Back in 2003 I was bored. Not saying I wasn’t bored prior to that date or after it. But in 2003 I decided to tackle my boredom by writing a story and sending it to a free online site. I got plenty of feedback, most of it positive. Looking back on that story later, it was pretty amateurish, but it was a beginning. I wrote several more stories for that website and got varying amounts of feedback, but I was beginning to get a bit disillusioned. It took a lot of effort to write these stories and I wasn’t receiving any financial recompense.
Then, ten years ago this month, my friend JM decided to start JMS Books and asked if I wanted to take my stories down from the net, polish them up, and publish them with her. I agreed. Gosh, what a lot of polishing some of them needed. One thing I’ve learned from writing these past 17 years is that you never stop learning. I’m always picking up new ideas, new ways to hone my craft.
An example of a new (to me) idea is my current work in progress. Although superheroes are certainly not new, I’d never tackled the subject personally. I’m also adding in MPREG, which is a more modern trope. I got the idea from talking with my friend Tami. I would joke with her that her brother, Troy, is something of a hero.
It took me a few months to think up a suitable opening, but when I began writing, I started sharing the story each week with Tami.
Tami has become a valued beta reader. That’s another thing I’ve learned as a writer, you need honest beta readers who aren’t afraid to tell you if something doesn’t work.
Some of the antics I’ve had my Troy do has made Tami laugh, and probably blush, too. I’ve found adding humour to a story helps make it more readable. My Troy is gay, Tami’s brother is not. And my Troy can fly, I’m assuming hers cannot. But it’s amazing how many real life events one can alter slightly and work into a story. Again, adding in real events makes a story more believable. If you can suspend disbelief enough to accept a man being able to fly and shoot bursts of energy from his fingertips. I did worry that anyone who read the story and who knows the real Troy might be able to make the connection. Tami told me not to worry. The real Troy does know I’m writing a story very loosely based on him. However, it’s highly doubtful he’ll read it. Which is probably for the best. You, dear blog reader, can see a sneak peek below.
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