#RainbowSnippets 30-Dec-2017 – Closets Are for Clothes
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!
I’m back to snipping from (unedited) Closets Are for Clothes featuring Mike & Wes, but starting a new thread. In this thread, Mike’s brother, Greg, has driven cross country for a surprise visit.
Told from Mike’s 1st-person POV. The two speakers in this bit are Greg and Mike.
Greg nodded thoughtfully, but I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. “Well, anyway, I’ve got some news.” He smiled broadly and laid his hands flat on the table with an expectant expression on his face.
“Yeah? More news beyond wanting to move here?”
“Yep.” Greg practically vibrated in his seat. “Remember the woman I told you about over Christmas? We’d been dating since the beginning of senior year?”
“Marie, right?”
“You remember! Well, I asked her to marry me, and she said ‘yes’.”
Dream On – Book 1 – Closets Are for Clothes
43,199 words
Coming in February, 2018 to JMS Books, LLC
Mike’s life is carefully compartmentalized. He’s deep in the closet to his family back in Kansas, but lives life honestly and openly in Austin. He’s unnerved when Wes, his old university crush, turns up at his door in answer to a roommate advertisement, but quickly sees the potential…benefits of the arrangement. Wes has never doubted nor denied his sexuality. With the support of his family he’s an out and proud LGBT activist.
On the scale balancing his self-esteem on one side, and the love of his family on the other, Mike has to decide which weighs more. Is Mike being fair to his parents by not giving them the chance to know his real self? When the delicate balance of his life is disrupted, he decides he’s tired of living a lie. Will Wes understand his concerns, or will their fledgling relationship crumble under the strain of Mike’s uncertainty?
NOTE: Closets Are for Clothes is a from-the-ground-up comprehensively rewritten and reedited version of A Dream Come True. While the theme of the original story is the same, and many important scenes remain (albeit retold), much of the story’s background has changed. The earlier editions were told in alternating 3rd-person POV. Closets Are for Clothes is told entirely from Mike’s 1st-person POV.
#RainbowSnippets
Yay! Does this mean we’re done for real with Christmas? I’m so ready for it to be over now, and to go back home and go back to writing. 🙂
AND I want to read part 2 in this series!! ❤️
I’m sure done for real with Christmas. Took down the tree and decorations days ago.
I need to get back to writing it. Either get this scene that I’m stalled on written, or insert a placeholder and move on so I can make some progress.
I can’t do placeholders. My brain doesn’t work that way…if I’m stuck I have to unstick before I can continue. My brain is weird! 🙂
I’ve done it in a pinch, but my brain rebels against it, too.
Interesting that Greg sounds like he was reluctant to tell everyone he was dating someone so seriously. Unless I’m reading too much into it, LOL.
Nah. Not enough context. The mood you’re sensing is carrying over from something Mike had just said prior to this snippet. Greg is plenty excited to be sharing his news. 🙂
Greg definitely sounds excited.
He is. 🙂
Hmm, perhaps Greg has a few secrets of his own regarding Marie?
Nah. Greg’s apparent caginess in this scene is in response to something Mike had just disclosed. They’d been reminiscing about things they did as teenagers. Maybe I should’ve started this thread back a few paragraphs to give better context to Greg’s behavior here, but it wasn’t otherwise pertinent to where this bit is going.
Nice snippet.
Thank you! <3