Heather Rose Brown

The Bottle at the Back of the Fridge

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The Bottle at the Back of the Fridge
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

This is a short vignette about a parent who's coping with changes in family relationships while transitioning, and struggling to not give into easing the pain of loss in an unhealthy way. While there's a bit of sadness in this story, there's also hope as well. I hope you enjoy it.

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Richie's Story

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Richie's Story
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

Have you ever wondered what was going through Richie's head when when she met Tommy in "For Want of a Comma"? Well, now you can! While this peek into Richie's experience covers only a few chapters from FWoaC, I thought people might find it interesting seeing things from a different perspective. Enjoy! :)

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Omnipotence Paradox

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Omnipotence Paradox
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

This is my response to a paradox I heard a long time ago. It may not be a great answer, or even a good one, but it was fun to think up, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy! :)

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Bad

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Posting this story is ... an act of defiance. It's a refusal to hide what I've hidden from others, as well as myself. But it's a dark story. So please, please, be careful. If you think reading about bad things happening to someone might hurt or harm you in any way, the please don't read this.

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Too much dark?

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I've sorta been writing a lot more dark in what I've been posting, and I'm kinda worrying I'm doing it a bit too much. Part of what I'm worried about is if I'm just telling people about stuff that hurts too much to hear. I've been sharing the kinda stuff I usually avoid reading. I really don't want to hurt anyone, and I'm wondering if I'm doing that by opening up too much. Even though it feels freeing to not keep stuff hidden, it's not worth it, if I'm hurting people. Is there a way of knowing when I've been sharing too much dark stuff?

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Tomorrow morning ...

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... I'm scheduled to be meeting with a therapist.

I'm not sure if I'm ready. I feel like I'm wading into a lake, and years of memories are being stirred up as I walk. The water is too murky to see my own feet, and I'm not certain how deep the lake is, or how far I can go before I slip into the deep end. Right now, just the thought of letting a complete stranger look into those waters, and see whatever might float to the surface, is a bit ... terrifying. I really hope I'm in better shape tomorrow.

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The Nurse's Office

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After posting a couple of pretty dark memories, I thought it might be nice to share something lighter, so I rooted through what bits I could remember, until I came across a particularly special memory. Even now, I still smile, while thinking of this moment. :)

The Nurse's Office
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

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I'm Dancing

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I've sorta been ... obsessing ... about seeing a therapist in a few days. There were just lots of stuff ... I don't know the name of the stuff ... but it was filling me up to overflowing. And then, I became disconnected from the stuff, but it sorta ... kept going without me. And that stuff somehow turned into the song below. I'm still feeling disconnected, and I'm not sure if I can make sense of the song, but I sorta just needed to say what's in this song, because ... I'm not sure. It just feels like something that really needs to say. Umm ...

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Janegirl Camp-Chapter 4

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In this chapter, Zee is surprised by something he finds in his suitcase, then learns a little about a few of the many unique activities available at Janegirl Camp.

Janegirl Camp
Chapter 4
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

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Personaecide

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This is a bit of flash fiction for a story that's been floating around my head for years. It all started with the idea of what it might be like if science found a way of making it possible for more than one mind to exist in the same brain. I haven't been able to get any further than what I have below, but I thought maybe some people might like taking a peak at this tiny corner of a futuristic universe that's been developing in my head.

Personaecide
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

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Planning on finding a therapist

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It's been a few years since I've seen a therapist. I'd stopped, because it was starting to bring up stuff I felt like I couldn't handle. I still ain't sure if I can handle it, but stuff seems to be bubbling up, and trying to ignore it doesn't seem to be helping any more. So, I've decided to try contacting my healthcare provider today.

I'm really, really nervous about looking for a therapist to help me with stuff. I'm tired of hiding from my past, but I'm also scared of facing it. Anybody got any suggestions on how to do this with the least amount of issues?

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The Cut

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While I've written a couple of stories that dealt with suicide, I've never had the nerve to describe my own experience. Until now. Please ... please be careful, before reading this story, and make sure it's something you feel you can handle. Knowing other people are okay is a lot more important to me than knowing this story is read.

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Autobiographical Stories

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This is a collection of stories about stuff that happened to me. While some really good stuff happened in my life, some really bad stuff happened too. So ... please read these stories with caution. Check the labels, as well as any blurbs at the beginning of the stories. If you have any doubt at all as to whether you should read one of the stories here, then please don't. I'd rather my stories go unread, than have anyone hurt or harmed by reading something I've written.

Rage

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This is a dark story. At least, it feels dark to me. Maybe it feels darker than it actually is, because it's something that happened to me. Still ... if reading about bad things happening to people might hurt or harm you in any way, then please don't read this story. This is something I'm writing for my own sanity. It would break my heart if anything I wrote hurt someone. So, if you're not sure you should read this story, then please don't.

Janegirl Camp age groups

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I was thinking about Janegirl Camp being split into 3 age groups, and each group would attend camp at different times. The first group would be ages 7-9, the second group would be 10-12 (Zee's age group), and the third age group would be ages 13-15. I was also thinking of giving each group a different name, but I'm not sure if I like the names or not yet. The first group would be called Caterpillar, the second group would be called Chrysalis, and the third group would be called Butterfly.

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Separation Anxiety?

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I've been working on the next chapter of Jangirl Camp, and seem to be running into an issue I don't think I've ever run into before. Zee seems to be feeling separation anxiety when his dad is saying goodbye to him at camp, and I'm really feeling guilty about separating them. I know it's something that needs to happen for the story to continue, but the actual scene is feeling a lot more difficult to write than I'd expected.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to write a scene where a parent and somewhat clingy child are separated with the least amount of trauma?

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Janegirl Camp-Chapter 2

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In this chapter Zee runs into some gender confusion while signing up for Janegirl Camp, then gets answers to a few questions during the camp orientation meeting.

Janegirl Camp
Chapter 2
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

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Janegirl Camp

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This all kinda started when I read a message someone posted, where janegirl was suggested as being to boys what tomboy is to girls. That caught the interest of my moose (muse), which is how I wound up with the idea for Janegirl Camp. Because so many people seemed to enjoy my original bit of flash fiction, I decided to try expanding on the story. I'm not sure where it will go, but I think the journey will be fun. So, if you're interested, please join me in Janegirl Camp! :)

Janegirl Camp Activity Ideas

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I've been thinking about trying to expand on my Janegirl Camp story. I sorta felt one thing that might move the plot along would be having Zee and the other campers getting involved in different activities. I've come up with a few ideas, but I've been struggling to come up with any really interesting ones, so I thought I'd try asking others for suggestions.

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Janegirl Camp-Chapter 1

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I'd recently been reading a message someone posted, where janegirl was suggested as being to boys what tomboy is to girls. That caught the interest of my moose (muse), and I decided to try writing a bit of flash fiction. Because so many people seemed to enjoy the idea of Janegirl Camp, that peice of flash fiction became the first chapter of this story. I'm hoping others will enjoy reading my story as much as I'm having fun writing it! :)

Janegirl Camp
Chapter 1
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

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Ian and Brice - Chapter 5 (Ian)

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Ian and Brice
Chapter 5 (Ian)
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

In this chapter, Ian is comforted by Mae, then he joins a picnic with the foster family who've taken him into their home, as well as their hearts.

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Working on the next chapter of Ian & Brice/Bryce

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For those who've been following my story, Ian & Brice/Bryce, I'm still working on the next chapter, but things are going a bit slowly. a big part of that is because I can feel how Ian will want to be held, as well as how afraid he is of doing anything like that would trigger another flashback.

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Ward of the State (pilot episode)

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Ward of the State
(pilot episode)
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

In a near-future world not too different from our own, homelessness has become a hot topic. Citizens are demanding *something* has to be done about it. This is the start of a story about what happens when drastic plans created by poorly informed but enthusiastic committees are put into action.

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Back burner is bubbling...

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I currently have ... I think ... a couple dozen story ideas sitting on my back burner. One of those stories has been bubbling recently. The current working title I have for it is "Ward of the State".

In this story, being homeless is ... not exactly a crime, but it *is* an issue the state (of Norcal?) governor promised to "fix" as one of his campaign promises. Once he's been inaugurated, a law is passed, where anyone who is homeless is automatically declared a ward of the state, without regard to the age of the person.

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Ian and Brice - Chapter 4 (Brice)

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Ian and Brice
Chapter 4 (Brice)
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

In this chapter, Ian reveals another bit of his past, which starts Brice thinking about her biological parents. Those thoughts lead Brice to asking one of her foster parents a question she'd never had the nerve to ask before.

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Breathless Dream

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I just woke up from an amazing dream. It started off with me fending off some shadowy figures with powerful vocal attacks (sorta like Black Canary), then for some reason, one of the longer vocal attacks turned into singing. I've already forgotten the lyrics, but I know the song was called 'Breathless'.

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Portraying religious and spiritual beliefs in stories

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In the next chapter of the story I'm working on, some religious/spiritual practices are discussed for a bit. I've been sorta struggling on how to portray the scene in a way that feels honest and realistic, without coming off as preachy or heavy handed. Does anyone have suggestions on how to best portray that sort of content in stories?

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Ian and Brice - Chapter 3 (Ian)

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Ian and Brice
Chapter 3 (Ian)
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

In this chapter Ian reaches out to an old friend, barely avoids having another flashback, then has some of his anxiety put at ease in an unexpected way. When some of Ian's stress begins to fade, he senses something from one of his caregivers he'd almost given up hope of ever experiencing again.

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The Transgender Bunch

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The Transgender Bunch
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

While chatting with a few folk in a blog post, I sorta wandered off the original topic, and did a rewrite of the Brady Bunch song, as well as creating a modified pic, showing what I imagined the Transgender Bunch might look like. It's mostly just a bit of silliness, but it was fun, and so I thought I'd share. Enjoy! :)

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Feel like I'm coming unraveled.

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Actually, it's feelin' more like the threads of sanity I've used to stitch a shredded soul together are coming undone, and ... stuff ... is leakin'; out. Part of me is curious 'bout that stuff. Another part of me seems to know what that stuff is, and is scared of seein' it again. But ... it's a kinda disconnected scared.

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Ian and Brice - Chapter 2 (Brice)

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Ian and Brice
Chapter 2 (Brice)
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

In this chapter, Brice worries about having made a bad first impression with Ian, then tests a suspicion about Ian possibly being transgender.

NOTE: Each chapter of this story is being told from the perspective of a different person. To help make things a little clearer, I've added a name next to each chapter number, so it'll be a little easier to know who's perspective the chapter is being seen through. If you have any questions, please feel free to post a comment at the bottom of this story, or send me a direct message. Thank you!

Stories with scenes describing physical or emotional abuse

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I recently posted the first chapter of a story where one of the main characters (Ian) had suffered both physical and emotional abuse. I've been working on it for almost a year now, and have only made it through three chapters. Part of the reason it took so long to get that far, was because it was emotionally draining to write. Another reason it took long, was because I kept on going back and forth on how much of Ian's past I should include in the story.

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Football & Soccer

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In a story I've been reading here on BCTS, I noticed one of the characters mentioned both soccer about as frequently as football. This got me to wondering, do British folk use both terms about as frequently, or is that something just this author did. I'd always assumed football would be used, since that's what I usually saw in other stories, but I realize I could be very mistaken in that assumption. If there's anyone out there who'd be willing to clear things up for me, I'd much appreciate it! :)

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Ian and Brice - Chapter 1 (Ian)

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Ian and Brice
Chapter 1 (Ian)
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

In this chapter, Ian has to leave the one place he'd felt safe, and cope with being placed in the care of complete strangers, then is pulled into a painful memory from a past he'd rather forget.

NOTE: For those who've read My Name is Luka, you may notice cameos of two characters from that story. While it's not needed to enjoy this story, if you're interested in finding out more about them, you may want to give my earlier story a try.

Character List - Bobby's Rainy Day Adventure

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I was re-reading this story, when I started noticing how many characters I had introduced in it. To make things a little easier to keep track of everyone, I decided to create the list below. I know it's been a pretty long time since I originally posted this story, so there probably won't be a lotta folk using this list, but I do see a few hits on a pretty regular basis, so I decided to post the list anyway. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below, or send me a private message. Thank you! :)

For Want of a Comma - Chapter 9

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horseshoe & comma

In this chapter, our hero deals with detention, decides on a gender, and gets a chance to turn a dream into reality.

Woke from a vivd dream

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In the dream, there was a dark place, lit by a few spotlights. Someone was dancing from light to light. I heard a musicbox playing, and a group of women singing. I don't remember all the lyrics, but here's what I was able to hold onto when I woke up.

Beautiful dancer, dancing in my dreams.
Beautiful dancer, all's not what it seems.
Beautiful dancer, dancing in my heart.
Beautiful dancer, dancing every part,
Except for the part, written just for you.
Beautiful dancer, what are you to do?

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South-Jersey-Verse by Heather Rose Brown

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While writing some of my stories, I've imagined them in the same universe, and had a general idea of where those stories took place, but never really organized everything until now. All of these stories are set in the South-Jersey-Verse. Below is a picture of the area, with imaginary city names based on the names of cities in the "real" world. Below that is a list of the cities, and the stories set in those locations.

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South-Jersey-Verse by Heather Rose Brown

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While writing some of my stories, I've imagined them in the same universe, and had a general idea of where those stories took place, but never really organized everything until now. All of these stories are set in the South-Jersey-Verse. Below is a picture of the area, with imaginary city names based on the names of cities in the "real" world. Below that is a list of the cities, and the stories set in those locations.

For Want of a Comma - Chapter 8

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horseshoe & comma

In this chapter, our hero runs into some trouble while trying to help his friends, does some gender revelation, loses his temper, then finds himself in *very* deep trouble.
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For Want of a Comma - Chapter 7

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horseshoe & comma

In this chapter, our hero learns about restroom rules, bravely selects what to eat for lunch, and joins his first SIGL meeting.

For Want of a Comma - Chapter 6

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horseshoe & comma

In this chapter, our hero gets a new understanding of what delicate can mean, learns about a confrontation in the principal's office, and follows a friend in pain into the unknown.

For Want of a Comma-Tommy's uniform

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For those who have been following my story, For Want of a Comma, below is a picture of how I sorta imagine Tommy looks after changing into his uniform. Except for the shoes, I created the uniform from scratch, imported them into Second Life, then took a photo there.

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