Greetings from the cave! 

Okay, it's time for winter to end. We had our fun in the snow, now it's just miserable. Even my sinuses are telling me it's time for spring to come. 

But contrary to popular opinion, I have not been moping this entire time. So what have I been up to this month? 

Now, I do have a quick exit poll for you all. How do you feel about my blog's design right now? What sort of impression do you get from it? 

The reason I ask is that I'm thinking of doing a deep "spring clean" aka a redesign. I don't feel like it's professional enough, and I'm getting rather annoyed with the "Popular Posts" gadget. But, I put so much work into this one and I do like the upper portion of it....help? 

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

Greetings from the Cave! 

You know, this having blogoversaries late is getting to be a habit with me. As well as forgetting my other one (poor Working by Candelight, she doesn't deserve this tramua). I'm not sure I like it. 

I do have a legitimate excuse though (maybe?). I literally couldn't come up with AnYthiNg. And there were three papers due right at the time of the actual blogoversary so.....#priorities. 

But yes! The Rebelling Muse is FOUR YEARS OLD THIS YEAR. 

(also, ironically, this blogoversary post is four days late.) 

I'm flabbergasted. First, that the name has stayed the same for all that time, lol. Every blog I know goes through a name change at least once in their lives, but this one has kept her name (and probably will for quite some time....) 

But mostly that I've kept it up for so long. Especially with what's happened in my life over the past four years. I started this blog as a senior in undergraduate and now I'm a first year grad with copious amounts of trauma LIFE EXPERIENCES behind me. And many many stories later, it looks as though there is actually a debut novel coming to fruition...AHHH! 

Anyway, that's enough of the reminiscing. There hasn't been nearly enough FUN around this dingy old cave. 

I was looking around my blog archives for inspiration for this blogoversary and then I remembered something that I used to have in my sidebar were these "quiz answers". 

You see, I love those "Which character are you" quizzes? I had done a couple of them and stuck the results in my sidebar. Of course, they had to be put away for this last blog makeover (I'm thinking of doing another, what do you think??) 

So I dragged them out again...and decided, you know what, we're going to have some fun with this!  

Because of the length of time that has elapsed since I took some of these quizzes, I did retake some of them to see if I would get the same answers. The results were....interesting? Also, I'd like to see if I really line up with any of these or not...

So let's get started, shall we? 

Which Avengers am I? 

I started with Marvel because....that was the first image I could find, haha. There were quite a few Marvel quizzes out there, but I chose the Avengers because that's the group I click with the most. 

I took the quiz twice - once in 2018(?) and once in 2021 and got the following results:

What Star Wars Character am I?

Next up is my favorite space drama! I took the first quiz in 2018 (left) and the second quiz in 2021 (right). Which one is more accurate? 

Bold and Unwavering: Again with the bold thing. Was I that bold back then? I didn't think so....

Understand Conflict Resolution: Actually, I do. I tend to be rather diplomatic in conversation with others, but I will speak my mind. 

Brash Confidence: Ehh? Maybe a bit of brashness, but that is a family trademark around here...

Wise beyond measure: ??? 

Anger a Distant Memory: *remembers PMS tantrum from last month* 

Natural Teacher: I really don't know what to say about this. I dislike teaching, but I can do it. It tends to stretch my patience out of shape though. 

More accurate: Princess Leia

Accuracy rating: 0-70%

Which Lord of the Rings Character am I?

Oh dear. This one is a giant mess. There was a HUGE controversy as to whether I was closer to Eowyn or Arwen back when I first took this quiz. And now that I've taken it again this year, I get....Gandalf?? (Another mentor character? What's the deal - have I grown mature all of a sudden?) 

As for analysis....I give up. I relate to all three pretty hard....though I still say that Eowyn edges out the other two. You be the judge. 

Which Chronicles of Narnia Character am I? 

When I first got Caspian, I didn't know what to think of it at first, but I kinda agreed with it. Now, I've taken it again and gotten Reepicheep this year! Which is more accurate?  

 

Born Adventurer: Hmm, do I sense a pattern here?

Boundless Imagination and Perseverance: Imagination, most definitely. Perserverance? *looks at grad school* Yeah. That's accurate too. 

Powerful and Inspiring Leader: I defer to others to tell me if this is true. 

Humble: Well, the above answer should tell you that....

Skilled Warrior: I need a little more training before I can say skilled. I can hold my own in a fight if I need to but not well. 

Honor and Sacrifice: That's accurate. 

Which one more accurate: Caspian, by a hair. 

Accuracy: 70-80%

Now, the next couple of quizzes are new to me this year. Because after I had finished those last ones, I got a bit of a bug and went on a quest for more adventure (hmm, maybe there is more to this adventurer thing than meets the eye?) 

Which Disney Princess am I? 

This is actually surprising. Older quizzes usually peg me with Belle because of my bookwormishness. I also thought Ariel was a bit immature too. But this description is actually....pretty close to the others? We'll accept it. 

Accuracy: 80%

Which Sherlock Character am I?  

I legit laughed when I saw this because THIS IS SO ME. Without a doubt. 

Accuracy rating: 110%

Which Princess Bride Character am I? 

Okay, this one I did take twice....I took the first one really late at night and the more I looked at it, the more I disagreed with it. So I took it again with a clearer mind and got the second result. 

 

Frankly, as much as I dislike Buttercup as a character, I have to admit that I'm a lot like her from that description. Romantic balanced with realism, strong willed, all accurate. And ouch on the trust thing....

Accuracy: 0-80%

What Original Series Star Trek Character am I?

I have watched the Original Series of Star Trek and some of The Next Generation. It's not my favorite franchise in the world, but I still appreciate it. 

Principled moral compass in a world gone mad. There's a catchphrase for you. 

Accuracy: 80%

Now we move on to the not so nicely formatted answers. Zimbio doesn't have quizzes for every single fandom (nor nice picture answers either), so I had to go onto things like Playbuzz for some of the more common fandoms. So, here we go! 

Which Jane Austen Heroine am I? 

This should come as no surprise to anyone, especially Lia (who is Marianne, without a doubt). Just the way that I handle romance in my own life is proof of the similarity. 

Accuracy: 80%

Which Little Woman Character am I? 

You know, I thought I would be more like Meg....but Jo isn't a bad second choice. I definitely connected with her a lot in the books (not so much the movies though). 

Which Anne of Green Gables Character am I? 

Call me out, will you? LOL. But this is very similar to me...except that I can be quiet...

Lia and I always get the same answer when we do this quiz together. We are both Anne never Diana. Which is weird considering our Anne/Diana kind of relationship...

Accuracy: 90%

Which Little House of the Prairie Character am I? 

This one surprised me. I was SURE I was going to get Laura. I mean, the latter part of the description is correct, but the forever happy part? Ehhh, not really! Had too many traumas LIFE EXPERIENCES for that one to be true. 

Accuracy Rating: 60%

Which When Calls the Heart Character am I? 

So I originally did a quiz on the Hallmark Channel website but that one didn't seem to be very broad. So I went searching for another one and found one on HowStuffWorks which seems to be a lot more in-depth. Let's see if the results are more accurate! 

Okay, not gonna lie, I was expecting to get Elizabeth again. But then again, I'm not a teacher sort of person as I mentioned. If anything, I prefer to cook. So that part's right. And so is the tough blows part. 

Accuracy Rating: 85%

Which All Creatures Great and Small Character am I? 

In light of the new adaptation (an adaptation which I have STRONG feelings about *glares at writers*) I decided to include this one as well for kicks and giggles. 

I definitely agree with this one. I actually really connected to this "James" more than I did the BBC adaptation. Actually, to be fair, this "James" is the only reason why I'm sticking to this show (I told you I have words. May need to write a review to hold them all). 

 

Okay! I think I covered all the major fanbases?? At least the ones that I'm a part of, anyway. 

But it's no fun just doing these by myself! What about you guys? What fictional characters are you most like? Are there any character quizzes that you'd recommend? Tell me in the comments! 

Scribbingly yours, 

Catherine

Greetings from the cave! 

Well, time to flip the calendar page for the first time in 2021...

(Actually, can we skip the perfunctory passing of the time speech? We all know time is passing, even if no one believes us).  

This being a new year, I decided to completely change up my monthly wrap-ups. Aesthetics, categories, the whole nine yards. Things just got plain boring around here, and what better time to do it then now? 

(Though I suppose I really ought to work on creating better intros next....)

So without further ado, let's get to it! 

- I celebrated my birthday recently. Among the wonderful presents I received were print copies of the Chronicles of Narnia, Courting Cate by Leslie Gould, 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin, The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Marcia Schuyler by Grace Livingston Hill. So many books!!! 

- In addition to these print books, I have continued my sojourn through the Librivox library. Lately, I have been enjoying works such as Roman Collar Detective by Grace and Harold Johnson as well as re-reading old favorites such as Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (which is still enjoyable even if his treatment of romantic affairs is absolutely flat. 

- Watched Rogue One for the first time since 2017. What a trip down memory lane that was! 

- I bought a copy of the Lord of the Rings movies from the supermarket. I haven't watched them yet, but I plan to soon! 

- I found A Princess for Christmas for free on YouTube, and as this is one movie that was on the List, I watched it. In short, in spite of the few cheesy moments, the inexplicable idea of a sporting hunt in the middle of winter, and the cringey gangster dancing, I really enjoyed this film. 

- One day, Fair Winds decided to butt into my schoolwork. Colin Raeburn was the guilty party, who insisted on recounting a climatic scene while I'm trying to write an essay. Of course, I had to stop what I was doing in order to get it all down. 

- The bulk of writing has been, of course, on the edits for The White Rose. I am now up to Chapter 5, and about 7000 words in. And I've already hit the first stumbling blocks. Gah, I hate editing. 

For Working by Candlelight, I published 4 posts: 2021 Yearly Goals, Pourquoi le francais (Why French)?, A Word to the Conflicted Mind, and A Mark of My Humanity. Upcoming posts will include an introduction to my opera dress project, and a post about modesty and historical costuming!  

For the Rebelling Muse, I published one post: 2021 Yearly Goals. That being said, I did work on four other posts but due to one reason or another, they're not quite ready yet. Can't send out half-dressed posts, it wouldn't do at all. 

For The History Cat and Maidens for Mary, I wrote no posts. Though I hope to change that fate for the former soon. At least by April, when I hope to finally publish that Titanic post! 

In a similar manner to my personal blog, I will only be highlighting positive progress towards the goals listed at the beginning of the year. Because who wants to read about anything negative after last year? I certainly don't. 

Goal #1: Editing (and Publishing) TWR

As stated above, I am now about 7k into edits, and am on the 5th chapter. My goal for the next month is to be at least be on the 10th chapter. 

Goal #2: Watch 10 Movies from The List

Lia and I have decided to cull a few movies from the List, which has left us with...about 92 left *cringes*. Also I should mention that I did watch one movie - A Princess for Christmas - which was free on YouTube. If you're a fan of chick flicks, then I definitely recommend this one. I did enjoy it, even with the rather cringey gangster dancing and the questionable world-building (WHO HUNTS IN WINTER, SERIOUSLY?) 

So that's one down, and nine to go! 

Right then! That's looking much better. And, I think that's plenty of update from me. What have you all been up to this January? 

Scribbingly yours, 

Catherine

Greetings from the cave! 

How was your New Years! I dearly hope you sent out 2020 with a bang! I know I did! 

With a new year, should come new goals. So what am I planning to accomplish in 2021? 

1. Edit (and maybe publish) The White Rose

The next step to publishing my debut novel is implementing the edits that my editor gave to me. This I hope to accomplish before August, because the Fall 2021 semester promises to be a dumpster fire of torture (and I am not kidding you). 

I know that I have had this goal for at least two years now, but books do not exactly follow the timelines that we authors set out for them. The progress is there, just....slow. I will say that now that the professional edit is out of the way, the bend has been turned toward publication. 

2. Watch 10 movies from the List. 

You all know that that list will be the death of me, but I am determined to tackle it. Even if it takes a hundred years. 

3. Continue professionalizing things (email, blog, Insta, etc.)

With the fact that The White Rose will probably be published sometime this year, this means that there really needs to be a more professional face. Steps for it will include setting up a proper email list, getting a professional email, and possibly creating a more professional Instagram handle as Lia did. 

4. Further develop Instagram page

This is a bit dependent on whether I choose to have a professional handle or not, but I would step up my Instagram page, regardless. I love aesthetics and would like to refine my artist's eye. 

5. Engage more with bloggers. 

I miss commenting and intereacting with everyone on the blogosphere! It is no secret that I have been a terrible blogging buddy recently - leaving tags to mold, and such rot. Therefore, I'd like to make a point of doing better. 

6. Produce at least one episode of Soul Sisters. 

Lia and I have not been able to get this series off the ground due to one reason or another, but I still would like to try to produce one more episode of Soul Sisters. 

You may have noticed that I have NOT put on any goals relating to Camp NaNo, or NaNoWriMo. This is because NaNo will be impossible because of my grad school schedule. Camp NaNo is a bit grayer because ideally I should be working on TWR edits during both events. Depending on how fast I get these edits out or if I need a break, will be the parameters of whether I participate in Camp NaNo or not. It will be sad if I don't, however. I love NaNo and Camp NaNo so much :) 

How about you all? What are some goals for 2021? 

Scribbingly yours, 

Catherine

P.S. This is apparently my 200th post?? Wow. Certainly doesn't feel like it, doesn't it?