Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Spanking Story Concepts

One of the more difficult jobs I have in creating stories for Imagine The Stories is selecting which ideas to pursue and which to set aside. Many times I’ve been asked where I get my story ideas from and the truth is they come from everything and everyone around me. I encounter inspiration in nearly everything I do and that translates into literally dozens of concepts tickling at the back of my imagination. From time to time, one of those ideas will actually take over while I’m sleeping or sometimes, oddly enough, while I’m showering. Those ideas which grab me in this way often become a work in progress and eventually make it to being posted here and shared with all of you.
Of course there are also plenty of those ideas which eventually fizzle out and get relegated to my digital box of failed concepts. Sometimes these ideas get resurrected later and joined with other ideas that have a future and other times, they remain locked away and eventually they are forgotten. Interestingly enough, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad ideas, it just means I’m not the right author to construct them into something pleasurable.
The problem that buries more stories for me than any other is a failure in the story’s logic. Now, I know for some people, the logic of a spanking story is superfluous. Isn’t it all about baring a bottom, turning the bottom the color of ripened tomatoes, maraschino cherries, or the glowing red of a stoplight? Does it really matter what they did to end up, bottom up? For that matter, does anyone even care whether the spanking is deserved or not? Wouldn’t it be just as enjoyable a read, if the story contained nothing more than the overly descriptive details of a spanking in progress?
For me the answer to these questions is clear and resounding. I care about the details. If I can’t figure out why my heroine would allow herself to be spanked or would do something that could potentially end with her getting spanked, I can’t write the spanking into the scene. It has to flow, naturally, without defying the character I’ve designed or the rules of my characters’ world. In other words, I need a logical progression of events and consequences which make sense in the context of my characters and their fictional setting. When I can’t put these pieces together, my story falls apart and ends up in that doomed digital vault of failed ideas.
That could become the concepts final resting place or it could find itself being resurrected at a later date. Sometimes, after weeks or months of not thinking about an idea, it will return to me and suddenly my subconscious will reveal the solution to the problem which originally buried the story. Other times, I will be entertaining a new idea and realize that I can combine some of the material from an old idea with my new idea and form not only a better story, but finally a story where all the pieces click together.
An example of this may very well be a story I’m working on this week. Originally, an idea I titled Everton, was cast aside because I was lacking a logical reason for the central heroine’s journey and eventual resettling in the small town of Everton. After days of frustrating dead-ends I buried the concept and moved on, but my subconscious apparently continued working on the idea and a new story concept began to evolve with very similar circumstances. In my new setting, I resolved my former problem by changing some of the basics. My character no longer wants to settle in this small town, she’s forced to by a set of circumstances beyond her control. I even came up with a stronger motivation beyond just the events trapping her in place, to make certain her logic would force her to stay in this small town. It was called Everton, but it might get a new name now, especially since the story is no longer going to focus on the whole town, but rather a prominent feature of the town, a small hotel with a downstairs restaurant called, The Hickory House.
Now, I’m sure hearing the word Hickory rolling around in your head, you can’t help but think of paddles, switches, and spanking sticks, but there may not actually be any Hickory trees in the vicinity. The hotel is actually named for the family who owns and operates it. The current manager is a man named John Hickory. His father, retired from day to day operations, still owns the hotel and worries a little bit over the future of the place because John, is thinking about leaving the small town for good. This is the state of affairs when our heroine arrives in town. She, like John, has no real desire to be there, but together it seems they might just find a reason to stay. Of course, John will need to teach her a few things about responsibility and trust (I’m sure a few wood-based implements will be applied to her bare buttocks in the process). And she will have to teach John a thing or two as well. (No, she won’t be spanking John.)
With all my problems solved, I expect The Hickory House will be ready to share in just a few more weeks. I’ll keep you informed.

Monday, August 8, 2011

The Jade Runner, Part 10

Satisfied the visitors were out of hearing, Quinn turned to Kit. “You took a big chance there.”
Kit turned toward him. She slipped her newly acquired pistol into the left side of her belt and took Rex’s old pistol from Quinn’s hands. She slid it back into place on her right. “Would you rather we disappeared into some super secret lair never to be seen or heard from again?”
Quinn paused from checking over his concussion rifle to shake his head. “Of course not, but I would have handled it before things got that far.”
The sound of echoing footsteps caught both their attention. Rex Baxter walked into the hangar and waved at them like they were all old friends. Kit rested her right hand on the hilt of her pistol and took a step down the ramp. Quinn stayed a step behind her and lowered his rifle, pointing it in Rex’s general direction. Rex stopped at the foot of the ramp.
“Ahoy there, Captain Kid,” Rex said and chuckled to himself.
Kit asked, “What do you want?”
“Is that anyway to greet a friend baring gifts?” Rex asked.
Quinn said, “I think we’ve had quite enough gifts from you today already.”
Rex lifted an eyebrow. “Did I miss something?”
Kit shook her head at Rex and exhaled the frustration building up inside her chest. “Yeah, you missed three of your friends who were very interested in what you did with a sarcophagus.”
“Oh,” Rex said, looking around the hangar. “That’s all just a big misunderstanding. You see these people hired me to transport a sarcophagus from the Neece System and I was all set to do the job except they couldn’t get the permits from the local government. And as you probably know, it’s illegal to transport those kind of things without the proper permits.”
Kit nodded. “I know. They seemed to think you had brought it here for them though and were keeping it from them.”
Rex laughed. “You know some people just don’t take no for an answer.”
“So what is you want?” Kit asked.
Rex adopted his most serious pose which looked aptly like a fish out of water. “First off, I owe you both a big apology and even bigger thanks for last night.”
“Already forgotten,” Quinn said in a tone which promised the events would never be forgotten.
“Mighty big of you,” Rex said, tipping his hat in Quinn’s direction. “Second, I had this nice little transport all lined up for today, but without a ship I can’t very well fulfill my end of it.”
“And why is this my problem?” Kit asked.
“Problem?” Rex grabbed at his chest as if he’d been stabbed in the heart. “Why no, it’s nobody’s problem ‘cept mine. For you it’s a paying job and the best you’ll get with your lack of experience and reputation in the privateer circles.”
“Who says I want to be a privateer?” Kit asked.
Rex blinked faster than any man should. “That’s the only sort of work the Griffinscape is cut out for. She’s made for it tail to stern. I can’t imagine why else you’d have kept her if you didn’t want to get into the business.”
Kit glanced at Quinn, looking to see if his face had any clues to his feeling on Rex’s offer. She turned back to Rex. “My reason are my own and none of your business.”
Rex held his hands up in surrender. “Fair enough,” he said. “If you aren’t interested I’ll just call and cancel the deal. They’ll find someone else easy enough.”
Kit fondled her jade stone and chewed on her lip considering the option. “What do you get out this if I agree?”
Rex chuckled. “A fair share of the profit is all I ask and in return I’ll set you up with the deal and be your pilot.”
“I don’t need a pilot,” Kit said.
“I’m sure you’ve piloted your share of simulators, Kid,” Rex said, “but they ain’t the real thing. You’ll need my help and besides, my contact won’t be comfortable if I’m not aboard overseeing the transaction.”
Kit glanced at Quinn and then asked Rex, “How do I know you won’t try and steal the ship?”
“Did I mention the job pays a clean 10k?” Rex said.
Quinn took a step forward. “You didn’t answer the question.”
Rex rolled his eyes. “All I got is my word, but let me explain it in terms of money. You get 7k for the job and I’ll take a mere 3k, it’s not much sure but, it’s all I need to finance myself another ship and with my contacts I’ll have it paid off in less than a year and be sitting just as good if not better than I was last night.”
Kit and Quinn exchanged a glance. His tale made sense even if 3k was a bigger cut than they’d like to give him. The remainder would more than pay for the trip and it was enough, even split three ways to be more than either Kit or Quinn would normally earn in a month let alone the few days it would take to transport the cargo.
Rex sensed a deal and made the final push. “Look, you don’t owe me anything. I had a bad night and made some real bad choices. Without your help I’ll be paying for last night for a long time to come, but if you help me out here, I’ll have a chance to get back on my feet and I’ll owe you. Maybe you don’t think so right now, but having a guy like me owe you a favor can come in real handy.”
Kit shook her head. Jade whispered in her ear, Don’t be reckless. Kit turned to Quinn. “I won’t do it without you, but if you’re in, I’m in.”
Quinn looked at Rex with suspicion coloring his eyes. “Alright, I’m in. It’s got to be better than working in a damn casino.”
Kit smiled. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a deal, Rex. How does this work?”
Rex grinned back at Kit. “You won’t live to regret this, I swear. We need to pick up the cargo in about eight hours. I’ll finalize the details with my supplier and meet you back here in seven.”
Kit walked down the ramp and extended her hand to Rex. He shook it and tried to let go. Kit held tight for a moment and looked him in the eye beneath the rim of his hat. “If you try and screw me, I’ll put you out an airlock without a suit.” She let go of his hand when she was certain he understood.
He took a step back but before he walked away, he said, “Don’t worry, you aren’t my type Kid.”

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Cynthia Waiting

Dad’s belt zipped through the air striking Cynthia’s reddened buttocks one final time. The tears stung at her eyes and she could feel the eyes of the rest of her family staring at her with the same cold disapproval her father’s demeanor exuded. She pushed herself to a standing position, a mere step away from the family car’s rear bumper and successfully fought the impulse to assuage her stinging butt with a quick massage. The family was watching and she didn’t want to give them any more of a show than they already had seen.
“Wait in the car,” Dad said, pointing toward the backseat as if she didn’t know where to go, “and I don’t want to hear another word out of you before we get home.”
Cynthia nodded, keeping her lips tightly sealed and avoiding eye contact with her father. The car was parked on the shoulder of the road, but luckily there had not been any traffic speeding past while she’d been bent over. The asphalt felt like hot coals beneath her feet as she took the few steps to the rear door on the passenger side of the car. She plopped herself down hard on the seat and immediately regretted it. Frustrated, embarrassed, and annoyed, she slammed the door closed with an unsatisfying clunk.
She watched the road rather than her family. The quiet in the car was immensely preferable to the teasing she knew they would soon be delivering. It was always the same. Her brother would tell her she was positively glowing. Her mother would comment; Now that you’re well red, I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Her father would chuckle at every word while watching her expression in the rear view mirror. Cynthia would be tempted to stick her tongue out, to yell, to scream, to blame the world, but the tenderness and the itching warmth consuming her backside would temper her responses. She would keep her mouth shut and keep her thoughts to herself. A blush would color her cheeks with the embarrassment swelling up inside her and she would avert her eyes from the family, anything to avoid them seeing the effect of their teasing glistening in her eyes.
A single car whooshed by on the road. The look on the driver’s face stuck in Cynthia’s thoughts. It was clear enough, he had seen her naked breasts peeking out from just above the lower rim of the window. There was no place to hide and the tint on the windows was insufficient to disguise her humiliation from the world. Everywhere she looked, even looking back at her own actions, was an embarrassment. She rested her head on her hand, elbow planted on the lip of the window, and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long trip home.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Friday, August 5, 2011

Still Waiting

Hi Everyone,
 
Sorry for the delay, but this week went nothing like I had planned (unless you count the fact I sort of expected my plans to take a long walk off the short cliff). Monday will still have the next part of The Jade Runner and with a little luck I'll have the waiting story finished for Friday. Yep, that means no Wednesday post next week. Bare with me, and I promise to have things all set for the new format soon.


Hugs,
Ash