Our Girl and Captain James Discussion Thread Volume VIII

[icemistOBE]

Feel free to join in as we discuss all things Our Girl related

Honorary Members of The CJ Collective:
Ben Aldridge
Tony Grounds
Lacey Turner

Morning all! Still stormy here, football training cancelled for the eldest so still confined to barracks! Off to enjoy rhubarbs latest with my morning coffee.

Thanks for lovely comments about the ff - will try and crack on with it! Nice pics icemist - struggling to choose my favourite

Morning all! Just thought I'd say something about the FF. I've had a little crisis of confidence about it the last couple of days because I've discovered the pitfalls of writing a longer narrative style within FF. Unfortunately, sometimes you've got to write the stuff to get the plot from A to B and its not always as exciting as you'd like it to be or probably the reader would like it to be. I will try to wrap it all up suitably but I just need a little bit of time to get it to that point! As Miranda's friend would say please 'bear with'!

It's fantastic rhubarb - such a captivating story, and I found it just as gripping as ever!

You are so talented, and the level of knowledge and detail about the period is amazing! Can't wait for them to be reunited in Bath!

Really windy this morning, lovely photos icemist to brighten up the day.

orphan it feels to early to be discussing the Hen Night Cake, however it was done free hand (I don't think I have ever seen a pre shaped tin before), it was sculpted by eye and a soft measuring tape!!!!!

nickel good luck today with the party, make the little bleeders eat the sandwiches before cake. My DS is flying today with the Air Cadets. He has to travel to RAF Benson but inhave a feeling it will be cancelled due to the weather.

rhubarb your you chapter is fantastic, so much detail. I can just imagine it being made into BBC drama for TV. I think there was a writers room page on the BBC website where you can send in ideas. You are so very talented.

You're all very kind and encouraging as ever, thank you. (Fragile creative egos, eh!!) I think what I meant was that in the last week I've realised the differences between writing one story as if it were a book and a reader was going to pick it up and read it all in one go, accepting all the high and low points of the story because they've invested in it - as opposed to writing in installments where you feel you need to grab the reader every time you put something out. At times I've begun to sympathise with Charles Dickens and his monstrously long, convoluted tales that were written in weekly installments in newspapers. It explains why there were so many characters and plot lines to keep people interested. I've said before its a real learning process for me.

I've come to the conclusion that I probably won't write any more FF or if I did consider doing it I would write the whole story before I put anything out.

So "What have we learned, what have we learned!!" Something, that's for sure.

On another totally unconnected subject. Given the vast numbers of men that are to be present at the naked fireside wrestling, have we decided on a suitable venue to accommodate the participants and the audience?

Rhubarb just seen your latest chapter and reviewed it. You are really amazing. I agree with Richtea about submitting something to the writers' room on the BBC website. What do you have to lose? We can say we knew you from MN and because you know how we would like to badger TG, when you are a famous writer, you will come back to us and dish out all the gossip!

Incredibly wet and windy up here. Somebody gave me a little sign last year saying "Gardeners need wet weather to make them do the housework" so I think I will take heed of it today and clean the kitchen properly. It's only had a lick and a promise since Christmas.

Oh by the way, the work friend whose Mum died was in touch yesterday and has been to see her doctor. She wants to meet up for coffee so I will ask her outright what she wants me to tell our manager. Thanks for your words of wisdom on it all yesterday.

rhubarb just finished reading your latest and of course it was brilliant. The world you've created is so real - I'm completely captivated by it. Yay, Bath next, it seems like!

ilove am so glad your friend has been to the doctor. That's a step in the right direction and it's great that she feels able to talk to you.

richtea I hope the measuring tape was used to scale up the measurements, otherwise portions would have had to be on the small side...

Glad you friend is making appt to see Dr. And I would recommend her telling Her work what is going on. Hubby has had problems since his sister died and finally (and after his brother died) counselling is on the way. One Dr told him counselling wouldn't help!

Love your writing rhubarb, it must take a while to research and I love your attention to detail. So many are quite sloppy and its annoying when the story could be good otherwise.

No plans for today, hubby doing a few hours overtime so boys and me are having an easy morning. 5yo currently watching videos of trams on YouTube

rhubarb another excellent ff. re the wrestling, some kind of covered amphitheatre, so you could see from all angles?
onlygirl excellent ff again
icemist another lovely selection

Good luck to those with bad weather and braving the outdoors. Calmed down here now I'm back inside

Waiting for dd to complete hour long preparation (it's a bad hair day) before going out for lunch.

As long as there is a fire I don't mind the venue for the wrestling. Firelight is crucial cos we need it flickering over the glistening naked bodies. Also, venue needs to be big enough that we can all have front row seats. Remember, I'm planning on getting first aid training and I suspect the first aider needs to be right on hand.

Rhubarb really enjoyed the latest chapter. You're really talented. Amazing amount of detail! X

I'm sure the first aider would need an assistant.... I know the recovery position and how to give muscle rubs especially should a participant have sore muscles
Would need to be a large log cabin, some have hot tubs which are essential to ease sore muscles...

I was more thinking Penkhurst palace or something similar....not quite Hampton Court, but still large rooms, candle light, and if we can persuade someone to dress up (and down) as mr Darcy than I can also have my lifelong fantasy satisfied :-)

Rhubarb you are a very talented writer, and the research you must have put in to get the detail that you do in your stories really does set them apart from many of the other fan fics.

I would hate to think that you feel you need to make every chapter gripping and exciting, in reality stories have to get from A to B, and if you are shoe-horning tension or exciting events in every chapter then its not going to work. I imagine it's difficult to strike the balance between keeping yourself and your readers happy.

I do hope (for my own selfish reasons of wanting to read your stories) that you find a way to carry on writing that you enjoy and that you will continue to share with us, because they are brilliant.

Just checking in after some horrendous weather down here in the south, but nothing like poor Scotland. Thank you elsie for the wondrous "Brize Nor-huns", absolutely love em - you're so clever!!

Need to catch up on the new ffs but I bet they're blimmin brilliant as usual, makes me feel quite inadequate coming on this thread as all I am is totally in love with a fictional character...rubbish at writing, rubbish at IT stuff, rubbish at photo downloads; just a lecherous old biddy really!!

Agreed on the Musketeers front - it's absolute tosh - but those one arm only leather sleeve and shoulder protector thingies are the nuts and I could ogle observe D'Artagnan and Santiago, even Athos at certain angles, for the whole hour without worrying about what they are saying. Even Marc Warren has brushed up rather well since Ep 1 and is pure evil in black, sigh.

Anyway...if we can't have the fireside wrestling in my living room (I'm thinking there probably won't be enough space to fit in all the wrestlers AND the MN spectators, unless Saul and Nicholas Witchell help with moving the furniture out) then I agree we definitely need a dimly lit amphitheatre type venue with full bonfire raging in the middle of the sand-filled straw-strewn ring. Maybe Stonehenge? Bit gothic I agree, and it would have to be a nice dry evening (weather wise).

Is Stonehenge not circular? We need something with a strong focal point. We really would not want any of us to miss out, right? ;-)

Weather was rubbish here too, but only (typically!) in the 15' I had to pop to the post office. Came back dripping wet. Definitely too cold to think about stripping down in the open air now. And if it's too wet them the measuring team will get all muddy and cold, lying on the ground with their tapes and notebooks etc. we don't want our rheumatism to get worst, don't we? ;-)

Are we having a 'warm up' act prior to the main event?

Hi ladies. I have been at work therefore incommunicado! Thanks for your kind words. I think what happens sometimes is that you can spend so long staring at your words you do get sick to death of them!

Ilove and Richtea I've looked at the writer's room and they want scripts. I think script writing is a different thing altogether. TBH when I looked at the OG scripts I would have had great difficulty visualising it as they turned out if I hadn't seen it!

Anyway, whilst away from all of this an idea came to me and I expect its needs someone like our IT expert IcemistOBE to suss it. Anyone else who can, please do. Can anyone sort out voting buttons of some kind somewhere. We could have a virtual wrestling competition either knock out bouts or a league type arrangement where our wrestlers could fight each other for the title. (Probably only one winner mind you) but there's lots of contenders who might like to get to the quarter finals or semi finals. We would just need to have a way of voting anonymously. I've seen it somewhere years ago. Any ideas or have I just proved how utterly bonkers I really am? God, what would my family think? (The idea came to me from the Radio Times poll and that Planet TV site - if they can do it, why can't we. I'm sure BA would love a certificate from us to say he won the MN Virtual Naked Fireside Wrestling Contest beating - whoever!!)

Mmm yes you're right cherin, Stonehenge a bit too open to the elements and no strong focal point being circular; I just thought it would fit in nicely with the nakedness and brutish behaviour going on (and that's just the MN spectators fighting over the best seats) I was getting carried away with CJ winning and being presented (by me) with a garland of greenery like a pagan/druid "we will love you forever, our wrestling champion" kind of ritual. Looks like I've been watching too much Spartacus Gods of the Arena...

I'm liking the idea of voting Rhubarb, of course, a bit like X Factor, we already know who's going to get all the votes to be overall winner, but the fact that it's already rigged shouldn't stop us from nominating suitable candidates as his next opposition. Looking at previous pages, I think there are going to be many, many group stage rounds of wrestling before we get to the final, and I'm thinking it may have to be a week-long wrestling festival so we can cram all the nominees in, so to speak.

So now we're going to need some suitable hotel accommodation, MN spectators on one floor, wrestling contingents on another. I'm going to make sure there's a mix-up on my booking so I'm on the wrestling floor by mistake, preferably double-booked with CJ with no spare rooms available. Luckily I'm an experienced top-and-tailer thanks to the NHS Army ward bed shortage we mentioned some posts ago, otherwise it could've been awkward...

Just checking in during marking break. Am over half way through now. Will treat myself with ring tone when I've. Need to stay focused and cracked on

Hampton court, or Leeds castle any of those big stately home type place, Downton maybe because I don't think they are filming any more? Bates could take our coats when we arrive. Definatley candle lit and we would need roring fires to keep everyone warm (and keep clothes off). Damian Lewis and Nicholas Witchell could provide the half time snack of cooked sausages!

rhubarb I am surprised they want scripts, you would think they want the ideas. Creative people, which you obviously are perhaps can't see their words in script form. I think your story is so strong they might just sit up and read it.