I love dialogue.
It’s the best way to salt all those pesky details of the backstory into your
work in progress. My writing is dialogue heavy, but there are times when a
character’s body language can say as much as words. Is your hero standing,
slouching, getting ready to take on dragons with his muscles bunched, his teeth
bared? The reader knows the minute a main character tenses, things are going
downhill, fast.
So, how would a
woman in the eighteenth or nineteenth century express herself through a few
slight movements of her hands? The smart phone was a long way off and she
couldn’t stroke a few keys to set up a booty call. Her life was spent walking
the fine line of society’s mores. The strictures placed upon her made it difficult
to communicate with a man who caught her eye. The clever woman of the time
devised ways of getting the message across to the man she fancied, or to reject
someone. I like to think of it as the eighteenth and nineteenth century version
of texting.
Here’s a
scenario to illustrate what I mean.
Our heroine sits
on a small damask covered chair waiting for the hero to walk through the door
of the assembly hall. The music swells into a waltz. She reaches for her fan in
anticipation of seeing the man who has haunted her dreams for the last few
weeks. He makes his appearance and she raises her fan. He asks her for a dance.
What does she do? Or maybe it’s the villain of the story who wants her for her
inheritance.
Let the games
begin.
THE FAN PLACED
NEAR THE HEART: “You have won my love.”
THE FAN RESTING
ON HER HEART: “My love for you is breaking my heart.”
A CLOSED FAN:
“When may I be allowed to see you?”
THE NUMBER OF
STICKS SHOWN ANSWERS THE QUESTION: “At what hour?”
THREATENING
MOVEMENTS WITH THE FAN CLOSED: “Do not be imprudent.”
HALF-OPENED FAN
PRESSED TO THE LIPS: “You may kiss me.”
FAN WITH THE
HANDLE TO LIPS: “Kiss me.”
HANDS CLASPED
TOGETHER HOLDING AN OPEN FAN: “Forgive me.”
COVERING THE
LEFT EAR WITH AN OPEN FAN: “Do not betray our secret.”
HIDING THE EYES
BEHIND AN OPEN FAN: “I love you.”
SHUTTING A FULLY
OPENED FAN SLOWLY: “I promise to marry you.”
DRAWING THE FAN
ACROSS THE EYES: “I am sorry.”
TOUCHING THE
FINGER TO THE TIP OF THE FAN: ”I wish to speak with you.”
LETTING THE FAN
REST ON THE RIGHT CHEEK: ”Yes.”
LETTING THE FAN
REST ON THE LEFT CHEEK: “No.”
OPENING AND
CLOSING THE FAN SEVERAL TIMES: “You are cruel.”
OPENING AND
CLOSING THE FAN SEVERAL TIMES, QUICKLY AND INPETUOUSLY: “I’m jealous.”
DROPPING THE
FAN: “We are friends, or I belong to you.”
FANNING SLOWLY:
“I am married, or don’t waste your time, I don’t care about you.”
FANNING QUICKLY:
“I love you so much.”
CARRYING THE FAN
CLOSED AND HANGING FROM HER LEFT HAND: “I am engaged.”
CARRYING THE FAN
CLOSED AND HANGING FROM HER RIGHT HAND: “I want to be engaged.”
HITTING HER
HAND’S PALM: “Love me.”
OPENING THE FAN
WIDE: “Wait for me.”
PLACING THE FAN
BEHIND THE HEAD OR MOVING HER HAIR AWAY FROM HER FOREHEAD WITH THE FAN: “Do not
forget me.”
PLACING THE FAN
BEHIND THE HEAD WITH THE FINGERS EXTENDED: “Goodbye.”
FAN IN THE RIGHT
HAND IN FRONT OF FACE: “Follow me.”
FAN IN THE LEFT
HAND IN FRONT OF FACE: “I’m desirous of your acquaintance.”
FAN HELD OVER
THE LEFT EAR: “I want to be rid of you.”
DRAWING THE FAN
ACROSS THE FOREHEAD: “You have changed.”
TWIRLING THE FAN
IN THE LEFT HAND: “We are being watched.”
TWIRLING THE FAN
IN THE RIGHT HAND: “I love another.”
CARRYING THE
OPEN FAN IN THE RIGHT HAND: “You are too willing.”
CARRYING THE
OPEN FAN IN THE LEFT HAND: “Come and talk to me.”
DRAWING THE FAN
THROUGH THE HANDS: “I hate you.”
DRAWING THE FAN
ACRSS THE CHEEK: “I love you.”
PRESENTING THE
FAN SHUT: “Do you love me?”
CLOSING THE FAN:
“I wish to speak with you.”
All the heroine
needs is a wave or snap of a fan to tell either man her true feelings.
Here’s another
scenario, using a different fashion accessory—the ever-present gloves. They
were used to send coded messages to the
men who flocked around her. When fans weren’t practical, our heroine has to
make do with another type of code to express her true feelings.
Our heroine
wears a pair of gloves to the ball, or she might be riding in Hyde Park, Rotten
Row, the 18th century meeting place popular with the upper-class Londoners.
Everyone makes an appearance during the weekend evenings, and at midday, either
on horseback or in carriages. Intrigue and romance abounds. A handsome man asks
to call the next day. What’s our heroine’s answer? Does she tell the hero
what’s in her heart? Dash the hopes of the fortune hunter?
Here are a
variety of ways our heroine might use the gloves to answer the men’s queries.
BITING THE TIPS:
"I wish to be rid of you very soon!"
CLENCHING THEM,
ROLLED UP IN THE RIGHT HAND: "No!"
DRAWING HALFWAY
UP LEFT HAND: "Indifference"
DROPPING BOTH OF
THEM: "I love you"
DROPPING ONE OF
THEM: "Yes"
FOLDING UP
CAREFULLY : "Get rid of your company"
HOLDING THE TIPS
DOWNWARD: "I wish to be acquainted"
HOLDING THEM
LOOSE IN THE RIGHT HAND: "I am content"
HOLDING THEM
LOOSE IN THE LEFT HAND: "I am satisfied"
LEFT HAND WITH
THE NAKED THUMB EXPOSED: "Do you love me?"
PUTTING THEM
AWAY: "I am vexed!"
RIGHT HAND WITH
THE NAKED THUMB EXPOSED: "Kiss me"
SMOOTHING THEM
OUT GENTLY: "I am displeased"
STRIKING THEM OVER
THE SHOULDER: "Follow me"
TAPPING THE
CHIN: "I love another"
TOSSING THEM UP
GENTLY: "I am engaged"
TURNING THEM
INSIDE OUT: "I hate you!"
TWISTING THEM
AROUND THE FINGERS: "Be careful, we are watched!"
USING THEM AS A
FAN: "Introduce me to your company".
I love these fun
facts, although a question has occurred to me. If everyone knew these maneuvers
with either the fan or gloves, nothing was really a secret.
So, think about
the implications of the heroine dropping a pair of gloves, or furiously fanning
her face after a country dance. She might land in a lot of hot water. The
possibilities to add a touch of humor or the horror of a social faux pas in the
ballroom are limitless. Here’s one of my favorite examples. Have fun.
And check out
these other fascinating websites:
BIO:
With the maiden name of Love, how could I not write romance?
I live in western Missouri with my husband and our cat Spook, who thinks he actually owns the house. We're just the servants who came with the property. I'm a former chef, and my hobbies include sewing, belly dancing, acting, and playing video games with a vengeance.
I am a member of Romance Writers of America and my local chapter, Heartland Romance Authors.
BLURB:
Alex King wants to follow the family tradition and marry his perfect wife on Christmas Eve. There’s one little hitch—his bride dumps him at the altar. He wakes up in Vegas with a hangover, a ring on his finger, and in bed with Zoe Hillman, his best friend. She’s overweight and plain, nothing at all like his image of the perfect wife. So begins the shortest Vegas marriage in history.
Zoe loved Alex from the moment he walked through the law firm’s doors. He can charm the panties off any woman, but he’s never tried it with her. The chance to grab for the gold ring is within her reach until everything blows up in her face. Now, five years later she returns to Kansas City with triplets in tow and a brand new look. Catering Alex’ next wedding should prove interesting.
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