For example, my protagonist, Alexa, has – at this point -- been
running and dodging trouble quite a bit. So, for Alexa – and the reader -- to
catch her breath, I've put her into a spot where she’s safe and can’t really do anything
for a bit. But can't let it get boring, so I went for giggles. I've always felt
it best to laugh at the turkeys, instead of letting 'em see me cry, or scream
in frustration.
This is the first draft:
“Or a smoothie, with frozen bananas and fresh raspberries
and strawberries and vanilla ice cream.” The other woman groaned at the thought
of such decadence, and then they both giggled.
That moment had just settled down to silence when the
cruiser took another evasive maneuver, throwing each woman to the left. They
scrambled to keep the chairs and benches from tumbling. Once it was clear no
furniture avalanche was imminent, the case of giggles started up again, but
with an edge of desperate hilarity. A long low howl from what sounded like a large hound dog in the
compartment behind Alexa’s back, forced the eruption of outright laughter from the two women. Then several
decibels of yipping from the safety pod on the other side reduced them to
helplessness, in what could only be termed as guffawing. Both women were just barely able to make sure they didn’t fall off
their respective seats, since they had to hold their sides.
