AFriendlyFace

Oh my gosh!! That I did do!! **rushes back to edit it out of his post**

I was disappointed I didn't see it there! I'm looking forward to the next installment! Glad you finally found a spot and enjoyed the movie! -Kevin

Ouch on the palms! You'd better take it easy before you sprain your wrist! Congrats on the good fitness though!

I agree!

...this blog entry I'll just get bored and post a new one. However, I very much hope that someone notices my Anthology entry. It's the first time I've actually finished one AND decided to turn it in, quite an accomplishment let me tell you In other news, I had an all around productive day writingwise. I bashed a chapter of the BMAD sequel and also my entry for the "Anniversaries" anthology (why not do two in a row right?) On that score though, and I'll be very busy the next few days, so I probably won't be around much. Take care all

Well, I was thinking today that being gay was probably the best thing that ever happened to me...so I thought this was an appropriate place to share that

"Like we never loved at all" - Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

Nope! All I said was that Aaron

I'm probably too idealistic on this point to have the clarity to look beyond my visceral reaction. If it's any consolation I will say that I enjoyed the story and found the characters realistic and multi-layered. Also, I don't mean to imply that there are no redeemable qualities in someone that cheats, only that I personally wouldn't put up with it. -Kevin

Amazing job with everything CJ, Steph, and Graeme! You guys well did a lot of work for us and it was a job well-done!! And special thanks also to Steve and Tiff, as well as so many others who took the time to offer thoughtful, insightful comments on the pieces! I for one really appreciate it I of course have to give special thanks to Sharon for not only editing, but also informing me that my 'random short story' fit the theme of the anthology, and then for 'nagging' me ( ) enough to submit it! Thanks very much also to Tim for beta reading it, and once again to Graeme, Steph, and CJ for putting up with me and ironing out all the details Kevin

Lifehouse - Just Another Name

*waves* Hey dude Good to see you back, glad you've mostly been well, but sorry things have been so hectic for you! I hope you have a fun birthday! Sounds like a cool deal they're doing for you -Kevin

Sorry, ran out of quotes. Thanks Niels, I hope you ultimately enjoyed the story or got something out of it. A few things I struggled with with this story was how Kenny and James would come off in relation to each other. If you think about it, what James just did was about the cruelest thing he could possibly have done to Kenny. The guy had just gotten beat up, his ex-boyfriend (whom he was still close with) is in ICU, and now his best friend has just killed himself after all of that and after the two had just spent what to Kenny must have felt like a very emotionally intimate evening together. James had made things infinitely worse and more painful for Kenny in Kenny's greatest time of need and vulnerability. Yet I didn't want James to come off as completely selfish, and I actually wanted to portray him as a caring individual. Was he truly concerned about Kenny when he was comforting him? Did he really care or was he just going through the motions because it's what was expected and he knew it was how he was supposed to react? The answer I was hoping to convey was that it was both. He was worried. He did care. He did feel guilty for not having his phone on when Kenny needed him. But all of that was underscored and highlighted by the pain and resentment he was feeling, so once again instead of crying for himself, or getting angry that he was being ignored, he responded 'dutifully' by holding Kenny, getting him some food and movie, and covering him up before finishing up his own 'plans'. Did it ever cross James' mind what he was doing to Kenny? Probably not, at least not consciously, because he didn't notice either. The final little play on ideas/words I was going for is sort of like the tree in the forest analogy: If no one notices something, did it happen? James' death will only be realized when it's finally noticed. On an even more simple level, his death isn't explicit, only presumed. We're only told that Kenny awakes to the sound of a gun shot while a violent movie is playing in the background, that James' door is locked and 'he must be asleep', and that "Adam's Song" is playing but that it's one of James' favourites. So is James dead? Well if no one notices....

Wow thanks everyone I'm so glad you guys found the story moving! Let me address a few things: Vic, Benji, Steve, and Procyon are addressing the main paradox of the story in my opinion, well at least the main paradox I purposely intended to write. On the one hand James has been ignore all of his life and felt like he's always just had to do what other people expected of him with regard for himself. He's disparate for attention. Should Kenny, his family, and everyone else have noticed? Of course they should have noticed, but something always stopped them from doing so. As Jamie said: Kenny wasn't supposed to be a bad person, but he was supposed to be self-involved. James' family wasn't supposed to be uncaring, but they were supposed to be oblivious. There was also a big element of something always happening to get in the way. Someone else having a crisis or a great success, and James being unable or unwilling to express his pain or happiness to the people around it. They could have noticed, but they didn't because he didn't speak up and they were too busy with their own lives. The final example was an extreme version of the long-continuing pattern. If there was ever a time in his life when James needed someone to notice him, to ask what was wrong, to focus on his needs, it was when Kenny walked through that door, saw James freak out and act funny, and then later saw flashes of anger and sadness in him. But he didn't notice. And if there was ever a good reason for someone not to notice what was going on with James it was in those moments when Kenny had probably had the most physically and emotionally painful experiences of life! He had a good 'excuse' not to notice, but it was just one more excuse on a string of excuses. The ultimate irony, which James even bitterly predicted ("Let

Thanks! Honestly, so am I (leery that is). Indeed I frequently catch myself lapsing into the more common past-tense (so if anyone sees any such errors please do point them out!) I have a couple of particular reasons for writing the story in first person present: -First, it all goes back to the 'reader' being essentially an occupant in Aaron's head, listening to his thoughts and seeing the events unfold through his eyes. It's not supposed to be a story he's recounting but (hopefully) a story the reader is living. -Second, I wanted to add the feeling that anything could happen. I mean theoretically OK, so that would be a pretty crummy ending of the story I know, and I'll even promise that the story doesn't end that way, but I do want to leave open the possibility that anything could happen. All I'll say is that Mick will continue to be a key player in BMAD as well as the sequel. Me? A cliffhanger? No WAY! LOL, thanks CJ and all -Kevin

Doesn't Tiff just give the most awesome reviews and comments?! That's sort of how I often feel when I write as well, Greg. LOL, you did! Apparently I earned the description of "Fiendly" (as opposed the more common "Fiendish") with my anthology entry...I know this because I was originally described as such in the thread title! It definitely didn't. The explanation and medical info was weaved in very well and very seamlessly -Kevin

I agree; that was innovative! Thanks! I have seen those before, didn't know that's what they were called in Australia. ohhh, that is a good theory! LOL, well hopefully in that scenario I'd be a bit more inventive than what I described above...but I'm really not sure I would be! (well maybe now, having read this ) That's what I was thinking too actually. I think that in most stories events and situations aren't exactly like one would expect in everyday life for everyday people, but my assumption is that one of the reason these people and events (the ones authors choose to write about) are featured is because their lives and situations aren't completely commonplace. -Kevin

Well said, Tiff!!

Well, I didn't have trouble figuring out what was going on each 'story' what did surprise me is that it all happened to the same person. I thought I was looking at three different stories: A man (I thought the first and fourth scene made him seem older two) confessing to his girlfriend that he is gay; a gay teen attempting suicide (his brother Eric was my favourite character by the way); and a gay boi beginning his first (or at least an early) relationship. I was quite surprised it all happened to the same person, but it definitely works Great story! -Kevin

This was a good story. It was well-written and realistic. ...I didn't like it though. Please don't take that personally, there's really no way I could have. I can't stand any sort of war books/movies, I'm very sick of hearing about terrorism, I've never been able to fathom why gays want to be in the military, I don't like betrayal, and I'm equally put off by revenge. However, those are all my personal tastes and opinions. As I said, it was well-written and believable, the characters were vivid, the plot exciting, and the story moving. So very good job Personally, I think everyone lost. I agree that he doesn't have to do anything for Nelson, and Nelson certainly screwed up big time both in regards to the way he treated Darren and by getting involved with Alyssa, but I think I'd have found it more noble if Darren had forgiven him and held his tongue. I will say that this paragraph summed things up perfectly in my opinion:

I can't comment any further than Graeme already has about the structure - which I really liked and appreciated - but I will add my personal praise. It was a very moving poem and I loved the desperation and yearning that it so eloquently expressed. Great job, Tim! -Kevin

Wow Tiff! What a beautiful, moving story with such a wonderful message! It definitely made me cry I was really proud of Eli in the end and I hope things get better for Gabriel. Wonderful, wonderful job! -Kevin

My interpretation too. Really the only way it could have been a murder is if she'd hired someone to hit the car. That seems a bit difficult to orchestrate as well as a technique not many hit men would readily agree to (too many variables, plus a lot of personal danger). At least that's my opinion. In any case I guess it was convenient that the narrator had just finished his will! An unexpected story, Rose! Nice job, Kevin

Amazing job, Procyon! Again I felt like I really learned something from this entry and got to peer into a culture with which I wasn't familiar. I loved the way you set up so many parallels between what was going on with Iman and Mahmoud! What was genius was the way you were subtly making the connection between Jean's gran and Mahmoud's mother from the very beginning - with the similarity in the ways they cooked! It was very clever and well done! Even at the end with the old lady came to the door - and I assumed it had to be the grandmother - from the way she was asking after Mahmoud's mother I figured I must have been wrong! Great job! -Kevin

Amazing job, Greg! I always love stories that make me cry, and this one certainly did! Unfortunately I don't feel able to add much to what has already been said either, but it was an all around awesome story! I'm so glad you finished it in time! Way to go! -Kevin