Monthly Archives: June 2009

World War One Recruitment Posters

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I love looking at the material culture of the First World War as well as reading the rhetoric of the period. These recruitment posters are a good example of how men were convinced to enlist in the armed forces. Guilt … Continue reading →

Posted in research, wwi | 4 Comments

Normative Heterosexuality and the Alpha Male Fantasy

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Normative(Adjective): of or establishing a norm or standard. Romance novels feature vast numbers of heroes who are so-called “alpha” males – usually taken to mean men who are better-looking and stronger than other men, with more dominant personalities, and usually … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 13 Comments

Edmund Blunden, "Concert Party: Busseboom"

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Concert Party: Busseboom The stage was set, the house was packed,The famous troop began;Our laughter thundered, act by act;Time light as sunbeams ran. Dance sprang and spun and neared and fled,Jest chirped at gayest pitch,Rhythm dazzled, action spedMost comically rich. … Continue reading →

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Moonlight Mistress excerpt – Food

Posted on June 27, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Welcome to Snippets Saturday! While driving from Germany to France, Lucilla Daglish asks Pascal Fournier about his first sexual experience. # Pascal paused, as if remembering. “The widow Jacques stood behind a table that was dusted with flour. She wore … Continue reading →

Posted in free read, moonlight mistress, promo | 2 Comments

Writers Never Run Out of Blog Topics

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Since I’ve begun this blog, I’ve started to notice more and more bloggers who complain that they don’t have anything about which to blog. My first thought is always, “then don’t blog,” but of course that isn’t a good answer … Continue reading →

Posted in blogs, promo, writing | 6 Comments

Revision Metaphors

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Sometimes I look back at what I’ve written in my zero draft. I see heaps of words lining the road. The heaps have shape, but they don’t yet have architectural value. They’re not smoothed and stacked. Sometimes I want to … Continue reading →

Posted in writing, writing process | 2 Comments

Food in Fiction

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I like to put food in my fiction. First of all, people eat. What they eat can say a lot about their character, and about the world in which they live, and about their interactions with other characters. Does Oscar … Continue reading →

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Reviews, the Sweetest Pain

Posted on June 23, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

“Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.” –Samuel Johnson I think writers often worry too much about how their work will be … Continue reading →

Posted in quotes, writing, writing process | 9 Comments

The Art of War – World War One Poster Art

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Today’s post is what is sometimes referred to as “picspam.” I find WWI-era posters fascinating. Here are a few interesting ones. I’ll post some recruitment posters later this month. Posters aimed at financing the war were very common. Here’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in research, wwi | 6 Comments

Edmund Blunden, "Can You Remember?"

Posted on June 21, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Can You Remember? Yes, I still rememberThe whole thing in a way;Edge and exactitude Depend on the day. Of all that prodigious sceneThere seems scanty loss,Though mists mainly float and screenCanal, spire and fosse; Though commonly I fail to nameThat … Continue reading →

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