Robin Delnoce: On Writing

‘Bunco: A Comedy About The Drama of Friendship’ is a new book by Robin Delnoce. Recommended for fans of Bridesmaids, Desperate Housewives, and Bad Moms. Bunco was released in August 2020 and is available for sale on Amazon. Genre: Women’s Fiction / Chick Lit / Comedy 

My name is Robin. I lived my whole life within a 20-mile radius in southern California until 2003 when my husband’s job sent us to Cincinnati, Ohio. I knew no one in the state, so when registering my kids for school, I had to list my realtor as their emergency contact. It was a lonely few months until the wife of my husband’s boss invited me to be a substitute in her neighborhood bunco game.

I jumped at the chance to get out of my house and meet new people. As soon as I was introduced, I was fascinated by the variety of personalities in attendance. The conversations fueled the camaraderie, and it was easy for me to learn about the dynamic of everyone in the group just by listening to their dialogue.

Now, I can’t really go into too much detail without divulging a big chunk of the book, but that initial meeting planted the seed for a story. I felt a script format was the only way to properly convey the connection between these characters, so I started writing. My characters were initially conceived with attributes of actual people melded together, but they quickly became their own personalities and I looked forward to spending time with them. 

My book Bunco is broken up into 4 rounds, like the game. After I finished writing “Round 1,” I was hit with inspiration for “Round 2.” A few months passed and I rewrote several sections of “Round 1” to tie into “Round 2.” Months turned into years. Sometimes I would write every night for a month, and other times, I would go months without writing a word. At some point, the idea for “Round 3” hit me. Again, I would tweak the beginning of the story to tie into what I was currently writing. This continued through “Round 4” over a period of nine years.

Which brings us to summer of 2019. I had resigned myself to this manuscript being nothing more than a fun tool for my children to use to show their children and grandchildren what kind of person I was. I sent it off to my daughter in college figuring it would sit in her laptop and probably never see the light of day. To my surprise, she read it! Her roommate caught a glimpse of it and asked if she could read it too. Then, unbeknownst to me, the roommate shared it with her mother. I was sitting at dinner one night when I got a text from a strange number, “I just read your book and you HAVE to do something with it!” It was the roommate’s mother. I was floored. I had never considered publishing it as a “book”, because of the script format, so I started asking more friends to read it. A few people didn’t care for the format, but several others did. I was excited but didn’t know what to do next.

2020 is the year my graduating class turns 50. No other milestone hit me quite like this one. I feel the years, I look the years, and I really wasn’t feeling terribly enthusiastic about this birthday. Early March, I got the message everyone dreads. A friend’s battle with cancer kept her from making it to 50. Then, the pandemic hit. Those events individually would have made me re-prioritize my life, but with all of them hitting almost simultaneously, I felt a new sense of urgency. Tomorrow isn’t a certainty, and everything can change in an instant. What would I regret not doing if it did?

One day, while on social media, I noticed a friend of a friend listed his occupation as “Published Author.” I asked my friend to connect us, and through a number of texts and phone calls, he generously guided me through the self-publishing process. I wish I could tell you it was all smooth sailing, but I had a huge hurdle in front of me and no idea how I was going to get over it.

You see, I’m delusional, and for decades I have convinced myself that I AM as funny as I think I am. What if this book proves I’m wrong? What if I was kidding myself thinking that the only reason I never succeeded is because I never tried? If I officially “try” and fail, my delusion ends. Then what? I like my delusion! My delusion has gotten me through some tough times. It’s been my only comforting factor when I haven’t felt good enough or strong enough or pretty enough or smart enough… If I lose funny, I lose the only thing that gave me worth, and that terrifies me!

It’s so odd to see these words calmly and thoughtfully expressed here because for the better part of three months, I was a hysterical anxiety-ridden crazy person. I’m sure my family was secretly wishing for the sweet relief a CoVid19 diagnosis would offer them. “Oh no, I can’t be around mom for two weeks… bummer.” I looked at every minor problem as a reason to pull the plug. If it wasn’t for my husband (who had been subjected to a “Can’t you understand how important this is to me!” meltdown earlier in the year) finding solutions in a timely manner, I would have crawled back into my delusion and lived happily ever after.

BUT, somehow, somewhere between uncontrollable ugly-crying episodes, I was able to hit the publish button. I don’t know how this book will be received and I may lose my delusion, but I know I’ll get through it with the support of my family and friends… and several pharmaceutical companies. 

Synopsis:

We all have “those” friends.  Maybe you’ve known them since childhood, or met in college, or while waiting for a child’s practice to end. Maybe you found yourself living on the same street. There’s no single path to friendship. Relationships don’t follow a script and neither do the lives of smart, funny, complicated suburban women.

Jill, Anne, Mary, and Rachel met years ago through a neighborhood group that regularly got together to play a dice game called bunco. Although players have come and gone, they continue to use bunco as an excuse to abandon their day-to-day responsibilities and enjoy food, drinks, and the company of their best friends. 

When new neighbors move in under the cover of night, the foursome sees an opportunity to expand their bunco circle. But within hours, suspicions run rampant as the odd behaviors of the newest residents are interpreted differently. Are they quirky, or kinky? Diabolical, or misunderstood? Time after time, as the truth sheds light on some secrets, more emerge. Each woman finds herself shocked by the friends she thought she knew.

Through the friendly banter, intimate confessions, and tongue-twisting insults, you may see yourself or your friends in these characters. Wipe away tears of laughter and loss as you join the four metaphorical rounds of bunco, and feel part of the conversation. Whether engaging in playful exploits, providing unconditional support, making uncomfortable sacrifices, or winding up in handcuffs again, these ladies are those rarest of friends who become true family. Of course, families don’t follow a script either, unless it is a plot-twisting, slightly off-color comedy about the drama of friendship. And bunco, sort of.

Excerpt:

EMERGENCY AREA WAITING ROOM – DAWN

The early morning daylight begins to fill the foyer of a hospital waiting room packed with police officers. 

ANNE HUTCHINSON, an athletic, petite woman in her early 40s, is sitting dazed and exhausted in bloodstained clothes.

JILL MICHAELS stands behind Anne with her phone to her ear. Over a decade has passed since Jill’s tenure as Miss South Carolina ended, but she currently reigns over the local elementary school as parent council president. She masks her anxiety with her polished manners and pleasant southern accent.

JILL

Good morning Miss Lowe, this is Mrs. Michaels. I hope your morning is going well. Would you be a dear and let Mrs. Kaiser know I won’t be able to attend today’s parent council meeting? 

A police officer watches Jill closely as he patrols the room. She reads the judgment on the officer’s face.

Jill

Actually, I may not be able to attend tomorrow’s fundraiser either. I’ll call y’all back as soon as I know. Thank you so much, Miss Lowe. 

Jill ends her call, sighs heavily, and takes a seat next to Anne. 

RACHEL EASTON, a mid-40s, Midwest-born, and Irish-proud woman, is asleep on the opposite chair. Handcuffs dangle from one of Rachel’s wrists. When awake, Rachel harbors a deep and painful secret that manifests itself in belligerent and self-destructive behavior. 

A NURSE passes by the three women. The aroma emanating from Rachel’s general vicinity stops her in her tracks.  

Nurse

How long has this homeless woman been sleeping here?

Jill

She’s not homeless. She’s with us.

The nurse shakes her head in disgust and continues on her way. 

MARY HUESTON approaches the women with coffee in her hands. Now in her early 40s, Mary has traded her Hollywood acting auditions for youth soccer games, and her figure has become less “soap opera star” and more “community bake sale.” She hands Jill and Anne the steaming Styrofoam cups.

Mary

Here. Should we wake Rachel?

Mary begins to take a seat next to Rachel but quickly pivots to allow more breathing room. They each deeply inhale the cup’s contents to mask the aroma.  

Jill 

She’s been through a lot. Let’s let her sleep. 

Mary

We’ve all been through a lot.

Mary notices Anne staring off in the distance.

Mary

How ya doing Anne?  

Anne slowly brings her attention to Mary.

Mary

You okay? 

Anne silently examines her bloodstained clothes, contemplates her predicament, and shakes her head in disbelief.

Anne

(Under her breath)

Fucking bunco.

About the Author:

Robin Delnoce has the kind of sense of humor that would crush any political aspirations. Her off-color humor amuses most but offends a few, and she has been known to issue a post-party apology or two. After twenty years of being caught in her verbal crosshairs, her husband kindly suggested she shift her energies to a more constructive outlet.

To learn more, go to https://buncothebook.com/

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips