One of the problems with updating Benway Bunnies for the first time in the new year is the raging internal battle that takes place when trying to decide what story should be selected for the momentous occasion (momentous only because I MAKE it momentous even if I update every Saturday regardless of what YEAR it is).
There's an intense desire to pick the PERFECT story since there's an overwhelming sense that it'll somehow represent the rest of the year. So if you're insanely superstitious and neurotically ritualistic you'll understand my mental anguish and the weeks worth of indecision that lead to this point (yes I DID agonise since early December, no I'm NOT proud that I could be labelled 'obsessive').
And after some swearing, eyebrow furrowing, scowling, glowering, and shouting (very therapeutic, especially if you don't feel obligated to restrain yourself) I decided to buck the 'I'll write a new story specifically for the New Year' trend. I've done the unthinkable; I've chosen an old story. So old, in fact, I don't even know what year it was started in (it might've been in 2003, but there's a tiny chance it was penned in late 2002).
So why parade an ancient story around when I know that it pales in comparison to new work? Why not take the easy route and silently slip it in the roster and let readers and visitors alike wonder how it managed to coyly tip toe past them? Why even bother putting it up in the FIRST place when there's newer, better, and more anticipated work to be seen?
Clearly because it's symbolic representation of me finally tying up loose ends. What better way to start the New Year than finishing old shit that's dogged me for over a year so I can concentrate on NEW shit without any distraction?
The old newness won't just be limited to this update. In the next two months I plan to blow off years worth of dust from various stories so characters finally have their chance to shine (even if they're a little tarnished with age), and I have an absolutely clean slate to work with by March (I know that sort've sounds like a resolution, but it's not - trust me).
We're kicking off 2005 Melanie 2003 (2002?) style. What I DO manage to recall was that I was DESPERATE to write a Melanie sex story, although it took me several attempts to get the final product (i.e., Park & Ride). Almost all of the Melanie stories that'll be uploaded in the next two months will have been started in the same period, all with the intent on it becoming a super sexy terrific wonderful Melanie sextravaganza.
I first began with Closet Romance (not yet complete), but found the 'prologue' too depressing and ended up splitting the piece. Due to the somewhat morose tone I felt that I needed to start something entirely new to get the sexiness flowing, so All the Time was started. That, too, succumbed to a heavy sort of atmosphere so I casually tossed the incomplete work over my shoulder and began Park & Ride (success!).
All the Time is two (if not THREE) years in the making. After tripping over the atmospheric bump it sat stagnant for years before I even reconsidered touching it. I think I might've poked it once last year, but quickly admitted defeat when I remained vacantly uninspired. It wasn't until a few days ago that I somehow managed to kick start the engine and steer the damn story over the blockade and through the finish line.
Eager to get it up as quickly as possible I didn't linger over the recently added material, so I can't 'judge' the flow between old and new. Several hours later my editor got a hold of it and said, I think, it was 'better than fine' and the work I created to end the story was 'the best representation of Melanie yet' (hooray!).
This particular story has had a few titles attached to it (i.e., 'Girls Gone Wild' & 'High Times') before it ended up with it's current name. After rereading through some of the dialogue the repetitiveness of the phrase '...all the time' caught my eye and stuck with me as I scanned for other possible titles.
In a vague sort've way I feel that it illustrates a certain period of Benway Bunny / Band / Barely Legal life rather well. It's that deceptive 'calm before the storm' era where a lot of the time was spent doing nothing, and doing nothing was something they did 'all the time' (except for Charlie since she's all responsible).
Unlike most stories All the Time boasts a rather large cast with one recurring character narrating (Melanie), several recurring characters appearing (Rhiannon, Jerusalem, & Helix), and the leader of the Barely Legal house acting like the anal retentive he tends to be (business as usual!). The mix was somewhat unintentional, but when you have characters who aren't satisfied with just a one-sentence cameo (Helix) they aren't going to take 'no' for an answer.
Anyway - time to herald in the new Benway Bunny year! It's almost appropriate that the first story of 2005 is a Melanie story, since my editor once said she's the 'mascot' of the Benway Bunnies. To read her new story, All the Time, you can simply click here. Or, of course, you can take your first long walk around the site this year by hitting the Benway Bunnies link within the Fiction section. Since I have no idea when I wrote the story I've just jammed it somewhere in the 2003 header (how professional, I know).
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