Ok very simply, what do you think may be going on here in this sentence: "Maureen, Emily and Emma all had their arms around each other grinning."
They were in a group huddle—confirming one last time their cunning plan. A plan that'd knock their opponents (figuratively) out of the park.
I imagine them position in something like a rugby scrum or a football huddle, planning something mischievous. I'm not sure why, but the names give me the impression of older women (like The Golden Girls.)
Just a group of friends hanging out on a bench, or walking around a familiar place that they would meet up at for a length of time, doing something that makes them happy. Oh crap, are you writing the Tale of the Traveling Panties?
Luckily our writing is rarely based on one sentence. My impression is that I have know idea what's going on. I could guess, but I don't like to mix guessing games with writing. I would also rethink naming one character Emily and one Emma. They're probably a little too similar to be your best option.
Their arms are grinning? Apart from that, "they had their arms around each other" would make me imagine them in a circle, huddled together like players do in some sports.
It's VE Day in May 1945 and the three girls, all in their early 20s are in the centre of Piccadilly Circus to celebrate with thousands of other happy Londoners.
Yes just realised that now. What i can say about what they're doing in my mind anyway, is that the original intention is that these three women (Maureen, Emily And Audrey [renamed]) might just have been up to something fairly mischievous but as to what that is exactly, I'm not entirely sure.
I'm a little late in the game, but to me it sounds like someone's telling Maureen that Emily and Emma are the ones giggling. I had to read it twice because the word "all" suggests otherwise. But this is quoted, so instinctively that made me think someone was talking. A comma after "Emily" would've solved the initial confusion (that I get every time someone makes a list and leaves out the final comma . . .) .
I have an gmage in my head about 3 teenage girls who are either planning something funny/nasty like a secret Party etc or are just gossiping about someone.
It's ambiguous, in part due to the lack of a comma after Emily. If all three have their arms around one another, I'd put the comma in.
