We've co-authored works together, and we had myriad moments of fun together. Today, I bring you a talent and a friend ... Author Synful Desire.
Hello everyone! Let’s talk “Challenges”.
With “Onus” I stepped out of my usual formula in quite a few ways. Today I will outline them as well as share a few excerpts from my contribution in Pleasure Prints.
Having a main character that is significantly older
Most of the main characters I create tend to be close to my age group, a bit younger, or slightly older. My main character is Cecilia Teflon. I do not reveal the number but there are ways you can tell that she’s up there in age with the following passage.
Cecilia flashed a look of trepidation at the Malacca cane leaning next to the metal bedpost. Her son-in-law Gordon had bought the contraption during one of his travels overseas, boasting it to be one of the best “in her condition”. Cecilia grew to hate every time Gordon coined the phrase. Gordon may have believed he was doing Cecilia a favor, but it was quite the opposite. Cecilia was a “give it to me straight” type person, like the generations of Teflon women before her. In Cecilia’s opinion, nothing should be sugar coated except the tops of doughnuts and the bottom of an iced tea glass.
The Malacca cane reminded Cecilia of the steady decline of mobility. On most days, she was able to slide along with considerable ease. Yet, for the past month, the cane was more of a dependable leg than her own. Now Cecilia wished that the telephone was on her nightstand rather than the rickety desk which had seen better days.
Forty-seven steps … an eternity for liver spot covered legs riddled with all the “ritis”, primarily Mr. Osteo. Add to that a “weakened” heart function and a “decompressed” lung function, Cecilia thanked Heaven to get anywhere at all, even if it was just to the toilet.
Balancing the supplemental characters’ weight vs. Cecilia’s narrative
To prompt Cecilia’s decision to share her narrative, I needed to create extenuating circumstances involving ones close to her. The granddaughter she has the most love for is Amber Moon. I needed to take time to give Amber Moon’s situation some weight without overshadowing Cecilia’s purpose. This blossoms with Amber Moon’s dealings with Geoff and Micah.
The more Amber Moon attempted to stew in her anger, the less logical it seemed. Perhaps the reason why she reacted in such a way was because he spoke a truth she didn’t want to admit. Had Amber Moon forgotten the difficulty in appealing to Café Wysteria now that she was part of the circle? Weren’t there moments she felt the same as Geoff and Shannon?
Amber Moon nervously continued down this path of thinking. What was it about Geoff that made her so defensive? Truth be told, Geoff wasn’t a bad guy. If so, he could have easily left her out there. This captivating man set off a myriad of emotions—aggravation, adoration, and arousal.
Even with the miniscule disagreement, Geoff’s presence accelerated her pulse. The aching of neglected desire resumed.
Amber Moon leaned against him. His body wasn’t as defined as Geoff’s but he was no slouch. The smell of Mr. Persistence—highly delectable … musky with a splash of citrus. Nothing about this individual’s personality was a ten but toxicity often morphs what’s important and what isn’t.
His hands cupped Amber Moon’s ass and pulled her closer.
His nose inhaled her scent. “You smell so good,” he whispered.
Not Geoff’s voice. Deeper but still sensual.
They continued to sway together. Mr. Persistence’s lips nibbled Amber Moon’s earlobe, then traveled the length of her neck before returning to the earlobe.
“Kiss me,” he commanded.
Amber Moon struggled to stay focused on Geoff. In the alcoholic haze and the warmth of her “right now”, Geoff was too distant to be a factor.
Amber Moon could have told Micah right then about Geoff. Selective laryngitis developed for many reasons.
One, Micah was quite the performer and had connections which could open additional doors for her. It wouldn’t be wise to burn a bridge.
Two, Amber Moon could relate to Micah, for they had a similar background, not one of privilege like Geoff.
Three, Geoff was away, and Amber Moon held no guarantee that he was being faithful. If Geoff strayed, Amber Moon would not be as scarred, and her betrayal, in its most optimistic form, could be categorized as payback.
Absent the Hennessey and the club scene, she and Micah enjoyed a lyrical connection: they bantered over all types of topics. This mingling with the recognizable put her at ease. On top of that, Amber Moon’s confidence soared when interacting with Micah, for she was the more intelligent of the duo. That rarely was the case when with Geoff.
Subtracting my feelings from the characters’ actions
For me, it can be a struggle to not get overly emotional about certain characters. As an author, one has to do her best not to get invested and let the characters tell their tale as they want to tell him. Geoff is the prototype of the quintessential good guy, the one a lot of women always speak of wanting. Amber Moon has that guy, even asked the Universe for redemption, the Universe granted it, and things toppled downhill. However, I couldn’t base Amber Moon on what another woman would, could, or should do. Amber Moon had to do things in her own way, no matter how she’d be judged in the eye of public opinion. I prefer my characters honest than fake, unless being fake is the purpose in the story.
Despite the challenges, I love the end result of what was created. Please check out “Onus” and all of the other stories in Pleasure Prints.
Until next time,
Desire
With “Onus” I stepped out of my usual formula in quite a few ways. Today I will outline them as well as share a few excerpts from my contribution in Pleasure Prints.
Having a main character that is significantly older
Most of the main characters I create tend to be close to my age group, a bit younger, or slightly older. My main character is Cecilia Teflon. I do not reveal the number but there are ways you can tell that she’s up there in age with the following passage.
Excerpt
Cecilia flashed a look of trepidation at the Malacca cane leaning next to the metal bedpost. Her son-in-law Gordon had bought the contraption during one of his travels overseas, boasting it to be one of the best “in her condition”. Cecilia grew to hate every time Gordon coined the phrase. Gordon may have believed he was doing Cecilia a favor, but it was quite the opposite. Cecilia was a “give it to me straight” type person, like the generations of Teflon women before her. In Cecilia’s opinion, nothing should be sugar coated except the tops of doughnuts and the bottom of an iced tea glass.
The Malacca cane reminded Cecilia of the steady decline of mobility. On most days, she was able to slide along with considerable ease. Yet, for the past month, the cane was more of a dependable leg than her own. Now Cecilia wished that the telephone was on her nightstand rather than the rickety desk which had seen better days.
Forty-seven steps … an eternity for liver spot covered legs riddled with all the “ritis”, primarily Mr. Osteo. Add to that a “weakened” heart function and a “decompressed” lung function, Cecilia thanked Heaven to get anywhere at all, even if it was just to the toilet.
Balancing the supplemental characters’ weight vs. Cecilia’s narrative
To prompt Cecilia’s decision to share her narrative, I needed to create extenuating circumstances involving ones close to her. The granddaughter she has the most love for is Amber Moon. I needed to take time to give Amber Moon’s situation some weight without overshadowing Cecilia’s purpose. This blossoms with Amber Moon’s dealings with Geoff and Micah.
Excerpt
(outlining 1 encounter with Geoff)
(outlining 1 encounter with Geoff)
The more Amber Moon attempted to stew in her anger, the less logical it seemed. Perhaps the reason why she reacted in such a way was because he spoke a truth she didn’t want to admit. Had Amber Moon forgotten the difficulty in appealing to Café Wysteria now that she was part of the circle? Weren’t there moments she felt the same as Geoff and Shannon?
Amber Moon nervously continued down this path of thinking. What was it about Geoff that made her so defensive? Truth be told, Geoff wasn’t a bad guy. If so, he could have easily left her out there. This captivating man set off a myriad of emotions—aggravation, adoration, and arousal.
Even with the miniscule disagreement, Geoff’s presence accelerated her pulse. The aching of neglected desire resumed.
Excerpt
(outlining encounter with Micah)
(outlining encounter with Micah)
Amber Moon leaned against him. His body wasn’t as defined as Geoff’s but he was no slouch. The smell of Mr. Persistence—highly delectable … musky with a splash of citrus. Nothing about this individual’s personality was a ten but toxicity often morphs what’s important and what isn’t.
His hands cupped Amber Moon’s ass and pulled her closer.
His nose inhaled her scent. “You smell so good,” he whispered.
Not Geoff’s voice. Deeper but still sensual.
They continued to sway together. Mr. Persistence’s lips nibbled Amber Moon’s earlobe, then traveled the length of her neck before returning to the earlobe.
“Kiss me,” he commanded.
Amber Moon struggled to stay focused on Geoff. In the alcoholic haze and the warmth of her “right now”, Geoff was too distant to be a factor.
Excerpt
(outlining the tumult in Amber Moon)
(outlining the tumult in Amber Moon)
Amber Moon could have told Micah right then about Geoff. Selective laryngitis developed for many reasons.
One, Micah was quite the performer and had connections which could open additional doors for her. It wouldn’t be wise to burn a bridge.
Two, Amber Moon could relate to Micah, for they had a similar background, not one of privilege like Geoff.
Three, Geoff was away, and Amber Moon held no guarantee that he was being faithful. If Geoff strayed, Amber Moon would not be as scarred, and her betrayal, in its most optimistic form, could be categorized as payback.
Absent the Hennessey and the club scene, she and Micah enjoyed a lyrical connection: they bantered over all types of topics. This mingling with the recognizable put her at ease. On top of that, Amber Moon’s confidence soared when interacting with Micah, for she was the more intelligent of the duo. That rarely was the case when with Geoff.
Subtracting my feelings from the characters’ actions
For me, it can be a struggle to not get overly emotional about certain characters. As an author, one has to do her best not to get invested and let the characters tell their tale as they want to tell him. Geoff is the prototype of the quintessential good guy, the one a lot of women always speak of wanting. Amber Moon has that guy, even asked the Universe for redemption, the Universe granted it, and things toppled downhill. However, I couldn’t base Amber Moon on what another woman would, could, or should do. Amber Moon had to do things in her own way, no matter how she’d be judged in the eye of public opinion. I prefer my characters honest than fake, unless being fake is the purpose in the story.
Despite the challenges, I love the end result of what was created. Please check out “Onus” and all of the other stories in Pleasure Prints.
Until next time,
Desire
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