Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Are You Strong Enough To Be My Man?

Or are you strong enough to be my girl?

After making "Fuck Me, Love Me, Marry Me" I was still in the creative capping mood.  So instead of closing out all my other programs, I went looking for another image.  I still wasn't confident that I could make a good cap so I didn't even bother looking at Annabelle's preferences (she's next up on my list).  Instead I just looked for an image to speak to me.

When I came across this image set, I almost skipped by as I had seen it last week.  But then I remembered that it had inspired a quick story... one where a woman is teasing her lover, and showing off her two previous lovers who hadn't pleased her.  And when I looked at the images again, I got the same vibe, but with a different focus.  Instead of making fun and taunting a man, she was pleading with him.  Warning him that if he wasn't strong enough that he'd end up like her two girls.

At that point the title came to me.... 'Are You Strong Enough To Be My Man?" and I started writing.  It actually took me a few minutes before it hit me... that was the title of a Sheryl Crow song.  And actually the song matched up with the feeling I was going for.

I looked over the lyrics and while I probably could have used them, I didn't want to force them into the story I already had going.  So I just bought a copy of it on iTunes and started playing it over and over while writing.

Design wise, I didn't have much to work with.  The picture's are all well photographed, but the white background doesn't leave much inspiration for colors or text layout.  So I simply cropped the image down and added the text to the side.  It only took a few tweaks to get it to fit in at a reasonable size.  Sadly, this didn't leave me with much room for a title, so it ended up a little small.   I'm not happy with the design, but I'm not un-happy with it either.  It just fits what the picture allows.   Story wise, I'd say I'm a little happier.  It ended up feeling as sweet and longing as I wanted.

Hope you enjoy it!

10 comments:

  1. VERY well done Caitlyn! A bit of a departure from your usual work, but its still written so solidly, and while the picture is relatively static, it REALLY goes well with the story you've crafted.

    I know that its a TG caption, but the emotion you've laid into it, I'm kind of hoping that he IS enough of a man to stay with them all. How many times can you say THAT about a TG caption?

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    1. Thanks Dee! I really didn't expect this to come out as well as it did. And even when I re-read it before posting, I didn't think the story worked. I'm just glad that it had some emotional punch!

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  2. A very creative idea Caitlyn! I quite enjoyed the concept and the picture goes very well with the story! It's a very original idea and I quite liked it, especially given that there's no malicious intent, a rarity for this sort of caption (one where the girl reveals the state of her former lovers). I think it would be quite interesting to see what happens next! A follow-up cap perhaps? :)

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    1. Thanks Kendall! I'm as surprised as everyone else that I didn't turn it in a malicious direction.

      As for a follow-up cap... I don't know. I think it may be better to just let everyone imagine how it turns out. Maybe he isn't strong enough and our heroine ends up with three girls. Or maybe he is strong enough and can please all three of them!

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    2. Echoing Dee's sentiments, I think I'd actually be rooting for the latter! That sure sounds like it would be an interesting life!

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  3. I like this one too. The picture has a very tender and sweet vibe to it. I'm curious though whether the curse passes on to the men who weren't strong enough and became women or if they just had the sex change and that's it. Also, are we talking about physical strength alone or other kinds of strength as well such as emotional strength etc. Overall it's a very sweet and sensual cap :)

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    1. Thanks Rachael! The way I had it pictured in my head was that the curse was this girl's and hers alone. When the men were transformed they ended up as normal women... who of course still loved the woman that changed them.

      As for the specific 'strong enough' criteria, I didn't have anything specific in mind. I liked the idea that even the cursed girl didn't know what the criteria was.

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  4. A sweet yet tragic tale you wrote. I can understand the sentiments from Dee completely.
    I think a follow up would take away a lot of the emotion from the story.
    Some questions should stay unanswered.

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  5. An absolutely amazing piece, Caitlyn! An outward inducement for introspection, is what it brought me to.

    Causing me to wonder if the loves of my past had no need of such a curse to conclude that I was not, in thought or deed, strong enough. And sadly, they were probably all correct, though, absent such a curse, I was relegated to remain a male in form, and repeat those failed attempts at being a man...

    Lovely work, Ms. Masked!
    Peace,Love&Kisses;
    Elle

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