Forging Ahead

First, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2007.

Second, I want to thank everyone who has visited this blog. All three or four of you make this a worthwhile endeavor. ;-) (Sorry. My weird sense of humor is rearing its head.)

Third, and last, I am indeed forging ahead with a short story. I originally planned on it taking place back in 1919 (egads, you say! WTF, Miss Snark might say). Hold on. I'm taking a CD course on the Broadway musical, its origins and all. I've found it so fascinating, I wanted to have a female character after World War I who was feeling her oats, but I wanted it to be just before women got the right to vote in the U.S. (1920, that is).

It didn't go anywhere, although I did get to look at a lot of neat vintage wear so I could have an idea in my mind as to the clothing styles back then.

I had a brainstorm this morning: why not set it in the Depression of the 1930s? Broadway was forging ahead as well, and I'd have a very good reason to have a literally poor woman making her way to New York and the bright lights therein.

Then I got to thinking about my original premise, about having shapeshifters among the Broadway, or some sort of theatrical, denizens. However, I only had one shapeshifter, a theatrical agent. He hated it, didn't know how to control it. Plus, he wanted to get as far away from his father's tailor shop as possible.

Enter this woman, whom I've called Eva for now. Eva is from the hinterlands of Pennsylvania, arriving by train (of course) in 1931 New York. She's spent all but a dollar of her money to get there, to get away from the boring life she's led in the sticks.

I made her into a shapeshifter, too. She's determined to not only leave her former life behind but to live among the normals, as she calls them.

And I've got the germ of an idea for the conflict: the agent (Irving) is one part of a partnership, with the other partner an ornery scumbag who gives Irving until the end of the week to bring in more clients (read: commissions) or it's back to the tailor shop for poor Irving.

That Eva and Irving need to work together, I think, is a given. But then the other partner throws another curve into the mix. Now, I haven't quite figured that part out, but I have a germ of an idea. Anyway, I did write part of this today; about 500-600 words.

The characters are sassy and determined, and I like 'em a lot. Only time will tell if this will be good enough to send out, but I'll give it my best shot.

Don't give up - keep writing!