Krista

Your Questions: Answer to 1: I do not put any real timeframe for my writing. I will write when I wish to write. I have learned the hard lesson of finishing projects before I commit to them, by posting them here unfinished. It was a hard lesson, as it took me 5+ years to write, "The Best Year," because I kept stumbling around with it, and I lacked motivation at times. So, who needs the added pressures of a deadline or a mindset of, "I have to get this done on such and such day, because..." Unless you're working with a publishing deadline, then don't bother with that kind of thinking, it will do you more harm than good. If you don't have to put yourself into a strict structured mess, just don't do it. Answer to 2: Yes. I lack focus at times. It is easy for my brain to come up with a character and idea for a story. I can do that all day, I have story ideas jumping around inside my head all the time. I have a rule that they need to be in my head more than once. I need to be interested in it multiple times. That tells me that it is a character and/or story I really wish to tell and not something that I think would be fun in the moment. Because, fun in the moment can get you started. It can't carry you through the meat of the writing. It has to be an idea that can carry you through an entire story as you flesh it out and put the real work into it. --- I can do fun moment writing if it is short, like around 30k words. Anything of any length, it has to be an idea that I know will carry me to the finish. Also, it is completely okay to start writing a story and fall out of love with it. We all have them in our documents collecting dust and waiting. I have stories that were started in 2007 and will never be finished. Real life gets in the way of writing. That is life. Sometimes you just can't bring yourself to be in a creative mindset when you're tired, frustrated, or bogged down by things. Some people can set that aside easier than others, I am not one of those people. I need to feel like writing, and when I do I force time to accommodate me, if that means I stay up on a Tuesday night well past 1am to finish a chapter, I will be bitchy at work in the morning... As long as you can do that and keep some sanity and bounce back into a more healthy schedule, that is. Answer to 3: No, I don't write everything down before I flesh out the story. I do a character sheet, I keep the idea in my head. I have goals and themes I want to tell. I do not write those down either. If I write too much in the character sheets, if I write down plot plans, themes for chapters, etc... my motivation to continue to write, or even to start the story will fall away. To me it feels like I've jumped to the last five minutes of a film, or read the last chapter of a book. If I know everything there is to know, because I've fleshed everything out into puzzle pieces, but I can still see the picture I've formed - I no longer feel the need to put those pieces together. That is how I write, some people need details, I live for not knowing the majority of them. I am careful only where I need to be.

You'd be surprised how many people subscribe to them and then forget all about doing so... as well. I used to have Paramount, but I can't remember what the reason for that was. I'm too picky with what I watch to blanket keep something for the sake of the fear of missing out on something. The kids did make me resubscribe to Netflix for K-Pop Demon Hunter. lol.

I wish I could stand Matt Bomer, because it does seem interesting... I also don't have the service that screens it.

Yeah, only worth their weight in bail money, too. He's actually lucky, he has to be 19, going on 20.. and he's not only supplying beer to below drinking age people, as someone not old enough to legally have it himself (at least in the states), he's picking fights with someone below the age of eighteen too. Mind you, he didn't land a punch.

They most certainly do not, a lot of what he went through would linger with him for his lifetime, I'd imagine. Total abandonment from his family, not just abandonment, but shunned and ridiculed. Unless something is resolved there, there has to be a helpless sort of feeling. He loves his family, as far as we know. I couldn't imagine it, even though two of my friends lived it. One friend's family learned to at least "tolerate" him, but he doesn't have much of a relationship, but at least a broken sort of olive branch was offered. The other one is still entirely estranged from his family...

Yes, this was a long one. Made longer if I kept the Falls portion tacked on, but at least that one had more... obvious tensions all throughout. Celia saying what she said to Joel was my voice coming through her. I was afraid that he was getting too heavy, so I wrote those lines of dialog for me. At least in that moment of plot-time and possibly some from the previous chapter. So I was kind of shaking myself there too, telling me to get off some of his heaviness and on to something else, not specifically him, and how he is going forward, but just the writing. But yes, for plot purposes, she put both of us on notice. We'll see if we both listened to her.

Speak to me when you all can openly admit to only having two seasons. Winter (9 months) and not Winter (3 months).

It could be a way of venting my traumas... if I don't get shanked by my mini-me in the process. Sometimes I feel like I'm raising her up for her just to overthrow me and there's nothing I can do about it.

One can hope his promise to Joel doesn't eclipse the relationship he has with Colt. It would be a sad time if that happened.

and I think Joel deserved a better answer for his troubles. Shame. But, did he look good?

Ouch. For some reason that hit kind of hard. "The contagious gay brother..." but it hit harder for me, when Cody is factored in. I think Joel's parents have Westley pretty figured out, unfortunately the boy doesn't seem to have a lot going on there.

Sometimes a donkey is just a donkey, that someone may call an ass. Or, there could be some other reason.

Has he officially left his school yet? *whistles* Joel showing up, wouldn't tell a lot of people anything. They may not be used to seeing him 'at that spot' in enemy territory. Some of his classmates would know him on sight, but the ones that would know something was truly messed up would be Roy, who probably frequents a lot of parties and would remember who the usual Tempton faces are coming that far out of their way. The others would be his teammates who would be like, "What the hell, we're supposed to be at practice..." but then, they'd be caught out of pocket too.

Aww. It almost sounds like a lose/lose situation for Colt, doesn't it?

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'm so nervous that the bolts will start shooting out of the walls and let all the water in and sink the boat. I'm not used to having an entire story written and prepped for posting and living with the results. I'm used to being just one chapter ahead of readers myself. So, these comments do make me rest easier.

Lovely way to tell me that I have done enough happy accident writing for the title to be heavier than me agonizing over what to tile the story in such short notice. I will take these happy accidents, because writing sometimes is all about them. Almost like a newborn fawn finding its feet after falling over its long legs. Life I feel just makes us liars. We just hope we never have to use any of them that carry a lot of impact and weight along with them. Unfortunately Joel has had to, where as Colt's lies, at least so far, hasn't been too heavy of a burden for him it seems. Probably more so his parents, who are also liars every time they agree to let him go camping, when they probably think they ought not to.

I guess other than Celia and Trace, possibly Lacey, he has been one of 'the' people to take a time invested interest in what's going on with Joel. But, it could also be like a cat playing with a mouse, right? Not wanting to leave the mouse alone after finding it. He doesn't seem cruel, his actions. But, we honestly don't know, do we? He does seem to have some protective instincts, he was the first one out of the water and ready to back down Jonny if needed. Oh look at me... coy may come easy, after all.

Fair, I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment. I do like to catch people off their toes a bit. Most usually my writing doesn't do much of that, so whenever it does... I take the wins. Even the happy accidents. and yeah, ruling out kitten murderer is very important. Coy, you say?

ooooohhhh...

Yeah, to be fair I think that's the most the boy has spoken that wasn't complaining about work to his parents. But the first depth-lite conversation he's had with Joel. Unless I'm forgetting something. They were both being a bit guarded in their answers, but there is something there that maybe hints at who Colt is and how he responds to things. Hopefully there's more, because I do enjoy all the Colt theories. Even if most of them just get a blanket Maybe in response. I have indeed cracked a rotten egg... it wasn't pleasant. It did happen quickly, before Joel could relax... if he's even capable, we've yet to see much of that. Oh goodness... for that last sentence. 😮 but yes.. possibly.

When something bright is removed, all you end up seeing is the darkness left behind. There is still hope of Cody, though. "I wish I never knew..." I really liked her choice of words there, and her reaction. I think that's the only second she showed something else. It wasn't enough, though. Not then anyway. And, I think 'assholes' with poor judgement and manners can't abide it. Unfortunately, that comes in all forms of people.

If you took the s off of Falls, that sounds like some sort of indie-rock song. "Drama at the Fall." And yes, as someone who has busted her knuckles (not by throwing punches, mind you), that is a very sensitive area to have an injury... especially broken skin as there's a lot of stretch and movement over knuckles. It sucks.

Yeah, poor Joel didn't get a real chance to enjoy himself. By the time he was feeling a bit good, there was two unwanted faces that he had to look at. Poor thing. And I think everyone knows that Jonny won't learn from this experience, but maybe Joel has shown himself to not being the pushover Jonny obviously thought he was when they were in high school together. And 'typical' sounds like a back-handed compliment. But in this day and age, it may be a breath of fresh air. and x2, I'm dodging the rest of all that up there.

You described Jonny pretty well *glances at character sheet* although, I didn't peg him for an athlete reliving his glory days... just a spoiled brat that had access to beer and so, he became 'that' person and a necessary factor whenever people wanted to have those kinds of parties. They know he's a loser, but he's a loser that can get them beer... he just kind of let it go to his head. Or maybe I am being too harsh. He after all, is an unintentional hero. Evidenced in Chapter One. And, I do think it is safe to say that Joel got a lot of unwanted attention.

They could be of the mind that they need to close ranks as well. Come up with a story that has nothing to do with the truth. Although, if that's the best they got with Westley's response... they better be working on it some. Would they kick him out of the house and then bring the opinions and gossip to their doorstep by 'telling' people the reason? If they didn't want to be the talk of gossip, it would have made more sense for them to shut Joel up, to not speak of it, to keep him cooped up and swearing not to act or say anything - or else - type of thinking. and yeah, I would like to see how the house dynamics change with his absence... and if Westley's parasitic behavior would be more of a glaring issue now... and who knows, maybe Joel does go back home and we get to learn all about it.