Lethal Ladies #4 - Commentary

Rose's family gets introduced this scene.  The scene unintentionally sets up a couple of later scenes.  That's right, very little of the meat of the story was planned out from the start, just the beginning, a rough guide of scenes I wanted to include, and the end.  Even that rough plot map wasn't enough.

The mother-daughter conversation did a few things.  First, it established Maria as a supporting character.  Second, it showed that Rose had a family and that she cares for them.  Third, it let me show that, yes, I can write a family scene that isn't dysfunctional, unlike the relationship that Nasty and her mother have in Subject 13.  Finally, it let me hint at a more serious threat in the story.  A little bit of action before going back to investigating.  At the time I was writing, I never considered the story getting adapted.  However, if I did, this scene would help establish the larger cast of Rose's family.

Then there's the choice of the car.  The Ford Taurus is a fairly standard sedan, though it has been used by law enforcement.  Rose, although not really a police officer, was in a similar industry in her past.  She does appreciate the Taurus's capabilities.  Alas, for NaNoWriMo, a Ford Taurus only counts for two words.  She should have gone with the Ford Crown Victoria, but I felt that the Crown Vic was too obvious for her.

Other items of note: Maria is as observant as her mother.  She knew that Rose saw something, even if Maria herself didn't see it.  Rose also keeps a gun close to her, even when driving.  It's something her kids are aware of; Rose is well aware of the dangers.  And, again, more unintentional foreshadowing.

Tomorrow, the Ladies complete their mission!  Wait, that's no 50 000 words yet...
Saturday, over at MuseHack, Lost in Translation looks at The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Coming soon, more NaNo prep and test driving new games.