Well, was chapter seven something, or was it something? I have to tell you, I was probably as excited writing it as some of you were reading it.
Again, I do want to apologize for the minor error I had in the chapter, where I left an instructory note to myself in with the rest of the writing. It has since been corrected though. That’s just the nature of the beast at times. I DO have a separate document from the story where I keep all my notes--I do that for ALL my writing, short stories, the long fic and the novel I plan to publish--but sometimes inspiration hits so fast and hard, I have to write it down, directly in the story. LOL!
I had quite a time with the new chapter, because as I write, in my mind, I can visualize things incredibly well. And frankly, a lot of the time, outfits and food and stuff come to me, and I have to find pictures of it instead of the other way around. I have about 1200 pictures stuck away specifically for Rage in Hell, and even then, sometimes I can’t find what I want. Ha-ha! This is a story for fun. You should see all the stuff I have stuck away for my novel! (My novel covers a 6 month period and I researched it for seven YEARS!)
Okay, well onto to the images and inspiration.
The chapter opened with Vylette going to Pelant’s to buy the groceries for the big dinner, and the first thing you see is Vylette’s handwritten note. Each character will have a specific font for their “handwriting” and I downloaded Vylette’s special. And as I have personally cooked everything that Vylette and Lorraine prepared--except for the pate, I don’t like liver so much--I just wrote the list as if it were for me.
Trouble starts to brew as Steven comes along and tells Vylette that she is the Valedictorian of the Class of 1931--the first female in the history of the school. To be honest, the part with Steven came off the top of my head. Initially he was just supposed to see Vylette buying all the food and get bent out of shape about her “sneaking around” with the Jacksons. But at the last moment, I thought it would put more salt in the wound of that misogynist to have a girl come out smarter than him. It did.
One of the first throwback references I made was to the Katzenjammer Kids. As I said, they are a real comic and one of the longest running ones in history. I’ve read it, but honestly, I’m an Archie comics kid until I die. (Unfortunately, Archie didn’t come along until the 1940s.) Below is a frame from the Katzenjammer Kids. I pity the child with a lisp trying to ask for this.
Also, we get to see the first of trashy Wallis’ many beaus who will change frequently throughout the story. Don’t try to keep up with names and faces, I know I won’t. I do like Wallis, though, as a moralistic foil for Vylette and Lorraine.
Dinner came along next, and I really put thought into it. Not so much the food--I knew I wanted good comfort foods, cabbage, ham, potatoes, looking at it now, I really spoke to the strand of Irish in Vylette. LOL. But I am part Irish myself. I put a bit of work into what everyone wore. The girls got new dresses, shown below, and new shoes. I still think it’s remarkable that about six dollars total dressed three girls! (Here’s something funny, Vinnie’s dress is based on one Shirley Temple wore, but the dress pictures is for a baby doll! In 1931, Shirley wasn’t a thing just yet and wouldn’t star in her first picture until about 1932.)
(The shoes to the top right are the ones I picked.)
Dr. Meraux wears his church black and Mrs. Meraux is stubborn in her second best dress.
I wanted Kathleen to be as matronly as I could get her.
And the Jacksons turn out in the best suits and I was so particular I actually hunted down fabric swatches from a site that makes men’s suits to the specific measurement. Here’s the swatches I used.
There’s also mention of Vinnie and Michael both reading the Nancy Drew mystery novels. Nancy Drew was first published in 1930, and was very popular by the next year. I personally never read the novel--I liked the Hardy Boys better--but I do have the late 1930s serials, starring Bonita Granville. Vinnie’s book is a real book, as you can see.
That’s the original 1930 cover. In the 1960s, all of the books were updated and stuff, but in 1931, this is the cover children opened to read.
(Part of the reason I began writing at nine years old is because I literally read ALL the books in the school library. And found Waldo, too!)
Michael Jackson lit up and smoked during the meeting before dinner was served, and I have been dying to use his cigarette case. Of course it has a peacock on it. (Marlon also has a fancy case, but it hasn’t been seen/used yet.)
Of course, I won’t let this post go, without showing the food they got to eat.
And that about does it for the inspirations. I cannot thank all the readers enough, and I literally want to hug each and every last one of you! Chapter EIGHT is being written as we speak, with graduation, and tons more of exciting, jaw-dropping details. Stay tuned, more is on the way!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment