There are challenges and gifts of going on my own with the Wilfair books. One pleasure of doin' my own thing has been the pacing of the love story.
I'm not saying that love stories aren't marvelously paced via traditional publishing, because they absolutely are. Pure gorgeousness out there. I've said it before: I heart trad pub 4evr.
I'm the problem here. Me. It comes down to my own greedy little heart. While I have my favorites, I'm not always satisfied with the brisk clip that love affairs move at in films and books. Even if they're drawn out -- Anne and Gilbert might be a reasonable example, from the "Anne of Green Gables" series -- I'm that unreasonable person who always wants another book or film in the middle of things, where the characters cannot yet get down to business but must rely on long looks and heartfelt letters and such.
Do I want the characters I care for to be frustrated or unhappy? No way. But I like seeing all that sweetness play out in a way that's closer to reality, rather than simply getting the highlight reel of the love affair. (Fair Finley gets fed up with movie montages and perhaps I do a little, too.)
If I'm enjoying two characters in a film, I could probably watch a whole second film about them running errands together.
I crave little moments almost as much as big moments, I guess. Nose kisses are nice.
My goal with my own writing is to temper my proclivities here with the fact that readers like resolutions, too, and victories for a couple. Everything *can't* be errand-running; there have to be deeper scenes, too, now and then. Scenes that move the twosome forward, or backward, or somewhere.
Fair and Gomery end "Stay Awhile" at a pretty different place than where they started it. It's the biggest jump forward of the three books, and it's a jump forward in two ways. Whether those two ways can work in concert remains to be seen. I'm hopeful.
