Thursday, June 10, 2010

A little scare - although not so little at the time.

Yesterday at work, we went out for lunch to celebrate someone's birthday. In the middle of the meal, I got an urgent phone call from one of secretaries saying that my husband called and he'd been in a serious car accident.

Of course being the non technological people that we are, we only have one cell phone and I had it. So I had no clue where he was or how he was. The secretary gave me the number that had come up in the caller ID. When I talked to the stranger she said he had been covered in glass and was bleeding, but okay. What exactly did that mean? Images of blood dripping down his face speed through my mind.

So I called my brother who lived close by to go out to where I thought the accident occured. I left everyone from work at the restaurant and went to try and find my husband, at this point I'm quite frantic and a tad bit emotional. Luckily he called five minutes later, gave me his exact location and told me he was waiting in a police car.

I turned on my CD of a book I had been listening to and tried to breath. When I got there, he was walking around getting stuff out of the car that was being loaded onto a tow truck, the whole drivers side had been smashed in. Apparently, a truck had been turning left and cut in front of someone going straight. After they collided, they both hit him.

So in short our car is totalled, but he's okay. In fact, he was more concerned about the fact that he had just filled up with gas and we had just paid our registration then he was about himself.

Even though everything worked out, there was an hour there where I felt anxious, stressed and worried, but in the end all of my fears were for nothing.

Believe it or not I do have an analogy to writing with this story. Is it okay to have a scene in your book where the characters are in a stressful situation, perilous even, but then have it be resolved easily or with not a lot of consequences. (I'm thinking more about scenes in the middle of the book - not at the end).

What do you think?
PS: The photo is not our car, but pretty close.

15 comments:

Michelle D. Argyle said...

This is so, so scary. I'm so glad he is okay. Cars can always be replaced. *Hugs*

Dara said...

Oh my goodness I am glad he's OK! Sorry that your car is totaled though :( I know I'm always petrified of being in an accident like that and I've narrowly missed a few...

With the writing part, I'm not sure. I think you can have a stressful situation and have it resolved but I think you have to be careful about how much you increase the tension. There also needs to be a reason for it in the overall plot.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Oh Patti, I'm so thankful he's okay. What a scare!

I agree with your analogy. Real life isn't clear of the scares, the drama and the raw stuff. Why should our writing?

Anne Gallagher said...

I'm so glad he's okay.

As to the writing, as long as it moves the story forward, yeah sure use it. I think it would make a great scene. As long as it moves the story forward. Perhaps to bring two people closer together.

Candyland said...

So scary! I'm having a panic attack thinking of it. If it were my husband, or daughter...oh man...*runs to grab paper bag*
Glad he's ok.

patti said...

Praise God it was "minor."
Yep, LOTS of conflict in a story rocks!!!
Good analogy.

You're still the AQ.

P

Melissa Hurst said...

I'm so glad he's okay! I've been in that situation before, so I know how you felt.

Carolyn V. said...

Oh my gosh Patti! That is so scary! I'm so glad he is okay.

K. M. Walton said...

Thank god he's alright, Patti! What's that song...shower the people you love with love...

Heidi Willis said...

Whew!! I'm so glad it ended well for your husband!! And yet - sorry it did not end well for the car. I can imagine the panic you felt!

Tabitha Bird said...

Well, I am certainly glad this scene ended well! I am glad you hubbie is okay.

I would have been beside myself!

Terri Tiffany said...

First, I am so sorry this happened to you both. Praising GOd he is okay! That's what counts in the long run although I had to chuckle when he worried about the full tank of gas--lol--we have had our cars die after we buy good windshield wipers!!
And yes, I think some scenes the drama is in the buildup and then they can be ok quickly. Like showing your anxiety and fear of trying to find him.

BTW-- buy another cell phone:)

Laura Pauling said...

I'm so glad he's okay. And it's alright if you didn't connect it to writing.

I say it's okay as long as the writer doesn't use it too often. Readers will get annoyed.

Jessica Nelson said...

I'm SO glad he's okay!! That must've been terrifying. :-(

About conflicts, no, I don't think they should be resolved easily. If one resolves easily in the beginning, it needs to serve some sort of purpose in fueling a later conflict. :-) Just my opinion though, and I'm still learning all this myself. :-)

prashant said...

I think you have to be careful about how much you increase the tension.
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