If you were having a really cold winter, say back in 1880/1881, how realistic is it that someone could safely go ice skating in mid-March at the St. James pond in the Bois de Boulogne?
I really love this scene, but every time I read it, I have visions of the MC falling through the ice and drowning horrifically. Now, I have clearly shown (I think) that they're having a hard, cold winter and that it's unseasonably cold for March. It should, I believe, be safe. Not that I know that much about ice conditions, or the weather in Paris. Regardless, I don't want readers reaching this point and thinking, "OMG, it's March! She's going to die!" That would distract and detract from the romance of the scene.
I considered adding a paragraph where she asks, "Is it safe?" and another character tells her that it's been below freezing since December, and that others have been skating there, so it should be fine. But will that only draw attention to the fact that it might be unsafe? Or will it negate the problem by pointing it out? Like how if something seems unrealistic, you can make it okay by simply acknowledging that it's unrealistic.
I can't shift the time frame, unfortunately. It has to be the second or third week of March. So, how realistic/unrealistic is this scene? Can I make it work or do I need to change it so they're walking through the park instead of ice skating?
I really love this scene, but every time I read it, I have visions of the MC falling through the ice and drowning horrifically. Now, I have clearly shown (I think) that they're having a hard, cold winter and that it's unseasonably cold for March. It should, I believe, be safe. Not that I know that much about ice conditions, or the weather in Paris. Regardless, I don't want readers reaching this point and thinking, "OMG, it's March! She's going to die!" That would distract and detract from the romance of the scene.
I considered adding a paragraph where she asks, "Is it safe?" and another character tells her that it's been below freezing since December, and that others have been skating there, so it should be fine. But will that only draw attention to the fact that it might be unsafe? Or will it negate the problem by pointing it out? Like how if something seems unrealistic, you can make it okay by simply acknowledging that it's unrealistic.
I can't shift the time frame, unfortunately. It has to be the second or third week of March. So, how realistic/unrealistic is this scene? Can I make it work or do I need to change it so they're walking through the park instead of ice skating?
