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Good morning! It’s February – do you know where your Contest Story is? C’mon, authors! Just two weeks left!
Here are my third set of comments on the stories that have been submitted to date, selected with the assistance of a handy random number generator:
DorothyColleen provides an intensely personal story of overcoming childhood abuse, reconnecting with the girl she has always been, and claiming that life for herself. Her writing is spare, devoid of tricks. Just a simple, searingly honest narrative, that draws its power from its truth.
What would you do, as a favor for a friend? Not that? Really? Supposed he offered you an additional 20,000 reasons? With sharp humor and dialogue that snaps, crackles and pops, Melanie Ezell provides a different take on a classic TG theme. And this wasn't even the story she intended to write for the contest!
Just Another Midnight at the Chapel
No-one sets a scene like Sabrina Langton! It's a story filled with quirky characters, vivid descriptions, and amazing internal monologues ("I did the smile I practiced on the tourists, but I could tell she was a New Yorker. My teeth were wasted on her.") I don't "get" New York and never will, but Sabrina makes me wish, however fleetingly, that I did!
Madison has a good life, good friends, and acceptance, but the offer of a job with better pay lures her back to her hometown. Her life unravels when the job is a disaster, and soon she finds herself detransitioning, losing touch with her California girlfriends, and becoming a recluse. What will it take to bring Madison back? Marissa Lynn tells a story of rebirth and renewal, the power of friendship and the difference that well-timed acts of kindness can make.
What does a backstage guy do when the theater company's utility actor literally breaks a leg? Fills in, naturally. Just a handful of roles. You know . . . pirate, gorilla, butler, pixie. Wait, what? Pixie?!!! Is that any way to get noticed by your crush? Estarriol takes us on a lighthearted journey of transformation and discovery!
Gillian1968's tale of a man mourning the loss of his wife, a woman who had understood and tried to accept his feminine core, has a lyrical tone and a quality that is both elegiac and poignant. Resolving to be the best woman she can be, Jerry embarks on a year-long journey of transformation, while reconnecting to her deepest feelings by taking up the piano that she and her wife had long neglected.
Families have their own language— words and phrases that are freighted with meaning. It makes writing realistic family dialogue a challenge; no-one else can really understand them. Alan shows how it's done in this deceptively simple tale of a ten-year who is petrified of a New Year's resolution made rashly, but with great hope and courage. If only every child could have such a great Dad. Not to mention the dog!
Eric is a busy businessman who crossdresses at home to relax, and longs to simplify his life. Will a winning lotto ticket help? Oh, certainly not — there are tax men and fraudsters and charities to deal with! Ricky explores the poor rich man's dilemma with his customary blend of wit, humor and repartee.
When your only goal is living to see another sunrise, and you know that your survival depends on someone else's death, New Year's resolutions seem kind of pointless. Or maybe optimistic. In Rachel Moore's story, a young man is saved by a heart transplant, and finds a connection to the life that saved his own.
Becky Anne Reus delivers a gentle story of an 11-year-old who resolves to be true to herself, and tells her family that she is a girl. She finds acceptance, love, and freedom to explore her feelings.
John gets himself into trouble with HR for his poor attitude toward the women in his office. His job hangs by a thread. Can his sister save him? Gillian Chambers gives us a resolution-based take on a classic theme.
An assassin plans a nice getaway in a secluded spa for himself and his wife, a workaholic nurse. But the spa has some surprises for the couple, exposing a few areas where they have, maybe, been a touch less than forthcoming with each other. Will their marriage survive? More urgently, perhaps, will they? A fun romp from Girlinthelight.
Tiffany Quinn's story provides a novel approach to addressing sexism in the technical fields — and a sorority dedicated to promoting it. Can Kyle manage "a year a broad?" What will it take to convince him to take the plunge?
Chrissy Morgan's voice and mastery of multiple instruments wows a country that takes its music seriously. But an uncle who never accepted her transition thinks she should join the 41 percent, and wants to tear her down. With her trademark dialogue and memorable characters, Steph C explores how a public figure — an entertainer — can take on the haters.
"Dad, can you drink some of this protein drink? Just a couple sips, please." A simple bit of dialogue that hammers home, better than any amount of exposition, the staggering mental and emotional dislocation of dealing with a parent's dementia. With skill and empathy, Rachel Moore describes the struggles of a transwoman who has never felt her father's approval, as she navigates his increasing confusion and anger. Is it too late to reach the man she knew?
In case you missed them, here are links to Jill’s and my earlier blog posts about the stories that have been submitted so far:
Comments
I'm very glad you've liked my story!
And I'm glad that so many other authors are seeing so much promotion and their own chances to shine with all the effort y'all have put into showcasing everyone's work on this.
Melanie E.
This part is FUN!
So many authors have put so much effort into the contest, and it’s really fun to talk about all the great stories that have been pouring in. Judging will be hard, but this part is a treat!
Emma