The Proposal

Recently, I went to visit my mom. I had been staying with my boyfriend in Pretoria for a while and working hard on the setup of my first little business venture - Georgia Rae Writing. Even though I knew I could work from Durban, or anywhere with an internet connection really, I couldn't seem to quiet the little voice in my mind that was screaming, "Holiday, woohoo!" .

And so that is how I ended up sitting on a balcony sipping a gin and tonic - overlooking the sparkling Indian Ocean with my (stinky) fluffy white dog at my feet, my mom at my side and my laptop nowhere to be seen. It also happened to be about twelve o'clock in the afternoon. In my defense, it had been a while since I had taken time off and I was fairly sure that I deserved to put my feet up, especially the day after my (not really) grueling two day journey.

The sun was shining gently and I could smell burning sugarcane on the breeze - a sweet peppery scent that danced gracefully with the bubbles of tonic on my tongue. It was a day designed for drinking, catching up and then languishing on the couch. After hours of talking like only mothers and daughters can, sated we moved inside onto the couch and got comfy. The balcony doors were open and the afternoon breeze was cooling the lounge. We then flicked back and forth between The Great Pottery Throw Down and the cooking channel, lazily contented with no intention of moving for the rest of the day.

However, as the light began to fade from the sky hunger struck, and I ended up standing barefoot and uninspired in the kitchen, wondering what to make for dinner, while my mom padded around closing up, locking doors and setting alarms. What could I possibly make that could even come close to any of the gourmet meals we had just been salivating over on TV!? Suddenly inspiration struck me - forget gourmet cooking! MOVIE NIGHT! Twenty minutes later my mom and I were back on the couch, cradling a gigantic bowl of popcorn each and arguing over what movie to watch first. In the end, we had it narrowed down to The Proposal and Sliding Doors. The Proposal won the first round.

Now, I don't know how long it's been since you last watched Sandra Bullock playing the poisonous executive editor-in-chief of a New York publishing company or since you have waited patiently (for a good forty minutes) to see Ryan Reynold's butt-shot, but I have a feeling it's been too long! My mom and I snorted throughout the entire movie, and even cried a little towards the end - these days I can't seem to have more than two glasses of wine before I'm sobbing over something-or-other! Dronk verdriet, as Kevin would say.

Anyway, the basic plot line driving the movie forward is essentially this: Andrew Paxton works for Margaret Tate - a successful book editor a.k.a Satan's Mistress. He endures being her studious slave (I mean assistant) for years in the hopes of one day being promoted to editor and getting his manuscript published.When Margaret is threatened by deportation however, she blackmails Andrew into a fake marriage, and they are forced to truly get to know one another for the first time. Now, The Proposal is unsurprisingly a love story and the focus of the entire narrative is the relationship between these individuals. Being a complete nerd however, that plot thread isn't the only one that tugged at my heartstrings.

I was also inspired by the passion and drive that both leads had for their careers, intertwined with and underlying the romance. Being book editors, was essentially so important to both of them, that they were prepared to lie, break the law and ultimately hurt the ones that they love. What on earth is so special about being a book editor, you ask? Well, as someone who started reading at exactly four and a quarter years old, who can devour a three hundred page novel in one sitting and who prefers to be immersed in magical inky worlds rather than her own - it's freakin' cool!

I have always been an avid reader, but slowly I have found a passion for writing too - essays, short stories, reviews, journal entries, a novel even - I love the way creating makes me feel. Strangely enough, I enjoy editing too! I have often heard it said that writers struggle with the initial editing of their drafts and find it to be an extremely tedious task. Well my experience couldn't be more opposite - I have to force myself to stop editing! Maybe that has something to do with my insatiable hunger for an unachievable perfection, or maybe it's a lack of confidence in myself, or even pure unadulterated and unbridled ambition. Whatever it is, it made Sandra Bullock riding her electric bicycle to get in her cardio, whilst simultaneously reading a manuscript, before going to work to talk about books, read and edit books, advise and publish authors - look pretty damn appealing.

What more could I possibly want out of life? Paid to read? That is literally "the dream"! Now don't get me wrong. When I first watched The Proposal at fourteen, none of this was as obviously apparent to me. I was more enthused by Sandra Bullock's rendition of Lil Jon's Get Low. It was only a month or so ago that I got my first taste of it, when asked to edit my first client manuscript.

I had sat down that day, preparing myself to concentrate harder than I had ever concentrated before in my life - this book was someone's baby. If it were mine, I would want complete attention to detail and full emotional commitment. I was stressed and nervous going in, but by the time I had reached my scheduled daily page goal, I was completely elated. Not only did I find I was more than capable, I was also having the time of my life! I always used to think that finding a career that you actually enjoy was a myth told to keep children in school (by parents who hated their jobs) but there I was, exhilarated after reading and editing fifty pages of a book - the refinement of which was my responsibility - and I was already looking forward to getting stuck in again.

To bring myself back down to earth, I reminded myself sternly that it wouldn't always be that smooth sailing - this manuscript, when I received it was already polished, well-structured, grammatically sound and narrated in already sonorous elegance. This author knew what he was doing, requiring only comment on over-all continuity, flow assessment and tone and had in fact made my job easy! My gentle welcoming into the world of editing was sheltered and absolutely lovely, but I am definitely not saying that it is an easy do-on-a-whim kind of career. I know that I have a long road ahead and many dues to pay, but at least there's hope right? For the first time in my life I think it might be possible for me to enjoy what I have to do. I mean, a person has to eat...but then again, a reader has to read so...

By Georgia Rae

PS. Do yourself a favour and look up "The dancing in the forest scene - The Proposal" on YouTube - it is hilarious!