dkstories

Patrick, here's some thoughts for you on feedback. My story Dawn of Tears has 3,117 unique views from the story archive. I have received about sixty-eight unique responses (in other words one or more emails from the same individual). Do Over has 1,230 unique views and I've received about eight-five unique e-mails on that story. (Funny how the story with less views generated MORE feedback from readers as far as unique e-mails from individuals). Patrick, I've been writing stories online since 2001, and I've been writing stories off-line for over two decades. When I first started out, I got maybe one or two e-mails on the first few chapters of Mists of Fate. It took about ten chapters, and switching the primary story over to Dabeagle's site for reader response to really take off. When it did, though, it really did take off. The point? Don't be discouraged by low reader initial response to your first few chapters. Keep plugging away. Listen to good constructive criticism offered, thank people for their praise, no matter how little you feel it is deserved, and either ignore or flame back any flamers (I prefer the flame back. I'm a writer who has been praised on how some of his characters put others down...so you can imagine how well I think about the put-downs and flames I send back to those who just want to flame me or my work). I actually enjoy constructive criticism, and when something really hits home, I've been known to go back and change things or put something new in to the story because of that criticism. Just ask my editor how much of a pain in the rear I can be about stuff like that, and how much I depend on him for damn good input to my story.

Ignore him as much as possible. Nothing irks people like this quite as much as being totally ignored. I've been very lucky in that I've gotten very few negative e-mails over the year. My personality is VERY confrontational on stuff like this so most of them got an earful in return (not ones with legitimate criticisms...I'm talking the wacko e-mails). If you can't ignore them, study what they're saying and figure out exactly what to say that will get their goat up. Then ram it down their throat and enjoy it as they try to sputter back an intelligible response. Very fun, very evil.

Hehe, I'm tempted to do a gay fanfic with Dr. Jackson and Ben Browder's new character... Just kidding. I've got my hands full right now.

Dr. Frasier's death was extremely well done. I hadn't heard that she was leaving the show, so I didn't know going in that it would be her. The way they did it was quite good, and yes a tear-jerker. The stupidest episode, well there's a few. Harlen I found to be actually entertaining. I loved how he irked the team over and over again. The first Murry episode would have to be among my least favorites, but there's been a few. The episode revealing the stargate to China, France and England was okay, and it was only the ending with Thor that made it tolerable in my opinion. The Antarctica discovery and battle was among my favorites for the cliffhangers, but I also enjoyed the series of episodes where they used the multi-dimensional cross-over arcs. Those were quite fun to watch.

Patrick, the feelings you expressed about Atlantis are common among people who really enjoy/love a specific show. The best thing I can tell you is that you should look at the new show on its own merits first and foremost, and not constantly try to compare it to the original. SG-1 will stand on its own two feet, as will Atlantis. In reality, having them both on, back to back, has likely helped SG-1 continue with higher ratings, and having SG-1 before it gives it a natural follow-through audience that keeps both shows alive longer. Remember, if you want a show to continue, it MUST get higher ratings. Right now, both are being beaten every week by BattleStar Galactica. Now for your questions about Atlantis. While studying the Antarctic base, Dr. Jackson discovered the address to Atlantis, and that it used an Eighth Chevron address. If you remember from when O'Neill first got the Ancients knowledge loaded into his head, he used eight addresses and a power booster to contact the Asgard. Like the power needs for that episode, in order to reach Atlantis, they needed a new power source to get them to the Pegasus galaxy and to Atlantis. That proved to be a partially-powered Zero Point Module (ZPM). The ZPM is the Ancients' version of naquidah generators, except they deliver MUCH more power. They used the ZPM from the Antarctic outpost to power a call-up to Atlantis. This would leave the Antarctic Outpost UNPOWERED, which they struggled to keep secret from the Go'auld in SG-1 episodes. When they dialed up Atlantis, they knew they would only have power for ONE wormhole and that was it. Therefore they had one chance to send a team through, so they assembled the VERY large team, and their equipment, dialed the wormhole and sent a rover through. Rover said there's air and room, so they went through. The purpose was to go and uncover advanced technology to help Earth survive all the various threats against it. It was believed that the city would have one or more ZPM that could be used from their end to recontact earth and establish steady communication so they can utilize all the advanced technology of the city. It didn't work that way though, because Atlantis was buried under water, and a power shield that kept the city from flooding had drained all THREE of the city's ZPMs so much that when they came through and the city auto-powered up, they had to raise the city to the surface before it flooded. In this last episode we found out that the original expedition actually failed until Weir went back in time and established, with the help of an Ancient, the protocols that saved the city in the premier episode we saw. (got to love time travel stories). BTW, we will know that Jonas built another time-travelling puddle jumper in SG-1 when it's discovered by O'Neill and Carter. (I cheated and d/l the last few episodes of the seasons for both shows). When Atlantis team started exploring to find a ZPM on one of the worlds listed in the city's database, they met Tayla and her people, and encountered the Wraith, who were responsible for the defeat of the Ancients 10,000 years ago. The Wraith are slightly lower on the tech tree of the Ancients, but outnumbered them tremendously. The Ancients buried Atlantis and fled back to Earth, and then the Wraith went into extended sleep until their scouts reported that the number of humans (their primary food source) had recovered enough. Then they would wake up, feed, and go back to sleep for a few more hundred years. Now they know about Earth, and that there are SEVEN billion humans on the planet alone. That's a big feeding ground for them since most of the worlds in the Pegasus galaxy have only a few hundred or few thousand. They're coming to Atlantis to take the City, the Ancients' technology, fresh food, and directions to Earth and a new feeding ground. I don't want to spoil too much for you, but at the end of the Season, Atlantis has to defend itself against an all-out Wraith attack, and they do it on a level that is wonderful to watch. Think about the Antarctic battle, and it's like that, only slightly better.

Well, RDA is a litle older than my usual attraction range, but then again I use to gawk at him in MacGyver and use that to feed my fantasies at night. He's aged into a man that I wouldn't mind growing old with, not at all. Now with Ben Browder (Crichton from Farscape) joining the cast, the show's going to get more hunks. Frankly I'd like to see some Browder on Shanks action (Ben Browder character on Dr. Daniel Jackson character). Now THAT would be hot. Just one little kiss, even, would do, really. I watched this week's episode in between commercial breaks of Enterprise (ah, the answer to the ridge-less klingons was finally given!). That was mostly because I was bored to death by it. At least once or twice each season SG-1 does a very low-budget show that features a lot of flashbacks in order to save up money for the big-bang season ender. This one was very similar to the 'Murray' story arc (the guy who was really an alien who crashlanded on earth and whose buddies kept erasing his memory and then later he erased his own memory but worked on a hollywood show that was very similar to SG-1 but a lot campier). I actually enjoyed the Murray series a LOT more, but the money shot at the end was quite enjoyable and got an appreciative chuckle from me. (the shot of O'Neill's face as he had to admit to seven years of experiencing a 'normal' life through flashes and he didn't tell anyone...it really was in character too) Atlantis really hit a homer with this week's episode, though. The time-travel explanation of how Atlantis was prepared for their arrival was quite well-played. On a side note, listen to their explanation of time travel and what happens to the time traveler's universe and so forth. It's the exact same theory that I used on the Do Over series, with some minor tweaking. I actually used a subset of that theory that states actual matter would not be able to go back in time, but we could 'imprint' a past version of a self with the memories and personality of the future self. The biggest hurdle in that would be recording and transmitting the data. It gets around the biggest flaw in the theory used by the Atlantis people, which is the loss/gain of matter problem. (The theory being the loss/gain of matter traveling through time and thereby creating or entering an alternate universe would essentially destroy the universe with the change in the universal weight constant. The counter-argument of course is that such a change is so insignificant that it would be easily absorbed by the Universe, which is vast. Yes, I know, I'm a time travel geek, or at least I was when I was younger and I just remember a bunch of the stuff). I really like that Atlantis is heading towards a direct confrontation with the Wraith and we're really in for a treat in the upcoming episodes as they do direct battle against the evil enemy. Don't get me started on Friday's Battlestar Galactica. The bathroom scene alone is worthy of a greatest scene award. It was just super-fantastic and extremely enjoyable. Sci-Fi really is hitting home-runs with their Friday-Night line-up. I don't think sci-fi fans have ever had a night quite like this one.

Go ahead, burn me at the stake. I'll just call for a do over. Actually one of my favorite SG-1 episodes is the one where O'Neill and Teal'c are stuck reliving the same day over and over and over and over and over again. I would have gone crazy LONG before they did. Oh, and the shot of O'Neill hitting golf balls through the stargate was just...priceless. I could imagine someone somewhere saying "he used a device that transmits matter over thousands of light years to do WHAT?!"

http://www.michael-shanks.com/pictures/stargate.html SG-1 and Atlantis are both good, but BSG is the total, utterly depressing the world has been destroyed story that I like. Actually, ya know, it reminds me of how I'd have made BSG if I'd been in charge of the script. You have to love all those mushroom clouds...it was like several scenes from stories I've written. Too bad I didn't write the BSG though, that would have been a lot of money

Dr. Jackson is much better looking with a crew-cut, and he kicks some butt on occasion as well. Now, as for me, I think Major Shephard from Atlantis is hottest of the SG bunch, but you have to love an actor whose first name is Rainbow. If you really, really, really want me to get excited, let's talk the new Battlestar Galactica. Starbuck turns me on, which surprised me tremendously, all things considered. Apollo, well this isn't an S&M board so I can't really say what I'd do to him, the little whiney brat, but...now this is really kinky, I've actually found myself looking at Baltar and going...hmmm... Crashdown is my current favorite though, I really want to lick him all over... See, just mention BSG and I go all goo-goo-ga-ga

Before I fell in love with the new Battlestar Galactica, I might have been worried...but you know, as long as JMS is behind it, I'll wait and reserve judgment until the movie is out...

Writing is never easy, despite what people might think. Working things through on a story can be extremely difficult. Look at me, I still haven't finished a few of my stories... Oh, and I find I'm influenced a lot by what I watch, read, or listen to while writing. For instance, I've noticed the last chapter of Do Over Redux that I'm working on has been influenced by my watching Frequency and What Dreams May Come on Sci-fi channel.

While Michael Marcavage of Repent American calls for the government execution of gays (I'd say big deal, but this guy is backed by Focus on the Family and the AFA and possibly the Christian Coalition), other more common people have comments like this: This was in response to an article about the appearance of a super-strain of AIDS that is not responding to treatment. Here's another guy who assumes a gay man would enjoy being raped in prison...

Did you hear the rumor that I was straight, or at least Bi? In other words people always want their favorite authors to be more like them...I've had a few e-mails from females who liked the HP fanfic that were along those lines and I had to laugh with the understanding that swept through me...

I'm pretty sure it was one of the HP stories, probably from FF.net.

I like boxer-briefs, and spandex underwear.

I got this one the other day... It caught me on a bad so I sent this in response: They sent this reply: So I sent this reply:

I've had a few e-mails from underage people myself. I'm actually more worried about violence content for the young in some of my stories more than the sexual, although at times they go hand in hand. When I was twelve, my own Aunt Carol gave me the book Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delaney. Considering the main character is a black bi-sexual and the story is very violent, and the sex with men and women is somewhat graphic, my parents would have had a heart attack if they'd read the book. As it was, it provided many visual fantasies for me. Could the author of that book been brought up on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or just my aunt who provided the access? Does a minor who accesses our stories on a website where there is a general disclaimer incur the possibility of a charge againt the author and website owner or his parents for providing the internet access? So far, I'm unaware of any actual charges being pressed against authors or websites or even civil lawsuits. There is adult content on this site as far as text, but there are appropriate age disclaimers, etc, and the pornography sections of the 1996 Internet Security Act were thrown out by the Supreme Court. E-mail responses are a little more dangerous in that if you're trying to arrange a specific meeting with an underage individual, discussing sex, etc, you can expect the door to be knocked down. However, merely responding to a message with a Thank you won't do that. If they make you aware they are underage and reading the work, a reminder that the work is intended for people over 18 might be wise. For instance, I usually respond with something like "I really appreciate your writing to tell me you enjoy the story. Jut a reminder, the story is meant for people of legal age." If they ask questions about the story, or life in general I respond, but sexually-related questions and so forth are referred to one of the sites mentioned by the others. I try to be as encouraging as possible to the ones dealing with severe problems, especially those with very problematical parents. If they are having problems with parents, or others, or are expressing suicidal thoughts, I recommend they see a professional for help, and have even gone so far as to find a licensed therapist who lives in their area who might be able to help them. Yes, when any adult deals with minor children, there are rules, laws, and customs that must be carefully considered and followed. That does not mean you can't talk to them without fear of arrest. In fact, if you don't respond to someone who has expressed suicidal thoughts or you don't encourage them to get PROFESSIONAL help, you can be facing some serious problems. Yes, you have to be careful, but slamming the door in their face is much more damaging in the long run.

Nifty is fine here from California, where I proudly voted for Boxer and will do so again.

Funny you should ask, I just applied to The Modesto Bee for an on-call Copy Editor position. Let's pray I get it. As for the shooting, the shooter has been identified as a US Marine who returned from Iraq last September. He had been home on leave and went back to Camp Pendleton on January 2nd (or thereabouts). There he learned he was being deployed back to Iraq. On Sunday he left his barracks saying he was going to get something to eat, and went AWOL. He then showed up in Ceres/Modesto around 8:00 and fired a shot in the parking lot of my neighborhood convenience store (I love getting my Snickers candy bars there and know the proprieters and most of the employees. Their family has owned the store since it has been there and my grandma has lived here since 1964). He told the clerk someone had just shot at him and the clerk (a really good guy who is having a bad time emotionally right now) called the police. When the first officer arrived, with a teenage Explorer with him, the Marine opened fire, wounding the officer. A second officer arrived moments later and opened fire on the Marine. The marine then seriously wounded the second officer, and then went up to him to put two bullets into the back of his head. After that, the Marine ran to a nearby home and holed up there for three hours. After three hours, he jumped over the back yard fence of the house he'd holed up at and fired at officers in the alley way. The officers fired back, killing him just short of my back yard. They believe now it was suicide-by-cop. At a town hall meeting tonight, the police speculated that the weapon he used, an SKS assault rifle illegal here in California, was one he acquired from a dead insurgent in Iraq.

The suspect's body is in the alley behind the house. Last night I had grandma and cousin michele hiding on the ground as the bullets rang out, and I blockaded the back gate earlier in the night. The SWAT team came through the house to do a search shortly after the suspect was shot, just in case anyone was with him. Cute butt on two of them...

Tom Clancy has had two major gay characters. One was bad lesbian seduced by KGB agent and the other was a member of US Congress. Believe it or not, the gay congressman is written very well, and there's a great scene where the Jack Ryan character APPEARS to insult him, but it was all part of a scheme to get at the bad guys. The congressman appears throughout the series as a supporting character and is one of the good guys, really treated no differently than any of the other supporting characters. As for more fiction... The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey has got to be the biggest for having a gay male main character. Hell the story revolved around him and was almost solely from his point of view throughout. I remember hiding that book in my locker on ship, hoping they didn't find it and peg me as gay from reading the book. I was so fascinated by a book with an actual gay character that it helped me through the coming out process. Also, Marion Zimmer Bradley has several gay/bi characters including villains and heroes. There's a lot out there...now to find a publisher for my stories!

So, let's say for Do Over I wanted to give a spoiler and say that dies in Chapter 38, that would work? Cool. Oh, and the name hidden in the spoiler is real. does not die in that chapter. Cool

Well, welcome to real-life editing. Now if I could just get a manuscript accepted by a regular publisher.

Okay, I'm bored and really didn't feel like writing or doing much productive, so I go and read all the Everything there is to know section of The Leaky Cauldron website. Now, I don't read a lot of HP fansites...but hasn't someone else put it together that Petunia Dursely is a witch who chose not to go to Hogwarts? Here's a JK Rowling quote from 1999: Will there be, or have there been, any "late blooming" students in the school who come into their magic potential as adults, rather than as children? No, is the answer. In my books, magic almost always shows itself in a person before age 11; however, there is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am writing about. At the recent Edinburough Festival she said: Is Aunt Petunia a Squib? Good question. No, she is not, but