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“Oh no. I don’t like that look. What’s wrong? Is it the sword fight between Kalin and Rollins? I have been struggling to get that part right.”
Tessa shook her head, “No, no! That part is great. Very exciting. Made me feel like I was right there in the midst of their battle.”
He lifted an inquisitive eyebrow, “But?”
She sighed and dropped the pen to the counter. “But, well, I feel like the manuscript lacks emotional vulnerability. The character falls a bit flat without some depth to his emotional struggles, you know?”
Suddenly, Daniel’s expression darkened. “I’m not following.”
Crap. He’s mad.Tessa struggled to redirect her course a bit, softening the blow of her criticism. “Look, it’s great! Really. I wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t. I really believe in your book. It’s just, well, the character has been cast out. He has lost everything—his home, his station, his honor. And we don’t really see how that has impacted him emotionally?”
“So, there’s not enough brooding?” He crossed his arms and took a defensive posture. “Sorry, not all characters can be Edward Cullen.”
She scoffed at his pointed remark. “You know, for someone who claims to know nothing aboutTwilight, you sure know an awful lot about it. And look, I’m not saying your character needs to bethatbrooding, but there does need to be a certain amount of anguished reflection with this kind of shift in his life.”
Daniel’s defensive posture didn’t change. “Look, I know you enjoy your sappy romances, but this is a completely different genre and—”
“Hey now,” she cut him off. “No taking shots at my preferred genre. I happen to have a lot of experience in a variety of genres from my previous job. That is why you let me read this. It’s not that I am trying to make your character into a romantic lead. We just need to see more of his internal struggle.”
“Okay, how do you suppose I do that?”
Tessa tapped her pen to her chin, taking a moment to think about it. “Well, I find that the best way to write emotional depth is to draw on your experiences. What is something in your life that brings up a strong emotional response?”
The question clearly made Daniel uncomfortable. His posture shifted, and his brow crinkled as he thought about it. “It’s not that simple, Tessa.”
“Ha! You thought of something just now. Don’t fight it. Go with it,” she encouraged.
He grunted and unfolded his arms. “Well, I was just thinking about how it felt growing up in this town. My dad—” He broke off.
“No, no. Keep going.” Tessa could see him struggling internally with the decision to share this. This was good. That internal struggle would open him up on the page.
Another grunt. “My dad wasn’t exactly Dad of the Year, okay? After my mom passed, he sort of disappeared into his own grief. He wasn’t terribly present. Or particularly kind,” he sighed. “So, I was sort of, well, raised by the town. I spent my afternoons here or at Lily’s. Everyone knew the sort of man my dad was. They took care of me, made sure I felt loved.”
Tessa nodded, considering his words. “So, you were basically adopted by the residents of Lucas.”
He shrugged. “Sure, I guess. This place is my family, and I feel strongly about that. My dad is still around, but he is just a shadow of the man he was before. Spends most of his time at the bar in the next town over. So, no one here can see how far he has fallen.” His shoulders sagged. “It’s—it’s tough, you know?”
Tessa knew she needed to choose her next words very carefully. This was obviously not easy for Daniel to share, and honestly, she was a little surprised hehadshared it. From the way he spoke of it, it was like every word was being physically dragged out of him.
“That sounds—well, that honestly sounds tough. I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like,” she placed her hand on the pile of papers on the counter. “Now, if you can channel some of that inner turmoil into your character, he will leap off the page. Readers want a character that struggles.”
Daniel was silent for a moment, his expression far away. Finally, he looked up and met Tessa’s gaze with a half-smile. “Bleed on the page, huh?”
“Something like that,” she said softly. “But overall, this manuscript is really good. It’s not my typical genre, and evenIam getting sucked into the story. You have some great ideas. You just need more emotionaloomph.”
At that, he chuckled. “Duly noted. Hey, do you think—”
The sound of the bells above the door sounded, and Tessa turned to see a young woman with green hair standing at the entrance to the shop. Her eyes swept across the shop for a moment before landing on Tessa.
“Hi, I was looking for a particular book. Well, sort of. I’m looking for a particulartypeof book. Do you think you could help?”
Tessa turned to Daniel and smiled. She could handle this. Seeming to take her meaning, Daniel nodded and wandered away from the checkout counter.
“Yes, of course! Now, what exactly are you looking for?”
The girl—Emory, she said her name was—was looking for a fantasy novel with a romantic subplot, preferably enemy to lovers. Tessa nodded along, cataloging the themes and tropes as she thought through the problem. There were a few that fit the bill, but she had an idea.
“Have you tried theThrone of Glassseries?”
