victorian english idea

[fogbank]

Noticing that we have a poster here named Chimney Sweep gave me an idea for a story set in Victorian England. There is, of course, the famous Mary Poppins song about the good luck you get from shaking hands or receiving a kiss from a chimney sweep. But I've read that it's actually particularly good luck to receive a kiss from a chimney sweep on one's wedding day, and to that end, chimney sweeps were often invited to weddings. A quick internet search suggests that it dates back to a tale about a chimney sweep who slipped and fell from a roof, his foot catching in a gutter. There happened to be a young bride preparing for her wedding inside the building, and she looked through her window and saw the chimney sweep dangling there. So she reached out and pulled him in, and they fell in love and got married. Obviously good luck for the sweep and the bride, not good luck for the groom!

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but the idea of an elegant bride in her white satin dress having spontaneous sex with a sooty, dirty chimney sweep is pretty hot. I hate trying to write stories from a different era simply because of the dialogue, but I might give this one a try. Any thoughts on whether it could work?

 

[silverwhisper]

certainly sounds viable. just remember to use the period to your advantage. to play up the contrasts, detail the intricacy of the dress and the color.

what might be more interesting: what if the chimney sweep in this case happened to be an old childhood friend whose family happened upon bad times? giving the relationship some kind of history would help readers suspend their disbelief, IMHO.

ed

 

[fogbank]

Do you think the story would be better-written from the bride's perspective or the sweep's? I had kinda planned on writing it from the sweep's POV...

 

[silverwhisper]

well, if you don't mind going all "john woo duality", why not write it from both initially, then work into a third person during the sex, which symbolically would put them on the same level? or if you prefer that they completely reverse roles during sex, solely from his from that point forward?

ed

 

[sirhugs]

I like the idea, more because I like wedding/bride stories than because of the setting, though the setting will give it freshness.

I stop reading any story where the POV switches. It makes my head hurt.

 

[silverwhisper]

out of curiosity, what is it you don't like about changes in POV?

ed

 

[emap]

Point of view switches make you stop and think before you understand what's going on. Most men of course can't think so it's something of a problem for them.

I personally don't like them much because most people have a problem with getting the different people confused and adding or subtracting thoughts and reasoning.

Back to the story, it doesn't actually have to be in England, you can have it in Boston say. That way you don't have to worry about the word usage, it would also give you more good ratings since more people can understand it.

 

[Eilan]

It's an interesting idea, but, depending on your familiarity with Victorian England, you'd probably have to do a little research to pull it off.

When I was in grad school, I had to do something similar to this (NOT erotica, though!) in a course on the eighteenth-century British novel. Because I had been immersed in the language of that time period all semester (think Tom Jones and Tristram Shandy), it was actually pretty easy for me to re-create the narrative style and dialogue, even though the professor didn't necessarily require the class to do so.

 

[fogbank]

Back to the story, it doesn't actually have to be in England, you can have it in Boston say. That way you don't have to worry about the word usage, it would also give you more good ratings since more people can understand it.

Bostonian? Is that easier to understand than Victorian English!? Actually, now that you mention it, I might set it in 19th century Montreal, since I have read more about that era than others. Maybe the sweep is a french-canadian and the bride is of british stock.


I think I probably will avoid POV switches: the novel I currently am attempting to finish is a POV nightmare, and I would rather do something simple here.

 

[emap]

Bostonian is easier yes, there are only I think 8 words or sayings that mean something different to most everyone else in the US. Victorian England the whole language is different.

But yes a montreal setting would be fine as well. Always use what you know and your comfortable with.

I'd be happy to look it over if you want someone to and don't feel like going to the editors.

 

[fogbank]

Bostonian is easier yes, there are only I think 8 words or sayings that mean something different to most everyone else in the US. Victorian England the whole language is different.

But yes a montreal setting would be fine as well. Always use what you know and your comfortable with.

I'd be happy to look it over if you want someone to and don't feel like going to the editors.

Thanks, emap! I'll take you up on that kind offer when I get around to writing a first draft!

 

[snooper]

... I think I probably will avoid POV switches: the novel I currently am attempting to finish is a POV nightmare, and I would rather do something simple here.

Try third person "fly on the wall" - it is so much easier to control, and you can handle simultenaity so easily. "... and so she did this. Meanwhile at the other end of the street/country/universe, he was doing this ..."