Time for Tea

My fiction characters are thirsty! These hot, humid days make me think of cold beverages, condensation cascading off of glass tumblers, cool and damp to the touch, luscious on the tongue.

Beverages provide an excellent opportunity for characters to "do" things during those long conversations. While girlfriend "A" is filling in girlfriend "B" about her big date and that disappointing good-night kiss, they can be stirring up lemonade, snagging ice from the freezer, pouring, slurping, maybe even cooling their cleavage with the cold glass.

Or pop the top on a can of Bud, blend margaritas, salt the rim of fancy stemware, carry pitchers to the porch. All kinds of activities can revolve around the intake of cold fluids on a hot day --- or hot fluids on a cold day for that matter.

Best of all, fluid equals emotion. Use the beverage as a theme enhancer or emotional device. Lemonade? Did someone just get lemons? Sweeten up that attitude!

Tea is very versatile. Herbal teas can bring that over-emotional best friend back to earth, or rev her up for a long overdue confrontation. Spice tea before love-making? The ever civilized Earl Grey at a duller than dull party -- or, so as not to denigrate a favorite of mine -- at a garden party. Earl Grey is flavored with bergamot (a flower).

Bad dreams? Camomile. Cool reception? Cinnamon Spice.

Don't forget to describe the flavor, the sensation. Not just wet and sweet, dry or sour. Something like, "The pale brew chilled her mouth; a calming stream cascaded down her parched throat, sore from swallowed tears." That, together with a dramatized theme will have your readers' mouths watering for more.

Slake their thirst with your writing!

Until next time, keep those pages turning . . .

Deni