Charley « Anne McAllister's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Charley’

Charley’s Postcard

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Charley the studly laptop has been recovering from his exertions getting Demetios and Anny finished and sent off to Richmond.

He was heartened in his efforts by the arrival of a postcard from one of his admirers, Scarlet S O’Dell (a very classy red English lass) who was holidaying in Lindos with her family.

Hearing from Scarlet (and heaven only knows what The Powers That Be at Mills & Boon thought of the postcard when it arrived) made Charley’s — and my — day!

We send thanks to Scarlet (and Rach who had to write it for her because Scarlet couldn’t get any connectivity out in the Grecian boondocks apparently) and are very happy to have it. It has pride of place on the bookshelf now. Charley is lobbying for a trophy case in which to put it. This is sort of like a notch on the computer bedpost, I guess.

Next thing you know he’ll be getting postcards from lovely lissome lady laptops all over the world. There will be no end to his preening then.

I am in the process of cleaning my office (a long process) and watching physics lectures by Richard Wolfson (sort of physics for non-believers, er, scientists) which I’m thoroughly enjoying. This is in preparation for George’s book. Fascinating stuff.

The Prof keeps looking at me strangely when I say that. I think he expected me to be bored out of my mind. Not at all. It all makes perfect sense and as long as I filter it through George’s brain — and his relationship with Sophy (whom you will meet in Christo’s book) — has a great deal of relevance to my life.

Well, I suppose the laws of physics have a great deal to do with everyone’s life (gravity among other things), but I just don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it specifically. Nice that George does, though.

Scarlet — and Rach — thank you for making Charley such a happy guy! Hope you had a good time on Lindos!

Tags: Charley, George, Travel
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Timing

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Remember what I said about ‘transitions?’

It’s true. I was working my way back through the middle of the book, basically doing something that felt like ironing spaghetti (and about as useful), when I realized that the issue wasn’t what I had written, it was where it was happening.

I needed — or rather Demetrios and Anny needed — just a bit more time. Not a minute-by-minute play-by-play, but rather some nice transitional jumps that would take them from one day to the next to the one a couple of days after that without dragging the readers with them.

What I needed were a few well-placed transitions.

So . . . I’m busy creating transitions, and feeling like I’ve finally got a grip on this thing. Not that it’s ready to go in, by any means. But the sense of no longer being becalmed is energizing. There will probably be less ironing of the spaghetti strands now, too.

Charley is pleased. He thinks that we’ve wasted a lot of time doing that. He wants to get out and socialize more. He doesn’t like having to tell all his lady friends that he has work to do.

I told him they’d be impressed that he’s a hard-working responsible type. I’m not sure he’s convinced. I have a feeling Charley is going to be one of those heroes who takes more than a single book to shape up.

Lucky for him I’m patient.

Tags: Charley, Writing
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Revelations

Friday, June 5th, 2009

No, this is not a theological treatise.

But it has that feeling. It’s about one of those times when the little voice echoes inside your ear (or in this case, mine) and tells you something you might or might not be prepared to hear.

In this case, though, it wasn’t about God, it was about books.

Writing. Specifically writing Demetrios and Anny.

While the saga of Charley continues, I’m in the middle of chapter seven of the book I’m supposed to be writing on him. The book that is due June 15th. The book that showed every promise of being there on time.

And yet . . .

There was something in chapter six that had the effect of making me feel as if I was going in a circle, and the circle didn’t seem to be tightening.

The circle itself is not a bad sign. As I get closer to the end of a book, things are supposed to speed up, the circle is supposed to tighten. There’s supposed to be a logical inevitability to the story that I, at least, can see (even if Demetrios and Anny can’t yet).

It’s supposed to make it easier to get to the end.

Notice all those “suppose”s in the previous two paragraphs. So, if that isn’t happening — if in sailboat terms, we’re becalmed — if the circle is flat, something is wrong.

Usually it’s lack of obstacle. Usually I have to go back and dig deeper to discover what is ‘really’ keeping the characters apart.

In this case there was too much keeping them apart. They had one obstacle too many.

Anny couldn’t go forward because of a moral imperative. Neither could Demetrios. They were going to be in this circle forever (or well past June 15th) if I didn’t do something.

So today I will be going back and helping Anny sort out her dilemma rather earlier in the book. She needs to make her decision in chapter three, not chapter six. Then Demetrios and Anny can get where they’re going. Or at least where I hope they’re going.

Why didn’t I see this sooner? Why did I have my 15 beats all figured out (and they still all exist) and yet still have a problem? I don’t know.

After 63 books, I’m still learning.

So I spent the morning trying to figure out where the changes need to come. I think I’ve got it. Now I need to work them in. I’m headed back to chapter one.

I told Charley that a few minutes ago.