methodwriter85

I guess you're right about that. I think I'm just saying there's no toxic sibling rivalry between JJ and Will like there was with Brad and Billy, and I like that a lot. Some thoughts on why this gen seems so much more laidback... 1. They go to Malibu instead of Gunn High School 1980 or the University School 1998, which seems a little less status-conscious. I was watching videos of the high school and nearly every guy was dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoodie. At the high graduation video, I counted at least five or seven guys wearing flip-flops and cargo shorts. It seemed like with Gunn High, you had to be dressed to the nines- and that sort of competition seemed to be every aspect of that school. 2. Will doesn't have an Ace egging him on to be Social King at the school. Darius might have done that, but because he's four grades ahead, it never happened. So therefore Will isn't worried about maintaining top social hierarchy like Brad was as a teenager. Which I like- I like the idea of Will being a guy who marches to the beat of his own drummer instead of needing to be Social King like Brad and even Matt Carrswold did. 3. Both Will and JJ have something they're working towards- they're not restless or aimless, and they have a focus. Billy's restlessness and lack of identity likely fueled a lot of the tension between the two. 4. Will's benefitting from a secure childhood- he doesn't have the insecurities and demons that plagued Brad. 5. Marie and John go to a different school, so there really can't be some designated "leader" of this cohort because they're spread out. 6. Three of them are the same age and one is just a year behind, so there's no "older" kid leading. I'm sure there's lots more, but the gist is...I love that this generation of kids is going to be completely different from the Be Rad crew. I loved Be Rad, but I don't want a Be Rad 2. And from the looks of things, we're going to get something new and fresh, which will be great.

What I like about Will is that he doesn't come off as a control freak like Brad. He's also not trying to be the crown Prince for his generation, and I like that there's a much more egalitarian feel with the kids here as opposed to Be Rad. Everyone pretty much has their own thing and no one is clearly the dominant leader. I like that a lot. We don't need a replay of Brad and Billy jockeying for top dog with Gen 4.

Just when I thought UD couldn't come up with even more inane ideas...they proved me wrong..... UD Wants to Close Academy Street See, I get the principle of what they're trying to do- they're trying to create a more closed, Ivy-League like campus(like say, UPenn), and what they have to do to achieve that is to get rid of throroughfares. Still, Academy Street is just way too critical north-south route to close like, especially when you consider the fire station and the ambulance station that use Academy. My belief that the university is doing everything they possibly can to discourage people from commuting to campus just grows more and more- between closing down parking lots and now this? Traffic in Newark is already a nightmare. I can't imagine what it will look like if they got rid of one of the few things that relieved congestion on Main Street and Delaware Avenue during peak school hours. UD pulls crap like this that shows just how much they don't care about the students in the pursuit of looking like an Ivy League college, and they wonder why applications are down 5 percent despite the national commericials they spent loads of money on doing? Between this completely unecessary project, the completely unecessary law school plans, and the millions of other projects they're doing, I'll be shocked if President Harker doesn't drive the school into the ground.

And what's that?

Can he become a marine biologist? That would be cool- there's never been a scientist in this family, plus Will does love the ocean. And you've written already that Will has a scientific mind. Plus if Will's a marine biologist, one of his first post-college assignments could be protecting marine wildlife during the Gulf Coast oil disaster in 2010. And he could do a summer 2006 college internship trying to help bayou wildlife in post-Hurricane Katrina. Matt's already likely going to follow Brad's footsteps and become a venture capitalist, so it'd be cool if Will did something else.

You would've had a point if they had known their dads for having an open relationship, but since they've only known them as being monogamous, I can't really see how they'd brush it off if they knew. Plus, they're 13, 14 years old. I don't think middle school creatures are the most rational. I can't see them not getting emotional over something like their stepbrother screwing their dad.

Is that why you're writing Will as being more impulsive than his father?

I'm just glad that Jim fiinally got called out on being JJ's father. I've been waiting for that. Now all we need is for JJ to find out, when he's 20 and chasing Olympic Gold.

No, you wouldn't. If Robbie dies, I'm sure the fans will act calmly and rationally. I bet Adam Phillips would applaud you for giving Robbie an honorable send-off.

Chapter 67 -For Claire's general awesomeness throughout the chapter. "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes -When the gang confronts Rich(as well as Jim) about having nothing to do with their illegitimate kids. "Father of Mine" by Everclear -When the gang goes to Dino's, the dive bar that JP frequented when he was young. "Oggum Boogum" by Brenton Wood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLXvMb5bYHE

It looks like Darius is going to marry Ella and make lots of babies(they're a fertile family), so it doesn't look likely. I think the problem with Darius has been that he's been somewhat isolated- he wasn't in college with Matt, and he's not in middle school with JJ, Will, Marie, and John, and he didn't really have any immediate contemporaries in the story. I'm assuming that's why Gathan and Ella got added- to give Darius some people immediately around his age that he can interact with. I do think Darius could play a bigger role than Ace did- he's got a bit more sense and wisdom than Ace did...he works as the protective older brother to the group in a way that Brad and Ace really couldn't pull off with Billy and Claire. The Be Rad crowd was way too close in age. Gen 4 is a little more spread out.

I'd like for Robbie to die a heroic death trying to save one of his kids in 9/11. Or maybe when the family decides to vacation around the Indian Ocean for Christmas 2004...

I actually think of Matt as more like a younger version of Brad with a more outgoing personality, but I do think Robbie would look at Matt and see a younger version of himself. Isn't that what parents do- project themselves onto their kids? For me, because I'm the same age as JJ and Will, I tried to think about how they'd react, and it wouldn't have been good. You're a 13-year old boy who realized that your beloved stepbrother had sex with your beloved father. It would have been very confusing and troubling for a young adolescent to deal with. If it had happened, I think it would have taken the boys a very long time to forgive Brad, and possibly they would have never forgiven Matt.

West Point could be cool, as well. Whatever gets Darius into the War on Terror, I'm down with.

I think JJ will really enjoy the winter when he moves out to either Colorado or New York City or some other Eastern locale.

And I can't see Brad really caring that much, when it comes to college. Now, there's no way over Brad's dead body he would have sent the kids to Our Lady of Malibu for primary school, but for college, I think Brad would have been okay with whatever his kids chose. I'm rooting for Darius to go to Anapolis and wind up in the navy. Did the navy play a role in Aghanistan? I did like how it was implied that Darius realizes he totally screwed himself out of having a chance at Cal or even UCLA. It's more realistic this way- and reflective of how college admissions starts to get tougher as Generation Y starts to flood the colleges, starting with Darius's cohorts.

Right, but there's also genectics playing a factor. We've gotten no indication that the Cramptons or the Schluters live that long- the people in that family tend to live to their 70's or '80s, but no centenerians.

Honestly, knowing Mark, JP isn't going to die until he's at least in his 80's, which doesn't happen until about 2016. Since the CAP saga is likely ending before that- I think '08 or '10 might be a good place for the story to end- I don't think we're ever going to see JP die. Sorry, Adam.;-)

Just think, Mark...CAP originally started as a stand-alone story, and then I told you I thought it might be a good idea to do a sequel set in 1968... Here our team is, ten or so stories later.

Actually, it might be interesting if JP died of cancer, the way his mother did. That would actually be pretty plausible. I don't think this story ends with JP- I'd like for either Matt, JJ, or Will to end the story with 2010.

I like that Darius ISN'T choosing his college based on being close to Ella. It would have been annoying if he had, considering he's known this girl for maybe, at most, a month or two.

I loved Brad and Darius's talk. Brad falling for that adorable little three-year old was one of the best storylines in Man in Motion, and I loved things coming "full-circle", so to speak...Brad's acknowledgement of that tot turning into a young man ready to take on the world has been a great underlying thread throughout this current story. Brad and Robbie are slowly edging out into empty-nest syndrome, with it fully happening in '04. (Yes, I realize there's Jeanine's kid/kids, but they won't actually be getting raised by the duo.)

Chapter 66 -When Robbie and Brad accompany Darius on a college visit, and Brad reminsces about Darius as a three-year old. "When I Grow Up to Be A Man" by the Beach Boys -When Darius talks about his developing relationship with Ella. "Absolutely" (Story of a Girl) by 9 Days -When the gang confronts creepy Fred Hayes. "Wait and Bleed" by Slipknot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u_IIS5dUeU "Take My Picture" by Filter was orginally in that place, but I thought about it, and figured the 9 Days song fit the mood better- talking about this pretty girl with a tough life yet can still manage to give a beautiful smile. That's basically how I picture Ella.

Yeah, I thought Colton Haynes really had that WASPy, All-American boy-next door look that Jack Hobart's son should have. And the freckles are just adorable. Here are some profile pictures so you can really see how nice his cheekbones are: JJ's still the elusive one. I'm thinking Sterling Knight, but Mark's not enthused. Here's how I see JJ's look... 1. He has to be blond. Preferably with curls or waves. 2. He has to have blue or green eyes. 2. He has to look WASP. 3. His features need to be somewhat feminine and delicate. 4. But handsome at the same time. 5. They also need to be sharp features. His nose can't be big. The problem is that most guys, even when they have that look at one time, such as Jesse McCartney or Jeremy Sumpter, usually tend to grow out of looking that way as puberty hits and they take on a more masculine appearance. Especially when it comes to actors- most have to look like a lantern-jawed leading male. And even with models, androdgny isn't as popular as it used to be. So I'm really wracking my head trying to think of guys who look like that. Alex Prettyfer, had he have a smaller nose and looked a little less butch, probably would've been great... Mark, can't you just write that JJ's appearance masculinized when he hit around 18 or 19? C'mon...I wanna use Alex. J/K, lol....

If JP died, though, it wouldn't be an untimely death because he's pretty old.