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Yep. I'm still here. I check the site every day, in fact, though I've been quite remiss in my commenting.
Work is keeping me thrashed. Writing is, as a result, going slow. With luck the more I get used to the former the better I'll do at the latter. Until that time, though, sorry for the delay on any and all projects I've been working on, though just so everyone's up to date...
Oh, Cheers rewrite (Phoenix Soars): Still about 66% finished, 50% if you take into account the three-part Gaming Sessions bonus stories. So far I'm pretty darn happy overall with what I've got here. I'm gonna need to re-tweak the first third a bit again when all's said and done, I think, but I'm gonna wait to do that 'til it's finished and been through the hands of an editor.
Princess For Hire (Print Version): About 15-20% complete, and expanding more than I was expecting it to, though unlike with Phoenix Soars the core text is still there, just beefed up (as opposed to a complete rewrite.) I'm holding off on any more Kingston Academy Shorts just in case I feel the need to beef up the content of the final book, though given it's going to be 100k+ words as-is I doubt that will be necessary.
Echoes rewrite: Yes, I'm in the planning stages to reboot my Echoes series! The progress meter on this is sitting in the negative numbers, since I'm still working out the kinks on what elements of the original I want to keep and what needs completely reworked, but this will likely be my next big BC-posted project.
Switcheroo: Speaking of old projects.... Switcheroo is still on my mind, and one day, ONE DAY, I'll have more for people to read. I've got about half of the next issue already written, in fact, but some of my original ideas for the series don't really appeal to me any more, so I need to think about where I want things to go from here. The story doesn't have a terribly large amount more to go -- maybe double or triple its current length at most -- before the TG content, and therefore the first part of the story (and only part I plan to write,) are done, so that's something I guess, but I'm not sure on when this will be continued.
Boys of Summer: Anyone want this? I've been throwing around the idea of rewriting this for a while now, but honestly, given the reactions of almost every single person I've told my plans for the ending to, it just doesn't seem worth it any more. So if anyone wants this, it's yours. You don't have to ask permission, you don't have to contact me. Just do something with it so I can close that chapter of my writing for good.
Little By Little Saga: I'll continue this eventually. Probably. Maybe? Well, I HOPE to. But for now, it's not a priority.
Other Projects: non-TG stories, a couple new Henry Harrelson stories, a handful of TG books started, a few magic stories and short stories and drabbles and... I've got a lot of stuff off-screen I've been working on for a while, some of it a LONG while, that at this point I'm not sure if I should just post what I have as more "snippets" bits so someone can do some good with it or just abandon or keep holding or... I just don't know. For now, though, I'm taking the quicker and less stressful route of simply Ignoring Them.
So, yeah. Overall PFH and Phoenix Soars are my top priorities. You might see a new short here or there from me, with any luck, but just know that I'm not abandoning writing or nothing.
I'm just really, really, really tired.
This week I make my last payment on a used car (a Honda SR-V for those interested,) and I'm planning to start paying off my student loans probably in January, so that by May when my work insurance kicks in I'll be ALMOST out of debt and able to really start focusing on transitioning. Between now and then I've got other things to take care of -- like holidays, computer repairs, additional car parts and necessary service (it's old and used: these things are expected,) -- but I'm hoping to also get myself a semi-comfortable buffer built up in that time, for the first time in my life. Heck, who am I kidding, I'll be lucky if I can backstuff 500 dollars, but hey, that'd be 500 dollars that, in an emergency, could do a lot of good, so *crosses fingers*
Until next time, muchachas (and muchachos!)
Love,
Melanie E.
Comments
I want to see more of Echos, obviously
As I test read some if it.
Sad you are stuck on Boys of Summer and say there is little interest.
That one has potential to go down paths not often traveled in TG lit.
On it's face it is the "oops forgot his clothes. Our vacation will be ruined going back for them or ten miles to the nearest store to by some. Guess he has to wear his sisters" combined with aspects of petticoat punishment.
But, in particular for the main boy of the story, is this a finding HIS or HER self story?
Mainstream TG would have him finding HERSELF and transitioning OR learns she is intersex and really a girl.
Perhaps this time he finds the feminine within himself and becomes a better young man for it?
Will the possible romances survive and is so which?
And any other complications like an accident rock climbing? A near drowning/boat accident etc?
As to Switcheroo. There seem to be three or four main plot threads. The traitor who killed his, --soon to be her -- sister...AKA the previous Switcheroo. Will she be defeated/be brought to justice.
The AI of the good supers that seems almost human and whether she might just attain something akin to humanity.
We have the mother blaming her innocent son for killing the daughter. Will mom realize the truth and reconcile with the new daughter?
And when will the new Switcheroo attain complete womanhood? Will she embrace it? Or will she always be a male in her soul?
Glad you finances seem better.
Follow your muse whatever us pushy readers demand!
-- GRIN --
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
My plans for Boys of Summer
Were for him to have a good summer, but never really feel that the girl thing was right for him, and at the end go back to being just a normal guy -- a bit wiser, a bit more sensitive and understanding of what girls go through, but happy being male.
Everyone I've told that to so far has hated the idea, with the exception of Jill, though we did discuss how negatively the ending would likely be taken by a lot of the site. Edeyn, Monoimoto, Enemyoffun... they all seemed to feel (and certainly reacted) a bit betrayed by the idea I'd even do that with the story, which rather shocked me to be honest. At the time I thought it was worth the risk to write a story that you don't see here that often, of someone who explores the feminine and returns completely happily to a male-only lifestyle, but now I just have too many other projects that both interest me more and will get a better reception to worry about it.
So, now everyone knows. Canonically for what I was planning for Boys of Summer, it was just a crossdressing story with a definite, finite end. Whoever takes it over is free to do what they want with it though; at this point, I'm really not bothered :P
Melanie E.
Talent
With your talent for writing you don't need to pander to be readable. You're idea of exploration without transition is totally valid. I've read many, many mainstream novels where at the end the hero decides to go back to "normal" having learned from the experience.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
A good point.....
And as you stated with Melanie's talent I am sure it would be outstanding.
However, she is correct and it is easy to understand her comment about how it would be received here. This is after all a site that, whether through conscious design or simply default, is almost exclusively taken up by MtoF transgender stories. That for many is it's raison d'être.
Personally, if I am wholly truthful with myself, with Melanie, and with the peanut gallery, I must admit that my preference would be to see it end that way as well. However, I like to think that I am not so narrow minded as to get upset about a story that did not end that way. The point behind my reading here is both for entertainment, and to learn more of myself and the world. As has been observed from time to time, the world isn't always exactly as we would wish it. That doesn't make it wrong - it just makes it different.
Melanie should write what she wants as she wants, and I am sure her talent will win enough readers no matter how the story ends.
Dallas
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
No worries
Take as long as you like, totally, absolutely no problem.
Welllllll, since you brought it up sis......
You of course know my feelings on both PFH and Phoenix Soars as we have discussed them both at length.
Absolutely finish Echoes; it was a truly unique and wonderful idea that left me more than slightly frustrated at being left hanging. Yeah, you already know that too.
As for Boys of Summer, I am truly sad that you don't want to finish it. I can't remember if we ever discussed how you planned on ending it, so I can't comment on that.
I haven't read any of Switcheroo or Little by Little - yet anyway.
As to the rest.......
Car, work, life, et al.......
What do you want for Christmas? Try to make it something I can carry on a plane as I really, really, really don't want to drive all the way to Arkansas! Unless you feel up to riding back to PA with me. Hopefully I'm moving in by 9/14 as I have been given a promise my townhouse will be ready by then - only four weeks late! And yeah, the third bedroom is yours if you want it. Except for the ocassional trip to Gettysburg to visit old friends I promise to be there all the time. Well, hopefully a few weekend trips to visit the boys - but that assumes that my relationship with them survives through this year. I'll tell you about that sometime......
Anyway, I'm glad you are (keeping my fingers crossed!) getting things settled and working toward getting started on your transition. FYI, Saturday's visit to the salon and then my therapist appointment was great - but the rest of the weekend was rough as all I wanted to do was fix my hair and change clothes all weekend. I can't shock the boys like that though. That needs some prep work first.
Love ya' sis!
Dallas
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus