This is what happens (opening)
- Reads 0
- Votes 0
- Parts 1
How is it that the girl with straight As ends up scrubbing floors for minimum wage, living in a room above Vera's Hairstyling, in a god-forsaken town called Powassan?
Feminist theorist Dale Spender wrote, in Women of Ideas and What Men Have Done to Them, "We need to know how patriarchy works. We need to know how women disappear...." Although Spender spoke of women who disappear from the historical record, women all too often seem to disappear from any sort of public life as soon as they leave high school: so many shine there, but once they graduate, they become invisible.
Where are all the straight-A girls from high school? Why, how, have they 'disappeared'? Marriage and kids is an inadequate answer because married-with-kids straight-A boys (of which, let's acknowledge, there are fewer) are visible. Everywhere. Even the straight-B boys are out there. So what happens?
This is what happens provides several answers as it traces this disappearance with a microscopic examination of one woman's life. There are three voices juxtaposed throughout the novel: the fresh, impassioned protagonist speaking through her journal entries from the age of fifteen; the sarcastic, now-fifty protagonist commenting about the events of her life, occasionally speaking to her younger self; and the dispassionate narrator.
The novel's audience is primarily women-it will resonate most with older women, but it is younger women who most need to read it. Because this is what happens.
(free downloads of the complete novel at chriswind.net)
All Rights Reserved
#564
70s
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
Talking Serenity (Completed)
This book conveys philosophy and values for modern issues that undermine today's generation world and their inner voices atmosphere, combined with spices of solitude, cognitions and emotions from a young man that he tries to communicate regarding all its aftermaths and possibilities. Including compendium about daily basis and collisions that he saw through many eyes and theatrical society, which he hopes can become a good reference for those who seek a place for serenity and assessment in a world where life requires everyone to find common sense and confine many voices of speculation. Each chapter in this book possesses a small fraction about his life, which leads to one question...what kind of person he is?. Why is "Talking Serenity" worth reading? 1. Ins and outs of the Modern World's Atmosphere The male character/figure that is told in this writing has a lifestyle background that likes to be alone (Introvert), who loves to observe human relations and tends to be traditional in establishing closeness with other people in his modern world. However, as time progressed, what he had inside of him slowly became worry and indecision in the eyes of many people. The increasing inner confusion of his generation that surrounds his steps in the modern world, of course, is not something that is easily ignored by him as a human being who still acquires traditional values in his soul. 2. Nurturing Culture This writing attaches various possibilities and probabilities to an event in the future when the generation of humans who reign/control today's world do not have good competence, cognition and emotional stability in setting boundaries, respecting and appreciating. The presence of traumatic personal experiences and several clauses related to culture that have been passed down from previous generations, of course, can support the importance of discussing this theme.Complete![The Next Page (Ang huling pahina) [Siyete]](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/395903290-256-k590373.jpg)
The Next Page (Ang huling pahina) [Siyete]
Sheena Catacutan x Fem reader At 21, Sheena Mae Catacutan lives life like a dance-fluid, loud, and full of light. She's the kind of girl who walks into a room and makes it feel like summer, all sunshine and laughter, the bubbly jokerist everyone leans on. A dancer since she could walk and the emotional glue of her chaotic circle of friends, Sheena hides her deepest fears behind rhythm and punchlines. She's never known silence, never questioned her joy-until she stumbles into the university's forgotten library wing one rainy afternoon. There, covered in dust and time, is a book with no author. Only a title etched in fading gold: "The Next Page." Curiosity trumps reason. She opens it. Inside, a story unfolds-a dancer named Sera, all sunshine and sass, meets a quiet girl named Gia, a cancer survivor who hides her body and brilliance behind oversized hoodies and self-doubt. Sera sees her. Pulls her into the light. Teaches her how to dance again, how to live again. It's beautiful, heart-wrenching, eerily... familiar. Too familiar. Sheena keeps reading, chapter after chapter, drawn into the uncanny parallels-Sera's jokes, her moves, even the way she argues. It's her. And Gia? Someone she hasn't met... yet. Not until a few weeks later, when she crosses paths with Y/N Ricalde-Vergara, a soft-spoken girl with a voice she barely uses and eyes that carry the weight of someone who's fought wars no one saw. She's brilliant. Talented. Broken in ways she never talks about. And Sheena? She's instantly drawn to her. It should've been a meet-cute. But the moment Sheena sees her-really sees her-the book falls out of her bag. Same girl. Same smile. Same sadness. Unknowingly, Sheena has begun living the prophecy of the book she found. And every page that turns is a step closer to something beautiful... or something heartbreaking. Because some books aren't just stories. Some books write you.Complete
I am not yours to tame
Perfect-let's blend Jane Austen's wit, Emily Dickinson's quiet longing, and the social tension of Pride and Prejudice, all while staying true to a YA sensibility. Here's a revised concept with those inspirations in mind: ⸻ Title: The Language of Flowers Genre: YA Historical Romance / Victorian Era / Queer Fiction Setting: A quiet countryside estate near Bath, England - 1856 ⸻ Premise: In a world where a lady's virtue is worth more than her voice, two young women from vastly different social classes are brought together by poetry, pressed flowers, and the kind of love no one dares speak aloud. ⸻ Main Characters: • Margaret "Meg" Ellington (18): The second daughter of a once-prestigious but now financially troubled family. Meg is sharp, bookish, and known for her quick tongue-a girl who quotes Byron and critiques the guests at her mother's tea parties for fun. She is resigned to the inevitability of marriage, but secretly dreams of publishing poetry under a male pseudonym. • Clara Whitmore (19): The new companion to the Dowager Lady Ashcombe, hired to read, write letters, and keep her company at the grand Rosefield Hall. Clara is intelligent, observant, and has a peculiar habit of leaving pressed violets in the pages of books. She's from modest means but carries herself with quiet defiance. Her private letters, never sent, read like Dickinson poems-aching, tender, and full of buried desire. ⸻ Plot: When Meg is sent to Rosefield Hall to stay with her aging godmother and escape the gossip surrounding her sister's broken engagement, she expects boredom and lectures on manners. Instead, she meets Clara, the mysterious companion with ink-stained hands and a knowing gaze. The girls form a friendship over their shared love of literature and long walks in the garden. They begin exchanging poetry, sometimes their own, sometimes Dickinson's ⸻Complete
Love and Logic
Raised on the upper east side of Manhattan, Audrina Rose wanted for nothing. Her striking mother had married for money, and she had all of her mother's looks and her father's intelligence. As she rose in popularity and intellectual rank among her peers at prep school, she appeared to have the world at her fingertips. But Audrina, having been torn from every nursemaid and nanny she had ever had, struggled to connect with the other girls, and buried her head in romance novels, and felt herself superior to her petty peers. Audrina had one friend, Georgie, whose heart she had only because Georgie was the kind of girl who couldn't bear to see another girl eat lunch alone. When Georgie invited Audrina to spend her summer in Iowa, Audrina enters into life with a family who had just experienced a recent tragedy. Under the command of the oldest brother, John, the family runs rather smoothly. But Audrina cannot seem to understand or comply with John's authoritative, commanding presence in the household, and she balks at it. Aside from John, Audrina believes her life with the Museman family is as it should be. It is what she has always longed for, but never knew she was missing. When the end of the summer comes, and she is torn from them, she is unsure how to cope with the life she once knew so well. She feels empty and alone apart from them. Even more confusing, are the thoughts and feelings surging within her. She sets her mind to move on with her life, to never return to the place where her heart would only be broken. But she is drawn back to Iowa as if it was her own, and when she finally sets her mind to ask for the one things she wants more than all, powers beyond her control set the world in a panic, and changed the course of her life forever.Complete
Exuberance Is Beauty (Book 1)
(Featured Story 2016 & 2017) Oregon, 1940s: Eve Miller, a young war widow, rebels against the ordinariness of womanhood in the post-war era. Eve is enlightened as she succumbs to the sensual temptation of an adulterous affair. In its aftermath, Eve Miller's life unravels and leads to unexpected violence and moral isolation. Exuberance Is Beauty, is a contemporary interpretation of Adam and Eve's biblical allegory and Eve's fall into desolation. The story examines the consequence of erotic obsession and the repentance the female protagonist must pay for her sins of the flesh. Exuberance Is Beauty has been described as "an intense psychological thriller," "hauntingly beautiful," and "terrifying." WHAT WATTPADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JEFF: * controlling, heartless, psychopath man! * I really don't like Jeff, he's a bully and controlling her life. * Manipulation then seduction, a typical narcissist. Poor Eve. * Jeff is such an evil narcissistic...I bet he does mistreat his wife...physically and threatening to dump her if she doesn't back his projects and that he has had affairs regularly...It will all come out eventually. I just loathe him WHAT WATTPADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT EVE: *Why do I feel Jeff will ruin her chance of happiness? * I am trying to understand Eve but to be sincere I just cant. Jeff's behaviour is disgusting but it was wrong for her to follow him to his bed. I understand that she feels she now has control over her life but I just have this bizarre fear that she'd go back to him again, it seem as if they are obsessed and dats not love * I felt bad for her knowing that the only reason for all of this is a man- a controlling, heartless, psychopath man! * She didn't deserve any of this * What a frightening life this character led. I only hope some of the women that were tortured during this time frame were able to recover to some degreeComplete
The Doorstep Baby
**WATTPAD & INKITT ARE MY ONLY PUBLISHING PLATFORMS. IF YOU SEE MY BOOKS ANYWHERE ELSE, PLEASE REPORT THEM!!** A 19 year old woman went through her teen years not in the easiest way. A few days after her 18th birthday, she found out she was pregnant, not to mention the father had no longer been in the picture. She finds herself on her own as her family disagreed with her choices of keeping the baby and disowned her, leaving her on the streets to fend for herself. She gets by the next 9 months with the last of her cash she built up over the past few years in motels, shelters and food banks up until the day she gave birth to her beautiful baby girl. Knowing she wasn't able to provide for her child, she tried multiple adoption centres, baby units, care centres but found herself refusing every one. A 20 year old man lived his life care free, drinking with his friends, providing for himself with a well paid job and strolling through life like a walk in the park. But one thing he didn't plan for is opening his door in the morning to wails and screams coming from a carrier with a simple note saying "She's yours." DISCLAIMER: There is some key information missing that could lead to a lot of confusion for some parts of the story and the timeline is a little chopped up, but I thank you for your patience when reading the book and hope you enjoy! :) Word Count: 38,000+ No.1 in #fatherhood from 2020-22. No.1 in #ex from 2021-March 2022. No.1 in #problematic in January 2023. 100K Views - April 2022.Complete
Rosebriar
[A/N]: Hey guys! Before I post this story, I was going to give a little insight. A very good friend of mine and I decided to write this book, and what better way to recieve constructive critcism than to share with everyone here on wattpad? I'm proud to say that we're nearly finished with it, around three to five more chapters need to be written. However, I will gladly post two chapters a week. Depending on the length, I could possibly split each chapter in two. Enjoy! -Skye & Jasmine My attempts to sleep failed miserably as realization hit me. Tonight was my last night unattached to someone. I swung my legs to one side of the bed. My bare feet brushed the cold floor and sent shivers up my spine. Scotland is much warmer this time of year. I took a few steps toward the window, but before I got too far I heard chatter just outside my door. "She’ll never be happy with him." The first voice, a female, was barely audible. "She could be. She’s just upset about Benjamin." A second voice, a man, replied to the woman. "She’ll never love Derick." A hint of anger played beneath the surface of the woman’s voice. I lay back down after that, so much for Emma accepting our marriage. Unhappiness coursed through my body and I became furious. I’d never love Emma either; with that I went to sleep. I dreamt of my mother singing in the castle, her voice was loud and demanding. Her words flowed so freely from her mouth and danced playfully down the halls. She was in the throne room singing to my father just as she always did. Her song was about the way she learned to love my father. Most marriages in Scotland are arranged, and due to our beliefs they have to work out. My mother had always been so madly in love with my father, but he was hesitant because he had to leave the woman he loved so dearly. So he let her go…Complete
Female Stalker - A Brooklyn Love Story
Lola, a 30-year-old woman, finds herself stalking her boyfriend after a breakup, a position she could never imagine herself to get into, especially at this age. The book starts at a point when Lola has parked her car by her b/f's gym, waits in the car, hoping to see him when he exits the building. She knows what she doing is wrong, and she shouldn't do that, but she is not in control of her emotions, and it is quite the opposite. She feels she needs to see him and to talk to him. And while she waits, all kinds of thoughts are going through her head: "I have a feeling he is seeing someone. I don't want to think about what I'm gonna do to him!" and shortly after: "Maybe I should just leave before he sees me? No! I can't. When you are rolling off a cliff you just can't stop. I guess you need to feel the bottom. The only problem - you don't know where that bottom is." And she is trying to analyze how is it that she got attached to him so quickly and so strongly: "What has he done to me? Is it some kind of a spell? How could I get so attached to him so soon? Is this how true love is supposed to feel? Losing yourself in someone, completely? Or is that just the stupid me?" At this point, the reader may get the impression that Lola is the type of girl that rarely gets the attention of attractive men, and this is why she behaves like that. To their surprise, it turns out that this is not the case. Lola is a tall and astonishingly beautiful woman. She is fun and sarcastic. Men are flocking around her trying to get her attention. And of course, she is not flawless, just like anybody else. And the man she is stalking is just an average guy.. But we don't want to spoil you the whole story. This is a love story has passion and sex in it, as well as fights and misunderstandings. And the main question remains: will Lola succeed in getting him back, or her attempts will only backfire? Read the whole story and find out.Complete
This book conveys philosophy and values for modern issues that undermine today's generation world and their inner voices atmosphere, combined with spices of solitude, cognitions and emotions from a young man that he tries to communicate regarding all its aftermaths and possibilities. Including compendium about daily basis and collisions that he saw through many eyes and theatrical society, which he hopes can become a good reference for those who seek a place for serenity and assessment in a world where life requires everyone to find common sense and confine many voices of speculation. Each chapter in this book possesses a small fraction about his life, which leads to one question...what kind of person he is?. Why is "Talking Serenity" worth reading? 1. Ins and outs of the Modern World's Atmosphere The male character/figure that is told in this writing has a lifestyle background that likes to be alone (Introvert), who loves to observe human relations and tends to be traditional in establishing closeness with other people in his modern world. However, as time progressed, what he had inside of him slowly became worry and indecision in the eyes of many people. The increasing inner confusion of his generation that surrounds his steps in the modern world, of course, is not something that is easily ignored by him as a human being who still acquires traditional values in his soul. 2. Nurturing Culture This writing attaches various possibilities and probabilities to an event in the future when the generation of humans who reign/control today's world do not have good competence, cognition and emotional stability in setting boundaries, respecting and appreciating. The presence of traumatic personal experiences and several clauses related to culture that have been passed down from previous generations, of course, can support the importance of discussing this theme.
More detailsContent Guidelines