Cole Matthews

Day 0 My head hurts so goddamn much, I’m having a hard time thinking, but I need to get this out. I rolled out of bed an hour ago, drank water with a couple of aspirin, guzzled some antacid, and then lay down on the couch. I’ve been hurting about the same ever since, until something stirred in me. For some reason, this morning is making me realize something. Fuck! I was trying to think of the last time I woke up and didn’t do these things. Every morning I’m hung over,

Jake is having a rough time. His career's at a dead end. His love life is a disaster. His mother is a mess. Finally, he decides to turn things around. This is his story.

Excellent blog! It reminds us to be thoughtful in our wording. Too many explanations and adverbs are tiring. Not enough, and we can lose our place. Especially when more than two people are speaking. He said; tends to disappear in writing. By the same token, naturalism in pacing can be aided by using actions to add to the import of the speech. All of these ideas and suggestions are important things to consider. His last paragraph is a helpful, and welcome, guide. Thank you Graeme for giving us some wonderful advice.

I had the wrong deadline for Secret Spaces! Halloween first, yikes.

Happy Birthday Mann!!!

Happy Birthday Renee!!!

Sorry about that. I didn't even know I did so. thanks!

Hi, I've had a question sent to my messages today, and I can't see his question. Nor can I see my response. They are showing the following. Let me know what to do.

What a lovely interview!!! It's a joy working with and reading Valkyrie. She's a wonderful person face to face too. Nice job!

How could I not see this? Of course I'll come out and play. This is a great idea. So, I need to pick a story of @jkwsquirrel to review, correct? Let me me if I'm too late to the party.

You've kept true to the characters here, which is difficult given the situation you've crafted. Cindy would isolate Luke. Luke would comply, for a while. Henry would do his best to disarm the volatile Jackson. Jackson, knowing he could lose it all, would back off and as a result, his depression is quite natural and tinged with bitter anger. Along with this depression, he fears Luke may be done with him. His fears he isn't good for Luke come back and reinforce this bitterness. It would have been easy for you to have people rant and rave and yell platitudes. Instead you've mirrored how events like this unfold, without righteous indignation or fury. They cope, which Jackson is barely doing. He holds out hope and ends up with socks, which is just how desperate he is. You show Jackson's frenzied grasp onto a person he didn't want to love, but does. In fact, this chapter shows how love isn't easy, falling into place with fate intervening as a benevolent helper. Instead, his clueless father comes up with a plan to give Luke and Jackson a vital link, an anchor on these very stormy and blinding storm. Excellent!!!!

I love this scene. It is exactly what teenaged boys would do. It is exactly how a mother would react. She's scared to death and I think they both know what's coming. Very well done and perfectly paced. I will be commenting on the next chapter as well. Brilliant.

Happy Birthday my friend!!!! I hope you're having a special day. We're thinking about you... and Remember this:

What I loved about Unforgivable was how it mirrored how we act. Consider the scenarios with Corey and Jason. Corey was once bitten twice shy, and yet, there is a possibility of redemption, maybe. When they met up, it was fireworks on a level we've all experienced. Can we tolerate this person? What is there making us feel this matters? What intrigues us? We don't know. It wasn't really perfectly telegraphed, thank God, except we hoped. Good storytelling leads us by the nose and keeps us wondering. It gives us hope. Throughout the story Jason grew and Corey healed. That is the essence of a novel. We see characters change, yet keep their voices. They aren't different. They have learned. Lovely story to read, in my humble opinion. Cole

Thanks to all of you. We had a wonderful day with breakfast at a new place, delicious, Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 2, hilarious and it also uses Brandy, You're a fine girl, like Looking Glass, as an inspiration, antique cookbook shopping, who's ready for chicken jello, and finally a seafood extravaganza followed by strawberry rhubarb pie. I'm glad Randy took the day off. It made the experience really special. I love you guys so much. Thank you!

Thanks to all. Randy took the day off as it's cold and rainy. We are going to a movie, eating out every chance we get, and otherwise spoiling the cats and enjoying the day. It's a lovely, rainy day, and I'll take it!!!!

Happy Birthday Graeme! Hope you have a wonderful day.

The things we do for love...and for right. It's amazing how you created this scenario and brought it all together. The final vanquishing of the goddess came across beautifully and succinctly. Really well done! I'm so proud of you. Great job!!

I love redemption stories. We all make mistakes, hurt others, and sometimes the consequences are spare, sometimes dire. Regardless, we all have to redeem ourselves to others, but even harder sometimes, making yourself whole. This story is a really good portrayal of Casey being harsher on himself than even his victim was in the end. It's funny how people who want redemption are the ones who most deserve it. Those who don't care, need it the most. Thanks Val for making us think and explore these important ideas and emotions. Awesome job!!!

Okay, let's reveal the two songs which I used as a kind of emotional guide. The first is Brandy, You're a Fine Girl, by Elliott Lurie of the band Looking Glass. It was a number one hit in 1972. It's about a barmaid who fell in love was left by a sailor. Brandon is suffering from the same affliction as Brandy in the song. The other song is more of Elliott's story than Brandon's. Meatloaf had a song entitled Two Out of Three Ain't Bad. Elliott was experiencing the effects of alienation from his first love. That's why there ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. Elliott thinks he's empty and used up, like the narrator in the Meatloaf song. I think we sometimes forget love isn't all sweetness and light. It can hurt more deeply and longer lasting than hate. It can twist us and make our hearts bitter leaving a sour taste in our mouth. Love is an incredibly important part of life. It is far more than happiness. Love can both give and take away meaning from life. At least, that's what I was trying to accomplish. Thanks for reading!!!

It's a very well-written story with some interesting twists. The characters flow well and the progression is natural. Great job!!!

Patrick is an interesting character. He is several things at once. He's Oliver's best friend, boyfriend, and yet seems to not care about how his actions affect Oliver. He seems, well, clueless more than anything. I thought his return to plead his case changed my first impression he was just a dog. I think in the end, Patrick is a little lost. He liked having Oliver at his beck and call, but felt something draw him to Alyssa. When Oliver confronted Patrick, his 'boyfriend' didn't really try to hide or get rid of the appearance of a date. He seemed to embrace it. I think this is a really good portrayal of a young bisexual teen who is more confused by his feelings than actually a bad person. I'm not sure from your rendering Oliver didn't actually make more of what they had. I don't think Oliver was in the wrong. I think he felt things more acutely and interpreted it as more than Patrick could. Wonderful job making me think and react!!!

I love vignettes because they force a writer to carve out a period of the characters' lives. This does that quite well. We get a distinct impression of both Cyril and Stuart, through Stuart's perspective, and it unfolds quite naturally. The hard candy coating of Cyril's begins to chip as time ticks by. His impatience and churlishness are shields as we begin to learn. Then, we get a glimpse of his tender self, injured and masked beneath his shirt. The end felt a bit rushed. I believe Cyril would have rushed from the scene quickly. However, it was missing something. See how good it was, I suspended my disbelief and began imagining what Stuart must have been thinking and imagining the worst... Great job!!

You did something special in this story. You portrayed conflicted emotions very well. Few of our emotional responses and perceptions of others are cut and dried. You muddled the mix well which gave the characters so much depth. In addition, the story showed how Tristan felt without telling us how he felt. That's another sign of good storytelling. I found myself relishing this tale, as heart-breaking as it is, because of the nuances. Great Job!!!

What is the nature of love and how do we feel about it? Elliott is struggling because he likes a girl, needs her, but he doesn't really love her, not like he loved Claire. Claire was the love of his life. He bumps into another soul who is hurting from the same kind of condition. In the end, the emotions become lyrical and we see how the creative process is sometimes a healing one. Let's see if we can find the Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.