Graeme Leopard Spots

[impunity]

 

Reply from Graeme (author)

Talking with a reporter can be hazardous. A potentially hostile reporter is even more dangerous. But sometimes, not talking at all can make things even worse. There's not always a right answer

 

True, but Neil has access to a friendly radio station. He might be better off selecting where he wants to tell his story and to whom. At the very least, he probably could have benefitted from a little media coaching.

[Timothy M.]

less than 24 hours till the next  chapter ! Wonder what will happen now. I'm hoping for Neil to do well in shutting the media up, and I agree with impunity on using Radio Pride to help.

[wildone]

Thanks Graeme for sharing the Aaron Light story. It is sad to see that there is similar stories of this kind in every country.

 

I actually stopped reading the chapter and when Googling to find his story and then when I came back and got to the end, was surprised to find the links there

[Bleu]

I just read the Aaron Light story as well.

I read a similar story set in the US some time ago but it was fiction (outside GA)... and I wish such stories had no grounds in reality at all.

[Graeme]

I knew a little bit of the Arron Light story from the newspapers at the time of the court case (before he was murdered), but I found out a lot more of the details when I saw that Australian Story episode when it first aired. As you can imagine, it had quite an impact on me.

[Timothy M.]

Are we all ready for the S*** to hit the media fan and be blown all out of proportion ?

[impunity]

Oh yes! I am such a drama whore.

[Timothy M.]

LOL, well I guess we have to credit the TV station with a bit of decency, they didn't make it nearly as dramatic as I predicted.

(Chapter 29 Review)

I have the feeling the TV station will go for making Phil the culprit and Neil the victiim, the way they have made that ad. It makes sense this angle would be a lot more sensational, particularly if they use Ty's initial reaction as well. I wonder if they managed to get Rose by herself and ask if she would be forced to chose between her husband and her son. And of course they have the great footage of Phil being restrained by the security guards and swearing at them - although this could be used in the other angle as well. I hope Todd showed them the photo he took of Neil's red cheek.
At least Radio Pride has a vetted interest in portraying Jim as he good guy and to tell the story of another teen who has to fear for his life due to being gay. And I think Colin had a good point when he said the TV station wouldn't want to be made to look ridiculous by not telling the truth. They could still make a hype of portraying all the accusations of Phil, milking it for all its worth, and suddenly do a 180 turn and blast the whole thing open with Neil and his Leopard friends.

Reply from Graeme (author)

Interesting speculation. You'll have to wait to see how accurate your predictions turn out

At least, I got some of it right.   I wonder what Eric and Colin thought, they should be pleased, but I suppose we'll have to see how other media react. But hopefully, this will be it. By the way, I was surprised Tony didn't take the chance to talk to Neil about getting a job at Radio Pride. But I suppose that's why we have plenty of more chapters coming.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Timothy M.

[Graeme]

You did pretty well.

[Timothy M.]

OK, I've tried to do some work to help Neil out with the info the girls wanted about which of the football players who are single. I have to admit, I cannot recall all of minor characters from book 1. But of the first list only Dave and Jarrod seem available right now (apart from Paul, who is not over his GF issues). I guess Dave has other matters to deal with too. Are Owen and Ryan still seeing Zoe and Fiona?

Name                                            Age          SO

Roger McDowell                            25            Steph, two kids

Charlie McDonald                          18            Stacey

Dave Islington                                23            single

Deon Bradshaw                             18            Pamela

Jarrod Green                                 18            single

Jim Henderson                               20            Tony

Oliver “Ollie” Bellesconi                 19            Helena

Owen Driver                                   21            Zoe

Paul Crowman                               23            (Deon's sister?)

Ryan Keen                                     21            Fiona

Todd Underwood                           23            Lorraine

Ty Flanders                                   18            Karen                                         

Brett Heywood                               22            ?

Euan McKensie                             19            ?

Greg Chambers                             24            ?

Harry Stoutland                              20            ?

Ian Wilson                                      22            wife/GF, one kid

Jai Tenterstone                              22            ?

Leo Asters                                      21            ?

Michael Pappalardo                       20            ?

Ward Peters                                   23            single

Zachary “Zach” Wilkins                  19            Angela

Edited July 24, 2019 by Timothy M.

[impunity]

Timothy, this is so damn impressive! How long did it take you? And how much of the two books did you have to reread to do it? I have to admit I don't remember most of the more minor characters, although I did glance the other day at the very helpful list Graeme provided.

 

I don't really have much to add. I will say that Dave may be single, but he's not really available. And I doubt Deon and Pamela will survive the season. Or, rather, their relationship won't survive; I don't think Graeme is in the habit of randomly killing off his characters.

Edited March 1, 2015 by impunity

[Timothy M.]

On 3/1/2015 at 4:12 PM, impunity said:

Timothy, this is so damn impressive?   How long did it take you? And how much of the two books did you have to reread to do it?

Thanks   I had to run through most of book 1. I'm sure I missed a couple of GF names, and I haven't checked book 2. It didn't take too long, less than one hour. I copied the list from Graeme's D.Pers. in the prologue of book 1. But Neil had better tell the girls there aren't really any prospects for them apart from Jarrod. If he knows, that is.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Timothy M.

[impunity]

Thanks   I had to run through most of book 1. I'm sure I missed a couple of GF names, and I haven't checked book 2. It didn't take too long, less than one hour. I copied the list from Graeme's D.Pers. in the prologue of book 1. But Neil had better tell the girls there aren't really any prospects for them apart from Jarrod. If he knows, that is.

 

I'm still impressed that you did it.

 

Clarissa did tell her friends that they were going for Neil and not to pick up guys. That said, there only needs to be 2-3 of them (depending on whether Clarissa cares) and there's bound to be at least some single guys among the ones you listed as '?'. Although, they might not know Neil well enough to bother to go to the party and, if they do go, they might decide to bring dates. Hmm, this is more complicated than it looks. 

 

At the very least, Dave should be up for some casual flirting. And Deon might be available by then.

Edited March 1, 2015 by impunity

[Graeme]

Well done, Timothy! While I have all the notes as to who is single and who isn't, if you go to the first book there is a scene at the train station where all the single characters (at that time) are heading in to the nightclubs in the city. The only significant name you've missed, from memory, is Ward Peters (he's the one who had the mock fight with Ty about youth vs experience).

 

Oh, and Roger isn't married. He's living with Steph (and has two kids with her), but they're not married. That's not that uncommon in Australia -- defacto relationships form a significant percentage of long term relationships (though not a majority -- that's still married couples).

[Timothy M.]

It's the same here, lots of peope have kids without being married, although it's often an occasion to tie the knot. It was just for ease I called her wife, I couldn't recall her name. I'll add it now. Are Zoe and Fiona still current GFs?

Edited March 2, 2015 by Timothy M.

[Graeme]

Yes, Zoe and Fiona are still current girlfriends.

[impunity]

Reply from Graeme (author)

Carlton has already contacted Peter (back in chapter 16) through one of their trainers who had previously worked with Peter. Peter made the comment to the trainer (Alan Kenworth) that if Carlton consider Ty to be draftable, it would be in Ty's best interest if Peter told as many clubs as possible. So contacting Peter again would be a risky move for them. There would be too much danger of Peter turning around and letting the other clubs know, and that would mean Carlton could miss out on the chance to draft Ty.

 And, yes, you're correct. Doug objected to the "fag" comment, not the other guys calling Neil a loser.

 

Ah, thanks for the reminder. Ok, it makes sense now, but it still seems like a risky strategy, given Jim could have picked anyone to join him. I really hope Jim and Ty demonstrate how well they work together, and that they're more valuable as a team.

 

Btw, I hope you didn't perceive my "unrealistic" comment as a criticism. Realistic doesn't always make for good story telling. I really am hoping for a romantic outcome for Liam and Neil. In many ways, Liam is just as much a victim as Neil of Doug's bullying tactics. He wasn't hurt, himself, but most kids aren't natural bullies and it is very easy to be drawn along by a strong leader. Plus, he is definitely suffering from the consequences now. Sadly, Doug doesn't seem to feel any remorse over his actions. I hope he figures it out at some point.

Edited March 7, 2015 by impunity

[Graeme]

Ah, thanks for the reminder. Ok, it makes sense now, but it still seems like a risky strategy, given Jim could have picked anyone to join him. I really hope Jim and Ty demonstrate how well they work together, and that they're more valuable as a team.

Yes, it was a gamble as to whether Jim would pick Ty, but there was no harm if Jim picked someone else. So it wasn't risky, more a move that may prove pointless. However, given the known relationship between the two (as mentioned in an earlier chapter by Christopher to Patrick when he allude to the possibility of a sexual relationship between the two), and, while not stated, it would've been in the magazine article that the two were close, it wasn't too big a gamble.

 

Btw, I hope you didn't perceive my "unrealistic" comment as a criticism. Realistic doesn't always make for good story telling. I really am hoping for a romantic outcome for Liam and Neil. In many ways, Liam is just as much a victim as Neil of Doug's bullying tactics. He wasn't hurt, himself, but most kids aren't natural bullies and it is very easy to be drawn along by a strong leader. Plus, he is definitely suffering from the consequences now. Sadly, Doug doesn't seem to feel any remorse over his actions. I hope he figures it out at some point.

No problem Stories are not necessarily realistic, but they should be believable. Taking an analogy, dialogue in movies and in books almost never matches real-life, because they leave off all the hesitations and meaningless sounds (umms, ers, ahs,...). In movies and books, people say exactly what they want to say, which isn't real. The dialogue is believable, though, because we naturally tend to filter out those hesitations and meaningless sounds anyway.

 

Liam knew that it's wasn't realistic for Neil to suddenly turn around and ignore the previous five years of bullying. Doug came up with a way to bypass that issue which resulted in the creation of 'Alf'. That's been working, but it's time for the masquerade to end. How will Neil react? Hopefully, it'll be believable -- that's what I'm aiming for.

 

I may not always tell the reader what's motivating the characters, but I always try to give them one. Very few people act randomly -- they almost always have a reason for what they do. That reason may not be grounded in fact, but that's normal Indeed, I wrote one short story many years ago with a narrator that may not have been sane.... He still had reasons for his actions, though.

[impunity]

No problem Stories are not necessarily realistic, but they should be believable. Taking an analogy, dialogue in movies and in books almost never matches real-life, because they leave off all the hesitations and meaningless sounds (umms, ers, ahs,...). In movies and books, people say exactly what they want to say, which isn't real. The dialogue is believable, though, because we naturally tend to filter out those hesitations and meaningless sounds anyway.

 

Liam knew that it's wasn't realistic for Neil to suddenly turn around and ignore the previous five years of bullying. Doug came up with a way to bypass that issue which resulted in the creation of 'Alf'. That's been working, but it's time for the masquerade to end. How will Neil react? Hopefully, it'll be believable -- that's what I'm aiming for.

 

 It's definitely believable.

 

I may not always tell the reader what's motivating the characters, but I always try to give them one. Very few people act randomly -- they almost always have a reason for what they do. That reason may not be grounded in fact, but that's normal Indeed, I wrote one short story many years ago with a narrator that may not have been sane.... He still had reasons for his actions, though.

 

 Was that Superhero? I've been making my way through your other stories. And really liking them. I especially enjoy the twists at the end of the short stories.

[Graeme]

Yes, that's Superhero. It was an experiment in using an unreliable narrator, but was only partially successful. From the feedback I've received, only about half the readers realise what is going on.

[impunity]

Yes, that's Superhero. It was an experiment in using an unreliable narrator, but was only partially successful. From the feedback I've received, only about half the readers realise what is going on.

I'm pretty sure I got it. And I thought it was very clever.

 

Edit: Unreliable narrators are difficult. My husband despises them. I can appreciate them, but only if they're done well.

Edited March 8, 2015 by impunity

[Graeme]

AFL announces first Pride match

 

I missed this when it first came out (I was away on a business trip). This weekend's pre-season match between the Sydney Swans and the Fremantle Dockers will be an official pride match to raise awareness and to try to fight homophobia.

 

The NAB mentioned in the article as the major sponsor who asked about the possibility is the NAB Bank (formerly the National Australia Bank before they shortened it to just the initials). I'm not surprised. I've worked at two major Australian banks (including the NAB) and both had strong anti-discrimination polices in place -- policies that weren't just words but were being actively supported by the organisations.

 

Sadly, there's no way I can go to Sydney this weekend to see the match for myself...

[Timothy M.]

I hope Ty and Todd told Paul and Ollie what was going on. Somebody needs to keep an eye on Neil. Although him being angry is better than him being depressed, I still worry about him.

Quote

Reply from Graeme (author)

Paul and Ollie were both in the house when Liam faced Neil. The story shows the start and the end, but not what happened in the middle. I think it's reasonable to assume that they know what's happened.

 

I was hoping you would say that.

It makes me feel a bit better. I'm sure Helena will be feeling very protective of Neil, I think she has a strong Mama gene hidden behind her carefree attitude. I wonder if she'll confess to Neil about being the one to out him to Liam? This might make him direct his anger at her for a bit, but could help in the long run.

Damn, I'm going to speculate all week on this - be prepared for some of it to spill over to this forum.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Timothy M.

[Ken84050]

I've just discovered this blog, because I'd always read Graeme's stories on awesomedude instead of gayauthors.

 

Thank you, Graeme!   I can't get "Leopard Spots" out of my mind, and each new chapter is a highlight of the weekend.

 

After Chapter 31 I expected Alf to unveil himself very gently and tactfully in internet chat, but instead of that your Chapter 32 delivered quite a bombshell.   I can't help conjecturing what will happen next.   Such a drastic break between Liam and Neil may take a long time to repair unless something else drastic happens.   Here's my theory.

 

After school Clarissa escorts Neil to the Ringwood East railway station.   Liam follows anxiously behind, despite Neil's hostility.   Neil's father waylays them.   Liam is injured while protecting Neil.   Neil reluctantly visits Liam in hospital to thank him.

 

Now Graeme can chuckle at how wide of the mark my guesses are.   

[Graeme]

The next few chapters are written and waiting to be posted, so you'll be able to see how close your guesses are

 

I'm still working on later chapters, which is why I'm keeping the buffer of chapters ready to post. It means I'm not under pressure to write something, but I can still take my time and write when I want to write, rather than trying to force something out to meet a schedule.