Friday morning, I dropped by the Maritime Museum to check on everyone, and there were a few things that needed addressing. Not on my end but in preparation for the move-out. Overall, everyone was happy...me included. Especially since I got to see two of the book dealers I used when working up Adam, in A65.
One provided me with Adam's beginning manner, curious kitten expression and sweet smile. He's tall and lean, like a basketball player, while Adam turned out short and solid...but in a suit he looks just right -- neat but not flashy. He's also got that aura where, even though he never demands it, you know he'd love to be petted.
The other is how I see Adam at the end of the story -- buff, sure of himself, walking with confidence and wearing a suit like he's straight out of Gentlemen's Quarterly. Broad shoulders, trim hips, looking sexy as hell in a fitted shirt and slim-cut trousers. He's an alpha who's faced catastrophe with a Let's get through it attitude...so very British.
Both are extremely knowledgeable in their fields and have good reputations, from what I can tell. I've used what they know as much as I could. I'm tempted to ask another friend in the antiquarian world to read the book and let me know if I've got it right, but I can't them; I almost think they might recognize themselves and I prefer to wait till it's published before having to deal with that...in case they don't like what I've done.
Which is silly. Adam's like about 5'6" or maybe 5'7" and both of them are as tall or taller than me (I'm 5'10"). He worked out that way as an even bigger counterpoint to Lando, who's the perfect image of an American man in every way except intelligence and personality...and maybe even those, depending on how you view Americans. The contrast was needed so Casey's shift from being torn up at Lando's betrayal was shown better and made sense. It also adds to her hate for Veronica, who's already tall yet still wears 6" stilettos, forcing even Lando to wear lifts so he's not a midget next to her.
Something that's come out in the story, to make Casey more of a fully-fleshed character, is her concern with image. How the gossip rags have abused her. How she has to show the Hollywood world she was able to land on her feet after breaking up with Lando. What's left unsaid is how she feels that's more important than just letting herself grieve and get through it.
She contrasts with Adam's actions after learning his father was dead. He's 15 and winds up having to just get through it because his mother and a brother shut down and the other brother and sister are handling funeral arrangements and a burial plot. He's the one who makes arrangements for their father's body to be brought back to London.
Of course, I may be reading a lot more into my writing than is really there. I dunno. But to remind myself of what my obligations are to my characters, and to keep myself from taking an easy way out, I've re-read some of the critical reviews of my books -- the ones that pointed out what I can now see were lazy or inconsistent character development in The Lyons' Den and Porno Manifesto. The LD one focused on Tad and how I made him 3-D until the end, when he became a one-dimensional character; PM's was about how Alec never got past the superficial in looks when it came to choosing a lover.
I just hope I'm doing the right thing by Adam, Casey, Patricia...and even Lando and Veronica.
One provided me with Adam's beginning manner, curious kitten expression and sweet smile. He's tall and lean, like a basketball player, while Adam turned out short and solid...but in a suit he looks just right -- neat but not flashy. He's also got that aura where, even though he never demands it, you know he'd love to be petted.
The other is how I see Adam at the end of the story -- buff, sure of himself, walking with confidence and wearing a suit like he's straight out of Gentlemen's Quarterly. Broad shoulders, trim hips, looking sexy as hell in a fitted shirt and slim-cut trousers. He's an alpha who's faced catastrophe with a Let's get through it attitude...so very British.
Both are extremely knowledgeable in their fields and have good reputations, from what I can tell. I've used what they know as much as I could. I'm tempted to ask another friend in the antiquarian world to read the book and let me know if I've got it right, but I can't them; I almost think they might recognize themselves and I prefer to wait till it's published before having to deal with that...in case they don't like what I've done.
Which is silly. Adam's like about 5'6" or maybe 5'7" and both of them are as tall or taller than me (I'm 5'10"). He worked out that way as an even bigger counterpoint to Lando, who's the perfect image of an American man in every way except intelligence and personality...and maybe even those, depending on how you view Americans. The contrast was needed so Casey's shift from being torn up at Lando's betrayal was shown better and made sense. It also adds to her hate for Veronica, who's already tall yet still wears 6" stilettos, forcing even Lando to wear lifts so he's not a midget next to her.
Something that's come out in the story, to make Casey more of a fully-fleshed character, is her concern with image. How the gossip rags have abused her. How she has to show the Hollywood world she was able to land on her feet after breaking up with Lando. What's left unsaid is how she feels that's more important than just letting herself grieve and get through it.
She contrasts with Adam's actions after learning his father was dead. He's 15 and winds up having to just get through it because his mother and a brother shut down and the other brother and sister are handling funeral arrangements and a burial plot. He's the one who makes arrangements for their father's body to be brought back to London.
Of course, I may be reading a lot more into my writing than is really there. I dunno. But to remind myself of what my obligations are to my characters, and to keep myself from taking an easy way out, I've re-read some of the critical reviews of my books -- the ones that pointed out what I can now see were lazy or inconsistent character development in The Lyons' Den and Porno Manifesto. The LD one focused on Tad and how I made him 3-D until the end, when he became a one-dimensional character; PM's was about how Alec never got past the superficial in looks when it came to choosing a lover.
I just hope I'm doing the right thing by Adam, Casey, Patricia...and even Lando and Veronica.
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