by Roseanna White | Jun 13, 2012 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
In my research for my Edwardian work-in-progress, I came across an interesting bit of information from the Manor House site. Apparently in some houses, the master doled out punishment and praise after morning prayers, when the entire household was gathered. As in, if you did something to gain his attention, be it good or bad, he would make note of it in front of everyone.
Can you imagine? I know it wasn’t done this way in every great house, but I found it so striking that I had to include it in my WIP. See, my heroine’s father is a recluse who considers the running of his estate his sole purpose in life–at least until he’s reunited with his daughter. 😉 When I imagine Whitby (who’s modeled after Robert Downey Junior–siiiiggghhhhh), I see a master who is very involved with his household, who views each and every one as of interest to the estate, and so of interest to him.
He’s a kind man, so is far more likely to dole out praise than punishment. I imagine most mornings after the household-wide reading from the prayer book, he dismissed the staff to their tasks without a word. But when someone has done something exceptionally fine, he would see that they’re acknowledged for it.
And if someone did something bad enough to gain his notice and warrant punishment–well, he’s just harsh enough to make an example of them. After all, his house will run smoothly, and it’s best that everyone remember that.
Though I’ve written this book a gazillion times now (okay, four or five rewrites now, LOL), this is the first version in which my heroine Brook has a father. I had to introduce his character this time in order to take care of some inheritance issues, and I’m so glad I did. I love his dry wit and cynicism, and I especially love the soft heart under the bristly exterior. It’s proving a lot of fun to determine who this guy is and how he would react to the plotline already in place. Having his whole life revolve around Whitby Park gives him an edge I’m enjoying discovering.
Of course, I get to explore the servant side of things too, and it’s also a lot of fun to think of how they would react to these public displays. Certainly they would fear–and resent–the punishment before their peers. But you know, it’s likely that even the praise could engender some resentment among them.
Oh yeah. This is gonna be a blast. =)
by Roseanna White | Jun 11, 2012 | Word of the Week
My 4-year-old boy just decided to take the wheel of their little mini John Deere Gator the other day, so you can imagine my inspiration for this week’s word. 😉
Reckless is one of those that always confused me as a kid. I mean, why was it reckLESS when you were indicating that people were apt to wreck?
Of course, I knew there was that missing “w”…but still. For years it made me shake my head, and I rated it up there with “inflammable = flammable.” (Yeah, just try puzzling that one out without the help of the etymology! LOL.)
As it turns out, it is indeed mere coincidence that reck and wreck are homonyms and carry meanings that can be so opposite. Reck is from a very old Germanic word that means “care, heed.” So since the days of Old English, reckless (or its original receleas) has meant “without care or heed.”
Wreck, on the other hand, is from the Old Norse wrek, which for centuries had ONLY ship-wreck meaning–flotsam, that which washed up after a ship went to pieces. It wasn’t until the 1700s that “wreck” was applied to any remains of a thing ruined. As a verb, it has carried the meaning of “ruin or destroy” since the 1500s.
So there we have it. Two totally different roots that happen to end up with identical sounds in modern English. Solely to confuse school children across the English-speaking world, I’m sure. 😉
by Roseanna White | Jun 7, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
The advent of summer vacation means that, even though I’d love to be out with my parasol promenading through nature a la the Claude Monet painting here, I’m glued even more to my computer. Trying, trying to get caught up on writing, editing, and design. Trying to get organized. Trying to do what needs to be done and still help the kids have fun.
But you know, there’s always conflict. And when there’s conflict with my kids, I inevitably come away feeling terrible. In short, every time I say “No, I can’t,” and my wee ones pout at me, I feel guilty.
It’s tough. Being a stay-at-home-mom is tough on its own (am I right? Eh, eh? Can I get a “hallelujah”?? LOL). Being a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom sometimes stresses me to the point of banging my head against my desk and pleading with the world for five minutes of SILENCE. Which, of course, then makes me feel guilty for not having enough patience…
But here’s the thing. Moms very rarely have the luxury to just be their kids’ playmates. If I weren’t glued to my computer, I’d be gardening or making homemade pasta (my friend just posted pictures of doing this, and I had one of those “Oh, if only I had time!!!” moments) or making bread or picking up messes or scrubbing spots from my carpet or doing laundry more than once a week (ahem) or… you get the idea. I’d be keeping up with other projects. There’s a reason kids used to run rather free, when it was safe for them to do so–because mothers always have responsibilities.
It happens that my writing-related responsibilities take the priority over organization or homemade-this-and-that-making. And while it’s harder to get the kids involved in it (as opposed to baking, say, which they help me with), I really try. They’re often right beside me, painting or coloring or writing their own stories (okay, not Rowyn yet–but he’ll pretend).
But still, I need some quiet work time. Our current set-up gives me one day a week without the kids. One day–and I often feel guilty over it. I try telling myself that I have no reason to, that it’s not unreasonable, that I need it. Yeah, that never works.
Then I hear that little whisper. I was called to be a mother, yes. And I love my children in ways I never imagined I could love. But I was also called to serve the Lord through the written word. To write books. To help found a publishing company. And those callings require the sacrifice of my time. Daily I have to pray for insight in how to balance it, and if I’m at my computer at all, my kids will say I spend too much time there, LOL. But there it is. If I believe this is my calling, I need to do what needs done to achieve it.
Now, I’m not saying we don’t all run the risk of neglecting one thing in order to pursue another. Sometimes we go too far. But we also all need to be aware that when we are doing what the Lord wants us to do, that’s going to open us to attack. And so we’ll feel jealousy. We’ll feel discouragement.
We’ll feel guilt.
I need to remain forever aware of my kids’ needs and put them, without question, first. But I also need to give them to God and remember that a happy child isn’t one who has her mother’s undivided attention, she’s one who has learned by example to seek after the Lord. My seeking, my obedience, is here. At my desk. With my Bible on my right (and another on my left, and two more on the shelf above me…), my computer under my fingers, and my kids dashing in and out.
Do you ever struggle with balancing the multiple things God has called you to do? Ever feel guilty over it? How do you deal with that?
~*~
On an unrelated note, we finally started a Facebook page for WhiteFire Publishing! (http://www.facebook.com/WhiteFirePublishing) If I haven’t invited you yet or you haven’t found it, please go “like” us! =) And check out that beautiful line-up…
by Roseanna White | Jun 6, 2012 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
I’m back to work on my Victorian-turned-Edwardian historical romance–I thought I’d be working on my second Culper Book this week instead, but alas. When an editor asks to see more, I must be flexible. 😉
In order to achieve the right balance in this one, I have to have a solid understanding of servants of the day (one of my POV characters is a head maid, soon to be promoted to lady’s maid). So much of my day yesterday was spent in research. Naturally, I thought you’d enjoy a look at some of it. 😉
First, I’d like to recommend you to the
Jane Austen World blog, if you don’t frequent it already. She has some truly beautiful and insightful posts put together, using
Downton Abbey as her example.
But I’m going to post here some Servant Rules, provided by PBS’s
Manor House site.
- Never let your voice be heard by the ladies and gentlemen of the house, except when necessary, and then as little as possible.
- Always “give room” if you meet one of your employers or betters on the stairs.
- Always stand still and keep your hands quiet when speaking to a lady or being spoken to and look at the person speaking to you.
- Never begin to talk to ladies and gentlemen unless it be to deliver a message or ask a necessary question.
- Servants should never offer any opinion to their employers, nor even
to say good night or good morning except in reply to salutation.
- Never talk to another servant, or a person of your own rank, or to a
child in the presence of your mistress, unless for necessity then do it
as shortly as possible, and in a low voice.
- Never call from one room to another.
- Always answer when you have received an order or reproof.
- Outer doors are to be kept constantly fastened, and their bells to
be answered by the Butler only, except when he is otherwise
indispensably engaged, when the assistant by his authority will take his
place.
- Every servant is expected to be punctually in his/her place at meal times.
- No servant is to take any knives or forks or other article, nor on
any account to remove any provisions, nor ale or beer out of the Hall.
- No Gambling of any description, or Oaths, or abusive language are on any account to be allowed.
- The female staff are forbidden from smoking.
- No servant is to receive any Visitor, Friend or Relative into the
house; or to introduce any person into the Servants’ hall without the
consent of the Butler or Housekeeper.
- Followers are strictly forbidden, and any maid found fraternising
with a member of the opposite sex will be dismissed without a hearing.
- No tradesmen, nor any other persons having business in the house are
to be admitted except between the hours of 9am and 3pm and in all cases
the Butler or Chef must be satisfied that the persons he admits have
business there.
- The Hall door is to be finally closed at half-past ten o’clock
every night, after which time no person will be admitted into the houses
except those on special leave.
- The servants’ hall is to be cleared and closed, except when visitors
with their Servants are staying in the house, at half-past ten o’clock.
- No credit upon any consideration to be given to any person residing in the house or otherwise for Stamps, Postal Orders etc.
- Any breakages or damage to the house will be deducted from wages.
Now, let it be noted that there are plenty of responsibilities for the “betters” in master/servant relations too! Maybe we’ll take a more detailed look later on, but the one that struck me most was they were strictly instructed in ignoring the servants if they came upon them (in one of those instances when the servants “gave way”), lest they embarrass them by calling attention to them when they were trying to be invisible.
So now that I have my guide, time to get writing!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. 