Rose Jermusyk sent an update for Puttin’ the Puss in Boots

Past, Present, and Promise

When you spend a lot of your time unpacking fairy tales to prove to folks they have any kind of relevance today, and a lot of your time gorging yourself on every free entrepreneurial resource under the sun of the inter-webs, at some point in time your brain is going to decide something is genius. For me, that something was #PussInBootsCamp. It was a catchy name that lent itself all too easily to some good ol’ fashioned social media schmuckery.

First, it was going to be a three-day email bootcamp going in-depth on five lessons with their own catchy titles:
  1. Everybody Wants to be a Cat
  2. Put Your Best Boot Forward
  3. Map Out Your Journey
  4. Sharing The Wealth
  5. Catnaps for The Win

Then, it was going to be a five-part online course with videos which folks would find through a free-to-download ebook that gave away all the basic information culled from an excessive amount of research (an embarrassingly large percentage of which was done through a secret pinterest board as a kind of market research I’m not wholly proud of, but - hey - it happened and now there is only moving forward).

Now, I just wanna write the dang book. I just want to sit down with a copy of Charles Perrault’s “Master Cat, or Puss in Boots” as translated by Jack Zipes (who it sometimes seems is having all the fairy tale fun until I’m reminded that Maria Tatar exists) and break it apart like I would any other fairy tale. Except I’ve already done a little of the breaking down, and now I just want to go deep and pull the ever-lovin’ stuffing out of the old story and show you everything I see every time I think about this life-changing cat.

This may just be a DIY book or evolve into an online course or float around the internet like so many of the manifesto things out there. Whatever this thing is, it’s getting written. It’s getting done one keystroke at a time and you are more than welcome to take part in the ride. 
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    Hey there Inter-neighbors! Rose here, with a little story from the earliest days of this project’s life.

    Once upon a time two sisters decided to write a science fiction story inspired by classic adventurers. The elder sister picked a few stories she liked best to work off of while the younger sister went around collecting notes from scientific journals about the different kinds of planets currently known to exist and what it might be like to live on those strange worlds.

    Then, one day, the elder sister said something to the younger sister along the lines of:

    invent a couple of religions

    The elder sister did in fact say quite a bit more than that, but - regardless - the idea of inventing wholly new religions for the wholly new galaxy put the younger sister into a bit of a mood. Have I mentioned the sisters live a good many miles and state borders apart? Well, they do, and a good thing or else the younger sister may have pitched a fit and smothered her elder sister in her sleep.

    After this hyperbolic mood had subsided, the younger sister recalled that she had a few years prior been inspired by the formal technique of variation - in music - to start writing a handful of "holy books" as the basis of religious beliefs for any number of stories she may care to write for any number of worlds she may care to build.

    I think you know which sister is which, but - just in case - you should know that I did not "invent a couple of religions" from my old variation notes for The Janitors; I invented four (each with various subsects) which - although all founded upon the same books - each have their own ideas as to who’s in charge.

    Remember how, in Chapter One, Duke recited to himself the Virtuous Chants while rubbing a feather-shaped pendant and then later spouted poetry over a dead plant? This is all to introduce by illustration the fact that he is a creature of faith.

    The Virtuous Chants come from a book called The Songs of Fire believed to be written by Vesta the Flame of Consumption. Those who create elaborate rituals from this text in honor of Vesta and for the glory of Veritas (the Seed of All) are known as the Vestales. Theirs is a very formal faith.

    The poem for the Posea-herb (only partially recited in the first chapter) comes from a book called The Songs of Clay believed to be written by Hestia the Flame of Provision. Followers of Hestia’s example are called Hestians and each of their songs is a bundle of agricultural wisdom. There is some cross-over in who recites what with regards to the two books of songs, but is mostly limited to those songs which are sung in praise of Veritas.

    The feather is a symbol of Bennu the Tongue of Fire, the Living Flame, the Life Fire, the Great Blaze, whose Book of Sebayt was faithfully recorded in partnership by Vesta and Hestia as Bennu spoke her wisdom in the form of fables. Parlens and Talents each have their view as to the exact nature of Bennu. Though most agree she is blue with arms and wings, she is often illustrated in profile and kneeling with her winged arms stretched before her as a mother waiting for the child who is rushing toward her embrace (though this is based on a little thing called the Bennic Vision).

    Sorry, not sorry. I get more than a little excited just writing notes about the religion-building because of all the worlds-building that goes along with it. Carrying on:

    Duke was raised in the traditions of the Vestales and found himself feeling an affinity for all faiths. He is in a way a Vestale and a Hestian and a Parlen and a Talent. He truly believes each faith is his own whenever he turns his attention to it and considers its teachings, and he spends a lot of time considering those teachings. It’s kind of his thing.

    Hey! Look at that, some behind-the-scenes religion-building and character development stuff. You’re welcome, haha. 

    As thanks, you should totally recommend and share our project (and my whackadoo updates) with folks who know just love science fiction ... and adventure ... and fun. We’d be all the thankful for that!
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      Emily’s original "About The Janitors" for posterity

      Hello fellow readers & writers! We have a treat for you. 

      THE JANITORS was created by myself (Emily) and my sister Rose. We have been writing and creating projects both together and as individuals since elementary school. This project is an accumulation of some of our favorite elements in storytelling: epic, adventure, humor, and heart. 

      Every story needs a hero, what’s a rallying cry without a rallying point? 

      We created our heroine, Xan, wanting a highly skilled young woman with the sort of disadvantage that causes people around her to discount her. For her, it’s an illness that she will carry all her life and is likely to kill her at a young age. This knowledge doesn’t stop Xan’s ambitions as she seeks to join the acclaimed Guard. 

      Unfortunately, those dreams come to a halt when a rash decision lands her working for The Janitors, but what Xan doesn’t realize is that this crew doesn’t clean up the galaxy’s refuse. That is merely a cover. This crew specializes in discovering and removing potential threats to the galaxy. It’s a job that requires a unique crew with unique skills... and definitely some unique personalities. 

       Because everything’s a remix, here’s where we’re coming from: 

      The idea came from my love of the work of Alexandre Dumas and Robert Louis Stevenson and my sister’s fantastic ability to shape the most haphazard of ideas that spew out of my brain and to create an entire galaxy (maps, religions, economics, etc.) from thin air. It’s an ability she has that I have rarely seen even though I work with writers every day. 

      Join the adventure! 

      If you enjoy this first chapter, please pre-order the book! We will be keeping notes on the progress and posting snippets of the book here on Inkshares so readers can follow along in the journey with myself, Rose, and Xan. 

       Fear not, we totally listen to feedback. 

      We hope you love THE JANITORS, and more importantly, we want to hear what you love and don’t love about these characters and story. We are still in the process of writing this first book, which we see as an adventure series with an overarching storyline and more episodic plots in the individual books. We welcome and look forward to any thoughts readers have on the series. 

      Find us on social media (we’re not catfish, we promise).

      You can follow Rose and I on Twitter (@RoseJermusyk and @EJemily24) and see the other projects we’re working on. Rose is also working on her own projects (one of which contributes to this one). 

      Thank you! 

      Emily J. 

      P.S. Rose made the headings, and also thanks you. 

      P.P.S. Rose here! I will also be giving away behind-the-scenes goodies in the project updates. You’re welcome.

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