Differences by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 I really should stop trying to take those online quizzes. They are far from accurate, mostly because they are multiple-choice and not fill-in-the-blank. Case in point, I tried to take one that promised they could predict what part of the country I lived in by my answers. The problem was they asked what language other than English or Spanish was I likely to hear while out shopping and they only gave four possible answers, none of which would be my answer since Sho-Ban is the most prevalent language around here other than English or Spanish.

I didn’t finish the quiz because if I couldn’t give an honest answer, they wouldn’t be able to predict where I lived.

Another one promised to predict how long my hair is by me checking off everything I have experienced due to the length of my hair. Their first three or four issues had to deal with hair conditioner, I don’t use hair conditioner. Then there’s the one with hair getting caught in zippers. I don’t have anything that zips in the back, haven’t done for decades, so I don’t recall having problems with that.

So, yeah, the results were not accurate.

Additionally, they didn’t have anything about being too tired, sore, or late to bother with anything other than a ponytail because the person was unwilling to go outside without their hair up. Or one about dealing with massive tangles if they left their hair down for more than an hour.

I admit they did have one about the partner laying or sitting on their hair. Believe me, I’ve had that happen. In fact, at one point I cut my hair off because of it. You can ask my cousin who does my hair. She asked me three or four times if, I was sure. I was sure because I was tired of waking up Tom so I could go to the bathroom.

Needless to say, I have since grown it out again, but I no longer have to worry about anyone laying on top of my hair in the middle of the night.

I do have a niece with hair longer than mine, and I once told Konnie, her mother, that she was going to have issues with those masses once she had a husband.

Then again, I pointed out to Konnie that her eldest marrying someone so much taller than her was going to have some issues in the bedroom that Konnie wouldn’t understand as she didn't marry a tall guy.

We had a long talk about that.

Actually, that was when the long hair was discussed, but Konnie knew that one already, her hair is on the long side too. Though Konnie hadn’t known why I insisted on getting my hair chopped off or why I subsequently started growing it out again until we discussed it.

But a really huge height difference and or long hair does affect the dynamics of a relationship. Something I find some romance writers don’t mention in their novels.

I’ve read novels where there is a huge height difference, but the author doesn’t mention them having any issues standing face-to-face and kissing. Let me clue you in folks, if there is at least a foot difference in height, the shorter one is looking at the taller one’s chest, meaning adjustments have to be made for both parties for them to be able to kiss.

If they are sitting there isn’t as much of an issue because the shorter one could just sit on the taller one’s lap.

But really, it isn’t an issue of him just bending over, because the reality is she had to stand on tiptoe and him bend over, which isn’t a problem if they are close to the same height, but I swear most romance authors write kissing scenes as if they are close to the same height even if by their descriptions they are not.

People really need to pay attention to those details.

Of course, I’ve also read one romantic suspense where the author insists that the female lead was wearing clear lenses to hide her eyes from the viewer. I mean this, the author described the glasses as being oversized frames with clear lenses and still insisted they hid her eyes.

Yeah, I don’t think so. Tinted lenses would, but not clear. And it’s a good story, other than that glaring error. Drove me nuts because it drew me right out of the story every time.

But then so does the height difference issue.

There is a reason why we’re told to write what we know; it's more believable. But you don’t have to live it, just research it. Get accurate details.

Anyway, happy writing everyone!