Having suffered through excruciating actor public readings of my stories in the past, I opened the audio file of The Sugarloaf and the Red Shoes experiencing more than a bit of dramatic tension. We are all familiar with ‘The Five Stages of Grief’, but I wonder if writers go through a similar emotional journey.

While the elation of publication and positive reviews may have dissipated, having the work interpreted by an actor sets-up a whole new set of unease.

I took a deep breath and clicked on the arrow.

Hi my name is Marie Gethins and I have an irrational obsession with dance reality shows.

It started with satisfying curiosity—what faded celebrities and sports stars were willing to do for a second bite of that fame apple. First the introductory stills were enough. Oiled and spray tanned in skimpy costumes, I relished the wave of shock, amusement, and a few times, the horror of the vision they created.

Then I moved onto GIFs the morning after each round of competition. Soon I wasted hours reviewing complete dance clips: rumba, jive, quickstep, cha-cha-cha, jazz, samba, waltz.