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We’ve been having some wonderful discussions lately about BC as a community. One of the many ways that this manifests itself is how generous, welcoming and supportive so many of BC’s established authors are when newbies like me show up. You know who you are, my dears; know that you are my personal pantheon of goddesses and heroes. I have benefited so much from your help, advice, and friendship.
As a newcomer, I have a tendency to dash off a story when inspiration strikes, wholly unaware that I am re-plowing ground that has been well-tilled in the past by far more skilled hands. This is embarrassing, but people have actually been incredibly kind about it. Case in point: I wrote a novelette about a boy who steps in to play a girl’s part in a theater production when the actress is, err . . . indisposed. Estarriol of Iffish used a similar plot device in It All Started With My Family, a fun story submitted as part of the New Year’s contest. And today I started reading The Might-Have-Been Girl, by the amazing Bronwen_Welsh. I played it mostly for laughs, but Bronwen’s story (I’m three chapters in) has heart, and characters who grab you in a hurry. I am really looking forward to reading the whole thing. I guess there are only a few ways to get an unsuspecting boy into a frock, as my British friends might say, and the theater provides a good one. Who else has got stories with this theme? Any recommendations? — Emma
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The Might Have Been Girl..
The Might have been Girl is the first part of Bronwen's wonderful wonderful Harriett Trilogy, all three of which I recommend in the strongest possible terms.
Bronwen is a really lovely lady and an outstanding writer, and I joined the BC Community after having had the trilogy recommended to me as good reading when I was recovering from my Surgery.
It was a great recommendation, as not only did I get to read some wonderful fiction by really high quality authors ( present company included!) I also met some lovely people whom I class as very close friends.
On another site, Clara also wrote a trilogy based on the idea of a young man playing Bianca in Taming of the Shrew. It is very different from either Bronwen's story or yours, but is well worth a read. The trilogy starts with "Kiss Me Bianca" https://www.tgstorytime.com/viewstory.php?sid=4765
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."
The whole Bianca series……
Is one of my favorites. You know a story is good when it finally comes to an end and you feel a sense of loss because there isn’t more.
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Clara is amazing!
I'd started off just reading her G-rated stories, but after going through and enjoying all of them, I decided to give "Kiss Me Bianca" a try. For personal reasons, I tend to feel uncomfortable reading about people having sex, so I wound up skipping big chunks of a few chapters. Even with that, the series is still amazing! I haven't finished going through all the Bibi books yet, but I've really grown fond of her, as well as the other characters who've become close friends and family to her. There's a few parts that were real emotional roller coasters for me, but in a very good way. :)
Bianca
Kiss Me Bianca, was a great binge-read! A big “thank you” to Lucy, Dallas and Heather for the recommendation. Well-written, good characters, tight focus and a nice pace.
— Emma
A classic not available on BC right now
would be Crystal Sprite's "I Can't Go Home Like This." It kinda ends on a non-note, since it was never finished, but it's definitely a Recommended Read regardless.
Crystal's stories page over at her own site, if you wanna check it out. Storysite's been dead for a while now (though there's been some talk among Some Of Us of trying to save its contents) but still has a lot of good stories that aren't available easily elsewhere, and is the place through which I found both Sapphire's and BCTS back in the day.
Melanie E.
Mel Beat Me to It
I was going to suggest Crystal's story. It's a great read despite not being finished. Crystal's other classic, Texas Gal is also amazing though off topic.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Twenty-four chapters in . . . .
I Can’t Go Home Like This was also a terrific binge-read. I spent quite a few hours going through twenty-four chapters, which took the story to the end of the big play. There are lots of storm-clouds on the horizon, but this represented a good place to pause and send my appreciation to you both, Jill and Mel, for recommending the story!
— Emma
Yes indeed, a common theme
I'd hazard a guess that every TG author has at least toyed with the idea of writing a story based on the theater and the need for another female character. I've read many a story set in British public schools where with an all boys student body dramatic endeavors necessitates a boy in a frock to complete it.
I even have one in my bone pile of unfinished stories. Working title, "Getting Into Character." Maybe one day, I'll get around to finishing it.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
Life is a stage and we are just players
I have written a bunch of stories like this - so many that I have even contemplated an anthology using theater as a theme. Next week I will post my story "Sunny" which is about a smallish stuntman who is used to take female roles.
MP
Haven't we all?
Perhaps not all us but many. Others have already beaten me to mention the "classics" that came to mind.
I'm no exception, Just for fun I looked over my stories and found no less than four on this theme (Final Act, No Acting, Reverse Cowgirl and What's in a Name? (spoiler alerts!)). Possibly not always in the "traditional" manner though ;)
It Takes Two To Tango
And along came......Emma Anne!
Occasionally a star is born. And a star in all respects, not just a demon author but a thoroughly nice woman to boot, who does more than her bit to engage with the other participants on BCTS so the welcome goes both ways.
I had the total pleasure of working with Emma on our recent New Year 2024 Competition. She is marvelous, a real dynamo and a fantastically hard worker, left me in her dust, but where some would give you the feeling that you're unworthy, not her. Always gentle and with a kind word to heal any hurts.
I just hope BCTS returns her love in spades.
And it's easy to get a boy into a dress. Trust me! I know! The Brits have been doing it since the era of Shakespeare, although the bard usually went the other way, as in The Merchant Of Venice and As You Like It to mention a couple. He got the boys out of dresses.
Plus ça change...
In other words...
-- Daphne Xu
One of Ricky's...
...more recent ones, Little Orphan (D)annie, falls into the category (sort of -- the kid isn't really thrust into the title role; he's part of a family of amateur actors and as far as their troupe is concerned, the part is his if he wants it).
Eric
We all stand.
We all stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us. I uploaded my first piece of fanfiction at the tender age of fourteen to Fanfiction.Net I'd been inspired by a man who I thought was the premire master of the craft Kasuto. And in many ways I still feel that Kasuto is the premire master of the craft. But even master had start off as an apprentice. I could stand here and call off a chorus of names of people who have in one way or another shaped me and molded me since I decided to write. Many have passed away and have vanished into the mist of time Kasuto has, the ones who inspired him have. For those who take the time out of busy day we must be grateful for and cherish them as if they were fine jewels.
You Emma, are just following in a proud tradition. You will one day be the shoulders a young, wide eye writer of transfiction stands upon to reach for the stars that shimmer down on them from heaven. One day you will take your place among those very same stars that shimmer down from heaven and lend their guiding light to those who must toil here below. I like to think, that all those old fanfiction writers, Kasuto, Julliet, Post-Rapture, BlizzardSage, Sir Leo from the Legend of Zeda community and that fine collection of roleplayers from the Harvest Moon Community, Mayor Danny, AutumnStrawberry, Ikum, Harumi, Grace, Annette, and Flora have transgended the realms of this mortal world and have taken their place among those shimmer celestial jewels.
And many more from Sailor Moon Community, many whom I've forgotten but at one point in time bothered to drop a message to a fourteen year old novice will be there, when it comes time for me to lay down my pen and close my eyes for one last time. Emma, dear heart, you are something special to all of us here. I can't say it enough, thank you for all you do. I'm sure by now you've made into the history books of this site. And I'm sure one day somebody would look up at your star in the night sky and plot a course using it.
So, to end this, please remember these dear words whispered once to me by one of my mentors on autumn night when the world still held such wonder and such promise. "Remember, we stand upon the shoulders of those who came before us. And one day we hope others will use our shoulders to reach for the stars."
Thank you for the great recommendations!
I thought there would be some more gems that employed this plot device! Not only is it a plausible way to get a boy to try a dress, but theater is also just fun, and provides a wide range of possible storylines. I’m looking forward to tracking down your suggestions. I did finish The Might-Have-Been Girl, and can join Lucy’s heartfelt recommendation. Beautiful story.
I’m pretty sure I landed at Crystal’s Storysite when I first discovered TG fiction, and came back to it off-and-on for a few years until I discovered BC by stumbling across Rebecca Anderson’s Wild Horses. I don’t think I read any stories by Crystal herself during the time I browsed that site. My tastes have changed since those days. :)
Thank you to Bru, for kindly adding yet another twisty TG theater tale with yesterday’s posting of Leading Lady. And thank you, too, to Joanne and Rebecca for your too-kind words. I’ve said it before: I can’t repay what this community has given me, but I am determined to try.
— Emma
A compliment returned.
My dear friend Lucy Perkins alerted me to this blog and your kind remarks, Emma. I suspect my inspiration originally came from the Bard himself and all the female parts in his plays originally played by boys and young men.
Now to return the compliment, I must comment about your talent for writing comedy, something I've never tried, knowing it would be a disaster. Your stories that I've read so far have had me really laughing out loud - they are quite brilliant. Thank you for the entertainment you are giving us - we are all lucky that you discovered Bigcloset.
Bronwen