Tiger Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 I still can't believe the negative feelings towards the hero of the story Yes, Eric was probably looking at things sometimes in a selfish way, but what teenager doesn't and can be realistic? I think there was a lot of good in Eric, you just had to look for them in the right places. But I know I'll never change anyone's opinion on poor misunderstood Eric . He still is, always was, and always will be my hero in FTL. Steve He is not so much of a hero as he is a villain seeking redemption. He's the story's anti-hero at best. His sins far outweigh what he did in the end. There's still some devious undertones in his personality. He actually tried to kill someone. He also was involved in an array of dubious and illicit activities.
Site Administrator wildone Posted January 24, 2008 Site Administrator Posted January 24, 2008 He is not so much of a hero as he is a villain seeking redemption. He's the story's anti-hero at best. His sins far outweigh what he did in the end. There's still some devious undertones in his personality. He actually tried to kill someone. He also was involved in an array of dubious and illicit activities. But..But...But Can't you believe in someone redeeming themselves? Me being Canadian, I have to believe that people can be rehabilitated (if the government thinks so, then it must be true ). And far as the snippet that we got of what he is up to now, last time I checked, being a tele-evangelist wasn't illegal (although this opinion may be not too popular). Lastly, as a member of SPICE, need I remind you of his name? I just think that CJ maybe didn't cast him in the proper light in the story . Just another poor misunderstood Eric I say. Steve
Benji Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 I still can't believe the negative feelings towards the hero of the story Yes, Eric was probably looking at things sometimes in a selfish way, but what teenager doesn't and can be realistic? I think there was a lot of good in Eric, you just had to look for them in the right places. But I know I'll never change anyone's opinion on poor misunderstood Eric . He still is, always was, and always will be my hero in FTL. Steve ............Erick!! "the hero of the story" Egads man!! hand that bottle of tequila back to CJ. ERICK in FTL was a complete sociopath the only "good" in him was that he was good at getting away
Tiger Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 But..But...But Can't you believe in someone redeeming themselves? Me being Canadian, I have to believe that people can be rehabilitated (if the government thinks so, then it must be true ). And far as the snippet that we got of what he is up to now, last time I checked, being a tele-evangelist wasn't illegal (although this opinion may be not too popular). Lastly, as a member of SPICE, need I remind you of his name? I just think that CJ maybe didn't cast him in the proper light in the story . Just another poor misunderstood Eric I say. Steve That's a good point. Perhaps we should have the goat's head stuffed and mounted for turning Eric into a televangelist. Televangelists are evil and cannot be redeamed.
FrenchCanadian Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 I agree, Eric is still on the dark side.. his motives were selfish.. and the last we heard was that he is a TV preacher now (IMHO thats absolutely on the dark side ). Yea, there is still a lot to tell i think But CJ already promised a sequel, didnt he :) Nah, Eric's not totally a bad kid. I'm sure that he can change, and that he ain't as bad as people will think. I think that at the end he deserve a better ending than having to run away
Benji Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 Nah, Eric's not totally a bad kid. I'm sure that he can change, and that he ain't as bad as people will think. I think that at the end he deserve a better ending than having to run away ............WTF, another one, CJ quit passing that bottle around!! In the end, if theres any justice, the little sh_t sociopath will die a horrible death. (maybe two barb-b-que spits)
Tiger Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 ............WTF, another one, CJ quit passing that bottle around!! In the end, if theres any justice, the little sh_t sociopath will die a horrible death. (maybe two barb-b-que spits) You should advocate no such thing, even as a reluctant member of SPiCE. By then end of the sequel, he should see the light. Don't encourage the goat to be cruel to Eric. That's not what we're all about.
Benji Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 You should advocate no such thing, even as a reluctant member of SPiCE. By then end of the sequel, he should see the light. Don't encourage the goat to be cruel to Eric. That's not what we're all about. ...........Why is the theme song for the Twilight Zone running thru my head??
FrenchCanadian Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 ............WTF, another one, CJ quit passing that bottle around!! In the end, if theres any justice, the little sh_t sociopath will die a horrible death. (maybe two barb-b-que spits) Well, from what I remember of the end, Eric kinda saved the day. I mean, ya he done some horrible things but we don't know everything, was he being brainwashed, or something, we don't know. what's important to remember is that at the end he turned around. He deserved the chance.
Benji Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 Well, from what I remember of the end, Eric kinda saved the day. I mean, ya he done some horrible things but we don't know everything, was he being brainwashed, or something, we don't know. what's important to remember is that at the end he turned around. He deserved the chance. ..........The way I see it Eric saved his own ass, he showed no emotion in killing the Sheriff and two others, he's probably a genius as some sociopaths tend to be, so it was no reach for me to see that Eric was all for Eric. He switched sides at the last minute, Why! cause the Sheriff probably had plans to kill him, so he kills the Sheriff first,and it benefited ERIC, he walks out with all the cash and drives into the sunset. Because he helped his brother and their friends...no one cares to pursue him...Eric's not dumb
C James Posted January 24, 2008 Author Posted January 24, 2008 Well, from what I remember of the end, Eric kinda saved the day. I mean, ya he done some horrible things but we don't know everything, was he being brainwashed, or something, we don't know. what's important to remember is that at the end he turned around. He deserved the chance. Eric (in FTL) was on drugs, methamphetamines mainly but others as well. He was supplied them by his uncle, the Sheriff. Some people become very, very different from "normal" on methamphetamines. I planted little clues, such as his shaking ands and exagerated eye movements (eyes always darting around) but, being limited by being in 1st person, I could only do that and then show it with his own words at the end. FTL's Eric was not (when not on drugs) the sociopath we saw, but as we saw from the "televangelist fleecing the flock" he's no goody two-shoes, either. But he paid a heavy price; he lost his home, what was left of his childhood, and his family. Remember his stopping to see Steve one last time, once he already had the money? He did that, when he could have just left with the $$$. He also saved Steve's life, and for that matter, everyone's life. But he wasn't how he appeared at first. That was due to the drugs, and the sheriff. I kept saying all along; poor, misunderstood Eric. But nobody believed me. So what was Eric, really? The way I saw him was mixed. But what is he really like? Well, there is a sequel underway where we find out. I'd long planned one, but reading this thread and the posts above made me realize how much * missed the world of FTL, so, around 1am last night, I started. Don't count on it soon; I need to get several chapters written first, and "Jake" will still be following LTMP so this won't have the posting rate of LTMP, but the gang from FTL will be back. (well, umm, not the Sheriff and his henchmen from the mine... ). Okay, one big difference... And I need to bounce this off y'all. FTL was written in 1st person. That caused me all kinds of headaches. The opening scene just came out as third person last night, and I think it works better that way. Would it seem strange to switch from 1st person in FTL to 3rd for a sequel?
Benji Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 Eric (in FTL) was on drugs, methamphetamines mainly but others as well. He was supplied them by his uncle, the Sheriff. Some people become very, very different from "normal" on methamphetamines. I planted little clues, such as his shaking ands and exagerated eye movements (eyes always darting around) but, being limited by being in 1st person, I could only do that and then show it with his own words at the end. FTL's Eric was not (when not on drugs) the sociopath we saw, but as we saw from the "televangelist fleecing the flock" he's no goody two-shoes, either. But he paid a heavy price; he lost his home, what was left of his childhood, and his family. Remember his stopping to see Steve one last time, once he already had the money? He did that, when he could have just left with the $$$. He also saved Steve's life, and for that matter, everyone's life. But he wasn't how he appeared at first. That was due to the drugs, and the sheriff. I kept saying all along; poor, misunderstood Eric. But nobody believed me. So what was Eric, really? The way I saw him was mixed. But what is he really like? Well, there is a sequel underway where we find out. I'd long planned one, but reading this thread and the posts above made me realize how much * missed the world of FTL, so, around 1am last night, I started. Don't count on it soon; I need to get several chapters written first, and "Jake" will still be following LTMP so this won't have the posting rate of LTMP, but the gang from FTL will be back. (well, umm, not the Sheriff and his henchmen from the mine... ). Okay, one big difference... And I need to bounce this off y'all. FTL was written in 1st person. That caused me all kinds of headaches. The opening scene just came out as third person last night, and I think it works better that way. Would it seem strange to switch from 1st person in FTL to 3rd for a sequel? ..........Try it, you'll like it (poor misunderstood Eric..gasp!!) :wacko:
Bondwriter Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 Eric (in FTL) was on drugs, (...) But he wasn't how he appeared at first. That was due to the drugs, and the sheriff. I kept saying all along; poor, misunderstood Eric. But nobody believed me. Well, now, now, CJ, you're turning into some bleeding-heart liberal! "The drugs made me do it..." To me that's the lamest defense someone can come up with. If all people who used drugs had turned into Erics, well, the world would no longer exist. Plus he manages to walk away free, no jail time, not exactly as it happens to those who get caught for JUST the drugs charge. Actually, how much time could he have served in Arizona had he been caught? And the epilogue lets us know he's still as venal, and deceitful. So no redeeming value in this character. But the evidence of you skills for propaganda (which could also be your animal magnetism...)
Site Administrator Graeme Posted January 24, 2008 Site Administrator Posted January 24, 2008 Okay, one big difference... And I need to bounce this off y'all. FTL was written in 1st person. That caused me all kinds of headaches. The opening scene just came out as third person last night, and I think it works better that way. Would it seem strange to switch from 1st person in FTL to 3rd for a sequel? Depending on how you write it, I don't see a problem. You've shown with LTMP that you can write very good and very emotionally gripping 3rd person. Don't worry about it. I will admit that I've read one series that was written in 3rd person, and then the author switched to 1st person in the last story. It was very disconcerting at first, but that was mainly because it was also written in a very different style. We had a lot more personal thoughts and comments from the narrator than we'd been allowed to see in the 3rd person books and that took a bit of getting used to. I don't expect you'll have that problem
Bondwriter Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 I don't think it would be bad if it were third person. Though it was first person, I'm left with a movie-like impression of the scenes, so as long as the tone is similar, I don't see what would change. Except that it would allow you to play even meaner tricks on us poor readers.
C James Posted January 28, 2008 Author Posted January 28, 2008 ..........Try it, you'll like it (poor misunderstood Eric..gasp!!) :wacko: Yes, poor misunderstood Eric will be back. So too will Blackheart (the evil hacker himself.;.. remember, riding off that cliff left him just brain-damaged, not dead) The Sheriff won't be back though... I felt his character would be a little stiff. Well, now, now, CJ, you're turning into some bleeding-heart liberal! "The drugs made me do it..." To me that's the lamest defense someone can come up with. If all people who used drugs had turned into Erics, well, the world would no longer exist. Plus he manages to walk away free, no jail time, not exactly as it happens to those who get caught for JUST the drugs charge. Actually, how much time could he have served in Arizona had he been caught? And the epilogue lets us know he's still as venal, and deceitful. So no redeeming value in this character. But the evidence of you skills for propaganda (which could also be your animal magnetism...) Oh, I never said he was perfect. As for how much time he'd haver served if caught? Likly years. He's a minor but those kind of charges would have landed him in jail for over a decade at a minimum. That's why he had to leave. But, think back.. He stopped by to see Steve once he already had the $$$. Why? On the mitigating side, he was being egged on (in some ways) and also supplied drugs by the Sheriff and his father (Thaddeus J. Emoe). That would be a mitigating circumstance, in the eyes of some. So, did Eric really change? We just don't know. I couldn't show his thoughts in 1st person, so there was no way to be certain. But Eric, at the very least, was certainly... Misunderstood. Depending on how you write it, I don't see a problem. You've shown with LTMP that you can write very good and very emotionally gripping 3rd person. Don't worry about it. I will admit that I've read one series that was written in 3rd person, and then the author switched to 1st person in the last story. It was very disconcerting at first, but that was mainly because it was also written in a very different style. We had a lot more personal thoughts and comments from the narrator than we'd been allowed to see in the 3rd person books and that took a bit of getting used to. I don't expect you'll have that problem Thanks!!! I've still got a long way to go in learning how to use third (or first or second, for that matter! LoL) but I'm more comfortable in third. I also need the power of it; 1st person is very limiting, especially for a complex plot; getting your protagonist into position to learn everything the reader needs to know can be difficult. I don't think it would be bad if it were third person. Though it was first person, I'm left with a movie-like impression of the scenes, so as long as the tone is similar, I don't see what would change. Except that it would allow you to play even meaner tricks on us poor readers. Thank you!!! The tone will be quite similar. BTW, the Epilogue for FTL was written first; before even Ch 1 (YEs, a weird thing to do, but the epilogue for LTMP was sketched out years ago, too). I did of course re-write it in places, including the bits about Blackheart and Dex and Betty's wedding, and it originally took place in San Diego instead of Hawaii, and I brushed up the wording a great deal, but plotwise, that was basically the same epilogue I wrote at the start. However, there was one HUGE change. I originally had the epilogue set fifteen years in the future. I changed that, to leave the door open for a sequel.
FrenchCanadian Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 Yes, poor misunderstood Eric will be back. So too will Blackheart (the evil hacker himself.;.. remember, riding off that cliff left him just brain-damaged, not dead) BTW, the Epilogue for FTL was written first; before even Ch 1 (YEs, a weird thing to do, but the epilogue for LTMP was sketched out years ago, too). I did of course re-write it in places, including the bits about Blackheart and Dex and Betty's wedding, and it originally took place in San Diego instead of Hawaii, and I brushed up the wording a great deal, but plotwise, that was basically the same epilogue I wrote at the start. However, there was one HUGE change. I originally had the epilogue set fifteen years in the future. I changed that, to leave the door open for a sequel. I was about sure that Blackheart had died that day in hawa
Benji Posted January 28, 2008 Posted January 28, 2008 I was about sure that Blackheart had died that day in hawa
C James Posted January 29, 2008 Author Posted January 29, 2008 I was about sure that Blackheart had died that day in hawa
FrenchCanadian Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Here's the part of the epilogue that deals with Blackheart. Looking up from the keyboard, Dex
Benji Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Umm, you didn't tell us that the blackheart character was based upon yourself CJ? as for the working title for the sequel, it would make sense depending on what it will be the story about,, cause after all , he's the poor misunderstood Eric!! ........He can always title it S.P.I.C.E
C James Posted January 29, 2008 Author Posted January 29, 2008 Umm, you didn't tell us that the blackheart character was based upon yourself CJ? as for the working title for the sequel, it would make sense depending on what it will be the story about,, cause after all , he's the poor misunderstood Eric!! Nooo! I never said, specifically, who Blackheart was based upon. However, it may or may not be a coincidence that a certain writer used that handle on several other boards, including being hosted under that name. However, here, that writer is known as Shadowgod. The T-shirt Blackheart is wearing in the story (for the scene in Hawaii) is one Shadowgod owns (and there is a picture of him in it posted in the thread.) The motorcycle he rode over the cliff was the same make and model as the one Jacob in LiS was riding, and there are many, many other coincidences. One that comes to mind; Blackheart's shoe store was called the Shoe Whore Shoe Store. It is entirely coincidental that Shadowgod had a blog entry with the title "Shoe whore?" a few weeks prior. ........He can always title it S.P.I.C.E ROFL! Well, I've always assumed that SPiCE was for LTMP's Eric, not FTL's. LoL. I guess I could just say Eric Carlisle as opposed to Eric Williams (or should that be Eric Emoe, given who his real father is?) I don't want the sequel to be about Eric though, even though he's a major character in it. So, the title is still undecided. But, "misunderstood" fits the plot even without Eric, so....
shadowgod Posted January 29, 2008 Posted January 29, 2008 Nooo! I never said, specifically, who Blackheart was based upon. However, it may or may not be a coincidence that a certain writer used that handle on several other boards, including being hosted under that name. However, here, that writer is known as Shadowgod. The T-shirt Blackheart is wearing in the story (for the scene in Hawaii) is one Shadowgod owns (and there is a picture of him in it posted in the thread.) The motorcycle he rode over the cliff was the same make and model as the one Jacob in LiS was riding, and there are many, many other coincidences. One that comes to mind; Blackheart's shoe store was called the Shoe Whore Shoe Store. It is entirely coincidental that Shadowgod had a blog entry with the title "Shoe whore?" a few weeks prior. you're not the only person around who can write people into stories goat. I may take that whole "mounted over a fireplace" thing to heart sometime soon.
C James Posted February 11, 2008 Author Posted February 11, 2008 you're not the only person around who can write people into stories goat. I may take that whole "mounted over a fireplace" thing to heart sometime soon. And he did, too!!! Go read Dreams & Clipped wings, Ch 2. ! He called it "eating Crow!" BTW, a bit of story news; I've done some work on Ch 1 of the sequel, and I feel it is going ok, so ya'll should see it when LTMP wraps.
shadowgod Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 And he did, too!!! Go read Dreams & Clipped wings, Ch 2. ! He called it "eating Crow!" BTW, a bit of story news; I've done some work on Ch 1 of the sequel, and I feel it is going ok, so ya'll should see it when LTMP wraps. I did no such thing! there wasnt a fireplace in sight.
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