Queer Writing for a Queer World
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The family celebrate the father’s new job, and James is allowed to come too. Much to the brothers’ astonishment, James was allowed to sleep over. During the sleepover, James finds out just how close the brothers are, and Finn’s curiosity about James is satisfied.
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Min is a cheeky monkey, and Max is unsure of himself. Hopefully, through this series, both brothers have grown, particularly Max, who has blossomed with the encouragement of his younger brother.
I had initially intended this to be the final part of the series, but something changed, and I needed to carry it on. The brothers have helped me more than you can ever know. Writing about the brothers’ private and intimate conversations is special to me. This was never intended to be a series about sex but about growing and becoming.
Brothers will love each other to the end. Brotherly love is one of the strongest loves of them all. “I love you, Min. And I love you, Max.”
COCKAIGNE UPDATE: For those wondering what is happening in the wonderful world of Cockaigne, the follow-up novel, Discovering Kes, is finished, and I am now editing it. I hope to release it soon.
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Max and Finn are now back in seperate beds. Finn let’s Max know that he’s told his best friend that he’s gay. Max is pleased it went well, but tomorrow is Monday and the news will quickly be spread around the entire school. Meanwhile, Max tells Finn about his day with James.
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It is the night before Max and Finn get their new beds, that means it is the last night they sleep together in the same bed. Finn is going to miss being physically this close to Max. But the physical proximity leads Max to have an accident.
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The night after Max breaks his bed, Finn has a moment with their Dad, but he doesn’t open up to his youngest son despite being given the opportunity. When Max comes to bed, he finds it uncomfortable on the mattress on the floor, so he squeezes in with Finn again. As they lie holding each other, they dream about what might happen.
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Max has succeeded in doing a backflip and can’t resist showing off, but the brothers know something is wrong at home, and their parents aren’t telling them anything. Meanwhile, the brothers talk, and Max admits that he’s thinking about going further with James, and Min end’s up going to sleep in his brother’s arms.
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I am not sorry to see the back of 2022. It has been a difficult year for many. And a difficult year for LBGTQ+ people around the world. The world cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, happened without much criticism of the regime, certainly not in the country itself. We had LGBTQ+ advocates ditching their principles to take a reported £150M payout to be a brand ambassador for Qatar. We also had another pundit take Qatari money to commentate in the country despite disagreeing with their stance on homosexuality.
Being an LGBTQ+ advocate is for life, not just a photo shoot.
Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed. Home news did raise the issues in Qatar, but once the tournament started, it all seemed to melt away.
In other countries, women are protesting for their rights. In a different country, the freedom of women and girls to be educated is being made illegal.
Then there is the war in Ukraine and the increased repression of homosexuality in Russia.
2022 tells us we still have so far to go, and we shouldn’t become complacent. We must be continually vigilant to ensure our freedoms and the freedoms of others are not taken away through apathy.
2023 will begin with many challenges. I can only hope it ends with the world as a safer place for all, wherever you live.
After a long period of inactivity, I have come back to Screeve with new energy. I am pleased with the reaction to my series “Conversations with my Brother”. The series will end soon, but I love writing about Max and Min. They are a pair of special brothers. I am now working on a follow-up novella to “Becoming Kes”, which I have titled “Discovering Kes”. Kes is also special to me. He felt like an outsider in the real world and only felt wanted and loved inside the fictional town of Cockaigne. I very much relate to how he feels. I have always felt like an outsider, and only within Screeve have I found a home. A home of my dreams, wishes and fantasies.
Illness may force me to take extended breaks at times, but there is no knowing when mental illness will strike. It is also partly due to the lockdown during the pandemic that awareness of mental illness has been heightened, and we are discussing it much more. We even discuss it in my workplace.
I would like to thank all the readers of Screeve. Whether you like the stories or not, I appreciate that you have taken the time to read them, vote on them and comment on them. I can only hope that my stories enrich your lives, make you consider different points of view and, on occasion, excite you.
You mean more to me than you could ever realise. Thank you.
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Max notices Min’s wispy teen moustache and suggests it is time to start shaving. Min is nervous, but Max is on hand to show him what to do, and the brothers share an intimate moment. Back in bed, they talk about the strange atmosphere surrounding their parents. They suspect something is wrong but don’t know what it is.
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Seasons greetings to all, and thank you for visiting and reading Screeve. It has been an absolute pleasure to start writing again, and what I thought would be a short series of a few instalments has grown to 25. I love Max and Min, and their open and honest relationship is something I wish I’d had with my brother. But I can now experience that relationship through my stories.
Once I finish “Conversations with my Brother” I hope to finish the follow-up to the novel “Becoming Kes” in the Cockaigne Chronicles universe.
Next year is going to be difficult for all of us. The economic problems don’t appear to be going away soon, and we are heading to a severe downturn in the UK. Food bank use is increasing, and energy rationing is common for almost every household. I hope my stories will provide some release and an escape from reality, no matter how brief.
I wish all my readers the best and hope you get what you wish. And a huge thank you to those who rate and comment on the stories. All feedback is appreciated.
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Min sets his plan in motion and orchestrates a meeting with James and his parents. Max is glad it worked out, and there’s no longer any awkwardness between them. Max and James join Min and his friends to celebrate turning thirteen. They both have a brilliant time, and the brothers end the day the only way teenagers know how.