The Hundred and Ten Pound Novel - Chapter VI an Intermission

The creator stares blankly as his creations sit idle. Wishing to please their maker and not make any false moves, they are silent and hopeful.
They need him to make up his mind about which direction their lives will take.

Richard Dirkle, for one, does not know why he’s being stalled on the train at Grand Central Terminal after having given his seatmate a knuckle sandwich in the pie hole. Its extremely awkward for him. And once the action commences he wants to be ready with a good defense, in case of a counter-attack, and the suspense is killing him.

Romanoff and Stanislov were headed to the liquor cabinet to inhale much vodka when they were suddenly stalled in their tracks by the weary and thoughtless author. Now both Russian message therapists are losing their vodka buzz and not liking it one babushka!

Madame Tourdo wonders why the author hasn’t bothered to describe any of his characters. I don’t even know what I look like! she thinks to herself in her idle state, or even what I’m wearing! A few days ago she managed to sneak off the page and read up on Dick Dirkle, and now she has a small crush. Even though she has no clue as to what he looks like.

Max Slater is too old to care how long he has to wait. The longer the better, as far as he’s concerned. I didn’t get to be ninety three years old by being impatient, he thinks. I got all the time in the world to find out what Madame Tourdo has been up to behind my back all these years. But as a former editor, thinks Max, I wish the author would not be so hasty in posting his work. Give your work time to breathe. Memo to author: Slow down, then wake me when you’re ready.

Edgar Hathaway isn’t complaining much at all. He is standing at his front door feasting his eyes on the lovely Annie Jones, who doesn’t know how lucky she is to be stopped in her tracks by the lazy and pitiful author, who in the previous chapter - that would be chapter V and a half - couldn’t even work up enough steam for a proper chapter length. Annie will just have to wait a bit before witnessing the wretched conditions of the Hathaway home.

Time to say goodnight, dear hearts. Tomorrow is another day. Then it will be rise and shine for all the aforementioned complainers.