When suddenly, and without warning, there was this story outline breakthrough!
Research labyrinths, story fodder gathering, and website updates also included
After a number of weeks at a standstill in Porselein, I finally had a few proper brainwaves that are going to solve a number of the problems I’ve been having with the revised novel outline!
Part of fixing the story, however, means taking a few steps back in the timeline and ironing out details of the main events that influences the actual story in the novel.
I want to focus specifically on these main event details for the next two weeks before returning to the full outline. I think I’ve been bouncing between the different plot elements a bit too much and making things a lot more difficult than they should be. I also think it’s time for me to start a new Aeon Timeline file!
Website updates
I’ve finally updated my website with my fiction that appeared in the Jozi Flash anthologies. Published in 2016 and 2017, Jozi Flash were created by a group of writers that took part in NaNoWriMo and met through in-person write-ins.
Prompts, genres, and word limits were given for each of the stories and 15 of my flash pieces appeared in these anthologies in total.
I’m also still updating the website slowly but surely with the flash fiction I’ve written over the years – leading me to rediscover stories like “Bones Beneath the Juniper Tree”1; for which the prompt was “Grimm’s fairy tales2” and I chose “The Juniper Tree” since it’s creeped me out since I was little3.
SASMARS Conference paper
I haven’t only been working on Porselein, however, but also started on more concrete ideas for my SASMARS4 conference paper. I’m still leaning towards textiles and textile production and I’m currently looking at grave textiles and burial garments after coming across this paper5 about Merovingian textiles from the 6th-7th century that’s been excavated from burials.
What really fascinated me was the variety of textiles that were found – including silks – that gives an idea of the trade and trade networks of the time.6 And, of course, that led me deeper into the research, including another paper by Sophie Desrosiers; “Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk”.
This reminded me of a book I got a few years ago7 (and that I still need to read): The silkewormes, and their flies: liuely described in verse, by T.M. a countrie farmar, and an apprentice in physicke. For the great benefit and enriching of England. Written by Thomas Moffett and published in 1599, the poem contains a retelling of the Pyramus and Thisbe legend.
And I haven’t even gotten to nålbinding, lace, and knitting yet. So much to read! So much to connect! I better keep some string handy to lead me back out of this labyrinth…
Random reads and story fodder
The new issue of PieceWork Magazine is out now! PieceWork Summer 2025: Samplers and Threads even contains an article about sprang lace at the Vesterheim Museum8 — something which I’ve so far only learned about from Sally Pointer.
Also, I only now learned about the existence of Vivianite. Now, I know there are a lot of facets to this (pun intended), but it’s still a mineral which can form on corpses9 and I need to write a story containing this. I don’t yet know what the story will be, though, in the words of one friend, I’ll probably go for “tragically beautiful”.
New music alert!
Francois van Coke’s new album, Die Ruimte10, is here! And it does not disappoint. Here’s one of the songs; “Breek”11 —
Until next time, stay well!
A winner of one of the Flash Friday competitions back in 2015.
An incredible source of folk and fairy tales can be found over here on the Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts website by the University of Pittsburgh.
The illustration in the book we had included the murdered boy sitting with the cloth bound around his neck to keep his head on after he’d been decapitated. Not quite a Disney fairy tale, that one! The illustrations were all gorgeous line drawings, though.
The Southern African Society for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference 2026.
Written by Sophie Desrosiers and Antoinette Rast-Eicher, published in 2012.
Which is where my link to the theme (‘Journeys — Borders — Encounters’) comes into play.
At the 2022 SASMARS Conference, in fact.
Written by Laurann Gilbertson.
Don’t read this while eating, but here’s an interesting paper: ‘"Brienzi" - the Blue Vivianite Man of Switzerland: Time since death estimation of an adipocere body’ by Sandra Lösch.
Translation: “Space”.
Translation: “Break”.