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So, we've been talking in comments about starting a letter/journal game between Anne and Gilbert's grandchildren, and I decided it was time to make the topic its own post.
So, for grandchildren, we have the option of a child of ...
Jem and Faith (tentatively claimed by Louise, but she's willing to pick someone else if others have their hearts set on this one)
Nan and Jerry
Di and {unknown spouse}
Shirley and {unknown spouse}
Rilla and Ken (claimed by Cath)
and possibly
Carl and {unknown spouse}
Persis and {unknown spouse}
and if people wanted to get really daring,
Una and {unknown spouse}
(Any of the above characters with unknown spouses can be matched with each other, of course, if people want)
We have thought of starting it with Gilbert, at the beginning of the story, giving each of his grandchildren a journal and requesting that they fill it by the end of the year, and including letters that they write to each other as they strive to fill those journals. We've talked about ideas for a central plot, namely:
finding out more about Uncle Walter
learning about Anne's family
helping lonely people in their own lives
matchmaking Una (if she is currently single)
Or if people don't like any of those, we can always just run with the letters and journals and see what crops up - have each character have her (or his - we were originally talking granddaughters, but there's no reason to not have a grandson included in this) own story.
The only other questions are, do we want to keep this just here on the blog, or post it on ff.net as well, and who all is participating? Regarding the first, I think I would prefer to keep this on the blog, but that's just me. Regarding the second, as many people as want to join in are welcome - if we get too many for the characters we have, we can always throw in Diana's grandchildren, Dora and Davy's, Phil's, Priscilla's, Stella's, or anyone else we can think of! The Anne books have an enormous cast; the possibilities are boundless.
So, for grandchildren, we have the option of a child of ...
Jem and Faith (tentatively claimed by Louise, but she's willing to pick someone else if others have their hearts set on this one)
Nan and Jerry
Di and {unknown spouse}
Shirley and {unknown spouse}
Rilla and Ken (claimed by Cath)
and possibly
Carl and {unknown spouse}
Persis and {unknown spouse}
and if people wanted to get really daring,
Una and {unknown spouse}
(Any of the above characters with unknown spouses can be matched with each other, of course, if people want)
We have thought of starting it with Gilbert, at the beginning of the story, giving each of his grandchildren a journal and requesting that they fill it by the end of the year, and including letters that they write to each other as they strive to fill those journals. We've talked about ideas for a central plot, namely:
finding out more about Uncle Walter
learning about Anne's family
helping lonely people in their own lives
matchmaking Una (if she is currently single)
Or if people don't like any of those, we can always just run with the letters and journals and see what crops up - have each character have her (or his - we were originally talking granddaughters, but there's no reason to not have a grandson included in this) own story.
The only other questions are, do we want to keep this just here on the blog, or post it on ff.net as well, and who all is participating? Regarding the first, I think I would prefer to keep this on the blog, but that's just me. Regarding the second, as many people as want to join in are welcome - if we get too many for the characters we have, we can always throw in Diana's grandchildren, Dora and Davy's, Phil's, Priscilla's, Stella's, or anyone else we can think of! The Anne books have an enormous cast; the possibilities are boundless.
I would like to do this, though I don't know who I would choose.
I did a bad, bad thing. I deleted the email account that I use to log in to FF.net without changing it on FF.net, and now I can' access my account.
Oh no! Can you send an email to their support team and explain the issue? I hate to think of you never being able to get on again!
I would get on again with a new account maybe. I haven't tried. I keep trying to remember my password. I may be able to reinstate that email - just for a bit.
I've finally settled on how many kids Faith and Jem have, and their names. Fun!
I have decided on Rilla and Ken's daughter's name, I think: Olivia Ford. And a story arc for her, if we end up doing the journal thing. I haven't decided if she's going to be an only child or if I'm going to stick to what seems to appear in The Blythes are Quoted and have Gilbert Ford make an appearance. Part of me wants to make Olivia an only child, but part of me thinks that having a brother could work, too. And of course there's Jims, so... I also know that she is going to be based out of Toronto, and that Ken is going to work in publishing and Rilla is going to be a Toronto socialite.
Louise, I'd love to hear about what you've settled for Faith and Jem's kids. Also, have we decided on ages?
Oh, and I wanted to say that I think publishing here at the blog would be great! If possible, could we arrange a tab/tagging method of having the story all in one place, for ease of reading and flow?
One more idea: maybe so that we're on the whole page we could write a blurb about "our" branch of the family (just a quick paragraph) so we're all on the same page? Birthdates, occupations, what the parents did after RoI ended, some details about the houses, character traits of the other siblings so that our characters can seem familiar to them? If that seems like too much work, though, then we don't have to! Just a thought. :)
Great ideas, Cathy - about the blog tab and the introductory blurb both.
I picked Elizabeth for my character - and just like Little Elizabeth, she uses different variations on her name depending on how she feels. Two younger siblings - Walter and Ruthie. Jem, of course, is a doctor, and Faith helps him our with nursing sometimes when there's a need, and they're based in the Glen.
Not sure about ages - my thought for Elizabeth was that she'd be born in 1921, with Walter following her by a year and Ruthie being a good bit younger - maybe by four or five years. Do we want to have them younger, as Anne was in her first story (11 or 12), or old enough to have romance, or everything on the cusp of war? I'm good with anything, really.
I think 13 or so would work? How old was Anne when she went to Queens? About that age might be great because Olivia wanting to go to Queens is going to be a thing in my story.
And if we make them young, then we can always follow up at older ages.
What do you think, Adrienne?
Wasn't Anne fifteen when she went to Queen's? I think? I remember Anne of Avonlea starts with her being "half-past sixteen," and she'd had a year at Queen's, so I think fifteen would be right. But thirteen is a great age - they would be thinking about future school, certainly, and starting whatever prep they needed for their schools. A lot changes at thirteen!
So, the story would start 1934, 35-ish? Did you have birth dates? I can always make Elizabeth born a year or so later if we need to fix their ages.
I like 13! If we had the girls born close together (within the same few months) then we could make their journals birthday gifts from Anne to chronicle this year in their lives. You know Anne would see 13 as a cuspy, significant age!
My story breaks down like this: Rilla attends Redmond to do her household science course from 1919 to 1920, she and Ken are married in 1920, Gilbert is born in 1921 and Olivia in 1922 or '23. I can change things, though, so that Gilbert is the younger brother, if need be.
Have we thought at all of a title? Something "Across the Miles"-ish, maybe?
I can definitely drop Elizabeth down a year, have her born in 1922. Maybe even have her and Walter twins if I don't want to lose a year off his age ... that would certainly explain why Faith waited so long to have Ruthie.