"What Meanest Thou?" // #2

It's time for our second What Meanest Thou post! And (per popular request), it's a further study in period (mostly medieval) dress with lots of pictures this time around. So here ye go...

#1: Kirtle

A woman's gown or outer petticoat (i.e. what would generally be referenced as her 'dress' in modern terms). Often worn over a shift (see point #4 below).

#2: Surcoat

An outer coat of rich material. A man's loose robe worn over armor; a sleeveless garment worn as part of the insignia of an order of knighthood. Can also reference a woman's sleeveless overdress (see pictures 4 and 5 below in this category).

#3: Smock

A loose dress or blouse with the upper part closely gathered, it was/is an outer garment worn by men, women and children. Similar to the tunic in that it spans many historical periods.

Elizabethan smock

Elizabeth shirt and Jacobean smock

#4: Shift

A woman's long, straight, unwaisted, loose-fitting undergarment. Often worn as a nightdress as well. (Spans many historical periods.)

Early 19th century

So there you have it! :) What are your thoughts? Have you ever confused any of these terms?

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com

"What Meanest Thou?" // #1

I'm on the road this week, but wanted to give a quick posting update here and also launch a new blog series!

In short, I'm moving our author interviews to a bimonthly schedule this year and on the off months I'll either be sharing writing updates, book reviews, historical research, or studies of commonly confused words/historical terms. Sound interesting? :)

So here's for our first "What Meanest Thou?"

In December (while proofreading A Flame Shall Spring) I delved into a quick fact check/refresher course on the nature of doublets, tunics, and jerkins. Sometimes it's easy to forget specific terms in the heat of composition (either that or my brain just blanks ;)) and regardless, it can always be helpful to have everything pulled together in one place!

#1: Doublet

A man's short close-fitting padded jacket, commonly worn from the 14th to the 17th century.

#2: Jerkin

A man's close-fitting jacket, typically made of leather. (Can also be sleeveless.)

#3: Tunic

(This term particularly morphed over time, but through the ancient and medieval periods it remained relatively the same.)

A gown-like outer garment, with or without sleeves and sometimes belted.

So! Did you find that short little summary helpful? Intriguing? Old news? Let me know in the comments! :)

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Victoria

from Victoria

1. Atmosphere

This one is a little hard to explain, but it's critical to a good story in my opinion. Atmosphere is the tone, the aura, the ambiance, the feel of a particular place or land or setting in a story. Think of the glorious, majestic security and beauty of Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings, the coziness of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's home in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, the drafty, echo-y mystery of Thornton Hall in Jane Eyre, the earthy, rustic comfort of the Gargery's Forge in Great Expectations. It's not something you pin down exactly, or point to a particular passage and say, "There it is -- there's the atmosphere." It's woven into the fabric of every description of a place in a story. Sometimes it runs through the entire story, but usually the atmosphere is connected to a particular place or building in a tale. And then there's the overarching feel of the entire book, made up of a string of individual atmospheres like diamonds on a necklace. I find that (second only to the characters) atmosphere is what keeps me coming back over and over to my favorite books.

2. Characters

I know that lots of other bloggers have already used "Characters" as one of their top three in this series, but I really do think it is absolutely indispensable to a good story. I mean, try to even imagine a truly fantastic story with weak, wooden characters. It's nearly impossible. Characters are usually what we remember most about any good story. Humanity, honor, humor -- all play a part in making memorable heroes. But even villains or side characters or characters that only show up once can all be memorable. As long as they are believable, have realistic dialogue, and accurately reflect humanity in all its complexity, characters can feel as real as flesh-and-blood people that you actually know. And maybe most importantly, they can impact your life forever -- who hasn't been influenced in some way by a hero they read of as a child? I wouldn't be the woman I am today if I had never met Gandalf, Aslan, Mr. Knightley or Dym in the pages of a book.

3. Self-Sacrifice

Think through every compelling, stirring or touching story you've ever read or watched. I don't care if it's How to Train Your Dragon, Sense and Sensibility or The Lord of the Rings, nearly every story has a pivotal scene or theme of self-sacrifice. It doesn't have to necessarily be a matter of life and death, but it always involves someone giving of themselves or laying down their own good for the good of another. Joe Gargery giving his life's savings for Pip, Aragorn riding to the Black Gates for Frodo, Tony Stark taking the missile meant for Manhattan in The Avengers, Flynn Rider choosing Rapunzel's life over his own in Tangled -- self-sacrifice is everywhere. It's kind of ironic to find this in a world that claims to hold a survival-of-the-fittest Darwinian worldview. As a Christian, though, it's easy for me to understand why writers and directors all throughout the world find themselves creating stories of self-sacrifice, book after book and movie after movie. It's because it reflects the life-changing, earth-shattering self-sacrifice of Christ Himself. In a laying down of self so monumental and unbelievable as that of the Maker dying for His creation, the crucifixion of Christ became the single most important event in the history of the world -- whether certain humans throughout history choose to acknowledge that fact or not. Because of Christ, self-sacrifice (like truth, honor, love and good triumphing over evil) has become an ever-present theme throughout literature and film throughout the ages.

Note from Heidi: Thank you so much for sharing, Victoria! :)

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And... would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. (Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you! :))

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Natalie

from Natalie

1. A character I will remember 

I love stories that stick with you after I read or watch them. And usually this is because of the characters. Characters are the main drive of a story for me. If I don't like any of them, I probably won't like the story! I don't need to necessarily relate to the characters-but I want to care about them. A main character that I neither relate with or admire or feel anything positive for is not going to interest me much. 

So, whether it's wanting them to be happy in life, wanting them to succeed on their quest, wanting to see them become a better man or woman--I need characters that I will root for and cry for. There must be something in their personality and story that will not let me easily forget them. 

2. A sweet romance 

I love a romantic angle entwined somehow within the story. It should be pure, God-honoring, and memorable. I just love reading a book or watching a movie and discovering two characters that I just NEED to be together. 

I prefer the romance to be part of a larger plot, but there are stories I love that, despite various themes and plots within the story, the main focus IS on two people learning to love each other (-cough cough-most of my favorite period dramas -cough-). But I want it done well. If there's literally no plot but the two characters falling in love, it probably will not be a good story to me. 

3. A part that makes me cry 

Lastly, I love it when a book or movie makes me cry. This tells me that it touched something in me and I know I won't easily forget it (The fact that I cry easily over emotional things makes no difference!). 

Happiness, sadness, nostalgia, excitement, pity--all of these emotions can bring forth tears from me, and when they do I feel happy because the story succeeded in what should be its ultimate main goal-touching the feelings of its reader (or watcher). 

Thank you so much for having me, Heidi!

~     ~     ~ 

And... would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you!

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Jenelle Schmidt

from Jenelle Schmidt

1. Heroic characters

This is the first thing I look for in a good book or movie. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that the characters have to be adventuring-type heroes or gladiators. I just mean that the characters have to be worth rooting for. They may have flaws and faults, but I have to see them overcoming those flaws in some way, and not making the same mistakes again and again. It’s not so much that I have to be able to relate to the characters, but I need to care about them, they have to be likable to some degree. I’m not sure how to explain it, I guess it’s a little like an “X-Factor.” I just need to be able to root for someone in the story. I cannot stand books and movies where I walk away feeling as though I wouldn’t have cared if all the characters died.

2. A mystery

I like the intrigue of having to figure something out when I’m watching a movie or reading a book. That doesn’t mean the story has to be a mystery, or a “whodunit,” but I like that flavor. It’s what puts me on the edge of my seat, wondering what’s going to happen next and how everything is going to be resolved. I like the mental gymnastics of trying to figure out how the story will end before it does. It doesn’t bother me if I figure it out before the writer gets there; I enjoy that triumphant feeling of success. But I also enjoy it when a story completely surprises me with the end. This is probably why I enjoy crime shows so much.

3. Family friendly

The best stories are the ones you can enjoy with your entire family with no feelings of guilt or worry.

Note from Heidi: Thanks so much for sharing today, Jenelle! :)

~     ~     ~ 

Would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you!

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Heidi

Welcome to our new monthly series—3 Things I Love in a Good Story! I decided to post this first month myself to help give an idea of what we’ll be doing, but I’m looking forward to all your eager participation in the coming months!

In short, I’ll be highlighting a guest post here each month sharing (in about 500 words or less) three of the things you love in a well told story. (And notice I said it’s three OF.) There are probably dozens of things you love—and whatever three you choose may not even be the biggest—so your selections could range from plot similarities (i.e. “I like a lot of action in the climax”) to a good dose of humor to certain character qualities in the protagonist. When it comes to good story, the sky’s the limit! 

I think this promises to be great fun and, of course, all your feedback will help any of us writer types out there as well. ;) 

One last thing: the three points can also be from both literature and film—though obviously, some will tend more towards one or the other. 

And now without more ado… 

from Heidi

1 – Balanced description 

Not huge, easy-to-skip blocks of text, but vivid turns of phrase regularly and beautifully punctuating action and dialogue. Sometimes lyrical, oft times keen and hard-edged, it’s description taking its brilliance from the mind of the writer. Words flashing light on a new angle of a rare jewel—bringing forth meaning entirely fresh—or words highlighting something familiar fashioned anew, shaken and turned inside out and upside down to show the still solid green strength at its core. 

2 – A strong ending 

I love it when a story feels like it’s working toward the ending the entire time—every subplot has a part to play and every character has a pivotal role. But more than that I want to feel that deep rightness where everything has been fully culminated—the ah ha! moment with the ending pulling together all the deep threads, some of which I may not even have seen (or may not notice until the third or fourth or fifth time reading or viewing it). This means I don’t really like important characters popping in during the second half of the story, etc. If they’re going to have a pivotal role I like them at least foreshadowed or mentioned or hinted at much earlier on. Once the conflict is resolved I also like the ending to follow fairly quickly. Not slam bang, but without tacking on a few extra chapters of potential doubts and indecisions for the main characters. 

And also—the last line. It’s vital. 

3 – Good camaraderie 

Trying to pick and choose what to highlight for my third point, this one struck me and I was surprised to realize just how many of my favorite stories (in book and film) have this characteristic. It’s camaraderie as in the deep friendship and loyalty of a Jonathan and David. For a few examples: 

Two brothers forming a close kinship bond (Shadow on the Mesa) 

Two erstwhile enemies building a friendship (North & South) 

Shipmates working together (The Buccaneers) 

A loyal servant loving, laughing with, and trusting his master—with each willing to give their life for the other (Zorro) 

It’s even present in well done romantic relationships! In this case it’s not always easily detectable as “camaraderie,” though sometimes it is (think Frozen and Tangled and Jane Eyre and Austen’s Emma), but it’s that tie that pulls the man and woman together under similarities and despite differences. 

It’s a part of the genuine foundation of the friendship underlying a healthy romantic love whether or not (given the particular story) that friendship comes before or after the falling in love.

~     ~     ~ 

So there you have three of my favorite elements! Would you like to share three of yours in a guest post? And you don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers. So don’t be shy. I’d love to have you!

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com