Seriously, What is Wrong With Me? (Vote on these boots!)

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On a normal night I write between 1500 and 2500 words. But not last night. Last night, like the night before it, and the night before it, I only wrote 1,000 words.

And I know exactly why. It's because I'm an idiot and I can't stop getting in my own way.

See at this time, I'm twenty chapters ahead in TG Techie. I'm putting down that word count so that I can stay ahead. It means that I can stop the project to work on 11th Sun and still post this thing for like, three months. I need that space. Trying to grow a brand here, ya' know?

There's a shopping scene. Aisling is going shopping with the girls on the crew for the first time. I've been hung up for three days on what clothes Aisling is buying. And I don't know thing-fucking-one about clothes. So I'm talking to everyone I know, "What do you think of this? What about this? Should she have a blue shirt or a pink one? Why not pink? Yeah I know she has red hair, but why not. Oh, you're right, that looks hideous. I'll scrap that paragraph and sew it back together. What about the fabric of the shirt?"

Then last night, in the middle of a category 4 migraine, I wasted three hours on boots.

See they're shopping the the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, and I knew what sort of boots I wanted her to wear. I looked up all of the shoe stores in the mall. I looked up their inventory. I scrolled through around 100 different boots, hated them all, and looked up another store. I kept doing this instead of just making up a pair of boots in my head and describing them.

And I'm still stuck.

On the one hand these:
Samuela Boots
I have a great description for. On the other hand there's something about the ankle that seems kind of weird. But maybe it's a good weird?

Then there's these boots:
Marye Black
Look at how great that buckle is. That's a great buckle. But what can I write about that buckle? Max three sentences, because it's just a goddamn buckle and in the big picture it's stunningly unimportant.

Anyway, throw your vote in there if you've managed to read this gripe all the way to the end.

New chapter tomorrow too. [SPOILER] someone does something that makes someone else feel some way.

Comments

Option A

While I understand what you mean the the ankle area where the shaft meets lower portion of the boot looks a bit odd, personally I think the simpler design is looks quite nice. The buckle on the second one doesn't really add to the overall appearance of it. Just my humble opinion.

Agreed

I didn't work through the analysis of the two like you did but agree with your conclusion.

Choose the shorter heels.

Having, "lived the life" for a long time, I can say that clothing eventually MUST be sensible, or you'll break your neck and be chewing Motrin like M&Ms.

Sadly, most girls and women do not wear anything but pants, but maybe she will be sensible and not wear skinny jeans. They are too hard on your bits. And, to do anything besides primp your clothing must be loose enough to move. I wear scrubs a lot for that reason. The boots, unless they are leather, will be shredded from crawling around on the floor and hooking ladders. Good western boots are going to be + $200 and then you want steel toes? Sheesh. Maybe some CAT work boots? Brown but only around $75.

Oh, what the hell, who would expect a girl to buy sensible boots? Maybe, long sleeve, cotton men's shirt?

What ever a girl wears, she always looks like a girl.

Dude!

What are you talking about? The chapter I just posted she bought jace steel toed CATs. Those are for work. These are for play.

If the tech director herself wore the boots above to work, she would be sent home to change.

OH, for play !!!

Why didn't you say so? OK, no less than 4 inch heel and knee length ! Platforms will be easier to do the shuffle in though. :)

Gwen

Well, for play...

Well, for play...
Screenshot 2018-01-02 at 12.43.57 PM.png
On Amazon: "Mostrin Women Motorcycle High Heels Punk Buckle Rivet Strap Combat Military Mid Calf Boots"

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

This is usually why I don't go into details in my stories...

This is usually why I don't go into details in my stories.
You get easily lost in describing things that don't play a big role in the story.
Often enough it is better to go with the basics. Let the reader's imagination fill out the rest.

Only describe the details needed.

In the end, she whittled down her choices to two pairs of boots. Both had heels between two and three inches. The first one was a pair of simple black leather knee-high boots with block heels. They looked fine, but maybe a little simple. On the other hand, she found a pair of black leather harness boots. The cowgirl heel, as well as the belt and buckle, spoke more to her playful side.

The way I approach describing clothes is usually the following:

  • I google diagram types and find out the exact names for each part I want to describe.
  • If a part doesn't immediately ring true in a way that says "I knew that one, but I just didn't remember" I try to simplify the name for the part or explain it with easy to use words.
  • String it all together in a way that makes sense.
  • ???
  • Profit !

For example, I found this picture just now to be helpful:
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/28/89/17288984e6699bdbdb872f04c...

Hope this helps.
Cassy

ALDO

Aljan Darkmoon's picture

Meh, the scene works, but the footwear discussed here is not the look that ALDO is best known for…

The Buckle

The one with the buckle looks more feminine in cut / style (especially in the ankle region) and comes across as something a teen techie would wear.

v/r

Justin