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Gay Romance, Hold the Twist

I’ve just about completed my next short story – “Translation”. It’s the first story I’ve written in a long time that has no paranormal or sci fi twist – just a fairly straightforward gay romance. Well, there is a twist, but not my usual Faery or alien sort of thing – instead it’s more of a plot twist – or two.

It was a bit strange writing something like this without my usual seasoning of sci fi. I haven’t yet decided if I liked it, though I’m fairly happy with the story itself.

“Translation” is for submission to a forthcoming Dreamspinner anthology called “Hot Off the Press” romance stories involving writers and publishing. What’s kind of funny is that my very non-sci fi hubby even missed the sci fi twist from my other stories – and he suggested a great alternate ending that I have since incorporated in the story.

So do I have to be either a gay writer or a sci fi writer? Do all of my stories have to encompass both? Would I miss it if I stuck more to gay romance and less to sci fi?

I think I would. From the start, I’ve been drawn to the greats – Tolkien, Asimov, Clarke – and too many to count since then. I may take a walk now and then on the strictly gay romance side, but it still feels like something is missing when I do.

“Translation” is unique in another way for me – it’s one of the first stories I started with a specific plot and ending in mind – even if that did change after the fact.

Once this one is submitted, I’ll have three stories pending with Dreamspinner (Translation, Autumn Wind, and Bear at the Bar) and 1 rejection (Avalon). “Translation” and “Bear at the Bar” are new, written in the last 6 months, so I’m especially eager to hear back on those.

Unlike the hero of “Translation”, who has some 70 rejections and is closing in on the magical 100, I’m only at 18 rejections – a long way to go yet! But as Elizabeth Brown points out at the link above, it’s not really the rejections, but the experience.

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