I've never "blogged" before. This may seem odd. While I'm new to SoL, I've written and read many stories over the years, but I've never written a blog. I suppose this is somewhere one expresses thoughts outside of the story, perhaps a glimpse into the author's mind? Trust me... no one wants to go there. Dragon's minds are complex and scary. So, please forgive me if I’m not blogging correctly. I have no idea what I’m doing. None. But I’m gonna try anyway. If nothing else, I’m an adventurous dragon.
I recently posted a new story: The Odds. It's the only one currently in my story list, so it ought to be easy enough to find. I haven't written anything in seven years, a hibernation borne of strange circumstance. The Odds was emotional and difficult for me to write, even if this is one of the few times I did not suffer from writer's block. Sometimes, as writers, we get drawn into our crafted world and connect with our characters, our plots, our settings. This can be a difficult process, but also very rewarding, especially if our readers end up connecting with it as well. That is, if we've done our job correctly.
The Odds follows three strong women on a strange journey of self-discovery and fate. There’s even a pink cowboy hat in it. Our narrator can help an unhappy soul and she does, even if the journey is perilous. In the process, she learns about herself and her past, all while exploring a sexual wilderness.
I really didn’t know how to code this story. For anyone who knows how I write, descriptions of sex tend to be muted. I don’t write stroke stories, or at least I don’t think so. The Odds has more sexual content in it than average for me, but there really isn’t much actual sex. Much sex? Some sex? Who knows? I can’t explain it better than that, so, if you are curious, I guess you’ll have to read the story.
I also hesitated to put romantic in the story codes. Pixel the Cat assured me that it was accurate, but I still question it. He’s probably right. Yet romantic screams Harlequin to me, but this is not Harlequin by a long shot. And lesbian. I mean: is there love and sex between two consenting females? Sure. But characters are more complex than a singular label, right? Heck one of our primary characters is married to a man, and seems happy to be, even while temporarily exploring other facets of her sexuality.
I guess what I’m saying: sometimes stories are more than a bunch of story codes. Perhaps we should use them more to choose what we really don’t want to read, than what we do?
It took me about two weeks to write The Odds, which is a long time for me, but it consumed me while I was in that world. Pixel and Munkie can attest to that.
I still don’t know if I’m “blogging” correctly. But there it is. My first blog post.
Time for a glass of wine.