Research Topics of the Week
I inadvertently discovered the origin of the word peon this week. It’s a debt slave, or one sent into indentured servitude in order to pay off a debt. The practice was called peonage.
I also did some historical medical research. In trying to determine the origin of my protagonist’s limp, I looked up how bones heal while a child is still growing. It’s a big deal. If–way back when–you broke your leg in the wrong place while you were young enough, your bones might not grow properly afterward. I didn’t want to give my character that severe a disability, so she was an older child when she suffered the break. But even it is spine-chilling. There are two bones in your lower leg. What if the fracture only occurs in one bone? And the other bone continues to grow? Forgive me if I don’t get too specific in my story. I’m too squeamish!
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Observation: Christmastime came entirely too early this year. It seems like not enough time passed between the Christmas Decorating sessions of last year and this year.
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My computer is being unusually sluggish. I type entire words, and then they appear. Good thing I’m a good typist, or this would be really frustrating. Maybe there’s a virus scanning session going on.
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I’m sorry, but football season makes for a very bored daughter. I am always in great demand on Sunday afternoon.
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Speaking of daughters, mine has discovered poetry. She is just so cool. Right now, we are reading a lot of obscure poems of the 19th century thanks to the set of McGuffey’s Readers I inherited from my grandmother. Those readers sure are a window to a different world.
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There have been a minor (very minor) flurry of sales over at Amazon for The Sevenfold Spell lately that I really cannot account for. My ad over at The Romance Reviews has expired, and no one has put up any reviews lately, that I have found. I did have my fifteenth review post at Amazon–maybe that triggered something? Maybe people are getting ereaders as early presents, and are filling them up? Maybe word of mouth is working?
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And finally, I’m having two guests this week, Ella Drake, author of Silver Bound, a science fiction romance, will be here on Monday and Stephanie Dray, author of Lily of the Nile, a historical fantasy, will be on Thursday. In between, I’ll try to finish up that review of Prospero Lost, by L. Jagi Lamplighter.
I thought of another reason for a limp. Some people have one leg shorter than the other. My ninth grade English teacher had one leg shorter by a few inches. He never ran; I don’t think he could. However, He often walked fast enough to make most kids trot to keep up with him. His shorter leg’s hip was lower, twisting his spine. It looked like his his back should tend to ache because of that, but maybe it didn’t. I didn’t see any sign that back pain kept him from school; he was rarely absent. It certainly didn’t slow that ground-eating lope of his! {SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Actually, I did settle on one leg being shorter than the other as a result of the break. But you’re right–I could just have the origin be unknown. I’m feeling a strong urge to explain the limp and maybe I just don’t have to.
I don’t think you have to explain it. MOst handicapped people I know aren’t as forthcoming about their problems as I am, and I don’t think I bring any of my problems up that often. My teacher never mentioned his leg at all. Since I didn’t want to ask, all I know is what I noticed while I was around him. {Smile}
If your character is as private as my old teacher, the readers could know as little as I did. Or almost… I’d be tempted to mention whether the character felt pain at times, even if the character didn’t talk about it to others. {Smile}
By the way, I believe illness can cause the body to grow unevenly too. It woudln’t have to be a true injury. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin