cj CJ By Carlos Hazday - Series Discussion

[Mikiesboy]

2 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

@BlindAmbition

 

Considering said biker has been home almost all day, and that at home clothing's not allowed, Danny may object to you coming in such close contact with the ink.

oh... i like your house rules ..  

[Defiance19]

3 hours ago, BlindAmbition said:

requires a strong inked biker to comfort 

 Swipe right...😉

[MichaelS36]

3 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

oh... i like your house rules ..  

Hmmm ... lol 

[Carlos Hazday]

@MichaelS36

 

Make sure he wears at least an apron while cooking. Splatters can be painful and dangerous...

[Mikiesboy]

50 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

@MichaelS36

 

Make sure he wears at least an apron while cooking. Splatters can be painful and dangerous...

i have one already ... LOL

[MichaelS36]

14 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

i have one already ... LOL

Ha! I like the view from behind...lol

[spike382]

Okay... so @Carlos Hazday, after thinking more about your status update today, I felt like kind of a jerk.  I don't talk to you nearly as much as I used to outside of story comments, and that's not cool.  Cause it's not like all you're good for is writing stories and that's it.  Ever since they changed the website format last year, I don't post here nearly as often, since we talk in comments so much.  But anyway... I figured I should fix that. 

[Carlos Hazday]

10 hours ago, spikey582 said:

Okay... so @Carlos Hazday, after thinking more about your status update today, I felt like kind of a jerk.  I don't talk to you nearly as much as I used to outside of story comments, and that's not cool.  Cause it's not like all you're good for is writing stories and that's it.  Ever since they changed the website format last year, I don't post here nearly as often, since we talk in comments so much.  But anyway... I figured I should fix that. 

 

Thank you.

 

Your thoughts on the effect of the software update echo mine. Not sure if I mentioned it to anybody at the time but I felt the story discussion threads would see less activity once we could chat back and forth in the chapter comments. It's happened. I try to post tidbits in here on a regular basis but so far I've failed to entice more than a few followers to participate. Maybe it's because I provide so much detail there's no need to speculate? I tried to do something about it but readers complain when I leave too many unanswered questions in short scenes.

 

Or maybe it's because of the way I reply to comments. But whatever keeps readers away from these threads (aside from the ones used to bs and chat) it's not only this one seeing less activity. Until you posted yesterday, Michael's comment from last Sunday was shown as the latest entry on the forums' page tab for promising authors. I realize there's fewer of us and hopefully that will change when @Parker Owens publishes his next story.

 

Wish I had an answer, Spikey. And I'm sure management does too. Myr has tried to build a community for authors and readers to interact, but the response has been less than enthusiastic at times. I mean, the last CJ book had over a hundred followers but the largest number of reactions has never climbed into the 80s. And the 70s are rare for me. I wish I knew how to increase that without resorting to too many sappy scenes like CJ's proposal. I know I tackle controversial topics and sometimes my personal beliefs bleed through but for the most part I try to use a balanced approach hoping to start conversations. Aside from upsetting some readers whenever CJ and his gun make an appearance, that hasn't worked either. LOL

[dughlas]

Don't change what you're doing. 

[Mikiesboy]

1 hour ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Your thoughts on the effect of the software update echo mine. Not sure if I mentioned it to anybody at the time but I felt the story discussion threads would see less activity once we could chat back and forth in the chapter comments. It's happened.

I had the same thoughts at the time..and again you/we were correct. I suppose you can say at least people are engaged somewhere. I think the worst thing any of us can do is to try and write to the market. 

 

I think that is terrible and dangerous thinking. And i dont think it works. 

[Carlos Hazday]

14 minutes ago, dughlas said:

Don't change what you're doing. 

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dugh!

[Carlos Hazday]

2 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

I think the worst thing any of us can do is to try and write to the market. 

 

No disagreement here. Recently, I had a conversation with another author concerning this. We agreed neither of us wrote 'to the market' although I acknowledge my series comes closer. Teen tales are always popular and even though my kids aren't angst driven, they're still the right age. Of course, the fact I have a liberal kid who dislikes too much government, owns a gun, and isn't big on public displays of emotion loses me some readers. I've matured CJin the almost five years of life we've followed and will continue the trend. Let's see what type of reaction that gets.

[northie]

2 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

I felt the story discussion threads would see less activity once we could chat back and forth in the chapter comments. It's happened

Barging in ... Yes, I started two threads for my chaptered, on-going stories and the response has been OKish. Like you, I try to stimulate comments in Never too late with a very mixed response. Oh well, I'm trying ... 

[Mikiesboy]

1 minute ago, Carlos Hazday said:

 

No disagreement here. Recently, I had a conversation with another author concerning this. We agreed neither of us wrote 'to the market' although I acknowledge my series comes closer. Teen tales are always popular and even though my kids aren't angst driven, they're still the right age. Of course, the fact I have a liberal kid who dislikes too much government, owns a gun, and isn't big on public displays of emotion loses me some readers. I've matured CJin the almost five years of life we've followed and will continue the trend. Let's see what type of reaction that gets.

Well, if you are telling someone's life story, you have let them grow up. Life happens to all of us, and you show that happening to CJ and his friends and family, as you should.  I don't like teen stories particularly, however you and AC Benus and a couple of others write them more realistically. Enough that i can stomach reading them.

[Carlos Hazday]

3 minutes ago, northie said:

Barging in ... Yes, I started two threads for my chaptered, on-going stories and the response has been OKish. Like you, I try to stimulate comments in Never too late with a very mixed response. Oh well, I'm trying ... 

 

And that's all we can do. I suspect the number of reactions we get as a percent of views for each chapter may be similar to the response in real life. But can you imagine the number of messages someone like King gets whenever he publishes a new book?

[Mikiesboy]

I had a forum for Changes ... AC opened it on my behalf. I never would have.  It was fine, but i'm happy to engage people where they want to talk. The current story i'm writing, well it's something different again and i'm not sure what i'm going to do with it. 

[spike382]

2 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

 

Thank you.

 

Your thoughts on the effect of the software update echo mine. Not sure if I mentioned it to anybody at the time but I felt the story discussion threads would see less activity once we could chat back and forth in the chapter comments. It's happened. I try to post tidbits in here on a regular basis but so far I've failed to entice more than a few followers to participate. Maybe it's because I provide so much detail there's no need to speculate? I tried to do something about it but readers complain when I leave too many unanswered questions in short scenes.

 

Or maybe it's because of the way I reply to comments. But whatever keeps readers away from these threads (aside from the ones used to bs and chat) it's not only this one seeing less activity. Until you posted yesterday, Michael's comment from last Sunday was shown as the latest entry on the forums' page tab for promising authors. I realize there's fewer of us and hopefully that will change when @Parker Owens publishes his next story.

 

Wish I had an answer, Spikey. And I'm sure management does too. Myr has tried to build a community for authors and readers to interact, but the response has been less than enthusiastic at times. I mean, the last CJ book had over a hundred followers but the largest number of reactions has never climbed into the 80s. And the 70s are rare for me. I wish I knew how to increase that without resorting to too many sappy scenes like CJ's proposal. I know I tackle controversial topics and sometimes my personal beliefs bleed through but for the most part I try to use a balanced approach hoping to start conversations. Aside from upsetting some readers whenever CJ and his gun make an appearance, that hasn't worked either. LOL

 

I’ve noticed this the last 6 months or so with blog activity as well. It feels like three years ago blog posts had more readers and comments.  Of course I only started paying more attention when I became a reviewer and it feels like less and less people are reading the reviews.  Of course I’ve yet to come up with a question for Ask the Authors, so I’m a lazy bum too.

[Carlos Hazday]

4 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

Well, if you are telling someone's life story, you have let them grow up. Life happens to all of us, and you show that happening to CJ and his friends and family, as you should.  I don't like teen stories particularly, however you and AC Benus and a couple of others write them more realistically. Enough that i can stomach reading them.

 

LOL

 

I have little choice here. CJ's taken over my life. Who else spends time looking at pink flamingo wallpaper for a main floor powder room in an imaginary house? And it may never make it to the page or if it does it won't be more than a line of dialogue or narration? #nolifewithoutCJ

[spike382]

3 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

I had a forum for Changes ... AC opened it on my behalf. I never would have.  It was fine, but i'm happy to engage people where they want to talk. The current story i'm writing, well it's something different again and i'm not sure what i'm going to do with it. 

 

Please post it??? You know you have a built-in readership who will check out a story simply because you post.

[Carlos Hazday]

1 minute ago, spikey582 said:

 

I’ve noticed this the last 6 months or so with blog activity as well. It feels like three years ago blog posts had more readers and comments.  Of course I only started paying more attention when I became a reviewer and it feels like less and less people are reading the reviews.  Of course I’ve yet to come up with a question for Ask the Authors, so I’m a lazy bum too.

 

I loaded in next month's AAA this week and thought of you. I'm doing an all-out blitz for questions after it goes live. I still have a few in inventory but they're all for authors I've already featured at least once. I want variety and the chance to promote different writers.

[Mikiesboy]

1 minute ago, Carlos Hazday said:

 

LOL

 

I have little choice here. CJ's taken over my life. Who else spends time looking at pink flamingo wallpaper for a main floor powder room in an imaginary house? And it may never make it to the page or if it does it won't be more than a line of dialogue or narration? #nolifewithoutCJ

me ... i have a shit ton of research ..i always do ... it makes the story real, so that we can write them.  Their worlds have to real so we can see them properly, at least that how i feel.  I have to feel i'm being honest and know what i'm talking about when i write.  i figure the same about you, C. 

[Mikiesboy]

2 minutes ago, spikey582 said:

 

Please post it??? You know you have a built-in readership who will check out a story simply because you post.

Oh sorry spikey, i was being clear as mud again ... yes, it will be posted..just not sure how.. either for the anthology or a short number of chapters.  

[tabaqui]

37 minutes ago, dughlas said:

Don't change what you're doing. 

totally agree here

[Mikiesboy]

2 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

 

I loaded in next month's AAA this week and thought of you. I'm doing an all-out blitz for questions after it goes live. I still have a few in inventory but they're all for authors I've already featured at least once. I want variety and the chance to promote different writers.

i am making a note to send you some questions C. 

[Carlos Hazday]

1 minute ago, Mikiesboy said:

me ... i have a shit ton of research ..i always do ... it makes the story real, so that we can write them.  Their worlds have to real so we can see them properly, at least that how i feel.  I have to feel i'm being honest and know what i'm talking about when i write.  i figure the same about you, C. 

 

I think you're correct. Like with the upcoming wedding. I've planned a bachelor party, a rehearsal dinner, a ceremony, the reception, and the honeymoon. And I won't even mention the tons of proposed menus I read. But this has been in planning since CJ and Owen met so I've had time. And of course, some of it allowed me to foreshadow a few things a couple of readers picked up on. That's always fun.