Guest blog by Tosca Lee
Our guest today is Tosca Lee, author ofΒ Demon: A MemoirΒ andΒ Havah: The Story of Eve. She is also the co-author with Ted Dekker of the NYTimes bestsellerΒ Forbidden. The next book in that series will be out this Summer. A sought-after speaker and former Mrs. Nebraska, Tosca was a senior consultant for a global consulting firm until turning to writing full-time. She holds a degree in English and International Relations from Smith College and also studied at Oxford University. Please visit her web site atΒ www.toscalee.com.
__________
People ask me often what it’s like writing with Ted. “Is he weird?” they say. “Does he really paint his nails/eat small children/write from a dungeon?”
Of course he’s weird. As weird as anyone else who grew up with cannibals. As strange as your average seven million bookselling novelist who lives mostly on peanuts and barbeque in Texas and, you know, speaks an obscure language known only to remote tribes in Papua New Guinea.
Or as weird as you and me.
And yet, the questions persist. “He scares me,” author friends confess in low tones.
He scares me, too. Because, you know, it’s just not healthy to eat that many peanuts.
***
Snippets of the work day, below. Itβs up to you in most cases to guess whoβs saying what.
βSo, I accidentally killed ___ in this scene.β
βWHAT? Thatβs not on the outline.β
βDude. It was his time.β
βButββ
βYou gotta let him go, man. Let him go.β
On iChat:
βWhatβve you got for lunch?β
βUm, sandwich (holds it up).β
βOh man. That is way better than my V8/Greenfood shake/Cheetos.β
βYou seriously live on that?β
βSo far.β
βLook. This is what I think we need to do.β
βI donβt like it.β
βWhat? Why not? Itβs brilliant.β
βBecause.β
βWhy not?β
βBecause I donβt.β
βOkay, this is what needs to happen now.β
βI donβt want to do that.β
βBut itβd be cool.β
βOkay.β
βWhat?β
βI said letβs do it.β
βYouβre supposed to defend your position.β
***
Some days,Β Ted’s wife, LeeAnn, comes up to talk to her husband. She leans in to say hello, waving at the screen. She’s always gorgeous, put together and made up.
Without fail, Iβm wearing the same t-shirt I wore yesterday. And, truth by told, the day before. Except that I had one of my ever-present polar fleece tops on, so no one knew it. At least no one can smell me.
***
Β Ted: βCheck out the UK version of Forbidden. Look! Itβs so cute!β
Me: βYou said βcute.ββ
βThey have to kiss here.β
βIs this a kissing book? Can we skip that part?β
βThey have to kiss.β
βI hate it when they kiss.β
βYou write it.β
βI think ___ should happen here.β
βNo.β
βYes. Or Iβm going to say you pick your nose in my status update.β
βYouβre being difficult.β
βNo Iβm not.β
βYou are.β
βNo Iβm not.β
βIβm calling your wife.β
βOkay. Okay, okay.β
Β Ted: βEvery time I talk to you youβre eating.β
βI have to go. I have a workout.β
βMe, too.β
βI donβt want to. It hurts.β
βLetβs call in sick.β
βWhyβd you change that? It was great!β
(Silence.)
βHello?β
βWeβve been talking about TV shows for 45 minutes.β
βYeah. We need to work.β
βYeah, letβs work.β
βDid you see The Walking Dead?β
βThat last scene you did was really cool.β
βYeah?β
βYeah. Except that you kind of went on and on.β
βWhat?β
βAnd then you used a semi-colon.β
βSo?β
βAnd you have this habit ofββ
βI thought you said it was cool?!β
βYouβre eating peanuts again.β
βNo Iβm not.β
βI can hear you crunching.β
βThatβs not crunching.β
βCrunching!β
βI always make that sound.β
βBecause youβre eating peanuts.β
βItβs hard work making stuff up.β
βIβve written 30 books. Donβt talk to me.β
βYou done with that scene yet?β
βNo.β
βYou done yet?β
βNo.β
βYou done yet?β
βIβm hanging up.β
βSo, listen. I need to ask you a really uncomfortable question.β
βUm. Okay.β
βIβve been wondering this for a year and a half.β
βOkay?β
βSo I know you grew up with cannibals.β
βYeah?β
βDid you uh, ever eat anyone?β
βNot that I know of.β
βNo. No no. I know who we need to kill. Itβs ___.β
(Stare)
(Choked up)
We got so choked up we had to come back later.
Via text:
βAre you up?β
(Nothing)
βAre you awake?β
(Silence)
βAwake yet?β
(Blank)
βIβm going to kill Rom.β
βIβm here. Iβm here. Donβt touch anything.β
βI think we should have the old guy pick his nose.β
βWe canβt have him pick his nose.β
βEveryone picks their nose.β
βHe canβt pick his nose.β
βYou pick your nose.β
βIβm writing this thing about what itβs like to write with you. Wanna read it?β
βYeah.β
(Screen-sharing ensues)
(Laughter)
βThis is great. Just make sure they know itβs you picking your nose and not me.β
βUh huh.β
This is hilarious! I’ve wondered what it would be like to write with someone (I couldn’t do it. I kill who I want to kill…hee). I’m sure it’s cool to be on the same wavelength as your plot comes together. For now, my husband just has to listen to me rant around about my characters, and sometimes cry about the ones who have to die.
Loved this running dialogue!
Sounds like a blast!
My stomach hurts just thinking of all those peanuts. Bleh.
Reality check?
Check.
I’ve found new freedom to be the time travelling pastor.
I loved this! But ohhhhh poor Tosca. Writing with Ted Dekker would be like going camping with Bear Grylls!!!
So fun to read this today. It’s a good thing no one’s at home to hear me laughing out loud. It sounds like you two work well together. And have fun together. π
Wait a minute, the Rock Star of Christian Fiction said something was cute?! Or was that you, Tosca…?
Too funny! I loved it. Though I *really* wish you’d have used dialogue attributions or tags or EVEN he said, she said…. π
Oh my goodness! This is hilarious!!
π
Loved this. Especially both pictures, Tosca.
Sweet! I want to try co-writing some day. A comedy.
You are such a funny writer, Tosca. I rarely stop and read this kind of stuff because I’m too busy writing (and reading) but whenever I see your name I read what you say and it ALWAYS makes me laugh. Sheesh. Can you write something drab and uninteresting for once? I know, I know, it’s not in you. I remember your voice mail that said your dog Attila couldn’t pick up the phone and I’d snicker every time I heard it. Even your voice messages are funny…
My eyes began to tear up. Was that the migraine or the choking laughter at reading the exchange between Tosca and Dekker? LOL.
LOL Oh, this is too funny! I needed a good laugh today! Thanks so much, Tosca!
What great fun! Thanks for this post.
What a riot! I’ve always wondered what he’d be like in person!!
Too funny! Thanks for the glimpse into the lives of two amazing writers!!
Just bought Forbidden and Demon: A Memoir for my Kindle!!
I’m starting an ancient adventure story with a friend of mine who’s a doctorate archaeology student and wondering how working with someone else works.
This post was totally completely…unhelpful.
But hey, I’m laughing my head off!
(That’s what counts, right?)
Love it, Love it! The background this collaboration is fun to read about. Ireally enjoyed Forbidden as well as Havah and Demon: A Memoir. These are two of my favorite authors and I’m so glad they teamed up.
Too funny π
I’d be laughing too hard to have time to write. Oh wait, it takes two people to have a funny dialogue. Maybe I’d have time to write after all.
Just great! Kudos to both of you since it sounds like you can both dish it. π