I don't know that anyone can read both Nicholas Nickelby and Pride and Prejudice without comparing the maternal figures featured in each. In the cozy, but substantial niche of "embarrassingly foolish mothers," these two reign supreme as the most prominent and perhaps most troublesome. But the question remains; which one is worse? For my part, … Continue reading Maternal Loadstones: Mrs. Nickelby vs. Mrs. Bennet
Jane Austen
Saturday Flotsam: ‘Virginian’ and Male-Written Romances
1. Had bad insomnia this week, which seems to have messed with my immune system and my cold is back just as the last symptoms were fading away. At least it seems to be pretty mild in its new bid for mastery, so I'm hoping it won't get in the way of anything, but it's … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: ‘Virginian’ and Male-Written Romances
Actions Make Words Speak Louder
One mistake that a lot of writers make is to over-explain things (hey, that's me!); to put everything you want the audience to understand into dialogue so as to ensure that they ‘get it’. To be fair, this isn’t (usually) a huge deal; just clumsy and amateurish. But it’s more elegant and often much more … Continue reading Actions Make Words Speak Louder
Friday Flotsam: Mostly Random
1. Something has intruded on my personal life, which I'm still learning to deal with. It's knocked my attention (already unbalanced) for a real loop, so this'll be kind of haphazard. It's a personal matter, but just know that...well, I don't know what things will be like going forward. 2. I saw Godzilla vs. Kong … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mostly Random
Serpent's Den 