she doesn't know enough history to do what I was hoping readers would do--recognize the two really famous real names among my cast but realize that the events are askew from page one.

You know, that is a lot to ask of a reader; most U.S. readers quite frankly are ignorant of U.S. history - let alone the history of Europe. If your names are famous enough, maybe a majority of your readers will recognize them (though even at this point I bet a large minority won't.) But being able to note that something is askew? Sorry, that is a tiny fraction of a fraction of the audience.

Let me put it this way: pretend your story is set in a small Irish village in 1849. It is a peaceful time in Ireland, England and Europe; and the story is a comic one about the rivalry between an Irish pub keeper Arthur Wellesley, and a little Corsican immigrant who runs a pastry shop. I'd be willing to bet a majority of the potential audience for this could not tell you exactly what is wrong with this picture. I suspect a substantial minority would not even get an uneasy feeling that anything was askew about it.

Well know writing rule: never assume your audience is stupid, but most of the time do assume they are ignorant.

never assume your audience is stupid, but most of the time do assume they are ignorant.

I know. It's just a challenge with the type of story I'm writing, because I can't spell out everything that's wrong in my world without breaking POV, given that my characters don't know they're living in an alternate reality.

And the biggest change I've made is obvious enough for everyone who's read it so far, even the history-clueless. But this one particular reader gets distracted by wondering whether every single little detail really happened or not, which characters are real vs. which ones I've invented, etc. I guess it could mean that the characters aren't coming to life enough, but unless other readers make similar comments, I'm going to chalk it up to You Can't Please Everybody. (My other CPs don't necessarily know what's real and what's invented either, but they either don't care or figure that's what wikipedia and my eventual author website are for.)

But this one particular reader gets distracted by wondering whether every single little detail really happened or not, which characters are real vs. which ones I've invented, etc

I have a tendency to get hung up on that with historical AUs (which I am quite fond of). A short appendix noting what's different and who was real satisfies me. Were you planning on including something like that when the work itself is finished? You might ask that reader if that would help her (even though you don't have it written for her to flip to at present, of course).

Well, I'm assuming how much of an appendix or author's note I'd get is up to the publisher if I find one. I'm definitely planning to have my story vs. the real story be a big feature on my website.

Is that sort of thing up to the publisher? I have no idea. Website would certainly work for me. Ask her to assume she would have that as a resource and can she just read for the story (or whatever kind of feedback you are actually looking for), maybe.

Seeing the Nutcracker on TV tonight reminded me of plot bunny I've had for some time I could never get to gel - a Goth Nutcracker. It actually fits very well superficially. Rat Kings were an gross urban myth associated with plague conditions [link] (note: really no need to follow the link. This is not an ita link but it could be. ) And I can see the rosy cheeked sugar plum fairies as plague spirits. So the whole story becomes one of war and plague. But I can't really get beyond the vague idea to a real plot. But I have a feeling something could be done -- something with the feel of grotesque beauty the best Tim Burton films, and best Clive Barker novels provide. If anyone has some ideas that move it forward and make it gel great. And if sparks anything for anyone else - well I feel the value of half-formed ideas is a dime a ton, so help yourself.

Oh gosh yes. I just got a flash of the sugar-plum fairy as a spider queen and all the little children under her petticoats wee spiders. (she's the one with all the kids under her skirt, right?)

See, you coulda gotten Jilli's help on this, but no more.

See, you coulda gotten Jilli's help on this, but no more.

Oh I think Jilli will want to offer an alternative to making Shelob the a star of the story.

A little more gelling. I'm looking at what was going on in 19th century Germany -- the emancipation of Jews there, along with a growning anti-semitic backlash. I'm seeing Clara as belonging to a prosperous assimilated Jewish family who celebrates Christmas as many assimilated Jews did in 19th century Germany. (Note: along with America, Germany was seen by 19th century Jews as an enlightened nation to escape to when fleeing Russia and the Ukraine.)

I'm seeing a three sided battle: the spirit of the enlightment - represented by emancipation and sanitary reform -- modern drains that will help prevent disease, but also assimilationism and rejection of much of Jewish spirtuality and culture. A second side of the battle is the spirit of reaction - opposing the drainage, opposing emancipation, and also linked to even darker forces - the Rat King - with hopes of reviving the 14th century plague, blaming the Jews and importing Pograms from Russia and the Ukraine. A third force is the spirit of old "Yiddeshe" Judiaism that the assimilationist reject - the only spiritual force strong enough to oppose the rat king. It takes the form of a toy soldier made of clay - a golem of sorts. It is only when the new enlightment and the best of Jewish tradition come together (in the alliance of Clara and the clay soldier) that the dark forces can be defeated - at least for the moment. The sugar plum fairies, and tea fairies and Ginger snap fairies and what have you are ghosts raised by the Rat King (I really think turning him from a mouse king to a rat king works well.) I suspect they can be turned against him, since they are his past victims. I don't really have a plot yet, or real characters, but I think this is the beginning of real world building. Given a world and peoples places in it characters I hope will follow naturally. Given a world, and the people who live there, I hope they will follow their natural inclinations and provide a plot.

t Update

And now I'm suddenly deciding - it is not a clay toy, but a full size golem. Originally her father does bring home a nutcracker. Older jealous brother breaks it, and Father to make it up to her drags down the old clay man that is up in the attic. Has been in the family for generations, since before they emigrated to Germany from Prague. Has all sorts of dark superstitious attached to it. It will serve much better as a child's toy than as a magnet for superstitious nonsense. And now I know his character. So little Clara has a full sized clay man as her new toy - with letters carved on his forehead. Some of the letters have been rubbed out, but her Grandpapa taught her a few Hebrew letters behind her father's back so she could play the dreidel games. So she can see what the letters should be, and uses her finger to make them clear where they have blurred.