[Libby Drew] Running Far Afield - By Libby Drew

[shadowgod]

Running Far Afield

By

Libby Drew

 

This is one of those unassuming stories that a lucky reader runs across now and again. I was lucky enough to run across it today by word of mouth a month after it being posted into eFiction. In short if you haven't read it STOP what you are doing now and go do so. Trust me, you will not be disappointed! Everything about it is perfect. The prose and almost effortless narration. The slow simmer of a budding romance that boils over when you as a reader can not wait any longer. Chris and Aaron, the characters are great, and deserving of what the found in each other.

 

Seriously, its a gem, and deserves all the praise, and more, I can heap upon it.

 

Read it.

 

Steve

Edited July 8, 2009 by shadowgod
Fixed link

[viv]

Sometimes gossip can work for good instead of evil. I was told randomly about this story today by a very good friend, and thank God, cause it made a girl smile one afternoon when she really needed to.

 

I just want to say that I read A LOT! No exaggeration. Like hours of my day are devoted to it, and it's not often that I don't have to contribute my own imagination to the story or have to remind myself not to edit it or think of things I would want to see changed. I can't think of a thing this time... honestly. It was perfect as is, and so beautifully moving.

 

Some of my favorite things were that there wasn't a lot of discussion about the growth of the feelings or relationship between Aaron and Chris. You just got to watch it happen right along with them. No explaining or narrating, just being able to smile along when Chris puts his hand on Aaron's leg or when Aaron gets brave enough to rest his head on Chris' shoulder.

 

I liked that even though there was hesitation and fear, there was never self doubt or hate.

 

I'm so glad that at the end Aaron used the lessons he had been taught all his life to get what he needed and wanted for himself. Just fantastic. So lucky to have gotten to peek in on Chris and Aaron...

[Altimexis]

What a beautiful, well-written story. This author is definitely "Promising Author" material and deserves all the encouragement they can get, lest being snatched up by one of the other sites. This story is a must-read.

[Hylas]

YES YES YES!

 

So beautiful! That's all I can say. And it has a happy ending! RAWR!

[old bob]

Thanks Steve (Shadowgod) to have brought us to such a "diamond" !

I took the opportunity to research the other stories of Libby Drew. What a pleasure to read .

I will bring comments about her style later in another post, but for now just 2 remarks :

-She came to us on December 24th, on Christmas eve. What a nice gift to all of us ,

-No posts, no blogs, nothing till now .

We are a big family, my dear, don't be shy, we would be happy to hear more from you, not only stories but also participation in the forums. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

old bob

Edited February 18, 2008 by old bob

[Libby Drew]

We are a big family, my dear, don't be shy, we would be happy to hear more from you, not only stories but also participation in the forums. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

old bob

 

Thanks for such wonderful compliments. I've had nothing but encouragement and support since I joined GA. Now if only I could have another ten hours in the day, you'd probably see a lot more of me. Life is particularly crazy right now, but I've been popping in when I have a few minutes. As I told C James, due to a host of other commitments over the next few months, both writing and in general, my time's limited, but I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better as soon as I can, believe me.

 

Your comments put a huge smile on my face. Thank you.

[Libby Drew]

YES YES YES!

 

So beautiful! That's all I can say. And it has a happy ending! RAWR!

 

 

It does! I'm a sucker for happy endings. Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. It's close to my heart for many reasons.

[Libby Drew]

What a beautiful, well-written story. This author is definitely "Promising Author" material and deserves all the encouragement they can get, lest being snatched up by one of the other sites. This story is a must-read.

 

 

Thank you! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Writing it exorcized quite a few personal demons. I'm thrilled I found GA, and I can't wait until I have the time to get to know everyone better. And I'm not sure how "snatchable" I am, but it's a lovely compliment.

[Libby Drew]

Some of my favorite things were that there wasn't a lot of discussion about the growth of the feelings or relationship between Aaron and Chris. You just got to watch it happen right along with them. No explaining or narrating, just being able to smile along when Chris puts his hand on Aaron's leg or when Aaron gets brave enough to rest his head on Chris' shoulder.

 

Thank you! I experimented a bit with a stripped down narrative for this story, and one of my fears was that I left too much out. It's impossible, of course, to be objective about something you spend hours pouring over, so I'm thrilled whenever I get feedback on the emotional flow of RFA. Especially when it's such a glowing compliment. Thanks again. I

[Libby Drew]

Running Far Afield

By

Libby Drew

 

Seriously, its a gem, and deserves all the praise, and more, I can heap upon it.

 

Steve

 

 

What a joy to read this! I really needed it today. Thanks so much for the encouraging comments. It's especially gratifying to get them for a story that means so much to me. Thanks again, Steve.

[Benji]

What a joy to read this! I really needed it today. Thanks so much for the encouraging comments. It's especially gratifying to get them for a story that means so much to me. Thanks again, Steve.

 

 

.........I agree, this was a well written story, I especially enjoyed his "negotiating" skills

[Libby Drew]

I especially enjoyed his "negotiating" skills

 

Thanks! Although I think it might be the saddest part of the whole story.

 

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Tiger]

I just remembered that I read this story a while back. It is definitely a gem.

[Libby Drew]

I just remembered that I read this story a while back. It is definitely a gem.

 

Thanks! This is definitely turning into a feel-good day.

[Rigel]

Let me add another rave review to the collection; the author has hit a home run with this story.

I particularly loved the refrains of counting the days and the reprise of the first line at the last, which draws attention to just how much Aaron has changed.

 

--Rigel

[Duncan Ryder]

What a wonderful, wonderful story.

[Tiff]

I am such a HUGE fan of your writing. All of it. Sure, this topic is for your short story "Running Far Afield", which I loved, of course. But I also loved your recent short story, "Spark".

 

Even more: your best work ever- "Paying the Piper"

 

I loved that so much! It was my favorite. The love story was intertwined and short of took a back seat to the plot and I love how the thriller side of the story came out and got the readers involved. Then when that became too intense, it was balanced with passion between Cale and Drew. God, those two are so cute. Some of the sweetest moments were between them. Even Quent had some sweet, albeit reluctant, exchanges. A very good piece. I hope you have more like those as you seem to write them really well. Perhaps this is your specialty. As I always said in your reviews, it is so difficult to write thriller/mysteries, and it's something I wouldn't attempt to do. BUt you have a natural knack for it and I'm so envious.

[Libby Drew]

Let me add another rave review to the collection; the author has hit a home run with this story.

I particularly loved the refrains of counting the days and the reprise of the first line at the last, which draws attention to just how much Aaron has changed.

 

--Rigel

 

Thanks very much, Rigel! I've always been pants at ending scenes/ending lines, and it's one of those things I spend hours on. I know, pathetic. I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks again.

 

 

What a wonderful, wonderful story.

 

Thanks, Duncan. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

 

I am such a HUGE fan of your writing. All of it. Sure, this topic is for your short story "Running Far Afield", which I loved, of course. But I also loved your recent short story, "Spark".

 

Even more: your best work ever- "Paying the Piper"

 

I loved that so much! It was my favorite. The love story was intertwined and short of took a back seat to the plot and I love how the thriller side of the story came out and got the readers involved. Then when that became too intense, it was balanced with passion between Cale and Drew. God, those two are so cute. Some of the sweetest moments were between them. Even Quent had some sweet, albeit reluctant, exchanges. A very good piece. I hope you have more like those as you seem to write them really well. Perhaps this is your specialty. As I always said in your reviews, it is so difficult to write thriller/mysteries, and it's something I wouldn't attempt to do. BUt you have a natural knack for it and I'm so envious.

 

 

Thanks, Tiff. Yeah, I'm always curious to see how Piper goes over with the readers. As you say, the love story does take a back seat to the main plot. Mystery is my favorite genre to read, so there's usually some sort of element of it in what I write. I'm working on another novel-length fic now that has its own little mystery -- but it's not a murder mystery like Piper. When I get a bit farther along, I'll probably start posting it here, but I don't want to jump the gun.

 

I loved getting your reviews, your feedback is heartfelt and thought-provoking. Thanks for the kind words.

[Marco Polo]

Ah Miss Drew. What I would do without you. Probably scour the web for stories that would never quite live up to your style. This story made me smile, and I loved every second of it. I personally would love my own Chris..

 

Oh well. *Sigh* I'll just settle for what I've got.

 

Definitely beautiful. Top three stories I've read. : )

 

 

[Libby Drew]

Ah Miss Drew. What I would do without you. Probably scour the web for stories that would never quite live up to your style. This story made me smile, and I loved every second of it. I personally would love my own Chris..

 

Oh well. *Sigh* I'll just settle for what I've got.

 

Definitely beautiful. Top three stories I've read. : )

 

Way to make me blush. Glad you liked the story. Chris' character was inspired by a real person -- a very, very brave young man. So maybe one day you will meet him. The world can be a small place.

 

Thanks for reading and for the feedback!

[irangel]

truly a diamond, this is...I'm at a loss for words.

thanks so much...damm...I'm all choked up with happy joy...

[FairyTaleSkies]

It's hard to know what to say without giving loads away to people who haven't read this yet so I'll keep it brief!

I loved watching the relationship grow between Chris and Aaron. All the shy, nervous touches just made my heart melt.

 

It was nice to read something that, for the most part, was purely innocent. Reading about them both getting past their obvious fear and nervousness was refreshing.

 

A simply brilliant read!

[Libby Drew]

truly a diamond, this is...I'm at a loss for words.

thanks so much...damm...I'm all choked up with happy joy...

 

*happy sigh* This one took a lot out of me. There were tears. And it's not the tightest, most compelling thing I've ever written, but as so much of it is personal, every word of positive feedback means so much. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

 

 

It's hard to know what to say without giving loads away to people who haven't read this yet so I'll keep it brief!

I loved watching the relationship grow between Chris and Aaron. All the shy, nervous touches just made my heart melt.

 

It was nice to read something that, for the most part, was purely innocent. Reading about them both getting past their obvious fear and nervousness was refreshing.

 

A simply brilliant read!

 

Thank you. Again! It behooves me to remind myself that many young people are still quite innocent in some things. Many of those things pleasantly surprise me sometimes. Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

[kitten]

I'm really glad that I discovered this story, albeit rather belatedly.

 

The quality of writing is excellent, but then that's true of every story by Libby that I've read. The descriptions are very evocative and there is very much a fairy-tale quality to the whole story. Perhaps it's a very gentle version of ancient Greek mythology!

The tower/prisoner theme was especially well done, with many subtle levels making one wonder if all three of the people living in 'the castle' were not in some way prisoners.

 

Usually, I'm bored of team sports and any stories that involve detailed descriptions of such sports. However, in this story the interwoven sports descriptions actually made baseball seem interesting.

 

One of the things I enjoyed was how the story built up slowly, like the boys' relationship, and when the drama emerged it skillfully avoided melodrama.

 

Excellent story!

 

Kit

[Libby Drew]

I'm really glad that I discovered this story, albeit rather belatedly.

 

The quality of writing is excellent, but then that's true of every story by Libby that I've read. The descriptions are very evocative and there is very much a fairy-tale quality to the whole story. Perhaps it's a very gentle version of ancient Greek mythology!

The tower/prisoner theme was especially well done, with many subtle levels making one wonder if all three of the people living in 'the castle' were not in some way prisoners.

 

Usually, I'm bored of team sports and any stories that involve detailed descriptions of such sports. However, in this story the interwoven sports descriptions actually made baseball seem interesting.

 

One of the things I enjoyed was how the story built up slowly, like the boys' relationship, and when the drama emerged it skillfully avoided melodrama.

 

Excellent story!

 

Kit

 

 

Thank you, Kit! Feedback for this story always puts a smile on my face. There really wasn't any melodrama involved in the situation this story was based on. Just...negotiation. Thanks again for reading and commenting.