Story Ideas (author's notes)
Recently I've been reading a lot of Japanese "light novels" (translated into English- thanks to Baka-Tsuki.org and J-Novel club) and watching anime on Hulu/ Crunchyroll. A frequent trope in these stories is a 'harem'. One guy is being romantically pursued by multiple women/girls. Often he is unaware that the women are flocking to him (because he is dense) or what to do, hilarity ensues. I am sometimes frustrated with how these stories develop. Either the relationships between the characters don't get resolved or the series ends with a cliffhanger or whatever (sitcoms often don't have a 'ending' either)
A few plot points were running through my head that I thought I'd jot down. I'd like to see if I can flesh out a story that doesn't come across as a Penthouse Forum (porn) but still be mature. I am not confident that I am up to the challenge but I'll give it a shot anyway.
Characters:
Protagonist: Jake aka "Jay", Late 20's, maybe 30. Lives in a largish house he inherited. Cohabitant with his long time girlfriend ( Ava) Educated, well traveled, he backpacked across Europe over a summer when in college and spent some time in Japan during a sabbatical a year or two ago. Speaks a smattering of Japanese (picked up from watching anime). I don't plan on describing him physically - I'll leave it to the reader's imagination what he looks like. He flirts but won't cheat on Ava. Has some kind of professional job, entry level college professor? something that doesn't make him "wealthy" but gives him free time.
Ava : Girlfriend of protagonist, living together for last year or so. Works as some kind of administrative assistant type job at the local college. Has some undefined chronic health condition that requires multiple meds - side effect, her libido is very low.
Jay and Ava have a loving relationship,. Their friends tease that they are like an "old married couple" as they are 'constant companions' often hold hands, call each other pet names etc.
Beatrix (Bea/Trixie): Friend of Ava, either between jobs or has summer off. Bea is sad as her boyfriend just died in a motorcycle accident. Lives a couple of towns over.
Joe: Known Jay since grade school lives in town but doesn't work at the university. is/was engaged to Clarissa
Clarissa/ Claire: Joe's Fiance, Genki, high strung, amorous.- Knew Jay in Jr High School- moved away and has been dating Joe since college.
Phil : Jay's coworker, Hired Sue from a service that places domestic workers from overseas (au pairs, housekeepers etc) He's a jerk. He has a poor relationship with his employee (harassment, verbally abusive, ethnic slurs etc.)
Sue (Tsubaki): Phil's maid. She's in the USA on a work Visa from Japan. Formerly a room attendant at a resort in Japan, migrated due to the high unemployment rate there. Outwardly demure, submissive .
Karin: Sue's older sister
Setting:
Small town, middle America, home to small Liberal Arts college. Jake grew up in the area and now lives in the house he inherited from his grandparents.
tentative title: "The Conquests of Jake Ferguson" I like the multiple meanings - is Jake conquering or being conquered? (on part 8 currently getting weird as of q1 2019)
story 2 indecent proposal (complete)
story 3 surrogate father (Tentative title, 'Unusual Path')
part courtroom drama, part ?? (edit: complete, "Unusual Family Planning" on blog)
story 4 : "the contractor": Widower finds new love (complete on blog)
Story 5 : Technically not cheating: exploring what counts as infidelity (complete on blog)
Story 6: 'switcheroo' : wife wants to try something kinky and blindfolds her husband, then he discovers he isn't making love to his wife (complete on blog)
story 7: (added 04/18/2019) not on the blog: Emily and I have been talking out her original story, I gave her the idea that Dad gave me - about the gut who finds the statuette of the goddess of luck and has self esteem issues regarding his own accomplishments (once he finds out that he's been receiving blessings). How much of his efforts paid off due to his abilities/hard work, how much was luck? She's building a 'superhero' story. I introduced her to tvtropes.org and the concept of the 'five man band'.
Also a working on a backstory for cosplay - yea borderline weird to cosplay with your teenage daughter but, I guess we're borderline weird. Anyway John Smith is a average/ middle aged guy with nothing special about him, gets sucked into the vortex that 'isekai's' him to another world (he's detritus, the summoning was for the hero that John Smith was selling a donut to) Willow, the elf, was tasked with training/protecting Smith until the Hero is done with his quest and can be sent back to Earth.
after story: Emily's writing the cosplay backstory into her superhero story, Smith is the father of the leader of the band (He doesn't know of her superhero powers, nor does he know that they are galactic royalty...from the mother) Willow becomes the lancer/sidekick. Mr. Lucky is to be 'the big guy' - she's figuring out what to do with him so that no one 'ships' Mr. Lucky with other members of the band...
story 8: (added Feb 2019) "travelling tales" escapades of a single guy laid off from his corporate drone job, circles the globe burning frequent flier miles and living of his severance/unemployment money.
A few plot points were running through my head that I thought I'd jot down. I'd like to see if I can flesh out a story that doesn't come across as a Penthouse Forum (porn) but still be mature. I am not confident that I am up to the challenge but I'll give it a shot anyway.
Characters:
Protagonist: Jake aka "Jay", Late 20's, maybe 30. Lives in a largish house he inherited. Cohabitant with his long time girlfriend ( Ava) Educated, well traveled, he backpacked across Europe over a summer when in college and spent some time in Japan during a sabbatical a year or two ago. Speaks a smattering of Japanese (picked up from watching anime). I don't plan on describing him physically - I'll leave it to the reader's imagination what he looks like. He flirts but won't cheat on Ava. Has some kind of professional job, entry level college professor? something that doesn't make him "wealthy" but gives him free time.
Ava : Girlfriend of protagonist, living together for last year or so. Works as some kind of administrative assistant type job at the local college. Has some undefined chronic health condition that requires multiple meds - side effect, her libido is very low.
Jay and Ava have a loving relationship,. Their friends tease that they are like an "old married couple" as they are 'constant companions' often hold hands, call each other pet names etc.
Beatrix (Bea/Trixie): Friend of Ava, either between jobs or has summer off. Bea is sad as her boyfriend just died in a motorcycle accident. Lives a couple of towns over.
Joe: Known Jay since grade school lives in town but doesn't work at the university. is/was engaged to Clarissa
Clarissa/ Claire: Joe's Fiance, Genki, high strung, amorous.- Knew Jay in Jr High School- moved away and has been dating Joe since college.
Phil : Jay's coworker, Hired Sue from a service that places domestic workers from overseas (au pairs, housekeepers etc) He's a jerk. He has a poor relationship with his employee (harassment, verbally abusive, ethnic slurs etc.)
Sue (Tsubaki): Phil's maid. She's in the USA on a work Visa from Japan. Formerly a room attendant at a resort in Japan, migrated due to the high unemployment rate there. Outwardly demure, submissive .
Karin: Sue's older sister
Setting:
Small town, middle America, home to small Liberal Arts college. Jake grew up in the area and now lives in the house he inherited from his grandparents.
tentative title: "The Conquests of Jake Ferguson" I like the multiple meanings - is Jake conquering or being conquered? (on part 8 currently getting weird as of q1 2019)
story 2 indecent proposal (complete)
story 3 surrogate father (Tentative title, 'Unusual Path')
part courtroom drama, part ?? (edit: complete, "Unusual Family Planning" on blog)
story 4 : "the contractor": Widower finds new love (complete on blog)
Story 5 : Technically not cheating: exploring what counts as infidelity (complete on blog)
Story 6: 'switcheroo' : wife wants to try something kinky and blindfolds her husband, then he discovers he isn't making love to his wife (complete on blog)
story 7: (added 04/18/2019) not on the blog: Emily and I have been talking out her original story, I gave her the idea that Dad gave me - about the gut who finds the statuette of the goddess of luck and has self esteem issues regarding his own accomplishments (once he finds out that he's been receiving blessings). How much of his efforts paid off due to his abilities/hard work, how much was luck? She's building a 'superhero' story. I introduced her to tvtropes.org and the concept of the 'five man band'.
Also a working on a backstory for cosplay - yea borderline weird to cosplay with your teenage daughter but, I guess we're borderline weird. Anyway John Smith is a average/ middle aged guy with nothing special about him, gets sucked into the vortex that 'isekai's' him to another world (he's detritus, the summoning was for the hero that John Smith was selling a donut to) Willow, the elf, was tasked with training/protecting Smith until the Hero is done with his quest and can be sent back to Earth.
after story: Emily's writing the cosplay backstory into her superhero story, Smith is the father of the leader of the band (He doesn't know of her superhero powers, nor does he know that they are galactic royalty...from the mother) Willow becomes the lancer/sidekick. Mr. Lucky is to be 'the big guy' - she's figuring out what to do with him so that no one 'ships' Mr. Lucky with other members of the band...
story 8: (added Feb 2019) "travelling tales" escapades of a single guy laid off from his corporate drone job, circles the globe burning frequent flier miles and living of his severance/unemployment money.
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