“So everybody gets a chance to get honest feedback,” Celia adds.
“Interesting. I usually write my songs solo. Although I have to admit I’m struggling with writer’s block right now.”
“Oh, what do you do when it hits?” Jessica asks curiously.
“Yeah, you don’t have some songwriting group to help?” Celia follows up.
“No. I usually work best alone.”
“But how do you create in a vacuum?” Cassandra inquires.
“I don’t know. I guess right now I’m not creating at all,” I answer honestly.
“What do you normally do when writer’s block strikes?” Lacy asks, trying to help.
“I don’t really have a system in place,” I admit awkwardly. “Eventually it just passes.”
“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good,” Celia says, shaking her head.
“Why don’t you stick around tonight and see how our writers’ group works?” Lacy asks. “If that’s alright with you all?” She turns to the women on the screen.
They enthusiastically agree.
“Cool. So, who’s up this week?” I ask curiously. “Lacy?” I ask hopefully. I have to admit, I’m curious about her writing. I haven’t read any of it.
“I am,” Jessica says. “We’re critiquing a chapter from the book I’m working on.”
“But I haven’t read it,” I say with bemusement. This group approach to creating is strange to me.
“No worries, you can skim over it now as we get started,” Lacy says, handing me a stack of pages.
“Thanks.”
I start reading through the chapter Lacy has handed me, half-listening to the women as they discuss the work. It’s clearly some kind of romance, a love story. The woman in the story is pretty cool, but the guy seems lame. I don’t really get why the woman is even into him. Finally, I put down the last page, and Lacy looks to me expectantly.
“All done?”
“Yeah.”
“So, what did you think?” Jessica asks. “Any notes?”
“Well, I don’t really see why your heroine is into your hero,” I say with a shrug. “She seems pretty cool, but he’s kinda a dud, no?”
“Oh, I uh…” Jessica’s voice trails off awkwardly.
I notice Cassandra hiding a smile behind her hands, and Celia awkwardly looking away from the screen.
“So, the hero in the book is actually inspired by Jessica’s husband,” Lacy says gently to me.
“Oh, right! Got it, got it,” I say hurriedly.Foot-in-mouth, Ben. “Well, maybe you can just jazz him up a bit for the book, right? Like, make him a little sexier? More successful? Something like that.”
“That’s the thing, though,” Jessica says pointedly, “it’s not supposed to be a book about a sexy or successful couple. This is supposed to be a love story that’s relatable to everyone.”
“Yeah. I think Jessica’s target audience is more the ‘everyday guy’ not the rock star,” Celia says with a small smile.
“Sure, sure, makes sense,” I reply, already regretting agreeing to take part in this.
“But I appreciate your feedback, Benjamin,” Jessica says with an encouraging smile. “Any other notes for me? I am interested in the male perspective.”