A few favorites

I haven't done much more work on my Austen-like story. I don't want to start until I have a chance to read Emma again. Plus, I had a really interesting dream last night that I want to turn into a story before I forget too much. It was a very exciting plot and I liked the characters.

So, with nothing else new and exciting to report, I will present to you a few of my favorite books, with a brief explaination of why I love them.

Emma  by Jane Austen

Emma is one of Jane Austen's masterpieces. It is a skillfully told story with deep and well drawn characters. Emma is a character the audience is not really supposed to like, and yet I find myself liking her in spite of myself. She is flawed, and she makes bad choices, but she is a human character who is trying to do what she thinks is best. The audience can relate to her because she is flawed, and we can like her because she learns by the end of the story that she is not perfect and she is not the ultimate authority.

(Minor spoilers below.)

This story has many elements to it that normally would be found in a mystery story. I love mysteries, so this is part of why this story appeals to me. There is so much going on under the surface that you have to pick up on through careful reading. In the case of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill, once you know the end of their story, you can see that the clues were there all along. Why did it take Frank so long to repair Mrs. Bates' spectacles? You don't think about it at the time, but looking back you can only assume that he was there to visit Jane, not only Mrs. Bates. How did he know about Mr. Perry's carraige, and why does Jane get so nervous when he says that? Obviously it was because Jane told him about it in one of her letters.

Another thing I love about this story is the way Emma and Mr. Knightly make a smooth transition from being just friends to realizing they are in love with each other. This transition would be an easy thing to make awkward, but Austen does this with such subtlety that it seems natural.

Oh my, I said I would keep this brief, didn't I? I'm sorry, I just really love this story, it's hard not to keep talking about it.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

 Miri lives in a small village on Mount Eskel where the villagers have quarried valuable linder stone for generations. Unfortunately, Miri is considered too small to help in the quarry even at age fourteen. She longs to be needed and she feels left out by the workers who use "quarry speak" to communicate with each other without words.

When Mount Eskel is chosen as the place where the future princess will be found, all the teenage girls from the village are taken to a nearby makeshift academy, where they will learn how to be a princess. At the end of the year, the prince will come and choose his bride.

Miri must decide who she wants to be. She wants to be chosen by the prince, so she can help her village, but she also wants to stay on Mount Eskel and be with her childhood friend (or possibly more than a friend), Peder. She wants to be helpful, but she doesn't know how.

I won't tell you the whole plot, just that it is excellent and I recommend it for everyone. Don't be put off by the girly sounding title. We read this book out loud as a family, and my eight year old brother really enjoyed it. It has a lot of adventure and suspense. I love it becaue the world where it is set was so well described that it felt like a real place. All of the characters are well written, and a few of them have secrets that you don't find out until the end of the book. The ending ties everything together is a logical but unexpected way.

Ok, I guess since I couldn't keep them brief, I will just do two books today. : ) I will tell you some more of my favorite books tomorrow.

~Jane~

Ideas

Since not very many people have commented with book title suggestions, I thought I would post a few of my own.
Hmm, how about...

Faith and Fortune

Regrets

Truth and Trouble

Sparkle and Speculation

Adelaide

Honesty

I know these aren't very good but let me know what you think of them, and please comment with your own ideas! I would love to hear them!

~Jane~

Name my book!

Well, I haven't started on my new project yet, and I haven't even re-read any of the Jane Austen books yet. I've had a really busy week. We have relatives in town because my cousin is getting married on Sunday.

I have thought of a few more ideas for this proposed book, though. The names may change, but right now this story is about three sisters named Adelaide (or Addy), Callie and Paige. The main character is Addy, but I'm thinking about making her younger than Callie instead of the oldest.

One other character is going to be a good friend of Addy, and he will be a Mr. Knightly/Henry Tilney-ish character. I haven't named him yet.

The name challenge
I need inspiration for this book, and that's where you come in. I want you all to think of titles that sound like a Jane Austen book and comment on this post with them. Think of as many as you want! It will be fun! I will pick one to use as a working title, and announce which one I picked in another post.

Here are the real Jane Austen titles;

Emma
Lady Susan
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility

Now it's your turn! Have fun!

~Jane~

The Hyacinth Conspiracy

I found this on Allison Elizabeth's blog, Girl of the Prairie. You pick twelve favorite characters, fictional or not, from movies or books, and answer the questions below.

1. Anne Elliot (Persuasion by Jane Austen)

2. Curious George (Curious George by H.A. Rey)

3. Sir Guy of Gisbourne (BBC's Robin Hood)

4. Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen)

5. Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen)

6. Jo March (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)

7. Wesley (The Princess Bride)

8. Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien)

9. Charlotte Lucas (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

10. Kate Weatherall (The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart)

11. Peter Pan (Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie)

12. Emily Starr (Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery)



1. Who would make a better college professor, 6 (Jo March) or 11 (Peter Pan)?

I think Peter Pan would be a terrible college professor because he hates adults and all he wants to do is have fun. You wouldn't learn anything in his class.
Jo March would be a really good college professor, but only in the second half of Little Women when she's a little older.

2. Do you think 2 (Curious George) is nice?

I think he is as nice as any monkey can be... he does cause a lot of trouble, but it's always unintentional.

3. 12 (Emily Starr) sends 8 (Bilbo Baggins) out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?

Emily tells Bilbo to use his magic ring to go to the post office for her while he is invisible, so that if there is a rejected manuscript for her, the other people in town won't know about it.

4. What is or what would be 9's (Charlotte Lucas) favorite book?

101 Best Home-Based Businesses for Women by Priscilla Huff, so that she doesn't have to marry Mr. Collins.

5. Would it make more sense for 2 (Curious George) to swear loyalty to 6 (Jo March), or the other way around?

I don't think Jo March would swear loyalty to a monkey.

6. For some reason, 5 (Henry Tilney) is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he room with 9 (Charlotte Lucas) or 10 (Kate Weatherall)?

Well, they're both girls, so neither one, but I think he would get along with Charlotte better. He would teach her to like reading novels.

7. 3 (Sir Guy), 7 (Wesley) and 12 (Emily Starr) are going out to dinner. Where do they go and what do they discuss?

I could see Sir Guy and Wesley meeting, because they could talk about sword fighting and where to buy the best black clothes to make you look tough, and they are both in love with girls who are engaged to someone else, so they have that in common. I'm just not sure why Emily would be there unless one of them had kidnapped her.

8. 3 (Sir Guy) challenges 10 (Kate Weatherall) to a duel, who wins?

Hmm, that's a tough one. She would certainly put up a good fight, but if she didn't have the backup of her friends, I think Sir Guy would ultimately win.

9. If 1 (Anne Elliot) stole 8's (Bilbo Baggins) most precious possession, how would (s)he get it back?

Anne would only steal the ring of power if she was protecting someone from danger or if she knew all about it and was helping Frodo to destroy the ring. Bilbo would go to Lady Russell and ask her to persuade Anne to give the ring back.

10. If  5 (Henry Tilney) and 2 (Curious George) wrote a book together, what would the book be about?

Henry Tilney would write a satirical book about modern art and use art that a monkey drew as examples.

11. What kind of plot device would you have to use if you wanted 1 (Anne Elliot) and 4 (Catherine Morland) to work together?

I would have them run into each other in Bath somewhere. I think they would become friends pretty quickly. They are both pre-disposed to like people. I think Catherine would look up to Anne.

12. If 7 (Wesley) visited you for the weekend, how would it go?

We would probably get into a fight. He is just a little bit full of himself, but you could also call that confidence, which is a good thing.

13. If you could command 3 (Sir Guy) to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?

I would tell him to leave Nottingham and start over as a good guy, somewhere far, far away from Marian and the Sheriff.

14. Does 11 (Peter Pan) like to write or draw?

I don't think so. He wouldn't like writing, but he might draw. He does play instruments, so we know he is creative.

15. If 2 (Curious George) had to choose sides between 4 (Catherine Morland) and 5 (Henry Tilney), what side would (s)he choose?

I have no idea. Catherine and Henry wouldn't be arguing in the first place, and I think Curious George would like them both equally well.

16. What might 6 (Jo March) shout out while charging into battle?

 "Christopher Columbus!"

17. If you had to choose a song to best describe 8 (Bilbo Baggins), what would it be?

"Like a Child" by Jars of Clay.

18. What would 5 (Henry Tilney) most likely be arrested for?

Punching John Thorpe in the nose.

19. If 11 (Peter Pan) and 9 (Charlotte Lucas) were racing to a destination, who would get there first?

Peter Pan would win, unless they were racing to school or some other place where he would hesitate to go.

20. What is the lowest point of 1's (Anne Elliot) story?

When Captain Wentworth first comes back and she hears something that he said about her that makes her think he really doesn't care about her anymore.

21. 1 (Anne Elliot) and 9 (Charlotte Lucas) reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's (Catherine Morland) sinister secret organization. 11 (Peter Pan) volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4 (Catherine Morland). Meanwhile, 4 (Catherine Morland) has kidnapped 12 (Emily Starr) in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5 (Henry Tilney), they seek out 3 (Sir Guy), who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?

The Hyacinth Conspiracy

~Jane~

New project

I have been thinking about a book I've been wanting to write. This is not the Sleeping Beauty story, I put that one on hold after I realized that I had no plot, only a jumbled, tangled up mess of a concept. I'll keep thinking about it, I just don't think I'm going to be able to write it this summer.

I've been thinking about another type of story that I want to try. I still have no plot, but at least the characters are coming together. I want to write a modern novel that is similar to a Jane Austen novel. Not that I will take a specific Jane Austen novel and set it in a modern world, but that I will attempt to write my own story using some of Austen's literary techniques. I'm hoping it will feel like something she wrote.

I probably picked it up from reading her novels, but I feel like I write in a similar style to Jane Austen. I don't mean that I write with the same level of skill, so don't think I'm being arrogant when I say that. I just mean that I tend to write with a strong narrator presence and lots of subtly sarcastic humour.

I think what I'm going to do first is read her books again. It's been a few months since I read one. This time, instead of only enjoying the story, I will try to analyze how she handles different things, then I will do a post about it.

The first thing I'm going to look for is the passage of time. All of her novels take place over about a year or two of time, but I honestly can't remember how she shows when things are happening.

~Jane~

The Jonas Brothers

I know there are many differing opinions on the popular pop band the Jonas Brothers, most of them either adoring or hating, and in this blog post I will attempt to tell you my honest opinion.

I really like the Jonas Brothers.

I know, it's so shocking. Before you decide I am a silly obsessed teenage girl, here are my reasons.

First of all, I honestly enjoy their music. There are some songs I don't like, either for their silly lyrics or bad vocals, but there are a lot that I think are really well written and well performed. They have a unique sound that sometimes has a retro feel to it, and they don't sound like a typical boy band. Some of their lyrics are really clever, although they do sing about love too much. The members of the band are old enough for those songs, but the mostly preteen audience is a little young I think.
Their music videos are really cute as well, and again, many of them have a cool retro feeling to them. For example, take a look at this video. It follows a love story of a young couple in the 1940's, framed by the couple's grandchildren looking through a photo album. This is also one of my favorite songs by them.



Another thing I like about them is that they don't take themselves too seriously. I used to think that Joe was rather stuck up, based on how he takes center stage when they perform, but I like him a lot better after watching their television show, Jonas. I love that show. They are humble enough to tease themselves and have fun with each other.
I think of all the shows on the Disney channel right now, this one is the least centered on chasing girls and general worldliness. There is some of that in there, but it is definitely less prominent. Unlike Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, the main characters generally try their hardest to do the right thing and make good choices. The importance of family is stressed, and the brothers are always helping each other and working together. They are on the same side. That is a rare thing on a Disney show. Usually it is portrayed as being perfectly natural to be in constant opposition to your siblings. That is one of the things I find refreshing about this show and about the Jonas Brothers.

Another thing I enjoy is their sense of style. Sometimes they do wear hideous outfits, (especially Joe) but most of the time they have a very classic, retro sense of style. They wear sharp suits, vests, dress shirts, sunglasses, bow ties and 70's style pencil ties, and other vintage looking outfits. Even their hair sometimes looks retro, in a James Dean kind of style. Again, that is not the attire of a typical boy band. They are unique, and they know what they like and go with it. They aren't popular because they are a typical pop band, they are popular because they are different and new.

There is one final point I would like to make, in the form of a rhetorical question.

Should I decide I don't like the Jonas Brothers for the sole reason that preteens do like them?

I feel like that is why many people don't like them. Teenagers tend to take one look at the screaming crowd of preteen girls and immediately say they do not like that band, just to distance themselves from that younger audience. I think if you are going to say you don't like something, you should have real reasons and at least give it a try before you decide.

And, if you do like something, there is no reason to be ashamed of the fact just because other people who like it are young kids. If you do like a band or a television show, you shouldn't pretend like you don't.

I am not saying you should like the Jonas Brothers or not, just decide for yourself instead of relying on popular opinion.

So, what do you honestly think of the Jonas Brothers, and why? I would love to hear what you think, as long as you have a real opinion on them and are not just disliking them because you think they are for little kids.

Thanks!

~Jane~

Slightly Different; A School Story

“And what is your name?” The teacher asked in a stilted voice, as if she really had no desire to know the answer.

“Slightly.” He replied.

A wave of snickers and whispers swept through the class. Slightly’s face grew hot and he tilted his nose up a smidgen higher in an attempt to regain his dignity.

The teacher was glaring at him.

“’Slightly’ is not a name,” She said drily, with a look on her face that squelched all objections. “You may take your seat, young man.”

Slightly plopped into his seat with a scowl on his face.

Slightly is too a name. He said to himself. It is my name.

He could feel the curious and hostile stares throughout the morning, and when the lunch hour was announced, he burst from the room with a gasp of relief to get away from them. They were let into the schoolyard to eat their lunches. Slightly quickly finished his sandwiches, looking around him as he shoved the last bite into his mouth. Among the mass of students, Slightly spotted a familiar head of curls and followed it to one corner of the yard.

“Nibs!” He cried to get the boy’s attention.

“Hullo, Slightly,” The boy replied with a careless grin. “What do you think of school?”

Just then Tootles came running up, followed closely by the twins and Curly. All of them wore a look of terror and poor Tootles’ face was bright red. They were being closely pursued by a giant.

That was Slightly’s first impression, at least, of the gargantuan boy who was bearing down on the little group. By the time he realized it was not a giant, but only a large and very angry boy, it was too late to run.

“Save me!” Poor Tootles squeaked, ducking behind Nibs and curling up on the ground with his head covered. Tootles had missed so much of the action in Neverland, he was not used to excitement.

The other boys stood in front of him as the giant boy skidded to a halt, jabbing an angry finger in Tootles’ direction.

“Get out of my way!” He shouted in Slightly’s face.

“Why should I?”

The boy stared at him in shocked amazement. He had never had a victim stand up to him before.

“Because, because…” He stuttered. “If you don’t move, I… I’ll… make you move!”

Slightly smiled a cheeky grin, unconsciously imitating Peter Pan as he did so. He glanced at the other boys, who were taking their cues from him and smiling cheerfully.

“Well, I don’t know how you can make all of us move, do you Nibs?”

“No, Slightly, I don’t know how he will do that, do you, Curly?”

“No Nibs,” Curly began, “I don’t know how-“

“Cut it out!” The bully yelled.

The school bell rang in a melodious tune. The bully groaned and Slightly’s grin grew wider. They had stalled him just long enough.

“This isn’t over…” The bully said gruffly. He still looked a little bewildered at their happy expressions. He turned and disappeared back into the crowd of children, shaking his head in confusion.

Slightly turned to Tootles, who was peeking up at them through his fingers.

“You can get up now.” He said. Tootles scrambled to his feet, blushing wildly and trying to pretend he hadn’t been scared in the first place. Slightly laughed. “What did you do to him anyway?” He asked.

“I didn’t do anything.” He folded his arms in a defensive posture. “Curly put a tack in his chair and he thought I had done it.”

They all turned to look at Curly.

“I’m sorry!” He cried. “He said there was no such thing as fairies, and he called me a baby for believing in them.”

Slightly pondered this new information. What would Peter have done in this situation? Slightly wasn’t sure, but he knew that Peter wouldn’t let Tootles or Curly get beat up by a bully. He had to make a plan.

The next morning, he was ready. He whispered the plan to the other boys at breakfast and they tried not to laugh. On the way to school, Wendy kept staring at them curiously. They managed to keep their faces completely straight, which is perhaps what gave them away. On any other morning they would have been teasing and laughing all the way to school. She finally left them to go to her class with one last anxious glance over her shoulder, and they smirked at each other freely.

Slightly had to stand in the corner twice during the long morning for wiggling in his seat. He just couldn’t keep still. Finally the lunch bell rang and he ran out of the door before anyone else, with the teacher yelling after him to slow down.

Nibs, Tootles and Curly were waiting for him in the same corner of the schoolyard.

“Are you ready?” He asked them.

They nodded just as the bully pushed his way through the crowd with a determined look on his face. He was quickly bearing down on them. Nibs and Slightly took their places in front of Tootles and Curly to protect them from being crushed. Nibs was looking a little nervous so Slightly stepped a little closer.

“Stand your ground, hold his gaze, the twins will come through.” He whispered.

Once again the giant boy came to a sudden stop in front of them. He was blinking rapidly in apparent amazement at the fact that they were defying him a second time. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but before he could speak a hullabaloo drowned out his unformed words from the other side of the yard. The bully spun around to see the twins wrestling on the ground. The rest of the children were starting to gather around them, cheering and yelling. Some of them were placing bets on who would win, although Slightly had no idea how they could tell which twin was which.

When the rest of the students and teachers were gathered around the twins, Slightly tugged on the bully’s sleeve to get his attention again.

The bully grinned at them maliciously. “Now there aren’t any teachers watching,” He said. “Now move, so I can teach your friend a lesson.”

“Okay,” Slightly said. “We’ll move for you.”

Slightly nodded at the other boys and they all simultaneously shot a few feet into the air. Slightly gave the boy an ornery grin and raised his eyebrows at him. The boy’s eyes went as wide as saucers and his mouth dropped open. He fell to the ground and began to stutter about something. Tootles giggled and they flew smoothly over his head and dropped to the ground at the back of the crowd. The twins were watching for this and immediately got up and walked away from each other, to the complete confusion of the rest of the students.

As the lost boys got lost in the crowd and went inside the building, the last thing Slightly heard was the bully yelling about flying boys and fairies and someone else laughing at him.

He never teased anyone again.

Neverland drawings

My Neverland...

...a clearing in the trees and rays of golden sunlight.

...cool green shadows that dance in the shifting light.

...exotic foliage that rustles in the breeze, whispering secrets.

 

...secret hiding places for the fairies.

...huge climbing flowers that cover trees and trail over the ground, creating a colorful carpet in the shades of the gloomy forest.

Fairy fashion

Disney's imagining of what Tinkerbell would wear. I think they could have done better.

The book Peter Pan never really tells us what fairies wear in that world, so to dress like Tinkerbell, we have to use our imaginations.

What do you think a fairy would wear? I think of soft, flowing fabrics, ruffles and trims, and natural colors. I think a real fairy would wear a dress made from flower petals and stitched with spider silk, but we have to settle for the next best thing if we want to dress as a fairy would.

Here is my favorite fairy look, from Magnolia Pearl,

This look is a little bit over the top to wear as a real style, but it would be great for costuming for a play or a movie, or just for fun. How about a fairy look you can wear in real life?

These dresses from Anthropologie have a soft feminine fairy look to them.

Wear a dress like this with some leggings and boots and you can look like a fairy every day, and be stylish too.

The last dress, the one that is a lovely coral color, sells for $138.00 at Anthropologie. You can make a similar-looking dress with a few yards of jersey fabric and a minimal amount of sewing knowledge, using this tutorial.

It is called the infinity dress, because there are infinite different ways to wear it. I have not tried this yet, but I want to. (I would wear a t-shirt underneath for modesty.)

If you don't want to sew something, here are some affordable pieces from Walmart and Payless that could be put together into a fairy-like outfit.

Ruffled dress with pretty green shirt underneath.

(Walmart, dress $9, shirt $10)

Wear with leggings...

(Walmart, $10)

And comfortable boots.

 (Payless, $29.99)

Maybe tie a scarf around your waist as a belt.

(Payless, $12.99)

You probably already own pieces that would work for a fairy outfit. Look through your closet for an old skirt you never wear, scraps of fabric that would work as scarfs, ruffled shirts or dresses, and start layering! Try combinations that you normally wouldn't wear, and you might come up with something good. Have fun!

~Jane~

Pirate fashion

Inspired by the world of Peter Pan, I've put together a pirate-y look that you can wear everyday!

Start with basic jeans and a white tunic top.

(J.C. Penny, jeans $17.99-$19.99, tunic top $19.99)

Tuck the jeans into some tall, buckled boots, and put on a loose vest over the tunic top.

(Boots- Old Navy $17.99) (Vest- J.C. Penny $14.99)

Add a wide, buckled belt over the vest.

(J.C. Penny, $13.99 each)

Then, to accessorize, add a cuff bracelet...

(J.C.Penny, left $11.99, right $9.99)

Or maybe some bangles...

(J.C. Penny, $12.99)

And, of course, you need a scarf to tie in your hair, pirate style.

(Kohl's, $12.00)

Have fun!

~Jane~

Thoughts on Peter Pan

Peter Pan thinks very highly of himself and doesn’t think about other people at all. Yet it somehow seems natural for him to behave this way. He is the center of Neverland, and he is also the center of his own universe. It seems acceptable and normal for Peter to think highly of himself because he is what all of Neverland revolves around. Peter Pan is a tragic character, but he doesn’t know it. He forgets events and people almost instantly when he’s not around them anymore. He really is alone. He has no memories, even of himself, and he has no family other than the lost boys, and after the events of the book are over even they are taken away from him. No wonder he resents them for choosing to grow up.

One of the only things he remembers long term is to go back twice to see Wendy. Even that he forgets and when he finally does remember to come back, she has grown up and had a child.

Peter Pan has to be self centered, because he’s the only person in his universe. With no memories to hold onto, his life is just himself in whatever adventure is going on right then. He is literally living in the moment. Sometimes in the book it seems that he is not even aware that there are other people who have thoughts and feelings and their own lives. He is only aware of himself, and everyone else is just the background cast for his adventures. What would it be like for him to be so completely alone? He seems to be fine with it, but only because he has chosen to cut himself off from a normal life and so he doesn’t know what it’s like to live in a normal family. He’s self sufficient because he doesn’t know that there’s any other option.

The ending of the book is bittersweet. It is a tragic story because I think Peter realizes that there is another way and there are people outside of himself. He ends up completely alone, more alone than before, but now he is aware of the fact that he is alone. It is only a bittersweet ending and not just a sad one because the reader already knows the nature of Peter Pan, and so we know he’ll forget about it, and never even know that it happened, and be perfectly happy just to be Peter Pan, the center of his own universe.

Peter Pan is likeable just because he is Peter Pan. He is the only one who could ever get away with the things he gets away with and still have an adoring audience and devoted fan base years after the book was published. And people love him because of who he is. If Peter Pan suddenly cared more about other people than about himself, and was humble, or if he had decided to grow up at the end of the book, we wouldn’t love him the same because he just wouldn’t be him. We like to think that there is only one wonderful, magical, brave boy who deserves to think well of himself.

I'm back!

I am so glad to be home again. I had a wonderfully fantastic week, which I will tell you all about later. I am just too tired right now to type it all up, and there is so much to tell! I will just say that I have been very encouraged in my faith this past week, and I am really excited to tell you all about it.

A week is a long time in the world of blogging. There are many posts that I may not see right away, so if I comment on an old post of yours in a week or so, it's because I am only just then seeing it. : )

In a few minutes I will be posting a few "Peter Pan" posts for the Make Believe blog event!

~Jane~

Goodbye for now

Unless something really exciting happens tomorrow, or if I really just get the urge to post about some random subject, this will be my last post until next Saturday, June 12th. My brother and I are leaving on Sunday afternoon for Worldview Academy Leadership Camp. We will be home again on Friday evening, and on Saturday I will be posting multiple times for the Make Believe blog event. Well, right now I have three posts ready, and I am going to try to make some more tomorrow, but I'm running out of time to do all that I wanted to.

I also need to have a synopsis written for my writing group meeting, which is the Monday after I get back. I am not sure how to do that because I really don't have a plot for my next book yet. Right now it's just a concept with a lot of ideas randomly thrown in. There is a half plotline for my side character, but I still have absolutely no idea what in the world my main character is doing the whole time. Is that strange?

Well, it is based on Sleeping Beauty, and the side character is the princess, so that's why her plot was a lot easier to figure out than the other.

Johannes Vermeer

Woman with a Pearl Necklace

The Girl with a Pearl Earring

The Lacemaker

Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid

The Milkmaid

Mistress and Maid

These are some of my favorite works by Vermeer. His paintings have such a sense of calm, but at the same time mystery. He captures a moment so perfectly, but you are left wondering exactly what he has captured. Mistress and Maid, for example, leaves me trying to guess what is in the letter. The woman looks unsure or even afraid to take it.

Please take some time and look at these, don't just skim over them. His complete works can be found on EssentialVermeer.com if you'd like to see more.

Which painting do you like the best?

~Jane~