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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Okay, we all make mistakes. And writers make the most. The reason you never hear of them is because we edit them out.
Take this morning for instance.
I had sent a proposal to my agent, and she responded with a question about when the hero and heroine met. 
The story is set in 1068, and features a midwife. Now, to be honest, I don't usually discuss stories that haven't been sold, so this may never grace the shelves of a bookstore near you, but the story I'm about to tell you is funny.
I had this midwife in the dungeon below for a crime she was quite willing to admit she committed. But I also had a young mother upstairs in the castle dying during childbirth.
And in between, two men, one the hero, the other his friend, discussing the whole situation and yes, also discussing food. 
What was I thinking?
Here is a woman dying, and a woman who can save her, and a pair of men chatting about supper.
What was I thinking?
Sure guys may do that in real life, but hey, this isn't life. It's fiction. It's got to make sense.
My hero needs to be heroic. My heroine needs to be freed. Another woman is dying. And I am discussing food?
Of course, I corrected the problem immediately and resent the proposal to my agent. She agreed that the change was necessary. And off to the editor it went. 

Have you ever made foolish mistakes? Ones that you can truly laugh at later on?
Have you ever done something then asked, What was I thinking?

2 comments:

Norah Wilson said...

LOL, Barbara! It's easy to wander off track, especially near the beginning of a book when you're getting to know your characters or exploring a unique setting like yours.

It's easy to lose track of details with love scenes, too. I had the heroine removing the hero's shirt twice in one scene. They actually caught it when the voice actress was recording the audiobook!!!

Mystery and Mayhem said...

Norah, that's too funny! I love it. The things we do!

It's like Jello

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