Just Pretending ramblings

Hello,

I thought I'd talk about how the genesis of my story "Just Pretending".

*** Potential Spoilers Follow ***

I first came up with the idea of Keith's wish in 2009. I had played co-ed soccer in the 90s and I really sucked. Quite a few of my fellow team mates made it rather clear that if I quit the team it would not break anyone's heart. I continued to play for the team for over a year anyway and even joined another team five years later with that team also wishing I'd quit. Since it was a co-ed team we had to field as close to half of each gender as possible. We were constantly short on girl players, so whenever a girl agreed to play everyone was overly enthusiastic no matter her skill level. It made me a more than a little jealous. Well, in 2009 I started commissioning comics and I came up with the following idea for a comic.

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soccer player is having trouble not getting picked up for coed teams.  When he does no one wants to play him.  He is not that bad, but the other guys are better.  He hates getting razed when he screws up a play.  Notices that the girls are always getting picked and no one gives them grief.  This has a lot to do with there are a lot less girls showing up and a team must have a minimum number of female players. 

soccer player gets a wish and wishes he could get picked everytime like the girls do.  is transformed into female.  Gets lots of compliments playing soccer.  Women at work are nice to him now, decides to stay that way.  SRU?

perhaps person is in teens and was getting picked on by bullies at school and now they are nice to him.

perhaps wish is made next to his friend and friend is aware of new and old reality.  In this reality they still hang out a lot and since new girl is pretty it has raised friends status so he no longer gets picked on either.  He begs soccer player to stay as is so he wont have to go back to old reality.
end up dating?  perhaps hint at it in end?
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The idea sat for the next 4 and a half years, along with a lot of others. In late December of 2013 I had nearly ten days vacation looming and I wanted to start a story. "The Purse Came First" had not been posted yet and was in the hands of an editor. I was Christmas shopping and going over story ideas in my head. None of the ideas were inspiring me and I was also having trouble finding good presents for family members. As the day wore on I became more and more depressed.

My thoughts went to the soccer idea and as I mulled it over I thought that the main character's dad could be disappointed in him since he was not good at sports and then the ideas started flowing.My mood immediately lifted and I was able to finish my Christmas shopping within the hour.

Here is what I wrote down as soon as I arrived at home
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Two friends who are geeks.  They are in high school or college and both play soccer.  The main guy, Keith, is not very good at soccer, but has been playing since he was little.  He eventually gave up on regular boys leagues since he never got to play (not that good).  He started playing on a community co-ed league.  Since it was pretty causal he got to play more, but there were some on the team who thought he sucked and it bothered him.  He had talked his friend into playing and he was a natural.  Friend would not play on regular leagues because he hated coaches, having been teased when he was younger. 

It is Keith’s birthday and Friend, Seth, unveils a birthday candle on a cupcake just before a game.  Keith wishes his team would value him and he becomes female.  When he walks to the field, they are excited to see him since a couple of the other girls couldn’t make it and now they won’t have to forfeit.  Now when he does a lame thing the guys are encouraging.

Keith wants to change back, but store is no longer at mall (spells r us).  Seth asks Keith to pretend to be his girlfriend since he hears that girls are more attracted to guys who have a girlfriend.  They go to a comic convention together, they go to the new super hero tent pole and snuggle.  Keith finds he likes the closeness, but still wants to be a guy. 

Keith gets very jealous when Seth starts flirting with another girl at a party. 

Keith’s dad was a sport guy and was disappointed that his son was a nerd.  Has older sis who helps him put on moves for comic convention.

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I'm not sure why the Dad being a sports guy got the ideas flowing, but it did. Shortly after this I had the idea that the sister would be getting married and that Kaylee and Seth would find the SRU store on the way to the wedding. Original idea was that they would end up delaying the wedding. By time I had written to the wedding it did not work out this way. I did put the finding of the store on the wedding day, but it did not interfere with the wedding.

When I started writing the story I was going to have Keith/Kaylee figure out how to do girl things (makeup, walk in heels, etc..) by looking on YouTube, but this seemed pretty boring. I then switched to having Kaylee "trick" Jenny into helping with make up, etc... and I started writing it this way, but then the idea of Kaylee telling the sister the truth, but her not believing hit me. I liked the idea, but I did not want to rewrite a bunch of the story. I am very glad I trusted my instincts. I like the sister's disbelief, but playing along anyway. I have a sister who would probably do this. I kind of patterned Jenny after her.

That's all for now.

I hope you are having a good day.

Varian Milagro