~~After a week of very few words, imagine my surprise when 150 stray words popped into my head this morning. I have no clue why. They don't fit with anything I'm writing. I don't plan to write historical fiction, though that's the genre I think they would fit. The only thing that makes sense is that I did focus on European medieval history in college and my master's thesis is a biography of Blanche of Castile. But I never wanted to be Eleanor of Aquitaine.
~~Here are the mystery words:
When I was a girl, I wanted to be Eleanor of Aquitaine. Dashing troubadours would sing love songs to me. I'd be Queen of both France and England and own the richest province in Europe. Then I learned her whole story--about the civil wars between her sons and husband and that she spent sixteen years imprisoned by her husband, Henry.
But reading about Eleanor's life led me to her family and the little talked about daughters who married into the ruling families of the Holy Roman Empire, Toulouse, and Castile-Leon. It was among Eleanor's grandchildren that I found my true lodestone--Blanche of Castile, who married Louis Capet, destined to be Louis VIII of France. While it's true she would lose children before they were grown and her husband would die young, her life typified a woman of learning, justice, power, and grace. In Blanche, I found a guide for living life based on belief.
~~What do you think happened? And do you ever have mystery words showing up uninvited? Do they ever lead you into a new WIP?
~~There is one other bit you should know that my long-delayed SF trilogy (The Dawn and the lion)originated as a fictionalization (that's an understatement! ; ) of Blanche's life. It's moved a long way from it's origins now.
Zan Marie, I never thought I'd write horror, but guess what happened this year.
ReplyDeleteStore the words away to play with later.
Jo
I love mystery words! They are such a gift to the writer, and our only job is to write them down. Don't question, just be grateful. Speaking of which, I'm so grateful we found each other this year, Zan Marie!
ReplyDeleteZan Marie,
ReplyDeleteI love the mystery words- I think I would like to read the rest, if it were there .
Love the words. Yes, I have had mystery words show up and they have led towards WIPs. Keep them. They may be useful some day.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I don't think it would have to be historical fiction. It could be contemporary.
ReplyDelete@Jo--Horror isn't one of my go to genres either. ; )
ReplyDelete@Charlotte--I'm thankful we found each other, too. You're a great writing buddy. And who knows where those mystery words will lead.
@Sarah--If there ever *are* any other words, I'll let you know. ; )
@Sara--The more I think about them the more I think contemporary, too. Maybe a woman who lives like Eleanor, but dreams of living like Blanche. Who knows?
I, too, think it could be contemporary. Love the words!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maeve!
ReplyDeleteI love your mystery words. I already get a sense of the pov character and definitely want to read more of her story.
ReplyDeleteI've got, not so much mystery words, as ideas that have no connection to anything. I've got a vague concept for a modern dystopian story. Do I need this right now????
LOL! Deniz, you need this as much as I need my mystery words and a new WIP. I'm filing this is to do in 2020. ; )
ReplyDelete2020 it is! See you then...
ReplyDelete