GMTA, once again...
About three years ago, I started a short story in an attempt to turn a cliche on its ear -- the SF 50's square-jawed hero spaceman and his girl sidekick. In my story, my hero Dash Manning is tall, square-jawed, handsome as hell, absolutely clanking with medals...and gay as an Easter frock. The Galactic Rangers keep teaming him up with female partners in a desperate bearding attempt, which he blithely ignores as he goes out and saves the galaxy on a regular basis, seducing handsome aliens along the way.
I didn't finish it in time for the magazine issue I wanted to submit it to, but this morning I got a wild hair, pulled it out and started adding to it again. It's funnier than hell (Ginny, Dash's newest sidekick, is far too cynical for her age) and should make for a good story.
Except. I was giggling at a line, and Lyndon wandered by and asked what I was working on. When I told him, he said, "You know, if you'd sold it three years ago, everyone would've thought it was very novel. Now, they're just going to say you're ripping off Captain Jack Harkness."
Oh, crap, he's right. Dash even has dark hair, sparkling blue eyes and a libido gone gonzo. I can fix the looks and maybe tone down the libido a bit, and Dash is most definitely not interested in girls whatsoever, but I KNOW I'm still gonna get Captain Jack comparisons. Which isn't going to stop me -- it's a fun story and I should be able to sell it somewhere -- but I just want to state for the record that I started this long before I ever saw John Barrowman on DOCTOR WHO.
I didn't finish it in time for the magazine issue I wanted to submit it to, but this morning I got a wild hair, pulled it out and started adding to it again. It's funnier than hell (Ginny, Dash's newest sidekick, is far too cynical for her age) and should make for a good story.
Except. I was giggling at a line, and Lyndon wandered by and asked what I was working on. When I told him, he said, "You know, if you'd sold it three years ago, everyone would've thought it was very novel. Now, they're just going to say you're ripping off Captain Jack Harkness."
Oh, crap, he's right. Dash even has dark hair, sparkling blue eyes and a libido gone gonzo. I can fix the looks and maybe tone down the libido a bit, and Dash is most definitely not interested in girls whatsoever, but I KNOW I'm still gonna get Captain Jack comparisons. Which isn't going to stop me -- it's a fun story and I should be able to sell it somewhere -- but I just want to state for the record that I started this long before I ever saw John Barrowman on DOCTOR WHO.