Uplifted Spirit

I loved writing that Coach Gilbert speech. It expressed so many of my feeling about what should be said, but like you pointed out, is rarely said. I was a coach most of my teaching life so have quite a bit of familiarity with kids and sports. Plus, I go by uplifted spirit so it's nice to have some good guys that do the right thing.

Andy's does surprise all of us sometimes. We should always want to have well rounded characters and it's possible that Andy's good side didn't come through in the beginning. But characters, while they make mistakes, should also grow. Although I sometimes wonder about the knots these boys tie in their lives.

Jaro, I thought I replied to this, but I guess not. Ollie is only a secondary character, but one that I've fallen in love with. I got this idea from reading someone else's writing. He wrote about this kid that made me laugh. He was only in the story for a short time and was then gone. This won't happen to Ollie because he's loyal and makes us all laugh sometimes. Thomas is really a secondary character to since the story is really about Andy and Matt. This is one of the reasons I don't go into large subplots about the other characters except when they interact with the main characters. I like keeping the story focused on Matt and Andy. Thomas is younger than Matt and Andy and maybe that's one of the reasons he's a little less driven, but it's also part of his personality. You could say that Matt and Andy chose to have sex while Randy and Thomas were seduced. That can make a difference too. But as you already know, it affected Randy much differently than it did Thomas.

Matt had been on the right track and got off track and began to tie knots in his life that have taken their toll on him. His life has moved in directions he never expected when he gave himself to Andy. And now, he realizes it's too late to turn back. Matt's parents have done a good job, but it didn't prevent him from taking some wrong turn. A parent can only do so much and pray a lot.

Jaro, I love it when you say you're pissed or cried. That means it's gotten your emotions going and that's what a writer wants to do. This chapter is full of surprises. I see you've read through chapter 10. Unfortunately, since I write a new chapter a week, I don't have a chance to go back and look at what I've written. I'm seeing it again through your eyes. The DA and the lawyers are both doing a good job. They need to both be equal to the task to make the chapters work. When you get to the part where they're getting ready for a verdict, let me know what you think the verdict will be. Do it by email or here. I think I asked my readers to let me know, but I don't think anyone did.

Thanks Jaro. Your review made me smile. Like I said, writing these court scenes was very enjoyable and makes for great drama. The problem is that it's hard to compete with these scenes in later chapters of the book. I'll be anxious to find out what you think.

I love Andy's spunk too. He, like most of us, has his faults, but he had other positive traits too. I know you didn't much care for him in previous books.

Thanks Jaro. I loved writing these trial chapters. It was fun writing both sides. (the defense and prosecution)

An accused person has a right to face their accusers so the boys have to testify. Of course, the boy's names can't be put in the paper and they can't be shown on TV. This doesn't prevent the kids at school to have some idea what's going on when the basic trial information is printed or reported on TV. The parents probably will be shocked the most.

Randy is a wildcard. And like most readers, everyone hates to see Matt change from the squared away guy to a guy tied in knots by his sex drive. Of course, this is why they tell young people to wait. Matt's an enigma because he is so unsure of everything. He used to know where he was going and now he's gotten lost in life. It happens to all of us in different ways.

It was hard to find a place to end Knots 2. It was getting unwieldy because it had already gone 34 chapters. I like to keep it in the 20's. Dillon will be going on trial in Book 3. It was fun to write. Glad you liked the poem. I like to put one in a story now and then. Thanks for reading and reviewing Knots 1 and 2.

You make a good point about parents and Randy. But I was thinking the story would be sidetracked if I went through it too much. Hard to believe you've finished two books already. You are dedicated.

I'm getting tire too. You have written a comment on every chapter and I just can't stop writing you. So it's now around 12:30 AM and I'm hoping to get all the way to chapter 34.

I had been thinking a long time about Andy saving some kid. Actually, I originally thought of Matt and Andy saving him. But in the end, it is Andy who is just cocky enough to step up and do something. Matt's a nice guy, but more reserved and more laid back. He's not aggressive in the same way except on the football field.

I like that you said sometimes Matt doesn't come up to scratch. It seemed to me that Matt was coming off a little to saintly. After all, he's done a few things he's not proud of and he's not perfect. It's always disappointing though when a character we admire shows their human side. I know it is for me when I read. But that's what makes them interesting.

Lisa, here I thought I responded to all your reviews. Jaro pointed out I hadn't responded to this one. Of course you already know all about Ollie so it's no surprise to you.

Well, this is one of the turns in the ride on the roller coaster. Matt loves Andy unconditionally, and while Andy tests that love, Matt hangs in there.

I'll have to admit Jaro that I loved this chapter too. I think I might have actually cried myself while writing it. The thing in life as you know, is that it's like a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs twists and turns. So these boys not only have the stresses of growing up, but all the stresses from their sex drives and being pulled in so many directions. Andy did get insight. He hooked up with Dillon when down deep he knew something was wrong. Be he needed love so badly, he ignored all the signs, including Dillon calling out Matt's name during sex. We all want to be loved. But each of us will do different things to have it. I like the idea that to be loved, you have to be lovable. But it seems like a lot of girls love the bad boys. It's probably true of gay guys too, but I'm really not sure about that. Thomas and Matt don't like the bad boys and I don't think Andy does either. Randy, Kyle and that bunch sure do.

Hey, some people just love sex. What can we say. We have teenagers with wild hormones in the prime of their lives and things happen. Knots get tied and they do things we wish they wouldn't. But you haven't seen nothing yet. Well, I guess you have because you are way ahead of me. It's hard keeping up with your reviews, but I'd rather play catch up than not have them to respond too.

Sorry about giving things away. But I'm hoping you still enjoyed the next chapter. I didn't give that much away did I?

I was moved to the Varsity when I was a sophomore (2nd year in high school) and started so it isn't unusual for Matt to have a chance to play. Of course it helped that Dillon was out of the way.

Junior varsity is usually made up of freshman and sophomores who are between 14 and 15. The Varsity are juniors and seniors who are between the ages of 16 and 18. Our high schools are four years. I loved The Picture of Dorian Gray and I liked the idea of having a story within a story so decided to take a stab at it. I rented The Importance of Being Ernest on Netflix and it is very funny.

Well, I like to throw in a quote that doesn't always go the way to expect. I guess you'd have to call it a negative quote. It's kind of like the ying and yang of life. Matt is caught in a hard spot and as you probably already know has begun to become more like Andy and Andy a little more like Matt. Not much but some. The Uplifted Spirit came out of me in this chapter because I thought it would be good for Andy's dad to realize he hadn't done a very good job and needed to work on his relationship with his son. You never know who will be reading these stories and it's nice to have something positive happen. It really pleases me to have say the story is thought provoking. That has been my purpose from the beginning so I guess I'm succeeding some. Thanks for the comment. I means a lot to me.

I believe that sex for boys who are 14 and 15 is still a bit early. I know a lot do have sex, but it can affect a kid because sex becomes their focus. It's hard for it not to because it's such a driving force in all of us. And once you taste the fruit of it, you always want more and at that age it's hard to focus on just one person. But everyone is different as we find out about these characters. But sometimes you have to go down a dark road before you come into the light.

I had mixed feeling when writing this sex scene. I wanted it to have sex but also be somewhat funny and a good time. Andy is always the one leading things and it seemed that he'd want to organize it without realizing that it loses some spontaneity. It may also have been me too because I was having trouble figuring out how I was going to get everyone into the different positions and this was my solution. I'm not sure it worked all that well, but it did get them in a foursome which goes come back to haunt them.