53 thoughts on “Anna Part Two”

  3. I have a day off today, but reading your discovery draft is still going to be the best part of my day

  6. I LOVED it and it read like a polished, published pice rather than a discovery draft. Today has just been great. Learning that the Donald has tested positive And then getting to read this. Thank you!

  9. Oh my lord. SO fun! It’s worth losing Dorothy if you’re going to produce more of this!!

  14. The girls in the basement have been set free at last. Yay! Awesome! More please.

  16. OMG, I love this SO much! Lily was fun, but this absolutely sings! This is even better than finding a pair of shoes that almost fit a few days ago. And finding closed shoes before winter is of the utmost importance, so that is no small compliment.

  20. Everyone else has said it was great. Everyone else has cried for more. I hate to succumb to pear pressure. *sigh* ME TOO!

  23. Very fun read. I particularly liked the staff meeting. I wish one the endless staff meetings I used to attend had Lucy to liven things up.

  25. After I read Part One, I wandered off and did some other things. When I came back and sat down again, I thought, “Now—what was that book I started earlier? It was so good, and I want to read some more,” only to realize after a moment’s thought (maybe two moments) that it was Anna. Now I just did it _again,_ precisely the same thing, with Part Two.

    I think you’ve got a winner here, is what I’m saying.

  30. Fantastic! I love Anna and her straightforward approach. Hope it turns into a book very soon.

  32. I did love this line:
    “You’re in a meeting, Miss Jones.”
    “I know. That’s why my mind wandered. What was the question?”

    But I have to say, my mouth was gaping at the whole “sharing super explicit sex stuff in a work meeting” thing. Like DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN that was….I know romance novels are a fantasy, but that was a When Harry Met Sally orgasm moment for me. Like I just can’t imagine someone saying that in a work meeting unless they are trying to get fired and it took me out of the story. The sex stuff when she meets Nate/Charlie again right in front of his coworker also got a little much for the same reason, it took me out of plausibility/was kinda worldbreak-y.

    I enjoy that Anna’s sassier than her sweater sets and wants to show that off that she isn’t boring, but she strikes me as a practical character and getting that openly explicit in those situations is….not practical to me.

    But just my opinion, feel free to do you and ignore me since I think I’m the only one having issues, that was just my thoughts reading section 2.

    1. I don’t get the ‘super-explicit’ part. She didn’t say anything explicit. She answered a question about why there were no expenses by saying she’d spent the night with a man who’d paid for her room. Not sure how else she could have answered the question. She’s not the type to blush and stammer. She didn’t go into explicit detail.

      The exchange with Nate might be over the top, I’ll look at that. But I don’t see anything explicit there.

      I don’t think she’s showing off, so if it’s coming across like that, I definitely have to fix it. I think she just answers with the truth because the truth is practical. I think she’s needling Jason, too, she’s still mad at him, but I don’t think she’s showing off. Rats, not what I wanted to convey there.

      This may just be a function of our different personalities, too. There were several times I’m meetings when I was working when somebody would say, “Jenny!” (although I never mentioned sex) because they thought I was out of line, but it was never the person in charge of the meeting and I was never reprimanded. One woman’s explicit may be just another woman’s statement of fact. (I’d define explicit as going into detail about what they did, which I didn’t do much in the actual sex scene; that was a pretty vanilla scene.)

      1. Anna said she was contained, even restrained…to say that to a new boss who is not used to you is not a good idea, but on the other hand, since she has a trust fund, is looking to get out of a rut and is really annoyed with Jason, she’s probably looking for a welcome life change

        1. She said that to Charlie in Vegas, I think, when she was unsure of herself. Just checked, that was at breakfast. So I need to look at that again. Let me cogitate. If it’s jarring, I’ll have to dial it back.

          1. I didn’t explain well, she described herself as restrained and contained to Charlie in Vegas, but then with a new boss, she has just met she says outright she spent the night with a stranger, this would even shock her co-workers if they were used to her being restrained and contained. However I kind of took it that she was now channelling Lucy

          2. I still need to look at it again, look under the surface.
            That’s the problem with discovery drafts, it’s all surface. Then you start digging down.

          3. I particularly loved that she answered factually about what happened. Pragmatist. Not flappable. I also read this as “Interaction with Charlie has already started to change things in her life” She is already thinking about new clothes, so being more forthcoming than she might have been BC seemed another delightful step toward being fully self expressed.

    2. I think it depends on your experience of workplaces. In some I’ve been in, this would be weird, in others, it would be par for the course. So I think this scene says a lot about the workplace, not just the characters.

      1. A bit like swearing. Most places I’ve worked it’s standard, but in others would be seen as unprofessional.

      2. Oh, that’s a good point.
        It’s such a small staff, too, and they’re used to no leadership.
        Discovery draft again.

  33. Hmmm, didn’t pull me out of the story, more getting to know Anna’s character. Her grandfather was a Hitman, a certain amount of strength coming from her, a bolder personality, straight forward with vulnerability. Her mother made sure and gives her twin sets. She is no dummy. Watch out for women scorned. I did think “whoa” but stayed in the story.

  35. Totally invested here. Break my heart if this doesn’t continue to end.

    Lucy being Lucy throughout. No change needed.

    Tweak? Librarian for a first-rate art conservancy. We’ve got one across the plaza in Balboa Park, they work with big-name museums and galleries. Lowly SD Floral Association have worked with them. Hey, we’re historical.

    Wow sentence: “The thing was, Nate thought as he listened, her sideways always still connected to the subject at hand. Not directly, but whatever thought governor Anna-Lucy had, it kept its focus on the problem.”

    1. I still haven’t figured out if she’s a librarian or an art historian or both or what.
      The joys of discovery draft.

  36. Like everyone else, I’m loving this. I didn’t get jarred by her matter-of-fact explanation of why she didn’t have to pay for a hotel room – she’s used to these people (other than Blake) and it fits with how her mind works.

    Eager for more. No pressure. 🙂

  37. Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed Part Two. I literally laughed out loud at Carter saying, “Great, now she has three stalkers.” I don’t know why, it just tickled my funny bone that Carter was counting himself among her stalkers, reluctant as he was.

  38. Consider me in the majority with two thumbs up. I didn’t blink at her honesty in the meeting until the comments reminded me she had a new boss. If the “new boss” was promoted internally and already knows Anna, I think you’re golden.

    Favourite line: “…whatever thought governor Anna-Lucy had, it kept its focus on the problem.” It made me think of Murderbot. 🙂

  39. I definitely felt that people in the meeting were jolted by what she said. But that seemed consistent with the Anna we were meeting. I don’t think it would be acceptable behavior with a new boss but I also don’t think Anna cares. Less consistent was a woman who put up with Jason and bad sex for two years doing this.

  40. Late to the discussion here, but:
    Anna-Lucy’s coworker, Natalia?, already congratulated her on taking risks, noted her newly realized strength, and atta-girled her sexual “what I did in Vegas – discovered you’re lousy in bed” snark to Jason in the hall. If that’s revision, stet!
    My family is blessed with lots of Aspie blood, so restraint maintained for a time, then giving way to impulsive truth-talking, both without internal censorship, is the norm. A lively bunch.
    Superb writing! Loving it.

Comments are closed.