Moonlight

[osprey_archer]

anactoria linked to a call for submissions for an anthology of queer werewolf stories called Moonlight and I was INSPIRED and I have written a 2,000 word short story about two menopausal werewolf lovers, only one of them has decided to have a baby anyway and menopause be damned, by the simple expedient of remaining a wolf the entire time she is pregnant (because wolves don’t undergo menopause).

Except! If she remains a wolf for so long, will she be able to transform back??? This is her mate’s great fear, and that’s what the story is about: she goes to the wise Grandmother of the pack (well, she’s really more of a Grandmother for all the packs in the area, not just her own) to discuss her fears.

…I strongly suspect that menopausal lesbian werewolves was not at all what they expected so they may not want it, but we’ll see. It just struck me that shifter stories tend to be about young shifters and why not write about older ones for a change? I can always post it here if they don’t want it.

Comments

[amaebi]

What a beautiful premise.

[osprey_archer]

Thank you!

[ivy]

I prefer a book about older shifters! It's a more interesting story, it's less likely to have been done to death, and I appreciate stories about people dealing with different issues at different stages of life. I hope they take your story!

[missroserose]

^^All of this! I'm looking forward to reading it, wherever it ends up published.

[osprey_archer]

Fingers crossed they'll take it!

[osprey_archer]

There just aren't as many books about older people period, especially in genre, I find. Maybe all the good werewolves die young.

[duskpeterson]

(*Editor thumbs through manuscripts.*)

"Trope. . . . Trope. . . . Trope that's been done to death. . . . Oh. My. God. Menopausal lesbian werewolves."

Whether or not they can take your story, I'm sure you've made the editor's day.

[osprey_archer]

"FINALLY SOMETHING NEW," says the editor, blinking repeatedly at the screen to make sure the manuscript doesn't collapse into another werewolf-vampire romance.

[rmc28]

*I* am very much up for menopausal lesbian werewolves so I hope you publish it somewhere even if not in this anthology.

[skygiants]

AGREED

[osprey_archer]

Fingers crossed for the anthology, but we'll just see.

[evelyn_b]

This is a great idea! and seconding (thirding) the hope that you'll publish it somewhere even if the anthologists don't have the vision to accept it.

[osprey_archer]

I keep reading that as "anthropologists" which would certainly add an interesting spin to it... Anthropologists studying werewolves might be a topic for a future story.

[asakiyume]

Wow!

I should think they would **love** that.

[osprey_archer]

I certainly hope they will!

Would you be willing to beta-read it? I know it's a busy time so no worries if you can't.

[asakiyume]

Yeah, sure, I can--when do you have to submit it by, and how long is it? If it's short, I could maybe even do it tonight.

[osprey_archer]

Submissions are due by November 30. The story is about 2,000 words long; I'll email it to you tonight, and you can get to it when you have a chance.

[asakiyume]

Thank you! 2,000 words is eminently readable :-)

[littlerhymes]

This sounds legit awesome, I'm looking forward to reading it!

[osprey_archer]

I did not expect quite this much excitement about this idea but now I'm thinking I may have struck a gold mine. Not just with the lesbian werewolves (although who doesn't love lesbian werewolves?) but older protagonists more generally.