Not quite my best work, but am still quite new to this. That second one was a struggle to keep within those 5 paragraphs as it really wanted to be a longer story...
I'm not very good at all at the actual story telling involved in long form writing. I'm quite good with ideas, and making seem interesting, but the moment to moment stuff, the whithertos and whyfors, have always been my downfall...
I like all these captioned images a lot, but the first one especially appeals to me in the way that it hints at the story behind the story. I'm imagining an unethical hypnotist, perhaps the new Lady Cartwright, having conditioned poor maid Emma with the aid of those handy prescription medications. My only nitpick is the reference to "sweeping dresses", when the maid's uniform is obviously modern.
Happy to hear you liked the captions, and that first one was the easiest to write. Though, if I can nitpick your nitpick a little, "sweeping" is only a description of the dress's length.
I think all three are excellent. I think it would be quite a fine idea if the second were extended into a longer story, either as a larger caption or simply as a story with an accompanying illustration. I believe that AndiJF's objection to the mention of "sweeping" dresses is simply that they aren't much in fashion these days, thanks to central heating. I'm particularly fond of the third one, because in addition to any other objections Diane might have to Cassandra as a daughter-in-law, she appears to be rather "mature". I'm quite fond of seeing a mature woman being humbled by someone younger than herself (as the maid at the ironing board in the background appears to be). If Cassandra was seeking to marry a man younger than herself, a "cougar" dominating an impressionable youth, only to wind up under the thumb of a stern young trainer instead, that would be quite delicious to me. I like seeing a mature woman under the thumb of a younger person so much, went hunting for the term for it, and not finding one (not even in the OED!), I invented one, "amitery" (from "amita", a Latin word for "aunt"). I'd definitely like to see Cassandra suffer an amiterous humiliation. If Cassandra winds up married to her young fiance after all, but tamed and submissive, that would be a good end to the story. So would it be if she wound up as housekeeper to Mr. Murphy and a younger and more suitable bride. Or if she merely saw him and his bride as she cleaned their honeymoon suite. One way or another, though, cowed and humbled "Cassie" should certainly see (and serve) Mr. Murphy again.
I'm glad you liked the captions, and I thank you for the comments. When writing the second one, it really didn't take long for it to go from "Why is the maid looking at her employer like that? Maybe she's infatuated with her. Maybe that's why she's her maid." to "This nuanced story about doing whatever you can to spend time with someone you're so enraptured with wants to be a novelette." The third one is an example of the story coming first and a caption was chosen to match, so her seeming to be more mature is purely coincidental. But, as with any caption I write, am more than happy for people to come up with their own context around them. Though, I always thought that the woman she's talking to is Mary, just after the phone call with Diane. Also, sweeping is still just a description of length. I could have put floor-length, but that wouldn't have fit as well in the flow of the sentance.
Thank you, I'm always happy to hear people enjoy these. As for making them, I use photoshop, though many other imaging programs would work just as well.
Not quite my best work, but am still quite new to this. That second one was a struggle to keep within those 5 paragraphs as it really wanted to be a longer story...
ReplyDelete-Vessantia
They're quite good! And what's stopping you from writing a longer story? You clearly have a lot of ideas.
DeleteI'm not very good at all at the actual story telling involved in long form writing. I'm quite good with ideas, and making seem interesting, but the moment to moment stuff, the whithertos and whyfors, have always been my downfall...
Delete-Vessantia
I like all these captioned images a lot, but the first one especially appeals to me in the way that it hints at the story behind the story. I'm imagining an unethical hypnotist, perhaps the new Lady Cartwright, having conditioned poor maid Emma with the aid of those handy prescription medications. My only nitpick is the reference to "sweeping dresses", when the maid's uniform is obviously modern.
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear you liked the captions, and that first one was the easiest to write. Though, if I can nitpick your nitpick a little, "sweeping" is only a description of the dress's length.
Delete-Vessantia
I think all three are excellent. I think it would be quite a fine idea if the second were extended into a longer story, either as a larger caption or simply as a story with an accompanying illustration.
ReplyDeleteI believe that AndiJF's objection to the mention of "sweeping" dresses is simply that they aren't much in fashion these days, thanks to central heating.
I'm particularly fond of the third one, because in addition to any other objections Diane might have to Cassandra as a daughter-in-law, she appears to be rather "mature". I'm quite fond of seeing a mature woman being humbled by someone younger than herself (as the maid at the ironing board in the background appears to be). If Cassandra was seeking to marry a man younger than herself, a "cougar" dominating an impressionable youth, only to wind up under the thumb of a stern young trainer instead, that would be quite delicious to me.
I like seeing a mature woman under the thumb of a younger person so much, went hunting for the term for it, and not finding one (not even in the OED!), I invented one, "amitery" (from "amita", a Latin word for "aunt"). I'd definitely like to see Cassandra suffer an amiterous humiliation.
If Cassandra winds up married to her young fiance after all, but tamed and submissive, that would be a good end to the story. So would it be if she wound up as housekeeper to Mr. Murphy and a younger and more suitable bride. Or if she merely saw him and his bride as she cleaned their honeymoon suite.
One way or another, though, cowed and humbled "Cassie" should certainly see (and serve) Mr. Murphy again.
-- Dr. Psycho
I'm glad you liked the captions, and I thank you for the comments.
DeleteWhen writing the second one, it really didn't take long for it to go from "Why is the maid looking at her employer like that? Maybe she's infatuated with her. Maybe that's why she's her maid." to "This nuanced story about doing whatever you can to spend time with someone you're so enraptured with wants to be a novelette."
The third one is an example of the story coming first and a caption was chosen to match, so her seeming to be more mature is purely coincidental. But, as with any caption I write, am more than happy for people to come up with their own context around them. Though, I always thought that the woman she's talking to is Mary, just after the phone call with Diane.
Also, sweeping is still just a description of length. I could have put floor-length, but that wouldn't have fit as well in the flow of the sentance.
-Vessantia
Thank you, I'm always happy to hear people enjoy these. As for making them, I use photoshop, though many other imaging programs would work just as well.
ReplyDelete-Vessantia