JamesSavik

Nope. Never have I ever banged iron with a Steeler.

Of the wild cats, Ocelots are stunning. There's a YouTube video of a farm family who found one in their barn and raised it, thinking it was a domestic cat. They raised it and got a big surprise. It was released into the wild but came back and lives in the forest near their ranch and visits them regularly.

Gaah! They show up everywhere!

I heard philately would make you go blind.

Early Onset Puberty in Boys Precocious Puberty can occur in both boys and girls for a number of reasons. It can be caused by glandular malfunctions or, tumors. This is an actual disorder, and can occur in both sexes as early as seven. Early Onset Puberty is natural, runs in families (genetic), and can be very awkward for a boy socially. Suddenly, a fifth or sixth grader, can tower over their peers, and have all the puberty-related changes like a growth spurt, deepening voice, maturing genitalia, and libido to match. For most boys, the more obvious manifestations of puberty begin around thirteen or seventh grade. Early onset puberty can start at ten or eleven and can present some challenges for boys. First - parents can miss this completely. Sure, little Billy is getting bigger, but he's a growing boy. Right? Second - when a boy in elementary school, fourth or fifth grade, starts puberty, it invites comment and curiosity by their peers. Third - most boys of this age aren't prepared for puberty emotionally. Boys with early onset puberty are apt to engage in sex play, and exhibitionism, which can cause them a great deal of trouble. They literally can't engage in sex with their peers, as peers aren't ready or equipped for it. They often end up with older partners and negative consequences. Sexually, they are the equals of boys two and three years older than they are, but they don't have the emotional maturity and experience to match. Their peers may react with jealousy at their more developed... attributes. Two examples of my character who are blessed (or cursed) with early onset puberty are: Scotty Cross from The Summer Job. Billy Barnes from The Company.

Me either. Never have I ever had sax with the Utah Jazz.

Does having six make me a cat herdsman?

antiquity

Nope. Never have I ever seen a pro basketball game in person.

Mastiff

There's a paper mill in Shreveport that emits a wretched effluvium like a million orcs practicing synchronized farting.

Abuse Trauma Yeah, this is a fun topic. This is the quiet kid who comes to school wearing long sleeves to cover the bruises. As it progresses, it's to cover the cuts. Abuse victims often transition directly to substance abuse, often as early as middle school. I've heard this character archetype called the Lost Child. That's often how they're perceived. This is a kid who will try to be invisible and won't easily interact with peers. If someone approaches them, he'll view them with hostility and suspicion. Their self-worth is cratered because, if they can't even get along with their parents, why would anybody else want to have anything to do with them? Abuse takes four forms: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. All four can leave deep emotional scars. It's also very, very difficult to spot, especially in boys because they don't want to talk about it(1) and will fervently deny anything is wrong. If you look at the statistics, boys very rarely report abuse because of fear, shame, and the reputation of the system for acting precipitously or incompetently. This denial can last into adulthood. Victims blame themselves, or worse, just assume that's how things are. While it's difficult to get a boy to report abuse, many times their behaviors absolutely scream it. However, these behaviors can be all over the map. Think of a Venn diagram with two bubbles that overlap. One bubble is the introverted style, and it's exactly as it sounds. Typical behaviors of the introverted style of an abused boy are: avoidance, shyness, low self-esteem, poor physical care, and if given a chance they will participate half-heartedly or not at all. Think Goth kid. He seeks escape inside himself. The second bubble is the extraverted style. This is your typical charming bad boy. He may present as a bully and seek physical confrontations. He may act out physically or sexually. You will often find them playing sports where they can be physical as an outlet. He seeks escape externally. Where this gets confusing is that the two styles can overlap and present features of both styles. Sometimes they can flip over time, leading to dramatic personality changes. A common theme with boys suffering from abuse trauma is they try very hard to fit in and NOT BE NOTICED. Boys who have suffered abuse trauma often end up in trouble - especially over substance abuse issues. They are treated for alcoholism or addiction, but the underlying problem is unaddressed, complicating any kind of recovery. Other forms of trouble they are likely to fall into are shoplifting, vandalism, and fighting. While most people might shrug this off as boys being boys, and there's some truth to that, but when it becomes a pattern, there is a problem. To writers, characterization for a boy with abuse trauma is challenging. Their behavior can range from people-pleasing to violently anti-social. I feel if we write this character, we should do him justice. They will be complex and difficult, but if done right, they'll steal your readers' hearts. Two of them are in my latest story - Initiation Weekend: Tommy Johnson and Rebel Wright. Tommy is a 17-year-old who has tried his best to please an angry, abusive father with rage issues. Rebel Wright, a stormy 14-year-old, is much more subtle, but his behavior gives him away. Notice how his behavior patterns flipped from an angry bully to sweet to the point of gullibility. The best characters aren't just words. People are complex critters, with layers and depth. When we explore those depths, characters acquire dimensions that transcend the mere two dimensions of prose. If you build them right, the reader can almost see them and feel for them. _______ (1) Certainly not with an adult, but they may open up to a peer. Sometimes friends can be literal lifesavers.

The Cobra Effect

I had a few New Orleans Hurricanes during Mardi Gras. Taste great! Never have I ever ridden on a Mardi Gras float.

It is better for monstrous beasts to haunt your dreams, than for monstrous people to haunt your life. If you have an abusive partner, stop lying to yourself about it and kick them to the curb. It won't get better, and you can do better.

It was fun to write. I know that people without rural roots probably don't know anything about pasture parties. They're lots of fun and combine the best aspects of camping and partying. There are some places that have semi-formalized this practice to keep end of school parties from getting out of hand and dangerous. They're going to happen. This way, kids don't have to get behind the wheel when they're over. The movie Dazed and Confused came close.

My apologies. I loaded the wrong version. 🙄 They are indeed the Grant family: James, Silas and Matthew. DeSean is, DeSean and NOT DeShaun (facepalm). To be honest, I published it early accidentally. I was multitasking and doing taxes at the same time, and plead temporary insanity. 🤪

Initiation Weekend May A radio in the senior parking lot blared Alice Cooper’s Schools Out for the Summer. It was the seniors' last day. Per tradition, the guard changed at eleven o’clock sharp on the Wednesday before finals. The graduating seniors were done. They got in their vehicles, fired up their engines, and left school for the last time as students. When the last senior’s truck pulled out, the new seniors took possession of

Schools out for the summer! Our heroes from Boyfriends for Christmas are back, and what a difference six months makes. They are about to take part in Initiation Weekend where they'll make new friends, take part in a local tradition and grow up a little.

My periwig is a ball cap. I don't want a dead rodent on my head.

I wish I could console poor Zack Wilson, but alas, no. Never have I ever tomahawk chopped an Atlanta Brave.

Most people have to have help to wean themselves off opiates. It can get really ugly. There are muscle spasms, craps, nausea and that's the high points.

One of the things I'm good about is doing research to flesh out my characters and try to make them real. Their psychology is an important part of understanding them. A classic mistake is creating a character bio in your story. Many times I've seen an author introduce a character: John Doe is 18, tall, muscular, hung like a horse and is a freshman at state. Sure, that's a Nifty 😉characterization, but not satisfying and very superficial. While this has the virtue of being succinct, it doesn't give the reader the pleasure of getting to know him. There are many tricks for doing this like having other characters describe them when they meet, their friends talk about them or getting to know them through dialogue - straight from the horse's mouth so to speak. An important part of characterization that's much more subtle is their psychology, and that's a very deep well. To write a character, you have to understand the character, and see the world through their eyes. This is a huge challenge, but it creates authenticity that resonates with the reader. In this thread, I'm going to share some of my research. In one of my recent stories, I had a character with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder). The stereotype of a kid with ADHD is that they bounce off the walls, and that's fair as far as it goes. There are several flavors of ADHD, but that's only one of them. That can describe how people with ADHD act, but what's going on inside their head? This is a rather brilliant short film that can give you an opportunity to see through their eyes.

Repetitive catchphrases. They are fun, in small doses, but don't use them in every chapter. In one of the audiobooks I'm listening to, the author uses a catchphrase about every third page. Make the magic happen comes up so often I cringe. Maybe since I try to write, my ear is more sensitive to it. One of my editing techniques is to have the computer read aloud what my writing sounds like. You would be amazed at how well that works. If it doesn't sound right to you, the author, you know it's not going to work for the reader. That's my pet peeve and something I try to stomp on in my own writing.

Nope. Never have I ever been an altar boy for a New Orleans Saint.