Writing Prompt #1

Write a "silent scene" in your fiction. Create a powerful scene between two characters without using any dialogue.

Thanks to Writing.com.

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The silence between the two of them was palatable. James averted his eyes. It seemed too personal, almost too intimate - which was laughable, considering what they had shared so recently - for him to watch her cry like this. Her shoulders shook silently, her head down, her hands clasped in her lap as though she was offering some sort of silent prayer for relief.

James turned his head. It was not enough to avert his eyes. Uncomfortably, he wanted to leave. No, he wanted to rise, move to her side, comfort her, but he knew she would never allow it. It surprised him that she allowed herself this moment of vulnerability in front of him. She was determined to be in control at all times and this display was most definitely a lack of control.

When she looked up, her eyes were red, still pregnant with tears waiting to be shed. He wanted to brush the tracks off her cheeks. Something about her gaze kept the physical distance between them. Something had changed, in the brief moments since she'd put her head down to let out bits of her soul, and James couldn't put a finger on it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and watched her for a moment.

As though she'd had a complete change of heart, her shoulders straightened. Her chin drew up defiantly as he had seen it do hundreds of times before. Her eyes cleared quickly. A small sniffle was her only giveaway. With hardly a glance at James, she rose to her feet - elegance, beauty, poise and control, and swept from the room, leaving him alone as he had ever been.

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Okay - not good, but I'm getting into the swing. Next time will be better, I promise!

I spent about an hour back on No One Else last night, editing. I cut out around 400 words. To get rid of my targeted 30,000 words, I am going to have to do 75 hours worth! I actually think if I can get it into the 75,000-85,000 range, I should be safe, though. I'm so proud of myself for finally being able to go back to the book... this copy is so outdated that the character name changes I made weren't recorded! So it was still Contellio instead of Costa and Santino instead of Moretti. I looked after that right away... I am trying not to let myself remember how much work I had ahead on it before my jump drive died. If I do, it just gets unbearable.

Michelle tells me there is a Harlequin "factory" in TO and I want to visit it when I go. She said she wasn't working much so hopefully she will hang with us a little bit. :)