Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Let Me Explain About Jennifer

I'm an insufferable copy-cat, et cetera and so forth, so when my sister posted about her newest story The Husband Choosing using the Wolverine-and-Gladiator format (go read her post if that makes no sense to you), I thought it would be fun to give you all a little more about Jennifer in the same fashion.  Please note that I'm not currently working on Jennifer at the moment-- I'm still trying to finish up The Rochesters right now (yeah, yeah, I know-- and I really should get off Blogger and onto my document).  That said, I intend to take November as my month to really get a move on with Jennifer, and I'm hoping to kinda-sorta participate in NaNo by adding 50,000 words to Jennifer.  The Rochesters had better be done by then.  IT WILL BE.

Anyways.  On to Jennifer.  Here's the scoop (and if you didn't read my sister's post, go do so or this one won't make sense).  Oh, and please note that I haven't necessarily seen all the movies these characters come from, nor do I endorse them, blah blah blah, nor do the pictures necessarily match the characters I reference, et cetera. ("What is this et cetera?"  "It means 'and so forth and all the rest,' your Majesty.")


Katniss Everdeen's parents die in a car accident soon after her nineteenth birthday, and she is left to take care of her almost-three-year-old brother Oscar (that child genius who has an IQ of 160 or whatever it was and who isn't actually a fictional character).  


This idea is not met with favor from Katniss' grandmother Margaret Thatcher, who thinks that Katniss and Oscar should move down to Florida to be with their grandparents, that Katniss should get her degree and Oscar should go to day care.  


Katniss, of course, is not going to let this happen, and after some legal negotiation which I still have to research 'cause I'm hazy on the subject, she's allowed to be her brother's guardian (not without disapproval from the Iron Lady).

Determined to settle for nothing less get started on her own, therefore, Katniss gets herself an apartment from a less than desirable landlady and starts attending a new church with Oscar, where she meets Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley, who turn out to be the kindred spirits she needed.


Meanwhile, she's enjoying the rigors of raising a two-year-old on her own, attempting to find a job, and putting up with criticism from her grandmother.  Also trying to deal with the fact that Enjolras, the chap she had a bit of a fancy for in tenth grade, just happens to be attending this church as well, which means she sees him every Sunday, and oh look, the fancy (on her part) might just be back.

Um, I can't think why.


If that weren't enough, she gets rather pushily befriended by Rose Tyler, a well-meaning young mom from her church who is the ultimate Perfect Mother and makes all her pureed organic baby food from scratch while teaching her two-year-old classical Hebrew.


While trying to get involved more with church activities so the ladies of her church will look on her a little more favorably (Oscar is her BROTHER, people-- maybe she should wear a sign informing the world of this fact), Katniss decides to participate in an older-women-mentoring-younger-women program and begins regularly visiting Mrs. Forrester as an enthusiastic Ministry Project.


Because, you know, there's totally no such thing as getting burnt out.

Also there's a stray cat in the mix.  Who hasn't been cast yet.  

Casting Key
Katniss Everdeen - Jennifer Farnham
Oscar Wrigley - Ethan Farnham
Margaret Thatcher - Gloria Young (Nana)
Mary Crawley - Mallory Kent
Matthew Crawley - Noah Kent
Enjolras - Anthony [last name to be determined]
Rose Tyler - Grace Dockery
Mrs. Forrester - Edna Baker

Anthony regarded the cat and the cat regarded Anthony.  “I’m not too good with pets, to be honest.  I had a gerbil when I was little but it died alarmingly quickly.  My dad maintains that I killed it.”

Ethan beamed.  “Anfee kill gerbil,” he informed me.

“No, he did not,” I spluttered.  “I’m sorry, Anthony, he just gets these ideas into his--”

Ethan gazed adoringly at Anthony.  “Now you kill annovver gerbil.”

Anthony gazed back, not exactly adoringly.  “Um, no.”

“Anfee kill gerbil,” said Ethan decidedly.  “Want see Anfee kill gerbil.”

“Ethan!”  I scooped him up and held him on my hip.  “There’s not going to be any gerbil killing, okay?  Anthony, I’m sorry-- he’s not usually so bloodthirsty--”

“ANFEE KILL GERBIL!” Ethan howled.  “I WANT ANFEE KILL GERBIL!”

A scarf-draped, middle-aged woman walking an expensive dog minced by on high heels (the stabby kind).  Hearing Ethan’s plea for the death of some helpless rodent, her freeze-dried face contorted into a mask of horror.  Shooting a look at me that would have done Cruella de Vil proud, she scooped up her yapping bundle of fur and scurried far, far away from the heartless young woman and her murderous child.

~the Jennifer story

9 comments:

Anne-girl said...

That snippet still has me crying with laughter. I'm glad you did this. it's fun.

Melody said...

Ewwww, but Katniss? Nooooo. That must makes me cringe the whole time.
:P
BTW, did the name Jennifer come before or after the casting? haha...

Elizabeth said...

Hahahahaha!!! I LOVE that snippet!! :)

Arielle Melody Bailey said...

That last snippet. ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS. I am going to LOVE this kid.

About the whole story plot- I like it!!! I'm eager to hear more, m'dear!!

Unknown said...

Oooh - very good post!! I absolutely love the last snippet. SO FUNNY! I can't wait to hear more about Jennifer!!

Anonymous said...

GAH!! I NEED TO READ THIS!!!

And Enj is... awesome. And I loved your description of Rose. ; )

-Eowyn-

Miss Dashwood said...

Anne-girl,
Thanks for letting me steal your idea. :D

Melody,
I knowwwwwwww... but that was the only role I knew of that she'd had before and I wanted to write the post that way, sooooo... yeah. :P And the name Jennifer actually came BEFORE the casting, and when I was looking for a face I came across Jennifer Lawrence and I was like SHE'S PERFECT but her name was Jennifer and I don't like naming characters after prototypes... but Jennifer just belonged on her so I left it that way. :D

Molly and Miss Melody Muffin,
Thank you! :D

Alicia,
Oh, you'll hear more. :D

Eowyn,
He is indeed. Forever and always. Did the snippet ring any bells for you...? It was written with you and Ally in mind. :P

Alexandra said...

Let me guess. He left the gerbil in his pocket and forgot it until his nanny found it in the dryer. But life goes on...

Also, he and cats have an understanding.

:D

Um, the idea of JLaw and Aaron together is pretty much AWESOME. :D

Anonymous said...

AMY!! HOW DID I NOT GET THAT 'TIL JUST NOW!!!! *FACEPALM* I sure hope he doesn't worry about his ability to raise a kid after this.... That would be tragic.

-Eowyn-

PS: I'm glad I'm not the only writer who sticks kooky references like that in her novel. Whew. : )