Writing Exercises for Reunion: Coda

Monday, April 1, 2024

What does your hero say the first time he sees the heroine naked?

“As a historian, I’ve always believed it’s the unseen details that hold the true essence of beauty. Now, standing before you, I realize some histories are felt rather than told.”

And this is how Maddie might reply:

“In the symphony of my life, you’ve been, as of late, the crescendo, Jim. And now, you’ve left me utterly breathless.”

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Describe what your hero is wearing when your heroine first sees him.

Jim is a professor of history at Columbia University and an up-and-coming author of non-fiction books about military history (especially focusing on World War II). At the novel’s beginning, he’s at a new nightclub in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) called the Moonglow. It’s Friday night, and even though I don’t delve into it much in the book, we can safely assume that Jim went to his apartment in midtown Manhattan after work, showered, shaved, and chose a nice suit to fit in with the club’s 1940s theme.

Based on this assumption, Jim is wearing a gray tweed herringbone suit (pants, vest, and a single-breasted jacket), a white shirt, a red tie with a gold tiepin, brown shoes, and a matching belt. He also wears a replica of Indiana Jones’ brown felt snap-brim fedora.  

How do you describe your heroine when your hero first sees her?

I glance at the bottle of Heineken in my hand, feeling the chill of the condensation on my fingers. It’s a new nightclub, and I’m curious to see what it’s like. I’m not here to hook up, but I wouldn’t mind some company. Maybe someone who shares my passion for history. Someone who appreciates the stories behind the facts. Someone who can make me laugh and think at the same time.

That’s when I hear her voice. “Excuse me,” she says, “is this seat taken?”

Her accent is refined and elegant, like a cross between FDR and a British aristocrat. I swivel around and there she is, clutching a bag stuffed with books from Book Culture – that quaint little bookstore on Broadway. Her hair is the color of caramel, and her eyes are a deep hazel. She’s wearing a sky-blue dress that hugs her curves in all the right places. She’s breathtaking. – from Reunion: Coda

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Describe your heroine’s physical characteristics without having her look in the mirror.

Because Reunion: Coda is a novel set in two different stages of the protagonist/narrator’s life, there are two female leads: Marty and Maddie. Marty is the 1980s-era one, while Maddie is the Present Day (2000) “heroine.”

Let’s go for Maddie, shall we?

Maddie is a woman whose beauty is both striking and subtle. She possesses a heart-shaped face, the soft contours of her cheeks tapering to a delicate chin. Her hazel eyes, framed by arched brows, are windows to her soul, expressive and vibrant. A mane of chestnut hair falls in a cascade of loose waves, brushing her shoulders with a gentle grace. Her lips, reminiscent of a Gibson girl’s, are neither too full nor too thin, but perfectly shaped for a smile that lights up her face. Her neck is slender, leading to shoulders that carry an air of confidence. Maddie’s physique is toned, the result of regular exercise, yet retains a natural softness. Her fingers are long and delicate, the hands of a pianist, with a touch as gentle as her voice. In her posture and presence, there is a balance of strength and femininity, a harmony that captures the essence of her character.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Does your character have an academic interest? Did they go to college, and if so, what did they study? What draws them to this subject?

My protagonist/narrator, James K. Garraty (Jim/Jimmy) is a professor of history at Columbia University. His area of expertise is 20th-century military history, with a special focus on the Second World War. He earned a full scholarship to study history at Harvard in the early 1980s, and he has taught at Harvard and Oxford University. I haven’t mentioned his motivations in either Reunion: A Story or Reunion: Coda, but I think Jim became fascinated with history while trying to understand why the U.S. got involved in Vietnam – a “lost crusade” in which his father, an Army helicopter pilot, was killed.

Friday, April 5, 2024

What role does money play in your story? How does it impact your characters? Is it a subject that causes conflict, and if so, how?

Money doesn’t play much of a role in the Reunion duology. None of the two stories in it are your run-of-the-mill romance novels, so that trope of “wealthy character loves working class character” isn’t a “thing,” especially in Reunion: Coda. Jim is a history professor and best-selling author, so he definitely makes over $100,000 a year. Maddie (his 2000 era love interest) is a professional musician who plays the piano with the New York Philharmonic. She probably makes less than Jim, but this doesn’t cause any dramatic tension between them.