Last day…
I promise…
About writing about the RWA National Conference.
But really…
With all the prep, angst, and jubilation…
It’s not easy to let go.
And today I’m veering off my writing style.
And writing more lengthy and serious.
Sort of.
On the shuttle ride from the Detroit
The driver overheard my MVRWA friend and me talking.
“So you women are romance writers?” he asked.
“Uh huh,” we said dismissing his question perhaps too quickly
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
I can’t speak for my friend…
But I was boogie tired and didn’t fee like a discussion.
“So, what is it that women really want in a man?”
Well that was a loaded question.
Being a humorist, I thought of a bunch of funny, sexy, witty comebacks.
But the man was serious. I could see years of hurt in his eyes.
I looked at my friend; we read each other’s mind, What do we say to him?
"A caring man,” we both chimed in.
“NO! he barked back. “I’m nice. I care. But women don’t want me!”
I was torn between fearing him and pitying him.
“A good man/bad boy combo,” We ad libbed.
Lord! What kind of answer was that?
But it’s all we could come up with.
I tipped him a five like hush money. He loaded our suitcases in the trunk.
Rewind four days…
Sitting at the RWA luncheon in the humongous room at the Dolphin hotel…
Waiting to hear Nora Roberts give her keynote speech.
I looked around the room…
More than two thousand women…
Probably one of the biggest collection of romance writers ever.
Now, fast forward to this morning…
And I’m still thinking about the shuttle driver.
Suddenly, out of nowhere…
A wicked plot percolated in my brain…
Like hot bile in your stomach before you hurl…
What if…
The conversation with the driver happened before going to RWA?
And our lame answer to him only fueled his exasperation…
And he followed me and my friend to the RWA National conference…
Found us at the luncheon…
With all the other two thousand plus romance writers…
And then…
Went from one writer to another…
Begging us for the answer to his question…
“What do women want in a man?
You all write romance…
You have to know the answer.
I’m going to hold all of you writers hostage till I get one…
I don't care if it takes days, weeks, months, a year!
And then there'd be no more romance stories…
The genre would be dead!"
And so…
If you’re a writer of romance…
Or a writer…
Or a woman…
What answer would you give that man…
To keeps us writers…
And romance alive?
Always, Em-Musing
2 comments:
Love this post, Em. That's a great imagination you have!! I'm not even going to attempt an answer since attraction and interest and love and passion are all so subjective. But someone please save all those wonderful, creative women!
The problem with answering that questions is: the answer's different for everyone. Even my sister and I, who have very similar personalities and interests, value completely different qualities.
I'd say my top three qualities are intelligence, passion (for something), and adventurous (as in, willing to try new things, move across country on a whim, etc).
Hers are something more like: would make a good father (with all the the things that entails including financial and emotional stability), sense of humor, and (if we're being honest) good looks.
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