Theatrical_Muse 219 - Headlines
As, well, I will be a little self-indulgent to call them 'famous', as my writings are, it should not be surprising to anyone who reads them, that only a spare few of them have ever made the headlines. I am certainly not surprised, as newspapers do have their way of highlighting the completely inane, a fact which is not lost on me. A murder, perhaps, will be interesting enough to take up the whole front page, but the solution of the murder barely merits a column. I am fortunate in many cases for my friend's exploits to be as well known as they are, my words usually being obscured by the ever fascinating rumours of the most tiring sort. I emphasise the word 'tiring' not through necessity, but through my own feelings of exasperation at their insipid drivel.
It is an unfortunate circumstance I find myself in, then, when I very rarely get to publish my works at all. A significantly large portion of the most interesting cases I have been witness to require a severe amount of discretion, and even when they are not, I can hardly say Holmes approves of them. It is typically by his word that most of my manuscripts lie hidden in my textbooks, collecting dust from the days gone past. And as of late he has been even more strict of what I let into the public, and not a single piece of my word has been in the papers since "A Study in Scarlet", a story which spanned several weeks and managed to capture my friend in quite a bit of attention. Attention which he undoubtedly disliked.
"A Study in Scarlet" is the only piece of writing I have managed to publish so far as a result, though I do keep up my journals in the hopes that Holmes will be more lenient in the future. My chronicle of his acknowledgement in the case I sensibly titled "The Sign of Four" was his initial reaction to a minimal glance. The increasingly vapid qualities of the inquiries, however, prompted a more harsh response in my direction in the weeks to come afterwards. I should reiterate this for the benefit of my friend. Sherlock Holmes is a consulting detective. He is not a man you would approach for the sudden loss of your hat. Should you find yourself in desperate need of a new one, however, there are several renowned hat shops in London that I am sure would be more than happy to help you on your way. I'm afraid any similar inquiries will follow this same suit.
The first chapter of "A Study in Scarlet" did, in fact, manage to make the headlines. It was a novel view to a story that had already been finished and done for and the editor was delighted to fill the pages with something other than the dull news that had plagued London for a while, despite being several years out of date. However, despite people's interest, the remaining chapters found themselves returned to their usual place just before the obituaries.
To be frank for just one moment, I am torn on how to receive the attention the writings seem to have garnered. Though not as secluded as Holmes, I am a quiet man myself, and recognition is not something that I have ever been overtly fond of. Still, sharing my experiences has always been the motivation for the movement of my pen, and I am quite happy that it has been well received by the few who have read it and kept their interest. The acknowledgement has led to other cases that hold their own particular uniqueness and I cannot say I regret such a thing. I should be glad to share more of them, however, and I hope that I will, one day.
[OOC notes: "A Study in Scarlet" was published in 1888, followed by "The Sign of Four" two years later in 1890. Both were initially not very successful, but would gain fame when 1891 with the publication of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." According to Sherlock Peora's Chronology Corner, where they attempt to pinpoint the timeline of the adventures, most of the stories were published several years after the initial investigations took place. So here are a lot of fudging around with the facts. Several continuities may be skewed here, and I apologise to anyone who catches them. I should add, though, that the dates being as questionable as they are, you are perfectly welcome to attempt to sort it out in my place.]
Dr. John Watson
Sherlock Holmes
635 words
It is an unfortunate circumstance I find myself in, then, when I very rarely get to publish my works at all. A significantly large portion of the most interesting cases I have been witness to require a severe amount of discretion, and even when they are not, I can hardly say Holmes approves of them. It is typically by his word that most of my manuscripts lie hidden in my textbooks, collecting dust from the days gone past. And as of late he has been even more strict of what I let into the public, and not a single piece of my word has been in the papers since "A Study in Scarlet", a story which spanned several weeks and managed to capture my friend in quite a bit of attention. Attention which he undoubtedly disliked.
"A Study in Scarlet" is the only piece of writing I have managed to publish so far as a result, though I do keep up my journals in the hopes that Holmes will be more lenient in the future. My chronicle of his acknowledgement in the case I sensibly titled "The Sign of Four" was his initial reaction to a minimal glance. The increasingly vapid qualities of the inquiries, however, prompted a more harsh response in my direction in the weeks to come afterwards. I should reiterate this for the benefit of my friend. Sherlock Holmes is a consulting detective. He is not a man you would approach for the sudden loss of your hat. Should you find yourself in desperate need of a new one, however, there are several renowned hat shops in London that I am sure would be more than happy to help you on your way. I'm afraid any similar inquiries will follow this same suit.
The first chapter of "A Study in Scarlet" did, in fact, manage to make the headlines. It was a novel view to a story that had already been finished and done for and the editor was delighted to fill the pages with something other than the dull news that had plagued London for a while, despite being several years out of date. However, despite people's interest, the remaining chapters found themselves returned to their usual place just before the obituaries.
To be frank for just one moment, I am torn on how to receive the attention the writings seem to have garnered. Though not as secluded as Holmes, I am a quiet man myself, and recognition is not something that I have ever been overtly fond of. Still, sharing my experiences has always been the motivation for the movement of my pen, and I am quite happy that it has been well received by the few who have read it and kept their interest. The acknowledgement has led to other cases that hold their own particular uniqueness and I cannot say I regret such a thing. I should be glad to share more of them, however, and I hope that I will, one day.
[OOC notes: "A Study in Scarlet" was published in 1888, followed by "The Sign of Four" two years later in 1890. Both were initially not very successful, but would gain fame when 1891 with the publication of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." According to Sherlock Peora's Chronology Corner, where they attempt to pinpoint the timeline of the adventures, most of the stories were published several years after the initial investigations took place. So here are a lot of fudging around with the facts. Several continuities may be skewed here, and I apologise to anyone who catches them. I should add, though, that the dates being as questionable as they are, you are perfectly welcome to attempt to sort it out in my place.]
Dr. John Watson
Sherlock Holmes
635 words