Monday, October 18, 2010

Leesie Poem - The Journey

I spent the morning trying to figure out how to get Michael and Leesie from Kellogg, Idaho making a late night escape (where I left them at the end of UNBROKEN CONNECTION) to Grand Cayman.

I was going to have them fly out of Spokane, but I discovered this morning that there ARE NO LATE NIGHT FLIGHTS OUT OF SPOKANE. Shoot. I can't go back and change the scene--UNBROKEN CONNECTION is already published. Big confession. I purposefully did not look up the flights when I finished UNBROKEN CONNECTION because I didn't want to discover what I discovered this morning. I love them stealing off into the night.

What to do? What to do? They can't go to the Spokane Airport and catch a flight the next day. That would be too hard on Leesie, and her parents would catch them. That's the first place her Dad would go. Michael would figure that out, too. He's way smarter than I am. What about Montana? Missoula? Butte? They have even worse connections than Spokane does. Salt Lake? Too far. And with all of those options Leesie would have to go back over the pass where she crashed the pickup. Dramatic but sadistic.

Ah, Seattle! Perfect. Six hour drive away. 6 AM flight to Chicago and then Miami. They arrive in Miami in time to get the American Airlines 6:25 PM flight to Grand Cayman! Yes.

I know you're shaking you head. This is fiction. Why don't I just invent the perfect flight out of Spokane. I get kind of crazy about details like this. I think it adds authenticity to be as accurate a I can in the real things. And I don't want anyone from Spokane to say, "Hey, that's dumb. There aren't any midnight flights to Grand Cayman from Spokane." It's fiction is a lame excuse for being lazy.

And solving this problem realistically adds to the storyline.  Here's my research, notes and rough draft of Leesie's first poem. This will go BEFORE the dive log I posted on Friday. Sorry it's out of order. You'll need to get used to that. Leesie's poems are harder to write. Michael's dive logs always lead me.









And yes, my poetry drafts are always crooked. Usually flat like this. I really work it as I revise. I have to go back to it several times before it feels good. I'm itching to do that right now. I'll post the revision tonight.

12 comments:

  1. Love it!!!! I really love how you are into details ;)

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  2. This is all so cool! I already love this very rough draft (no surprise there).
    LMAO, you even have math calculations by your poem.
    Us fans will help you keep at it! Cayman Summer will turn out to be just as wonderful as Taken by Storm and Unbroken Connection! If not better, that is.

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  3. Wonderful. I've read every detail and even as a rough draft this is brilliant. Can't wait for more:)

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  4. Now that's true dedication. You are all amazing. I'm posting the revised poem now.

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  5. I love these rough drafts. So honest and amazing.
    I love how you're into getting the details right. Research is pretty cool. I think.

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  6. When I get lazy and don't do the research, I make really stupid mistakes. I don't want that! And I don't have a copy editor these days to catch them.

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  7. I had the same problem with one of my characters. He had to fly into the Hailey, Idaho airport at the wee hours of the morning and their last flight landed at 10PM. I went there and talked to them and they said that the private planes can land anytime day or night. So since Michael has money, he could rent a private plane to take her to SLC or Seattle, saving her the long car ride. Just an idea. LOVE the poem, by the way.

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  8. Ahem, that comment up there of mine makes it sound like your MC would take off or land in Hailey. What I meant was, if the Spokane airport allowed private usage after hours . . . you know the rest. Sheesh.

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  9. Private plane? I didn't think of that. Hmm. I wonder if Michael would. Maybe I'll change it.

    I kind of like Michael driving all night for her. And I need him exhausted beyond control by the time they get to Grand Cayman. Mulling.

    Okay. Now I'm turning everything off and working on Chapter 2!

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  10. Love that you care about details. One of my big problems when I first read TWILIGHT--no one would drive around the sound to get to Seattle, they'd take a ferry. (I know, Bella never actually made the trip, but it still bothered me.)

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  11. Thanks for sharing- it helps to see how the story takes shape.

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