Life Updates

     Well, in all this time, it is a logical assumption that I have been doing things. (Or, at least, if I haven't been doing things, that I've successfully wasted a whole year.) 

Life in General

    To start, as I mentioned in my last post, my family moved this summer. They are now living down South, and I still abide in the lands of the North. I'm in a music school at present for a dual degree in Music Performance and Music Education (my primary instruments are voice and piano). I got another new sibling this past summer, and he's very cute and very fat. Pressured by location, I am back to the Novus Ordo grind and in the choir. I live with my best friend and writing confidante, and we have gotten a lot of nonsense and very little writing done thus far with this arrangement. On the side, I teach music, work a pretty effortless desk job, and help direct a high school musical theater group. Those are really the biggest things that are going on at the moment. 

Writing

    As far as writing goes, I was somewhat productive up until the school year started. The Second Brother is now finished and under critique from beta readers, and the sequel(s) have been started with some headway. I decided to trash My Land, My Heart (the idea was very trite), and my opera's present plot, In Greater Hands, and my Giselle retelling are also prospectively on the chopping block. I wrote some draft ideas for He Travels the Fastest, and I may be writing it in earnest as the next main project. I came up with another archive novel idea (which I will probably expound on in another Meet the Books! at some point). 

    Probably the biggest thing that happened as far as writing goes was a redraft, though. My writer friends on Camp NaNo may remember that I have a coauthored novel project which has never been talked about on this blog (mainly to respect my coauthor's privacy). Now, however, Grim has her own blog, and I plan to introduce the story via Meet the Books! sometime very soon. In a nutshell, the story was dull, medieval fantasy of a rather cliche type and has been - um - remodeled, shall we say? Very, very remodeled... Anyhow, more on that later.

Reading

It would take all night for me to cover the reading of a year, so I will just touch on some honorable mentions:

The Journal of Hildegard of Bingen, interpreted by Barbara Lachman

• You must read it!
• Don't read my translation because it was terrible. The lady was intent on making St. Hildegard out as some proto-feminist or female priest or something. Her footnotes were beyond weird. Do yourself a favor and find a better version. 
• Overall, even with the terrible commentary, it was quite a fascinating look into life in a twelfth-century abbey. St. Hildegard was quite an inspiring woman, too - scientist, singer, composer, doctor, abbess, and mystic, and writer of the first musical, to boot. 

Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology by Noelle Mering

• This fabulous book takes the reader through a careful reconstruction of the processes leading to common political thought today in America. She then proceeds to look at each aspect of the philosophy through a Christian lens, with frequent recourse to the Bible, Catechism, writings of the saints and other great Christian authors. Certainly worth reading.

Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph by Jan Swafford

• Okay, guys, you need to know about Beethoven. For better or worse, intentionally or not, this guy created the musical world we live in now. (The musical nerd side of me wants to promote it more, but I think I'd probably better stop before I get carried away.)
• The one huge problem I had with this book was the anti-Catholicism of it all. The author showed rather painfully that she had no competent understanding of Christianity at all. She was quite biased when mentioning anything about the Church, and very strangely positive about every conflicting philosophy except traditional Catholicism. I find this a very high failing when dealing with a composer like Beethoven, who had a complicated and influential relationship with Catholicism. You'd think she would put a little more time and thought into that aspect of the book at least for Beethoven's sake. 

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt

• To be perfectly honest, I was actually a bit disappointed by the play. It was not as good as the movie (*gasp*), and the author had a very strange way of looking at St. Thomas's philosophy that didn't really show up in the original movie version. 
• All the same, beautiful verse, splendid play. Definitely go watch the Paul Scofield movie. 

Music

    Well, All's Fair got two new songs added to it that it really didn't need and doesn't have a place for. I also wrote a quite useless, cheery little WWI style song and a fantasy for oboe and piano (the fantasy was for a composer's competition which I did not win but had a lot of fun with... the WWI song still has no purpose). I sang on the radio over the summer and got to perform at the reopening of a certain old theater building here, so that was cool. I also got somewhat addicted to TwoSetViolin for a period. 

    As far as music goes, I'm quickly gaining a persona as someone who collects and learns really random instruments. I've sung and played piano for a while now, but I now also play organ, banjo, and ukulele. I dabble in recorder and bagpipes. I plan to take up violin or cello for my strings class this semester and drop the recorder as soon as my wind exams are over. If anyone has need of a dying cat meme track, I would be happy to pick up my recorder for a little bit longer.

Well, that's really about it. How about all of you? What has life held for you this past year? How are the writing projects? Reading? And my musical buddies? (Does anybody else name their instruments...???) 

Meet the Books! - He Travels the Fastest

The seasonal Meet the Books! is back again! And it seems I shall live to post another day, for, in the time since the last one, I have acquired another archive novel idea to write about for this installment. Anywho, let's proceed to the rules of the link-up and to the questions. The rules are to answer the questions of the link-up using one of your WIPs, use the picture (if so desired), and link your Meet the Books! feature in a comment here so that I can see all the lovely posts. Things have been a little less orthodox lately, so I'm quite eager to hear about any projects - novels, poetry, musicals, biographies of Robin Hood, etc. Anyways, onto the questions.

What is the title?
The title is He Travels the Fastest, taken, as some more adept readers than I might guess, from a line of Rudyard Kipling's - "He travels the fastest who travels alone."

What is the genre? Time period?
The genre is most decidedly Comedy. 'Nough said. The time period is strangely specific for one of my books -  1930 in America, specifically starting in New York.

How is it written (POV, main character, etc.)?
I'll actually be trying my hand at something new for this one - third person omniscient. After much reflection on the matter, I now believe it is either impossible or quite difficult to write a splendid comedy in anything but a somewhat narrative style. (So, to m'dear Megan Chappie, yea, you have finally convinced me...)

What is the setting?
Like I said, 1930 in America. While starting in New York, it will traverse all along the country into California.

Who are the characters?
There are only a handful, really. The main character is

"Chess" Ridley, a middle-aged American traveling salesman. Having been relatively successful at his gig for many years and now being quite tired of the business (and busyness), he plans to retire quietly out West alone, traveling by himself. A nice, slow, leisurely trip West to some quiet, country home all to himself is the only castle on a cloud the practical (and rather grouchy) salesman allows himself. Finally, he's saved up enough that he can quit the business and do it... or, so he thinks.

Marquesa Helena de Marcos is an aristocratic widow recently immigrated illegally from Spain. Just escaped from Ellis Island, she is iron-set and determined to get to her alleged American relatives in California, whom she is quite convinced would make her immigration legitimate. She and her brood - did I mention her eight children? - have come to America knowing little to nothing about the country, other than some broken English and the praises of its faraway freedom... Her brood consists of...

Consuelo is the Marquesa's oldest daughter, a pretty young Spanish girl of twenty with a dry tongue and some very odd ideas about Americans. Unfortunately, she draws the eyes of American boys at the most inconvenient times...

Inez is the second daughter, seventeen, and also possesses the Spanish belleza. She does not like the looks of Chess or this country.

Nuncia is the third daughter, sixteen, who has a most intense fondness for "Senor Ridley," who she believes to be in truth a kind and artistic soul... Needless to say, Senor Ridley doesn't exactly share the sentiment.

Alfonso is the oldest son, fifteen years old, and is extremely protective of the family... to the point of almost getting in a fist fight with every relatively grown male who looks at them funny.

Clemenz is the second oldest son and fifth child, at eleven. He also loves a fight, though more for its own sake. He tries ardently to pick up American phrases, but usually fails.

Constanza is the fourth daughter and sixth child, at nine. She is fairly quiet, but seems to possess the singular characteristic of never seeing when the little ones do something mischievous...

Miguel, third son and seventh child, has to be the naughtiest boy alive. Only his mother's looks save him from being utterly throttled. He is nearly six.

Margarita, or Mari, the youngest of all, is sweet, but the inseparable companion of Miguel, which means she gets in trouble regardless of her better tendencies. She is four.

There may be other assorted small recurring characters, but non relevant enough to mention.

What does the plot consist of?
As hinted above, the plot begins with Chess's resolve to take a long, slow trip West to lone retirement. His fate changes, however, when he runs into the family of illegal immigrants, and they attach themselves to him with a will, thinking he can guide them to California. Thus, the trip across the country begins, with plenty mishaps, misunderstandings, and misadventures along the way, all while being distantly chased by the police.

What gave you the idea?
Eh. Sorta the title. A good title really inspires a novel like nothing else. I always liked the idea of an ironic title, and the best path of irony according to that quote is to make poor Chess travel as un-alone as possible.

Who are the favorite characters so far?
Seeing as only my writing confidante and Madam Megan have seen even the rough sketches of what it will be like, there's not really a good answer. Possibly Chess.

What is the favorite scene so far?
None, since it's just an archive idea, and there aren't any written yet.

Any drawings?
Not quite yet.

Any themes of music for the work?
Mmm... The possibilities tempt me, but, unfortunately, there are none as of yet.

Any snippets?
Nope.

Strong point in story?
It will probably be the theme.

Weak point in story?
At the moment, the research. I've done some preliminary stuff, but I will have to research a lot more before actually writing it.

What are your plans for it?
To draft it, once I get a few current WIPs knocked out.

Any particular writing habits for it?
As I haven't written it yet, no, not at the moment.

If it were made into a movie, what would be your ideal cast for it?
Unlike my other archive novel ideas, I actually have thought about this. I think either William Powell or Fred Macmurray would be best as Chess (it would have to be a slightly older, slightly more disheveled version of either of them, though). I particularly see William Powell in his hobo dress from My Man Godfrey, for some reason. For the Marquesa, I see an older Delores del Rio. I don't know about the kids, though.

***

Anyways, that's the end of the questions. I hope you enjoyed the post, and I can't wait to see everyone else's Meet the Books! posts. Don't forget to link them up back  here so I can see!