Writing - part xxxx065 Bookgirl, Chapter Three, Conclusions

 31 May 2025, Writing - part xxxx065 Bookgirl, Chapter Three, Conclusions

Announcement: I still need a new publisher.  However, I’ve taken the step to republish my previously published novels.  I’m starting with Centurion, and we’ll see from there.  Since previously published novels have little chance of publication in the market (unless they are huge best sellers), I might as well get those older novels back out.  I’m going through Amazon Publishing, and I’ll pass the information on to you.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21^st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I’m using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I’ll keep you informed along the way.

Today’s Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing websites http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus two basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don’t confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the writing.

4. Don’t show (or tell) everything.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

6. The initial scene is the most important scene.

 

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of a novel:

                     1.     Design the initial scene

2.     Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.      Research as required

b.     Develop the initial setting

c.      Develop the characters

d.     Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.     Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.     Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.     Write the climax scene

6.     Write the falling action scene(s)

7.     Write the dénouement scene

I finished writing my 31^st novel, working title, Cassandra, potential title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors.  The theme statement is: Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events.

I finished writing my 34^th novel (actually my 32^nd completed novel), Seoirse, potential title Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment.  The theme statement is: Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.     

Here is the cover proposal for the third edition of Centurion:

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I finished writing number 31, working title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warrior.  I just finished my 32^nd novel and 33^rd novel: Rose: Enchantment and the Flower, and Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment.

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

For novel 30:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

For Novel 32:  Shiggy Tash finds a lost girl in the isolated Scottish safe house her organization gives her for her latest assignment: Rose Craigie has nothing, is alone, and needs someone or something to rescue and acknowledge her as a human being.

For novel 33, Book girl:  Siobhàn Shaw is Morven McLean’s savior—they are both attending Kilgraston School in Scotland when Morven loses everything, her wealth, position, and friends, and Siobhàn Shaw is the only one left to befriend and help her discover the one thing that might save Morven’s family and existence.

For novel 34:  Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.

For novel 35: Eoghan, a Scottish National Park Authority Ranger, while handing a supernatural problem in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park discovers the crypt of Aine and accidentally releases her into the world; Eoghan wants more from the world and Aine desires a new life and perhaps love.

Here is the scene development outline:

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

Today:  Let me tell you a little about writing.  Writing isn’t so much a hobby, a career, or a pastime.  Writing is a habit and an obsession.  We who love to write love to write. 

If you love to write, the problem is gaining the skills to write well.  We want to write well enough to have others enjoy our writing.  This is important.  No one writes just for themselves the idea is absolutely irrational and silly.  I can prove why.

In the first place, the purpose of writing is communication—that’s the only purpose.  Writing is the abstract communication of the mind through symbols.  As time goes by, we as writers gain more and better tools and our readers gain more and better appreciation for those tools and skills—even if they have no idea what they are. 

We are in the modern era.  In this time, the action and dialog style along with the push of technology forced novels into the form of third person, past tense, action and dialog style, implying the future.  This is the modern style of the novel.  I also showed how the end of literature created the reflected worldview.  We have three possible worldviews for a novel: the real, the reflected, and the created.  I choose to work in the reflected worldview.

Why don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel?  I can tell you what I do, and show you how I go about putting a novel together.  We can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the writing. 

Ideas.  We need ideas.  Ideas allow us to figure out the protagonist and the telic flaw.  Ideas don’t come fully armed from the mind of Zeus.  We need to cultivate ideas. 

1.     Read novels. 

2.     Fill your mind with good stuff—basically the stuff you want to write about. 

3.     Figure out what will build ideas in your mind and what will kill ideas in your mind.

4.     Study.

5.     Teach. 

6.     Make the catharsis. 

7.     Write.

The development of ideas is based on study and research, but it is also based on creativity.  Creativity is the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing.

If we have filled our mind with all kinds of information and ideas, we are ready to become creative.  Creativity means the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  Literally, we are seeing the world in a new way, or actually, we are seeing some part of the world in a new way. 

The beginning of creativity is study and effort.  We can use this to extrapolate to creativity.  In addition, we need to look at recording ideas and working with ideas.

With that said, where should we go?  Should I delve into ideas and creativity again, or should we just move into the novel again?  Should I develop a new protagonist, which, we know, will result in a new novel.  I’ve got an idea, but it went stale.  Let’s look at the outline for a novel again:

1.      The initial scene

2.     The rising action scenes

3.     The climax scene

4.     The falling action scene(s)

5.     The dénouement scene(s)

Right now, I want to write bookgirl.  That’s the working title of my novel with the following theme statement:

For novel 33, Book girl:  Siobhàn Shaw is Morven McLean’s savior—they are both attending Kilgraston School in Scotland when Morven loses everything, her wealth, position, and friends, and Siobhàn Shaw is the only one left to befriend and help her discover the one thing that might save Morven’s family and existence.

I’ve already developed the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper for this novel.  I’ll remind you with their descriptions:

Siobhàn Shaw was a very tall and slender girl.  She didn’t sit or stand, she folded and unfolded.  Normal chairs and furniture didn’t seem to fit her properly, but no onlooker could really tell why—she wasn’t basketball tall, and she never sat in an unladylike or informal way.  Perhaps it was her approach to sitting and standing.  It made her standout in ways she never wanted to stand out.  Her dark brown hair was long and always looked a little stringy.  She pulled it up into a highly unpopular and old-fashioned bun, that frizzed at every side.  She didn’t know any other way to put up her hair.  Her face was a classic oval, but that did her no good.  It wasn’t long, just slightly short and she had a high, broad forehead with a widow’s peak that was a little lopsided to the left.  Her eyes were large but slopped a little down at the outside corners so she always looked a little sad even when she smiled.  Her smile was made her cheeks go up without any nice dimples, and her chin was round.  Well that’s what oval means.  She was lucky her brows weren’t like her father’s.  They were   evident but not connected and well shaped except they followed the sad droop of her eyes.  That only made her look a little sadder all the time.  The only problem was that she was never really very sad at all.  Her lips and her nose were nicely formed.  The nose small and a little blunt, and her lips wide and pink.  Her complexion was light like a peach and the real redeeming feature was the constant blush on her cheeks.  That also made her stand out in ways she didn’t wish.  Her clothing was always a little frumpy.  It was hard to fit a girl as tall as she was--too tall, but not tall enough, and there never was enough money to have anything that was new.  The used clothing and charity shops were all she could afford.  Even her school uniform was used, and didn’t fit her well.  The ones for tall girls were too big to fit her slender frame and the ones that fit her size were all too short.  Her skirt looked strange and too large, and her blouse a little too short.  At least her skirt, a kilt, was the Shaw tartan, mostly blue and green with a think red line, it matched the coat and her sweater.  Still, the sleeves on her dark blue coat were always too short and the coat too large.  She disappeared in it, and it bulged in all the wrong places.  Only her emerald green sweater fit her properly.  That’s because she has an extra large one that had been through the wash one too many times—the wool had shrunk.  She didn’t have many sewing skills, so she couldn’t do much to fix her clothing.  Her shoes always looked a little off because she had to repair them with book glue and polish them with ink.  Then there was the thing that made her always stand out.  Siobhàn Shaw always carried a book in her hand.  A book in one hand and her official bookbag in the other.  The book is what set her apart.  That’s why they never called her Siobhàn, just book girl.  Always book girl.

Morven McLean was elegant looking.  Everything about her was elegant looking.  She was perfectly formed—not too tall, not too short, not too thin, and not too curvy.  She was the perfect physical balance that girl’s desired and boys followed greedily with their eyes.  Her face was oval, but with that little well-formed chin that made her look, yes, elegant.  Her cheeks rose sweet and gently high, not too plump, and not too thin with a natural shadow of pink.  Her lips were nicely molded around perfectly white and straight teeth.  They were exactly the correct balance to her nose and her large upward inclined eyes and delicate brow.  Her Scottish hair was the exact shade of red with brown that made her standout in the way she usually wanted to stand out.  Her brow was not too large and not too broad.  Her hair was controlled exactly where she placed it and how she placed it.  She kept it long and free and brushed into perfection.  Not a lock was out of place and not a single strand of her hair dared disobey where she put it.  Her clothing was what you expected from a model.  Always the haute couture and always fit to her form so it revealed her to perfection and not to distraction.  Even her uniform looked good on her from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.  She was always happy that her McLean tartan was mostly red, and made her standout like almost none of the other girls.

These two young ladies are already connected.  They will soon be embroiled in even more connections.  I’ll get to that, next.

Setting:

Kilgraston School in Scotland.  This is a Scottish boarding school near Perth and Bridge of Earn.  The school is one of the best in Scotland.  It has closed down since I researched it—so sad, but I think I’ll still use it.

I chose and researched this school for a couple of reasons.  First, I wanted a woman’s boarding school.  My protagonist is a girl of limited means who is very bright and hard working.  She lives and came from Bridge of Earn where her father owns a bookstore.  She has a problem with books, she can’t stop reading them.  This is the source of her knowledge, skills, and intelligence. 

Second, I wanted to set my novel in Scotland because of cultural and social reasons.  I was looking for a little exotic yet familiar for my English readers and my American readers.

Third, a girl’s boarding school provides many positives and many negatives.  The negatives are those cultural and social issues that affect all schools and especially boarding schools.  These are exacerbated in a girl’s school, plus the pathos creation is very powerful.  You can have a bullied boy in the boy’s school or boarding school, but that doesn’t generate the same pathos in your readers.  I’m sure boys can be as cruel as girls in any environment, but we expect boys to defend themselves and we culturally consider them wimps if they don’t. 

Girls on the other hand are culturally different.  They are not necessarily expected to fight physically to defend themselves and we tend to see them as victims.  This builds pathos.  When a girl responds and gets back at her bullies, we also see that as a powerful statement of action.  We expect this from boys, we don’t necessarily expect it from girls.  In fact, a girl responding physically to bullying, can be expelled.  We do that with boys today too, but that’s another problem. 

Suffice to say, I an researching Kilgraston as the setting for my novel.  This is the initial setting and will be unless I discover something that would greatly affect its usefulness as a setting—even then I might just fake the rest.  It’s fiction, after all.  We want to use real settings, but they can be fictionalized for entertainment and use.

Telic Flaw:

The telic flaw comes with the protagonist, but what if it doesn’t.  I’d argue that the telic flaw must always reside with the protagonist, but I am proposing a novel where the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper strongly interact.  The telic flaw is theirs together.  Just what is this telic flaw?

I’m proposing a telic flaw concerning the family and library of the protagonist’s helper.  Morven McLean has a problem. She isn’t the protagonist, but she has lost everything.  That is her family has lost everything.  She never really had anything except what her family did, but now she has nothing.  Ultimately, one of the books from her library includes a cryptic message.  The message will lead the protagonist and her to the resolution of the novel, but we have to get there.

This will be a mystery novel, and the mystery will be about Morven McLean and her family.  Siobhàn Shaw, the protagonist will eventually resolve and solve the mystery using her skill as the book girl, but the telic flaw comes from the protagonist’s helper and not the protagonist. 

This is an interestingly set up novel.  So, the telic flaw is the mystery regarding Morven McLean and her family.

I also am contemplating another telic flaw and piece to this novel.  I’m debating how I will make these work together or which I will make the main telic flaw.  I’m contemplating that Siobhàn has every possibility of being a model.  Morven realizes this and also realizes that she has been jealous of Siobhàn from the beginning because she is really so elegant.  Siobhàn still has real issues that she must personally contend with because of her personality and her life.  I’d like to have Morven realize her own negative affect on Siobhàn and desire to make up for it.  Basically, Siobhàn and her father will take Morven into their circle and family because Morven’s family has abandoned her.  The changes in Morvan will cascade to Siobhàn and the actions of Siobhàn will cascade to Morvan.  We’ll see how this works when I finally get around to writing the novel.

Initial Scene:

I didn’t write much about the initial scene for bookgirl working title Books.  I’m certain you’d like to know more about the initial scene for Books.  I’d like to know too.

Back to basics.  I wrote and write that the meeting of the protagonist with the antagonist or the protagonist’s helper makes the best novel initial scene.  There are other ways to do this, but this is the way to make it work.  This brings conflict directly into the novel as well as the telic flaw.  Since the telic flaw is what the novel is all about, that’s the way to begin.

I already developed the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper—that’s Siobhàn Shaw and Morven McLean.  We know enough about these girls to begin to write.  Their meeting as protagonist and protagonist’s helper are what we want to focus on.  The question is how to write it, and how to set it properly.

This is a little difficult initial scene.  The question for me, as the writer, is how to compose it.  I want this to be the reveal about Morven’s loss of wealth.  The elegant Morven is shown to be a pauper.  The where and when are important.  The realization for Morven is important.  The point is to bring out the greatest pathos possible.  The perfect situation would be a television announcement or a public announcement that tells the world that Morven is broke.  That might be what I begin with. 

Perhaps Morven and her current friends learn about it from the tele and Siobhàn finds out through reading the news.  Something like that.  Morven receives a call from her father telling her to walk home.  Perhaps the day should begin with Morven coming to school in her family’s Mercedes touring car or better yet, their Rolls Royce with a chauffeur.  She bullies Siobhàn personally.  Maybe they run into each other.  Siobhàn’s lunch gets stepped on or something. Then she is harassed at lunch.  This would allow us to see Siobhàn and Morven in action. 

The moment of truth is the televised announcement that the McLean family factory or industry or bank or whatever (I need to research) is bankrupt.  We see Mr. McLean being escorted off the premises.  Morven calls her father, and he tells her to walk home, but her phone is suddenly cut off. 

We have a situation, where Morven is completely devastated.  Siobhàn walks with her to her house, estate actually.  When they get there the police will not allow Morven inside.  She has a breakdown.  Siobhàn invites her to her house.  We see a domestic supper scene.  Siobhàn helps Morven.  They get up in the morning, have breakfast.  She gives Morven a lunch like hers.

When they arrive at school, when the girls try to bully Siobhàn, Morven steps in, and that is the consummation of their friendship.  We have a great lunch and communication scene. 

Okay, that’s more than just the initial scene.  Perhaps we should try to expand on the initial part of the initial scene.  That’s just where we are at the moment. 

We have reached the point of writing the initial scene.

I started the initial scene.  I’m not sure how I will put the entire scene together.  I just started with Siobhàn and her movement from class to outside.  I think I need to build more description in the scene, and I’ll bring in Morven.  I’d like to show some of the bullying that Siobhàn does through, and then zap Morven.  I need to actually write the scene to really get it together.  I might show you the details just for grins but it may take a little while to get it all together.  As I wrote before, the best initial scene is either the meeting of the protagonist and the antagonist or the protagonist and the protagonist’s helper.  I might need to find the antagonist for this novel, but I’m not sure they could fit into the initial scene. 

The true power in the initial scene is the interaction of the characters and especially the interaction of the protagonist I their world.  Part of the development of the initial scene is the initial setting and the telic flaw—specifically, the circumstances of the overall novel.  The events of the initial scene develop and design the entire novel.  It sets in place the action, secrets, and mystery of the novel.  It asks and develops questions that only can be answered in the context of the novel.  That’s what gives power to the initial scene.

I started it.  I’d like to finish it today.  We shall see.

I didn’t even work on it—ouch.  I did start the setting development.  My plan was to create a circumstance that would lead to Morven’s revelation as well as Siobhàn’s initial bullying.  I will plan to lead both of them outside.  However, in retrospect, the revelation of Morven’s great loss might be best revealed with a broadcast. 

Perhaps, I’ll have Siobhàn wandering around while revealing the character and her background.  This might be a good way to show off the school and the character.  When Morven comes to school.  Morven might be pulled off by her girlfriends to witness the broadcast.  Before that, I’ll need to have Morven and her friends bully Siobhàn a little before all this happens.  Perhaps there is some means to bring them all together.  When I write it, I plan to share it with you.  It will be the first run of the initial scene. 

It's very important that the initial scene really touch the reader and bring the novel to life.  The characters and the place should come to life just like the characters, and all the problems, or a large portion of the problems of the protagonist should be made obvious.  All these are not necessarily resolved by the climax or the resolution of the telic flaw, but they are part of the life and revelation of the protagonist through the novel.  This also doesn’t mean the writer makes an information dump about the protagonist—there are many secrets to keep about the protagonist and to reveal in the proper time and sequence.  One of the great secrets I want to reveal about Siobhàn is brought out by Morven.

Morven realizes that Siobhàn is a very elegant and beautiful girl, but who has never had a teacher or the opportunity to learn about beauty and herself.  Morven becomes the power building the new life of Siobhàn.  How this will happen with no money and other issues is still up in the air.  We shall see.

I find that once you start writing, things change.  In the first place, I’m rather happy with the development of Siobhàn and Morven in the initial scene and first chapter.  What is interesting is what changed, and what I discovered about these two.

 

In the first place, the real advancement is the idea about modeling.  I fancied this idea from the beginning when I developed the Siobhàn character.  She is a girl who is totally unaware of her effect on people.  She has no idea how special and beautiful she is.  One of the main points of the novel is to show the development of Siobhàn from a quiet wallflower to a powerful young woman.  The way I expected to accomplish this was through Morven. 

 

Morven changed a little.  I envisioned her as similar to Siobhàn in some ways, but I decided to make her significantly different to explain her bullying and attitude.  Morven is much like her father. She cares little about others and mostly about herself, but she is self-aware enough to realize many of her own faults.  Thus, when she loses everything, she understands how she can regain some of her own stature and value.  She sees that through Siobhàn, she might regain something—at the moment, this is the only thing she can hold onto.  I haven’t shown this much yet, but this is one of the great character ideas for this novel and for Morven.  She is a person desperate for a certain type of attention as well as a certain type of success.  She also has a cruelty streak, a degree of badness that gives her a feeling of superiority, but she realizes where her emotions come from—in a certain way.  This is part of the discovery in the novel.

 

Also, I needed a reason for Morven’s knowledge as well as the perverseness of her emotions.  Her father is a basis, but her mother and her second mother are the reasons.  The occupations and success of her mothers provided her knowledge, but also her mother gave her a stature and a build that makes modeling impossible for her, but the knowledge that will (might) allow her to make something of Siobhàn.

 

That’s one of the main plots of the novel.  I intend to build on this idea of modeling.  The second main plot of the novel hasn’t happened yet.  This is supposed move forward when the books from Morven’s estate come into Siobhàn’s bookstore and they find the book.  I’m not sure how this will work out, but I’m planning to move into this in the third chapter.  Should I begin giving you the second chapter?  Perhaps that’s next.

 

As I wrote, the main plot of this novel has moved a little.  In my primary development of the novel, I planned for a book related premise and a mystery based on a specific book and mystery concerning Morven and her family.  Siobhàn would be the main force resolving this mystery and saving Morven. 

 

In the writing of the initial scene and chapter, some of this changed because of the natural features I discovered in my own character development as well as the ideas behind the characters and their background.  In addition, there is a third part or plot I would like to integrate into these two major plots: the modeling success plot and the book mystery plot.  This third plot is the connection of Morven and Siobhàn to the supernatural. 

 

Why the supernatural?  Most if not all of my Enchantment novels incorporate the redemption of some supernatural being.  I write my novels in the reflected worldview, so the supernatural can exist.  I don’t usually write about the supernatural as the supernatural, although Rose is half-Fae, but Rose lives in the real world with flashes and interactions with the reflected (supernatural) world from time to time.  That’s the point of the reflected worldview.  The world is the normal world we all experience while the reflected part of the world is the world we see in the shadows.  It’s the world we think could exist, but we aren’t certain exists.  It is the world we really wish could and might exist, but that is usually hidden completely from us. 

 

In my novels, I like to show this reflected world just more evident than we are used to.  Sometimes the characteristics of this world are in the shadows and sometimes they are evident and explained.  I’d like to create a question in the mind of my readers—the question: does this supernatural world really exist?  And, am I just missing some of the evidence?

 

This reflected worldview is something I’d like to bring into Bookgirl.  I’d also like to connect Bookgirl to my broader universe in the Enchanted novels.  How I will do this might have to wait for more writing and opportunities in the work.  We shall see.  The question at hand is should I show you the draft second chapter.  Perhaps I will, and I did.  Here is chapter three, well the first scene:

 

 

September 2016, Friarton Bookstore, Kintillo, Scotland, Great Britain   

 

            Again, they arrived at the Friarton Bookstore in Kintillo later than Siobhàn usually did.  Her father didn’t look much less worried than the day before.  He bit his lip and didn’t say anything, but he did appear a little concerned.

            Morven stepped directly into the fray, “Mr. Shaw, there is no reason to be alarmed.  Bookgirl was simply helping me again today.”

            Callum moved his lips to the side and let out a tentative smile, “Then I shouldn’t be troubled?”

            Morven put her hands on her hips, “You should certainly be troubled if I’m included, but not if Bookgirl is involved.”

            His brow rose at that. 

            The girls pulled the suitcases to the kitchen where Siobhàn placed the frozen food in the small freezer.  “It will take too long to defrost for tonight.”

            Morven nodded.  She wanted to get into the bedroom right away.

            They entered Siobhàn’s bedroom, and like the day before, Morven unpacked her clothing and hung it where she could.  She took the very fine clothing for Siobhàn and put that as carefully as she could on the rack and over whatever hanging place she could find.  Finally, she remarked, “Really, Bookgirl, we need some more hanging spots.  My things can be as wrinkled as a pug, but your new clothing must be perfect.”

            Siobhàn didn’t know what to say to that.  She stepped out of the small room and went to the bookstore storage area.  She returned with some large wall hangers, “We use these in the shop.  They should work for clothing, but I’m still not clear about the things you brought for me.”

            Morven ignored her and hung up the clothing so it covered the walls and the back of the door.  Finally she licked her lips, “It’s not like you are using the walls for anything else like art.”

            Siobhàn shrugged.

            When all the large clothing was put away, Morven pulled out the lingerie she had gathered from her second mother’s closet, “Take all your knickers and bras out of your drawers?”

            Siobhàn glanced up, startled, “Everything?”

            “Yes, everything.  I’m not asking you to throw it out, yet, but you need to understand what we are aiming for, and what you will wear.”

            “What will I wear?”

            “Glad you asked, Bookgirl.  Take off everything.”

            “Everything?”

            “Do I need to repeat myself?”

            Siobhàn compliantly began to remove her uniform.  Morven was changing too.  Morven hung up her uniform and Siobhàn’s then put on a frock and jumper, but Siobhàn stopped short of removing her old knickers and sport bra.  Morven stood with her fists on her hips, “Take off the rest, and put this on.”  She tossed Siobhàn a pair of very sexy blue silk and lace knickers with a matching fancy bra.

            Without thinking, Siobhàn quickly removed her bottoms and top and replaced it with the new ones.

            Morven stood back in admiration, “Do you see now why I told you to tighten up your lady bits.”

            Siobhàn was mortified, “The knickers barely cover anything, and you can see my nips through the lace.”

            Morven rolled her eyes, “You aren’t supposed to flash them to the world.  Their purpose is to cover your naughty bits as necessary and to give you a little support, although you are pretty firm in the booby business.”

            “That’s why I wear sport bras.”

            “Plus, they’re cheap, right.”

            “I get them second hand, so they aren’t very expensive at all.”

            Morven shivered, “Ewe, your knickers too?”

            “Of course.  Aren’t these second hand as well?” Siobhàn pointed at the blue slips of silk and lace.

            Morven made a face, “Second mum was getting a little wide in the hips.  She wore only spanx and other very confining control wear.  She loved these stupendously wonderful bits of silk that are tickling your fancy, so to speak, but she couldn’t wear them—so they’re all brand new, and your second hand, yuck, intimates can officially go in the trash.”

            Siobhàn glanced down, “It’s all I could afford before.”

            “Well, no more.  We will definitely throw out your hand-me-downs.  Get used to wearing this kind of underclothing all the time.”

            “Even with a thin bit of cloth going up my buttocks?”

            Morven rolled her eyes again, “Especially then.  I need to be confident in this kind of clothing.”

            “You don’t intend for me to model it?”

            “Not any time soon, but you will be in a room with a group of other ladies competing for these kinds of jobs, plus the director or the producer is many times a woman—they or some woman representative of theirs will be watching you.”

            “In my knickers?”

            “Yes, love, many times in your knickers.  Your very sexy and wonderful knickers and sometimes in the nude.  The first thing they will look for is the untidy bits.  If they see any, I can assure you, you’ll be out.  Next, they will look for how you wear the clothing.  They’ll ask themselves: does this woman know how to wear her intimates?  Lastly, they’ll look for your elegance and deportment.  If you appear like a country gowk, they’ll think you can’t display their clothing well.”

            Siobhàn glanced down at her body, “All that from your knickers and bra?”

            “All of that, love.  Now put on these heels and walk around the room.”

            “There is nowhere to walk around.”

            Morven frowned, “Just walk up and down the center of the room—you can surely do that.”

            Siobhàn pulled on the heels and began walking up and down the room.  Morven stopped her and corrected her leg and hip placement a couple of times.  She instructed Siobhàn on how to walk and after about a hundred transitions.  She began instructing her on shots—that is, poses for photos.

            Siobhàn asked, “Do I just start making these poses?”

            “Not exactly.  When they bring out the camera and begin taking pictures, just keep moving.  If they ask you to stop, fall into a natural pose.  You’ve got to give them a good look, something photo worthy and that shows off your best.”

            “How do I do that?”

            “Look at your face in the mirror.  Unless they ask you for a smile, don’t smile.  Give me a neutral look.  Raise your chin and tilt your head a little…yeah, just like that.  You’re a natural.  Your face and spontaneous expressions are perfect.”

            “I need to start dinner, and pa will wonder what I’ve been up to.”

            Morven tossed her a pair of jeans and a top, “Wear these, and the heels.  Try to keep them nice.  I picked the cheapest of the lot, but they’re easily worth a thousand pounds.”

            Siobhàn was pulling on the jeans—she stopped, “Will the police be looking for these?”

            “They haven’t begun to sell off the stuff, plus, until the courts make some decision or actually prosecute my father, it’s all up for grabs.”

            “Then why not take the really expensive clothing and sell it off yourself?”

            “A little pilfering won’t be missed.  If they ask me, I’ll say second mum gave it away.  A ten thousand pound gown will really get their attention, and I won’t be able to explain that one.  I don’t think they’ll come after my clothing either.  Second mum never bought me anything designer.  She saw me as a little girl and competition.  Plus, I can tell the police I took my things with me when I left the house.  Personal property at the clothing level won’t draw much attention.”

            Siobhàn finished pulling on the jeans and the top, “They fit me perfectly.  I’ve never had anything as nice as this.”  She put back on the heels.

            Morven stood at the door.  She pushed it open, “Come on then, and walk in the shop and kitchen like we practiced in your room.”

            Siobhàn went to the shop storage and put on an apron.  She went to the kitchen and pulled out the pressure cooker, noodles, peas, and a large cup of chicken parts.  Morven followed her and put on an apron too.  She looked over Siobhàn’s shoulder, “What’s up for supper tonight?”

            Siobhàn moved her mouth from side to side, “Sorry to say, it’s gizzard and heart night.  It’s one of my favorites, but not to everyone’s taste.”

            Morven’s eyes widened, “Gizzard and hearts?  What’s that exactly.”

            Siobhàn stood at the kitchen sink and cleaned the chicken parts from the large cup on the counter.  She cleaned them and plopped them in the pressure cooker, “Well, to be precise, these are chicken gizzards and hearts.  They’re really cheap by the pound, and most people don’t want them.”

            “But you do?”

            “They really taste good if you cook them right, but not everyone is happy with their texture or the idea of eating them.”

            “How are you going to cook them?”

            “I’ll clean them really well cause gizzard can have grit in them and the hearts can have clotted blood.”  She glanced at Morven, “Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have been so descriptive.”

            “I can handle anything, Bookgirl, go on…”

            “I’ll cook it with some broth and spices, mostly salt and pepper, then I’ll pressure cook it all until it’s tender and make a good gravy with the drippings in the pot.  Finally, I’ll put it over big noodles with peas on the side.  Pop likes to mix his peas in.”

            “What’s it taste like?”

            “Rich chicken over noodles.  The texture is a little firmer than regular chicken, but it tastes really good to me.”

            “I’ll look forward to it.”

            Siobhàn started the pressure cooker and checked on it from time to time from the bookstore.  She spent her time in the shop the same as before.  If anyone noticed she wore high heels and jeans no one said anything, not even pa—though he did push his cap back a little.

            When supper rolled around, the food did smell very inviting.  Morven just pretended she was eating a fine French dinner—the things she’d eaten with her parents on vaca were much more exotic than the very delicious chicken gizzards and hearts over noodles with peas.  She was actually surprised at how good it tasted, once she got over the idea and the texture.

            After supper, they showered, and the hot water remained hot.  Morven made Siobhàn show her that her parts were at an approved level of trim.  Siobhàn just shaved it all off.  She didn’t care.  No one else was looking.  Morven allowed Siobhàn to wear her trackies to bed again—she just didn’t say anything about it.  In the morning, they dressed for school and Morven handed Siobhàn a little less risqué knickers.  They were still blue silk and more high cut than Siobhàn felt comfortable wearing especially under a skirt.

            When they arrived at school, Morven’s usual toadies stood near the front drive obviously watching for her.  Morven didn’t say a word to them, she pulled out her ruler and hit the flat of her hand a couple of times, then whispered to Siobhàn, “Make a pushing motion.”

            “Like pushing a person?”

            “Yeah.”

            Siobhàn did, and alarmed, the girls quickly disappeared. 

            Morven continued whispering, “Stay close today.  We don’t need any accidents, and we don’t need to let them get the jump on us.”

            “What’s that mean?”

            “Don’t let them corner you.  If I keep you close, I can keep you safe.”

            Siobhàn gave the much smaller Morven an odd look.

 

            No one bothered them at school that day or the rest of the week.  Siobhàn attended Adoration which was Mass on Thursday after regular classes, and Morven tagged along.  Morven made Siobhàn practice walking in the heels and poses every evening.  Morven didn’t feel the need to express just how well Siobhàn accomplished all she asked.  It was as if the girl was perfectly suited to walking and moving like a professional.  Morven couldn’t wrap her head around the very idea—this usually took most women years to learn and perfect.  Siobhàn just did it and did it well without much thought. 

            Friday and then Saturday rolled around and Morven prepped Siobhàn on Friday night for what to expect.  Friday night before bed and after supper, they both sat on Siobhàn’s bed in their night clothes.  Morven lay back against the wall.  She had to move some of the hanging clothing to the side.  Every bit of wall space now held hanging clothing, mostly for Siobhàn. 

            Morven pursed her lips together, “Tomorrow, you will dress in nude underclothing with the Altar'd State Emma blue floral mini dress over it.”

            Siobhàn held her knees, “It’s a pretty short dress.”

            “Your legs are wonderfully long, and the top is not revealing.  Boobs are not your assets, that’s not to say they aren’t a total positive with your body type.  The dress isn’t very expensive, but on you, it will look stupendous.  I don’t want you too appear too sexy, just a little sultry.  We’ve been practicing that, and I’ve been taking pictures.”

            “Really?”

            “You haven’t noticed.  I put together your book and some comp cards.  I haven’t had an opportunity to print the comp cards yet, but we can do that tomorrow.”

            Siobhàn scratched her nose, “What is a book and comp cards?”

            “A book is a photo book, basically a portfolio of your looks in different clothing and poses…”

            “Can I see it?”

            “Sure you can.  You need to be familiar with what’s in it anyway.”  Morven took out her phone and pulled up a folder filled with pictures.  She flipped slowly through them while Siobhàn looked.

            Siobhàn moved her lips to the side, “How did you get the backgrounds?  I remember the clothing, but it isn’t my room at all.”

            Morven let out a small smile, “I keep my eyes open.  I remember my mother’s photoshoots very well.  First mom had them for all her clothing—she wasn’t the model.  Second mum was modeling.  The backgrounds are just photoshopped into the picture.  It’s pretty easy to do, even on a phone, but I used the school computers.  That’s one of the first things we need to get is a computer for the business.”

            Siobhàn gave a sigh, “Seems like a worthy goal, but expensive.”

            “It will be cheap based on our work.”

            Siobhàn suddenly sat up and pointed, “You took pictures of me in lingerie?”

            Morven rolled her eyes, “I did, and put them in your book.  They don’t show anything untoward at all—it just looks like you in a swimsuit.”

            “Let me look closer.  I’m not really comfortable being photographed in a swimsuit or lingerie.”  Siobhàn took a slow and careful perusal of the more risqué pictures, “You’re right.  They don’t show anything, you made the lighting cover it over or the poses hide anything untoward.”

            “I told you I learned a lot about this business.  We want to entice the casting director and producer, not seduce them.”

            “I certainly hope not seduce them.”

            Morven nodded, “Pack your bag with a pair of jeans, a top, your trainers, and the heels.  You can wear the flats with the dress and over it the long coat I gave you.  When we get to the casting call, we register you, give them your book and comp cards, get you a number, and find a place to wait.  By the way, pack us both a lunch, like school.”

            Siobhàn raised and lowered her shoulders, “Then what happens?”

            “They will call you, perhaps twice.  The first time will likely be an interview.  They will ask you about yourself.  You need to be outgoing.  You can talk about how much you love reading, and how that makes you want to be a model.  Just think about what you will say and answer their questions candidly and with some enthusiasm.  Remember, your experience in modeling is: yes, local, and not documented.”

            Siobhàn sighed and leaned forward, “I’ll probably fail at the very beginning.”

            “Look, Bookgirl, I didn’t choose you just because of your looks, and they won’t either.  There is a reason you are the smartest girl in school.”

            Siobhàn wagged her head.

            “After the interview, they will bring you in for the shots.  It will be a catwalk and photoshoot just like I’ve been doing for the last few days.”

            Siobhàn gave a deep sigh, “I hadn’t even noticed what you were doing.”

            “That’s the point, dummy.  Just move, walk, pose, and look like you did for me.  I’ll try to stay in the background and give you some directions, but if you ignore me and the photographer, that will be perfect.  You are what they will want.”

            Siobhàn smiled a little, “I suspect they’ll send me packing, and then where will you be?”

            Morven gave a sly smile, “I expect you will be surprised with their response.”

            Siobhàn raised her eyebrows, “I do hope, but I won’t lose any sleep over it.  Pa will be upset if I can’t help around the shop all day tomorrow.”

            “Do your early work and then we’ll scamper off to the casting call.  We’ll be back in the early afternoon.  We can help in the shop the rest of the day.”

            “If you say so.”  Siobhàn yawned, “I guess it’s time for bed.  By the way, the steak was wonderful.”

            Morven thought Siobhàn’s mouth was going to water, “You only cooked one of them.”

            “To make them last.  Did you really expect to eat a whole steak by yourself.”

            “I hadn’t thought about it before, but one between three was about right.  My family just usually ate a steak apiece.”

            “That seems overly extravagant to me.”

            Morven rolled her eyes again.  They got into bed with Morven on the inside and were both quickly fast asleep.

            The morning wasn’t as hectic as usual in the kitchen or the bookstore.  Few people came really early Saturdays for their papers and that gave Siobhàn plenty of time to stock everything and organize the periodical shelves.  She made a good breakfast and packed two lunches.  Afterward, with Siobhàn pulling Morven’s smallest suitcase behind, she and Morven headed to the A912 to catch the early bus into Perth. 

            They got off near the city center near the river and Morven popped into the Perth Photo Lab to have Siobhàn’s comp cards printed.  They came back out to the pavement and headed up the street to the Straightup Modeling Agency.

            The façade of the building appeared intimidating to Siobhàn.  It looked too modern with too much heavy glass, metal, and concrete for her tastes, but Morven didn’t blink an eye.  She pulled open the door and shoed Siobhàn inside.  Siobhàn stepped with confidence only because she feared Moven’s displeasure.  She wondered about that.

            The lobby was empty but printed signs with large arrows and casting call on them pointed to the left and down a long corridor.  Morven took the lead.  They quickly came to a large room filled with young women and some that looked a little aged.  A middle-aged woman sat at a desk and looked bored.  When Morven and Siobhàn stepped to the desk, she brightened up a little, but Siobhàn couldn’t tell if it was them or just her job.  Morven had all the information already filled out and handed the paperwork to the woman.  She passed Siobhàn’s book electronically and handed a set of comp cards to her. 

            The woman looked Morven up and down.

            Morven stated very clearly, “I represent Miss Siobhàn Shaw.  She’s my client.”

            That brought a strange look to the woman’s face.  She handed Morven a number.  It was 27 and gave Morven another long gaze. 

            Siobhàn noticed, when they left the desk, the woman began looking through Siobhàn’s book and her application very carefully.

            Siobhàn wanted to move to a quiet corner, but Morven took her hand and led her to the center of the small crowd.  Morven brought her a chair and found another for herself.  They sat near the middle in the least inconspicuous place in the entire room.  Siobhàn rummaged around in the suitcase and brought out a fashion magazine.  That surprised Morven a little, but they didn’t engage in any conversation.

            Finally, the producer and his representative for the casting call entered the room.  A middle-aged man in a tight suit was followed by a young woman who looked like a model.  She was dressed to the nines and wore flattering although overdone makeup. 

            Morven elbowed Siobhàn, “That’s the director’s spy.”

            Siobhàn hid her mouth in her magazine, “Really?”

            “Keep cool around her.”

            The producer didn’t smile.  He looked around at the group as if he were measuring each one already.  When his glance touched someone that interested him, his features changed a little.  When they noted Siobhàn, a small smiled escaped his control.  Finally, he addressed the group without introducing himself, “We’ll do a normal call today.  Those who have been here before know it well.  Interviews first and for those who receive a second call today, we’ll have some modeling shots and an individual catwalk exhibition.”  Almost as a afterthought he added, “Best of luck to you all.”  He gave a second glance at Siobhàn.  He frowned at Morven then turned to the woman, “Ms. Abby will show you to the dressing room where you may prepare when you are called.”

            The casting producer disappeared back through the door at the side and Ms. Abby stepped forward, “First ten may follow me.”

            The women with the first ten numbers went through a door at the back following Ms. Abby.

            Morven touched Siobhàn’s arm, “That’s the dressing room.  First rule of casting calls is that we will not leave anything anywhere.  Too many hands and fingers will try to pinch our stuff.”

            Siobhàn looked a little shocked, but she kept reading her magazine.  That’s when Morven noticed it was a French fashion magazine and Siobhàn seemed to be reading it effortlessly.  She almost made an untoward sound, but stifled it.

            The second group was called into the dressing room. 

            Siobhàn asked, “Where did the first group go?”

            Morven pointed to the hall through the windows in the waiting room.  Some dejected women were milling around, but then headed out of the building, “The cull has started already.”

            Siobhàn noticed that many of them were very upset and some seemed to be crying, “Is it always like this.”

            Morven stood and took Siobhàn’s cheeks in her hand.  She stared into her eyes, “It’s always like this.  There are many girls who want to be models, but if you look around the room, you can immediately spot those who never had or have a chance.  You need more than good or unusual looks, but the very fine and the very intriguing are those who might have some chance.  Most of your competition here are too common looking and just too plain to have a chance.  The others don’t have the stature or the figure to fit the needs of the director or producer.  The interview will willow those out immediately.  Unfortunately, many of those girls are representing an agency or paying a modeling school for the opportunity.  When money is flowing, no one will tell them they never stood a chance.”

            “And you think I do?”

     Morven laughed, “The producer smiled at you.  I bet Ms. Abby interviews you personally.”

            “Why would that be?”

            “I told you.  She’s their spy.  She’s a model, perhaps a bit old for the business.  That’s why her heavy makeup, but she runs the casting call, and she will make many of the decisions.”

            Finally, the next group of ten along with Siobhàn got a call for the dressing room.  Ms. Abby led them into the room.  Siobhàn noticed, this room was smaller than the last.  Morven followed Siobhàn and Ms. Abby into the room.  When Morven entered, Ms. Abby asked for her number.  Morven didn’t stop, “I represent Miss Siobhàn Shaw.”

            Ms. Abby frowned, but let her enter.

            The dressing room was really just another waiting area.  It was a bare rectangular fully enclosed room with ten chairs around the wall.  Each of the ladies took a seat in order of their numbers.  Moven sat on the floor in front of Siobhàn. 

            All the other women were primping and some were applying a last bit of makeup.

            Morven whispered, “That won’t help them.  Here…” she stood and helped Siobhàn take off her long coat.  Siobhàn was the tallest and perhaps the thinnest girl in the room.  When her Altar'd State Emma blue floral mini dress was fully revealed, she could hear the intake of breath from the others.  She sat down and crossed her legs.  Morven laughed, “Told you.”

            Siobhàn just gave her a neutral glace, and Morven returned a thumbs up.

            As Ms. Abby called the lady’s numbers, they exited by the side door that led to the interview area.  Ms. Abby called three at a time.

            Finally, when she called number 27, Siobhàn stood and Morven followed her through the door.  Morven pulled their suitcase behind her.

            On the other side lay a large room.  On one side stood a photographer with a host of equipment and backdrops.  A rack of clothing stood next to him.  Three tables, with a man seated behind two of them, each stood well separated in the room.  Ms. Abby sent the other two ladies to the men at the tables.  Ms. Abby pointed at Morven, “You may remain here, but you may not interact with your client and you must stay seated.”  She pointed with her chin at a chair near the photographer.

            Morven nodded.  She gave a surreptitious glance at Siobhàn, and continued to the chair.

            Ms. Abby nodded to Siobhàn, “You come with me.”  Ms. Abby walked next to Siobhàn and a little away as if she was studying her every movement.  She went around the table and indicated Siobhàn should sit.

            Ms. Abby started immediately, “Miss Shaw, why do you want this modeling job?”

            Morven had pounded this type of question and answer into Siobhàn from the beginning, “I love to wear beautiful clothing, and I’m very excited to represent your client on the runway.”

            Ms. Abby gave her a penetrating look, “You’re dressed in a wonderful Altar'd State Emma blue floral mini dress.  Why did you choose this dress and what do you like about it?”

            Morven had prepared her for this question too, “Although it isn’t your client’s line, I thought it would show off my best assets.”

            “A safe answer, and I think you’re right, but what are your best assets?”

            “I’m tall and my legs are long.  I don’t have much on top, but the dress shows off my figure and color well.”

            Ms. Abbey looked Siobhàn  up and down, “You do understand your body type and coloring.  What other clothing do you like?”

            That suddenly started a conversation about all kinds of clothing.  Morven could clearly hear Siobhàn’s soft voice and Ms. Abby’s responses.  They began discussing clothing and exactly what Siobhàn thought she could wear well.  Their conversation went on and on.  Even after the other two ladies were dismissed, Siobhàn and Ms. Abby continued their very lively conversation. 

            Finally, one of the gentlemen made a sound.  Ms. Abby glanced up at him, “George, I think you can release the others.”

            “Already?  We have ten already selected for the second portion.”

            Ms. Abby rolled her eyes, “You may interview the rest if you like, but I’ve made my choice.  This girl is what you asked for, and she’s an expert in the types of clothing you want displayed.”

            George made a slightly disparaging sound, “Mark her as you will, but we need to see all of them who passed the interview.”

            Ms. Abby turned back to Siobhàn, “You don’t seem to have much experience, but you’re just what we are looking for.”  She patted Siobhàn’s hand, “I like you very much Ms. Shaw.”

            Siobhàn stood, “Thank you, Ms. Abby.”

            “Just call me Abby.”  She turned to Morven, “Hey, Morven.  I don’t like to see you anywhere around, but you found a real keeper.”

            Morven stood and smiled, “Thanks, Abby.”

            “Ms. Abby to you.”

            Morven took Siobhàn by the hand and led her out of the side door.  They went back to the first waiting room.  There nine other women waited.  As time went by a couple more came back.

            Siobhàn immediately asked, “So you know Abby?”

            “I know the gentlemen too.  They are friends of my mothers’.”

            “How does that work and why doesn’t she want to see you around?”

            “Well, my mothers took me to their shoots, and I wasn’t always the most gracious child.  They don’t like me much.  I was always in their hair.  I know the photographer too.  I showed him your book and told him the best way to get your shots.  He seemed very interested.  That’s what a manger does.”

            Morven and Siobhàn ate their lunch.  The other ladies didn’t seem nearly as comfortable as they did.  Few of them were eating.  Morven asked, “What where you talking about so enthusiastically with Abby, and how do you know so much about clothing.”

            “You were listening, weren’t you?”
            “To every word, but I didn’t teach you all those details.”

            “The bookstore is filled with fashion magazines.  I’ve been reading them every day.  You didn’t notice?”

            Morven just laid back in her chair with a strange look on her face, “I knew you were a genius, but I didn’t fully realize your potential as a fashionista.”

            Siobhàn shrugged.

            After a while, Abby returned she led all the remaining ladies to the dressing room.  She didn’t look too happy.  The women were called back into the large interview room one by one.  Finally, when Abby called Siobhàn’s number, Morven followed her back into the room.  Abby stood in the doorway, “I really shouldn’t let you come back in Morven.”

            “I won’t speak to her or bother anyone.  I’m just here for my client, Ms. Abby.”

            Abby frowned, but let Morven enter.

            Morven immediately walked back to the chair by the photographer. 

            The tables had been moved to the sides of the room and that left a long open space.  The producer and director as well as Abby sat in chairs on the other side of the room.  Abby instructed, “Miss Shaw, put on your heels and start at the far side of the room.  Walk as if you are on a runway.  Continue to walk up and down the room until we give you additional instructions. 

            Morven took the heels from the suitcase and ran to were Siobhàn stood.  She helped her put on the shoes, and Siobhàn began to walk the room.

            The photographer asked, “Should I start?”

            George called to him, “Go ahead.”

            The three began a whispered conversation almost immediately.  After the first walk down and back, Abby called, “Morven, did you teach this girl?”

            Morven replied, “I helped her, but she’s a natural.”

            That stared a new buzz among the three.  Siobhàn heard George state, “She has a wonderful grace and elegance.  I want to see her in our gowns.”

            The other man stated, “Already?”

            George sighed, “I don’t see any reason to continue the casting call.  They others are good, but this one is the best I’ve seen today.”

            The other man stated, “Should we be discussing this so candidly with this young lady and her manager present?”

            Abby declared, “If we intend to continue with Miss Shaw as our choice.  I don’t see why not.  I told you, I put her at the top of my list, and I think she is heads above all the others.”

            “I’d like to put a hold on a couple.”

            “You do that, but I want this girl.”

            George put his hand over his face, “I do too, but this is pretty extraordinary for an open call.”

            Morven couldn’t hold back, “I could have told you Siobhàn Shaw was the one you wanted.  That’s why I brought her.”

            Abby gave a deep frown, “Morven, you’re not helping your client.  You should learn when to shut up.”

            Morven looked a little distraught, “Sorry.  I shouldn’t have said anything.  I’ll be quiet.”

            The other man grimaced, “She’s right you know.”

            George stated, “At least make her take some poses.  We need to do our due diligence whatever our opinions are.”

            Abby called, “Hey Bruce take some pictures.  You, girl, Siobhàn.  Take some poses.  Try to look regal.”

            Siobhàn wasn’t sure what that meant at all.  She began walking down the room and stopped just as Morven had instructed her.  The photographer, Bruce started snapping shots.  He made very appreciative sounds.  The other three leaned forward almost mesmerized.

            Goerge gave a hoot of pleasure, “Where did you find this girl, Morven.  She really is amazing.”

            Morven covered her mouth, but it still came out, “Like I’d tell you.”

            The three laughed.

            The other man said, “Have her try on one of our gowns.  I want to see her wearing something more elegant.”

            Abby looked at her watch, “It’s already the afternoon.  We need to put holds on the additional ones you’re interested in, and send the rest home.  That is if you intend to make a shoot of this.”

            “I want to see her in our clothing.  She’s just too good to let go today.”

            Abby stood and went to the rack.  She chose a Giorgio Armani strapless embellished Tulle gown.  It looked like nearly all black lace.

            Morven stood, “That’s not fair.”

            Abby sneered at her, “What’s not fair?  This is from our client and one of the gowns she’ll have to model.”

            “It’s all black, and it has to fit her on top.  There are no straps.”

            “It’s dark blue, not black.  I’ll help her into it and I have plenty of fashion tape, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

            Morven shut up, but she followed Abby back into the dressing room.  There, Siobhàn had to take off her blue floral mini dress.  Abby stared at her nearly naked body and gave her a once over. 

            Morven instructed Siobhàn, “Take off your bra.”

            She was a little slow, so Morven stepped behind her and undid the clasps. 

            Abby looked even more intently, “She is very well put together.  Let’s try the gown on her.”

            They both helped pull it over Siobhàn’s head.  When Abby started in with the fashion tape, Siobhàn blushed to the roots of her hair.  At first, Siobhàn wasn’t sure what to do.  She stood a little miserably as the tape was applied to her breasts and Morven and Abby squeezed them properly into the top of the gown.

            Morven and Abby stood back to admire the effect.

            Morven whispered, “Stand tall, Siobhàn, or so help me.”

            Abby laughed, “She’s new to this, isn’t she.”

            Marven growled, “You wouldn’t have noticed except you were groping her boobs.”

            Abby grimed, “She’ll have to get used to it.  It’s the business.”

            Siobhàn stood tall, took a pose, and gave a look.

            Abby smacked her lips, “She really is good.  I applaud you Morven, although I’d rather not.”

            They led Siobhàn back into the interview room.  Although the gown was strapless, the tape held Siobhàn nicely in the gown.  It covered her top completely and the gown looked stupendous on her.

            The gentlemen were standing next to the chairs, when Siobhàn entered with her heels they stared entirely captivated.

            Goerge asked, “Does she always walk like this?  I could put her on the catwalk right now, and she doesn’t look like she’s even trying.”

            Morven stuck out her chest, “She is always like this, all the time.  I told you, she’s a natural.”

            The photographer was talking pictures from the moment Siobhàn entered.  She walked up and down the room stopping at intervals when he instructed her.  After a while, the other gentleman called, “Have her make some improv poses.”

            Siobhàn did, and the three, now seated again began to make more appreciative sounds.  The photographer stopped directing her at all.  He just asked her to give him certain looks.  Siobhàn tried to follow what he wanted, but she was just doing what Morven had told her over and over.  It was just her look, her natural and perfect look.

            Goerge rubbed his chin, “I’d like to see some makeup, but I’m not sure it would improve the effect.  She has a very natural beauty.  It’s unusual and matches this gown as well as the dress she was wearing.  Send the others home.  Give the top two holds, but I want this girl to display our gowns.”

            Morven came over to him, “Are you willing to sign a contract.”

            “Yes, you brat of a child.  I’ll put her on contract and pay her an initial commission because she’ll start today.”

            Morven mumbled, “Enough for a computer, I hope.”

            “You said?”

            “Nothing, Goerge.  We just started our business, and we need some cash.”

            Abby laughed, “Don’t tell me you took her out of the gutter.”

            “That’s not very nice, Ms. Abby.”

            Abby chuckled, “Wherever you found her.  She’s just what we’re looking for.”   

This third chapter is the real moving point of the novel.  This is the basis for the primary plot in the novel.  Morven seeking a way to bring back her own success and existence in life uses the qualities and unusual skills of Siobhàn.  This concept of modeling as Siobhàn’s unexpected skill exactly fits with the idea of a Romantic protagonist.  This is a skill and trait that Siobhàn had no idea she possessed or was capable of.  Morven knew from the beginning.  The next question is how do we move forward from this.  Here’s what I’m thinking.

 

In the first place, I wrote that I want to introduce a new plot based on books from Morven’s library.  Siobhàn is Bookgirl.  Her love of books is the original characteristic that makes her to be what she is.  This modeling skill is a new one.  They don’t appear to be connected, but they are in some interesting ways.  She already showed that with her absorption of fashion.  That’s what she used to impress Abby.  The next chapter will move to the next revelation and stage—or at least it will set it up.

 

In the next chapter, and I’m likely moving the plots too quickly, I’ll have Siobhàn make her first public modeling presentation for her clients.  This will be to some previous characters from my writing most specifically Lady Azure Wishart.  Azure is a titled noble who is also the Keeper of the Book of the Fae for the British government.  She is also a fashionista who loves white and other light shades, but mostly white.  She is the guest of Siobhàn’s clients and the main focus for their winter/spring show.  There are others in Lady Wishart’s entourage as well.  These are all characters from my other novels.  What makes them important and interesting is their connections to the Fae. 

 

If you noticed, I spent a lot of time on Morven’s two mothers.  She adored one and hated the other.  I haven’t mentioned anything about Siobhàn’s mother.  I’m pressing my own buttons to have another one, but I intend for Siobhàn’s special skills to not just come from her father, but also her absent and very special mother.  Siobhàn’s mother hasn’t died, she is Fae.  She left the child Siobhàn with her father, but I haven’t worked out those details yet.  What does that have to do with the modeling—I’ll tell you, next.

 

The big question in the development of the Romantic protagonist is how did they get their skills and abilities.  The answer is varied and wonderful based on their background, worldview, and buildup.  For example, the most common means of Romantic protagonist development, that is their special skill development, is some born basis followed by an experience or training that creates determination to be the best.  An example, the protagonist born with great intelligence (Flavia de Luca) who is driven by her father’s increasing poverty and her ancestor’s chemistry lab to become an extraordinary chemist.

 

So, one of the main aspects of the Romantic protagonist is this basis for a skill.  It can be any innate skill like intelligence, ability to learn, natural agility, strength, sport, music, magic, and all.  The usual basis isn’t just the overall skill, like music, for example, but all the undergirding principles or abilities—rhythm, tone, ear, voice, and all.  The second part of this basis is the willingness or desire to become the best.

 

The desire to become the best is driven by the trained, guided, or coerced ambition of the protagonist.  An extreme example is my character Deirdre who was driven by her adopted sister’s abuse to develop her musical skills to a level inaccessible to most people.  Deirdre is a diva and a paid musician before she entered high school.  Her tone perfect blind adopted sister would physically abuse her with a ruler to get the very determined Deirdre to perfect her tone, pitch, and loudness.  I wouldn’t recommend this, but Deirdre came from an unusual household. 

 

This level of coercion is typical of the Romantic protagonist.  Some is self-induced and some is induced by others, Deirdre is the example of the latter.  My sweet Siobhàn has two specific characteristic that drive her being.  The first is Bookgirl.  This is the drive to read and the love of books.  She got this from her father—obviously.  This love of books was driven by her father’s love of books.  The love of books is ultimately what makes her the top girl for education in her school as well as what enables her to succeed in fashionista expertise when she enters modeling.  Abby is amazed by Siobhàn’s knowledge, but this came directly from her skills in reading and learning mixed with the availability of the reading fashion material.  Talk about a perfect Romantic protagonist skill development. 

 

This explains Siobhàn’s reading, books, and knowledge, but not her modeling skill.  That’s what I will address, next.

 

Why is Siobhàn such a great model?  Okay, this comes from my worldview.  I write in a reflected worldview.  The reflected worldview is all about what people think exists in the world versus what we can prove exists in the world.  The difference between the real and the reflected worldview.  This is a little of a difficult thing to explain, but think about what we know exists versus what we what or believe exists.  The big deal is the supernatural.  Many if not most of us presume the God or gods exist.  This is an assumption by about 80 to 90 percent of the world.  If God or gods exist then angels and other supernatural beings like demons might also exist.  The question becomes then, do vampires, werewolves, dragons, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures exist?  Great question.  The reflected worldview includes the world that people want or believe exists.  I write in the reflected worldview.

 

Siobhàn’s modeling that is her beauty, poise, and elegance comes from the supernatural.  What, you might ask?  The answer fits directly in my worldview, the reflected worldview.  Her special capability and skills comes from Fae glamour.  I plan to make Siobhàn a child of the Fae.  Her mother left her with her father and disappeared.  This is a characteristic of the Fae.  I’m not sure yet who will be her actual father or mother.  The point is that Siobhàn exudes Fae glamour without knowing it at all.  She is incredibly beautiful and only held that in check by her pretty slovenly ways.  I don’t mean she was lazy or intentionally slovenly.  She was intentionally unkempt and that hid her natural and unnaturally beauty.  I’m not sure how I’ll play this.  Perhaps her father or someone else realized about her real beauty and helped direct her to not be so wonderful, it didn’t work.   The fourth chapter moves into this part of the novel and plot.  I’ll explain that next.

 

I’ve already started this setup in the fourth chapter.  Siobhàn will be representing her client in Perth for some of the characters I developed in and for other novels.  These characters are both familiar with the Fae and with Fae glamour.  They will almost immediately note Siobhàn’s use of glamour and her potential Fae ancestry.  As I wrote, we don’t know anything about Siobhàn’s mother.  Her mother was Fae, and that makes Siobhàn half Fae.  Her unusual and natural skills in modeling come from her Fae background as well as her father’s elegance. 

 

I haven’t put it in as strong of terms as I need to in the writing.  I really should go back and carefully document, through description, Callum Shaw’s very deliberate and intrinsic articulacy.  He is magnificent for his height and size.  He is the proverbial graceful very tall person.  A man who exudes confidence as well as personal refinement.  This is where Siobhàn learned her grace while she took her unusual and exciting beauty from her mother. 

 

I’m trying to produce a vision of human perfection that is unusual and different.  This is actually hard to get from reality, and that’s why I determined to go toward the reflected and supernatural. 

 

I don’t know about you, but in developing this novel, I’ve been looking carefully at models to determine what separated them from the herd of humanity.  I’ve determined that it isn’t much.  Most models today don’t really have ethereal beauty or really unusual characteristics that we would call striking.  I see mostly sunken eye sockets and features I’d expect from a person who didn’t get enough sleep or who was abusing drugs.  I really couldn’t use such a description or idea.  On the other hand, there are mountains of models who have some degree of beauty, but nothing that really set them apart from the rest of humanity.  With Siobhàn, I’m trying to make this contrast and build this description—that if you saw her in beautiful clothing with her hair brushed and pulled back from her face, you would see a vision of the most lovely human woman in your time.  That’s what I’m aiming for.

 

The writer of Emma M. Lion achieved something like this in her fictional journal about Emma Lion.  A female character whose stunning beauty overshadowed everyone.  I liked her descriptions although they were fleeting and relatively simple—it’s a journal after all.  Still that’s the intellectual feeling I’m looking for, but I’d also like to gain a descriptive and narrative focus that makes the reader see the same exceptional and unusual beauty I’m trying to convey.  That will make Siobhàn a highly unusual character and great Romantic protagonist.  I’ll get to how the fourth chapter and following will shape up, next.      

 

There’s more.

 

I want to write another book based on Rose and Seoirse, and the topic will be the raising of Ceridwen—at least that’s my plan.  Before I get to that, I want to write another novel about dependency as a theme.  We shall see.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

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