Still waiting for revisions. You’d think after six months of being on the ‘getting published’ train I would be used to waiting. But no. I’m either going to have to get myself a set of worry beads to fiddle with, drink way more martinis, or have a personality transplant. I’m thinking the martini option sounds like a lot more fun, especially when they’re of the chocolate variety…
At least my husband’s birthday helped pass the time. We had dinner at White which is in the Hilton (see photo) Hotel in Auckland. Beautiful. We sat outside, overlooking the harbour, watching all the lights come on as the sun went down… And I realised that this was where I’d set some of the manuscript currently being considered in London! There is a scene where the heroine storms out of a party and goes and sits in the lobby. I was imagining some vast hotel lobby with lots of seating but in reality there is not much of a lobby and nowhere for the heroine to sit! Argh. Oh well, I guess it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s written about somewhere they’ve never been, only to find they’re wrong when they actually see the place in real life. In fact, I’m writing one right now that is set in London (I have actually been there, though over 10 years ago). The characters go for a walk down the Embankment and on Google Earth, it doesn’t look very far. Just my luck that what I think is a thirty minute walk would actually take three hours! 🙂
So, has anyone done this kind of thing before? Written about a place only to find you’ve imagined it completely wrong?
I always take the lazy coward’s way out and invent a place so I don’t have to research. This probably means that my settings don’t ring true and will explain, in part, why I have a number of unpublished manuscripts in various drawers.
Your dinner sounds lovely. You should include it in your next book.
I’m hoping no one knows the Hilton well enough to pick up on the error, Suzanne. But I’ll definitly have to include our dinner in some future manuscript. It was very romantic – especially when the Chinese New Year fireworks started going off. I just won’t mention that all the high-rises prevented us seeing them properly. 🙂
I think a bit of artistic license is okay. After all we are writing fantasy to some degree and I’m not sure readers will be that bothered by the actual size of the lobby – more by whatever emotional scene is being played out there…
Are we expecting your chapter up soon???
Yeah, I’m sure most people if they read it – if! – won’t be thinking “hmmm, she got the lobby wrong”. 🙂
As to the chapter, no idea, Lorraine. They told me last week that it was this week but have had no news since. Impatient? Me? Nah…
I’m sure that nobody will pick up on it – and even if by a chance in several million they do they won’t care because your story will be great.
We’re all impatient to see your chapter. If it doesn’t appear this week, perhaps we should send in a petition.
🙂
Ah, you’re good for the confidence, Suzanne! 🙂 Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when the chapter is up. Possibly when hell freezes over but you never know.
http://www.viamichelin.com – a marvel.
I was going to have my hero and heroine take a taxi from a wedding in the lavender fields in Provence to Nice. Then I did the route plan on viamichelin and discovered that it would be at least a 2 hr journey. They now they do it in a chauffeur-driven limo and things happen enroute 😉
Funny how that happens eh, Lucy? I must say, I’d rather have a chauffeur driven limo than a taxi no matter how long it took to get there! 🙂