Sunday, June 30, 2013

A Couple of Good Long Stories

Writing Journal: Merrily revising The Adjusters #42 for posting tomorrow night. It's not easy: that installment is completely different from all the previous ones. Earlier this week, I also finished a first pass at #43. And looking at 41–44, I'm noticing that the pacing is slow. Too slow? I don't know. But I suspect (better: hope) that it will pick up some, otherwise, it's going to be one hell of a long book, and that's not going to be good for anybody. (I'd love for Book IV to be about the same length as Book III.)



June's been busy. Too busy. I owe some of you folks email responses—don't worry, they're coming. I have not forgotten nor dismissed. I'm also experiencing my usual late Spring downswing in morale. Put it all together, my smut reading has taken a hit, and so I have less to report than usual.

Still, a couple of very good stories have made their way across my screen—many of them via Djian Understories.

The best find was a story by Velvetglove, Primevil Vignettes (Book One)—Blessed are the Meek: “Multi-part, multi-character, non-consensual saga set in an imaginary country ruled by a dictatorship (the first of seven Books)” Nice setup, very well written, and some clever hot ideas and awesome sex. One of those stories that I wish I had written. I really hope the author goes through their plan to write seven books in that universe. Highly recommended.

I don't think I've ever mentioned this one, but on the previous iteration of Understories I ran across this story by Wilcox010, Summer's Blackmail: “Sexy teacher stumbles her way into trouble.” Another teacher-blackmailed-by-a-student story, that uses a nice little twist at the beginning that unfortunately is not quite followed through the whole way (which I think would have led to something even better) but the story is still good, and may press your buttons if you're into, well, teachers being blackmailed into sex. (Here's a link to the story on Literotica, which may be a bit faster.)

Finally, a couple of new chapters to Kirk's Marlene’s Story have been added since the last time I talked about it. The story still holds up, and it's still a hot read.



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

New Story: The Adjusters #41

Here is June's installment of The Adjusters, “The Craven-Wilford Institute”, wherein we reconnect with Jennifer Hansen.

As usual, comments welcome.

I'll also remind you that we have a Speculation Thread available for general discussion. (A thread which I read but do not comment on.)


BOOK IV — RUNNING TO STAND STILL

The Adjusters #41 - The Craven-Wilford Institute


Richard Sanderson donned his uniform, trying to relax. His first day of his first job out of college—some anxiety was not only understandable, but expected. He had a few nursing internships under his belt, of course, like everyone else, but internships were different. One was mentored, supervised.

But this was the real thing. He was alone, left to his own devices. Sink or swim. So this is what independence feels like, he thought.

He looked at himself in the mirror in the employees’ lounge, which was lined up with lockers on one side, and a couch, a few tables, and a small bookshelf on the others. A large window against one wall let light in and offered a view of a pleasantly wooden area—filled swampland, he had been told. He practiced making relaxed friendly faces even as he checked to make sure his shirt was buttoned correctly. Focusing on details had always been his trick to control anxiety at exams and public functions throughout his life. And this is what it felt like—an exam, doubled with a quasi-public function.

He looked again at his blonde hair, unable to quite get used to how short it was, the shortest he had ever worn it. It looked good, he agreed with the hairdresser he had seen just the day before, who had suggested the new length as a way to mark his starting the new phase of his life. His shoulder-length locks had fallen ominously around him while she worked, like a rain washing away the past. He wondered again, as he had for the past day, how Felicity would have reacted at seeing his hair. She had loved his long curls.


Continue reading...


Next month: “Aware”.