As I was about eight or so chapters into Asher and Ophelia’s story this weekend, I suddenly discovered that I had gotten so carried away that I’d written myself into a huge plot hole.
Oops!
As a brief background to my dilemma, it’s important to know that Asher & Ophelia’s story takes place at three main settings: two country estates located in Sussex, England, on the yacht Filly’s Fire, and at the estate, Walnut Grove, located in Staatsburg, New York along the Hudson River.
The scenes, events and dialogue I had already written could not have feasibly led to Asher & Ophelia getting on the yacht and out of England – a HUGE problem considering their travel to New York is integral to the overall storyline!
So naturally, I mapped out all the options available based on what I’d already written, and noted any pitfalls associated with them. Unfortunately, nothing I outlined could actually move the story forward. Beyond frustrated at 10:30pm, I did what any writer in the midst of a plot hole crisis would do: I decided to sleep on it, hoping that a solution would magically present itself in the morning.
After I awoke and had my coffee, I went back and reviewed my notes. There absolutely was a solution, but it required quite a bit rewriting. After a quick bit of research, I had the information I needed to patch up the plot hole and finally got back on track. I spent the day reworking several chapters and then started on the next setting – the yacht.
And then a serendipitous moment occurred as I started drafting the yacht scenes. I was researching yachting in the Gilded Age: amenities, interiors, power sources, and all kinds of related minutiae. I wanted to be absolutely sure that what I planned to write made sense with the time period. I googled a few searches and randomly came across an awesome dissertation from a PhD student at Ohio State University that was written in 2010 (you can read it here if you’d like). It was kismet!
The dissertation included everything I was looking for and then some: Textiles, interiors, and maritime history of yachts during the Gilded Age. It was a treasure trove of information and I was absolutely ecstatic! The amount of research and sources the writer compiled is vast and enormous: her paper is an astounding 546 pages long!
In reading the dissertation, I’ve learned that yachts in the Gilded Age were just like Pullman cars – they reflected the luxuries and fixtures that their owners enjoyed in their homes. According to an 1890 issue of Harper’s Weekly, one such steam yacht had a saloon that was
“thirty-one feet wide and eighteen long; its floor is a mosaic of hard-woods, and the sides and ceiling are wainscoted and paneled with polished native woods, and finished in an enamel of white and gold. A carved mantle and fireplace face the entrance. . .and in every available spot rugs, tapestries, pictures, cabinets, lamps, the hundred and one accessories of the most opulent homes, accentuate the warmth of color.”
So for the rest of today, if you need me, I’ll be avidly reading this awesome paper and dreaming up the yacht, Filly’s Fire, which will take Asher & Ophelia across the Atlantic to New York.
Oh and by the way, if you’re curious about Pullman’s Luxury Cars, you can read all about them in one of my older posts here.
Bon voyage!
Evelina Wood 