The Rebelling Muse: August 2021

Musing on August, Hailing September (2021)

Greetings from the Cave!

Well, I must say, I am awfully glad that summer is finally waning. I know, I speak near-heresy considering that summer is normally my favorite season. But this one? Bleck. Such heat, such humidity, such RAIN! Makes a person want to stay indoors - not exactly a good mood inducer, I must say.

But with the excitement of the new season (and the start of yet another semester of grad school, wohoo!) on the horizon, what has been happening around here?

- Started re-reading Redwall again to get the fantasy juices flowing.

- Tried reading more of my previous historical fiction read, but I may DNF it. It's clearly a beginner writer who was in bad need of an editor.

So yeah, in a reading slump. Again. I think I need to actually *gulp* buy some books. Cause...I don't think I'm gonna make it to Christmas.

- Speaking of buying things...I bought the Night of the Museum movie trilogy for $12 at Walmart. Because this is what I do - look for good movies at cheap prices (my max is $10 a movie, in case you were wondering). I watched the first movie with my family and I have beautifully confirmed to them that my taste in movies is eccentric. Oh well, they liked it!

- Editing on TWR has been picked up again!! One of my betas became my accountability partner, and that has *finally* gotten that sluggish muse of mine to cooperate. I'm now up to 13k on the fourth draft!

- The Wade Girl has been officially introduced! Though, to be fair, I haven't done much in that much writing in that department yet.

- Been on a classical kick lately because I needed to find some stock music for *yet another* upcoming project! And so I've been adding a few Baroque pieces (which, by far, is my favorite classical period)

- I've *finally* broken up my "Opera of Romantics" playlist. The Italian music is in the Italian playlist, the unknown music is in the International playlist and the Opera music has stayed put. Thus, "The Opera Box" is now a thing, with 3 full operas in it - Carmen, Aida, and The Barber of Seville (a new favorite, which doubles as my Music Rec of the month!). As I explore more operas, more will be added in.

- For Working by Candlelight, I have written one post: Should I Start a Podcast? In which I flounder in my lack of self-confidence...

- For The Rebelling Muse, I have written one post: Another Little Literary Child. Because one can never have too many WIP announcements.

- For The History Cat, I have written no posts. What a surprise. I'm sure you all have figured out by now that this blog is on hiatus and it will probably stay on hiatus for quite a bit. Which is quite unfortunate, but it must be done for now.

- Edit TWR

I estimate that I've edited at least another 500 words or so on TWR since I last updated you? It's hard because I'm not taking daily counts anymore. But that might change....

It's hard to believe that we are rounding the corner on 2021. Sometimes it feels like I have gotten nothing of significance done. And yet, I am sure when I look back, it will be much more than I think, for that's what always happens.

How has your August been?

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

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Another Little Literary Child

the wade girl 11:47 PM

*the phone gives an annoying ring*

*Catherine steps over the scattered notes on the cave floor and answers*

Hello? Oh hi Reader! Yes, it has been quite a spell. I am sorry, I....yes, I have been kept quite busy. Rose has been recovering from her Plot Surgery a lot slower than we hoped. Hold on, let me put you on speaker, I can barely hear you.

*Catherine hits a button*

Now, what was it you were asking?

Reader: I heard that you're expecting another literary child. Is that so?

*Catherine smiles*: That's right. Kinda a surprise actually...

Diva: Ugh, another one?!

Reader: Really, Diva? Couldn't you have used your cell phone?

Diva: No! Mom took it again. And really Catherine, don't you already have too many children already? Can't you control that muse of yours?

*Catherine turns towards the audience as she disgustingly hangs up the phone*

Really, this motherhood metaphor is going a little far.

But it is true, I do have another story idea that I've been playing around with. It's a little baby one, even small than Ancora Spei.

This WIP is a historical fiction, and one that is heavily based on a true story. Time-wise, it is based in the American Civil War, most of it being in 1863.

The location? Gettysburg, PA. And yes, a lot of it takes place during the Battle.

The subject? A young woman named Mary Virginia Wade...more commonly known as Jennie Wade.

Why her exactly?

Well, it all started one day when a random YouTube video popped up in my feed one morning.

This one to be exact:

Now, I had already known a little about Jenny Wade. You don't go to Gettysburg for several years running without learning about many of the local legends. Even then, however, Jenny was a footnote of sorts, a mention here and there. I had never been to the Jenny Wade house, though I've seen it several times going through town.

However, watching that video really sparked my imagination. A young woman with a checkered family history, tragically killed. Her older sister, with a newborn baby, nearly getting shot herself. A dramatic escape from the bullet-ridden house, carrying Jenny's body and smashing through a brick wall. A soldier lover, who also died tragically with a mysterious message to his now-dead lover lost to oblivion.

Literally, all the elements of a good plot.

I must admit, I went on a small Jenny Wade rabbit hole in the couple of days that followed. And I discovered, like many minor characters in history, that there was not that much written about her.

But what has been written and researched about her is fascinating. For example, the relationship between Jenny Wade and Jack Skelly. Many claimed that they were engaged, and there are a few extant letters exchanged between the two that suggest a strong romantic attachment. But there were no official records confirming it...but there is just enough for creative license.

And then there is the character of Wesley Culp, the Confederate friend of Jack and Jenny, who was supposed to be the courier for the mysterious message from the wounded Jack. Oh, what creative license potential we have here?! Romantic tension, plot tensions...

Seriously, why has no created a movie about this?! I thought to myself as I started saving videos.

Then that nasty little voice came up...

Why don't you write it, Catherine?

I know, I know. I shouldn't have listened to it. I have way too much already. And I have no idea how to write a screenplay.

BUT THE POTENTIAL MY DEARS....

I mean, I've already scribbled a couple of ideas down. I created a Spotify playlist for it a couple of weeks ago and I...just made the Pinterest board for it. And I even have a working title: The Wade Girl.

So yes, I can say officially that I now have another literary child. Number 9, if I'm not mistaken.

Except this should be easy. I mean, the plot is pretty much set. Research shouldn't be that hard. The characterization may give me hang-up or two, but nothing major.

Do I sense a NaNo project in the works?

Oh yeah.

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

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