I need a slap upside the head

Okay, so Trish Wylie is wahhhing on her blog that she is amidst a pineapple type book. Welllllll, Ms Trish, I think I have you beat. After a day's worth of deep brewing, I came to the absolute, dead set, not a doubt in my mind conclusion that I have in fact been writing the wrong heroine. 28,000 words in, two and a half weeks until deadline, and my lovely Monica is about to get the chop.

Why? Because everything is happening far too easily. My hero and heroine look like they belong on a book cover together. Their worlds are too similar that they could have collided on Melbourne's streets a dozen times before the start of the book. She's beautiful and successful, he's handsome and successful. Thus the tension just isn't there.

Thank goodness a girl called Chelsea popped into my head yesterday - fully formed, and a beautiful mess. She is a biscuit blonde waif to Monica's brunette glamazon. A dishevelled dog groomer to Monica the neat and tidy underwear designer. Here she is in the guise of Ellen Pompeo. All that sunshine makes me feel so much happier.

Now also the city girl best friend Jade will now become the sister with three kids. Her elegant sparse apartment will get a chintz and floral makeover. And poor suit and tie city boy Damien will seriously not have one clue what is about to hit him.

So if you don't hear from me for a few days, picture me up to my armpits in edits, attempting valiantly to unpick Monica's thread and sew in Chelsea's as seamlessly as possible. Keeping all the dialogue, replacing internal monologues, slapping Damien across the back of the head time and again to break him from his love at first sight stupor.

I see myself having a happy an ending as these two - visualisation works right? It sure worked for that "The Secret" chick.