Just a question...

[Comicality]

<p>
Now...this was a comment made about the "Billy Chase" series last night, and I'm not taking any offense to it. I just want to know what you guys think as readers and fans of the series. It has been a long long time, and you guys know how hard I work to keep Billy's life, his attitudes, and his approach to problems that he's never dealt with before as a 15 year old boy, as realistic as possible. He's not an idiot, but he's not a super genius either. Billy is supposed to be your average teenager, trying to navigate life as best as he can. Period.

Now, I only have one life experience to draw from, personally. I was a shy kid. Insecure. Boy crazy at times, but I'd like to think that I had some heart in the way that I dealt with things. And I'm constantly trying to instill those values in the characters that I create. But...when I'm busy or exhausted, it does take me a really long time to get new chapters out. And in this 'Netflix Binge' era...I can't ever hope to keep up with the demand of folks looking for an 'ending'. Imagine if someone had bought the first <I>Superman</I> comic book nearly 80 YEARS ago, saying, "When is this story going to be OVER already???" Yikes! Sucks to be that guy! LOL!

Anyway, this was the comment:

<b>"You know I love your writing, however, are these people intellectually challenged? Can they not make rational decisions or work through anything logically. I know even adults cannot do that a lot of the time. But really, both Billy and Brandon are smart-- why do they make things so hard? I'm getting tired of this dragging out. The whole Jimmy thing is just an irritation that will never end, he lost all credibility. Why do they all use the phone so much when trying solve problems. The face-to-face is so that they cannot just hang-up on you.  The short chapters are a killer-- nothing gets done. I'm about willing to pay to get to the end of the story quickly. There are too many stories in progress. How about a schedule of which story get a new chapter next. I really do appreciate you."</b>

I doubt this was meant to be mean. It brings up some points that I want to know about. I want to hear from you guys. Everything doesn't have to be positive 100% of the time. Let me know. Is this story going in the wrong direction? Are you aggravated by the pacing? Are things not moving fast enough. I mean, every chapter is just one 24 hour period. One day in the life of a teenage boy. He's 15. Please keep that in mind. Still...it's a fictional story, and it's meant to be entertaining. Not frustrating. So if there's something that <I>truly</I> bothers you to the point of tearing your heart out from week to week, please let me know. Either here or in a private email. I want to hear what you have to say.

That does not mean that I'll feel insulted by anything you have to say. Nor does it mean that I'll cave and do things your way instead of mine. Because if you guys knew how to write the perfect story...you'd be writing it yourself. But I'm always interested in what you all have to say. K?

You guys KNOW that I always write every word from the heart. These stories are a direct and honest reflection of who I really am as a person. I don't expect to please everybody, but I also don't want my emotions to get in the way of writing a competent story for others to enjoy.

Anyway, let me know what you think down below, or send me a private email at Comicality@webtv.net if you don't want your comments to be made public. K?

Also, this is JUST about the "Billy Chase" story itself! K? Don't go into attack mode! Hehehe, it's ok. This is someone who's been a faithful reader, and I welcome his input. Just as I do yours. So let's stay focused, k?

[Shadow086]

Well, first of all, I kind of agree that it gets frustrating to see Billy keep making the same mistakes and never learning from them.  But that's what a lot of teenagers do, so I don't have a problem with that.It wouldn't be realistic or entertaining if these boys always got everything right the first time.  It's a bit like watching a horror movie and going "DON'T GO IN THERE!!!".

 

I don't have an issue with the pacing, but I think the whole Jimmy situation is getting out of hand, and it's taking time away from other. things that could be explored further.For example, we haven't heard from Sam in a while (I thought he was dealing with Jimmy, but clearly that's not working), whatever's going on with Trace, Simon, and Mr. Franks, to name a few things.  There's so much going on in Billy's life, and sometimes it feels like Jimmy's becoming a distraction from everything else.

[MrM]

That's the genius of Billy Chase!

 

All that intelligence brought to bear on something like the complexities of relationships and, due to lack of experience, it all goes wrong! This is how teens deal! I remember! I thunk lots of great thunks and STILL got stuff wrong cause it was nothing to do with how smart a person is but how much stuff someone's gone through in their lives. Relationships are all about wisdom!

[Kitt]

12 hours ago, Comicality said:

I don't expect to please everybody,

 

I think this is the key here.

 

First off, Billy's story is on my reading list but I have not yet had the pleasure.

 

That being said, no matter how good a story is, how well written, superbly and professionally edited, and loved by many, there will always be one or two you cannot please.  Even were you to make all the changes this commenter listed, s/he would just find other things to change.

 

There is only one person you need to please religiously.  Go look in the mirror and introduce yourself!

Edited December 11, 2017 by Kitt

[Comicality]

Thanks, you guys, for your input.

 

I can't do any better. I can't expel any more energy, I can't exhaust myself any further, I don't have any more hours in the day. All I can do is keep writing and have you guys choose to come by at your leisure to see what's new. Nobody can FORCE me to write for the site any more than I can force them to comment and review the chapters I put out there for free. So...'give something, get something'. You'dbe surprised how many people forget their half of that very SIMPLE equation.

 

I appreciate the feedback. I just want to make sure that I'm not CRAZY and pissing everybody off with what I do online?

 

I have feelings too. I'm just trying to entertain you... 

[Shadow086]

Honestly, I think Billy Chase is paced better when you read the whole completed book at once.  I don't think it's anything you're doing wrong, or that you need to work even harder than you already are (and I would never ask you to), but the style and format you use for Billy Chase just doesn't work as well for single chapter releases.

 

That doesn't mean it's bad, or that you should change anything about it, just that some readers might need to approach it differently from your other stories.

 

The Jimmy thing keeps dragging on because Billy is being stupid in how he handles it, which is in chraracter for him, so I don't really have an issue with it.

[Madron]

REALLY???  REALLY!!!??   When was the last time an audience told a writer what to write or how to tell the story?   Comsie is what I would consider the BEST writer on this site and any offerings he deigns to give us is aces in my book.  I have read everything he's written ( except for his essay in high school on the origins of the Civil War! ) and have been amazed at his talent and how prolific he is.  How he does what he does and as quickly as he does is beyond me. He must be doing this full time and not have a "regular job" in order to satiate our craving for his exceptional story telling.  I dare anyone to read the first chapter of A Class By Himself and not squeeeeeeeee out loud and have a smile on their face for a week.  That is talent and I would never tell him how to work his magic.

 

 I get that we all want to know what happens next ASAP.   We're human and that seems to be how the world is today with our yearning for instant gratification.  Sometimes it is the journey and not the destination that matters.   We should put our trust in him to unfold his stories in his own unique way.  Of course I often want to open this site and see a new addition to his stories every day.  That isn't going to happen.  But somehow they are that much sweeter when they are posted and return like a lost friend into our hearts.

 

We all can leave a story that moves too slow for our tastes.  But I think we would miss out on some amazing literature.   I for one have been incredibly remiss in not giving Comsie his due by responding to his stories as I should have in the past.  No longer. 

 

Comsie, I think you really write for yourself as most great writers do.  Those of us that are lucky enough to have found you are the benefactors of a marvelous gift.  Keep up the amazing work and do it in your own way.

[MrM]

5 hours ago, Comicality said:

Thanks, you guys, for your input.

 

I can't do any better. I can't expel any more energy, I can't exhaust myself any further, I don't have any more hours in the day. All I can do is keep writing and have you guys choose to come by at your leisure to see what's new. Nobody can FORCE me to write for the site any more than I can force them to comment and review the chapters I put out there for free. So...'give something, get something'. You'dbe surprised how many people forget their half of that very SIMPLE equation.

 

I appreciate the feedback. I just want to make sure that I'm not CRAZY and pissing everybody off with what I do online?

 

I have feelings too. I'm just trying to entertain you... 

 

~tsk~

 

I wish you wouldn't beat on yourself in a way that causes pain (notice how I phrased that?)

 

Take comfort, if you wish, in the fact that your works have so deeply touched me that I needed to respond in kind with a story to echo Billy Chase and I've gotten my fair share of criticism about it. The main one, of course being, that it comes forth too slowly. I take that as a backhanded compliment. It's frustrating to have to wait for good Barbecue to get done, but it's so worth it when it is and done right! Rush the BBQ master and you'll end up with a burnt brisket and a very pi$$ed off cook!

 

I know I can't set things to a schedule. I have a job. I have a sick dad. I have a community and friends that need attention. I write for fun and I write to share so I can only work within the boundaries of what is not stressful to me and where it becomes 'work'. I work hard enough, I want my writing to be that happy place I go that I can then share with others who want to go to my 'Happy Place' with me. 

 

Trust me, you don't want to go to my 'Unhappy Place'. A couple of my stories have gone there and it's NOT pretty!

 

````

In other news, I may be the only one, but I really empathize with poor old Jimmy. Jimmy could be my neuotic dark half where Brandon is my neurotic light half. Jimmy's plight so affected me that I even composed a playlist to 'tell' his story of desperation. 

 

^ See? This is what Comsie's stuff makes me do!   

Edited December 11, 2017 by MrM

[Comicality]

I always feel like I sound angry and oversensitive about stuff like this. I'm really not. I swear!

 

I just want you guys to understand my side of things. I might write a full section on this for 'Imagine' for April or May of next year (I've been pouring a LOT of new material into that thing! Hehehe!) so folks can get a glimpse of why I do things the way I do. I mean...

 

Ok...think about the clothes in your closet right now. How many shirts do you have? One? Two? If you had to guess...how many shirts would you say you have in there to wear? It's not just one or two, is it? You don't want to wear the same clothes every single day of your life. You don't want somebody constantly telling you, "Why don't you wear the white T-shirt again? And again? And AGAIN?" Because I don't feel like it today. Is that ok with you? Well, the number of stories that I have going on all at once works the same way. Maybe you wake up tomorrow and you decide to wear a red shirt. Maybe you feel like wearing blue. Maybe you decide to wear all black. It depends on how you feel on that particular day. You fill your closet up with a variety of clothes so that you have an open 'choice' depending on how you feel and what you want to wear. The stories are no different. I write what I feel. It's honest. I don't fake it for the sake of pleasing an impatient audience. I please the audience by giving them the truth about who I am and what I'm feeling. I tell stories that relate to what I went through growing up and my understanding of life in general. When I wake up in the morning, depending on my feelings, or the day I've had, or the problems I'm dealing with, or just a horny itch that I want to scratch, hehehe...I have different stories that I can pour those emotions into. I don't write 'happy' stories when I feel like shit. I don't write depressing chapters when I'm feeling goofy and fun. That would be fake, and you guys would be able to tell immediately. I'd much rather have people wait a while longer than post something fake and rushed and written under pressure so everybody can get online and tell everybody how much it sucked. I worked too hard to get the stories where they are to screw it all up now.

 

I don't think that people realize that the very REASON they read my stories and want more is because I'm sooooo emotionally connected to every word that I write. Mistakes and all. But in order to maintain that emotional connection, I have to write the stories *MY* way. I mean...ugh...does that make sense to you all? I can't *DO* this YOUR way! Your way is not what made these stories what they are. And it may be frustrating for you guys to wait, I get that. But this is what it takes for the stories to come out the way they do. This is why you bother to read or care about the stories at all. So, are you going to cheer me on and enjoy the new offerings, or are you going to slow down the process by attempting to control something that you simply CAN'T control. I can't control it either. You can only hurt or anger me by trying to push harder or ask more of me than what is humanly possible. I write every night. Seven days a week. There is no 'eighth' day! This is all I have to give you. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'm not a soulless computer. There's an actual human being on the other side of your laptop screen.

 

I'm not going to force myself to ruin the reputation I spent nearly 20 years building from the ground up just for the sake of rushing to put something lame out there. I just won't. Please stick with me, k? I've written a TON of new stuff! I JUST started posting new chapters every few days. Three in the past week. "Waiting Outside The Lines" is up. "Billy Chase" is up. A new short story called "Photos Lately" is up. ENJOY them! More to come! Check back tomorrow! And Wednesday! And Friday! And Sunday! Give me a chance. I just re-balanced my whole life in the real world to come back and resume my dedication to you guys. I was hoping you'd all be EXCITED about the new stuff getting posted! Not upset.  

 

Anyway, thanks again. I hope you guys can understand me on this. All I hear is what people 'want' from me. But they can't enjoy or appreciate what I've just done. I just want people to be fair to me. Remember...if you think this is easy, my chapters usually clock in around 3500 words. (Billy Chase chapters are usually half that) Come up with an idea, and try writing one yourself. Then continue, every week, for a month. See how well you do. Who knows? Maybe you can do it better than I can. Which would be awesome!

[MrM]

10 hours ago, Comicality said:

I always feel like I sound angry and oversensitive about stuff like this. I'm really not. I swear!

 

I just want you guys to understand my side of things. I might write a full section on this for 'Imagine' for April or May of next year (I've been pouring a LOT of new material into that thing! Hehehe!) so folks can get a glimpse of why I do things the way I do. I mean...

 

Ok...think about the clothes in your closet right now. How many shirts do you have? One? Two? If you had to guess...how many shirts would you say you have in there to wear? It's not just one or two, is it? You don't want to wear the same clothes every single day of your life. You don't want somebody constantly telling you, "Why don't you wear the white T-shirt again? And again? And AGAIN?" Because I don't feel like it today. Is that ok with you? Well, the number of stories that I have going on all at once works the same way. Maybe you wake up tomorrow and you decide to wear a red shirt. Maybe you feel like wearing blue. Maybe you decide to wear all black. It depends on how you feel on that particular day. You fill your closet up with a variety of clothes so that you have an open 'choice' depending on how you feel and what you want to wear. The stories are no different. I write what I feel. It's honest. I don't fake it for the sake of pleasing an impatient audience. I please the audience by giving them the truth about who I am and what I'm feeling. I tell stories that relate to what I went through growing up and my understanding of life in general. When I wake up in the morning, depending on my feelings, or the day I've had, or the problems I'm dealing with, or just a horny itch that I want to scratch, hehehe...I have different stories that I can pour those emotions into. I don't write 'happy' stories when I feel like shit. I don't write depressing chapters when I'm feeling goofy and fun. That would be fake, and you guys would be able to tell immediately. I'd much rather have people wait a while longer than post something fake and rushed and written under pressure so everybody can get online and tell everybody how much it sucked. I worked too hard to get the stories where they are to screw it all up now.

 

I don't think that people realize that the very REASON they read my stories and want more is because I'm sooooo emotionally connected to every word that I write. Mistakes and all. But in order to maintain that emotional connection, I have to write the stories *MY* way. I mean...ugh...does that make sense to you all? I can't *DO* this YOUR way! Your way is not what made these stories what they are. And it may be frustrating for you guys to wait, I get that. But this is what it takes for the stories to come out the way they do. This is why you bother to read or care about the stories at all. So, are you going to cheer me on and enjoy the new offerings, or are you going to slow down the process by attempting to control something that you simply CAN'T control. I can't control it either. You can only hurt or anger me by trying to push harder or ask more of me than what is humanly possible. I write every night. Seven days a week. There is no 'eighth' day! This is all I have to give you. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'm not a soulless computer. There's an actual human being on the other side of your laptop screen.

 

I'm not going to force myself to ruin the reputation I spent nearly 20 years building from the ground up just for the sake of rushing to put something lame out there. I just won't. Please stick with me, k? I've written a TON of new stuff! I JUST started posting new chapters every few days. Three in the past week. "Waiting Outside The Lines" is up. "Billy Chase" is up. A new short story called "Photos Lately" is up. ENJOY them! More to come! Check back tomorrow! And Wednesday! And Friday! And Sunday! Give me a chance. I just re-balanced my whole life in the real world to come back and resume my dedication to you guys. I was hoping you'd all be EXCITED about the new stuff getting posted! Not upset.  

 

Anyway, thanks again. I hope you guys can understand me on this. All I hear is what people 'want' from me. But they can't enjoy or appreciate what I've just done. I just want people to be fair to me. Remember...if you think this is easy, my chapters usually clock in around 3500 words. (Billy Chase chapters are usually half that) Come up with an idea, and try writing one yourself. Then continue, every week, for a month. See how well you do. Who knows? Maybe you can do it better than I can. Which would be awesome!

 

I think it also has to do with the content of a particular piece you are working how long it takes. For instance, currently I'm working a chapter of Snowflake, which usually is 10k+ words, and it's a very involved chapter. I'm having to chip away at it bit by bit. Some days I can barely get down a paragraph. I'll admit lately that I've been struggling with some major distractions, but also this part of the story is a turning point so it would take a while regardless. 

 

The wise would say I should have written this all beforehand and then published in a. controlled way, but . . . then I wouldn't get any feedback, so.

 

I feel ya, Comsie. But I think you know that and I'm afraid your detractors will never answer this plea for understanding. They love hit and run tactics. Bloody terrorists!  

Edited December 12, 2017 by MrM

[Comicality]

I guess...

 

I'll try harder. ::Shrugs:: People want more.

 

The new stuff I'll be posting this week and next week will just have to be wasted. Who cares, right?

[MrM]

5 hours ago, Comicality said:

I guess...

 

I'll try harder. ::Shrugs:: People want more.

 

The new stuff I'll be posting this week and next week will just have to be wasted. Who cares, right?

 

Don't you make me fly up to Chicago in that weather and take you out to get drunk! I don't do snow! 

[Comicality]

 

No worries. I had to leave my job and all my friends in Chicago to move down here to Georgia. So no Winter Christmas for me. I'll buy a few beers tomorrow and celebrate just the same. K?

 

::Missing Home:: 

[jkwsquirrel]

I get it, my friend.  Your stories are like your kids.  People (even well-meaning people) who criticize your stories (even if they have good intentions) are like people who criticize your kids.  And people who criticize your writing style are like people who criticize the way you raise your kids.  You've got twenty years of credibility, writers (like me) who consider you their inspiration for getting into writing, and your "kids" have "grandkids" in a way.  And yet, you still want to write to the best of your ability and challenge yourself to be great at what you do.  I think your track record speaks for itself.  Keep on doing things your way, and knowing that you continue to inspire readers and writers alike with your dedication and skill.

[MrM]

7 hours ago, Comicality said:

 

No worries. I had to leave my job and all my friends in Chicago to move down here to Georgia. So no Winter Christmas for me. I'll buy a few beers tomorrow and celebrate just the same. K?

 

::Missing Home:: 

 

      

[Wesley8890]

On 12/11/2017 at 8:02 AM, Shadow086 said:

Honestly, I think Billy Chase is paced better when you read the whole completed book at once.  I don't think it's anything you're doing wrong, or that you need to work even harder than you already are (and I would never ask you to), but the style and format you use for Billy Chase just doesn't work as well for single chapter releases.

 

That doesn't mean it's bad, or that you should change anything about it, just that some readers might need to approach it differently from your other stories.

 

The Jimmy thing keeps dragging on because Billy is being stupid in how he handles it, which is in chraracter for him, so I don't really have an issue with it.

I'd have to disagree with that. I think the style is good to either read all together or just weekly. I have to credit @Comicality because my most popular story is based off of the journal style and has worked great. But honestly reading it all at once is kind of like the little kid trying to read his sisters diary trying to get info and not digesting it. 

[Wesley8890]

9 hours ago, Comicality said:

 

No worries. I had to leave my job and all my friends in Chicago to move down here to Georgia. So no Winter Christmas for me. I'll buy a few beers tomorrow and celebrate just the same. K?

 

::Missing Home:: 

Holy crap you live in Georgia! Yay one of my fave authors lives relatively close to me!!!

[Wesley8890]

On 12/11/2017 at 11:50 PM, Comicality said:

 

Anyway, thanks again. I hope you guys can understand me on this. All I hear is what people 'want' from me. But they can't enjoy or appreciate what I've just done. I just want people to be fair to me. Remember...if you think this is easy, my chapters usually clock in around 3500 words. (Billy Chase chapters are usually half that) Come up with an idea, and try writing one yourself. Then continue, every week, for a month. See how well you do. Who knows? Maybe you can do it better than I can. Which would be awesome!

It takes me a week just to get barely 1500 out. Its frustrating sometimes. My latest chapter has been stuck on 460 since May. I love all your work. Take it at your own pace, the only person's opinion you should be worried about is your own! Lots of hugs!!

[spike382]

On 12/10/2017 at 5:52 PM, Comicality said:

<p>
Now...this was a comment made about the "Billy Chase" series last night, and I'm not taking any offense to it. I just want to know what you guys think as readers and fans of the series. It has been a long long time, and you guys know how hard I work to keep Billy's life, his attitudes, and his approach to problems that he's never dealt with before as a 15 year old boy, as realistic as possible. He's not an idiot, but he's not a super genius either. Billy is supposed to be your average teenager, trying to navigate life as best as he can. Period.

Now, I only have one life experience to draw from, personally. I was a shy kid. Insecure. Boy crazy at times, but I'd like to think that I had some heart in the way that I dealt with things. And I'm constantly trying to instill those values in the characters that I create. But...when I'm busy or exhausted, it does take me a really long time to get new chapters out. And in this 'Netflix Binge' era...I can't ever hope to keep up with the demand of folks looking for an 'ending'. Imagine if someone had bought the first <I>Superman</I> comic book nearly 80 YEARS ago, saying, "When is this story going to be OVER already???" Yikes! Sucks to be that guy! LOL!

Anyway, this was the comment:

<b>"You know I love your writing, however, are these people intellectually challenged? Can they not make rational decisions or work through anything logically. I know even adults cannot do that a lot of the time. But really, both Billy and Brandon are smart-- why do they make things so hard? I'm getting tired of this dragging out. The whole Jimmy thing is just an irritation that will never end, he lost all credibility. Why do they all use the phone so much when trying solve problems. The face-to-face is so that they cannot just hang-up on you.  The short chapters are a killer-- nothing gets done. I'm about willing to pay to get to the end of the story quickly. There are too many stories in progress. How about a schedule of which story get a new chapter next. I really do appreciate you."</b>

I doubt this was meant to be mean. It brings up some points that I want to know about. I want to hear from you guys. Everything doesn't have to be positive 100% of the time. Let me know. Is this story going in the wrong direction? Are you aggravated by the pacing? Are things not moving fast enough. I mean, every chapter is just one 24 hour period. One day in the life of a teenage boy. He's 15. Please keep that in mind. Still...it's a fictional story, and it's meant to be entertaining. Not frustrating. So if there's something that <I>truly</I> bothers you to the point of tearing your heart out from week to week, please let me know. Either here or in a private email. I want to hear what you have to say.

That does not mean that I'll feel insulted by anything you have to say. Nor does it mean that I'll cave and do things your way instead of mine. Because if you guys knew how to write the perfect story...you'd be writing it yourself. But I'm always interested in what you all have to say. K?

You guys KNOW that I always write every word from the heart. These stories are a direct and honest reflection of who I really am as a person. I don't expect to please everybody, but I also don't want my emotions to get in the way of writing a competent story for others to enjoy.

Anyway, let me know what you think down below, or send me a private email at Comicality@webtv.net if you don't want your comments to be made public. K?

Also, this is JUST about the "Billy Chase" story itself! K? Don't go into attack mode! Hehehe, it's ok. This is someone who's been a faithful reader, and I welcome his input. Just as I do yours. So let's stay focused, k?

 

Comsie, this is going to sound lame for me to say this, but I think this just comes with the territory of being a writer.  Something I've never understood, and don't personally subscribe to, is that certain people who feel they invest time into a particular piece of writing, think that because they have done this they are then owed by the author.  I don't get this, I really don't understand it.  This happens to professional writers all the time.  It's actually worse when people actually make a purchase for said writing.  They seem to be under the impression that there some sort of "unwritten contract" that says if an author starts a piece of ongoing fiction, they are under obligation to finish the series or whatever it is they are interested in.  

 

It comes up a TON for people who have read the books on which Game of Thrones was based.  That writer has been writing that book series longer than you have been writing New Kid and Gone From Daylight, and yet, he's only produced 5 (?) books, and it doesn't appear that he has any plans to actually finish the series anytime soon.  But people feel like he HAS to finish the series for them, because they paid for the books he's already written.  Now obviously, that's total bullshit, and no writer is under ANY obligation to write anything except perhaps if they have a contract with someone paying them to write.  

 

In this case, it seems even more ridiculous, as you have been providing all of your writing for FREE online for the entirety of your writing career.  Perhaps this person purchased  the Billy Chase ebooks?  Either way, you are providing free entertainment on the internet.  You control the story and you write it YOUR way.  You write what you feel like writing when you feel like it.  It seems like this person wants to control what you write, and tell you how you have to write it to please them.  That does not work.  Like Kitt said, the only person you truly need to please here is yourself.  Everybody else should just be thanking you for sharing your talents and imagination with the rest of us.  

 

So, as always, thanks for all you do Comsie.