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The Love Song of Lenny Bradshaw by Bryce Lee


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My concern about Sophia is about the thing with Chandler and Fiona. Why is she making such an issue about it when Michaela herself is not?  It does make me think of ulterior motives, though I can't imagine what they would be. Edit: the sexuality does concern me, but more because she is making herself vulnerable. I think that may be a generational difference though--we were more sexually cautious partly in self-defense, I think.

Edited by Irritable1
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I find it interesting in a way that a lot of people find Sophia to be abrasive or they believe she has ulterior motives. Basically Sophia says and acts the way many straight men do but I wanted to point out that a lot of people aren't comfortable when a woman is very confident and blunt. She's very raw in her language and open about her sexuality. I am loving the feedback. Thank you so much!

I definitely see that...she set her sights at the party the same as most staight guys too...and basically told her wingman to get lost...the way the game is played by men everywhere.

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My concern about Sophia is about the thing with Chandler and Fiona. Why is she making such an issue about it when Michaela herself is not?  It does make me think of ulterior motives, though I can't imagine what they would be. Edit: the sexuality does concern me, but more because she is making herself vulnerable. I think that may be a generational difference though--we were more sexually cautious partly in self-defense, I think.

My gut feeling on this is that Sophia, for all the directness and bravado, is in possession of a heart of gold...It's about hurting her friend. But who knows...

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But is Michaela even hurt? That kind of dogged hostility raises questions for me...

To me she screams hurt...if she didn't hurt she wouldn't need to avoid Chandler and Fiona and she would be able to talk about it...she didn't even tell Lucas...he found out from Chandler, but like I said , who knows....cheers

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My gut feeling on this is that Sophia, for all the directness and bravado, is in possession of a heart of gold...It's about hurting her friend. But who knows...

I think you hit the nail on the head. Sophia basically is someone who feels jilted. She witnessed a relationship she held in high regard implode. She's angry because it's like when someone watches their parents divorce. I think we use our parents and friends as a model when it comes to relationships. When those things fall apart, we question the legitimacy of the world around us. Sophia wants to be in love but right now it's just easier to lose herself in men.

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To me she screams hurt...if she didn't hurt she wouldn't need to avoid Chandler and Fiona and she would be able to talk about it...she didn't even tell Lucas...he found out from Chandler, but like I said , who knows....cheers

Michaela is choosing to take the high road. Breaking up with Chandler sort of threw her for a loop. She moved off campus to avoid him. She's hurt but she's mourning quietly while Sophia is kicking and screaming about it. As you can see, Chandler is a very difficult guy. Sophia probably warned Michaela about him but over time she grew to accept him. It's like when your friend dates someone you don't initially approve of, it stings extra bad when she finally grow to approve of them and then they do the thing you feared they would do from the very start. I think she blames herself.

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I think you hit the nail on the head. Sophia basically is someone who feels jilted. She witnessed a relationship she held in high regard implode. She's angry because it's like when someone watches their parents divorce. I think we use our parents and friends as a model when it comes to relationships. When those things fall apart, we question the legitimacy of the world around us. Sophia wants to be in love but right now it's just easier to lose herself in men.

That is both enlightening and illuminating...you are showing those writing skills again...

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Oh, and can I say that I'm a tiny bit disappointed that the models for Casey and Hugh are Caucasian? I was modeling Casey on a delicious AA classmate from long ago.

It's funny that you mention that. I am black and Casey is loosely based on me but ... this sounds weird ... I have always struggled writing AA male characters. I can write AA female characters with relative ease. I guess it's because I never really had a lot of black men around me growing up. I had plenty of black women. Lots of examples of strong, black women.

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Michaela is choosing to take the high road. Breaking up with Chandler sort of threw her for a loop. She moved off campus to avoid him. She's hurt but she's mourning quietly while Sophia is kicking and screaming about it. As you can see, Chandler is a very difficult guy. Sophia probably warned Michaela about him but over time she grew to accept him. It's like when your friend dates someone you don't initially approve of, it stings extra bad when she finally grow to approve of them and then they do the thing you feared they would do from the very start. I think she blames herself.

That exact scenario has happened to close friends of mine more than once...There were no "I told you so's" but there were some "how could I have been so stupid's".You are definitely keeping it real..cheers

Edited by Headstall
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I find it interesting in a way that a lot of people find Sophia to be abrasive or they believe she has ulterior motives. Basically Sophia says and acts the way many straight men do but I wanted to point out that a lot of people aren't comfortable when a woman is very confident and blunt. She's very raw in her language and open about her sexuality. I am loving the feedback. Thank you so much!

Bryce, I'm not gonna cut any slack here, don't get too mad….but…

 

Wow, so first of all you use the phrase 'her sexuality' to excuse her low-self-esteem acting-out to give unreciprocated oral sex to the very first guy she literally bumps into at the frat party..? Um, because that's what you showed to the reader, not anybody with confidence, not anyone who is honest and upfront. You show her as a self-absorbed user of people, and perhaps one with a drinking problem. Also you say she is very confident and blunt, and equate that to manliness. Well, being an a-hole is not a gender-specific defect. If you want to show us that heart of gold you say she has, you need to do it pretty quickly, because as you can tell by most, if not all of the comments about Sophia, she is getting sympathy and understanding from no one, lol. Honestly, maybe Casey's unhealthy dependency on her is a sign he needs to look for better friends, and more mature company.

Edited by AC Benus
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Wow, so first of all you use the phrase 'her sexuality' to excuse her low-self-esteem acting-out to give unreciprocated oral sex to the very first guy she literally bumps into at the frat party..?

 

Now, now. We don't know it was unreciprocated.  How do you know she wasn't returning the favor? (there's a smiley I want to use here, but don't have the courage) Secondly, the guy sounded nice.

 

 

 

You show her as a self-absorbed user of people, and perhaps one with a drinking problem.

 

I'm seeing insensitive, but not user of people. Drinking problem, maybe, but no more so than many college-age people, though maybe more men. 

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Now, now. We don't know it was unreciprocated.  How do you know she wasn't returning the favor? (there's a smiley I want to use here, but don't have the courage) Secondly, the guy sounded nice.

 

 

I'm seeing insensitive, but not user of people. Drinking problem, maybe, but no more so than many college-age people, though maybe more men. 

You forget, we have an eye-witness report - she was servicing him, and he was not reciprocating, or else Tate would have said: "They're doing it in my room" lol, and not "she's blowing a guy in my room."

 

She's a user. Classic signs to support her emotional co-dependencies. She wants to make a big deal that Chandler and Tate are wrong for her support-base so that they are stuck feeding her her needed supply of reassurances.

Edited by AC Benus
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You forget, we have an eye-witness report - she was servicing him, and he was not reciprocating, or else Tate would have said: "They're doing it in my room" lol, and not "she blowing a guy in my room."

 

And do you think it was some sort of 'accident' that she chose Tate's room, out of presumably all the many bedrooms, to take her 'foundling' sex object..? lol  

 

She's a user. Classic signs to support her emotional co-dependencies. She wants to make a big deal that Chandler and Tate are wrong for her support-base so that they are stuck feeding her her needed supply of reassurances.

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Did you see this, Bryce?

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/forum/12-stories-discussion-forum/

 

Congratulations, your forum is officially 'HOT' 

You deserve it.

I am so thankful for all of the feedback from each of you. Seriously I am blown away. It is so wonderful to have my writing validated by a legitimate community. There is so much talent on this site and I am thankful to be in your company.

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You forget, we have an eye-witness report - she was servicing him, and he was not reciprocating, or else Tate would have said: "They're doing it in my room" lol, and not "she blowing a guy in my room."

 

And do you think it was some sort of 'accident' that she chose Tate's room, out of presumably all the many bedrooms, to take her 'foundling' sex object..? lol  

 

She's a user. Classic signs to support her emotional co-dependencies. She wants to make a big deal that Chandler and Tate are wrong for her support-base so that they are stuck feeding her her needed supply of reassurances.

 

I didn't realize I had created such a monster. LoL. Poor Sophia. She's going to have to work hard to get in your good graces. :)

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I didn't realize I had created such a monster. LoL. Poor Sophia. She's going to have to work hard to get in your good graces. :)

Man, the thing is, I do not think she's monstrous - I think you have drawn an incredibly real character for all of us to consider and debate. Flawed = every-day person.

 

So, did she choose Tate's room to create further drama? Is that WHY she picked the first decent guy and started sexing him up...?

 

I would rather you don't answer here, but hopefully you do answer that in the coming chapters. I am dying to know!!! Love your book <3   

Edited by AC Benus
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I am writing this because I want to give people a little of bit of insight into where Sophia is coming from. As a huge fan of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story, I fell in love with the third installment Coven. There is an actress named Emma Roberts - niece of Julia and daughter of Eric - who played a witch/actress named Madison Montgomery on the series. Madison and Sophia are quite alike though I would venture to say that Madison is more of a sociopath than Sophia is. Sophia does care about those she chooses to care about but she goes about her life very rarely considering the consequences of her actions. This often gets her into trouble.

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What??? Chandler and Michaela have already broken up!! And ole Tater overreacted hugely, enough to actually lay hands on Casey!!

 

And how did you manage to drive me into defending Sophia?

If you reflect on what I am saying, you will get it.

 

Why did Tate lay hands on his bf? Because his bf's bff was in TATE'S room defiling it with opposite-sexed nastiness (the ultimate invasion of any Gay person's personal space!).  She did that. Sophia did that. I ask you to think why..? I would posit the most plausible motivation would be for her to maintain tension between Casey and Tate. She feeds off of others despair, and seem to be willing to create it, at least in the case of Casey. This is a person Tate asked Casey not to bring to his house, and he did, and she 'did it' within the first 10 mins of being there - she ran to Tate's bedroom with the first guy she found. I think you or I would be equally upset in such a situation. Tate's reaction, at least on an emotional level, is super easy to relate to. It's how any of us would feel at the same moment, however, how he acted - that is a different matter.

 

Reread the text. It is all there. At this point I will await further evidence from upcoming chapters, and set Sophia aside. She's really not worth all the effort. lol

 

And thank you Irritable1 for a lively debate. I know I have not won you over ; -)    

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I am writing this because I want to give people a little of bit of insight into where Sophia is coming from. As a huge fan of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story, I fell in love with the third installment Coven. There is an actress named Emma Roberts - niece of Julia and daughter of Eric - who played a witch/actress named Madison Montgomery on the series. Madison and Sophia are quite alike though I would venture to say that Madison is more of a sociopath than Sophia is. Sophia does care about those she chooses to care about but she goes about her life very rarely considering the consequences of her actions. This often gets her into trouble.

The character that you site was highly self-absorbed and a user of people. She killed a guy early on, sewed him back together with other frat-guy parts that she liked better (like a bigger yooohooo), and reanimated him. Then knowing that her witchy-school rival liked this Frankenstein boy, she seduced him and tried to make him her sexual thrall. Madison was quite the character! I don't remember a moment in the series when she acted like she cared about anyone but herself. I may be wrong, and you can remind me if i have forgotten.

 

Sophia is not nearly that that bad. Just a messed-up girl, probably needing love like the rest of us.    

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