Well, it was a random thought I had while putting in a *** to mark temporary scene divisions as I cleaned up the draft of the first chapter.
I moved all my dialect notes to the research file and the working notes are still over 5,000 words. The actual chapter is 3,700. So I just need to do the last two weeks 18 more times and I'll have a novel.
***
Just to keep it straight in my own head:
Everybody is speaking a light Estuary accent unless otherwise noted. Leslie shades more Estuary, Jean shades more RP, perhaps with a light lilt of Irish or South African.
George is technically speaking Midlands, but it isn't being marked in text in any way. Doesn't matter so much since George won't be back after this chapter.
Tim is Geordie, with a bit of Geordie in there all the time. Tony is a Liverpudlian and always has a bit of the sound but he can be understated...or he can put on the dog by going full-bore Scouser.
The un-named Cardiff didn't talk yet; there's a "Call me Jonesy, everybody does eventually" person with a Welsh background, probably, and the name Duncan might appear. Susan also didn't get any indication of accent. Steve is probably American -- I haven't made up my mind yet as I also cut him from the opening chapter.
***
Walked down to the shop, got a little trombone in because I had no concentration for balancing the violin on my shoulder. You get so TIRED when you aren't working!
I've largely solved the double-lipping, but some of the slots are still weird for me. I have the trumpet back in the apartment which means all my practice now is through the Yamaha Silent Mute. And the flute is getting more solid but my tone is still too breathy for my taste. Sigh. I really need to record something soon.
Well, I've sorted out a lot of what I mean to do with the core cast, and introduced basic concepts and conflicts to the reader, and found how I'm probably handling dialects. So does that mean the next chapters will go quicker?
The next one is at the Imperial War Museum in South London. And a bit at "Trafalgar" -- it may be almost anywhere, I just need a brief run-in with a bracelet salesman. And I need to re-read my chapter on museum restoration although I am pretty sure I am not doing any of this on camera. Just a "We were introduced to some of their people in the back rooms and got to watch what they were doing."
Whiskers and Tall Girl will be there. They might get names. Actually, I should give them names. It is a bad habit. In the real world, you can go to the same bar for years and only know the barman as, well, Barman, but in a book it really helps to have a single consistent handle. A name if at all possible.
One of the (many) reasons I'm dragging my feet is there is going to be a running gag through the middle of the book where my protagonist is being dragged around by her local contact Graham as he tries to track down a Roman coin. And every time she tries to introduce herself as "Penny Bright" the other person will go, "It's the other one as has the bells on it" or sommat. So I'm trying to hold down the introductions during these chapters.
And oh yeah the Blitz. Well, as far as this chapter goes, I can look at Vengeance Weapons and it will be enough.
I tracked down the fantastic W.W.I trench exhibit I remembered from my own trip. It's not there anymore. The museum went through a big revamp in 2014 and according to various visitors, it is total shite now compared to what it used to be.
There was also a "Blitz Experience." That would have been fun, too.
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