Happy Wednesday! I almost forgot to post this. Tomorrow is the first day of school for my kids: 8th and 10th grade. (For people unfamiliar with the US school system, my kids are 15 and 13.) Lots to do to get ready.
Meanwhile, I’m making very slow progress on my WIPs. Today, I’m actually writing a bit in Minuet. Some of the characters have been chatty lately, and Amelia’s frank and open nature is helping her friends find new dimensions to their relationships. I didn’t expect that, and I’m not sure Amelia did either!
Anyway, since everyone seemed okay with last week’s open conversation, I’ll share a bit more of it this week. I didn’t set out writing this to be “educational” or anything. It came from a conversation ages ago with some ex-religious friends who were lamenting how she wished she could’ve had these types of conversations with her friends. So I wrote women doing that because it should happen far more often.
WIPmath: 9/5/2018 = 9 paragraphs of dialog, +1 bonus because it’s the first post of the month.
They were quiet for a minute before Cassie spoke. “When was the first time you figured out masturbation?”
“Thirteen,” Gemma said. “This girl at school told me about sneaking a sex positions book her parents had so she could look at the dongs. I found out my parents had the same book.”
“I was in high school,” Laura admitted. “I didn’t get any tingly feels from boys, so I thought something was wrong. Finally figured out I was going after the wrong gender.”
“I think I was about five or six and realized I could use my Barbie’s feet.” When everyone else just stared at Amelia, she shrugged. “It’s not like I really understood it until I was a lot older.”
“We should have one of those sex toy parties,” Gemma suggested.
“Oh, God. No.” Amelia groaned. “Those are for repressed middle class white women.” She had the sense to feel embarrassed when Marlie’s face fell.
“That was me. I grew up like that. Like Laura, I thought something was wrong, but it’s because I did like getting off. I would do it and then feel so guilty, like everyone at my church youth group was going to know just by looking at me. Any time we prayed silently to confess our sins to God, that’s the one I used. I asked God to make me stop wanting to.” Marlie’s voice broke.
“Holy shit,” Amelia said. “I’m sorry.”
Laura handed Marlie a tissue. “So how did you overcome it? I eventually just had to tell my religious family to go fuck themselves. Haven’t spoken to them in years.”
Marlie wiped her eyes. “I had sex with Trevor. It was the summer we were both eighteen, and…” She trailed off, looking at Nia to see if she was going to affirm the no-menfolk rule; she didn’t. “It was a relief, actually. The world didn’t end.”
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Oh, Marlie. I can’t wait to read all of this. Especially after reading Drumbeat yesterday(LOVED it).
Oh, I’m so glad you liked Drumbeat!
My research this time involves reading some M/F romance, interestingly. Because I’ve never written it, and yet here I am, writing about a woman with two male partners. I have to say, though, I’m loving that I get to explore this side of Marlie through her friendship with Amelia.
My emotions ran the gamut on this piece. Thank you for this amazingly real and important conversation.
“Those are for repressed middle class white women.” – This line had me cackling.
LOL! Someone actually said that to me once, so I decided I needed to find a way to work it into a story somehow. 😀
Ah, that feeling everyone knows what you’re up to looking at you! Or that anyone might be telepathic, read your thoughts, and know what you’re hiding…great dialogue, bringing up something a lot of people think about but seldom discuss.
Yep, I am very familiar with the feeling everyone knows All The Things just from looking. And yes, I wish more people would talk about it.
We really do need more conversations like this. Also, this is a great scene. I don’t feel like I know Marlie as well as I should (too focused on adoring Andre… 😉 ).
I always felt like I’d cheated Marlie a bit. She didn’t ever get to tell her side of the story. So I’ve been finding ways for her to have a voice—first through her growing friendship with Jamie and now in her friendship with Amelia.
Andre’s worth adoring…I should find a way to get him on page a bit more too.
Thank you for writing this. I, too, wish I was able to have this kind of conversation with friends. I loved the natural way it moved and how Amelia made the Barbie feet confession.
Absolutely. I don’t think people are open enough about this in healthy ways, but we really should be. I’m glad it feels natural because I don’t want to come across as preachy or educational.
So much of this conversation seems exactly what women would say to each other as close friends. Even without context or setting, I’m drawn into the relationships and connection with these characters. And ready to read more!
Where were these sort of conversations when I was younger. (sigh)