So the most wonderful thing happened yesterday. Mark got to call me! My husband is in the army, stationed outside the state for basic training. We got to talk on Monday and I was afraid we wouldn't talk again for a week. Of course after we talked on Monday I got news about my offer.
And I'd just sent him a letter too! So of course I started a new letter (I would've anyway) but knew we'd talk on Sunday probably before he got it. And I was dying to tell him! My husband, of course, has come along w/ me on this journey for the past few years. Well, turns out he won some relay competition yesterday, and they gave him a 30 minute phone call!!! I was so happy to tell him about the contract. He's excited. He's ready for me to be the next New York Time's bestseller. Alas! Who isn't?
Today I get to work on chapter 10 in Branca. There's a lot to change in here. I have half of it in Prince Charming (Dejan)'s POV. I don't want to use his POV anymore. First, b/c I have too many POV in this book. Yikes. I didn't really understand POV when I wrote it four years ago. I mean, I knew what it was, but I didn't know that you had to follow a format in books!
Anyway. Second, I chose him as a person to cut b/c he's not really that interesting. Interesting from the outside, yes. But too much like my main character to be interesting when we get in his head. At first his voice sounded just like Branca's. So I changed it. And now he sounds kind of stiff and boring. So I'm not giving him as much screen time.
That's my biggest project today. And watch the mail for the arrival of that contract.
4 comments:
cool that he won a relay and got to talk to you!
How do you keep your male voices from sounding kinda feminine? That is one of my peeves with many a teen read. The guys say and do things that I don't know any guys who would say and do. More like, what guys would say if a girl got to choose what they would say. So often not believable. So how do you get past that, since you are obviously not a guy? Do you have Mark read aloud what you've written to see if it is laughable? Just wondering.
that's so awesome he was able to call and talk to you! it's nice how Heavenly Father really knows what we need and helps to make them happen! :)
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I think women would notice if a female character written by a man sounded more like a man than men would notice if a male character sounded like a woman. Women would think it sounded wrong and a woman would never say that-whereas men might think that the male character just sounded effeminate.
I don't worry about male characters voice but I always have to run the women past my wife just to be sure I'm not remembering something wrong or making something up that's just off.
And if you don't want the character to be cardboard (even if you are scaling him back) find that strange little tweak (and or) motivation that does make him different.
Cool, that your husband is in the service. It can be rough to be apart- I touch on that in my book quite a bit-hopefully it will ring true to you who is living it.
David, I'm really looking forward to reading your book!
Elisa, I seriously had that problem when I first wrote the villians in my book. Way too femme! I didn't even know it till someone pointed it out. I think I fixed them. I tried to get Mark's help by saying, "how would you say...." but he'd just say back to me what I'd jsut said, so he was no help. I guess you just have to start paying attention to how guys talk.
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