Meredith R. Stoddard's Blog, page 5

The Mermaid and the Moine Thrust

Between the carpark at Inchdnadamph and the start of the Traligill Glen is a tourist marker explaining the geological significance of the area. I found these markers that dot the Highlands incredibly informative, but this one had an interesting story. In one section is spoke of geologist, Charles Lapworth whose first called attention to the dramatic Moine Thrust in Assynt back in 1882. According to the sign, Lapworth wrote about having nightmares about being “bodily caught up in the Moine Thrust” and crushed between the tectonic plates that meet near there. Now, I have an uncle who is a geologist, and for a second I tried to imagine him having nightmares about plate tectonics. It made Lapworth seem a bit hyperbolic.

I didn’t think much more of it until Eric and I were further up the trail. We walked up the trail of beside the Traligill River until the slope became super steep. There you can see what Lapworth and all the geologists who came after him saw in all its drama. The river bed runs right where the two plates meet and the sides of the valley soar above it. This is the point where you find the Uamh an Tartair (The Cave or Roaring). Further along and up one of the thrusting plates are the Inchnadamph Bone Caves. Now, I’ll admit that I am afraid of heights, and standing on the side of this glen looking down at the plates meeting and the adjoining cave mouths I could see how this would have given Lapworth nightmares, and possibly anyone else who happened along this particular spot.

Caves on the Traligill River

That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I was researching legends for Thrice to Thine to learn that the rock formations at Inchnadamph were locally rumored to have been made by the devil himself. I have seen a couple of versions of the legend where the Moine Thrust is concerned. But they all start with an ambitious MacLeod (No, not Eilidh). The MacLeod wanted to build a formidable castle on a peninsula jutting into Loch Assynt. We know that castle now, as Ardvreck Castle which can be seen from Inchnadamph. This MacLeod was impatient to have his castle finished and establish his dominion over the land around the loch.

In his impatience he made a deal with the devil, or Clootie as he is sometimes called in Scotland. Their deal was that the devil would see the MacLeod’s castle built in record time in exchange for the hand of his daughter Eimhir. Of course, no one asked Eimhir her opinion on the matter. When the day came that she was supposed to marry old Clootie, Eimhir decided that she would rather leap out of a castle window into the loch. Some versions say that she drowned, others that she turned into a mermaid. Either way, she didn’t have to marry the devil.

And the Devil was not pleased. According to legend he was so enraged that he stomped his cloven hoof into the ground with such force that it broke and created the Moine Thrust. Another version has him calling down great rocks from the heavens which smashed into the earth and made the Thrust. Either way, even before there were geologists to explain it, this formation is so dramatic that the people of the area had to create their own explanation.

“When Auld Clootie heard what had happened, he was gey angry. He stomped his hoof into the ground so hard that the earth cracked from here to Skye and it drove one side under the other. It also made caves under the loch that trapped poor Eimhir. They say that when the water in the loch rises, it’s from her crying in her prison in the caves. Ye can still see that crack in the earth today along the river in Inchnadamph.”

— Thrice to Thine

Naturally, I had to include that part of the legend in Thrice to Thine. Between unwanted betrothals, ancient caves, and getting crushed by unstoppable forces, it was just too perfect not to be included. You’ll find it in Chapter 23 delivered by Mrs. Baird who comes to talk with Sarah and the team from her home in Elphin.

I have no idea whether Lapworth heard that legend when he was having his nightmares about the Moine Thrust, but having seen it myself I can understand now how terrifying this meeting of plates can be.

The night I met Rab Ballantyne

Fair warning: There are Cauldron and Thrice to Thine spoilers ahead. If you haven’t read those books, stop here.

The view from TIgh na Sith Guest House, Lochinver.

 

It’s rare, in fact, that I base a character on an actual person. Usually, characters are amalgams of people I’ve met, and particular personality traits that are needed to move a story in a certain direction. I created the character of the young Rab Ballantyne out of various observations of musicians I’ve met through the years. He’s handsome, charming, light-hearted and looking for fun. He’s sensitive and feels things deeply, but he’s also a bit weak when it comes to commitment. Rab isn’t bad but is disastrously not the most courageous of men. He’s a good time guy.

Ardvreck Castle

By the time I went to Scotland in April of 2015, I had already written the story of young Rab. I had always known that Sarah would meet her father when she went to Scotland, but I wasn’t entirely sure how the weight of losing/giving up Molly and their child had sat on Rab through the years. I didn’t know where he would be in his life, or what he would have done with himself in the intervening time. Until I met him, strangely in the very place where he should have been.

My husband, Eric and I, were sitting at a table by the fire in the Caberfeidh in Lochinver enjoying our pints after a long afternoon driving in from Inverness, when a man in his fifties with thinning gray hair grown over his collar hobbled in. He wore an old kilt that was frayed at the bottom and a moth-eaten Aran sweater. He had a cane in one hand and a guitar case in another. It was still early, and he was the first person I’d seen with an instrument, so I got a little excited. We had heard that we might catch some local musicians that night at the pub. The man propped his guitar against the wall next to the door and made his way to the small bar.

“It was a reed-thin, scruffy looking man of middle age in a too large moth eaten Aran sweater and frayed kilt. He was simultaneously trying to balance a guitar case against the stone wall and himself against the bar. He looked down at her with green eyes that she imagined had been striking at one time but were now bleary and bloodshot.”

— Thrice to Thine

Eric and I continued our conversation about our plans for the next day. I caught sight of the man again as he made his way to the couch by the front window one hand on his cane and the other carrying a pint of stout and shot of whisky. I thought that was pretty dexterous for a man using a cane to walk. A few minutes later Eric excused himself to go to the restroom. I was deep in thought and watching the coal fire burning in the grate when a slurred voice to my right said. “Do I detect and America accent?”

I looked up to find the man, who we’ll call Rab, giving me a whisky soaked smile, his head tilted a bit as if he were listening closely. “Yes. Good ear.”

“I’ve been to America. Went to New York when I was a musician.” He lifted his chin, clearly proud of that. “You don’t sound like you’re from New York.”

“No, I’m from near Washington, DC.”

“Are you here for the hill walking?” He asked before taking another sip of his stout.

“Actually, I’m a writer. I’m researching a book.”

That piqued his interest. He scooted forward in his seat to hear better. When I tell non-writers that I’m a writer, their reactions usually fall into one of three categories; polite disinterest, polite interest, or wanting to tell you their own story. Rab fell into the last category. He planned to someday write down his memoir. He told me about his career as a musician.

Eric returned from the rest room and sat down a little perplexed at my new friend. Rab came to stand beside our table leaning on his cane to continue our conversation. After tiring of his music career , he spent twenty years in the Royal Air Force as an airplane mechanic. But the story he seemed the keenest to tell, was one about the girl he lost. In his teens Rab had fallen in love with a local girl, but had been young and full of rock star ambitions. It was the late sixties and he had taken off for the south and Europe to work as a musician. By the time he had come back to Lochinver, the girl he had loved had married someone else and moved to Canada. He had always felt the loss of her, even though he’d had relationships with other women. After retiring from the RAF, he had gone to Canada and found her. She was a widow by then, but he couldn’t convince her to return to Scotland with him. Although, they’d kept in touch and he still had hope.

“After a few minutes he sighed. “I did know a lass from America when I was young. Ye should ha seen me then. I wasna this mess ye see here. She thought I was something, and she was beautiful.””

— Thrice to Thine

I could tell, Eric was done talking with this man, but I couldn’t stop listening. The thing is, I collect people’s stories like other people collect Hummel figurines or vinyl records. This guy’s story was a juicy one and clearly one that had reverberated through his life for a long time. Eventually, he hobbled away to the bar for a refill, and the dinner that we had ordered arrived. We went on with our dinner and waited for music, but the long day caught up with us and we decided to call it a night.

A couple of days later we were on the train from Inverness to Edinburgh, when I over heard a backpacker from Croatia across the aisle from us telling his seatmates about the mad drunk man from Lochinver who had let him use his bus pass to accompany him to Ullapool two days before. Midway through his story, he did a spot-on impression of the man I had talked to at the Caberfeidh complete with head tilt and slurred words. I leaned over the aisle and asked, “Was his name Rab Ballantyne?”

The Croatian looked at me in astonishment. “Yes. It was. How did you know?”

“I met him in the pub in Lochinver earlier that same night.” We shared a laugh and I told him that his impression was very good. It seemed I wasn’t the only one that Rab made an impression on.

He left such an impression that, when it came time for Sarah to meet her father, I couldn’t think of anyone but him.

Don't call me Sassenach and other unpopular opinions about Outlander and its fandom

Calm down. This isn’t the blog post where I unload on all the issues I had with season 4. Anyone who follows me on Twitter has already heard that. But after many years in the book fandom and a few years of show fandom, there are a few things that stick in this OG fangirl’s craw.

1)      Don’t call me Sassenach

I know, it’s fun to fancy ourselves as the object of Jamie’s joking endearment. Who wouldn’t like that? But as a Gaelic learner, I find it irritating. Sassenach literally means English (not outlander or foreigner.) I am not English. I’m American. If you want to go through the DNA, I’m a basic British Isles mutt with a little of everything. But as I’m sure my MacGregor, Bell, Fraser and Menzies ancestors would likely tell you, the Scottish blood runs thicker. So, I’m not a Sassenach. I’m Aimeireaganach.

It seems like a small thing, I know. However, Gaelic is a living language that tens of thousands of people who aren’t Outlander fans still speak today, and that word actually means something to them. To apply it to everyone who likes Outlander, as if its actual meaning is irrelevant confuses and/or blunts that meaning. Outlander has done a great deal to bring exposure to the Gaelic language, and that is one of the things I love about it. However, many Outlander fans only see the language being used in the 18th century. I have heard other fans express sadness that Gaelic died out. Except that it hasn’t, not yet. It is struggling. Gaelic speakers have to fight for every penny and pound they get to provide Gaelic medium education and promote the language. There is still a strong contingent of people in Scotland who push against preserving Gaelic, because they see it as the language of country bumpkins and the uneducated. They call it “Hebridean Twiddle” and scorn the people who want to ensure that it isn’t lost.

Applying the word Sassenach willy-nilly promotes the misperception that Gaelic is a relic of the past and we’re free to do with it what we will. For a struggling minority language, that fallacy can be damaging to public perception and to the push for funds to preserve it.

 

2)      The books/show are NOT only about Jamie and Claire.

Sure, it started out that way. They are the focus of the early books. But roughly 8000 pages spent on the same couple would get seriously boring after a while. Just as four to six seasons of the same couple’s love story would bore us all to tears. Diana Gabaldon frequently describes these books as the “story of a marriage”. Marriages rarely exist in a vacuum. We bring our own families to the table, with all their inherent baggage and quirks. Goodness knows the Frasers and MacKenzies have plenty. Eventually, if they want to, couples have children. I’m not sure what kind of parent you are, but I’m a pretty involved one, and my babies will never stop being my babies. Add to that, there are neighbors, friends and coworkers all of whom we interact with as a couple. Sometimes, they can even influence how we deal with each other as a couple. We all love Jamie and Claire, of course. But if you want a story that only focuses on one couple’s love story, you are looking for a much shorter book or series.

 

3)      There does NOT have to be a sex scene in every episode or even every other episode. THAT’S WHAT PORN IS FOR!

I know there are probably a lot of ladies who don’t want to hear this. But I have to be honest. These books are so rich with character and history, and the show could be too. Bemoaning the fact that the writers don’t slip a sex scene (See what I did there?) into every episode is frankly insulting to both the source material and the cast and crew on the show. In fact, I think it actually hurts the show (see Item 4 below).

So, clutch your pearls, quit your whinging, and hop on over to Pornhub. That’s right, Pornhub. There is a category there for Romantic Porn (Yes, it exists.). Some of it is even directed by women for women. No, Sam Heughan is not in them, but I promise he is not the only guy with piercing eyes and a fine ass.

 

4)      No one is going to win an award for acting on Outlander, and it’s not their fault.

Yes, Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies have been nominated for Golden Globes, and deservedly so. I agree with you that their performances are amazing and deserve more credit than they get. Sam Heughan’s performance is sadly underrated. Richard Rankin (Bless his heart) is absolutely brilliant, but he’s not going to win for playing Roger. Almost everyone on the show is terrific and talented. There are a couple of factors that I think will prevent them from ever winning awards.

First; genre confusion. Much like the books, no one knows quite how to categorize the show. Is it fantasy? Is it sci-fi? Is it romance? Neither fantasy, nor sci-fi are likely to win a lot of awards. Sure, Lord of the Rings won some awards, but they weren’t for acting. Game of Thrones won some awards, but for all its nominations, the only person who won acting awards for the show was Peter Dinklage. The truth is that fantasy shows just don’t get the respect that other shows do. Not fair, but true.

Second; See Item 3. The more persistent the perception that the show is a bodice-ripping romance, the less likely industry associations who sponsor awards will take it seriously. People have a hard time looking past the naked bodies and seeing the amazing performances around it. It’s well worth debating whether or not that prudishness is fair, but it definitely exists. So, if you’re complaining that Outlander isn’t the softcore porn that you want, while also complaining that it’s not getting the recognition it deserves, you might be part of the problem.

 

5)      Lay off the Fraser Stone at Culloden

The Fraser stone 5 years ago.

A few years ago, after season one had aired, I went to Culloden. It was an incredibly moving visit for reasons that have absolutely NOTHING to do with Outlander. I stood in front of the Fraser stone (at a respectful distance) and thought about my Fraser ancestors and I cried for them and all those who gave their lives on the frigid moor. I even wrote a blog post about it. Since then, Outlander fans have been tromping around the stone, taking pictures and leaving trinkets so much that they have chewed up and eroded the ground around the stone. I find this absolutely infuriating. THIS IS A GRAVE! Would you do that at your local cemetery? Culloden is a solemn place, where real people died. The high traffic around the stone and the things left at the stone have created problems for the people whose job it is to care for the whole battlefield park. Don’t believe me? Here’s an article from the Scotsman where you can compare pictures. So, by all means go to Culloden. It’s an amazing experience. But keep in mind that it is a solemn memorial to real people, not just a fictional person. Visit the stone but stay on the path. Keep a respectful distance.

I could go on about how shipping the stars is cruel and dangerous, how I think The Wedding is not the best episode of Outlander, or how much I love William Ransom and Dougal MacKenzie, or that Frank is an unsung hero in this whole thing. But those are debates for other posts. Some of them I’ve already covered. So, I ask you. What’s an unpopular opinion you have about the books, show or fandom?

 

For your listening pleasure

A couple of readers over the last week have mentioned music to me, and I thought I would share some with all of you.

Since Sarah MacAlpine is an ethno-musicologist and the jumping off point for her journey is a song, music plays a big part in my writing process. It helps me unlock the voices of certain characters, keeps me focused on the theme of the book, triggers the right emotions for a particular story-line. There are many different reasons why I use music when writing.

I thought you all might appreciate a peek into the music that I use when working on these books. So, I am making a couple of my working playlists public on Google Play Music. If you don’t subscribe to this service, you should still be able to listen for free with maybe a few ads. Here is some more information about the service.

The first is one that I used a lot when writing Cauldron to unlock Molly’s voice in my head. It’s called Once & Future book series - Molly’s Mix if you’re searching for it in the app. Here is a link. It is a blend of Appalachian and Scottish folk songs.

The other is Once & Future book series Dermot & Sarah. This is a playlist of songs that capture some of the turbulent emotional journey of Dermot and Sarah. So there are a lot of ballads and a few sweet love songs. Including the new addition of “The War” by SYML. Thanks Ashley for that recommendation.

If you have a song that you think applies to either of these lists. please let me know. I’m always on the lookout for music that helps. Maybe we’ll add it.

How to say those Gaelic names

A few folks have asked me about the pronunciation of the Gaelic names in the books. So, I have put together a handy video to show you how they sound.

I confess, I posted this to my YouTube channel and social media before putting it on the blog. I’ll try to remember to post it here too next time.

No rest for the wicked!

Thrice to Thine is out and readers are loving it. I am still promoting the Thrice to Thine launch with two signings coming up in Wake Forest, NC and Fredericksburg, VA. For details on those, check my Events page.

While you all are enjoying Once & Future Book 3, there have been a couple of characters whispering in my ear. Their story has been percolating in the pipeline for a while. I plotted it out while Thrice to Thine was in the hands of beta readers, and have been working on it in earnest for a couple of weeks now. It’s actually NOT part of the Once & Future Series although it will feature a couple of familiar characters. The working title is Haverhill Harmony, and it’s going to have a different tone from the fantasy series, but I really think you will all love it.

I know many of you are clamoring for Book 4, and fear not. It is coming. I’m plotting and researching that book too. In the interest of getting a draft of this new project down quickly and because it fits my current production schedule, I have decided to do NaNoWriMo this year.

I have mixed feelings about NaNoWriMo. I love that it helps writers achieve goals and build good work habits. It can be a great jump start for a project as it was for me with Cauldron. I wrote almost all of Molly’s story in Cauldron during NaNoWriMo a few years ago. Of course you know that 50k words isn’t even half a novel for me, but it’s a darn good start.

I also love the idea of a community cheering each other on to achieve those goals. Writing can be a lonely business, and it can easily not look like work to those who don’t know how hard it really is. Unlike my previous NaNo experience when I lived too far from civilization to participate in any Write-ins or NaNo related events. This time, I’ve moved and will be able to participate more in the community events. So, if you are also participating, I’m M_R_Stoddard, we can cheer each other on.

However, NaNoWriMo can be a double edged sword. It can make some participants overconfident in what they have achieved. Getting that WInner badge in November doesn’t mean the work of producing a book is done. There is revising and editing and more revising and more editing, and beta reading and more revising. Quality work takes time. Many in the publishing industry roll their eyes at the mention of NaNoWriMo. I have heard agents and publishers say that they are flooded in December and January with queries and manuscripts that are un-revised and unpolished NaNo projects. Those projects frequently go directly into the trash.

Here is a little more about my project, Haverhill Harmony. The cover is just a mock up. Keep an eye on my social media on Tuesdays, you might just catch a teaser, and on my Project PIpeline page for the progress meter.

Haverhill Harmony

Six years after her boyfriend turned out to be a serial killer, Amy Monroe's life is a hot mess. She's miserable at her job , travels too much to make lasting friends, and her love life is a series of casual encounters that leave her feeling empty. To top it off she has just inherited a crumbling Victorian behemoth in her tiny North Carolina hometown. 

It's out!

Thrice to Thine is now available on Amazon. If you pre-ordered it, then you should find it on your Kindle. If not, you can purchase it today.

I am so excited for everyone to read this book. I had a great time reading and writing it. It’s a new setting with some new characters and of course our favorite folklorists, Dermot and Sarah. I think you all are going to love it.

Paperbacks are also available though Amazon. However, if you would like a signed paperback, you can order one from my etsy store, or you can come to one of the book signings that I have planned over the next couple of months.

October 20 - RVA Booklovers Festival, Richmond, VA

November 3 - Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, NC

November 17 - Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Fredericksburg, VA

When Sarah left her home in North Carolina, she had two goals in mind: get answers about her mother and get her man. Unfortunately, no one seems to want to cooperate.

Working side by side with Dermot Sinclair she throws temptation in his way every chance she gets. But something is always holding him back. So, Sarah devotes her time to researching the mysterious Highland village where her parents met. Of course, she can’t find it on any map and her so-called gift can’t help her. She has to turn to folklore for clues. Meanwhile, Sarah is being pursued relentlessly by Scotland’s most eligible bachelor, James Stuart whose generous gifts and lavish attention may prove hard to resist.

All Dermot wants to do is keep the women he loves safe, but he is torn between Sarah and the needs of his ailing mother. Watching his childhood friend, James attempt to romance the woman he loves may be more than he can take. 

Thrice to Thine Pre-order

Get your copy of Thrice to Thine: Once & Future Book 3 as soon as it’s available. You can pre-order it here.

When Sarah left her home in North Carolina, she had two goals in mind: get answers about her mother and get her man. Unfortunately, no one seems to want to cooperate.

Working side by side with Dermot Sinclair she throws temptation in his way every chance she gets. But something is always holding him back. So, Sarah devotes her time to researching the mysterious Highland village where her parents met. Of course, she can’t find it on any map and her so-called gift can’t help her. She has to turn to folklore for clues. Meanwhile, Sarah is being pursued relentlessly by Scotland’s most eligible bachelor, James Stuart whose generous gifts and lavish attention may prove hard to resist.

All Dermot wants to do is keep the women he loves safe, but he is torn between Sarah and the needs of his ailing mother. Watching his childhood friend, James attempt to romance the woman he loves may be more than he can take. 

Thrice to Thine Release info

Mark your Calendars!

I know it feels like every book takes forever, but I'm actually getting faster at writing these things. And I am SO excited for you all to read this one. 

We'll catch up with Sarah and Dermot, and meet some new characters that I know you're going to love.

In case you've missed my Teaser Tuesday posts and want some sneak peeks into the book, you can find them here.

Watch my Facebook page for some pre-release fun like:

Fantasy CastingFolklore, andMore teasers

And if you want an Advanced Review Copy, you can sign up for my ARC Team here. 

We need to talk about Anne

And by Anne, I mean "Anne with an E", the Netflix adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. After watching the first season, and now the second, there is no shortage of critics complaining about the diversions from the original books, the tone, and the inclusion of more diverse characters.

Now if you've read any of my Outlander posts, you'll know that I am NOT a purist when it comes to adaptations. L. M. Montgomery, Diana Gabaldon, Shakespeare (or Francis Bacon or whoever depending on which conspiracy theory you follow.) all spend plenty of writing hours shoveling sand into their fictional sandboxes. And now it's there for adapters to play with as they will. That's the thing about art. Once it's out in the world, it's interpretation is up to the reader, viewer or adapter. For a story to be as timeless as Anne Shirley's, there has to be a lot of room for adaptation.

Everyone views a piece of art through their own window of experience. When I discovered Anne of Green Gables, I was a passionate eleven year old with frizzy hair, rapidly growing breasts and a head full of non-stop daydreams. Anne Shirley first in the form of Megan Follows and then in the books, showed me that there was hope for a too-smart girl with a big imagination. And her relationship with Gilbert Blythe showed me that I shouldn't settle for any man who didn't respect my mind and my ambitions.

Anne's indomitable spirit is what I needed then, and I do wish that my own frequently left of normal eleven year old would embrace it. I love these books and the other adaptations. But our cultural awareness today isn't the same as it was in 1911, or even 1985. We as a society have become more aware of many of the things that would have been glossed over or merely hinted at in Montgomery's time.

The abuse that Anne is subjected to before coming to Green Gables in "Anne with an E" is a prime example. There are plenty of accounts of abuse in orphanages and foster care (as it were) of the era. In the books, Anne's eagerness for love, is seen as a charming quirk. This new adaptation doesn't shy away from showing the abuse that an orphan of that era would likely have suffered. This turns Anne's charming desire for family into more of a desperate need to belong. 

It's a need so many of us share, and it's felt all more keenly by those of us who fall a little out of the norm of society. In 2018, we know that people who fall outside the bounds of what was once considered normal society aren't just imaginative orphans or childless spinsters like Marilla Cuthbert. They can be artistic kids discovering their sexuality, elderly lesbians still hiding theirs from their families, immigrants, progressive teachers, tired grifters, and farmers suffering from social anxiety. This adaptation is filled with people who, like Anne, are simply looking to belong.

Moira Walley-Beckett's adaptation of Anne of Green Gables might stray from the idealized quaintness of other adaptations, but it is absolutely faithful to the spirit of Anne of Green Gables.