The Joy of (physical pleasure other than) Sex...

Over Christmas I was asked, 'What's your favourite book of all time?' There are many ways to answer that question. Do I want to sound clever and profound? Do I want to describe the type of book I wish I'd written? Do I want to be honest? Full disclosure, I was drunk. I went with honest.

My answer was Christopher Brookmyre's Sacred Art of Stealing. I've read loads of great books over the years, but this one ticks all my boxes at once. It IS clever (in an accessible way). It's certainly satirical and cynical. It's exactly what I wish I could write (it balances a bunch of unexpected plot twists and gruesome crimes, alongside a tender romance) and I've read it every few years since my mid 20s. When I was asked this question (at my writers' group Christmas meal, no less - now THAT'S pressure to come up with something intelligent-sounding) I didn't overthink it. The Sacred Art of Stealing was the one. 

It's a cracker. 

The underlying reason for my love of that book (and many others written by Brookmyre) is that he writes women so well. Obviously for authentic, well-written female characters, I can go to female writers. And I do, pretty much all the time. But I think the reason I love CB's books is that they're pacy, witty crime thrillers, all with a political edge and an unexpected moral compass, yet his female protagonists are well-rounded and fully realised. In my experience of enjoying a male-written thriller from time to time, that doesn't often happen.

In semi-related news, Joanne Harris of Chocolat fame (and many books since) is a great follow on Twitter. Every few days she asks her followers for a writing topic she can advise on, in ten tweets. Her #TenThings hashtag has covered loads of issues such as #TenThingsAboutBookBlurbs or #TenThingsAboutTitles. A little while ago I read her #TenThingsWomenWantMoreOfInBooks. There were many great points made (ten!) but number seven was an eye opener. Joanne Harris suggested that women want to see more 'physical pleasures other than sex' in books. It sounded so simple and obvious. I imagine I emitted a 'duhhh' sound as I read it. Like, OBVS I want characters to experience physical pleasure other than sex. That's just basic. But then I started thinking about my own writing and my own characters. Have I fully rounded them out so they feel non-sexual pleasure in the same way that a real life person would a hundred times a day? I'm not sure.

Yes!

So far today, my own list of non-sexual pleasures include the first sip of tea this morning, the smell of my sausage butty immediately before eating it, and the smugly energised feeling I had after returning from my morning walk. All that took place in the first three hours of being awake. If I was a fictional character, no matter what plot-driven shenanighans I got up to, small details like that would make me a more interesting, more developed person on the page. So... have I given my own characters such basic details as non-sexual pleasures to enjoy, or did I go straight for plot-driven characteristics. 

Oomph. That smell!

With Carry the Beautiful, it's an interesting dilemma. The main protagonist Tilda, is an uptight, unfulfilled, hyper-organised person. Experiencing pleasure isn't her first concern. She has to be convinced to put her needs first, by her mate, Bea (a character that is all about pleasure, non-sexual and otherwise!) On reflection, I think I deliberately made Tilda avoid anything as self-indulgent as enjoying herself. Although, in my attempts at establishing her character early on, I described her relishing the brief window of silence in her empty house immediately following her return from work. That was more about showing she wasn't particularly happy in her marriage, rather than giving her unbridled pleasure with her cup of tea. But maybe I could have shown her rearranging her tupperware drawer? Getting a tricky stain from a rug? Something to show her ordered, tidy personality as well as highlighting the things that her personality finds pleasurable. It would make her leap from the page all the more quickly. Something worth reflecting on for the next time I write an adult character, anyway. 

Oh baby!

Which leads to my new book, Leeza McAuliffe Has Something To Say. Leeza turns eleven over the course of the book. As such, she seeks pleasure in as many ways as her limited funds and freedom can allow. Her parents insist on family vegetarianism so her secret ham sandwiches are an absolute treat (albeit one that causes enormous guilt). She loves the memories of holidays by the sea. Her weekly enjoyment of Friday night tea (where more effort is put in by everyone), or the huge bath she has in her first stay at a hotel - they all highlight who she is, and what makes her tick. But it was easy with Leeza. She was a child. It made sense for her character to be more focused on her immediate feelings of pleasure. My challenge will be to remember this, when I sit down to start book number three, and write new adults with new lives. That'll be happening in the next few weeks. 

And as for Christopher Brookmyre? In The Sacred Art of Stealing, when we first meet Angelique de Xavia, she's attempting to beat her judo partner into submission. Straight away, her character is established with a non-sexual pleasure or pastime. She is shown to be interesting (the reason why she's trying to channel her aggression becomes clear as the chapter progresses) and not simply there to prop up a male character and his story. This is her story. She has feelings, motivations, disappointments, and inner-conflict. It's all there. No wonder I liked her. No wonder I found myself remembering this book (amongst a huge shortlist of potential answers) when someone asked me what my favourite was. Now I just need to remember all this when I start writing again.

Have a lovely week, folks.