Confidant by Ryan Miller

[EleCivil]

New short story from the author of Bonding Energy, Opportunity Cost, and Solitary Night.

No need to summarize it here, because it won't take you long to read it. And you should read it, because it's really good.

It's told almost entirely in dialogue - no descriptions of how the characters look, what they're wearing, what the room looks like - no surface detail. It works perfectly, considering what the story is about - the effect of issues that are completely under the surface.

[RMiller]

Well, I'm glad one person liked it.

And the whole symbolic description (or lack there of) thing was an accident. I just don't like to describe things unless I have to. And I was far more concerned about dialogue in this story than anything else.

Wait, I mean, yeah, this is the first of a new series of stories I am writing that use allegorical metaphors to parallel the dichotomy of straight and gay within the hearts of us all. Yeah, that's it.

[Graeme]

Sorry, but I've been having trouble finding time to read over the last week or so. I'm only starting to catch up....

I liked it, but it came over a little odd to me. I think that's because Trey is obviously so desperate to talk to someone, but the urgency doesn't come through strongly. I suspect a lot of the tension and uncertainty was in Trey's body language, and using purely dialogue that didn't come through.

It's a real challenge to communicate with just dialogue because we tend to communicate a lot non-verbally (Trab -- feel free to jump in on this if you want). I don't think I'm up to it for a lengthy piece like your short story.

Graeme