Miscellanea
I didn’t get a lot written last week and as I looked over the unposted chapters of Harmonies, I realized why. Have I put in too much sex? The next three 1/3 chapters happen over three days and have seven pre- or post-sex scenes out of maybe 20. They each move the story along, either by character development, adding sticky situations, or by allowing Peregrine to shine.
But the guys will have to interact with a lot of other people in the next few chapters, so the ratio will go way down (maybe). I might be worried over nothing.
I was very happy recently that when a grandfather bought balloons for his grandsons (they were about 2&4) he didn’t try to talk the older one out of the purple. He didn’t give the boy a choice of the dark purple or the lilac pearlized one, but I believe that the kid was pointing at the dark balloon. I could tell the old guy was slightly embarrassed by his grandson’s color choice, but the kid didn’t notice and the mother was happy (and I gave the kid a lilac clip for the bottom of his string), so hopefully he'll go a bit longer before he realizes that some people insist on gendering color. Personally, blue (like in the 8 pack of crayons) was my favorite color until I was ten. I never considered it a “boy” color. Some people…
I read a discussion recently about skinny jeans. The guy who wrote the column said to buy a size or two larger than what someone would normally wear (so they aren’t skin tight, just tighter than straight cut jeans). He had some pictures. I hadn’t realized that anyone wore skinny jeans so tight and long that they wrinkled; I’d always thought they were like the pegged pants that were so popular when I was in school: If you could get them over your foot without a zipper they weren’t tight enough. But that was, of course, in the days before stretch jeans… A guy in the comments said that gay men shouldn’t wear skinny jeans because, like pencil skirts, they give the impression of hips on all but the skinniest guys and makes that guy appear androgynous and therefore unattractive to men who prefer men. I’m not sure if that works, but if someone has a story with a skinny guy going for an androgynous look, it might be something to add to their closet.
I was looking for the chart of gender-neutral pronouns skimbli shared with us the other day and I found the link to Baby X's story. As I read it, I kept thinking that it was an overly optimistic way to look at things, but on further reflection, kids are pretty flexible. They are still learning. It’s us adults that are static to change. This got me thinking: if I ever do get around to writing Jesse’s story where Jesse goes from he to zie and has a child which will be raised nonbinary, what should the child call Jesse? I would like to write a side/after story from little Peyton’s POV. Peyton has a Daddy, who is a he or zie. Zir grandpas are ‘he’s and his grandmas are ‘she’s but zie and Jesse are always ‘zie’s. So what would be a good gender neutral title for a parent that sounds like it could come out of the mouth of a four year old?
(I still don’t like any of the gender-neutral pronouns. I want one that starts with a J, or some other common letter that isn’t e, like je. Only I'm also for standardization. Just give me one an I'll use it. Don't make me make up my mind.)
…just two more stories to finish and two more to write before I have to even start worrying about it. But that’s not to say I won’t…
But the guys will have to interact with a lot of other people in the next few chapters, so the ratio will go way down (maybe). I might be worried over nothing.
I was very happy recently that when a grandfather bought balloons for his grandsons (they were about 2&4) he didn’t try to talk the older one out of the purple. He didn’t give the boy a choice of the dark purple or the lilac pearlized one, but I believe that the kid was pointing at the dark balloon. I could tell the old guy was slightly embarrassed by his grandson’s color choice, but the kid didn’t notice and the mother was happy (and I gave the kid a lilac clip for the bottom of his string), so hopefully he'll go a bit longer before he realizes that some people insist on gendering color. Personally, blue (like in the 8 pack of crayons) was my favorite color until I was ten. I never considered it a “boy” color. Some people…
I read a discussion recently about skinny jeans. The guy who wrote the column said to buy a size or two larger than what someone would normally wear (so they aren’t skin tight, just tighter than straight cut jeans). He had some pictures. I hadn’t realized that anyone wore skinny jeans so tight and long that they wrinkled; I’d always thought they were like the pegged pants that were so popular when I was in school: If you could get them over your foot without a zipper they weren’t tight enough. But that was, of course, in the days before stretch jeans… A guy in the comments said that gay men shouldn’t wear skinny jeans because, like pencil skirts, they give the impression of hips on all but the skinniest guys and makes that guy appear androgynous and therefore unattractive to men who prefer men. I’m not sure if that works, but if someone has a story with a skinny guy going for an androgynous look, it might be something to add to their closet.
I was looking for the chart of gender-neutral pronouns skimbli shared with us the other day and I found the link to Baby X's story. As I read it, I kept thinking that it was an overly optimistic way to look at things, but on further reflection, kids are pretty flexible. They are still learning. It’s us adults that are static to change. This got me thinking: if I ever do get around to writing Jesse’s story where Jesse goes from he to zie and has a child which will be raised nonbinary, what should the child call Jesse? I would like to write a side/after story from little Peyton’s POV. Peyton has a Daddy, who is a he or zie. Zir grandpas are ‘he’s and his grandmas are ‘she’s but zie and Jesse are always ‘zie’s. So what would be a good gender neutral title for a parent that sounds like it could come out of the mouth of a four year old?
(I still don’t like any of the gender-neutral pronouns. I want one that starts with a J, or some other common letter that isn’t e, like je. Only I'm also for standardization. Just give me one an I'll use it. Don't make me make up my mind.)
…just two more stories to finish and two more to write before I have to even start worrying about it. But that’s not to say I won’t…