The Randy Romance Novelist(28)
“A twenty-something-year-old virgin who went through college with two sexually active roommates is referring to her vagina as a lady garden; it’s not realistic. No one talks like that in their twenties. I’m afraid readers are going to be upset over Meghan naming her vagina, as well as the main character not even knowing about things like masturbation or the basic act of sex. It’s almost too comical, but in a bad way. There’s humor, Rosie, and then there is forced humor.”
“I agree,” Sue jumped on board. “In order to gather a reader’s attention, you have to make the character relatable, not some clown wandering around her apartment unaware of anything sexual. This girl is young, living in New York City with her two roommates, trying to write a novel when she’s never had sex before? It’s not feasible.”
I wanted to cry. I could feel the tears starting to form, my lip started to shake, I felt like I was going to throw up from humiliation. This was not how I envisioned this meeting going.
“Is this supposed to be a comedy?” Wendy asked. I nodded again, still not able to talk. She thought about my answer for a second, and then said, “I liked it. I thought the character, Meghan, was very relatable. I think sometimes, as readers, we get caught up in a stereotype of what we think heroines have to be made of, of who we expect them to be, when in fact, there are thousands upon thousands of different characteristics we, as authors, get to choose from. I think the heroine is unique, different, na?ve—but in a good, refreshing kind of way. I think there are a lot of readers that could relate to her inner dialogue and struggles. Not everyone out there in the dating pool is sexually active, or automatically given God’s gift to sex. As authors, it’s our job to explore every different idiosyncrasy of the human form, even if that character might not relate to every reader. Nine out of ten times, the reader might not be able to relate, but there is that one reader, that shy, quirky book nerd who could appreciate a character like Meghan; someone who has a passion for reading, who’s lost themselves in the written word, and who’s inexperienced. I think you did a great job, Rosie. Don’t follow the trends. Be your own person and reach out to those fellow book nerds like me, because you will touch hearts with this character, I promise.”
Wolf Shirt Wendy just became my new favorite person.
For the rest of the meeting, we talked about upcoming releases, works in progress, and our next meeting. After we adjourned, Wolf Shirt Wendy pulled me to the side and told me to hold my head up high. She said I was doing a great job and to email her if I needed any help. She slipped me her business card and said she would love to read the rest of my manuscript when I was ready.
I wasn’t sure if I would be attending another meeting, but what I did know was I, found a soulmate in Wolf Shirt Wendy. She gave me that little boost of encouragement I needed to finish my book.
***
“There’s the most beautiful girl in the world,” Henry said, as I approached him. He straightened up from leaning against a brick building and held out his arm to capture me in a hug. “Mmm, I missed you, love. How was the meeting?”
“Devastating at first, but then it all evened out in the end.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Henry on the lips.
“What do you mean devastating? Were they mean about your book?”
“Yeah, four out of five of them didn’t like it.”
“Seriously?” Henry was genuinely shocked; it was adorable. “Whose tits do I have to cut off? Give me addresses. No one tells my girl her book isn’t good.”
He started to shake he was so mad. I calmed him down by pressing another kiss against his lips. “Calm down; it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. Who do these ladies think they are, picking apart your book? They don’t know you; they don’t know where your words are coming from. They have no right to make you feel bad about your work.”
I laughed and kissed him again. “Henry, if I’m going to be an author, there are going to be readers who don’t like my books. You’re going to have to be okay with that.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I will never be okay with people making you feel bad.”
I sighed at his inability to settle himself down. “I love you.”
He studied me for a second and then wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. “I love you too, Rosie, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t want to chop some tits off.”
“You’re impossible.” We started walking toward the adult book store, hand in hand. “There was one lady who was super nice, though. Her name is Wendy, and she wore a fleece sweater with wolves on it.”
“I like her already,” Henry laughed.
“She stuck up for me in front of everyone, told them my character was unique and refreshing. She gave me her business card to email her if I have any questions.”
“That was nice of her. You should email her a thank you.”
“Already thought about doing that. So, how was your day?”
Henry just shrugged his shoulders, not expanding into detail about his day. There was something he wasn’t telling me. I tried to not let it bother me, but we always told each other everything, so slowly his inability to disclose what’s been going on at his job was starting to eat me alive.
“That good, huh?” I asked, trying to get him to talk a little bit more.