Monday, September 27, 2010

Pretty aMUSEment

I'm not normally the pretty boy type - I tend to gravitate toward diamonds in the rough, as most of my muse avatars would suggest.

But this week, I'll definitely make an exception for Halle Berry's hunky partner Gabriel Aubry.

I'm on the final stretch (again) of WIP revisions and I'm struggling a bit with finding the perfect voice for one of my characters. She's a model, but not your stereotypical pretty girl. I'd like to think she has teeth.

At least one beta reader doesn't agree.

I've long passed revising her scenes, but I'm thinking about going back and taking another look at her character. I'm second guessing whether she's sympathetic enough, or whether she successfully bucks the stereotype. Sigh.

In ABSOLUTION, Joey is at the peak of her modeling career. Seems fitting to profile one of her peers, no?

I'll give you a sec to wipe off the drool.

The Book In My Bag Today: Reckless, Cornelia Funke

10 comments:

  1. Augghhh!

    Leave Joey alone! ONE person didn't like her. I think she has chutzpah and she isn't a stereotype. But tweak if you must, in your relentless pursuit of perfection no one can stop you anyway<3

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  2. Ah Donna, so many reasons I love you. I'm trying to leave her alone, but I also know I have 30 pages left to edit, which means I am stalling a bit. Revisiting Joey seems like an appropriate tactic. I'll push forward and go back to her AT THE END...whenever that end may be. LYandWBPuFY <3

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  3. Dawn,
    It's clear to see Joey is very sensitive out of the public eye and there's a history of what made her that way. To make her more sympathetic would be to take away some of her strength she portrays. I like her, flat out, the way she is.
    My two cents.
    xo

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  4. That's your classification of pretty boy, eh? To me he looks just right. I think of pretty as... like a Brad Pitt--a little too refined... This fine fellow though... I am SURE he could dance like I like...

    Good luck figuring out your character! People get such different views, depending on their preconceptions. Maybe give her a backhistory that gives her a REASON for her teeth--one discussion between her and somebody else can increase sympathy and perception of 'tough' in one shot.

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  5. Jamie - I like your two cents, very much. Thanks for that. I'll still tinker - because I value the opinion. But I don't feel quite as panicked! xo

    Hart - I admit, I selected a less-than-perfect pretty boy picture of Gab. In many shots, he is more...refined. Must be my gravitation to scruffier men :-) Thanks for the great advice - I have given Joey some backstory that does explain her teeth, but perhaps I need to flush it out a bit more, and sooner.

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  6. Sheesh, with muses like yours, I'd constanly need a drool-towel at my side ;)

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  7. Love your muses...mmmmmmmmm. I'm just not sure they inspire me to WRITE...

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  8. Vicki - me either, but I'll keep testing my theory :-)

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  9. I wish my Muse looked like that!! Or maybe not , because like Vicki said in her comment, I wouldn't be thinking about writing ;p

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