What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do? (NaNoWriMo tag)

I was tagged for a NaNoWriMo thingy by my dear sister the Anne-girl!

1) Write the title of your novel in the title bar.
2) Nominate two other people you know who are doing Nano.  Comment on their blogs to let them know you've tagged them.
3) Answer all the questions below.

I nominate Abby of Newly Impassioned Soul and Jemimah of Beautiful Blank Pages (I would nominate Miss Georgiana, too, but Anne already did).

What is your current word count?
34, 564.  MUST REACH 3,666 BY TONIGHT.

What would you consider is best about your novel: plot, characters, dialogue, or description?
Plot is *cough cough* not my strong point.  The characters and dialogue are my favorites to write, so I guess that is what's best.

Which of the above would you consider your weakest point?
Plot.  :) I am sooo bad at making an actual outline.  I'm full of story premises, but not many true story lines.

Of all your characters who do you like the best?
Rodney Eugene Burke, also known as Mr. Toad.  Second best, Lavinia Solange Vivian Bancroft (because she's SO much fun to write about!) My poor forgotten heroine, Elizabeth Sophia Markette, has to take third place.

What was the inspiration for your novel?
Oh please don't ask this...
I honestly don't know.  The name "What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do?" popped into my head as good novel title one day when I was out walking, and the rest of it just.... came.


How long have you been doing NaNo?
This is my first year.

What other writing projects/ books have you completed or are in the process of writing?
I wrote a book two years ago about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and I've written several short stories and embarrassingly cringe-worthy beginnings of novels over my sixteen and a half years.

What would you consider the funniest line in your novel?
Um... there are a lot that have made me laugh as I wrote them, but that may be because I am far too easily amused.  This one is one of my favorites: "Mrs. Poplar eyed Mortimer with disdain and munched her soup.  How anyone could munch soup was beyond Elizabeth’s powers of comprehension, but Mrs. Poplar did." ~chapter 9


Go to the 28th page of your novel and paste the last paragraph here. (This question originally called for page 11, but I already posted that in my excerpt a few days ago, so I substituted the 28th.)

“I tried to engage in conversation.”  Elizabeth tried to think of something pleasant to say.  “[Lieutenant Scarborough] did not tread on my feet,” she added hopefully.  That, at least, raised him above Mr. Collins in her estimation.   “And he did not talk about matters that did not interest me.”

“You are perfectly suited to one another then!” cried Lavinia. “I shall talk to Mrs. Wakenshaw and arrange a marriage at once, since you seem to find no fault with her promising nephew.  What other fascinating topics did you talk about?”

“We are not suited to one another at all,” replied Elizabeth in some distress.  “We talked of nothing whatsoever—indeed, his vocabulary seems to be quite limited.  Lavinia, I beg you do not speak to Mrs. Wakenshaw.”

Is there any romance in your novel?
Haha, yes there is... a little, at least.  But there are no mushy gushy parts, simply because I don't know how to write them and would feel uncomfortable doing so. :)

What time period is your novel set in?
1881

Please also paste here the paragraph you consider the best.

“Did you bring us a little lunch?” asked Rodney, peering into the bowl.
“No, you goose, this is for the horses.” Mercy fed a lump of sugar to Virgil, then one to Opus, then another to Virgil again.
Rodney announced pompously, “Someone very wise and learned has frequently told me that it is a waste of money to feed sugar to horses.”
“I know,” said Mercy blithely, “but you got a raise in your salary last week, you know, and I have just today acquired a new client.”
“And this is the way you spend my hard-earned money, gained by the sweat of my brow and ceaseless toil on long, dark, cold nights?”
“Don’t be silly,” said Mercy. “Besides, horses love sugar. Someone very wise and learned has frequently told me that.” ~chapter 10

What are you planning to do when your novel is all written and edited? Writing wise that is.
Not sure at all. I may start another story if one comes waltzing into my head.  I may decide to write the nutrition facts on ketchup labels and demand money in return from ketchup companies.  Who knows?