Voice

Every now and again, the suggestion comes about that perhaps I should try writing something besides Bo Fexler stories. Some people perhaps like my storytelling, but not the vehicle. Some perhaps see me as a one trick pony.

Which, I should point out that in Euchre games, I am called "One-trick Clair" because I will always get one trick, no matter who else called it up. So I may be one-trick pony, but I'm good at it.

I probably could write other stories featuring characters that are not Bo Fexler. But, I'm quite certain that it would just be another form of sharp, bitter, and likely misanthropic character. I think that my writing voice is sharp, bitter, and cynical more than anything else. It works well for Bo Fexler stories because that's how she is. (Funny coincidence, that.) I could write stories with other characters, and I have from time to time tried on other characters. The reason that those stories do not hang out on the internet for reading pleasure is because the stories are either Bo Fexler in another form or they are flat, undeveloped characters.

If I worked on it, perhaps I could further develop these other characters. I've been doing some work, not story writing but background exploration, for some of my secondary characters that I plan to include in the novel(s). I want the secondary characters to be as real and as fun as Bo Fexler, but in their own ways. It's been a challenge to try to see the world through eyes that are not shaded with darkness or tainted with bitter. This work though, I think is best spent on making my novel better, rather than putting out a few short stories.

Besides, I'm having a ball writing what I do. I'm not worried about what some people think about my writing, so long as there at least a few people who like it. I will keep writing Bo Fexler short stories and so long as there are publishers who like her too, there will be stories Bo Fexler shorts to read.

(BTW, little internet birds tell me there are more short stories coming out.)