Question for you writer-types:

My brother has taken to writing Middle Ages-set stories. He's a geek, and a teenager, so I figure no use trying to fight type, but he could desperately use any sort of reference guide for life in that era (His entire impression comes from reading fantasy novels, which, as his primary reading diet, has left him with some odd writing habits on top of that.). Very basic, day-in-the-life kind of info. Any suggestions?

It may be easier to point him at some fiction first. Brother Cadfael is well-researched and definitely a different take on the "Medieval" lifestyles. Both L. Sprague de Camp and Poul Anderson wrote fantasies set in the Middle Ages and knew their stuff as well.

I've gradually come back to pretty journals and hand-writing, which is working for me in short snatches of time on public transportation and waiting in odd places....

I like writing longhand, although I always find that I don't get stuff transcribed that I want to transcribe as fast as I'd like to.

Thanks on the other. I'll try to pimp them to him (I'm having a hard time getting him to read Earthsea, though, so no bets on my success. The boy just doesn't listen to me)

There is a series of books entitled "Every Day Live in ..."--blanking on the authors--which includes some volumes on medieval and renaissance life. They're not aimed at scholars so should provide some good grounding.

Seconding the Brother Cadfael books rec. Also, since he's a geek, you might try getting him to get some research off the net:

Some sites:

Life During the Middle Ages

[link]

I hated "Eternal Sunshine," y'all. Didn't want to, struggled valiantly, but... Maybe I'm just way the wrong audience for comedy about brain damage. Tapped into more anxiety than whimsy to think about people in my brain while I'm unconscious."It's a gimp thing, you wouldn't understand." And I thought they sucked as a couple, too. Were they supposed to?

I think they were supposed to be whimsical but flawed. (Actually, my one beef with the movie was that she was the flawed one, and his flaws were mostly explained as not being really flaws.) I liked them, together, but I wanted them to get some nice therapy too.

I think the moral of the story is, don't make decisions about a procedure tantamount to brain surgery until after you get off the rebound. Also, generally speaking? Brain surgeons don't operate out of a Queens storefront and a van.

Yeah...he was supposed to be like, too nice. Actually he seemed like the kind of quiet man who could drive someone like...my friend to levels of hysteria trying to get a reaction from him. It's a good thing I'm healthier than she is. ;)

MememeMEEEEEEEEmememe...

My agent would like the following:

A. The first fifty pages of the fourth series book, Cruel Sister. Status: I have 42 pages.

B. Synopsis for Cruel Sister. Status: ready.

C. Blurbs (one or two paragraphs each) for potential books 5 and 6. Status: songs for books chosen, blurbs will take maybe twenty minutes.

I just pinged her to ask if she'd like to see what I've got. Now that the third book, Matty Groves, is officially accepted by St. Martins, we can start the pitch process and from where I'm sitting, the sooner the better.

Exciting. Go get 'em, Deb.