I came across this article and thought it had a lot of common sense points in it. Plus they had a few links to books. Love articles that do that (when the books are written by different people and not an info-commercial for one how-to author).
You’re probably wondering why I read articles like that. It’s all part of research, baby! If my characters make mistakes, I want them to realize it quickly. HA!
And the title of this post makes me laugh. Think about it.
The other day, I was thinking how people may have questions about my books? Maybe you’re curious about how I choose the names and places? Why I matched up the characters the way I did? What do I plan for future books?
Well, if you have any questions, ask away.
Of course, you’re wondering, why would I say such a thing? Think of it this way.One of your friends arrives at the restaurant for your girls’ night out with her clothes in disarray and hair mussed. She tells you, “I’m sorry I’m late, but I had a flat tire, and this handsome stranger helped. It was raining the whole time he changed the tire and I couldn’t just let him leave in those wet clothes. So I invited him back to my house to get dry. While he waited, wrapped in an old robe my ex left behind, we drank a cup of hot cocoa to get him warmed up. He talked about watching the latest Julia Roberts’s drama and I talked about how much I loved cleaning house. Time got away from us. If you don’t mind, I’ll order a small salad to go. He promised to stick around until I return and then we plan to talk some more about our growing feelings for each other.”
How do you know she was lying? Let’s list the lies starting from the end and working our way up.
1) Really what man wants to talk about feelings?
2) Has a man ever waited around for a woman while she visited a friend? Well, we would have to give her that one. If a guy thought he’d get lucky, he would stand one-legged, flapping his arms and singing Gangnam Style. “Hey, sexy lady…”
3) And what woman would admit to another she loved cleaning house. Her friend would be obligated to see her institutionalized.
4) For a heterosexual male willing to watch Julia in anything she didn’t look her best, we’d have to wonder.
5) Geez, there are other ways to warm him up. Hot cocoa. *snort* Get real. I smell that wine on your breath.
6) Old robe of ex. That would be cut up and used to wipe up dog poop.
7) Everyone knows there is a drought going on.
8) Who are you kidding about a flat tire? You teach “car repair for the independent female” at the local community college.
But the biggest lie she told you was when she said SORRY. We saw what she looked like when she stumbled by the hostess. One button missing on her blouse and her jeans are unsnapped. The back of her hairdo is standing straight up. We know what that means! Who in their right mind would feel sorry for someone who drank all afternoon and had great sex with a big hunk of … oh, crap. What was my point?
Oh, yeah. The truth was she was in a middle of a great scene in her current WIP and wanted to get back home to write some more.
[reprint of November 12, 2012 post on the Romance Magicians blog. One of my favorites.]
I swear the day-job is sucking my brain dry, but I’m determined to write each day even if it is only one sentence.
They better be glad I fell for their pretty green money or I would tell them to get lost.
Mama likes paying her bills.
Does being a ‘talker’ make an author a better writer? My personal opinion is no.
Being a talker (as in a person who talks to talk) for most of my life, I wasted a lot of words to get to a point. Sure an author needs to be able to expand and describe scenes, people, clothes, etc., all in effort to give a book more color. But I’ve found people who can say so much in so few words to be freaking geniuses.
Maybe that’s why I’ve become quieter. 😉
Carla Swafford, Author 