Did you miss me last week? No, I thought not. Well for the last seven days I decided to get my head down and go over Amie 3 once again thoroughly before sending her off to my editor. I’d sent a very early draft through to DH and he found a few things wrong (of course he would).
So, come the morning we sit down together and I steel myself to hear the worst.
ME: Well you can’t complain this time that she never goes off for a pee. She spends half her time in this book behind one bush or another. Her plumbing system is in full working order.
DH: OK I noticed that but there are still no sex scenes.
ME: I’m not sure my readers are looking for gratuitous sex, and I don’t use many swear words either.
DH: I’m not talking bondage and erotica here but you’ve just told me she’s a healthy young woman. She has needs. (Every man’s dream right?)
ME: You know I find sex scenes a little tricky. It must be the most undignified way to behave sober there is. And how can I possibly ever describe it better than millions before me? He whips his clothes off, she rips her clothes off and they wriggle around for a while praying she won’t get pregnant.
DH: I still think you’re cutting it too short you could go into a little more detail. Right, what about this boring bit in the middle?
ME: Boring? And what bit would that be? I can’t have her racing about on every page, it’s not natural surely. Fast paced is one thing, frenetic is another. Look we have her (spoiler) and then she takes refuge in (spoiler) and isn’t this bit (spoiler) exciting?
DH: She’s crying again.
ME: Well I’d cry if I saw (spoiler).
DH: You might, but then you’re not superwoman.
ME: Thanks.
DH: She’s a strong heroine, and I think you’re basing her too much on yourself.
ME: What! Hardly!
DH: Well no, not the brave stuff, that’s not you, but she’s still snivelling an awful lot, toughen her up.
ME: But she’s survived so far, that makes her tough. She’s not an Olympic weight lifter or a body builder. I want my readers to like her and feel for her. If she’s too tough they won’t relate to her will they? If you had your way she’d be dressed in black leather with boots and a whip!
DH: Now that’s an idea.
ME: Noooooo!
DH: You want to sell to both men and women right?
ME: Yes.
DH: Then make her strong, not wet and drippy.
ME: Amie won’t appreciate you saying that.
STRANGE LOOK FROM DH, HE MOVES A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY ROUND THE TABLE.
ME: It’s a writer’s thing our characters live in our minds they are real people.
DH: There’s not enough detail, all these guns for example. What size calibre are they?
ME: Ah, now I did lots of research on the net and I did play with a gun once and those cartridge thingies…
DH: (RAISES EYEBROWS) Magazines?
ME: Yes those things it’s really hard to load the bullets into them and they hurt my fingers. I had a couple of dates with the policeman in Durban and he let me play with his.
DH: (EYEBROWS FURTHER UP) His what?
ME: His gun! I must have had a premonition I would need that experience one day so I asked him to show me where the bullets went and how to load them. It took me over an hour to get all six slotted in against that spring.
DH: Figures. Good thing you weren’t in a shoot out at the time. Now Amie has a car in Durban, what kind?
ME: Does it matter?
DH: Of course it does, people want to know that.
ME: (MUTTERING) If you insist, I’ll give her a Corolla, they make assemble those in Durban.
DH: And a 737 will never get from London to Johannesburg.
ME: Good point, I’ll up that to a 747. So is it as good as the other two? Did it hold your attention? Did you find it exciting?
DH: I read it all the way through didn’t I?
(DH GETS UP TO MAKE COFFEE.)
Well at least I had a nice email from my editor this morning and she says it’s the best thing I’ve written so far (she’s terribly good at the sugar coating stuff), but of course there is lots of work to be done, including my tautologies – I really must look that up, I wonder what they are?
On the brighter side, Amie 1 an African Adventure got a Bronze in the Global E Book awards in popular fiction, so that cheered me up.
Have a great week.
Nicely done Lucinda! A tautology, as an example, is a ‘baby lamb.’ Two words that say the same thing. I know you know that, but I love that example ‘cos soooo many people say it!!! Back at ya, honey, tomorrow! Gabi
Gabi Plumm and Peter Marsh Documentaries and corporate films gabiplumm@bigpond.com http://plummtreeproductions.com http://nz-skeletons-film.com https://vimeo.com/ondemand/nzskeletonsredheads
+61 (0) 404025139
From: lucinda E Clarke Reply-To: lucinda E Clarke Date: Monday, 15 August 2016 19:41 To: Gabi Plumm Subject: [New post] DH AND AMIE 3
WordPress.com Lucinda E Clarke posted: “Did you miss me last week? No, I thought not. Well for the last seven days I decided to get my head down and go over Amie 3 once again thoroughly before sending her off to my editor. Iâd sent a very early draft through to DH and he found a few things wron”
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Ha ha you just saved me looking it up Gabi. I laboured so hard not to use adverbs as well as I know thay are not in fashion right now. Did you notice?
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This sounds very much like a conversation that would take place between myself and Ziggy. What is it about author-husbands? 🙂
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This sounds very much like a conversation that would happen between myself and Ziggy. What is it about author-husbands? 🙂
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Who knows? DH might be worried I’ll abscond with Amie and we will go away and live in the bush together 🙂
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Goodness your DH sounds so much like mine.
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Well it’s sortta good he’s picky, but some of the niggly details are not what i was looking for. Men don’t like really capable women do they?????
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And it’s the WAY they tell you about faults, typos, whatever…
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Yes you feel two inches high and want to scream ‘well why didn’t you write the %^%%^ thing yourself then if you could do better? It’s like those crass sports commentators.
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Thanks for a little peek into your conversation with your DH. Does DH stand for Dear Husband? At least he’s interested enough to read your books. If I meet you in Amsterdam, I’ll tickle his funny bone. I hope I remember what tautology means beause I have a tiny little emtpy section in my memory box.
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Yes DH is Dear husband – he has a horror of social media and I’ve promisefd not to name him – ever. He does the one read through, formats for CS and helps with the book covers but that’s the extent. He’s not too happy with the whole writing lark which takes me – metaphorically – miles away when we are supposed to be retired together. A tiny hole in your memory? I’ve huge great chasms in mine!!
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Congrats on the award!
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Ah thank you Victoria. You are the only person who has noticed. 🙂
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What a great sense of humor you have!!
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I only do it as I’ve heard that it causes less wrinkles aqnd I need all the help I can get at my age 🙂
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🙂
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