Five Years of Writing: Reflections

[Mark Arbour]

I somewhat arbitrarily set August 13, 2008, as the date that I started writing fiction.  That’s when I first started hammering out Chronicles of an Academic Predator, a story spawned by thoughts of what havoc a rogue professor could do in the early 1960s.  The era itself (1962-3) was chosen for less arrogant reasons than because that’s about when I was born, rather I picked it because I’d watched the movie Hairspray and it inspired me to look into that period of history.   The rogue professor turned out to be anything but rogue, but that’s OK, because I like him better this way. 

 

Westie made these observations in a comment on one thread, which I will edit for brevity: 

Generation 1 (JP) is an idealized view of perhaps how the author himself wishes he could be.  Generation 2 (Brad) is more how the author is, and the fantasy of a life lead if it had taken a different course, or if missed opportunities had not been missed.  Generation 3 therefore (Will) is a Generation subjected to the full force of Mark's creativity.  Unlinked to real life (though, I suspect there are parallels to which we will never be party), Will can develop more in line with Mark's political and social agenda in terms of the world he creates.

 

There is much truth in his observations, and I found reflecting on them to be quite intriguing.  When I was done thinking about it, I concluded that in fact these generations are also reflective of me at different stages of life.  Some of you who have been around GA long enough will recognize the hot-tempered Bradley-esque rants of my early days here (some ten years ago), rants that once pushed my warning bar up to 75%.  I’d like to think I’ve mellowed toward a more cerebral JP standard as I’ve aged. 

 

I never imagined CAP would spawn a whole series, and the second story, 1968, certainly wasn’t an uplifting one.  I used to try and decide which of the stories was my favorite, but I’ve since decided they’re all too different to make that call.  As noted above, there is much of me in these stories, as many readers have guessed or noted.   Probably the most personal reflections can be found in Paternity, which is reflective of my conflicts with my own son, even though they weren’t so dramatic as the ones Will and Brad inflicted upon each other.   I usually develop my characters in a story with someone I’ve met or known in real life as a model.  That’s helped me answer some of my critics, who would opine that sometimes characters are too mature/too immature, etc.  But some of the characters resonate more than others. 

 

Bridgemont evolved from a fascination with the Royal Navy of Nelson’s time, one I owe to CS Forester.  I read Beat to Quarters when I was twelve years old, and maintained an entire set of his Hornblower Saga in my room from the time I was thirteen until now.    George Granger is all that Hornblower is not, which made it more fun, and made sure the series would be substantially different. 

 

I thought that by writing two series, I’d actually end up focusing on one to neglect the other, but I find that they actually fuel my productivity.  Sometimes, when I get bored or stymied by one story, I can switch to another, and that helps keep me in ‘writing mode’ long enough to switch back to the other story and solve my problem. 

 

So now, here we are, five years later, and thanks to my team and my readers, I’ve been motivated to generate an astounding number of chapters.  As I sit here and type this, I’ve now become GA’s most prolific author (that happened when I published Odyssey, Chapter 58 and took the title from my friend Comicality, an author I enjoy immensely).    I’ve posted 4,422,121 words, which works out to 884,424 words/year, or approximately 150-175 chapters/year. 

 

That’s an enormous amount of work/words to write, beta, edit, and re-edit.  I think the writing part of it is almost the easiest.  And that leads me to the real purpose of this post.  There is absolutely no way I could have done this without my team.  They work tirelessly, and do as much to make these stories readable as I do.    I really could not do this without them, and more importantly, I wouldn’t want to. 

 

The motivation to do it would not have been there if it weren’t for my readers.  It takes time to read chapters, it takes time to post reviews, and it takes time to comment in the forums, but you all have taken that time, and done that.  Thank you.  Thank you so very much.  I appreciate all of them, even the ones that are annoying.     If you don’t think that you have done your part, consider that as of this posting, Paternity is the most reviewed story on all of GA, with Odyssey, 9.11, St. Vincent, and Poor Man’s Son also making the top 15 most reviewed stories.   My forum has generated over 15,000 posts, second only to CJ in sheer volume, and those posts go on whether I participate actively or not.   I love to read them; they’re fascinating. 

 

So when I sit back and reflect on this past five years, I think of all of you who have had an impact on me.  I reflect on my team, and how people who started out editing and beta reading for me are now some of my closest online friends.  (Some of them were before I started writing…winks at Sharon)  Readers can come and go, but I like to hope that even if they stop posting reviews or forum comments, they’re still out there, reading once in awhile.  It’s almost like the readers, and my team, form a family.  So for those of you who have been with me all the way through, and for those of you who have flitted in and out from time to time, stopping in at family reunions to say hi (to continue the analogy), I want to thank you for being part of my life, and for making this fun.

And speaking of fun, I figured I'd round this out by posting a poll, where you can pick your favorite story of the CAP and Bridgemont Series. 

[methodwriter85]

 

I never imagined CAP would spawn a whole series, and the second story, 1968, certainly wasn’t an uplifting one.

 

     Hey, I thought in honor of this, I'd track down our old correspondence from the Yahoo group:

 

Title: The Final Chapter Approaches

By: Mark

Dated: September 19th, 2008

 

CAP will consist of 48 chapters unless my erstwhile editor demands

changes. 47 should be posted within the next few days with the final

chapter shortly thereafter.

 

Then I'll have to think of something else to do in my spare time.

 

Re: The Final Chapter Approaches

By: Jeremy

Dated: September 19th, 2008

 

How about a sequel that takes the characters to 1968?

 

Re: The Final Chapter Approaches

By: Mark

Dated: September 19th, 2008

 

That's an  interesting idea, Jeremy. Why 1968?

 

Re: The Final Chapter Approaches

By: Jeremy

Dated: September 19th, 2008

 

Why not? That was the year that America fell apart...

 

Soooo much was going on in 1968. Vietnam coming to a boil. Bobby

Kennedy and Martin Luthor King. The National Convention riots of 1968

in Chicago.

 

In terms of our characters, JP would either recieving his tenure

at Northwestern or going somewhere else. Jeff, Stefan, and Sammy

would be done with college. Ace would be five years old and starting

school. Jason will hopefully be working on his doctorate...if he gets

his act together, that is.

 

I dunno, I think a sequel that jumped five years forward would

be cool...especially since that would be 1968, which was one hell of

a year.

 

****

 

    And with that, you hit the ground running on doing a sequel, and here we are 5 years and 11 stories later. It's pretty incredible that the series has spanned 39 years of American history. (If you don't count the Box.)

Edited August 13, 2013 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

I count "The Box."

 

While I am not as much of a historian as many active in this forum, what I've found interesting to see as this saga developed (and why I've always been more interested in the family's interactions rather than the background historical drama they unfolded against) is that it explores the intersection point between history and History, with emphasis on the -story. History is as much as construct as any fiction novel, so I've always been fascinated by seeing what gets put into books, why, and what perspective the author has when they do those things. it works as well with family history as it does with a countries, often better, and "The Box" told the story of what made JP, Stef, and all the Crampton's, Hendrickson's, Hayes, and Schulter's into who they became.

[centexhairysub]

I really thought about going with The Box for my favorite CAP story but in the end had to select Chronicles of an Academic Predator.  There is just something about this first story that drew me in and no matter how many times I re-read it, I can't find anything that I would ever want to have changed.

 

 

I went with HMS Belvidera for my favorite from the Bridgemont series.  This is the one to me that Granger really came into his own.  Like life in a real navy, the first two books are where Granger is finding out who he is and where he fits in, but the third brought him into being his own man.... 

 

 

All of your stories, not just those in these two exceptional series have brought me and others a great deal of joy.  I hope that you continue to enjoy sharing your talent and self with us and others, Mark...  Keep up the great work...

[Mari]

Happy Anniversary! You clearly put a lot of heart and soul ( along with your team ) in every chapter released. I thank you for the countless hours spent in front of the computer reading and rereading.

[Westie]

I was torn between the Land Whore and Bloodlines for the CAP story.  Land Whore won out.  

 

Congratulations on 5 years.  

 

More importantly, Congrats to Sharon on Editing for 5 years.  I would imagine it's as much a labour of love for her as it is for you.  

[sat8997]

If It Fits because that's when the CAP world righted itself with JP and Stefan coming (pun!!  ) together.

 

 

More importantly, Congrats to Sharon on Editing for 5 years.  I would imagine it's as much a labour of love for her as it is for you.  

 

 

When I think of this I'm always reminded of Bruce Willis in Die Hard: "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."    Who knew his nibs would still be going strong, lo these many years.

 

Some of you who have been around GA long enough will recognize the hot-tempered Bradley-esque rants of my early days here (some ten years ago), rants that once pushed my warning bar up to 75%.

 

 

 I don't know if you were ever aware of this, but Vic and I had a pool on just how long it would take you to get banned. If you'd have just pissed Myr off one more time, I'd have won.

[Mark Arbour]

 

 I don't know if you were ever aware of this, but Vic and I had a pool on just how long it would take you to get banned. If you'd have just pissed Myr off one more time, I'd have won.

 

Push it to the limit, baby.  Push it to the limit.  

[Adam Phillips]

 

 

Westie made these observations in a comment on one thread, which I will edit for brevity: 

There is much truth in his observations, and I found reflecting on them to be quite intriguing.  When I was done thinking about it, I concluded that in fact these generations are also reflective of me at different stages of life.  Some of you who have been around GA long enough will recognize the hot-tempered Bradley-esque rants of my early days here (some ten years ago), rants that once pushed my warning bar up to 75%.  I’d like to think I’ve mellowed toward a more cerebral JP standard as I’ve aged. 

 

 

Sell it to yourself any way you can; it's a sad thing when the testosterone wanes and your balls shrink.

 

 

Anyway, congratulations on your achievements here. There's lots to be proud of.

[Gene Splicer PHD]

Ima have to read all those stories again to pick favorites

 

see you in a week or so

[Daddydavek]

I picked the last stories mentioned in each group because of the quality of the writing.   I think it's safe to say that Mark (with the help of his team) has gotten better with practice.  Additionally, the twists and turns in Odyssey are inventive, compelling and just make me wait with baited breath for the next installment.   Likewise with Paternity we saw a story line and characterizations that compelled readers to comment in record numbers.   When that many people take the time to actually comment, it usually means that there is something worth discussing.   Bravo and congratulations on your first half-decade of writing and may you do several more!  Congratulations to your team as well, especially, Sharon.   

[Miles Long]

Kudos to you and your team for five years of excellent work  .

[PrivateTim]

Thanks Mark for all the writing.

 

I abandoned the Granger stories just because I don't have the time to read both stories which is why I am amazed that you can write them both simultaneously.

 

I liked Hornblower when I was a kid and then graduated to Patrick O'Bryan. When CAP ends here in the next couple of weeks with the collapse of the towers and everyone in the story's demise    I'll get back to Granger

[rjo]

Over the last years, I am not sure when I found these stories, it was before A Summer Love, I have waited for each chapter. What Mark and his team have done in this short time is unbelievable. How he has time for the real world I don't know. Now for my favorate stories the CAP story it was hard I thought of two Bloodlines (Matt meeting Robbie for the first time) and Paternity (for the two reunions of Will with Brad and Robbie). I settled on Bloodlines. I couldn't go for The Box because Steven died, I know that is dumb but I wanted him around to see how his son and JP turned out. As for Bridgemont it was even harder HMS Belvidera won out. I think because of the bad reception George got the last time he was in London and the death of that beautiful ship on the rocks and the loss of 30 brave men. I guess I loved happy endings.

[damejintymcginty]

I started the series last week and have not put my Kindle down since I started.  I have just caught up to the end of 9.11.  Highlights were JP and Steff finally getting together. Lowlight was Jeff's drug problem and finding out Sam was there when he killed himself.  However, as I think that the mark of a good writer is that they make you think, that event haunted my thoughts and made me uncomfortable for days.  I know feel like the viewers at the end of The Truman Show who had to return to normality. I have been completely immersed in JP's world all week. I look forward to what comes next. 

 

Jinty x

[rjo]

Welcome !

[methodwriter85]

Lowlight was Jeff's drug problem and finding out Sam was there when he killed himself. 

Jinty x

 

There's a sexy Gay Author from Texas who kind of aggrees with you. (Understatement of the decade.)

[Adam Phillips]

There's a sexy Gay Author from Texas who kind of aggrees with you. (Understatement of the decade.)

Yep. "Kind of." So much to say here, and yet I won't. :-P

[methodwriter85]

Yep. "Kind of." So much to say here, and yet I won't. :-P

 

Well, let's be honest here, you pretty much said all that there is to be said on that subject and then some.

 

You and Sharon squaring off against each other about Sam and whether he's culpable or not for Jeff killing himself was pretty memorable.

[BeysJoshersLepton V2]

Considering how much I relish every single chapter of both the Bridgemont and CAP saga I really should be more active on the forums and have just seen this! It's impossible to decide Mark, I'd have to re-read each in one go to distinguish which is my favorite. I have suggested the stories to numerous people who I know read online fiction and they all enjoy the stories, so the quality was assuredly there from the get go (to be lucky enough to rediscover the series and read them anew). All I do know is that whilst I wasn't lurking for the entirety of the first 5 years I certainly will be for the next 5, so thank you for these wonderful tales. 

[centexhairysub]

I recently realized that almost none of the early stories in the CAP series have any reviews.  I started with the first and just finished going through Be Rad adding one for each chapter.  Most of them have just been a couple of sentences but I really think that stories a great as these truly deserve to have reviews on each chapter.   I know there are others like me that have gone through and re-read the stories more than once, I wish people would think about adding reviews to those stories that we have all read and loved already...

 

I really don't remember a chapter review button when I started reading the story on this site...

[PrivateTim]

I recently realized that almost none of the early stories in the CAP series have any reviews.  I started with the first and just finished going through Be Rad adding one for each chapter.  Most of them have just been a couple of sentences but I really think that stories a great as these truly deserve to have reviews on each chapter.   I know there are others like me that have gone through and re-read the stories more than once, I wish people would think about adding reviews to those stories that we have all read and loved already...

 

I really don't remember a chapter review button when I started reading the story on this site...

 

I feel badly they don't have the reviews and votes they deserve, but I think in the multiple times that GA has shifted the software either caused them to be lost or you couldn't do reviews....  or maybe reviews weren't a thing yet.

[Mark Arbour]

I recently realized that almost none of the early stories in the CAP series have any reviews.  I started with the first and just finished going through Be Rad adding one for each chapter.  Most of them have just been a couple of sentences but I really think that stories a great as these truly deserve to have reviews on each chapter.   I know there are others like me that have gone through and re-read the stories more than once, I wish people would think about adding reviews to those stories that we have all read and loved already...

 

I really don't remember a chapter review button when I started reading the story on this site...

 

Thanks for that, and I'm glad this came up to prompt me to say that.        It's been really cool seeing your reviews as you read through it again.  Sandrewn has done the same thing with some of the Bridgemont stories.  I like to take a break every once in a while and go back to re-read those earlier story.  It's a nice mental break, and it reminds me of past characters and the shit they did.  When I do that, I'll post some responses. 

 

I feel badly they don't have the reviews and votes they deserve, but I think in the multiple times that GA has shifted the software either caused them to be lost or you couldn't do reviews....  or maybe reviews weren't a thing yet.

 

That's exactly what happened.  They lost a lot of data when we shifted to GA Stories, so any reviews or comments posted to the stories before then were lost, and any read counts, etc, were also lost.  So it's one of those things where you have to look at stories from pre-GA Stories from the standpoint that kind of information is gone. 

 

When the shift was made, I was toward the end of posting Millennium, and I think I was also finished posting HMS Belvidera too, but I'n not entirely sure. 

[centexhairysub]

Congrats to Mark on having three stories in the top ten most reviewed on this site; 9/11 just checked in today as number 10.  Well, today was the first day that I noticed it...  LOL...

[Mark Arbour]

Congrats to Mark on having three stories in the top ten most reviewed on this site; 9/11 just checked in today as number 10.  Well, today was the first day that I noticed it...  LOL...

 

Thanks.  There's some tough competition on this site, so I really appreciate all the reviews you and others post!