Some of the most interesting comments I get on my stories are the ones that make me look at a story in a way I hadn’t considered.
For example, I heard from a fan of Royal Succession the other day, who wrote:
I was hoping they would finally "figure it out," but no.
That’s a new angle for me — but when I mentioned it to another reader, she told me that she had had the same thought. Perhaps I was so taken with the thought of Bert and Penelope and their ten-beejers-a-day regimen that I forgot to feel sorry for what they were missing.
Another interesting take came from a reader of Checkout. He wrote:
I imagine you had difficulty with the codes. MF sort of, but no sex; MC sort of, but is he merely delusional?
Now, I wrote the story as [MC], but after that comment I re-read it; it turns out to read just as well if one imagines not mystical powers, but insanity, in the shopper.
— Frenulum
I think both were "missing out" -- Penelope moreso than Bert. Vaginal intercourse would/could/should have been wonderful for both of them. How would they -- esp she -- have reacted to that first penetration? A revelation? An epiphany?
ReplyDeleteAre you interested in essaying an alternate version of the story? ;-)
Given their inexperience, I imagine that they both would have been, pardon the expression, blown away. A revelation at the least!
ReplyDeleteI have not ever seriously considered a sequel or alternate for any of my stories. With forty-odd pieces in the Work-In-Progress folder, the temptation to revisit old territory is limited. But I will keep the suggestion in mind.
There are two stories that draw the most requests for continuation from readers, one predominantly from men and one predominantly from women. Anyone care to take a guess?
Ok, lemme take a stab at it. "Just Once" for female readers and either "Cheerleader" or "Earning Her Tuition" for the males?
ReplyDeleteJust Once is indeed the most popular story among the ladies, but other than an occasional comment about wondering how Lori and Dan turned out, there’s not much demand for a sequel.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do mean demand: there are two stories that readers insist are unfinished, and I get told in no uncertain terms that I must get busy working on their sequels right away.
I’ll wait a bit to see if there is any further speculation before naming them.
Ok, stepping out of my own mindset...its "Neighborly" for the guys, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteDing ding ding ding ding!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations — you beat my post on the subject by a few minutes.