Filling the Cup

I’m 18 thousand words into Aphrodite Unbound.

This is actually behind my initial schedule—I originally wanted to be somewhere at the 40k mark by now—but this is for a book that’s coming out in August, so I took a deep breath and talked to my writing group about my concerns.

My writing group were like, “Karen, you mean the book that’s coming in August? It’s April. Chill the fuck out.”

So I am chilling the fuck out, which is good timing, because it is actually the term break here in Aotearoa. In between writing sessions, I am giving myself a damn break, and sewing, reading, and catching up on reality TV - which, because I can’t help myself, is actually all feeding into my creative work.

Influences:

I often use my leisure time to inform my creative work with what I’m watching, reading, or thinking about.

I read often and widely, but if I’m specifically thinking about the beats and tropes of feminist romantic comedy, I might go back and re-read some Jennifer Crusie or Alyssa Cole. If I’m working on a sex scene, it might be time to have another look at what Rebekah Weatherspoon did in her latest.

And, of course, I’m always checking out work in the settings I’m exploring. This isn’t research in the same way as trying to chase down facts or references; it’s more of a creative vibe check. It’s not a chore, either: After all, I’m writing about this stuff in the first place because I think it’s fun or interesting!

This week, I’ve been watching Season Two of the designer-focused reality TV show, Next in Fashion, where supermodel Gigi Hadid has joined Tan France as presenter and judge.

Of course, I have no idea what she’s really like, but in the show, Gigi comes across as honest (often hilariously blunt, but never mean), affectionate, intelligent, and sharply observant. She’s incredibly charismatic, and endearingly practical. A moment that has stuck in my mind is when one of the designers marveled at her ability to walk in her precipitous heels: how could she do that?

Gigi, matter-of-fact: “This is my job.”

Aphrodite Urania, of the aforementioned Aphrodite Unbound, is also a supermodel. I mean, of course she is—the original Aphrodite is a goddess of love, beauty and desire, so in the magazine publishing world, an Aphrodite who models makes sense.

I am not saying Aphrodite is Gigi. My job is creating characters, not copying them. But Gigi is definitely influencing my conception of Aphrodite, as I watch and write.

Inspiration:

I have a corkboard above my desk, where I tend to stick references for the book I’m working on. That way, when I lean back and look up for inspiration, there it is!

Often it’s just one or two images with a poem or a phrase I want to guide me, but for Aphrodite I went big and bold. I spent a lot of last night tearing pictures from old Vogue magazines, and more time arranging and pasting them.

The end result is a collage full of clothes she might wear, poses she might take, place she might go, and ridiculous things she might be asked to do, all in the name of fashion. Plus some antiques - my Aphrodite loves pretty things, and she has never been fond of restraint.

And when I look up, there it is:

I wouldn’t have done this if I hadn’t decided to take a day off. Sometimes, you’ve just got to chill.

Book (and Newsletter) Stuff:

• Reminder! I am turning paid subscriptions on at the end of the month! If you have pledged a subscription, your card will be charged, and then you will get your exclusive monthly email about the business of my creative work - numbers, spreadsheets, schedules, sub-contracting, and all the to-do lists in the world!
• Bespoke and Bespelled is acquiring some really lovely reviews! Thank you very much to those of you who have read and reviewed the book; it makes such a huge positive difference to visibility and word-of-mouth.
• Persephone in Bloom is available for pre-order! This is a full-length romantic comedy, and the first book in the Olympus Inc. series. Order it here for Amazon US, here for Amazon Australia/New Zealand, or here for pretty much every other e-retailer!