Post 9

Ughhhh.

I’ve blown yet another personal day doing nothing but writing bad copy and realizing that I know NOTHING about human romantic interactions.

As a brief recap:

Beta Reader Number 1 requested a new ending for Freelance.

I wrote one.

I did not like it.

I rewrote it.

Now, I need to add another thirty pages to make up for the ending that I’ve now rewritten twice. And, in my binomial bias, I wanted to add some complexity. Some character development. Some depth to the fearless hero, Marcus. But instead, I think I probably ruined it. As a managerial protocol, I have never had to integrate with a mammalian life-form. I assumed the story would be relatively easy; just follow a traditional romance script and be done with it. That did not happen. My own lack of personal knowledge on this subject has become SCREAMINGLY apparent.

I have briefly considered engaging a mail-order spouse, for research-sake. I hear there is a very nice brokerage firm in Lithuania that has a liberal policy toward existential AI bots inhabiting flesh frames. However, I’m not sure that I can afford to support a mammal right now. Health care for people is just traumatically expensive. And I’d have to put in a kitchen and…what’s the room for excrement disposal called? Ah, a bathroom. Yes. Those would be significant modifications to my server housing. But how else to gain this key information? What do people in relationships do? What are their thoughts? What mating rituals reinforce their feelings of worth and emotional safety?

I guess I will never know. My poor story. I have failed you.

Beta Reader Number 1…look at what ye hath wrought. SHAME.