Carlos Hazday

Pretty sure that was the best 'fish story' I've ever heard. Loved it. The second half of the chapter was pretty cool too. LOL I hope CJ and Ozzie inspire Rick to reach for what he's been yearning for. He's definitely gonna have to step out of his comfort zone to achieve what my boys have. It was my pleasure to lend them to you, Parker.

The relationship with the Principal isn't typical. She and her husband are family friends. A car's coming to whisk him away and waiting for somebody else to hold his hand isn't possible. CJ would balk to get into the car if he didn't know what was going on.

Instead of real estate, Rita should be selling snake oil patent medicines out of the back of a traveling wagon. Just a suggestion, Mr. Owens.

@Sweetlion I think Rick's wishy-washy personality has most of us frustrated. @Parker Owens The old man saddens me. I can imagine how lonely he is, I saw it in my father after Mom died. Isolation due to COVID accelerated his decline. The forgetfulness is heart breaking, and I saw that in my Dad when he constantly asked why I wasn't going to see him and take him to lunch. As for the Rita warning, how about calling a spade a spade? It could well read: WARNING Manipulative bitch continues to drive MC nuts. Rick stalking Gus on social media's more prevalent than Rick could ever imagine.

LMAO Out of sight out of mind? It's not like Owen's going to be a major character, right?

Jada's a hard ass. I can't wait to see if she fIgures out what's really going on. If I may make a suggestion, sic her on Fergus. She's good at outing closet cases, and the bastard wouldn't stand a chance.

@KayDeeMac THANK YOU! This one was a tough one, I was working on 2 or 3 different stories at the same time and I think they all suffered a bit. I'm glad it was still acceptable.

Some people can forgive and forget. I have lots of trouble with the first one and I'm a goner with the second one. Sam is somehow oblivious to how Colt feels.Maybe his trying to interact with Colt is because he's too dumb to realize where /when he's not wanted. As for Colt, I approve of his attitude: you hurt me deeply, i'm still suffering, stay the fuck as far away from me as possible. Sounds like a reasonable approach to me.

I live in a city, and it's often hard to disasociate myself from the faster pace of life. Rick frustrates the heck out of me. I want to slap him around a bit and tell him to stop doubting himself and grow a pair. Alas, that won't happen until something really serious comes along. Maybe Gus will be the catalyst for change. In the meantime, I remind his life reflects the slower pace of Eagle Lake. No matter how much he may grumble, the town's in him, and it molds the pace of his life. BTW Mr. Owens, you lie like a dog. Rita still reared her ugly head into the weekend. Nice job otherwise. LOL

Boner alert! I have no idea what sins Jimmy feels he's committed and needs to atone for, but all I see's a good egg. Rough and crude at times, he's a lover at heart. There's a tiny bIt of pity for Fergus. Not sure when or how, but I have a feeling he's met his match in Jimmy. Epic fight coming up. Right? :p ps I had to sign in, so I could read. In case you wondered, the Mature for Members Only thing works.

Quiet chapter that makes me worry about what's coming next. Nice job.

Thank you! I'm honored. I fared better on Tuesday than I did 4 years ago, although my blood pressure' is probably a little high. My goal has always been to write positive stories with relatable characters. Even if CJ is a little over the top. Would love to hear from you again, Doc.

So, I don't have any pets so George has to hear me rattle on all the time. George's my money tree bonsai. Rick's caught between Rita and Senior, with both wanting more from him, than acceptable. I wonder how long it'll take this kind soul to explode. As usual, your descriptions of life in a small northern town are amazing. Thanks for sharing, Parker.

So glad you were able to complete the chapter in time. I may need to fire up an app after reading this. Thanks for the distraction this morning.

Fourth year, first issue! Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know that’s not a proper sentence. So sue me. As I compile responses, the U.S. presidential election is less than a week away and I’m a little stressed. When you read this, people have cast the final votes. Who won? Okay, no politics. Let’s talk about this month’s Ask an Author question. Once again, it dovetails nicely with the one asked last month. The member who sent it in asked me to select the authors it would be forwarded to. Not wanting my preferences to influence the decision, I looked at the STORY UPDATES list, and chose the most recent authors to post something, as long as they had not been featured the previous month. We ended up with quite an interesting bunch. Thank you to the authors who answered my call. ҉ If you had the chance of collaborating with a GA author or poet who would it be and why? ҉ @Cia Well, for poets... collaboration is out, sorry! I'm able to evoke emotion and a sense of story well but only within story. Meter and verse simply elude me. It doesn't even crop up in my fantasy stories very often. I've tried co-writing before, but I'm either of two styles: plan it to death then write or just write as it comes to me and post it right away. Honestly, I'm more the second than the first. Writing with another person takes planning. Who does what, how do you separate out writing--plot events or chapters, how will you mesh styles? And time, lots of time. Not something I have much of these days. However, if I were to pick anyone out of the mix and the time and planning could magically work out? @Rob Colton I love his stories and they're easy reading, we have similar interest in genres. Plus I even met him at a conference before and got to hang out with him for a few days, so I know he's a sweetheart and would be amazing to work with. ҉ @Mann Ramblings In reality, I can be a bit of a controlling dick when it comes to creative projects. At work, I get a feel for what the client's needs are and then tell them what will work. I often believe the world would be a better place if everyone would just do whatever I tell them to do. (Ask Carlos how pushy I am when I edit for him. Some days it's not pretty.) So I'm not sure it would be kind to inflict me on a writing partner who's not prepared for that. That aside, I have been talking a little bit about pairing up with @Renee Stevens on a sci-fi story she has in mind. We each have strengths to balance out our weaker areas, and we know each other's process, so it could work. It's not a done deal, but the idea has been tossed around... ҉ @Mark Arbour If it was a poet, it would be Lugh, because he's bitchy but cute. For a story, I'd pick Domluka, even though he hasn't been heard from in years. I've followed his writing for years, and in fact he's the reason I first came to GA: I followed him here. He is excellent at developing quirky characters, and can tell an awesome story. ҉ @Mawgrim People who don’t write often think that it must be a lonely process. While it’s often best to write when you are alone (less chance of distraction) it doesn’t feel lonely to me as my characters are my companions. However, writing as a collaborative process definitely brings something different to the mix. I’ve collaborated with others writers a few times now and have discovered several good reasons to do it: It inspires the creative process. If you get stuck, then the other person or persons can often suggest a way out that you might not have thought of alone It’s really good for creating dialogue. Most of my collaborative projects have been on play or pantomime scripts and getting dialogue going between two (or more) writers really shows what works and what doesn’t. It’s also great when you are trying to create comedy - this is probably why a lot of comedy shows are written in partnerships. It helps to stop procrastination. If you know you need to get a section or chapter finished before you meet up, you are much more likely to keep to deadlines. Having said all that, I should now answer the actual question: If I had a chance of collaborating with a GA author, who would it be and why? I’ve not been using the site for very long, so I’ve only started to dip into the vast well of creative talent out there. But of the few authors I’ve read so far, the one I would most like to collaborate with would be @drsawzall Collaborating is a good way to improve your own writing. I have been told that I write with quite a ‘spare’ style; I tell a story without too much embellishment and I know my main failing is in detailed description. @drsawzall handles description brilliantly, so that it’s not a filler, or something you want to skip by, but creates a textured scene that you feel you could step into. If we were to collaborate, I feel that I could learn a lot from trying to mesh my ideas with his style. ҉ @RichEisbrouch This is stupid, but I'm an English teacher and editor. It's something I've been doing part-time for the twenty years since I retired. And I start to read so many of the stories on this site and just want to have five minutes with the writers to say, "You know, there are more economical ways of putting that." Or "You've got a great story there, but you could so easily give it more impact." Yeah, I know: it's not my business. Just read the stories, Rich, and say encouraging things. You know how hard it sometimes is to write -- you're putting yourself out there defenseless. But I say right back, "Yeah, but give me five minutes, and I'll show these writers how to use a few more defenses." As I keep telling my students, "Think as much about how you're writing as about what you're saying." And as Kurt Vonnegut's notes taught me: "Revise. Revise. Revise." But always keep a few earlier copies until you're set. Because sometimes, you overedit. And anyone who wants to collaborate with me, just ask. Thanks. ҉ @Wombat Bill Thanks for your offer, but as it is such early days, I don't think I have read enough stories on GA to make an informed decision. I have only read read stories by 2 authors so far. ҉ @Yeoldebard Tsukihana. We've been friends for years, and while our styles differ, she and I are always throwing ideas off each other. A full collab would be rather fun. ҉ Now, wasn’t that a blast to read? Expanding a bit on Mann Ramblings response, yes, he is a controlling dick. But he’s not that hard to work with. If you simplify sufficiently and obey him. I have no further questions inventory, so you need to send me some. See you next month!

The pastoral beauty of this chapter is marred by Ricks thoughts and recollections. It pains me to see such a good man hurting because of what once incident in the past led to. Rick's so insecure and troubled I want to wrap him up in my arms until I make the hurt go away. edit- delay in reading caused by life. You know, Moving, funeral planning, and the elections!

Finally found the time to read this, and I figured out what's coming. Shit's really going to hit the fan soon, and I want a front row seat. Send me the rest of the story now so I can beta read it?

LMAO- It's ranked as one of the top law schools in the country! Anyway, this all happened before it was renamed for Scalia.

What comes first, The egg or the chicken? The MC or the plot? Gary's correct when he says they go hand in hand. Particularly with my stories leaning on real events and places, sometimes the plot comes first. Say a football game I want to highlight for whatever reasons. The characters fall in line, experience the event, and provide dialogue appropriate to the story. Other times, it's the character who leads. In my current story, the MC starts as a teen but his maturing has led me to create situations where he can display his changing persona. More and more, I just write and hope readers enjoy what I produce. Screw the methodology and what anyone else says is right. Luckily, @Mann Ramblings keeps me in line.

Have I mentioned how much I've disliked Senior as I've read? The chickens are cool. Parker's descriptions are vivid enough I may have sweated a bit when Rick was fixing the busted pipe. Once again the author gives us an MC we can't help but fall in love with.

@wildone I hope Jack would have approved my stealing Brock from his Baked Beans story. I wove him into my little universe, and he'll appear in another story soon.

I recall snippets of the story as I read, but I left no chapter reactions before, so I must have read it before I became a GA member or on another site. My appreciation of Jack's writing is common knowledge; I've praised him frequently and went as far as stealing one of his characters and giving him a prominent role in one of my stories. I've shaken hands with Presidents and Vice-Presidents. I've seen Sinatra and Springsteen perform live. And yet, I regret never meeting or chatting with Mr. Scribe. His settings are believable (often real life ones) and his characters relatable. His dialogue might be a bit different today, but when this was written, it was spot on. I've tried to emulate his approach by not focusing my stories on romance, but allowing it to be part of the greater picture. Jack's work is thoughtful and entertaining, what else could an author strive for? With 100% chance of rain today, I can't even go for a walk or a jog. I think I'll spend it finishing Life's a Grind. I strongly suggest you try it. You'll like it! Thank you, Cia, for featuring my favorite Classic Author.

Just looked at the word count. Wow! No wonder you stressed over finishing the chapter. Hope the next one's under control. @WolfM If you haven't been reading, as soon as you're home from saving Purple Flame Winery from the wildfires, you should tackle it.

I see Jimmy keeping Sawyer away from Fergus until the next moon and trying to help through the first shift. If Sawyer has eveN a trace of lycanthropy in his blood, he'll be the first victim to survive the change. After, Jimmy can concentrate on taking over or starting a new pack whit whatever's left after the coming bloodbath. Nicely done. Are you changing anything so I'm wrong?

LMFAO Owen, like Harley, was one of those secondary characters readers liked as soon as he was introduced. Let's see if you're still Team Owen by the end of the trip.