Dom,

Jfinn joined GayAuthors on August 22, 2005. I PMed her and asked if she was the Jfinn of 'The Human Condition' and she said yes.

Vic

P.S. I was a big fan of The Human Condition and I thought it was a complete story.

Hi Dom,

And to add to Vic's post, the reason I joined here was because of your stories. So here I am, visiting insomnia city and decide that I'll check of your site to see if you've posted anything new. I wouldn't exactly say this is an obsession since it's been at least 4 hours since I last looked, but hey everyone needs a hobby right? And anyway I blame you because if you weren't so reliable about posting to say nothing of being such a damn good storyteller I wouldn't be in this fix. But I digress.

The simple answer to your question about HC is yes and no. The storyline I started is complete. Mike and Joe are finally finally together and that was my original goal, or at least a big part of it. The confusion though is that moi had to open her big mouth when posting on Nifty and write author's notes that alluded to the fact that there was a lot more to the story then just this bit. (Like the opening segments, which you mention in your email--it was always my intention to bring the story up to that day with an epilogue that takes place even later.)

In fact originally I'd been thinking the getting together part would take place in three chapters, but I am nothing if not wordy (just look at this post) and one thing led to another and the intro became a book. So while yes, the story is complete as is, but no, it's far from over at least in my mind and in the 200 hundred or so additional pages of plots and subplots I've got scattered on assorted disc's and old computers that litter my writing room. Whether I actually ever get my act together enough to write it though is problematical at best. I'm one of those writers that needs specific conditions and lots of free time in order to achieve any significant output and I haven't had either of these in a long, long time. Maybe soon that'll happen, but I've said that before and have learned that Robbie Burns had it right when he said the best laid plans etc. so now I make no promises.

There you have it, the true gen about the finished/unfinished controversy. I hope I've answered your question and I also want to tell you how flattered I am that you like the story. It's always great to hear that from anybody, but when it's from someone whose writing I admire as much as I do yours it's an added bonus.

Take care,

Jayne

Dom, go buy a lottery ticket. How often do you express a wish like that and it's answered in under 2 hours - straight from the horse's mouth , too! (Oops, sorry, Jayne.)

Maybe you shouldn't buy a lottery ticket. If you win, we may never hear from you again.

I'm going to have to read Jayne's story. Thanks for the link.

Conner

OMFG. Jfinn reads my stories? Can we say pressure?? I feel like such a gushing groupie right now. The Human Condition (actual link) was one of the first online stories I ever read after a friend sent me a link when I was complaining about how everything I was finding on nifty at the time was quick fix material and nothing with any real depth. About a week after I read it I posted the first chapter of TLW, something I probably wouldn

... I feel like such a gushing groupie right now. ...

Ha! Now you know how we feel most of the time around you

Great, now I am gonna want to read this story through, and I have like four exams next week!

Dom, go buy a lottery ticket. How often do you express a wish like that and it's answered in under 2 hours - straight from the horse's mouth , too! (Oops, sorry, Jayne.)

 

Maybe you shouldn't buy a lottery ticket. If you win, we may never hear from you again.

 

I'm going to have to read Jayne's story. Thanks for the link.

 

Conner

I say go buy the lottery ticket Dom, if you win that means you can quit your job and write full time for us. I say that's a win win out come.

Thank you for mentioning this story. I read it a while back and liked it a lot, and I think about it every so often, and just now I went back to reread it (and I'm up to chapter 3) and it's such a pleasure.

Dom,

What a surprise that you should have such great taste...NOT! Jfinn is awesome! I started reading that story and went into OCD mode...stayed up damn near all night to finish and contemplate it. I'm so glad you mentioned/recommended it!

I did stay up all night to finish it...no offense, Dom, but The Human Condition is the best story I've ever read. Even better than Hope Was Here. At first, though, I was a little intimidated by it. However, it was given a rating of 10/10 in the story archive. But Jayne, the whole thing where every chapter started in present day and then went to the past was a little confusing. So in the future, put little things that tell what year the setting is.

Also, Jayne, I liked Setting the Wall a lot. There needs to be a sequel to that as well.

-psychic psychopath

Thanks a ton, guys. It is 1:40 in the AM, I've read 4 chapters and I have to get up for work in like, 5 hours. I think I hate all y'all! (Just kidding about that part.....)

Pax, notTed

Thanks a ton, guys. It is 1:40 in the AM, I've read 4 chapters and I have to get up for work in like, 5 hours. I think I hate all y'all! (Just kidding about that part.....)

 

Pax, notTed

Five hours... please, your not allowed to get mad until this group keeps you up and you only get under 3 hours one night.

Thanks a ton, guys. It is 1:40 in the AM, I've read 4 chapters and I have to get up for work in like, 5 hours. I think I hate all y'all! (Just kidding about that part.....)

 

Pax, notTed

Five hours... please, your not allowed to get mad until this group keeps you up and you only get under 3 hours one night.

I hate to agree with Bardie ( ), but you actually have to not sleep and call in sick the next day before you can complain.

Come back when you are really addicted

Lol, I skipped school a couple of times because of staying up late reading

Dear Unka Dom. This is a goin a way huggle 4 u. I m sorry thet I cant have a story 4 ur birth day n I hope it is very happy. U r frien Mikie

Lol, I skipped school a couple of times because of staying up late reading

I've missed lectures a couple times, and will be doing that again to read the Human condition.

Thanks a ton, guys. It is 1:40 in the AM, I've read 4 chapters and I have to get up for work in like, 5 hours. I think I hate all y'all! (Just kidding about that part.....)

 

Pax, notTed

Five hours... please, your not allowed to get mad until this group keeps you up and you only get under 3 hours one night.

 

I hate to agree with Bardie ( ), but you actually have to not sleep and call in sick the next day before you can complain.

 

Come back when you are really addicted

Call in sick the next day?? Bunch of wimps.

A true addict can not sleep, make it to work/school on time and have an inventive excuse as to why they look like death warmed over.

Sharon

Thanks a ton, guys. It is 1:40 in the AM, I've read 4 chapters and I have to get up for work in like, 5 hours. I think I hate all y'all! (Just kidding about that part.....)

 

Pax, notTed

Five hours... please, your not allowed to get mad until this group keeps you up and you only get under 3 hours one night.

 

I hate to agree with Bardie ( ), but you actually have to not sleep and call in sick the next day before you can complain.

 

Come back when you are really addicted

 

Call in sick the next day?? Bunch of wimps.

 

A true addict can not sleep, make it to work/school on time and have an inventive excuse as to why they look like death warmed over.

 

Sharon

LOL now that is what I did, only my boss called me a lier and said I was really up on night getting it on with someone.

Just finished reading HC. Well, I have to admit that It is one of the best stories I ve read so far besides TOU & DD. Thanx Dom for suggesting such wonderful story, it is indeed unique and extraordinary. Thanx Jayne as well for writing such a story, it really made my day. Sometimes I wish that I could be a writer as well, but I had problems in expressing those in my mind into words...sigh.

Keep the good work Dom & Jayne, both of you are the best by far from my personal POV.

Cheers

Ry

 

 

Also, Jayne, I liked Setting the Wall a lot. There needs to be a sequel to that as well.

 

-psychic psychopath

I've always LOVED The Human Condition, it makes me so happy. butttt yeah Definetly when I read Setting the Wall, that ending of the chapter.....like i wanted to be sick cause it just. hurt. and I think someone told me after like a lot of pll had been wondering whether or not she was continuing it cause like no one had heard from her...and someone said that she was going to but she didn't know how to complete it or somehting like that. so i had to resort to trying to finish it in my brain although its not as satisfying as reading the actual story but it's cool, we have a completed story by her and i lovveeeeee it. You are amazing Jayne. so is the spelling of your name...

Meg

This is a fascinating thread, because Lurker and I were having a discussion a couple of weeks ago about the completeness/incompleteness of the Human Condition, which she recommended on her blog. I stayed up way too late a couple of nights running to read it--an absolutely great story that should be on your must-read list--and came to the conclusion that it was functionally complete from any storytelling criterion. The characters had reached stasis and a logical conclusion, and that while readers might want to know more about them, there were no cliffhangers or even issues that needed to be resolved. (The parallel story was Grasshopper's Just Hit Send, which has also reached a funcitonal conclusion, even though Jamie returns to those characters from time to time and develops them further; continuing chapters function as complete anecdotes within themselves.) It's nice to see the author herself weigh in on this. Here's hoping Jayne will find the time and inspiration to tell us further tales of Joe and Mike, even though their tale is reasonably complete.

--Rigel