Jaycee Woods

I formatted my draft story “Relationship Inversion,” which begins with the premise that Will and Ellie are in a casual situationship as the overgrown adolescents call it today. After the recreational activities complete, Ellie announces that Will should go home. He surprises her by telling her this is their last time together.

Instead of a ghosting, Will explains that he wanted more in his life than to keep hooking up as he has to think beyond the pleasure of the moment towards his future. Eventually Ellie confesses that she always wanted them to be in a real relationship but she was too afraid to say what she wanted over fear of losing him. Thus their whole thing was built on her strategic lie of omission.

The conflict in the dialogue explores how they doomed themselves by doing their thing backwards as they failed to lay the foundation of a lasting relationship. Going straight to physical intimacy, they skipped over being open & honest, establishing mutual trust, engaging in acts of caring & protection, then building emotional intimacy before physical intimacy.

Both desiring a real relationship, they explore whether such is too late for them having started backwards. They begin by being open & honest with each other for the first time including Ellie allowing herself to be vulnerable about her hidden fears. Slowly the dramatization exhibits them planning & acting upon the proper basis for repairing their situationship into a real relationship.

This story is responsive to the multitude of confessional vids online by single women lamenting being unable to secure commitment despite racking up the body count of a professional. It delivers a hard truth that she doesn’t yet “deserve” what she desires because she is NOT open & honest, including her dishonesty with herself. Meanwhile, the story acknowledges that those 30+ year old single women who resolve that she should no longer lead with sex are correct, 15+ years too late. While critical, it is a hopeful story as Ellie commits to the work necessary to have a happy ending together.

“But…but…it is the man’s fault,” you stammer reflexively as if it were a magic spell to dispel accountability. Her choices, her consequences too.