[Altimexis] July Fireworks by Altimexis and David of Hope

[Graeme]

July Fireworks by Altimexis and David of Hope

When his boss asks Harold to do a six month follow-up story to his article on gay youth, he doesn't know quite what to expect. Along the way he finds happiness, unexpected teenage maturity, hope and despair, triumph and tragedy, an insight into the depth of his own character, . . . and some surprises, a rarity for this newspaper veteran.

 

 

:nuke: :nuke: Spoilers Below!!! :nuke: :nuke:

[Tiger]

That was an excellent story. I have read several of the Napertown Tales in the past. I have, however, not read them all. It is nice to have an update about the ones I already knew. This series is something I can easily identify with as I am a young gay man who happens to have grown up in the Midwest. I think this series is a positive influence for struggling gay teens, and it was well written. I started reading and just could not stop. I always admire an author who can include a good message in a well-written story. You both did a wonderful job!

[Graeme]

One of the things I liked about this story was how it referred back to the other stories, but you didn't have to have read them to understand this one. It encourages the reader to read the others, but there's a story here, to, in the recap of other stories

 

The scene where the reporter had to struggle with his conscience about what to report was, in my mind, very well done. It's the sort of thing that ethical reporters have to do all the time -- there are things that are better off not reported, but some don't see that.

 

Finally, I just loved the part about Harold interacting with his Dad, and how the son told his Dad that he's not gay, and hopes he won't be too disappointed -- simply priceless

 

Thanks, Altimexis and David! While I happen to know who wrote which parts, I really couldn't tell and that's the sign of a good collaborative effort. I hope the two of you will write some more stories like this.

[D and B]

One of the things I liked about this story was how it referred back to the other stories, but you didn't have to have read them to understand this one. It encourages the reader to read the others, but there's a story here, to, in the recap of other stories

 

The scene where the reporter had to struggle with his conscience about what to report was, in my mind, very well done. It's the sort of thing that ethical reporters have to do all the time -- there are things that are better off not reported, but some don't see that.

 

Finally, I just loved the part about Harold interacting with his Dad, and how the son told his Dad that he's not gay, and hopes he won't be too disappointed -- simply priceless

 

Thanks, Altimexis and David! While I happen to know who wrote which parts, I really couldn't tell and that's the sign of a good collaborative effort. I hope the two of you will write some more stories like this.

 

I'd just like to echo my complete agreement with what Graeme has to say here (except to point out that Harold IS the Dad; I forgot what you named the son). This took on the challenge of combining doing a retrospective with saying something new at the same time, and fulfilled that challenge smoothly, seemingly (but I'll bet in effort not really) easily.

 

The vehicle for Naptown Tales -- a series of independent short stories, sharing thevame setting and focusing each on different members of the same cast of characters -- is an old and useful technique that is far less common than it should be. (It's slightly ironic tht the moist famous prior use, by Edgar Masters, is also set in Indiana.) Though Altimexus has so far taken the story forward by episodes through nearly a full year, there is nothing that prevents him form doing "infill" -- going back and addressing what a new member of the cast did in, say, March. Or if he sets the next story in, say, Labor Day (first weekend in September, for non-US readers) nothing would prevent him from afterwards doing a story from the summer.. Yet he has established known and loved characters with which to work; he doesn't have to spend words building us who David and Jeremy are each story.

 

For this, the anniversary holiday for American freedom and nearly the annivrsary for the events of "Broad Ripple Blues", the choice of a story framed as a retrospective was a wise one. And I think it worked in giving established relationshiops spun in other stories a chance to explicitly say something new, with delivering the message appropriate to what the characters are depicted as doing.

 

Generally, you two bit off a lot, and you delivered on your promise. Kudos!

 

HOWever, this collaboration provides me the opportunity to ask something: Do you ever plan on making available to your readership the results of the Infamous Gym Incident, or at least David's winning entry?

[Altimexis]

Generally, you two bit off a lot, and you delivered on your promise. Kudos!

 

HOWever, this collaboration provides me the opportunity to ask something: Do you ever plan on making available to your readership the results of the Infamous Gym Incident, or at least David's winning entry?

 

Please, you're making me blush!

 

Ah, yes, the Gym Incident Contest. Well, since Awesome Dude bent over backwards to promote the contest, I posted the stories there first and they've been up there for quite a while. I actually did include a link to David's story at the beginning of July Fireworks, but it was easily missed. Anyway, here are the OFFICIAL GYM INCIDENT CONTEST RESULTS.

 

My intent was to have the results posted here at GA shortly after I posted them at AD, but real life has interfered in a number of ways. For one thing, whereas in Adobe Creative Suite 2, I could generate beautiful HTML code for rollover images entirely within Photoshop/Imageready, the upgrade to Creative Suite 3 requires using Dreamweaver to generate the code. I've heard wonderful things about Dreamweaver and I'm slowly learning how to use it, but having to learn something new is always tough, and having to do something manually that used to be automatic is a giant step backwards. Shame on you, Adobe. The other thing is that I've moved and started a new job, and that has put a lot of things on hold, including updates to my GA site. I will get an update out sometime soon, but writing new stories will be delayed for quite a while, I'm afraid (although there may be a surprise or two along the way).

 

Thanks for your patience. I'm lucky to have an editor/co-author like David!

[AFriendlyFace]

Great story!

 

I was really struck by the positive, warm tone of the whole thing!

 

The big shocker, for me at least, was definitely Carrie!

 

I've never read the other stories in this universe, but I'm very interested now!

 

Awesome job

-Kevin

[Kanaye]

I really enjoyed this and at 3am thats quite a feat, lol.

 

I found it sweet and yet sad. It drew me right in.

 

Great job.