What’s this? Carolyn is totally biting my ‘have nothing to say let’s be witty instead’ style of post?
Time for a throwdown. Only, since I tend to accept others’ premises (yes, therapists have long reminded me of that) I will likely defer to Carolyn’s superior insouciance.
So, shoot.
I got nothing.
Last week, I talked about doing NaNoWriMo; during the subsequent week, I’ve come to realize it is just not for me, but I am writing more than usual, so perhaps that is a nice side-effect of the NaNo Guilt?
I’m finishing up a short story set in the Regency about a returning soldier/viscount and the widow of his comrade. These two are quite different from the characters I’ve done in the past; the heroine is beautiful, and knows it. The hero is more beta than I think I’ve written before. He desires the heroine as soon as he meets her, but thinks she is above him. Because I’ve got nothing but my wit, here’s some of what I’ve been working on:
“What would you do if you had no responsibilities?” she asked, then immediately bit her lip as though regretting her question. Was she reading his mind? “Never mind, I should not have asked that.”
She turned with Joseph in her arms and began to set up a steady pace across the floor.
Mac’s heart hurt. “I think the prospect of no responsibilities was what led me to join the Army in the first place.” He watched as she paused before turning back towards him, maintaining the same slow walk. “But it didn’t work out that way.” He did not want to talk about himself, about what he should be doing. “What would you do?”
She met his gaze, her brown eyes narrowed in thought.
If he found her devastating when she was just being, it was nothing compared to what he thought when she was thinking. His knees actually felt weak.
“I think the same as you. No responsibilities.” She nodded to Joseph. “I’m not speaking of him.” She looked back up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I’ve just met him, and already can’t imagine life without him.”
Neither can I, Mac thought. A sudden pain hit his heart. When he left, he would be leaving Joseph. And her.
So–what would you do if you had no responsibilities?
