Now here's the point where I waffle about whether or not to tell you more because 1) my paranoid self tells me someone somewhere could stumble across this blog and take my brilliant idea and beat me to a publisher and 2) my disloyal-to-my-family self knows that one of my noble predecessors would be made most unhappy to know I'm writing this story with this slant. But family scandals, particularly when they're removed by several generations, are so very juicy and difficult to pass up. And, I justify to myself, I'm changing most everyone's names and making things up freely so as to add some distance between reality and my story and to provide a veneer of privacy/anonymity. So how about this, I'll leave you a few clues and then if you really want to know (I'll measure interest by comments) I'll tell you more.
Though I would love to know what versions of the story you all know and, even better, what tidbits of history you can provide that will enrich my novel. On a side note, I feel so presumptuous throwing around the world novel. As if using it automatically means I'm claiming to be writing a classic work of fiction here (which may be antithetical in some people's views when it's combined with the term YA). I promise I have no such illusions, but a novel it is, or tries to be.
Anyway, on to the clues (which are undoubtedly more fun in pictorial form).
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
(1,000 points if you correctly identify this clue and you are not Ali or Meg, sorry friends)That's right. It's a story about everything I hope to receive in my Easter basket: a train set, towels, and Colin Firth.
11 comments:
I knew the story you were talking about based on your #2. You know this story has already been written, right?
The one Uncle Nick wrote?
i know it too because you spilled it whilst in new york. but i do think it's awesome, so who cares if uncle nick wrote it. right? the same story was made 65 times in the rocky movies. and look how well that turned out. :)
oh colin firth. so yummy. so british. so yummy and british.
When you put it like that Ali, he really is very much like a Cadbury Egg. Yummy and British. Hmmm, Maybe I really do want Colin Firth in my Easter basket . . .
I love clues. Weird that so many of your friends know this story when I first heard about it only like a year ago.
Interesting. Is your protagonist M. or C? Is Colin Firth the Bounder?
I think it unfair to discriminate against your test readers. I wanted those 1,000 points.
Amy--that's only because you weren't paying attention. I have known this story for decades and it has definitely been talked about around you.
Sheree: I didn't realize you read my blog, how kind of you. The protagonist is C. In fact hers is the only name I've left the same and I'm totally bending facts in my version to ameliorate a few details.
Colin Firth is not the bounder, though that's not a bad idea, I was referring to when he played Jack Worthing.
Meg: It wouldn't be fair for everyone else because you read an early version and therefore know the answer. If I am mistaken and you did not read any early version than feel free to guess, though as I already gave the answer to Aunt Sheree it still wouldn't be very fair. I'll give you another opportunity to get 1,000 points. Or will I?
I like Sheree's version, where Colin Firth is the bounder. How much of this story do you know, and where did you learn it? I haven't written down all of what seems to be known, and your grandmother's reaction to what I did write was that she hated it. And was sure that her mother would hate it, too. She wanted a promise that I'd never write about her (your grandmother), but she's out of luck there unless she writes about herself. And she doesn't seem inclined to do that.
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