I was ill in bed for most of the weekend so I worked on my novel. It has been renamed Love in a Warm Climate, which I like, although I did also like Lost in France. Mainly because of the Bonnie Tyler song.
The name may have changed, but the worrying is the same. Sometimes I read what I have written and think ‘that’s not half bad’ other times I think ‘who cares about this?’ or ‘why on earth do we need to know what Sophie eats, does, thinks, says, wears?’
Is this a problem all fiction writers face? Did Scott Fitzgerald worry that no one cared if Gatsby ended up with Daisy? I don’t suppose he did, he probably knew it was brilliant. I know this is not, but then you can hardly compare chick-lit with the master.
Another dilemma I have is Sophie, my main character. She has to chose between two extremely sexy, rich and gorgeous men (why write a book with a load of men no one can fantasise about was my reasoning). I have ended one chapter with Sophie telling her French friend Audrey that she has almost decided. “There’s just one more thing I need to do,” she says, mysteriously.
Well, what she needs to do really is a mystery. I have no idea. Any suggestions most welcome, before the book has to be submitted in August please….
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2010
Well, here are my suggestions what she needs to do:
to find out if both men can resist other women
to find out there aren`t impossible relatives
she migt even think one of the men aren`t talking the truth about being single
not having previous marriages with kids
being enormous rich .. and so on.
Keep up your good work, can`t wait your book to be released.
Thanks Nina, good ideas Hx
Things to investigate:
– If one of them is gay
– If both of them is gay and, possibly, in love with one another.
– If her divorce papers that she’s been keeping secret finally came through.
Perhaps she was waiting for confirmation to see if she really was adopted and is really related to one of the men. If not, she can go ahead and get involved.
Just a thought .. or two
It’s hard to make any interesting suggestion if we don’t know who Sophie is. What are her character traits? What does she like? The seaside, the mountains? What is she tolerant/intolerant to? Does she like a man with an accent, or who can woe her in a foreign language (like Wanda in A fish called Wanda)? If you know your character well, the answer to your problem will soon be answered. Keep the faith but mostly enjoy the ride.
Thank you all….I think maybe I still need to get to know Sophie a bit better but essentially she is funny, a little overweight, loves the countryside, is seduced by the French accent (bien sur), mad about her three children and hard-working. Her husband has left her for another woman. He had an accent too, an Irish one.
I am enjoying it, and will miss it when it’s finished, it’s like having another member of the family
Hx
PS I love the idea of her being related to them and /or them being gay – hysterical!
Maybe i willnot have a chance to read your book.
but after reading this post,i have to say,just keep moving on,nobody konws he/she will succeed before it’s finished.
And may you good luck.
1. Perhaps there is a first love she needs to revisit, the person she always thought she should have stayed with.
2. Or maybe she is having an affair with someone else, a woman.
3. On the other hand, she might still want to have a last-ditch attempt to woo back her Irish lothario husband (Irish accents are hard to resist!).
Whatever Sophie ends up doing, Helena, it will be fun to find out when your book is published.
Catherine
P.S. 4. The children could be given the final say on who she chooses!
The children could be the key! Thank you Catherine
Hx
Maybe she just isn’t sure if she not wants to go on to be her own woman for a while and and enjoy being single ,focus on herself and her kids and have men around for dating and having a good time…..
I know I did when I was in Sophies shoes some years ago…also very suduced by foreign accents,hahaha!!!
I think that may be it, natural that she should want to be alone after what she has been through…thank you! Great idea.
Hx