Writing Women You Actually Want to Meet

This week I want to introduce you to a woman you haven't met yet. And before I tell you about Madame J, I have to tell you about Elle. Elle was my imaginary friend when I was eight. A 1920s movie star with a jet black bob, cupid bow lips, and apartments in Paris, Hollywood, and New York City. Whenever I opened the imaginary door to her apartment I never knew which city I'd land in. Sometimes I…