Ghostly Writing...

Cracked it... I think

2011-10-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

The reason you haven't seen the remaining issues of Spider-Girl? Well it's because my plot tied itself in knots.

I think I just figured it out. That said, I've thought I've had it figured out before. Let's hope.

Time flies

2011-09-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Holy cow - almost a year without a post. Apologies, although I've been busy elsewhere, that's for sure.

The truth is I'm actually writing. In fact, been writing today. Three things are on the go, on and off: the Babysitter (which will definitely not be called that), Housesitting and occasionally Spider-Girl. Don't expect any of them soon, but with patience they'll eventually turn up.

~~I actually log in to Tumblr more than I do here - I even posted a short piece of fiction, but don't expect that to become a habit.~~

(Edit - I moved that short piece to the Maskingwriter group, as generally that's where I throw stories.)

Well, not much else to say, I do like to ensure I post on occasion here so people know I'm alive. Watch my Tumblr for, well, usually photos of ladies in fun outfits...!

The 'lost' cover for #21

2010-09-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Gentlemen (and maybe even ladies), I present this limited edition comic cover for Betty Brant, the Sensational Spider-Girl #21... umm, a little late.

Issue #21 cover: click to enlarge!

Late last year, when for a brief shining moment I thought I was about to be able to start releasing issues regularly again (Ha!), I commissioned DeviantArt user Poserhobbit to create this custom image of Betty. As you might guess from his name, the image was created using Poser 3D.

Poserhobbit was very helpful in letting me get exactly the pose and style of image I wanted, which was really a 'classic comic cover' look. This image is actually cropped a little from the original, which you can see here. I added the cover flash and so on.

And why didn't I post this along with issue #21...? Er, honestly, I just forgot!

New release: Spider-Girl, issue #22

2010-09-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

Weeks have passed since Betty Brant's return to her own dimension, and to New York City. As she settles into her new life - one where she is no longer a passive secretary at the Daily Bugle, but a reporter in her own right - new potential threats are appearing from unexpected quarters…

Issue #22: Illusory Enemies

Download from Maskingwriter (Yahoo! Group)

First of all, apologies for the completely unintended delay to the issue. First I had some major personal issues crop up in my life (now, thankfully, resolved), which threw me way off-kilter for a few weeks. Then when I finally got back to looking at the issue, I decided to... well, change the entire arc in a way that won't be obvious until it's actually over.

Suffice to say, this issue was a nightmare. Well, kind of. It wasn't that the issue itself was a nightmare, it was that the endless plotting, re-plotting, editing, re-editing and on and on and on... it just never seemed to end. To give you an idea, several of the sections in here were either conceived or first written in 2008. The bulk was written in 2009... but some pieces were finished, literally, today. (I can't count how many times I wrote and re-wrote that first scene, by the way. That was finally nailed a month ago.)

This is what happens when you let things stew for too long, people. You get more ideas and you think they're better than the initial ones, and then you try to cram everything in and it explodes in your face.

Anyway. I'm now pretty much happy with this issue and with the entire re-jigged arc. I had to make one major change which you probably won't even notice, but when the whole thing is told, hopefully you'll go "Ahhh, I missed that, but there it was, all along." And yeah, sometimes when I've been tearing out my hair over this, I do wonder if anyone cares! So tell me you do!!

To recap on the overall arc again; right now it's probably going to finish in issue #25, it might stretch to #26... I'm not too sure. Issue #23 is done bar some rewriting to accommodate the changes mentioned above. #24 is also pretty much done. #25 is plotted, loosely. I'll probably feel comfortable releasing #23 inside a couple of weeks; at the end of that issue the whole plot takes a serious right-turn....

As I said before... after that we might go on a semi-permanent series hiatus, but never say never. I have some very interesting stuff warming up here, and keep making notes on post-arc stuff... it might just be too fun to ignore. But who knows.

If you've not read the rest of the series I highly recommend you try it via Maskingwriter (membership required). Just like real Marvel Comics I now have far too much continuity for you to jump in 'new'... but I expect you'll enjoy the ride.

And if you do enjoy, please do leave a comment below, and click on an ad - thank you!

New release: Spider-Girl, issue #21

2010-08-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Betty has finally returned from Gotham City, having helped cage the Chameleon once more. In her absence, Susan Storm, AKA the Invisible Girl, 'kept up appearances' as Spider-Girl - and in the process, may have gotten Betty into more trouble than she'd like....

Issue #21: Imaginary Friends

Download from Maskingwriter (Yahoo! Group)

Unbelievable! A new issue! Only two years after the last one! This is getting to be like real comics with these delays! Seriously, for the one or two of you who still care... thank you for waiting!

The good news for you stalwart fans is that this arc is seriously advanced, with about two, almost three more issues in the can. (It's hard to tell just how many as I'm juggling what goes where right now. Aiming for it to be three more issues but it might stretch to four.) So I'm hoping to release following issues, probably once a fortnight, until this arc is done.

After that - I warn you in advance - the series is probably going to go on hiatus again as I try and switch focus back to my novel-in-progress. This was just an itch I had to scratch and hopefully this will scratch it, at least for a while.

Getting back to this issue; this picks up right where the 'Crossover' arc left off, so if you haven't read that in a while (say, two years) you might want to refresh your memory before diving back in. This issue ties up a few things but also sets the stage for the introduction of a classic villain... you'll see exactly who at the end of the issue.

As usual, all the back issues are available at Maskingwriter (membership required). Going forward I'm not going to be using steekr - I never got any feedback on it, and I have other methods in the works to get the issues to you outside of Yahoo!. (BTW if you've tried to sign up to Maskingwriter and got rejected, it was by me. I assure you it only happens if your age isn't displayed in your profile.)

Last but not least - if you enjoy, please do leave a comment below, and click on an ad - thank you!

Now on Tumblr

2010-08-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Blogger's a little cumbersome for quick and easy "I found this" posts, so I set myself up on Tumblr.

See you there maybe?

Messin' with the blog

2010-08-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

I came home ready to write tonight, but for some reason when I hit the keyboard, it wasn't coming. It's not writer's block - I'll get back to it later - but it was a good excuse to spring-clean the blog here, which I'd been meaning to do for a while.

Apart from re-arranging, cleaning out the clutter on the right hand side and giving the whole thing a damn good thrashing (ahem) I added yet another exciting way for you to interact with me here. Under every post now you'll see something called 'Reactions' where you can check a box and leave an opinion on the post. It doesn't require a login or anything, it's totally anonymous... so for all you lurkers, here's a chance to say something. Without... saying something.

Of course, I always love to hear from people via email (ghostlywriter AT g mail DOT com) and in comments - but here's a new alternative. So tick those boxes! (And also let me know if you want alternative... reactions. Like, say, 'Meh'.)

Right, back to the real work.

Edited to add: HOLY CRAP BLOGGER FINALLY ADDED A 'READ MORE' OPTION! SWEET!

Fave Betty bits?

2010-08-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm writing issue #23 of BBSSG* right now, and for reasons I won't go into for fear of spoiling it, I'm referring to a lot of the previous issues to make sure I get details right.

One of the pleasures for me of having, well, quite a lot of issues behind me is that I get to revisit favorite pieces of writing and, usually to my surprise, find they don't suck. I've written so much of this stuff I genuinely forget whole scenes.

Got me to wondering: what are some of your fave bits of the series? (This is of course, assuming you've even read it. If for some strange reason you tuned in during the last two years - which we'll refer to as the Great GW Drought from now on - then this might not make any sense. And if you do intend to read the series over at Maskingwriter, well, huge spoilers below.)

Some of mine?

The Chameleon becoming Betty, in issue #1
Betty and Susan getting it on for the first time in issue #3
Betty's gradual transformation into Gwen, as she seduces Peter, in issue #6
Betty and Susan getting it on for the second time in issue #7
The Green Goblin's defeat in issue #8
Betty becoming Gwen full-time in issue #9
Betty becoming her brother, Bennett, in issue #11
Betty invoking the Chameleon in issue #12
The Chameleon becoming Catwoman in issue #15
Betty becoming Batgirl in issue #17
Catwoman's seduction of Barbara Wayne in issue #18

... and as they say on the commercials, many, many more. Any of these ring bells? Any other scenes you particularly enjoyed?

* BBSSG = Betty Brant, the Sensational Spider-Girl. I'm careful in referring to the series by acronym, mostly, because frankly I don't need the Google traffic.

Two random cuttings

2010-08-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

I was hit by inspiration on Spider-Girl a couple of weeks ago, so Babysitter is currently on hold while I try and finish this arc. As I've said before this arc has been a merciless bitch to plot, so I'm really glad it's coming together (and even more glad that I'm getting to include all of the kinky shit I wanted to...).

Anyway here are two pieces of random text that have been cut from the final issues - ie, these scenes won't be in the final version. First one is from issue #22, which is finished, and the second is from issue #23, which I'm about two-thirds done with.

Just so you know, both of these excerpts contain fairly major spoilers - even though these pieces won't be in the final issues, they still contain plot details. So if you don't want to be spoiled... stop reading!

You're sure? Last chance now...

Okay.... here we go:

Cut from Issue #22:

“I appreciate your politeness, Peter, but we don’t really have time to play nice,” Betty said, hearing Barbara speak. “I’ve got something I have to tell you.”

Peter looked confused. “Something to do with the library?”

Barbara smiled at him, and he could swear it was a similar smile to the one Liz Allen had given him earlier. It was trouble. “Not quite,” Barbara said, as she removed her glasses and carefully put them away. Then to Peter’s great surprise, she began to unbutton her blouse, the dark material separating away from her neck.

“Miss - Miss Wayne, I’m, I guess I’m flattered, I, I - ”

“Shh,” she said. “Don’t spoil the moment, Peter.” Betty watched him carefully as with one sudden flourish, she pulled apart ‘Barbara’s’ blouse, exposing the Spider-Girl costume she wore beneath. Peter’s eyes widened, and then he suddenly understood.

“Betty?!”

“In person,” Betty said, almost sad she had to share the truth with Peter. It had been fun to have a secret again, even briefly.

“What - what are you doing here? Why are you in disguise?”

“Well it’s not to fulfil your librarian fantasies I’m afraid,” Betty chuckled.

Cut from Issue #23:

To anyone at the Bugle that would have seemed like a strange way to look for leads, but Betty had a plan - a plan that made her extremely excited to return home.

Dashing into her apartment, she went directly to her bedroom, into her closet, and retrieved the hat box that was almost hidden there. With trembling hands she opened it, and retrieved the full head mask of Barbara Wayne that lay inside.

“I need your help again Barbara,” she said to the mask. “I need a face that won’t attract attention at Liz’s school... so I can get close to her one more time.” A wigcap was quickly slipped into place, and once more she stretched out the mask’s neck and slipped it over her head. As soon as the voice circuitry concealed in the mask’s neck was pressed into place, she began to speak.

“Needing me again so soon, Betty?” Barbara asked her mirror reflection with a grin. “I’m glad to help out. What’s the plan?”

Betty closed her eyes, feeling with her fingers as she pressed the mask into place, and spoke to herself. “We’re going to get close to Liz Allen, Barbara... closer than she’ll ever expect.”

She opened her eyes and got up to change into the appropriate clothing for her new face. She had no time to lose.

Psych

2010-07-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

As I said earlier, two years is a bloody long time to go without releasing anything new, so I've dug around and came up with a short I'll call 'Psych'. You can get it on the Yahoo! Maskingwriter group - here's the link to the folder:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/maskingwriter/files/GhostlyWriter/Misc/

You'll obviously need to be a group member to get it.

For a little more background - Psych is a sort-of prequel to The Babysitter, in that it features a very early, proto-version of the main character in Babysitter. After I wrote this I sort of 'got' where I needed to start Babysitter, and things went along from there. However I'd caution you that this shouldn't be taken as the first part of Babysitter, not by a long shot. The story doesn't continue from this point (or even reference this, at least not so far). So it's a sort of stand-alone story that has similar motivations.

Ah whatever, it's something I had lying around that you might enjoy... let's leave it at that.

Right, back to writing so it's not another two years before you see something new!!

Two year anniversary of... nada

2010-07-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

I realized, sort of by accident, that tomorrow will be my two year anniversary... of releasing no new writing. The last thing that went public was the last issue of BBSSG, issue #20.

Err, sorry?

I look around at the 'scene' (not that there's much of a scene... more of a Yahoo! Group and a couple of websites where you might get mask fiction... occasionally... by accident) and I wish there was more stuff to read and enjoy, but I guess I'm as guilty of this as anyone else. I have some bloody good excuses for not churning out the words in the past two years, but... whatever, you don't want to hear that.

As I've said before, I'm still hammering away with 'the Babysitter' (and I really must come up with a better title... as it's really not about babysitting any more). It's really all I've been working on, although I have got two-and-a-bit issues of BBSSG done sort of at the same time.

I'd love to tell you I'm mere months from finishing the Babysitter, but I'd be lying. It's got a long road ahead, although I think it'll be worth it.

Still, two years is a long-ass time and I want to reward your patience, somehow. So... come back later this week and I'll try and do... something. I have no idea what. And I need to cook dinner.

So, I actually did watch Batman XXX...

2010-07-12T18:52:00.001-07:00

... and - surprise! It's a hardcore porn movie!

I'm not entirely sure why I ever thought it might be anything less than that. But, trust me, there is a huge difference between the 'SFW' trailers and the very 'NSFW' real thing.

For anyone who's wandered in from Google looking for a capsule review: if you want to see some pretty good facsimiles of the various heroes and villains from the 1960s Batman TV show 'going at it' with some no-holds barred fucking and sucking, well, this is your DVD. It delivers exactly what you'd expect, and everyone gets some action. Even the Joker. Now get off my blog.

For the rest of us, specifically anyone who like me prefers the idea of hot sex to actually watching it, well... I'd say stay away. While there's some fun to be had watching the female cast members strut around as Catwoman* and Batgirl, they don't keep their costumes on for too long, and personally I'd rather be the one doing the deed than watching someone else do the deed - in some cases for nearly ten minutes! (Not a comment on their performance... more on the extended screen time.)

Even my hoped-for transformation scene, where Barbara Gordon turns into Batgirl, was cut short - in fact beyond what you see in the trailer, there's really nothing else of note. No lingering close-ups of a tight costume being pulled into place... no wigs being removed or put in place. Shame. For me, specifically. For the majority of porn lovers watching this, I'm sure they didn't care.

I will say that Vivid did a pretty incredible job with the production. The casting, script, sets, costumes, special effects... it's an incredible reproduction of the original series, which is probably why at times it feels almost like a desecration of its memory, and at other times like a loving tribute. (Very loving, as Adam West might say.) It probably means that the future parodies they have planned, including Wonder Woman, Superman and Spider-Man among others, will at least be very faithful to their subject matter.

Except for the small matter of the full-on, explicit sex scenes.

* Tori Black, who really does look remarkably like Lee Meriwether/Julie Newmar at times.

* Lexi Belle, who's cute and all, but is blonde, which didn't quite work pulling off the impression.

Busy in the wrong way

2010-06-20T23:14:00.001-07:00

Busy month for me, work wise. Not so busy writing wise.

As I should have always known was going to happen, I got to the end of 'Part I' of Babysitter and wham - hit a wall. I know what happens next (kind of) but I'm debating all sorts of stuff - which PoV to write Part II in, whether I need an interlude between I and II, whether I want the protagonist to tip his hand early, etc etc.

In the meantime I'm scribbling down ideas for scenes in Part II, all of which are very kinky and fun, I assure you. Unfortunately, things aren't moving forward at the rapid clip I hoped for.

It's tough sometimes to strike the balance between scenes that you want to write because they're very sexy in your mind, and scenes that actually advance the plot. Might sound ridiculous, I realize, but I do like to have the characters inhabit a world that sort of makes sense, at least in terms of motivations and so on. We'll all assume the amazing mask thing is a given.

Anyway, someone asked for an update and that's it.

Oh also: try not to play too many videogames when you're supposed to be writing. Also: don't be married. Also: don't have a job. All of these things are just distractions.

Edit: Of course, I've written about this 'striking a balance' thing before. Who knew there was content buried in this thing?

Interested in advice?

2010-06-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

I am a conceited ass sometimes. I state this up-front, for those of you who read this and think "Who the hell does this guy think he is?" Let's just be clear: I think I'm full of myself. Sometimes.

With that out of the way...

I've thought for a while that, if people are interested, I could potentially do a series of articles giving out advice for how to write mask fiction. (Or, more specifically - and this is the 'ass' part -how to write better mask fiction.)

Would anyone care? Is anyone even interested in the advice? Is anyone reading who's thinking "I'm interested in writing this stuff but I don't know where to begin?"

If not, no problem. I've got plenty of other things to occupy my time. But if you are interested, speak up....

More progress, and a warning

2010-05-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here's my thinking. I'm happy to say I'm still marching forward on the Babysitter. It's starting to get into a nice steady rhythm, and that pleases me. Fingers crossed it'll continue as it has been.

I'm now closing in on 45K and the official end of the first part - but really, it's the first half. I have many, many ideas for part two, where the 'action' really gets going and our 'babysitter' takes up residence.

But did you notice the word 'half' in there?

This is pretty much turning into a novel. By the end it'll be a good 200 page story, if we assume standard paperback page sizes. I'd love to tell you that'll be completed next month, or even the month after that, but I don't think it's going to happen. Realistically I can't even guarantee it'll be done this year.

However - despite the fact that I am approaching a perfect point to release Part One as-is, I'm not going to do it. Believe me, I am tempted. I need feedback. I crave it. But I'm scared that if I do that, I'll never finish Part Two. And you want a finished story, right?

In the meantime though, I'll be sharing it with some very select people...

... and maybe they'll share their thoughts.

Should I or shouldn't I watch Batman XXX

2010-05-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

(Consider this a sidebar post, really. It has nothing to do with current writing. Also: if you're here through Google and you're looking for either a download of this movie, or some sort of review, or even some pictures you won't find elsewhere... move along. Trust me, my thoughts below are probably not even going to make sense to you...)

You may or may not have heard about Batman XXX, a porn 'parody' which is being produced by Vivid Entertainment. Quite frankly I don't think Vivid know what they have on their hands here, but I'll bet that they're starting to figure it out.

Before I start to ramble, you'd be best off watching the trailer:

Impressed?

Put simply, this is a porn movie which looks and feels like it's dropped through a hole from another dimension, where the 60s era Batman TV show was actually a hardcore porn show. I mean, c'mon: it looks exactly like the original show, except for tiny, nitpicking details (Batgirl's hair is blond, for instance, and they've lost the bat-symbols).

Most of the comics world is wondering exactly why this hasn't attracted a huge lawsuit from DC/Warner Bros., but whatever. We know it exists and we know it's likely to happen. So why the hell do I care? Well, watch this second trailer and watch out for something about 30 seconds in...

Blink? Missed it? Allow me to show you what grabbed my attention:

That's right folks - in the trailer for the hardcore porn movie, it's the potential of seeing a chick pull off (or put on) a wig and slip into a skintight costume that has me excited!

Surely you are not surprised. (Unless you're that guy from Google. Dude, it's going to get weirder from this point on.)

Why is this the case? Well, might be a surprise for you, but I actually really don't like hardcore porn. Basically, I have no issue seeing a woman naked, but I'm not desperate to see a guy's privates, and even less interested in seeing those parts being inserted/fondled/sucked. Honestly, I generally don't find it arousing at all. (See, Google guy? Told you it was weird.)

Now, I have no problem in writing hardcore stuff. (Well - you might think I do from my last couple of years of output, but making BBSSG a 'PG-13' series was a deliberate choice on my part.) When it comes to visual stimulation, though, I like my imagination to do the work. I will always be much more excited by seeing a woman semi-naked, or clothed in outfits that leave little to the imagination (tight, see-through, that sort of thing) than I will be by simple nudity and sucking/fucking. Give me a strip-tease, or even better a strip-tease followed by re-dressing... I'll be happy forever.

As a result, I have interesting mixed feelings about a project like this. The geek in me obviously wants to see, for example, Catwoman and Batman getting it on. (Although, really, I'd prefer to see Catwoman and Batgirl....) Unfortunately I know the softcore prude in me will want to pause the action before, uh, the action.

It's interesting to speculate whether a project like this works better as 'hard' or 'soft' porn. I'm sure Vivid know their market, but it's also interesting, while knowing about so many other superheroine 'peril' (AKA fetish) sites, to wonder if they're missing the mark a bit. It's also fascinating to wonder how many future superhero porn parodies we'll see. Vivid have already announced they're doing a bunch more. (Including, amongst others, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man parodies; sadly the Spider-Man one is going to be more movie-influenced than TV-show influenced, but cross your fingers for a Lynda Carter lookalike!)

Can you believe I think about this stuff? Too many brain cycles.

Anyway - the DVD for Batman XXX comes out on May 24th, and you can order it here, if you're not like me and don't have an Other Half to keep your pervy purchases from. (Can you believe, with the people who'll want to see this, that there isn't a downloadable version? It'll be on every torrent site inside hours of release, anyway....)

Will I watch it? Sure, if I can. I expect I would get some (ahem) value for money from just watching their Catwoman and Batgirl strut around. What do you think? Interested, or offended?

Progress on Babysitter

2010-05-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

So in the last week my creative dam has burst a bit on The Babysitter, and I've added close to 10K words to it (in fact, I'm close to 39K now).

I really appreciate everyone's comments on my previous post. Apart from the fact that it proves to my fragile ego that there are a few people out there who'll at least take the time to give me an opinion, it also gave me some incentive to get writing again.

Well, that and waking up at 6AM in a hotel room with not much else to do than add 3K worth of words to the thing, and to get past a scene that had always felt a bit dull in my mind (but which is quickly followed by some kinkiness, so don't worry).

Anyway, for right now I intend to at least forge forward with this, although I am rapidly approaching a point which I'm now labeling as the end of 'Act One'. Hopefully I'll roll straight into Act Two, where things get real interesting....

One interesting, nerdy writer thing on this project has been seeing how the characters have been 'acting up' in a few different ways. In the last 10K I've had at least one surprising moment in a scene (for me) as I suddenly realized "Hey, he should totally kiss him right now" and another huge surprise ended up adding a whole new subplot. Said subplot was actually loosely based on a relationship I had myself, but I won't detail too much for fear of incriminating myself.

Suffice to say, married women having affairs can be fucking crazy, people. Fair warning.

Anyway I wanted to let you know things are moving forward a bit. Night all.

Anyone there? If so, here's a question

2010-04-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

I address this to my theoretical Reader.

I know a few of you are out there, of course. You're the guys I keep up with on a semi-regular basis, who I email and I occasionally IM. You guys are basically a given.

I'm talking to the other Reader. (Or can I be brave and assume a plural Readers?) The silent majority.

I need to hear from you.

Not entirely to stroke my own ego (although yes, I'll admit that's part of it.) I actually want to get your opinion.

Y'see, right now, in another window, I have the beginning of Betty's latest issue in the works. Issue 23, if you're counting. And it's easy stuff. It's familiar, it's comfortable. It's not hard. Sure, the plotting can be an absolute bitch sometimes (as I'm pretty sure I've said before, trying to write a coherent narrative while also trying to ensure you get in as much disguise material as possible is basically like trying to write porno that makes sense) but I'm used to that now.

The point is, I have done this before. A lot. I have something like almost 250K words written that chronicle the adventures of Betty and her friends, and while I'm happy to write a lot more, I'll be honest with you... I think I'm almost done. Not so much with Betty, but with mask fiction in general.

I know, I know. Those of you who've been 'with me' a while know I say this periodically. I think this time it might be true.

Why? Well, it's a lot of different things. I'm probably going to be a father in the next few years, God willing, and I hear kids take up some time! My career is also in pretty good shape, but demands a lot of time. And also - and frankly, I see this as the big one - I'm getting older. Believe it or not! And I know now, unlike when I was a callow youth of 25 or so (when I really, seriously started writing mask fiction with Beneath the Veil) that I've only got a limited number of years left in me.

Do I really want to spend them writing this fiction, with no reward, little recognition, and no way I can even share it with close (real life) friends?

I've been writing in other areas recently, thinking about other projects and getting some stuff done. It's enticing. It's appealing. So I'm thinking I might walk away from this for a bit, and see what happens when I do.

However. (Here comes the good news.) I don't want to walk away unfinished.

I have a number of large, major projects 'in the works'. (It's a terrible habit, but then so's writing erotica - oh, wait....) And here's The Question:

What do you want me to finish... first?

As usual, there's no guarantee I'll actually do what you suggest. But I'd love to hear opinions.

So in the spirit of a new(ish) decade, and transparency and new journalism and all that bollocks, here's what's on the block. No cute codenames, just what I've got here and how near-complete it is. In no particular order:

Option 1: BBSSG

... is of course the continuing adventures of Betty, Spider-Girl. Issues 21 and 22 are done. 23 is started. The current arc would possibly end in that issue, maybe 24. These issues involve Mysterio, a Spider-Girl impersonator, lots of identity switching and even Batgirl.

I have loads of other ideas for the series. Honestly, I'd say another 15 to 25 issues is possible. How long would that take? Possibly forever. I leave this as an option, though, because for some it might be what you want.

For those who aren't up to date with the series, it features a lot of F2F masking and disguise, with a little M2F (so far: there's a LOT more to come) and even the occasional F2M outing. It's heavy on the superheroines, costumes, that sort of thing. Oh, and it's pretty much PG-13 rated; sex is suggested more than shown. If you don't like comic-based stuff you won't like this, but then you can read what it's been like up until now and make up your own mind.

Option 2: The Babysitter

This is your typical boy-meets-girl, boy discovers girl has a secret, boy and girl decide to do naughty things together story. In other words it's a heavy M2F story from another (male) perspective. So far, disguises in this have mostly been 'off-stage', as the perspective doesn't allow for that. Even so, I think it's pretty strong, I can see some fun stuff coming before the end.

It's got a definite 'strong woman' vibe, although don't think 'bondage', more just... well, a strong woman. (Albeit a woman who's a man. You know what I mean.) If the idea of an English schoolteacher looking over her glasses at you with a glint in her eye appeals, then you'll probably like this. Oh, and it's definitely X-rated.

25K words written on this; I would say it's maybe a third finished. I know the plot just about all the way to the end, though.

Option 3: Teya

This one's been in the works for quite a long time - in fact, it's a bit distressing to note that I've pretty much not made any progress on it for over two years. That said, what I have works for me, and I'm sure I could get back into it.

It's another M2F story (in fact it uses PJ Wright's Nu-Gen tech idea) where the main protagonist is observing the actual disguises happening. Unlike the Babysitter though, this is much more about two friends discovering... interesting things together. I think the main character is very relatable, as is the situation. Essentially it's a story that answers the question "What would you do if your best friend could be a woman at will?" The Babysitter is more of a thriller... assuming your 'thrills' are very specific!

49K words down on this, and I think it's actually about two-thirds, maybe three-quarters finished... again, I know the plot to the end. Also, X-rated.

Option 4: Housesitting

This is a real oldie, to be honest. The original version of this was started God-knows-when, and really, it was never supposed to be much more than a little romp.

However, I include it here because I did re-plot it a couple of years ago, and if I pursue that plot, it'll have a lot more interesting twists and turns. Also, frankly it'd probably be shorter than the others... and also it's M2F, but with the protagonist being very much at the centre of the action. In other words, if you want to imagine you're 'M' becoming the 'F', then this is your choice.

Now, frankly, I know that many of you will just pick this because of that... so I have to caution you. While this thing is plotted out, I have less interest in telling this story than any of the other three options. SG is easy, albeit it's a bit repetitive; Babysitter has, well, two of the most interesting characters I've written; Teya is a really good, intimate look at two people. This one... well, it started as a simple fantasy and it grew from there.

But, there are 15K words done on it, it could probably be done in 40K, so honestly it could get done quick. And yes, X-rated.

That's it. Let me know what you want. We'll see what happens.

Eye candy: Mary Jane as Spidey

2010-02-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

For some reason - well, apart from the obvious - I've been looking for images of Mary Jane dressed in Spider-Man's costume recently. This is the image that started my search:

That one's by Steve Rude, I believe, and here's another more recent one he did - both, I'd guess, were convention sketches:

No idea who the artist is on this one, but it's fun anyway:

Looking for these, I think, was probably inspired by this classic cover - Amazing Spider-Man annual 19:

Yep, I certainly remember buying that book in great excitement... and getting very disappointed that there's no scene like it inside. (Some mad scientist thinks Mary Jane is Spider-Man. It's all very silly. Although there was some interesting discussion of 'exoskeletons' to allow a female to fake a male form, which is on file somewhere in the back of my mind for a potential future Betty plot.)

Anyway, just thought I'd share. Seen anything similar? Cross-gender comic imagery is always fun.

Chameleon as Jean DeWolff..

2010-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

.. in Amazing Spider-Man 620, which I think was on sale last week, or this week, not sure. Here's the relevant bit:

I'm pretty sure this was just a one-off gag for this issue - it may have been someone that Mysterio was going to 'resurrect' to torment Spidey with - but still, fun.

Poser comics?

2009-12-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Actually, here's a thought.

I've been seeing some good work with Poser recently, mostly over at DeviantArt. If you haven't checked out ElenaEvil's semi-regular series that deals with the Baroness from G.I. Joe (well, mostly) then you should; there's whole lot of masking and kinkiness going on in there. With some better captions/writing, I think it'd be really something. (And that's no slight to Elena as author - they're from Italy so I don't think English is their first language.)

Anyway. Is there anyone out there reading who'd be interested in collaborating on a Poser-created masking comic?

I'd supply the plot (although, I'd be happy to collaborate) and the words generally, you'd provide the Poser, the posing, the textures, the rendering and so on. Obviously we'd share credit.

It's something I'm sort of tempted to take on myself, but I just know that learning and working with Poser would be such a massive time-sink, that I could probably finish a novel or two in the time it takes me to make anything good. (I had a version of Poser years and years ago, and it took me forever just to render one image to a standard I was happy with.)

Anyway, consider this a standing offer. If you're a Poser artist already and like the idea of doing something with masks or disguises - doesn't have to be sexually explicit, either - then let me know. Perhaps we can make beautiful comics together.

Happy Whatever, and the New Year...

2009-12-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

Ahem. Well, I was certainly hoping to have something new to share by Christmas, but I forgot about one little thing: Christmas. Yes, the holidays have a tendency to suck up free time, and my time has been well and truly... sucked.

I'm progressing slowly on a couple of things. I'm very aware that it's now been close to 18 months since Spider-Girl #20, but hey, unlike a few authors I could mention... at least I keep you up to date with what I'm doing (or not doing... you get the idea). As I've said before the current Spider-Girl arc has been nightmarish, but I'm pushing through. I really do hope to have something to share, on that front at least, inside a month or so. Here's hoping 2010 brings a bit more free time and therefore, a few more released 'things'.

Speaking of 2010, is there anything else you'd like to see around here? I know, I know - 'more fiction' is a given. I've been thinking about a 'how to write mask fiction' series, which might be easy enough to do. And a few other things.

Anyway, let me know. Speak up.

Twittering

2009-12-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

I like Twitter. I use Twitter a lot. No, I won't tell you who I really am on Twitter. But I will create an account on there so you can stalk me there.

I could go into the various reasons why I want to use Twitter, but that'd be boring, would waste time I could spend Twittering - er, writing - and it's easier to just, um, do that on Twitter.

So if you like, sign on up to Twitter and follow me. Or alternatively, just come back here now and again and check out the big honking box on the top right. Or just look on Twitter. It's free. It's open to all. I won't tell.

Oh and don't moan at me that you need to sign up. Just sign up using the email address you use for all the other places we frequent where we don't want our real email address being used. You know the ones.

Here's me, on Twitter. (By the way: this is definitely not me. It's some squatter.)

Here we go a-bloody-gain

2009-11-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

Patience! We all have it, especially in this small community, and I thank you for it. I thank you because when I get my weekly stat report on this tiny blog I see to my astonishment that you're still visiting, even when I have nothing to say.

And guess what? I have nothing much to say tonight. But I'll try and tell you what's happening.

As is my usual bent, even though a few months ago I seemed to be going in one direction I have in fact gone totally off in a different way. First off, I've made a certain amount of progress on the story that's still titled 'The Babysitter', although that won't be the final title. I'm nowhere near ready to share it with you, but hey, at least I'm writing it.

Second... she's sucked me back in. Partly because I hate leaving a promising story undone, and partly because I can see this future image of what she will end up being, I'm writing Betty's adventures as Spider-Girl again. However! I won't be releasing anything until I have at least an issue or two done - just because the way these issues are shaping up, I often need to go back and revise things (sometimes radically) and I can't do that if I've already released something.

God. Some days, you must just want to frigging strangle me. But honest - hand on heart, swear to everything holy - I am writing.

Just, umm, possibly not what you want to read.

Thoughts on the Chameleon's return

2009-08-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

I warn random search visitors in advance: I doubt you're looking at this the way I am. Also, SPOILERS for Amazing Spider-Man 602.

As I mentioned before, this week's issue of Amazing Spider-Man features the return of the Chameleon, who in the course of the issue manages to kidnap and impersonate Peter Parker as a ploy to get inside the high security of City Hall, wherein J Jonah Jameson is now serving as Mayor. At least, that's what we assume he's going to do, he hasn't done it yet.

The issue's writer, Fred van Lente, has done a really good job updating the character for the modern world. He's written in a creepy, quite chilling way; ruthless in what he does, clinical, professional... and to me, not entirely convincing.

One fairly major issue I have is this: I've never seen the Chameleon as a serial killer. In this issue he kills one bystander so he can take over their life, and then 'kills' (because, you know, I highly doubt Spider-Man himself is about to die off-panel) Peter Parker too. Without much concern for either death.

Now sure, we could argue that many people in this world wouldn't be missed, especially if after the Chameleon impersonates them, he makes arrangements for them to 'leave town'. And yes, I know it makes the character more threatening if he's willing to kill, and I also know it's just a story and no-one thinks these things through. I'm only giving it thought because frankly I've spent way too much time thinking about this character, as I'm sure you realise.

My take was always that if the Chameleon had to impersonate someone specific, he'd get them out of the way if needed, but only temporarily. He'd also quite often just go ahead and do it, and leave others to figure out why there were two people who looked exactly the same wandering around. This has been seen in previous comic appearances, too.

My other thought was that often, when the Chameleon chose a disguise, it'd be one that wasn't even based on a specific person; it was instead just a generic disguise, non-specific, but convincing. If after all you just need to blend into the crowd, how hard can that be?

Of course for us, as particular consumers of a particular fetish, it's the specific impersonation we crave. That's always more fun to read about. Which is why I found it quite thrilling to see the Chameleon impersonate Peter Parker - even though he's done this before (briefly). As you can see in this preview for next week's issue, he certainly gets away with it, to the extent that he actually manages to seduce Peter's roommate, Michelle - who in fact Peter's already slept with.

Which brings up an interesting point; some commenters on that preview have said that this is rape, because Michelle, while she consents to sex, isn't consenting to sex with Peter. Interesting argument, and I wonder how it'd hold up in the courts. If you think for all intents and purposes that the person you're sleeping with is who they say they are, is it rape? I expect the argument would hinge on consent regardless of who it is.

It is of course a downright sleazy and villainous thing to do - to take advantage like he certainly does - but hey, the Chameleon is a villain. And one thing this storyline seems to be doing is re-affirming his place as a Grade-A one, at that.

If that leads to more storylines, great. I've got to say, it's gotten me thinking about the Chameleon again as a character. How fickle am I, eh?