I’ve joined the Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook. From their description: “Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).” Pretty cool, eh? Don’t forget to “Like” my Facebook page and/or my Facebook profile while you’re over there checking out this fantastic group!
This is from my WIP, an as yet unnamed story featuring Mike & Wes. The story is a from-the-ground-up rewrite of A Dream Come True, which was published back in February of 2009 at Torquere Press. The main themes of the story remain the same, and a number of familiar scenes are included, but there are quite a few changes, including a switch from alternating 3rd-person POV to a single 1st-person POV.
Scene background: For various reasons, Mike, who’s been out in his life (that’s now half a country away from where his family lives), has decided to come out of the closet to his family. Not something he wants to do over the phone, he’s flying home to do it and is more than a little stressed out. This scene thread opens with Mike getting on the plane.
Told from Mike’s 1st-person POV.
I walked down the narrow aisle with a book jammed under my arm, and holding my carry-on bag in front of me as I focused on the labels for the rows. Due to the effect my nerves were having on my stomach, I was beginning to regret the meal I’d eaten during the two-hour layover in Houston.
I found my aisle seat, but it was occupied. Nobody sat in the window seat. This leg of my trip used a smaller plane—Wichita was hardly a bustling hub—and there were only two seats on either side of the aisle.
My shoulders stiffened, waiting for the request.
#RainbowSnippet
Ooooh, exciting!! Haven’t read the original, so now I’m bummed that I have to wait an entire week for the next part 🙂
How’s the rewrite going?
Thanks! Although a similar scene existed in the first, I’ve changed it significantly from the original.
It’s semi-stalled. I haven’t made progress in a while, but I’m determined to plow through the rest in the next several weeks. I’ve sorted out how I’m going to handle things in my mind now, so it’s just a question of getting it down.
Yeah, I work like that too. I need to figure out stuff in my mind, but when I’ve got it all sorted out, everything flows 🙂
You can do it. I look forward to reading something new (for me) from you ❤️
This is so changed I feel like it qualifies as new to everyone, thus the renaming.
I take it those nerves aren’t from a fear of flying!
You guessed it! 🙀 ✈️
Hopefully it’ll go better than he expects.
I hope so, too! 😉
Love the description, and his regretting the meal.
I’m confused by the last line, though, about waiting for the request. Shouldn’t he be the one making the request/asking the occupant to move? Or are his shoulders stiffening in anticipation of him making the request.
(Or it might make sense when my brain is no longer stuffed with cotton from my cold.)
Thank you. At this point Mike figures the man will speak up first to ask about a seat switch. 😀
Considering my own recent experiences with plans, I’m emphasizing with Mike. 🙂
I’m not a fan of flying either. That’s not what’s stressing out Mike, though. 😉
Ah, nothing like close-quarters travel with absolute strangers. Nice snippet! I want to know what happens next.
Thank you! 😄
Sounds like he’s tense all around, poor thing.
Yep, and it’ll get worse before it gets better. :-/
This should be an interesting conversation, especially since he’s already highly anxious. 😀
Yes, he’s definitely anxious! 🙂
Love how tense this is.
Thank you! <3
Poor guy. I love your description here.
Thank you! <3