who in real life knows about your writing here?

[djrip]

Okay, drumroll. I sent a story to a friend I trust IRL to read. First time I actually revealed the fact that I write stuff to anyone.

That backfired.

Apparently, she got to a sad bit and starting sobbing so loudly that her husband asked what she was reading and she had to out me. So, after also gathering up inestimable feedback from @flynn99 on the same, I worked desperately to get ahead of the news and bludgeoned it into a fit state to show my wife. It's on her Kindle now. Fire in the hole.

In case you never hear from me again, it's been an absolute bloody privilege

Hoo boy

 

[onehitwanda]

"Who is that?" Jackie Hikaru said, pointing at the faded vignette.

Wanda snorted. "It doesn't matter."

"Surely it matters? Someone must know."

"Oh, I know precisely who it is," Wanda said. "We used to keep his portrait up as an object lesson to new authors."

"What do you mean?" Jackie leaned in, stared at the faded plastic plaque. "Oneagainst, 19?? - 2024. Requiscat in Segmentatio... rest in pieces? What?"

"The stupid bastard told someone in the real world that he writes smut. His wife found out."

"Oh. Oh God, no. Was it bad?"

"Two words. Oxford Comma."

"Oh fuck. And then?"

"She dropped a moon on him. Glassed the planet from sunrise to sunset."

Jackie winced. "So... why's he up here, then?"

"Because they never learn."

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

This is actually giving me second hand anxiety. Good luck @oneagainst! And bring back good news.

 

[onehitwanda]

It is deathly silent, isn't it? Eerie, almost.

 

[lanceGibs]

It is deathly silent, isn't it? Eerie, almost.

Sheeeehh

 

[StillStunned]

It is deathly silent, isn't it? Eerie, almost.

When the forums go quiet like this, I always wonder whether everyone has blocked me.

 

[onehitwanda]

When the forums go quiet like this, I always wonder whether everyone has blocked me.

We are the homeless ghosts, yammering in the gaps between things.

 

[StillStunned]

We are the homeless ghosts, yammering in the gaps between things.

And if there's no-one to hear our yammering, do we even exist at all?

 

[onehitwanda]

And if there's no-one to hear our yammering, do we even exist at all?

I'll show you my ectoplasm if you show me yours

 

[Japansurfer]

No-one. I think some things are best left in the depths of the internet. Especially for work relationships.

 

[StillStunned]

I'll show you my ectoplasm if you show me yours

"Is that a ghost in your undies, or are you just happy to see me?"

 

[onehitwanda]

"Is that a ghost in your undies, or are you just happy to see me?"

I think I just had a phantasmagoria.

 

[StillStunned]

I think I just had a phantasmagoria.

I thought I heard someone going "Woooh-woooh-woooooh!"

 

[onehitwanda]

I thought I heard someone going "Woooh-woooh-woooooh!"

I need some new rags now

 

[oneagainst]

So... comment received was "there's a lot of swearing in it. they say 'fuck' three times in the first page."

Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again

Now, where was I?

 

[oneagainst]

Requiscat in Segmentatio... rest in pieces?

That is just GOLD...!

 

[onehitwanda]

So... comment received was "there's a lot of swearing in it. they say 'fuck' three times in the first page."

Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again

Now, where was I?

Blink twice if you're under duress. And narrate your first work backwards to prove it's you and not a lizard person wearing your skin.

 

[oneagainst]

Blink twice if you're under duress. And narrate your first work backwards to prove it's you and not a lizard person wearing your skin.

What if I wink twice? Does that mean something else?

 

[RideFl71]

FBI..
CIA..
NSA..
INTERPOL..
Just to name a few....

 

[lc69hunter]

My daughter in law. My closest friend. We know things about each other that no one else in the family knows

 

[flynn99]

My best friend knows. Not his genre - he doesn't give a hoot.

My wife knows, but not her genre. She hasn't read my online piece yet. My next arc has been in her hands to beta read for almost 3 months for comment and she's only read 2 chapters. At least I've forestalled the potential trainwreck that @oneagainst fears...

 

[Deleted member 6666935]

I still haven’t told anyone in my life about what I’ve written and had published here. I honestly wouldn’t even think about telling someone in person unless we had a purely physical relationship happeng and they didn’t know anybody else in common with me.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

So... comment received was "there's a lot of swearing in it. they say 'fuck' three times in the first page."

Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again

Now, where was I?

Well, that is not bad so far, but I would dread the follow up questions...

Mrs Oneagainst: "So how much of this kind of stuff have you written?"
Oneagainst: "Hmmmm... more than a million words..."
Mrs Oneagainst: "And for how long?"
Oneagainst: "Well, for more than two years..."
Mrs Oneagainst: "So you mean to say that all this time..."

 

[onehitwanda]

Well, that is not bad so far, but I would dread the follow up questions...

Mrs Oneagainst: "So how much of this kind of stuff have you written?"
Oneagainst: "Hmmmm... more than a million words..."
Mrs Oneagainst: "And for how long?"
Oneagainst: "Well, for more than two years..."
Mrs Oneagainst: "So you mean to say that all this time..."

Literal shivers up and down my spine.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

Literal shivers up and down my spine.

And that is before Mrs @oneagainst starts reading more of those 1M words and the hard questions start:

Mrs Oneagainst: "The things the men do to the women, the women do to the men, and the women do to each other in your stories.... Oh my God! So I am I to believe you want me to do to you.... you want to do to me... you want that young blonde from your work to do to us...."

Talk about shivers. Of course, there is always the possibility it all works splendidly and you got your new biggest fan. Best of luck mate! I truly would like to know how it all works out.