Part 2 Plotting a Novel: What to Include - The Story of Tea

by Elva Cobb Martin

My contracted romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception (2017 release date) is set on a tea plantation. During my plotting and research I accumulated quite a bit of information about tea, most of which I didn't use in the book. I thought you might be interested in some of these facts since most of us are tea drinkers of various kinds of tea today. It wasn't always that way.

England only got into tea imports from China in the 1500's. And, of course, the love of tea later spread to America during colonization.

Tea was discovered in China in 2700 BC. Supposedly, some tea leaves fell into a man's boiling water over a fire. China became the largest producer of tea. The Chinese have a saying: "Better to be deprived of food three days than for tea one day."

Forty countries worldwide now produce and export tea (green tea, black or oolong tea and even white tea). Asia produces the most tea.

America has one tea plantation and it's in Charleston, South Carolina.

All tea originates from the same Camelis Sinensis evergreen bush that is a relative of the camellia family. I've visited the Charleston Tea Plantation and the leaves do indeed remind you of the shiny, dark green leaves of the camellia. Here is a photo I took of the flower stage. But it's the leaves from which we get our tea and it's quite a process from leaf to tea.

I do briefly describe that process in my novel during a romantic tour of the tea curing barn with my war-wounded hero and tea plantation owner, Luke Barrett, and his mysterious summer employee, heroine Rachel York.

Yep, I definitely plotted a romantic moment out of curing tea and also increased the tension between the h/h! Here's the excerpt:

            Rachel almost jumped when Luke turned his attention toward her from the dirt road on which the jeep had been bouncing along.
            “I want to show you our tea curing barn, or factory, as we sometimes call it. Interested?”

            “Oh yes, I didn’t think any tea grew stateside. I thought it all came from China or India.”

            “We are the only place it is grown in the United States.” Luke pulled up to a large structure and parked. Kristina popped out of the back seat and ran to play with one of the worker's children. 

             As they entered the cool barn interior, Luke adjusted his eyepatch. “This was Uncle Charles' dream as a young man. And now Barrett tea has a name among discerning tea consumers and restaurants.”

            Rachel tried to remember everything Luke told her as he walked her through the tea-making process on sawdust paths. She had never dreamed she would see tea leaves cured before her eyes.

            “We harvest the tea leaves by hand from an evergreen bush that is a relative of the camellia family. Then it’s brought in here and placed on these moving mesh belts we call withering beds. It sits here for eighteen hours.” 

             Luke's strong mascline voice somehow affected Rachel's peace as she watched bushels of loose leaves moving on the belts.

            Just as she turned to move forward, Rachel stumbled and almost fell in the corridor.

             Luke caught her. In that one moment he held her against his chest, Rachel sensed fireworks going off in her head. She felt the steady beat of his heart against her cheek and smelled his manly scent. She quickly regained her footing and pulled away, trying to stop the flush climbing up her neck.

            “You okay?” He actually sounded concerned. But a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

            “Yes, thanks, I don’t know what happened. Just a stumble bum I guess.” 

            Luke led her to the next step in the process. She dared not look at him but directed her full attention to the tour and the soft walkway.

            Fifteen minutes later they stood back at the jeep. Luke dropped a bombshell. “Tell me, Rachel, was a summer babysitting job the only reason you came to Charleston?” His face held no hint of a smile. He was back in his Marine special ops role. 

             Rachel’s breath stopped and the blood drained from her face. She bent and shook sawdust from her sandals to cover her reaction. So this little plantation tour was just an excuse to pump her. She straightened and cleared her throat.  “I don’t know why you are asking this again, Mr. Barrett. I think I told you why I decided to take this position. I didn’t relish the idea of the drugstore job back in Ohio and I’d never been to Charleston.”

Do you like different kinds of tea?  I drink hot black tea in the mornings and hot green tea at lunch. I avoid all tea in the evenings because it does have some caffeine that can interrupt sleep, although not as much as coffee has.

Thanks for stopping by. Do leave a comment and share this blog if you have time.

Elva Cobb Martin

Writing Good Descriptions Without Overdoing It

 by Elva Cobb Martin  

An agent once rejected a novel of mine and told me it was "too wordy." When I asked her to define that, she said, "Too much description." That conversation has caused me to examine my descriptions.

Have you ever felt like a thesaurus? Do you come up with three great phrases or words to describe something and just write in all three instead of zeroing in on the one or two that's best? I have to admit I've been guilty, especially when describing southern mansions and gardens. I love descriptions and the old novels full of them but have to learn to make changes today.

Here's a sample from my romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, set on a Charleston plantation.The revision follows:

Rachel suppressed a flutter of disquiet and entered. She let her baggage slip to the floor as she gazed at the elegant entrance hall revealed by a huge chandelier. The housekeeper motioned her to come, and Rachel grabbed her handbag and followed. A delightful fragrance wafted up from roses on a side table and lifted Rachel’s spirits. They turned past a curving staircase and stepped down onto the brick flooring of an enclosed patio. Their footsteps echoed in the quietness until they stopped at a large oak door across the room.

     versus:
          The housekeeper soon returned and gestured for Rachel to follow. They proceeded past a curving staircase and stepped down into an enclosed patio area dotted with plants and wicker. Their footsteps echoed across polished brick to a door. 

An editor has told me to cut this novel 20,000 words. Whew. I am trying.

Recently, I rediscovered that a neat, succinct way to describe something is with similes. Remember similes are part of figurative language that expresses or implies comparisons between different ideas or objects. Similes usually begin with like or as. But you have to watch cliches and use fresh language.

Consider this by a struggling writer: 

As I try to write, my head aches, my fingers stiffen and I can think of nothing to say.

versus
As I try to write, my mind is like a blank slab of black asphalt.

As I've studied this, I've discovered some writers who are masters of fresh similes. Award-winning mystery author Carolyn Hart is one of them. Here are some of her similes that capture my attention.

• To drive away the dark thoughts that hung over her like the miasma above a swamp, she unpacked, then sat down and wrote down the bewildering occurrences of this strange day.                    
• His hand was as limp as a cooked cabbage.  (I love this one.)

• Sheriff Moore smiled but his eyes were as hard as agates.

Now here are some from other famous people:

1. We force children's growth as if they were chicks in a poultry factory. (Arnold Toynbee)
2. When he tried to think of the future he was like some blundering insect that tries, again and again, to climb up the smooth side of a bowl into which it has fallen.  (Robert Penn Warren)
3. To hold America in one's thoughts is like holding a love letter in one's    hand--it has such special meaning. (E. B. White)

Do you have some special similes to share?  Would love to hear from you.

Thank you for stopping by.

Elva Cobb Martin

Victorian Tea Parties--Bring them On!

Tradition tells us that the ritual of afternoon tea began in England with Anna, the seventh duchess of Bedford. (1783-1857). At that time there was a long interval between breakfast and the evening meal. Anna said she felt a "sinking feeling" in the afternoons and ordered her servants to serve snacks of small cakes and sandwiches with, of course, hot tea.

This neat dose of carbs probably corrected Anna's low blood sugar and the caffeine from tea undoubtedly gave her a lift. Soon her court friends began to serve up tea and snacks as well in the late afternoon.

Soon the United States adopted the fashionable tea meal also, that is, until the Parliament levied new taxes and the colonists responded by boycotting English tea. This, of course, culminated with the "Boston Tea Party" of 1773. Tea consumption dropped dramatically. This lasted until 1776 when Congress advertised in the Philadelphia news that the drinking of tea could again be indulged.

A century later in the mid-1800's and in admiration for Queen Victoria's successful rule of Britain, an admiration of British ways brought renewed enthusiasm for the afternoon tea. It also provided an opportunity for ladies to have a social event.

Despite Henry Fielding's comment during this period that "Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea," and Oliver Wendall Holmes's rather unflattering, yet funny, description of a tea party as "giggle, gabble, gobble and git," women did actually at times converse on serious topics.

At tea parties in New York Elizabeth Stanton met with Lucretia Mott and her circle of Quaker women in 1848.
These reformers planned the first convention on women's rights.

Others organized themselves for charitable causes and missionary endeavors over china tea cups in many parlors.

I love hot tea, cucumber sandwiches, scones and special little cakes. A great place to enjoy a real English Tea is the Thoroughbred Club in Charleston, South Carolina. I chose that spot to celebrate a wedding annversary with hubby, who otherwise, might never have agreed to a tea party! The Club requires reservations.

 I say stop the sinking feeling and  bring back the afternoon tea as well as the great conversation and ideas!

How about you?

My first novel is set on a Charleston Tea Plantation. The HEA wedding describes a wonderful tea for the reception. Here's a recipe for scones I've collected that you might enjoy trying.

Sesame-Orange Scones
4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking poweder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange peel (more is even better)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. honey or sugar
1 c. orange juice
1/3 c. water (approx.)

Mix the dry ingredients then add the rest of the ingredients and form into a soft dough. Knead the dough and form into two balls. Flatten the two balls to about 3/4 of an inch and cut into wedges or cut with biscuit cutter. Dribble the below topping on top of each. Place the scones on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Serve warm with honey or jelly.

Topping
1 tbsp. butter or margarine melted
2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Boy, does that make me hungry and it's way past tea time!  Thanks for dropping by. Do leave a comment or your favorite tea time recipe. And please do tweet this blog and share on Facebook for tea lovers everywhere.

Elva Cobb Martin