John Henry

Thank you, @chris191070. I hope it keeps your interest through to the end.

Unless you're creating your own fictitious city, you don't need to fictionalize real place or product names, since it falls under Fair Use laws. It's a good idea to change the names of real people to protect them or avoid likeness rights issues. If you plan on defaming a company or organization, you should definitely change the name and avoid direct references or hints. On the show Community, Greendale College is loosely based on Dan Harmon's experiences at Glendale University, which would not lend their name to the show. With that said, I've always had a problem coming up with names in general. I keep a list of names on my phone as a back up for table top roleplaying games, which also works for my writing. You can also use a random name generator, which is easily found online. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.

Hello everyone, I'm John. I've been writing most of my life, and discovered this site a few weeks ago. I've posted my first story on here, Thicker Than Water, and hopefully, more stories will come.

That (and the comedic parts) will start in the next chapter that I hope to have submitted in a few hours.

Thanks for the complements. I try to keep my characters as grounded as possible. Studies have shown that bigotry is a nurture situation, as babies and little kids have no real concept of race, gender identity, etc. Bigotry is taught or emulated, which is sad, but also means to can be fought and defeated. I considered having Mr. Deacon be a bad guy, but I already did the bad school administrator thing in another book I wrote, so I didn't feel like doing that again. I think more schools should have cameras and microphones in the classroom and halls. Clearly never in bathrooms or locker rooms, but schools need to monitor the behavior of students better to hold the bad one accountable. I know I've had my fair share of bad teachers and bullies, and it would've been nice to see them held accountable for their actions. I was raised by active drug users, and when my father died, I didn't really care, much like Bryan. There are big differences that have touched on already, though, and will be a reoccurring theme throughout the rest of the story. But trust me, I feel the same way you do out addicts not ever being allowed to have children. There's more to the Diego and Donna situation that hasn't been addressed yet (even in the chapters I've written thus far) that will help put his point of view into perspective.

Lol. At this point, I have no first names but they're pretentious enough to all have the same initials.

...9 years later.... “Get up! Last warning,” Diego called out, before heading back to the kitchen. Bryan grumbled. Like his dad, he wasn't a morning person. He rolled onto his back and covered his face. Bryan wasn't looking forward to school and wished summer break lasted longer. Suddenly, his blankets were pulled back and a mass of fur was dropped on top of the 14-year-old, as a barrage of licks attacked his face. “I'm up, I'm up!” Bryan called out in a panic, as he tried fightin

Well, Chapter 2 is still in the queue for some reason, and I'm hoping it gets published soon. I don't know how many mods there are, but it's going on at least 48 hours since I submitted it. As long as you're following me and/or the story, you'll get the notification.

Thank you, @Summerabbacat, for the kind comment. As I have mentioned before, Calvin is based on someone I know IRL. The real "Calvin" certainly did leave his ex-wife and kids for a woman over 2000 miles away, and said some pretty horrific stuff in the process. 90% of this story is fiction, and the remaining 10% is inspired by real people, myself included. Most of what you will read regarding Calvin will be fictionalized but heavily influenced by true events. If you hate Calvin now, know the real version is a lot worse.

Does the title play a part in choosing a story? Sometimes. A catchy or intriguing title helps. I'm turned off by degrading titles, puns and something that a second grader may have come up with. Titles are difficult for me to come up with, so I usually don't settle on one till after the first chapter or two are written. I can understand the difficulty in coming up with titles, but they should still be taken into serious consideration. Does a particular author attract you to a story? Yes if I'm already familiar with their work. I'm willing to read everything by a particular author, so long as I find their works engaging. I like Stephen King, but I don't like all of his books. I like the Harry Potter series, but don't like Rowling as a person. For me, it is about the story itself. Jeff Burton is a good example on here about consistency with storytelling. I will read whatever he puts out, because he hasn't shown to release anything I don't like. Do you have some authors for which you will MAKE time to read their story? Yes. Jeff Burton, as mentioned before, is one of them. Voice is incredibly important when writing, and I like his style and voice. Does the amount of reading time available influence whether or not you start or continue a story? No. If I like a story, I will make the time, even if it means not sleeping until I'm finished. Once I'm hooked, I won't stop unless I absolutely have to. How much does your mood influence whether or not you start a new story? My mood definitely impacts my ability to focus. Depression hits me hard and zaps my motivation to do anything. However, I will make note of stories I want to read once my depression has subsided. What factors cause you to stop or suspend reading of a story? [Possibilities include -- Lose interest; story turns dull; situations in a story you don't want to read about; story changes direction so much it no longer seems like the same story at all; too many grammar errors/spelling errors/weird word choices; health issues keep you from continuing; sudden lack of time due to IRL (In Real Life) situations; etc.] Horrifically bad grammar (i.e. no punctuation, run-on sentences, no paragraph breaks, etc.), weak narrative voice (i.e. always in passive voice, fluctuates between tenses, doesn't further the story, etc.), bad dialogue (i.e. doesn't suit the character's age, no contractions, misuse of slang or the lack their of, intentional and uncharacteristic censorship, choppy speech, etc.), uninteresting characters (i.e. no depth or motivation, doesn't serve the plot but isn't just a side character, etc.), and just poorly written prose. Does response from authors to comments after chapters encourage you to keep reading? Yes for the most part. I never expect a response, but when I do, it can be encouraging, so long as the conversation doesn't become critical or hostile. I also only comment or contact an author if I find the writing to be exceptional.

Thank you for the kind comment. As I mentioned before, this is very loosely based on real people and situations from my own life. I certainly had a "Calvin" in my life who pulled very similar thing with myself and his own kids, though not like what happened with Diego.

Thank you for the kind comment. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon.

Thank you for the comment, James. This is very personal story for me as I know someone just like Calvin, who had abandoned his kids several times. Though this is very greatly fictionalized, there are some elements taken from reality. I hope you enjoy the coming chapters.

Knock, knock, knock! What the fuck?! Diego thought as he began to stir. He looked at the clock on the side table. It was 3:54am. Knock, knock, knock! Murder was on his mind as he threw blankets back and grabbed his shorts from the floor. Diego wasn't a morning person on the best of days, even after a full-night's sleep. “I'm fucking coming!” He yelled as the knocking turned into pounding. “I said, 'I'm fucking coming,' goddamn it!” If Diego wasn't already angry, he most certa

14-year-old Bryan Padilla is caught between worlds he doesn't feel connected to. Having been abandoned by their birth parents at a young age, Bryan and his younger brother, Caleb, were adopted by a family friend, Diego Padilla, and raised in a culture not of their own. Though it is the only life Caleb has ever known, Bryan inwardly struggles with his feelings about life, death, race and sexuality. Things escalate shortly after the death of his birth mother. Can Bryan come to terms with his situation as a figure from his past tries to upend his entire life?