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About this blog

This is blog that discusses my story, Thicker Than Blood, including details about the story, the inspiration behind it, the characters and updates.  I hope to provide better context to the story and its characters, while sharing insight to my writing process.

Entries in this blog

Blog Post I

A Matter of Professional Opinions....

As I start this, I've got a slight caffeine withdrawal headache.  Normally, I drink about a liter of Dr Pepper a day to keep my cluster headaches in check; however, I wasn't in the mood for anything sugary yesterday, so I'm paying the price for it.  I did have an energy drink with my pills, and I'm about to have some kefir (drinkable, probiotic yogurt), so we'll see how that plays out. May fucking sucked.  There were more downs than ups, and if I were still inclined to delete myself from ce
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Beyond Thicker Than Water....

I know I started this blog as a means to give greater context into Thicker Than Water and my writing process, which hasn't been well received (oh well), so I thought I'd turn this more into a discussion forum instead.  The first thing I'd like to discuss is to quote a Chicago song, "Where do we go from here?" I'm not yet done with Thicker Than Water, as I know how the story will end but not quite there yet.  I will be continuing the adventures of the characters in the story over on Nifty in
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In The Mourning Day (Thicker Than Water Chapter 9)

When I first envisioned Jefferson as a town, the fictional city of Charming, CA from Sons of Anarchy came to mind, but certainly smaller.  Thoughts of a rustic, desert town, with pine trees and scrub brush lining the streets instead of lush foliage and bushy oaks.  The town could fit anywhere along Highway 97 from Central Washington to Central California.  The motel they stayed in based on an experience a friend of mine had at some crap, roadside place. Unless the situation calls for it, I
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Tears, Coffee and Foreshadowing (Thicker Than Water Chapter 8)

So, here we are in Chapter 8.  It's another transitional scene that I wanted to show more of the bonds that hold the Padilla family together. Of course we start with the aftermath of Bryan and Kenny's conflict.  Bryan is showing a rare moment of vulnerability, where his attachment issues get triggered.  I find that it's key to keep bringing this up, because everyone's motivations and activities are dictated by how they handle trauma.  Bryan doesn't grow close to most people because of the f
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Bonding, Backstory and Baggage (Thicker Than Water, Chapter 7)

So, Chapter 7.... As with most of the chapters I write, I'm never certain where the story is going until it's done.  I generally have clues as what each chapter should have in it, but often, turns are taken that I wasn't prepared for, and this chapter wasn't an exception. Up to this point, Bryan hasn't really been interested in Steve as a person.  He hasn't been rude to the man, but given Bryan's issues with father figures and relationship issues, I was prepared for this to be another
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Punishments and Consequences (Thicker Than Water Chapters 5)

When I was a kid, spanking was still a normal practice that nobody thought twice about.  Sure, there were parents who felt it was an outdate and barbaric practice, but they were in the minority and looked at as crazy people.  By the time I reached high school, my generation saw spanking as unnecessary and cruel.  As time has passed, those "pro-spankers" have moved into the minority.  I should mention, for those who might not have figure it out, I'm an American.  I grew up in a relatively liberal
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Style And Substance: My Writing Process (Thicker Than Water Adjacent)

Thus far, I haven't really gotten into my writing process.  I mean, I've touched on it, but I haven't gone over how I write a story from start to finish.  It's something that I do think about it, especially in the context of this blog, but then, I hastily dismiss it and move on to other things.  Like a lot of writers, I hold the superstition that if you talk about an unfinished work, you'll lose that spark of inspiration and never finish the story.  That's one of the reasons I'm a bit dismissive
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...Aaaaand We're Back!

What a bloody nightmare! I don't know where to begin!  How about my stupidity for failing to remember passwords?  No, I think I'll be railing on that for too long, so how about giving credit where credit is due: Cia.  They have been amazing throughout this whole process.  They've been very patient, understanding and helpful in ways have made this transition possible. The second I realized that I only had access via my phone, I contacted them with the problem.  Not only did I forget the
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Difficulties in Life (Personal Update)

I lost almost everything. My computer crashed, wiping almost everything to the point, I lost my old email address, which I can't access because I don't remember the password and never established a backup account. I feel stupid and it's triggering a lot of emotions. Luckily, I have most things save to external drives, but it's the lack of access to accounts that's a problem, as I am not good at remembering passwords. As such, I will be trying to switch accounts on here, but that c
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Queerbating? (Thicker Than Water Chapters 3 & 4)

If we ever met in person, odds are you'd never know I was gay.  I have don't exhibit any of the stereotypical characteristics associated with gay men.  In fact, I have been accused of being a homophobe and queerbating.  Some of these resulted in several arguments.  I just don't present as "gay."  I don't even engage in "gay activities."  I don't watch Drag Race.  I don't care for most musicals.  I don't listen to Lady Ga Ga.  And, most scandalous of all, I want go to most PRIDE events.  The only
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A Comedy of Errors (Thicker Than Water Chapter 3)

Comedy is the hardest literary form to write.  Humor is extremely subjective and can very subtle and nuanced to the point where the joke is missed.  Humor can also be offensive to some while enjoyed by others.  There are many times of comedy from puns (the lowest form of humor, in my opinion) to dark humor (the kind that's so shocking and offensive, you don't know if the person is laughing because they genuinely find it funny, or they're just extremely uncomfortable and don't know what else to d
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Allow Me to Digress, Again.... (Thicker Than Water Chapter 2)

I'm currently running into the problem I knew I'd have writing this blog:  Rambling.  I've already taken four swings at this only to delete it after I've caught myself going off topic on many tangents.  Granted, they provided a lot of insight and exposition into the story, but it's just too much and not necessarily needed.  So, allow me to digress, again. This is not the first story I've ever written.  I think that's pretty clear.  I also think everyone knows (or can find out) that this is
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What the Hell I Was Thinking (Thicker That Water Chapter 1)

Titles.  They're the worst.  I'm not good with names or titles.  Often, I'll come up with the a place holder and write a few pages to get a feel for the story before settling on something to call the story.  I'm never satisfied with my titles, either.  When I was a kid, I'd name my stories after song titles, even if the song had nothing to do with what I was writing.  I found it easier than trying to think of something catchy.  Titles should grab your reader's attention, while giving some kind o
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Welcome to My Blog about Thicker Than Water

This is always an awkward situation, never knowing how to start a conversation that may very well be just to yourself that others may end up reading.  To start, I guess, I hate first person narratives.  You can tell a good writer from a bad writer based on how they use this perspective.  A good writer using first person will give some insight into the mind of the lead character, such as suspicions, theories and point of view, which is used to drive the plot.  A bad writer will focus more on the
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