jkwsquirrel

Thanks! Not only the wounds they carry, but how they deal with those wounds in their own way. Billy tries to bury them, Brett lets them fester until they explode.

Kids these days are like, "What's a tape?"

He's a good father when he's not losing his temper.

Indeed! Billy has a lot of stress in his life. George has a good handle on how to deal with Billy, when he's not losing his temper.

Yes he should have!

Thanks! Hope it was enjoyable!

Thanks! That's a great compliment! I really appreciate you giving it a try and I'm glad you enjoyed it! 😀

My college English professor used to write so many comments in red ink on my papers it looked like he bled all over the paper. I learned a lot from him and became a better writer. I think if you're looking to improve you're more willing to accept criticism. If you just want patted on the back you won't improve much. I've always appreciated Spikey's comments because he challenges me to think more deeply about my writing.

Thanks! Glad to do it!

Poor Yeet boy!

What I liked about Aiden was that he wasn't a true hero or villain. He got played by Mr. Hartley and used by Dustin and Doug, but he was tough and resilient. I do wonder if Brett was intentionally calling Tyler "Taylor" to mess with him or if he genuinely couldn't remember his name.

Very true. WAR was very dark at points, with Brett and Dustin being abused in their own ways, the bigotry the boys faced, and the violence. Billy was more pessimistic about how life was going than Jake. Billy dwelt in his misery, Jake was more like "Screw it" and moved on with a sense of optimism. I love them both, but String was more "fun." Yeet Yeet!

WAR was much more graphic than String, for sure. Finding that right balance of what's romantic and what's pornographic is a difficult one. (Not that there's anything wrong with pornography, but it's not what I'm going for.)

I think Brett is #1 for me. He was such a brat to start out but as he grew up he matured into a caring, compassionate young man while keeping that mischievous side of himself. Dustin is probably #2. Billy, and Jake, and George in any order would be my top 5 with Aiden right there at number 6. Mr. Hartley was my favorite villain, by far. One of my favorite scenes was when Dustin threw a desk at him. Favorite "book" is probably Retaliation (WAR 5) with Billy "coming out" to his parents (they already knew), Dustin beating the snot out of Brett, Dustin's attempted suicide, the cabin scene with the boys and George, and Billy's repeated failure to get his license.

Thanks again for all the wonderful comments! This really helped me get through the craziness of this time. This was such a fun story to write and a great experience for me. I loved the interaction between us all! "String" might just be my favorite work I've done, definitely the most fun I've had writing. Jake is right up there with some of my favorite characters that I've written. (I think it was his GFY to Ryan's dad that really defined him for me.) When I started, I really didn't know what would happen, I thought maybe Jake and Danny might work. Kyle kind of came along and the two of them just clicked for me. If I'd have done more planning, I'd have mentioned Kyle in passing here and there, but I kind of like how he came along at the right time. That's how love goes sometimes.

I always say once the story's over the characters aren't mine anymore, they're yours now. Since this one was so reader influenced that's even more true!

Yeah, that's why I included the sleeping bag line. I wanted to show that Danny had grown up and wasn't just thinking about sex, and that what he wants most is for Jake to be happy.

May it be so! Very glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the review!

Sexuality is more art than science, right?

Thank you! I'm supposed to leave you wanting more, right? I'm very glad you enjoyed it! I did too!

One of my favorite WAR Easter eggs!

Yep! Thanks!

Glad to do it! It was an interesting dynamic to explore. Danny matured a lot by the end, and it was nice to always see him rooting for his best friend.

I appreciate it, but I'm kind of satisfied with how it all went and don't plan to do anything more with it. But you can never say never. I'm happy and surprised by how it turned out. I made a few mistakes along the way, but it held together well. You can get away with a lot if your characters are good!

The story or the chapter? I will say that having written a novel, this was a fun little tale to write. WAR was sort of epic, this was just pure fun to write.