“Any resemblance to actual events, to persons living or dead, is not the result of chance. It is DELIBERATE.” Costa Garvas “Z”
Early this millennium, a met online a fascinating woman. Over the following two years we collaborated on the first draft of a complete novel. Then she disappeared without a trace (which happens very often on the Internet). But before leaving she got me involved with a writing group–in some ways the precursor of Pikers Press.
Recently I realized an odd coincidence, how her name resembled a founder of that group. Now “what if’s” are the bread and butter of creative writing, so, I wondered, what if this great lost writer and the group’s founder were one in the same? What if this odd, conflated individual was freaking out about her impending marriage? What if an Internet-savy friend had a brilliant idea of a short-term online-only relationship so her friend could sow her wild oats–in a safe, text-only manner?
The friend is also based on a real person–which she probably realized right off the bat, and probably got a few giggles from. Of course, the writer and the friend could well be the same person, identities on the Internet can be that murky.
Does any of this matter to me? Not really one way or the other. But I did develop strong feelings for this mysterious woman and would like to know how she’s been. There’s also the matter of our novel–even if I were able to whip it into shape, it could not be published for legal reasons.
The story should be a good 1000 words longer to better show the passage of time and how the main character evolved into a confident wife, mother, and editor. The article of clothing in the title should be a bodystocking, but bodysuit flows better.