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Wed, Dec 17, 2025

7:43pm EST

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Beyond the Pale

by Victoria

Rated: GC · Book · LGBTQ+ · #2292227

When a queer midlife crisis mixes with mental health issues, it gets messy. Quill nominee

Everything's in order in a black hole
Nothing seems as pretty as the past though

--"Florescent Adolescent," The Arctic Monkeys

** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **

15 things about me:

1. I’m 42, married (21 years), 3 kids (20, 19, almost 18). Yep.

2. Related: I was Mormon for 10 years. Husband was a lifer. I grew up evangelical. I’m what I call a soft atheist now.

3. I’m bisexual/queer.

4. Anyway, the midlife crisis: I never got to explore my sexuality.

5. The mental health? Oh bbs, where do I begin?

6. My marriage is under a bit of duress. No fighting; it’s unspoken.

7. I got honorable mention in a Writers Digest competition in 2019.

8. I teach high school English

9. I'm a bit of a stoner

10. My pronouns are she/they.

11. I’ve turned into a dog person.

12. I was first on this website from 2007-2010ish

13. I appreciate comedy that doesn’t resort to bigotry

14. Confidence is so sexy, y’all

15. I have an, at best, tenuous relationship with my extended family (mom, stepmom, etc).

I have so much shit to work through. I’m happy to have your company while I do.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

AmyJo-Where did 2025 go???

Mar 9, 2025 at 8:16am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

It is terrible to get caught up in one's head. I hope everything turned out well for you, medically. Congrats on being published. I'd like to do that one day, but WdC is enough of an outlet for me for now.

Take care of you.

Elycia Lee ☮

Jun 19, 2024 at 3:43am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Hey, congratulations on your story being published. That's good news. I'm wishing you a few months too late, but I do hope that it still matters.

1 Like

Victoria

Dec 16, 2023 at 10:12am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Ahhh my master's thesis.

It never became a thing. Due to a bad bout with my mental health, I dropped out and my doctor put me on medical leave. A large part of it was that I couldn't wrap my head around what I'd write my thesis on, so it never became a thing.

That's all it was. My brain created a block and I couldn't get around it. I still can't. I wanted it to be on the topic of dyslexia, but other than that I just couldn't manage anything deeper.

Anyway! I do remember Brandy Chastain -- two of my characters are forwards (it's what I played), but one of the other characters is a goalie who would absolutely do something like that, so yeah I can definitely work with that and your other ideas. Thank you!

tracker

Dec 16, 2023 at 9:24am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I like soccer. I don't remember seeing any book with a soccer team. It is usually guys playing on a football or basketball team who are underdogs and win the big one. Do you remember when Brandy Chastain (?sp) pulled off her jersey and was in a sports bra right after time expired and they won? You could use the example of the goalie of that winning women's team who was alleged to be an alcoholic. Lots of different personality traits you could use for the players. If you played when you were young you may remember sleeping with your soccer ball under your pillow and being obsessed about playing. So I must ask you, what was your master's thesis?

Victoria

Nov 29, 2023 at 7:47am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Oh! Well I’m glad you’re here :)

tracker

Nov 28, 2023 at 10:37pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I found your portfolio when I was talking to someone on IM. I was just scrolling through the list of authors and saw the name Victoria, a favorite name, so that is how I came here and did a review of your story. Sorry, that note is pretty vague.

Victoria

Nov 28, 2023 at 9:30pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Not sure I follow?

tracker

Nov 28, 2023 at 2:24am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

Totally linked here from your name Victoria.

tracker

Aug 18, 2023 at 3:22am
In response to "Invalid Entry"

I was looking at the Quill Nominees and saw the name Victoria. I had to come see because I love the name Victoria. My given name is a nickname of Victoria. Also, on my list of things I want to accomplish is to read blogs in August, not just stories or poetry. It sounds like you are going through some major family things right now. I like that you are being real about how you feel, or more accurately what you do and don't care about. Is they anything I can do to help?

1 Like

Aiva Raine

Mar 28, 2023 at 9:45pm
In response to "Invalid Entry"

We're here. Just feeling in the minority sometimes- but yes- at least one other atheist is here. Smirk.

1 Like

#60. Sick and Published
ID #1067083 entered on March 28, 2024 at 12:30pm

#59. That time a high school football player made me cry
ID #1065761 entered on March 7, 2024 at 11:27am

#58. Published!
ID #1064071 entered on February 13, 2024 at 10:45am

#57. New year
ID #1061695 entered on January 1, 2024 at 12:03pm

#56. gtfo
ID #1061531 entered on December 28, 2023 at 9:54pm

#55. Scheiße
ID #1061363 entered on December 24, 2023 at 12:36pm

#54. God laughs
ID #1061262 entered on December 21, 2023 at 2:02pm

#53. End of the semester
ID #1061060 entered on December 16, 2023 at 1:22pm

#52. heart emoji
ID #1060963 entered on December 13, 2023 at 8:26pm

#51. Almost break
ID #1060942 entered on December 13, 2023 at 8:55am

#50. Brains
ID #1060679 entered on December 8, 2023 at 9:47am

#49. Write what you know, but when your brain says otherwise...
ID #1059983 entered on November 23, 2023 at 8:58am

#48. My first love was a girl
ID #1059936 entered on November 23, 2023 at 8:19am

#47. Submissions...breathe
ID #1059897 entered on November 21, 2023 at 12:34pm

#46. Thank god it's Thanksgiving break
ID #1059695 entered on November 18, 2023 at 12:43pm

#45. Thanksgiving Invite
ID #1059627 entered on November 17, 2023 at 9:29am

#44. Coming clean
ID #1059444 entered on November 13, 2023 at 5:45pm

#43. Where's my break
ID #1059302 entered on November 11, 2023 at 9:41am

#42. More Vagueblogging: Maybe I'll wake up
ID #1059034 entered on November 7, 2023 at 9:55am

#41. It's January, right?
ID #1058872 entered on November 4, 2023 at 10:29am

#40. My superpower
ID #1058805 entered on November 3, 2023 at 9:56am

#39. Family crisis, a vagueblog
ID #1058621 entered on November 2, 2023 at 10:38am

#38. What a difference 25mg makes
ID #1058297 entered on October 30, 2023 at 10:30am

#37. Disgusted
ID #1058125 entered on October 28, 2023 at 11:43am

#36. Extremes
ID #1058040 entered on October 25, 2023 at 9:59am

#35. Soul tired
ID #1057968 entered on October 24, 2023 at 9:42am

#34. Seeking peace
ID #1057736 entered on October 20, 2023 at 11:10am

#33. Did you know pneumonia can WALK? Also: contest update
ID #1057626 entered on October 18, 2023 at 12:32pm

#32. Who cares, indeed.
ID #1057457 entered on October 15, 2023 at 3:58pm

#31. It's been 84 years
ID #1057352 entered on October 14, 2023 at 9:45am

#30. it's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me
ID #1057310 entered on October 13, 2023 at 1:45pm

#29. Happy National Coming Out Day
ID #1057214 entered on October 11, 2023 at 11:28pm

#28. From sick to solitude to authenticity in 60 sec or less
ID #1057150 entered on October 10, 2023 at 7:52pm

#27. Let them eat cake?
ID #1057016 entered on October 8, 2023 at 8:36pm

#26. Christina
ID #1056914 entered on October 7, 2023 at 10:04am

#25. On the spectrum
ID #1056862 entered on October 6, 2023 at 9:42am

#24. Whisper: it’s much scarier that way.
ID #1056841 entered on October 5, 2023 at 11:39pm

#23. Insomnia
ID #1056725 entered on October 4, 2023 at 10:33pm

#22. It flies
ID #1055278 entered on September 6, 2023 at 10:38pm

#21. Gone girl
ID #1050698 entered on June 6, 2023 at 1:10pm

#20. Emotional
ID #1049294 entered on May 6, 2023 at 12:49pm

#19. Mom
ID #1049145 entered on May 2, 2023 at 11:08pm

#18. Passive
ID #1049036 entered on April 30, 2023 at 2:00pm

#17. My student-teacher/Giving grace
ID #1048988 entered on April 29, 2023 at 1:23pm

#16. Still in survival mode
ID #1048656 entered on April 23, 2023 at 12:51pm

#15. Missed Twenties
ID #1048349 entered on April 17, 2023 at 9:44pm

#14. Vacation
ID #1048176 entered on April 14, 2023 at 10:07am

#13. Maybe it's not just anxiety
ID #1048018 entered on April 11, 2023 at 11:24am

#12. Family.
ID #1047919 entered on April 9, 2023 at 11:25pm

#11. People are gross
ID #1047862 entered on April 8, 2023 at 10:23pm

#10. "You need a break"
ID #1047715 entered on April 7, 2023 at 10:06am

#9. Exhausted
ID #1047530 entered on April 5, 2023 at 9:55am

#8. Taking on too much
ID #1047353 entered on April 2, 2023 at 12:29pm

#7. Enter the contest
ID #1047227 entered on March 31, 2023 at 10:04am

#6. Teaching is fun.
ID #1047079 entered on March 28, 2023 at 9:24am

#5. Reviews
ID #1047039 entered on March 27, 2023 at 9:41am

#4. Work Friends?
ID #1046961 entered on March 26, 2023 at 10:58am

#3. On religion
ID #1046705 entered on March 19, 2023 at 11:24pm

#2. Migraines hooray
ID #1046469 entered on March 16, 2023 at 6:02pm

#1. Get out of their way
ID #1046423 entered on March 17, 2023 at 10:04am

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