NSFW: Dogs and Goddesses Plotting Chat for McDaniel

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NSFW: Dogs and Goddesses Plotting Chat for McDaniel

Hello, Argh. I’ve been on the road forever so I owe you a post, and the McDaniel students asked about how Krissie and Lani and I collaborated on Dogs and Goddesses so I’m posting a piece of a chat transcript here (with digressions edited out) that shows how we worked out the climax of the book while we were writing it. It’s NSFW, so if you’re squeamish do not keep reading.

And all of Argh Nation keeps reading.

Lani D. Okay – so climax. End of Act Three – the fire – Abby’s POV. Act Four starts – rising from the ashes, right? So they’re gonna be drinking the punch in that, right? Is that the moment Abby figures the punch out? After the fire?

Krissie O. Yes. Toasting each other. Originally I had her figure it out in the middle of the night while she was having sex with Christopher. Or around that time.

Lani D. Because here’s the thing – I’d like that punch to give them something they didn’t have before. “I feel kinda invincible.”* Would that work for you guys?

Krissie O. Oh, yes!!!!

Lani D. But it’s the first time the three of them have it, right?

Krissie O. Yup.

Lani D. Okay – so they drink the punch, they have their invincible moment, and they decide they need to kick some ass. Now – question Jenny – when does Sam run off to die? Is it before the fire? After the fire?

Jenny C. No, after. The fire is what makes him leave. He realizes that Kami’s going to take them one way or another, and he has to get rid of her before she hurts them, so he goes to tell her that they’re going back to Mesopotamia and she can sacrifice him there.

Lani D. Okay – so, will this work – if they drink the punch, get kinda invincible, and then Sam goes off to die. That needs to be in Shar’s POV – does Shar have an after-the-fire scene?

Jenny C. Not so far but she can have.

Krissie - I think Shar has to have the POV where Sam goes off to die, don’t you?

Jenny C. I’m open.

Krissie O. It makes sense — the scene for the POV of the person who has the most to lose.

Lani D. So maybe these can be shorter scenes – they rise from the fire (Abby) Sam goes off to die (Shar) They plan to kick some goddess ass (Daisy). Will that work?

Jenny C. Man, you just want to see her bleed to love him.**

Lani D. Oh, I’m sorry. Did you not get the memo? We’re writing ROMANCE.

Jenny C. LOL

Lani D. I’ll give you a minute to look it up on Wikipedia.

Jenny C. I was writing a dog story. Now if MILTON was going off to die. That would be entirely different.

Lani D. ROFL

Jenny C. Besides Sam’s not awestruck during sex so really, no loss.

Krissie O. Oh, I had a thought about Sam and sex. I don’t remember ever getting the sense that he really really wanted her. He was just bumbling around, fucking everything. I never got the sense that he would really do anything for her. Is there anything in an earlier scene that shows him really wanting her? Because I think we need that for the scene to have power.

Jenny C. Well, you know, women. Dime a dozen.

Krissie O. We know Shar’s been thinking about it.

Jenny C. I had notes on stuff. But I kind of ended up moving story.

Krissie O. But I don’t know that we get a sense of Sam really needing it from her.

Jenny C. Sigh. Second act rewrite.

Krissie O. Just a thought while it was zipping through my SCB.

Jenny C. I did a thing where they danced to “One Night,” but there was no place for it.

Lani D. I think there are hints with how he loved Sharrat. But yes, that needs to be in there.

Krissie O. Yup. But that was it.

Jenny C. No, you’re right.

Lani D. And just a little AMAZEMENT. That’s all I ask.

Jenny C. “My GOD, she has a VAGINA! And I’m IN IT.”

Krissie O. No, she has a glittery hooha.

Jenny C. And the blue glitter is AWESOME.

Krissie O. lapis blue

Lani D. heh heh heh

Krissie O. or do I mean labia blue?

Lani D. Oh dear

Krissie O. stop that!

Jenny C. Penicillin clears that right up. So, glitter, awestruck, loves her more than Milton. Got it.

Lani D. Lol. She’s on it.

Jenny C. Jamie had any yet?

Lani D. Jamie will get some, don’t you worry. Nice deflection, by the way, Crusie.

Jenny C. ON THE PAGE?

Lani D. YES ON THE PAGE. Jesus.

Jenny C. None of this “and later they had great sex” stuff.

Lani D. You give me amazement, I’ll get Jamie laid. Deal?

Jenny C. I want to see the AWE IN HIS EYES.

Lani D. YOU WILL.

Jenny C. LOL.

Lani D. Hey, babe, you had dick, but I had AWE.

Jenny C. Awe without dick is meaningless.

Lani D. Can I quote you on that?

Jenny C. Absolutely. Just spell my name right.

Lani D. OOOH on the header at the site. “Jennie Cruise says…”

Jenny C. I SAID SPELL MY NAME RIGHT. Jesus.

Lani D. Dick and awe? Kinda like shock and awe only effective.

Krissie O. A new slogan.

Jenny C. Dick and Awe. The old vaudeville team.

Lani D. SERIOUS. WORKING. PROFESSIONAL. Oh, hell.

Jenny C. Okay, I think the fourth act was a little short without the extra scenes so I think it’s good.

Lani D. So that’ll work? Then we storm the castle.

Jenny C. Works for me.

Lani D. Abby gets us there, starts the chant.

Jenny C. Although I have to write that goddamn emotion again. You know, I’m just not GOOD at that.

Lani D. Daisy takes it, they get knocked on their asses, Kami stabs Sam . . .takes it from there when the Three regroup – Mina tries to kill Shar – Kami saves Shar, gets banished for her trouble. And then, Shar’s POV when they raise Sam. Heh heh heh.

[Major Buffy Digression)

Lani D. You know, it just occurred to me that I don’t think we’re gonna work tonight.

Jenny C. I have to write that freaking drunk scene since I got NOTHING done today.

Lani D. Well, the mood we’re in now works great for the drunk scene.

Krissie O. I wrote two lousy pages of my love scene. But I intend to persevere.

Jenny C. It happens after a FUNERAL. I gotta get them from “My GOD she’s dead,” to “She said, ‘Awe’ heh heh heh.”

Lani D. No, it doesn’t happen after the funeral. It happens after they witness a traumatic death.

Jenny C. Oh, right, that’s BETTER.

Krissie O. Yeah, but Daisy doesn’t care, remember?

Jenny C. “MY GOD SHE DIED, pass the punch.”

Krissie O. Not a tear was shed.

Lani D. Oh, hell.

Jenny C. Heartless bitch.

Lani D. “I never liked that tramp…”

Jenny C. There’s an idea. Let’s kill Karen. None of us liked her.

Lani D. Yes! One more to the body count…

Jenny C. We have a body count of one. And it doesn’t really count because it’s a human being, not a dog.

Krissie O. Karen? I’ve forgotten her. Which means she’s expendible.

Lani D. Right.

Jenny C. Now if we killed a DOG . . .

Krissie O. Body count of two. Sam dies.

Lani D. Tallie needs company. It’s no fun being dead by yourself.

Jenny C. Yeah, Sam and Tallie in the afterlife. Sam would rise just to get away from her.

Krissie O. He’d fuck her. You know he would. He’s equal opportunity. Since he’s not awed by Shar.

Jenny C. OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD . . .