Kenn Ghannon: Blog

I just found out that Fable, one of my favorite authors, has had to bow out from writing (I *think* due to health issues but whether from health or just RL, it's a tremendous loss). Fable has been very prolific and wrote one of the best series I've ever read on SOL: Burr. It is an incredibly engaging and complex tale that I can't recommend enough -- even if it's never going to be completed...it's just that good.

So, if you get a chance hop over and read it, I recommend it. Otherwise just keep Fable in your prayers (to whatever deity you hold dear)/well wishes that he might find success in whatever his next endeavors are.

Okay...so not really. :)

I am, however, going to be gone for the next month with what will amount to an incredibly minimal access to Internet services (yes, I will be on THAT deserted island). Fear not, I am taking my laptop and will be doing writing -- hopefully mostly on my "Mirror" pet project (I'm only 1/4 way through chapter 9 and I'm planning on 26 chapters or so!!) but I'm probably going to take some breaks and at least flesh out some other ideas I've had recently (hey...it's a deserted island...there's nothing else to DO there...).

My plan is to have chapters 9 through 12 done during my time away...but I can guarantee nothing. I have a wife and some kids...my time is not my own.

I'll try to blog once or twice when the internet gods shine down on me and give me a shred of connectivity, but I'm not promising it, either.

Have a great July!!
---Kenn Ghannon

I just read 'Sally's Birthday' by Just Plain Bob (a virtual legend in CW stories). This story is about a man who suffered a tragedy in the Gulf War and has intermittent erectile dysfunction; at first, he'll go 8 to 10 months fine and then suddenly be unable to perform for 3 to 4 months. At the time of the story, it's been 14 months seen he's been able to perform.

His wife, obviously, cheats on him. She's very upfront about it; they go to a bar, she dances with three guys and tells her husband she's going home with them...and does them in the car in the parking lot, one at a time.

I found myself feeling for the wife. If there comes a time when I can't perform and my wife can, I'm hoping that I can be a big enough man and love my wife enough to let her do what she needs to do. Now, the 3 or 4 months without I don't think qualify -- obviously, there are toys for situations like that -- and also, it doesn't say if the guy was willing to be with her without coitus but I think that it is unreasonable to make her go over a year without.

Am I being unreasonable??

I sat here a bit wondering what made me like cheating wives stories so much. I mean, what was the appeal? There was rarely any good sex scenes in them. They were about betrayal and revenge. I certainly don't have those problems in my marriage...so why did I like reading them.

That got me to thinking. My brother-in-law married the wrong woman (but no, to the best of my knowledge, she didn't cheat). He had two wonderful kids...but he and his wife actively HATED each other. The problem was, he was a factory worker and didn't make much money...so a divorce would ruin him (and did, when she finally filed). When she finally filed for divorce, the courts KILLED him. He's getting up there in years and I don't think will ever comfortably retire because he just can't afford it.

The system is not fair...and there are two things wrong with it. First, in our haste to make divorce easier (through 'no fault') we no longer take the actions of the parties into account. Why should my life be ruined because my wife cheated? Why should my wife's life be ruined if I cheat? It's cookie cutter divorce and I think that EACH divorce should be examined carefully before assets are divided, visitation rights are granted and so on.

Second, the books are stacked completely in the woman's favor. This was NOT a bad thing years ago when women's contribution to the work force was so little. Now, with many women in the workforce, the books need to be evened out a bit.

I think it is this unfairness that leads me (and maybe others) to read the cheating wives stories. We're able, vicariously, to get revenge through them (and, honestly, I really like a good revenge story/movie/etc. I really like when the 'bad guy' gets his comeuppance...but I don't like the cheating husbands stories as much).

Anyway, it's just a thought...

I think I've spoken in my blog before about the "Mirror Darkley" science/fantasy story I'm writing. I've been struggling a bit lately and what I've found is that taking a break and working (BRIEFLY) on another story allows the story to coagulate a bit and I can then move on. Another method is to read other stories and let my mind wander. Yesterday, I blogged that I was currently into cheating wife stories but lamented that I couldn't think of a viable reason why a wife would even bother fighting for the marriage if she's caught.

Thanks to someone who actually reads the blog (honestly, I didn't think anyone did!) he came up with a list of 9 reasons.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

I've decided that, over time (in other words, no telling when I'll start or finish any of these) I'm going to write a story for each of the following reasons that a wife would fight for a marriage after cheating:
Social Status
Financial
Children
Her family's reaction
the affair was purely sexual, not emotional
Religious objection to divorce
needing husband's medical insurance
Absent Pregnancy (Father runs/disappears)
Stupidity (talked into it by other women)

Thanks to the person who 'donated' the list (who will currently remain anonymous since I didn't ask if I could mention his name).

Wish me luck. :)