Riley Jericho

A shame it was short. I personally find the whole kidney thing a real turn on!! (Kidding, lol!)

I wrote an epilogue to English Teen, but my editors and story proofers told me not to publish it. In essence, I realised it was because I’d written the epilogue for me, not for my audience. I wanted to prove to myself that everting was okay and that there was a happy ever after, when actually the story was stronger when readers were left to read between the lines, and live without every I being dotted and t crossed. Riley

This is really interesting. As you know, I’m not really a prolific writer, but I’ve been building a couple of stories the last few years, one of which is sci-fi in nature. A tool like this might be useful in helping to give that a more realistic shape and backdrop. Riley

I’ve been sitting and looking at the epilogue chapter of ET for nearly a month now, wondering whether it’s right to post it. It’s a great chapter - well I like it anyhow - full of more than a few surprises and an opportunity to wrap up a few things. Still, maybe it’s not the time or the tale anymore. My feeling is that ET has come to an end - a good end - and the future belongs somewhere else. Perhaps as the beginning of a new story. We’ll see. I wanted to say a huge thank you to the two guys in my life. Andy Gordon is an amazing storyteller in his own right and is one of GA’s Classic Authors, writing at a GA level that is way beyond me! I was the lucky guy when he dropped me a line years ago and managed to tell me I needed help without making sound bad! Much more than an editor or even a beta reader, Andy has become an incredible mentor. A lot of water under the bridge - plus a bunch of honest criticism - later, I have Andy to thank for dragging my writing out of the realms of the cringy and into something hopefully readable! I also want to say a huge thanks to Cole Parker. Cole has especially helped me go back to some of the very first chapters of ET to help edit them and wean me off my fetish for commas! Cole, thank you for all the time you've invested! So now what? Dunno. I’m not the kind of author who can just spit stuff out. Something has to grab me for me to be able to write about it. I’ll let you know when and if that time comes! In the meantime, I want to thank everyone who has tracked with ET over the years for your patience, kindness, and willingness to keep reading through thick and thin! Your friend, Riley

An ebook, Steve? Maybe. Not to sell, but perhaps to just make available through GA. Either way, it just felt proper to at least give the story its own book cover! If there's any graphic designers out there, and if you have any good feedback, let me know. Riley

As I said at the end of the last chapter that's just been posted, ET is coming to an end. Still trying to get used to the idea! Riley

A lot of great questions, Bleu, and let me say, I plan to answer them all! Riley

Hey there Tim. Sorry I'm so slow to catch up on your message. 140k plus story reads. It's a bit mind blowing really. Maybe it just reflect how long the story has been sitting there! Anyway, I'm still thankful for every one...and especially each of yours! Luke isn't a bad kid. I tend to think people don't realise how much the uprooting from the UK put him on the back foot, making him cautious about many things in his life. Somebody recently asked me how long the story will continue. The answer is...you'll know by the next chapter. It might be out this weekend, but we'll have to see. Riley

Brilliant! And I'm in a story!! Riley J

First off, I want to thanks everybody who's taken the time to voice an opinion. On the reviews alone there have been 19, and I've tried to bring something fresh into every one. Only 3 to go! Steve' and Dughlas are right, way back when the Hang came out, there was a backlash, too. As a new writer at the time, it was quite tough! This is a challenge, too, but in a different way. Having editors really helps, because everything goes through the wringer and sense checked. It's easier to push the boat along when you have a team - and it's even easier when there are plenty of voices encouraging and pushing you on like you guys! The second thing is that there WILL definitely be a new chapter coming out on Saturday. It's taken a while to tune it just right, but it's pretty much ready. I'd like to be to tell you about it, but....you're not even getting the chapter title! As Dayne suggested, the loss of Ryan's has been set for a long time. Perhaps it would have been easy to write him as a character who was so trodden down in life, he was just a sad nutcase. I chose not to. Instead, I chose to make him someone we could aspire to. Someone who overcame problems and did more than survive - he thrived. That's the person we love because we all want to be like that. And his death is all the harder when it seems there is a queue of those who deserved it more. But whatever now happens, he'll continue to have an impact. Luke is...who Luke is. He's had a tendency to sit on the fence since the Delta flight dragging him from his home in the UK. The story is as much to do with his insecurity as it has to do with a hero. Elliott... I was thinking about your comments Rndmrunner. Something I was trying to get across in one of the reviews was that what we are today doesn't have to be the same as yesterday, and today's experiences and challenges can make a new tomorrow. Elliott gets this. He gets trauma, he gets guilt. He gets where Luke is right now. Is Elliott over it? Of course he's not. Anyone who tells you that you just grow out of something like that needs to give up the counselling job! You never 'get over' it. It walks with you. But you learn to cope and to live and to find your way forward, even if you limp a bit. Elliott gets that Luke needs space, and the last thing that Luke needs is someone else's answers. You own your pain and then you own your recovery. Elliott knows he has no right to suggest to Luke that everything is fine when it's not. At the same time, the poor guy is human, too. He has feelings for Luke. So yes, he's a bit all over the place, too once he realises where Luke is with this. Thanks for the notes Matt and Bleu. And Emi, we've messaged. Jeff. Thanks for being here and for writing a comment as a follow up to your review. Like I said in response, I completely respect it if folk like yourself chose not to read any further. Sometimes getting hurt is just too hard. You know, as Ryan's character began to develop, I started looking at all kinds of ways of saving him, or trying to give him his 'happy ever after' moment with Luke before the hammer fell. None of it was right or was what the story demanded. Your right, there could have been a book about him. And yes, that book can never be written now. And actually, you...and me...we've not even started crying yet... Timothy - as solid as ever - thanks for your support. So what does Luke need. My take is that what he doesn't need is the kind of support that will work to keep him balanced on the fence. Shifting metaphores, what do they say about ships and rudders...it's useless until the ship is moving and only then will the rudder have some value in giving direction. Luke needs to start moving. Somewhere. Anywhere. Make choices. Set a direction. Then those around him can help steer...or at least watch out for icebergs! Thank you all! Riley

Thanks, my friend...

Thanks Emi ❤️

Friends… It’s been difficult to know what to say since posting that last chapter, though I appreciate what Timothy has done in opening this window too offer a place to reflect. Maybe everything from here should be left under spoiler wraps for those who have not yet read so far. So…to the best of my ability, I’ll try to reply to each review, and want to thank you for each and every one of them. Your friend, Riley Jericho

I like to see the differences between cultures, both language and customs, as an opportunity rather than a problem. Most of us live by our own national colours and tend to see others cultures as a few steps down the ladder. It can make for some interesting interactions! On the topic of English, I wouldn't dare to write in an Aussie context - far too complicated! America isn't too bad because the country is well represented on TV and film media. Writing here on GA, I've also come to realise you get a better response when you write in the language of the reader, not just that of your characters or story context. When I use English-isms, I get blank looks. As a vast proportion of reader/members here are American, it makes a difference.

Look at you...you've made a lot of friends here! Happy birthday! Riley

Get well soon! Riley

Lol!

This. And also to say that the wait is over, and Left Waiting has been posted. Riley

To quote the great Capt Picard... 'Tea, Earl Grey, hot'

My take on this artwork is that you need to shift everything to the left. Even if you drop a third of the guy's torso off the left side, you're still going to get the right look. Don't put him in the middle. Then move the horse in so you see more of the neck and shoulders. Your text is possibly also too close to the edges, but easily fixed. i agree with the previous comment of looking at existing book covers/posters to evaluate the media texts.

So… Oblivion… Thanks for being patient…the next chapter may be a while…

Like everyone has said, this is really awful! Anton was the perfect Chekov, and his acting skill as good as it got. It's already been said, but even that short scene of him charging to the transporter room to take the controls to save Kirk and Sulu as they dropped out of the sky, was unforgettable. So I'm sad for such a loss, and more so for his family for what must feel like such a tragic waste of a truly remarkable guy.

Hey there folks! Firstly, thanks for all the chapter reads and the reviews for the most recent chapter of ET, End of the Road. I need to let you know that, for the next few weeks, chapter posting are going to be a bit ’impromptu’, and could come out at anytime. You can always get a heads up if you use the ‘follow story’ option and make sure you have story updates ticked in your notification options. Thanks for your patience as we wait to see what happens next. Your friend, Riley J

Hi Bleu! A mixture of things, really, though I wouldn't neccessarily assume that the story is at an end! There are sections that Andy and I are still working on, and we might not hold to the usual schedule - or we might take a longer chapter and serialise it over a week. Nothing set in stone yet...just possibilites. Riley