Sunday 20 November 2011

Thanks to the Akhal-Teke

The declaration of frustration in my last post worked. Eventually, in the one-step-forward-and-two-back method, that last confrontation between hero and heroine took form and evolved into reconciliation. It took a few unusual props to get them there.

                                   The first was this magnificent Akhal-Teke horse.

The coat on this breed of horse has a bloom. As on this fine fellow, it shines so much it looks like metal. These horses originate from the deserts of Turkmenistan. Their coats act as camouflage in the shimmering desert heat. Prized for their beauty as well as their strength and skill, they are known as the Heavenly Horses.

                  The second prop was a ruby pendant, made in the Ottoman style.


And the final detail, to please other senses, was the song of the nightingales.



                  




Friday 11 November 2011

Slow progress

I've reached the last section of my WIP. The villains have been disposed of, the secondary plots have been wound up but the major issue remains unsolved. The hero and heroine come from vastly different cultures. Is it possible to resolve all the problems involved if they agree to marry; and do it with a light touch? Perhaps this is what is cramping my style.

Or perhaps it's because the heroine is refusing all contact with the hero at this point. This is to do with her character as much as the difference in culture. She wants total commitment but thinks he has a very lax attitude to women and to fidelity. I must have sunk myself totally into Olivia's personality, because, for the moment, I cannot work things out either.

But I will.

And that declaration of intent has got the problem down on [virtual] paper, which relieves the pressure in my mind.
Back to that last chapter. They are going to sort out their differences and find a way to live their lives together. I'm not wasting that chateau,


                                or the Pavilion on the Golden Horn.