There are few statements in the English language that fill me with more dread than the, “Let’s play a game!” one. (Okay, that might be an exaggeration, after all “The aliens have landed,” or “Putin’s somehow been elected Prime Minster of Canada,” would be far worse. But I’m talking real, boring, no-surprises life here.)

It’s not that I get extremely uncomfortable in social settings (I do), or that I despise following rules (also, yes), it’s that I just really, really hate playing games. Board games, card games, stick something on your head and act like a crazy person game, it doesn’t matter — I hate them all. I’ve done my best to reiterate that to my friends on several occasions but more often than not I get some kind of version of, “You’re really going to like this one, though.”

Not true, mes amis. Unless you’ve pulled out a bag of tiled letters and what looks like the bare bones of a crossword puzzle, I’m not going to like it. I promise.

Most of the time I can beg out with the typical excuses: I’ve got work to catch up on, emails to answer, blog posts to write!, but occasionally I find myself with no way out (more often than not when I’m sitting across the table from a sweet bear with an endearing smile or a devilish pixie with ‘that look’ on her face). That’s where last night found me.

In honour of my usual defenses, I have to admit that I’d successfully dodged the 2000 piece puzzle (where does one get the patience for something like that?) and begged out on the card game wherein I was expected to woo a princess. (Oh, no, sir, it’s quite obvious that you are the master on that front. *smile winningly at husband and wife team*)

Unfortunately, these lovers of game had thought ahead. We have a new game, they told me. A storytelling game. And what, (the buggers used the charming smile right back at me) could possibly be better for an author such as yourself?

The answer to that question is: apparently, damn near anything.

Within one hand, I’d folded the cards in disgust and was glaring at one of my friends who’d managed, somehow, to lay down an entire hand of cards with one sentence. I couldn’t come up with a way to put down one. Seems that the art of storytelling on the spot is not my forte.

For someone who doesn’t plan their stories (I am most definitely a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer) that statement might come across as odd. The thing is, I’ve never been able to write with a list of bullet points. Stories usually come to me from things I’ve seen, or people I’ve met. I’ve often thought of plotting to be similar to catching the flu. One of those, you don’t realise you’ve got it right away kinds of illnesses. You walk away, unfazed and seemingly unaffected; you feel fine for a few hours or a couple of days; and then slowly, almost hesitantly, the little bug inside wakes up and starts breeding like the world is ending. Before you know it, you’re feeling a little woozy, a touch feverish, and oh-oh, “I think I’ve picked something up.”

So while there are some of us (imagine me glaring across the table at my friend) who look at eight cards, come up with a little story and carry on, I’m more likely to stare blankly at the cards, walk away rolling my eyes, and bit by bit and piece by piece those cards are going to start sinking into my head. Two days later I’ll be daydreaming when I should be listening (or working, or driving, or editing) as I watch eight members of the Once Upon a Time group start acting out their parts in my head.

It’s the only way I know how to play.

However, for those who might be wondering, none of this argument will do me any good with the game playing debate. I just got a soothing stroke on the top of my head, a warm smile, and a, “You’re still playing board games with us whether you like it or not.”

I’m doomed.

Until next time!

AF Henley <3

Henley was born with a full-blown passion for run-on sentences, a zealous indulgence in all words descriptive, and the endearing tendency to overuse punctuation. Since the early years Henley has been an enthusiastic writer, from the first few I-love-my-dog stories to the current leap into erotica. A self-professed Google genius, Henley lives for the hours spent digging through the Internet for ‘research purposes’ which, more often than not, lead seven thousand miles away from first intentions but bring Henley to new discoveries and ideas that, once seeded, tend to flourish.

Henley has been proudly publishing with Less Than Three Press since 2012, and has been writing like mad ever since—an indentured servant to the belief that romance and true love can mend the most broken soul. Even when presented in prose.

Henley’s newest release, “Baby’s on Fire” will hit the market on May 6th and is available for pre-order at your favourite online book retailer. Check it out on Amazon, or directly through LT3 Press.

For more information please stop by for a visit at afhenley.com.