looking for advice

[HeyNonnyNonny]

Hi there

Long time reader, first time logger-onner.

I'm currently writing a story about a dark, lustful encounter one night between a French Queen and a Spanish Princess of the late 16th Century.

I'm confident about my history, but I'm less confident about the more adult elements of the story. So I'm really looking for two things:
1. People to tell me whether middle-ages lesbianism is worth writing about.
2. People with some experience of writing for Lit (particularly historical/thematic stuff) to look at draft(s) of my work and provide helpful comments.

Cheers

Nonny

 

[Stella_Omega]

Welcome to the AH, and congratulations on one of the best handles I've seen lately!

I'm fifty years old, and I say- middle aged lesbians know what they're doing- possibly for the first time.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Hi there

Long time reader, first time logger-onner.

I'm currently writing a story about a dark, lustful encounter one night between a French Queen and a Spanish Princess of the late 16th Century.

I'm confident about my history, but I'm less confident about the more adult elements of the story. So I'm really looking for two things:
1. People to tell me whether middle-ages lesbianism is worth writing about.
2. People with some experience of writing for Lit (particularly historical/thematic stuff) to look at draft(s) of my work and provide helpful comments.

Cheers

Nonny

Most anyting lesbian is worth writing, if you're jusdgement of worth it means feedback/votes. the readers in the cat are some of the best onsite, free with praise and with suggestions. A lot of our readers enjoy les encounters with matrue women, I recieved a boatload of favorable feedback on Irish eyes, with a protag in her fifties.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Welcome to the AH, and congratulations on one of the best handles I've seen lately!

I'm fifty years old, and I say- middle aged lesbians know what they're doing- possibly for the first time.

Stella may be physically fifty, but she's hot as any twenty year old

 

[HeyNonnyNonny]

whoops

Sorry to misguide you. I meant middle ages as in period (i.e. 16th century). The characters are early-20s and 18. Guess I shouldn't have put in that hyphen in middle-ages.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Sorry to misguide you. I meant middle ages as in period (i.e. 16th century). The characters are early-20s and 18. Guess I shouldn't have put in that hyphen in middle-ages.

LOL, periood pieces do very well in cat. Some of my best scores are on my period works.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Sorry to misguide you. I meant middle ages as in period (i.e. 16th century). The characters are early-20s and 18. Guess I shouldn't have put in that hyphen in middle-ages.

Damn, I don't know if I shold be disappointed, or anxiously waiting!

There's a big group of historic story fans here, to get serious for a moment...

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Sorry to misguide you. I meant middle ages as in period (i.e. 16th century). The characters are early-20s and 18. Guess I shouldn't have put in that hyphen in middle-ages.

I think your idea sounds great and I personally have had a good response to two late 15th century period pieces I've posted on Lit. Much luck.

 

[impressive]

Stella may be physically fifty, but she's hot as any twenty year old

*nods*

 

[neonlyte]

Sorry to misguide you. I meant middle ages as in period (i.e. 16th century). The characters are early-20s and 18. Guess I shouldn't have put in that hyphen in middle-ages.

That cheered me up no end.

Welcome HNN - stick around, you will find much to amuse you here.

As for lesbianism in the Middle Ages, I sure it existed but I'm also sure you will struggle to find any documented evidence. Here is a suggestion: there was a period in Middle Age England when noble women would voluntarily be interned ( and I mean literally walled up ) in a small room, quite often with a hand maiden. The reasons were varied, religious, widowed, fear of rape - rape was the simple way to acquire land. For references try The Hollow Crown by Miri Rubin - quite possibly the worst edited book on English Middle Ages, but none the less interesting.

 

[HeyNonnyNonny]

Wow...

I knew I'd find highly literate, interesting and sexed up people on this site, but I didn't expect to find someone with such relevant and impressive historical knowledge within half an hour of making a posting.

You're right, of course, and your idea is far more historically realistic than mine. However, there is some historical basis to my idea, which is to have the Queen seduce a lady-in-waiting (in this case, a Spanish Princess) who is sharing her bed when the king is away, and therefore not likely to demand entrance to the Queen's chamber. The idea was to provide the Queen with companionship and a sort of "spiritual protection" to go with the military protection from outside. Whether two women of such prominence would ever have the privacy for the sort of activities I have planned is open to debate, and highly unlikely, but that's where artistic license come in.

As as an aside, I have wondered about another story based on lesbianism for one of the English or Spanish Queens who routinely went into seclusion leading up to their births. However, I'm not sure I'm excited enough (or knowledgeable enough!) about pregnant lovers to make the story work.

Anyway, thanks very much for both the enthusiasm and the book reference - I've come across her work on the eucharist, but not that one.

Nonny

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Wow...

I knew I'd find highly literate, interesting and sexed up people on this site, but I didn't expect to find someone with such relevant and impressive historical knowledge within half an hour of making a posting.

You're right, of course, and your idea is far more historically realistic than mine. However, there is some historical basis to my idea, which is to have the Queen seduce a lady-in-waiting (in this case, a Spanish Princess) who is sharing her bed when the king is away, and therefore not likely to demand entrance to the Queen's chamber. The idea was to provide the Queen with companionship and a sort of "spiritual protection" to go with the military protection from outside. Whether two women of such prominence would ever have the privacy for the sort of activities I have planned is open to debate, and highly unlikely, but that's where artistic license come in.

As as an aside, I have wondered about another story based on lesbianism for one of the English or Spanish Queens who routinely went into seclusion leading up to their births. However, I'm not sure I'm excited enough (or knowledgeable enough!) about pregnant lovers to make the story work.

Anyway, thanks very much for both the enthusiasm and the book reference - I've come across her work on the eucharist, but not that one.

Nonny

You might wish to look up Ann Conway Damer.

this site :

http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/eighteen.htm

Has a lot of useful information as well as excerpts from Antionia, which alleges marrie antionette was a lesbian.

there is a lot of ancedotal evidence that ladies in waiting and their mistresses enjoyed more than formal relationships, but due to the times, it' susually only in the vicious lampoon of usch individuals that you get anything approaching confirmation and due to the intent of these articles it makes the premises questionable.


I think the idea sounds workable and imaginitive and I hope you will try it

 

[Stella_Omega]

That cheered me up no end.

Welcome HNN - stick around, you will find much to amuse you here.

As for lesbianism in the Middle Ages, I sure it existed but I'm also sure you will struggle to find any documented evidence. Here is a suggestion: there was a period in Middle Age England when noble women would voluntarily be interned ( and I mean literally walled up ) in a small room, quite often with a hand maiden. The reasons were varied, religious, widowed, fear of rape - rape was the simple way to acquire land. For references try The Hollow Crown by Miri Rubin - quite possibly the worst edited book on English Middle Ages, but none the less interesting.

doesn't sound too erotic to me, if you don't mind me saying so. Can we have a little fantasy for the erotic portions? pleeze?

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

A lot of useful information is available, I'm sure, somewhere. It's easier with some periods than with the Middle Ages. Mainly because of cultural attitudes. However, convents are another good place for Sapphic medieval sex, I imagine. Plenty of lesbian nuns, I can imagine.

 

[HeyNonnyNonny]

doesn't sound too erotic to me, if you don't mind me saying so. Can we have a little fantasy for the erotic portions? pleeze?

That's certainly the plan. Do I hear the sound of an editorial engine revving up?

 

[neonlyte]

doesn't sound too erotic to me, if you don't mind me saying so. Can we have a little fantasy for the erotic portions? pleeze?

Ah dear Stella, internment was almost a metaphor, they were quite often let out, Bishop's need entertaining as well - and it helped heaps in establishing a pious veneer. How do you think the English church became so wealthy?

 

[TheEarl]

Hey! A literate newbie, fully equipped with a plot and everything. Don't see that that often. Most people just start out with a smut scene.

Welcome to the AH, Nonny. Good luck with your story.

The Earl

 

[Stella_Omega]

That's certainly the plan. Do I hear the sound of an editorial engine revving up?

Oh, twist my arm!
BUT- I am such a flake these days, please find another person as well, okay?

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Grats Nonny

Stella is one of lit's finest. Landing her as editor is a feather in your cap

 

[HeyNonnyNonny]

Grats Nonny

Stella is one of lit's finest. Landing her as editor is a feather in your cap

Indeed. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed several of Stella's postings, I consider my hat so thoroughly feathered as to be a genuine bird flu risk.

Put more sensibly, thank you very much, Stella, I will certainly post for another editor, but I look forward to any advice you can offer me.

I tell you, its an experience, this writing lark, isn't it? Its easy to see the story, much harder to write it. Especially when both protagonists are "her". Oy ve!

Nonny

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Indeed. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed several of Stella's postings, I consider my hat so thoroughly feathered as to be a genuine bird flu risk.

Put more sensibly, thank you very much, Stella, I will certainly post for another editor, but I look forward to any advice you can offer me.

I tell you, its an experience, this writing lark, isn't it? Its easy to see the story, much harder to write it. Especially when both protagonists are "her". Oy ve!

Nonny

I run into that quite a bit. One way to deal withit is to have radically different features, such as blonde.burnette or short/tall or old/young. Also, choosing proper names with logical diminutives. these both give the option to break up the string of proper nouns via descriptive or diminutive.

 

[chris 44]

Grats Nonny

Stella is one of lit's finest. Landing her as editor is a feather in your cap

Oh Colly, do you realise what you've done ? Stella's sexuality has been one of life's mysteries ever since I started posting on Lit. Male? - Female? the eternal question. I pondered it day after day until I realised I really didn't want to know, I don't care. Stella is one special human being.
And seeing as I'm coming out here, Belegon has a smart mouth on him. He makes me smile most days. Thanks Bel. You are a better writer than you'll ever admit. Ent is a special friend, Abs is a pussy cat and with surprisingly few exceptions I find it a privilege to be a part of this community.

There now you ALL know
and I don't care.

 

[HeyNonnyNonny]

Thanks. Luckily, the characters DID look quite different. Not sure about shortening the names, though... well, that's why we don't write with pen and paper, I suppose. The blessed copy/paste/delete features.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Thanks. Luckily, the characters DID look quite different. Not sure about shortening the names, though... well, that's why we don't write with pen and paper, I suppose. The blessed copy/paste/delete features.

If they are speaking to you as who they are, don't hange their names. It' sjust one strategy among many to deal with the she/she her/her connundrum.

Another is to deliniate whom you are talking about in the first sentence of any para. To a point, the pronouns can be ligically infered through the rest of the Para.

 

[cloudy]

If they are speaking to you as who they are, don't hange their names. It' sjust one strategy among many to deal with the she/she her/her connundrum.

Another is to deliniate whom you are talking about in the first sentence of any para. To a point, the pronouns can be ligically infered through the rest of the Para.

Listen to Colly. Without her, my one foray into the Lesbian category would not have been received nearly as well.

(and, I'd be willing to edit for you, too)