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Post by pedanticbohemian on Jun 7, 2009 22:28:40 GMT -4
About 4.5 years ago, I wrote a novel called, "Typical Male." Due to health problems, I shelved it until last fall. I began an extensive rewrite to make it a deeper, darker and more suspenseful story. One of the additions was a somewhat inappropriate and troubling relationship between one of the female characters and her uncle. It's been one of those troublesome bits that seems to not want to be written. I even missed my deadline in April because I just couldn't wrap my brain around that relationship. It was really driving me nuts...until I found a muse for the character of the uncle. You probably saw this coming: Michael.  Vice Admiral Algernon Wendell Delacour, USN, former Judge Advocate General of the Navy I just threw this picture together since I've been having a hard time visualizing him in the uniform. I needed to have a man in my head that was both unassuming and charismatic at the same time. Seeing Michael as Ben was the inspiration. A man you can never truly know or fully trust and so intelligent and crafty it's frightening. The perfect lawyer and a deadly dangerous adversary. |
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Post by greenleaf on Jun 8, 2009 12:14:16 GMT -4
Being based on my own experience, I can tell: Michael is a true muse for many people  |
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rhiannonuk
Full Member
Who could resist those eyes? Credit to Mrs. Dean Moriart, love ya!
Posts: 57
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Post by rhiannonuk on Jun 13, 2009 13:08:11 GMT -4
Hey there OMG! I am writing a novel at the moment and Michael is the inspiation for my main male character. I live in the uk and it's set in a primary school. He's a yr 1 teacher (second grade?)and I'm basing his character on Michael in real life, such an amiable, normal, charming, funny guy. I have also made him a bit of a tidy freak, very organised to a point of being anal but he has to be "because of the inner chaos, if I wasn't ordered on the outside everything would crumble."He has a darkness too but not Ben darkness. The novel is written in first person from my female character Julia, she's mid-twenties, reception teacher who has her own journey to go on which involves Mr. Emmets as I've named him to some degree or other Once it's done I shall start posting it for you guys to read. I do creative writing anyway and I decided to have a bash with Michael as muse. I have to say I'm finding the "Twilight" soundtrack most inspiring too, the lyrics are beautiful to many of those sounds and have the modern feel I need. Blessings Rhi xxx |
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Post by pedanticbohemian on Jun 13, 2009 18:04:20 GMT -4
Wow, Rhi that's very cool! Yours sounds so much more "nice" than mine. Mine is all rape, murder, horrible childhood secrets, government intrigue/plots, black-ops, court room drama, suspense-military-thriller.  With everything going on in my life and missing my April deadline, I haven't even put a page up for it yet (doh!), but you can read a blurb here: jllandry.wordpress.com/typical-male/And a sample chapter: jllandry.wordpress.com/typical-male-sample-chapter/The "Michael/Ben" character, Admiral Delacour, is a patriot...a real believer. That makes him dangerous. He's also a man of power and influence and will use both to see that orders are followed, no matter how illegal or horrid they might be. The added twist is that for as long as either of them can remember, he and his niece have been in love with one another. There's this sick symbiotic, enabling sort of relationship between them. Nothing sexual happens with them in this book, but the scenes between them just make me squirm--which is the intent for the reader as well. He seems like a supporting character at best...until the shocker ending. |
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rhiannonuk
Full Member
Who could resist those eyes? Credit to Mrs. Dean Moriart, love ya!
Posts: 57
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Post by rhiannonuk on Jun 14, 2009 3:42:50 GMT -4
Hey there
Yes my character is much nicer lol! I'm having a great time writing it as I'm justified thuinking about Michael for hours a day as I mull over plot, story, etc. I do read some of your chapter and it's very well written. How long have you been writing? have you gotten anywhere?
Seeing as we're in contact now, I will need some info about the US seeing as my character is american! Could I Pm you some questions?
Blessings
Rhi xxx
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Post by pedanticbohemian on Jun 14, 2009 4:26:07 GMT -4
Sure, I'll help in any way I can. You can also email me. I'm pedanticbohemian at gmail.com I'm also on Twitter @pedanticbohemia Professionally, I've been a writer for 33 years. I worked as a journalist with newspapers and Reuters wire service the first few years. Then I did freelance features writing for magazines after that. The last few years have been taken up with working on fiction and honing my style. TYPICAL MALE is my 4th novel. I was unable to sell my first 3 despite my best efforts. I didn't realize until I'd wasted years and far too much of my craft that you can NOT break into the fiction market as a first-time novelist with any sort of tie-in materials, i.e. stories based on other books, films or TV series. Took me 3 times to get that fact pounded into my head. LOL I finally took the advice of one of the agents who rejected me who said, "Write ANYTHING besides Star Trek and I guarantee I'll get you published." DUH!  Since I have degrees in criminology and pathophysiology, and was a Navy wife for over 15 years, I'm writing what I know: the Navy, the law, forensics and human nature. And I certainly understand using Michael as a Muse! If this were a romantic piece, I'd be in heaven. Unfortunately, I know all the backstory on Admiral Delacour that's not in the book and it makes my skin crawl. Even the readers won't know the full story until the sequel, WHAT DOES NOT KILL YOU, comes out. I expect to hear that a lot of folks throw the book across the room at some point. lmao ;D |
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