In a previous article, Shrinking Fiction: How Psychology Can Help You Write Good Fiction, I suggested an exercise for your project then asked:
In Episode I of Season I of the Tudors (Showtime), King Henry VIII asks his ambassador to France if the French king has strong calves. Why?
These are the first two answer/comments I have received, so far, to my question. I will sent each commentator a signed copy of Gun Play. When I have a few more comments, I will jump in with the follow-up article.
"Well, this is almost a shot in the dark - maybe a shot in dim light, since I haven't watched the Showtime series, I can't quite remember what you said on this subject in the workshop, but I DO have a little knowledge of the history of Henry VIII, and I know a little about anatomy. Calves are load-bearing muscles that can take a lot of exertion and bounce back fairly quickly. I think Henry might have been asking either a) physically, is the French king a capable warrior who can lead his troops to battle, or b) psychologically, is the French king a capable leader who can withstand an invasion? Or I could be completely off the mark... " Gayle Carline
"Vanity and personal insecurity. He's a Tudor, after all." bd