The Girls of Moorhaven

[Quaddy]

So...I thought about it, and I decided that nothing could possibly be more different from what I've done recently than a comedy of errors, dramatic period romance? I mean, it's not out of my realm, but it's not something I've done in...several years.

Basically, we have the Langley sisters Marian, Lillian, and Danielle (in order of age 23, 20, 19), who live at Moorhaven Lodge. Their father is Mortimer and their mother is Gertrude. Danni (the youngest) is Mortimer's favorite, whereas the mother favors the other two. Ironically enough, Danielle is not Mortimer's child; she is the illegitimate child of a military Captain whose regiment was stationed at Moorhaven Village about twenty years ago. Gertrude knows this (obviously) which is why she is not well-disposed to Danni, but the youngest child is also quite wild. (She's mine.)

The other two sisters are a bit like...Meg and Beth from Little Women, except that Lily doesn't have to die of fever or anything.

Their three gentlemen callers are Cillian, Bronson, and Henry (for Danni, Lily, and Mary, respectively). Last names and whatnot are up to you, though y'all should keep in mind that laborers wouldn't be of the right class to marry gentlemen's daughters. If you think back to your Jane Austen, acceptable "careers" seem to be military (provided one is an officer of some sort), the Church (provided that they have their own living/parish), landowner/aristocrat (like Knightley or Darcy), or...as in Mr. Bingley's case, the nonworking offspring of tradesmen. Basically, if you have to labor: lawyers, tradesmen, lower-ranking military, servant, etc, you're not of the right class level for the Langley girls.

Now, I had some ideas for the Cillian/Danni relationship involving an elder brother and Gertrude being a manipulating wench (a la Mrs. Bennett) and attempting to force Danielle into a marriage to another man, perhaps even Cillian's elder brother or something. But we'd work that out.

Essentially, each couple would be able to work out their own quirks, and then we'd just kinda figure out how to make it work together in an overall plot, if necessary.

I know Beast said he was in on it. Anyone else for some lighthearted romance? No accents, no geography (this is a fictional English village in the moors, so there's no need to really develop where it is in the real world), no weird technology to worry about. Just fancy dresses, lots of manners, and sitting in drawing rooms gossiping about the neighbors.

[tileira]

Clearly you are the wicked genius who has been missing from my life.

I am in and helpfully providing a list people may or may not find useful: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Noble_families_of_the_United_Kingdom.

I want to lay claim to Bronson or Henry (on the assumption Cillian's either Quaddy's or pencilled in more), but won't commit to a plan until there's some more voices in here.

[Matt]

Count me in - sounds different enough to peak my interest

[Quaddy]

I'll create it and send out invitations sometime this weekend...but probably closer to Monday. Everyone who wants to be in is in.

Thanks for the list, tileira! For our characters, I do want to refrain from using real families, but those are definitely people Gertrude would love to gossip about.

[Matt]

I love that I know a lot of the families on this list. Hahaha. Oh the tiny circle that is British private schools!

[tileira]

I realise using the actual families would be one thing, but it's a list of right-sounding names to use and rehash.

[Matt]

To be fair, some of them are names that are also pretty common. So you wouldn't want to use the Curzon's because they're pretty singular (plus I live like... five minutes down the road from them in Penn). But the Talbots (who married with the Rice family, Amersham ie. Talbot-Rice) aren't quite such an exclusive name. And then the Dashwoods etc - they get used all the time because they're often thought as the epitome of Englishness. I actually went to school with their daughter (and am now at university with her). So yeah, as long as we're clever and pick the right names then we're ok. =) sometimes it's also just easier to make up a similar sounding name. Or one that's died out.

But I was just thinking Q - how do you imagine this to be a comedy of errors? Right now it just sounds like the premise of an Austen novel. Without the quest for the a match since they're already matched? No?

[Matt]

That came out abruptly. But I am a little confused??? haha. I still think it sounds like fun.

[Aldersmaine]

Yes i'm afraid I was hoping for a little more mayhem during the CF for the characters to figure out who they all actually like. ...Rather then predestined matches.

[Aldersmaine]

Also I'd like to play one of the girls I think so long as that's alright with everyone else. I won't grab firsties or anything.

[Mynt]

That could be good fun, Beast. Still couldn't be any lesbians since the chicks are sisters though.

[Quaddy]

I meant comedy of manners. Sorry. Exactly like an Austen novel. And it is still a quest for a match; we know who our characters end up with, but the characters don't. That's like saying knowing Lizzie ends up with Darcy takes away the quest; I'm sure Austen knew ahead of time, at any rate. Basically, when we figure out who's playing whom, each pair of writers gets together to figure out the most ridiculous way of getting their characters together.

For example, the idea I was going to put forth for Danni and Cillian: Cillian has an elder brother named Lawrence, who demonstrates an interest in Danni, though it's plenty clear that Danni and Cillian are far more interested in one another. This is because another of the sisters--Lily--(I would obviously ask whomever wrote for her if they were alright with this) is initially interested in Cillian, and Gertrude favors shy and unassuming Lillian to wild (and illegitimate) Danielle. Gertrude forces Danni into a courtship with Lawrence, despite it being perfectly clear to everyone that Cillian and Danni are pining for one another, and pushes a Lily/Cillian match despite Lillian's interest waning and turning to Bronson (which Gertrude knows something about). Just as all seems lost for them, Bronson dies, leaving Cillian and Danielle to follow their hearts. But then ('cause it's fun and dramatic) the Captain who fathered Danielle returns, destitute, to demand payment or he'll out Gertrude and Danielle. Hilarity ensues and, eventually, the Captain is sent packing and Cillian and Danielle get married.

The idea was to know who your character ends up with so you and that person can plan some serious hilarity.

Mynt, were you in? If so, I only need one more. Zeph or Kat, I suppose. I might go with Kat, just so I don't overburden Zeph right now.

[Quaddy]

Also, Beast, I thought about it and while your sister wouldn't be a lesbian, you could definitely write about another female demonstrating an interest. You could very well pull a Caroline from "Lost in Austen", if whomever writes for your pair is OK with it. Another woman going for your man who then turns out to be gay. I would be fine with that.

[Aldersmaine]

Lol sounds fun.

[Quaddy]

Sorry...Bronson doesn't die, Lawrence dies. That makes a very different story, lol.

As far as Gertrude knowing about Bronson, she wouldn't approve for one reason or another. Perhaps Cillian/Lawrence are richer, better placed or something. I dunno.

[Mynt]

No thanks. A little too predestined for me.

[Quaddy]

Okie dokie

[kat1147]

This sounds like a lot of fun =) I would love to take than spot if it's alright. If one of the girls is available I would be interested in filling that role. =)

[kat1147]

Thanks Quaddy =)

[tileira]

I think going in with ideas of what's going to happen is important. Pairing up in our heads in advance helps and who says we can't also have a comedy of errors ?

I'm guessing from the level of planning and favouritism Quaddy you mean to write Dani?

My initial idea for B/H is a member of the gentry who's been living in *London and come up to stay with a friend in the quiet for some R&R. I haven't sketched it out wholly yet. Fashionable, charming, incorrigible, and unreliable. Possibly this is Bronson and why Gertrude doesn't approve of him?

As for our comedy of errors, we could always have some letters: Person B writes on behalf of Person A. Person C falls in love with the writer, but believes the writer is A. A&B could either be the sisters, or one man helping his friend court a girl.

*(presuming this to be set in England rather than England-esque).

[Quaddy]

Sounds fun to me! Once we get through the bio round, we'll take a little while to plan. I want everyone to have a basic idea of the characters before we start plotting.

[Quaddy]

Also, Matt...which 'gentleman' did you want to be? Did you have a girl in mind, or did you just kinda expect to take the one left over? Or did you just assume I'd pair you with me?

If you don't have one in mind, I'll write you down as a 'bloke' and give you the remaining spot.

[kat1147]

So do you have an idea of how you'd like the bio blocks set up? I'd love to start messing around with it =)

[Matt]

Well looks like you've paired me with you which is totally fine. I'm really very chilled about the whole thing. Just deciding if I want to write a Rochester, Darcy, Colonel Branson... or maybe a Matthew Crawley... or some other awesome trope of the gentry.

Oh merry England.

[Matt]

I did have a thought though.... Cillian as a name would probably be problematic since at the time the Irish weren't very popular. And it is very very Irish. Is that deliberate?