I just posted "Bikini Beach: Teaching Sally."
I hadn't planned on posting it so soon, but the way the comments on it were going, I thought I had better.
This story was created by reader feedback. When I first posted "Bikini Beach: Swim Date" on the TG-Fiction List and on FictionMania, I got a lot of the same sort of posts I got when I posted it here.
People complained that Grandmother was totally unfair in her treatment of Sally.
I liked the idea of Bikini Beach, and I didn't want to spoil it by creating a nasty version of Grandmother. The only way out was to figure WHY Grandmother had acted that way, and that lead to the story of how Mitch Hammond became his daughter Sally.
It was an interesting process, and I think I learned a bit more about how to craft a story because of it. I'm happy about that.
This story also is proof that some authors, at least, pay attention to reader comments. A lot of people say that we don't. I do. Otherwise "Teaching Sally" wouldn't exist.
I'll be curious to see the sort of comments this story and this blog entry generate. I'm hoping that people will now understand what happened to Sally, and that they'll have the honesty to agree that her fate wasn't unfair.
We'll see.
Comments
I remember reading this on FM at one time
When I re-read it today, I realized how much of the story I had forgotten. I have to agree that Mitch had no socially redeeming value and that he deserved the punishment that he received from Grandmother. I think that what bothered me the most (before I reached the ending that I had forgotten) was that Mitch was faced with a life knowing that he was condemned to be his wife's daughter and that his wife was gloating about it.
I think that what saved this story for me was when Mitch himself (as Sally) realized how much of a monster Mitch was and that he did deserve the treatment he received. Allowing the Mitch that we met to 'die' and to become the memory of a good man was a great way to end the story.
Bikini Beach Teaching Sally
Bikini Beach Teaching Sally might lead to another story if you read my comment.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Sequel?
There won't be a sequel that involves the sdrunk driver who, in the new reality, killed Mitch. She was a multiple offender driving without her suspended license, and she served 30 months in prison for vehicular homicide.
If Grandmother undid Mitch's death thet way she did Shayne's, who would be Mitch? Sally wants to be Sally and has no membory of being Mitch. Grandmother can't create a new soul. So who would -- who could -- Mitch be?
That doesn't mean that Sally and Shayne will never be seen again. They're in the pool of extant characters, and I'll use them if I need characters their age. I've used any number of characters and settings from earlier stories of mine and Elrod's.
I will again.
Anyone who doesn't read and
Anyone who doesn't read and like "Teaching Sally" is missing a great story. There's nothing more I can say, besides I really like it.
Imagination is more important than knowledge
A. Einstein
Teaching Sally is a tale that
Teaching Sally is a tale that made me start stretching my own tales. It also helped shape my vision for grandmother and her limited powers, her inner demons, and her great fears - all that culminated in In The Beginning. Ellie inspired that work with teaching sally. Thanks to her example, my own stories have improved - so much so that three old tales will never be reposted here until they get "The Six Million Dollar Man" treatment :)
Bravo, Ellie on this marvelous tale! (Now if you get a monent, could you look at my sequence / canon worksheet? Appreciate it as always
Imagination is more important than knowledge
A. Einstein
Wow!
Thank you, Elrod, for that INCREDIBLE compliment.
I'm a longtime fan of your work, and I've enjoyed collaborating with you on a number of things. Send your worksheet, and I'll take a look. Just give me a little time, as I have a couple of other things in the queue.
Sorry Can't Find it.
Did you publish it on BCTS?
It's titled "Bikini Beach:
It's titled "Bikini Beach: Teaching Sally"
Abigail Drew.
I agree, this one shows Grandmother IS human & compassionate
!!! LOTS OF SEMI SPOILERS AHEAD !!!
EVERYONE *grows*, matures in this tale.
Her *mom*'s initial reaction -- seeming to gloat over her former husband's transformation -- is understandable due to the horror of learning he was both an adulterer and a hit and run driver. On top of not wanting to give her a child.
The identity death here was requested by the transformee -- and to an extent his wife or at least agreed to after the child requested it -- and for good reasons. Both felt it was necessary to move on in a healthy way, no ill feelings, crippling guilt from a past that no longer exists.
And as we have seen in stories written later, Anya is influencing grandma even more, to the point that she is moderating some of her punishments and may/might make amends where she was excessive.
As I see it punishment and redemption or reward for that matter are nothing without knowing why. Without knowing you cannot grow, redeem yourself. Mitch /Sally had grown in that short time thus the fresh start was justified IMHO.
That's what always bothered me about Jezzie's fine early BB tale about the businessman hypnotized into thinking he was a letch. This allows Anya to stupidly condemn him to a lifetime pass. Fortunately she or grandma realized what was happening in time to retain HER mental faculties and a normal sex drive. But too late to save HIM.
But the ending bothered me. SHE gets a full identity death, lives on thinking she is a woman, losses her marriage though they have that last for a while. AND the badly abused -- by her father --- secretary who had become a man hater and set up this whole *plot* is transformed into an effeminate male -- grandma calls in a favor from the SRU wizard -- who attracts homosexuals and who has little or no chance at redemption or at a decent life even if HE does redeem HIM self.
Where is the justice in that? EVERYONE loses.
Unless that was the intent,. To show the uselessness and devastation of revenge?
Not that it was not a good tale but I much prefer the lemons from lemonade or even a bitter sweet ending.
The NERDS date rape story fits well into the scene of justice and redemption. Curious to see where the follow-up of the multiparter goes. Will the remorseful former boy -- from the Midnight Swim tale -- fall in love with the brave and selfless NERD and elect to stay a female? Or will he change back after repaying Grandma but be a better person for it ... Hum, does the NERD, Ron(?) who was terrified he'd be trapped as a woman if she'd gotten pregnant become a woman out of love for the guy, formerly a girl who was originally a guy?
That last possibility made my head fall off.
Mind you a fine BB by the same gal who did the Serendipity of Freedom DID use the SRU's wizard's magic in a constructive way to bring together two lovers who would have been tragically separated. IE the woman chose to became a man for the man, who was a woman in her soul as it was the only way they could have children together and the former man be happy with HER new life courtesty of a lifetime BB pass. But no identity death. Just two happy magical sex changes. Each remembering who they were and why they changed... for love.
-- grin --
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Great stuff BB when done well.
John in Wauwatosa
Vicky
Vicky was not transformed by the water but by SRU wizard
The water made it more complicated to reverse the spell as both have combined
Anya cannot undo it currently. Given time she might.