C James

Blame the Frog.... Hmmm, I like it! In fact, I love it!!! I think we may have seen the birth of a new forum motto here today! As for goats swimming.... We do, quite well, though not as well as frogs, of course.

Joe, you just made it easy: He knows you're on GA, and he knows you're an Admin, but not your usename. This is so simple; tell him that your handle on the site is C James. He'll look, find me, my posts, and my writing, and think they're yours. Thinking that you're a raving lunatic, he'll dump you. Problem solved! :ranger:

ACK! But, Your Amphibiousness, there is no cliffhanger! I was hoping for an Amphibious Declaration of Cliffhanger-Free! Please? I'll even answer your questions! First, the volcano.... The resort, plus the village of Las Indias, are on the side threatening to head for the bottom of the sea. The bombs are in a storage unit in the vilage, so they, too, would head for the bottom of the ocean. That would not cause them to detonate, so no worries there. Financially.. Well, Helen would be utterly ruined. She took most of the risk on herself. Ther band members have a higher net worth than she does, and have a smaller share of the risk, so they'd be hurt, but nowhere near as badly. Perhaps a fifth of their net worth would be gone. Their potential earning power could be another matter; if they are at the resort and thus accompany the bombs to the bottom of the sea, it might impact Instinct's future prospects (for one thing, drums and guitars don't work under water). However, as a frog, you like water, so I would think that you'd be largely unconcerned about any trips to the bottom of the sea for Instinct, and thus would never imply that any water-related thing could ever be in any way a cliffhanger.

I can't answer any question without giving a spoiler, but I can mention that the title of the next chapter is "The best laid plans..."

ACK! Doesn't that bartender know the first rule of bartending: "Thou Shalt Not Tequila the Eric!" Is the bar still standing? Er,, for that matter, is the town? BTW, Sorry for forgetting to annonce the chapter titles in advance. A little late, but the one for Chapter 36 is Convergence. It will be up sometime within the hour, as soon as I finish HTML formatting.

I'd go along with that. Indeed, I think it can be very effective if done well. I've never done that myself, but I've read a handful of stories that have done that, now that it's been pointed out to me. Thank you Graeme! I'm delighted to see that we both agree (and I have the quote above to prove it) that cliffhangers are far from my area of expertise!!! Seriously though, you've never done it yourself? Hrmmm... I beg to differ. I seem to recall a chapter ending in HOTT that you referred to as akin to hitting the readers with a machine gun, or words to that effect, and I could have sworn you mentioned doing that, in part, for later effect??? I'm going from memory here, so please take with a huge grain of salt. Ahh, but in this case, said sportswriter also happens to be, to extend the analogy, one of the top players in the league and also a coach. One does not preclude the other, so, therefor, yes, I'd say the expertise on the theoretical side, combined with the player's skill, would make said player an even better candidate for MVP. Or, in this case, King of Cliffhangers. Well, I have seen cliffhangers in published, non-serial novels. They are easy to do; as Graeme mentions, the author simply shifts to another scene or plotline for a while. Could be a few paragraphs, or could be a few chapters. However, yes, cliffhangers did originate with serials, and were literal; some had the protagonist literally dangling off a cliff. I do, though this is just my opinion (on an area far from my area of expertise), draw a distinction between weekly unresolved situations and long-running plot aspects that are unresolved. In a serial, say a TV show, you oft have a new situation develop with each episode (analogous to a chapter). Unresolved, that can be a cliffhanger. A different situation IMHO is for a series like MASH, where you have the ever-present threat of the war. In some episodes it plays a role (shelling, etc) but in many, it is just there. I don't see the continuation of the unresolved issue (the war) as a cliffhanger. In much the same way, the volcano in Changing Lanes can't be said to be a cliffhanger; it's just there; a continuing risk, and having effects (limiting transportation and communications, for example). And didn't you know? Campaign seasons in the US are mind-numbingly long. I envy parliamentary systems their campaign brevity. However, one cannot ignore objective reality, so it is hardly too early for the campaigns to begin for the 2009 King of Cliffhangers award! Hrmmm. Yes, I would say that. Now, let's see what we have here! Jan is indeed a member of GA. He has publicly confirmed that he has created a cliffhanger. The cliffhanger occurs in an above post, which was authored by Jan. That makes him eligible for the 2009 King of Cliffhangers award, and I hereby duly nominate Jan for that award.

Thanks Graeme!! This is far from my area of expertise, but I'd like to weigh in with a possible fourth use of cliffhangers, one applicable (As a tense or perilous situation that's resolved) in non-serials, too. This could be called using cliffhangers for memory effect. See what you think. I can't think of a specific example to use , so let's take a hypothetical: The hypothetical author wants to make sure the reader remembers something that occurs early in the novel, that will be critical much later. He may choose to do so by highlighting it with a cliffhanger. For example, suppose the hypothetical author's plot involves a protagonist named "Eric" and an antagonist named "The Scar". They hypothetical author might need the readers to remember that, back in chapter 15 of the hypothetical story, that The Scar saw Eric's photo in the general's camera, and used it to deduce Eric's location. The hypothetical author could make the photo central to the chapter, make it the chapter's title point, and also use a cliffhanger at that point, involving this occurance, in order to plant that fact in the reader's minds, so that much later in the story, when that photo becomes plot-critical, the reader will remember it (on a subconcious if not concious level) and thus won't be as taken by surprise, and the use of the photo late in the hypothetical novel hopefully wasn't as jarring as it otherwise would be. Oh, and BTW, I'd like to point out to one and all that Graeme is posting rules on cliffhangers, which surely shows his great renown and knowledge of the subject. Why, one could say (and I do) that Graeme's decrees on the subject of cliffhangers are the sovereign truth, and reign as proof that Graeme is truly deserving of the title "2009 King of Cliffhangers".

Aww, but, that was just a few little difficulties during a trip. We've all had problems when traveling by air; lost luggage, delayed flights, etc. So, they had a few extra, what with the dead pilot, damaged plane, and inbound missiles. But I think calling it a cliffhanger is just a little... extreme? I really have no idea why I keep getting that award... After all, I don't use cliffhangers. Seriously though, I will say that as a reader, I do like them, provided they aren't overused and are well done and consistent. I also like ones where the clues to the resolution are already there, waiting for the reader to figure it out. Errrrm, Your Amphibiousness, don't you remember MASH episodes where they were being shelled, bombed, attacked by snipers, etc? That war made for a constant background risk. Much akin to (picking a random example here) having a nearby volcano happen to be in the middle of an eruptive cycle. Sooo, if MASH's war wasn't a cliffhanger, neither is a volcano, right? Burning issue? As in.. a goat-roasting? ACK! Well, when a story builds towards its dramatic climax, there's bound to be a trace of tension here and there in it. Unresolved plot issues do not a cliffhanger make! Okay, let's discuss real cliffhangers. As a classic example, what about ending a chapter with a central character apparently being beaten to death, blows raining down, and at the very end, the character succumbs to the blackness. The reader is left not knowing if the character lives or dies, or how badly they are wounded if they survive. Now that's a cliffhanger! And, as it was posted very early this year as a part of a novel that is still being posted, I think it would be an ideal candidate (or rather, make the author, Graeme, one) for the 2009 King of Cliffhangers award. BTW, I most highly recommend this story, which is entitled The Price of Friendship, one of the most innovative plots I've ever seen. Okay, now, I think we can all agree that that was a classic cliffhanger. It occurred at the very end of a chapter, left the character's life in the balance (for two weeks!, Graeme posts bi-weekly) and was delivered in an very unexpected manner, though it was forshadowed. A real shocker. Now that's a cliffhanger!! Graeme uses cliffhangers sparingly in most cases. The one exception I can think of offhand is his novel HOTT, where the title character was in continual danger of being literally rendered limb from limb, literally hacked to bits, in every chapter.

Given all the comments regarding cliffhangers around here, I thou8ght it might be good to actually discuss what they are. Per Wikipedia's detailed article, we have; Further, they mention; Here's a TV industry page, explaining types of cliffhanger, and also giving a very comprehensive list of famous ones from TV. Okay, now I've read up on this subject, I think I see what it means... A cliffhanger seems to involve a long length of time (say, between the end of one season and the begging of another) and this is usually measured in months. This would seem to preculde anything weekly being a cliffhanger, no? Also, it seems to indicate, quite clearly, that the cliffhanger occurs at the very end of the chapter or show. A third point is that the term generally means some sudden, unresolved dire peril (such as dangling off a cliff) rather than an ongoing sustained risk (for example, the TV series MASH was set in a warzone in the Korean war, and war is dangerous, but the setting itself did not constitute an ongoing cliffhanger). Seems to me that the term "Cliffhanger" is being misused around these parts? Please discuss.

Eric, you're a hero. Well done, my friend. You may have very well saved his life.

Aww, but Wildone, I never use cliffhangers, so no worries there. I'm working on 38 at the moment, so though there might be some temporary delays, I don't forsee a big one. The flu did indeed set me back on my writing, and as a result 36 was very late going into editing, but I'm trying to catch up again. If you want a peek at the geography of the resort, just look in google earth or google maps. It's based on a real resort at 28

Slowly getting better. Flu takes a while to get over, but so far, so good. I'm sick of being sick, lol. Cliffhangers? What cliffhangers??? All plot aspects will be wrapped up by the end of the story, one way or another. There won't be a sequel, so that's a requirement. Felecia and the General make a great pair IMHO... Imagine, too, Brian at any kind of event (such as a promotion celebration) where he has to introduce his family... "This is my dad, the renegade General... and this is my stepmom, the mercenary commander, but she's turned over a new leaf and hasn't nuked anyone... lately." Thanks Conner! I do intend to wrap everything up by the end of the story. What about Jansen and Eric's first date? It had a few little hiccups, but don't most first dates?

I think that the greatest danger Brian is in is that he doesn't know Helen. LoL!

Sorry I've been absent for a while... I was unwise enough to aquire a souveneire on my flights home; the flu. I'm still under the weather, but feeling better than I was a couple of days ago. I have no idea if it's swine flu. That's statistically unlikly, so probably just regular flu. On the other hand, if it is swine flu, I can be said to be a pig-headed goat. LoL Yep. Btw, some great speculation in the thread!! Yes, the "Worth a thousand words" chapter, 15, was indeed quite relevant. The scar knew, then, where Eric was staying. He also demonstrated the means to find out (via credit card records) current info. However, we shouldn't assume he has ill intent. Even if he does go to the resort, he might just want to stop by and say "hi". Eric might be in far more danger from Helen, when she finds out just what he's bringing as loan collateral.

I would also like to thank all who participated, and also take this belated opportunity to participate my7self (sorry, I've been away and only just found this). To my wonderful team: Emoe, Graeme, Bondwriter, Captain Rick, and Shadowgod. You guys are the best. Thank you.

Thanks Kevin. I do try, but I'll be the first to say I don't do enough to recognize all that my team does. What I currently do is make sure I try to thank them in the forum threads, and also in every chapter credit at the bottom of each chapter. On my site, every chapter credit is discrete text, so in many cases the credits change from chapter to chapter. This also gives me the ability to add a special "thank you" to someone lending a hand in some way on a specific chapter. An example at the moment is Wildone, who will be added to the credits of chapter 31 of my current story as a way of saying "thank you!" to him for pointing out a typo and also a plot continuity issue (I'll post about that in my forum). My point here is that having each chapter credit be discrete text rather than a PHP include (where one piece of text is echoed to every chapter) gives me added flexibility in recognizing people who help. I do try to include my team whenever I can, because that's what we are, a team, and I consider the stories to be as much theirs as mine. It's a team effort, and I mean that in every sense of the word. One idea that I flagrantly stole (From Mark Arbor, but Shhhh, don't tell him...), modified, and aim to implement, is having a Team Page on my website, with a little about each member, what they do, and a link to their profile, etc. That page will also house the awards the stories have won, because that's where they belong; to the team. CJ

Now, now, no need for legal actions! Mike has dropped out of the storyline Thanks Terpi! No need to worry. As I said in the prior thread, what could possibly go wrong? BTW, here's a thought to ponder: why did The Scar take along JATO packs? Good catch!!! Yep, Horst, with one minor change, was echoing Robespierre. I thought it was an appropriate thing to say to a cook, before giving him some fresh air. BTW, can we have an Amphibious Declaration of Cliffhanger-Free for this chapter? I think it deserves one, don't you?

Who? Me? I suppose we could say that Jansen and Eric's first date is having a few small hiccups? One thing I was worried about RE the first date... I've seen many in gay fiction, and I was concerned that it Jansen and Eric's could come across as a little cliche. I think we managed to avoid that?

But, but, but... It's merely coincidence! And besides, Mike the Cook is not a frog, so I'm in the clear! Also... Michael is indeed a name of great religious significance: Archangel Michael for one. But, angels have wings, no? So nothing to worry about, for Mike. ACK! Now, now, no lawyers! BTW, the name of the chapter posting tomorrow (34) is Miscommunications

I saw this and wondered if it was taken in Mark's backyard.

OOps! The cook is named as "Mike" in chapter 30, not 33. My bad!

OOps!! You're right, I do mean 34! I kind of forgot where we were.

Thanks Emoe!! I might have added the cook's name (Mike) after you saw 33. I can't remember. Ok, just checked, and the name wasn't in the chapter I sent you. Sorry, I guess I added it post-edit. So, Mike is the cook, and The Scar's man on board.

Thanks!! I'm finally over the jetlag, and caught up on work and sleep. BTW, Chapter 35 should be posted Tuesday, as we resume our weekly schedule.

I'm baaaack. I'm overtired and lagging, so It'll be tomorrow before I'm arounf more, but just wanted to say "hi". BTW, to those who I owe PM's and e-mail to, I'll be doing them after I sleep. I haven't forgotten.