Busy week, settling into the working life for the first time in 8 years, and still trying to get everything done around the house, so no writing done.

The gal who's reading the manuscript didn't like the last chapter, and when she explained why, I said, "Of course." She was absolutley right. So, given the symptoms she described, it took me a couple days to narrow down the problem. Hypobackstoryosis(the disease form of lack-of-back-story), which if I've made up a name for it shows how much a problem it is for me. :-)

Now, with the true problem defined, it's only a matter of time for it to be solved. And today, on the hour drive each way to the accountant's office, the character came to life.

I'm tickled with who he is, and what he's like, but I'm not tickled with how he TALKS! The new character is going to be doing a lot of talking, much more than anybody else in the book except the heroine, and he's doing it in low-class London slang, just to tick the heroine off. And I can't talk him out of it! How the HELL am I supposed to write that?!? Aaaarrrggghhh!! I hope I don't make a total mess of it. Jeez-oh-petes, my 1874 British slang dictionary is going to be getting a work-out with this guy. *sigh*

I really wish I had a friend from London so I could pass this stuff by them. We're back to the "two countries divided by a common language" joke. I don't know British slang! And it's just enough off from American slang, that I can make a hash of it right quick. (sorry, couldn't resist)

Maybe when the book's done I'll send it to London-based BlackLace to publish, so they can edit it and at least make sure I get it right...

Or maybe I've got it so wrong that I don't DARE send it to them...

Or maybe I should move the whole book to Chicago, where I at least have a small hope in hell of getting the slang right.

WHY do my characters DO this to me?

And then, silly me, I told my new boss that I had this character yammering at me to write his scene and I was finding it hard to concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing... and there was a looooong pause on the other end of the phone.

Well, I guess the new boss had best get used to it... seems that the new graphic artist she just hired is a writer, too, along with doing art that reeks of anime and furry inclinations. I'll have to meet him before I can tell for sure, but first impression is that beside him, I'm going to look fairly normal, even with characters talking to me during working hours. :-)