on the countries resources. Jalo is Finnish for "noble, gracious".

In Duventoliel, a jalo is a big bodied cello-like instrument with 6 strings. It produces a rich deep tone. It is played by sitting the instrument between the legs of the player and pulling the bow across the gut strings. It is based on the viola de gamba. There is a also a ladies guitar-like jalo, which produces a more mellow, vibrating sound for instrumental playing. This latter one is based on the baglama, a Turkish instrument.

In Aistariana, they have two different jalos. One is a smaller version of a Duventolian jalo, still with the six strings, but played up on the shoulder rather than in the lap. It is based on the violin.
The other jalo is one where it is a set of strings are stretched between a frame and backed by a fretboard and wooden body. This instrument is based on the old-fashioned lyre-guitar.

In Ceberlandon, they also have two different jalos. One is that smaller bowed jalo I mentioned from Aistarianan culture.
The other jalo is a medium-bodied instrument with a fretboard and eight strings. The strings are plucked and the fingers are held in combinations on the fretboard to produce different notes. It is based on the guitar.

In Gwydion, they have a circular bodied jalo with a long fretboard similar to the Ceberlandonian guitar. But this jalo has a more chipper sound when plucked rather than the mellow sounds of either the Aistarainan or Ceberlandonian jalos. It is based on the modern banjo.

In Jaqaru, it is very difficult to keep a jalo because of the climate. They have one stringed instrument that is rarely made or played. It's narrow-bodied, has only three strings and is laid on the player lap. It is played by strumming the strings with a feather end. It has a deep sound, and only used for a drone if needed. It's based on the mountain dulcimer.

In Maisaka, jalos (known as koras there) are upright instruments with a large round body and many many strings. Larger strings produce lower notes while shorter strings behind them produce the higher notes. The body is placed between the players knees while the neck extend up. The strings are plucked individually by the fingers. It is based on the actual kora, found in African music.

In Shaltei, jalos are made from a small body and a long neck. The two strings are stretched between them, and it is played with a long bow. The player places his fingers on various points of the string to create different notes. It is based on the Chinese erhu.




This concept is rather self-explanatory, but there are differing styles of drums among the cultures. Drums can either be plain or decorated, depending on the person.

Duventolian drums are medium size drums that produce a bright tapping sound. Based on the modern snare drums.

Aistarainan hand drums are about the size of a large tamborine, and are made with sheepskin stretched over a wooden frame. They are hit with a small wooden stick, which twirls in the players hand. They are based on modern bodrans. They will also use Duventolian style drums as well.

In Ceberlandon, drums are not as popular as other instruments but they will utilize an Aistarainan style drum occasionally.

In Gwydion, drums are bigger, oval shaped and have a medium pitch to them. They are based on American Tom drums.

Jaqaru drums are typically the size of a medium-sized circular table, but can also be bigger. They are made of leather over a wooden frame, and hit with light-deep strokes of hard circular mallets. They are often on stand.

Maisakan drums are made of goat hide stretched over wooden frames. Most follow an oval shape, and can range from high to low sounds when hit.

Shaltei has deep, bass drums, which are accented by a large gong. They are always on a stand

Ravndal also has very deep large drums, but these can be carried like a modern bass drum.

For the Taika, a nomadic tribe of gypsies, there is a tamborine-like instrument that serves as their only source of music. 




Other instruments of note:

sarvi - a Duventolian instrument made of silver that produces a bright sound. Based on the trumpet, the name comes from the Finnish word for "horn".

pibroch - an Aistaranian instrument with four top pipes that produce a deep tone, a blowpipe, a pipe on the bottom where the notes are, and a bag connecting them all together. They only produce one octave of notes with no sharps or flats, and they must have a reed in the bottom pipe, which is known as a chanter. It is played by inflating the bag and squeezing the air through all the pipes, moving the fingers in formation of the notes. And if I have to tell you what I based this off of, you clearly are not Scottish.

acordio - a Ceberlandonian instrument that is played by squeezing and pulling a bag, holding the fingers over various keys. It is based on the concertina, the name comes from the Catalan name for accordion.

ubada - a Maisakan instrument that is made of a gourd filled with beans. Used as a percussion instrument. The name is based off of the Somalian name for gourd (ubbada).

clavi - a Ceberlandonian instrument that is made of hammered strings and keys in a large box. The player presses a series of keys to produce notes. Based on the clavichord and modern piano.




In Duventoliel, simple folk songs and Celtic/Norse rhythms come to mind. Subjects often revolve around history, legends, daily life, with some religious overtones as well. There is a lot of singing.

In Aistaraina, music is upbeat and fast. They love a good dance. They often sing about women, battle, and also have slower songs about life at home, though they tend to be much more instrumental.

In Ceberlandon, the music has more of what we would call almost a classical or operatic feel. They sing of various subjects, often in other languages.

In Gwydion, the music is similar in style to neighboring Duventoliel, but there are more instrumental music.

In Maisaka, the music is driven by a strong beat/rhythm, with happy singing. They are excellent drummers.

In Jaqaru, the music can range from slow and uplifting to fast for dancing. Many of the Tribes will host social dances and feature multiple bands of musicians.

In Shaltei, it is very ethereal. Light, floaty instrumental music denotes their culture. The only singing is a slow, meditative chant-like tone that is used for religious purposes.

In Ravndal, it is rhythm, rhythm, rhythm. There is not really much singing, more like chanting. There is no real refinement in this society, so even social songs are loud, boisterous affairs. They chant about everything under the sun, some of which cannot be played for more polite audiences.



*pant pant*

Well, that should satisfy the most curious of any fan. It would be interesting if I even used half of this stuff....

Anyone else participating in Preptober this month? What kind of music is in your WIPs? 

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine