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[RokofAges75]

I get that way with TV shows sometimes too.  I try to follow too many and end up having to DVR some of them, and then I don't have time to watch everythign on my DVR, so it gets full and I have to delete some of them, and then I fall behind on shows.  Sometimes I catch up, and sometimes I just give them up LOL.

With fanfic, it's the same way - if I'm following too many stories that are frequently updated and don't have time to read all the updates, I will let some of them go.  Or there are some that I've just decided it will be better to wait until they're done because they're only updated once in a blue moon, and it's too hard to keep track of what's going on in between updates.

[RokofAges75]

I have a question for Saka-Steph, Mare, Rose, and anyone else who writes stories that alternate between all five guys' POVs:

When you balance the five POVs that way, do you find that some of the guys are harder to write than others?  If so, which are the hardest for you and why?  Do you think the ease or difficulty of writing the guys has to do more with how well you like them or how well you can relate to them?

[Sakabelle]

Balancing the points of view is really rough and I find that with Running Up That Hill I try to tie each point of view together to tell a complete view of the day. So that could mean all the guys are together and the POV switches with the flow of time, or they're all separated and focusing on one thing and describing their take on it. I find it is really difficult to balance because especially with that story I'm bound by each day being a chapter, and so not everyone is going to have an exciting day all the time.

I do find that I have the most trouble writing Brian and Kevin, and it's probably because I can't really relate to them. At that point they have the more stable lives, and I can definitely relate more to the drama of Nick's life, and Howie being the concerned friend than I can Kevin being the one who watches over everyone or Brian being the family man.

And of course I have definitely had the most practice writing Nick, so that helps too.

[mare]

Writing in five POV's can be really difficult but who is the hardest for me anyway, depends on the subject matter I'm dealing with at the time. Generally I have no problem writing as Nick or Kevin. They just both come natural to me in almost every situation or setting.
 
When it comes to AJ, I tend to have the initial problem with where I want him to go, but once I start I'm usually okay. I find myself giving him the more comedic parts of a story for some reason. I don't particularly enjoy emo AJ too much and for me, I have a hard time writing him that way. He slowly starts to morph into Nick so when I can, I avoid it.
 
I had a hard time with Howie in Why I'd Do it All Again, because in that one he was usually the business guy, always trying to keep them on track that way and it was hard for me to channel that side of him. Older stories where he just did what Howie does best, being the go to guy that will listen without judging, it was much easier to write him. I tend to have Howie in a scene with Kevin or Nick because once again, I love their reactions to one another and it's easy for me to play off of their relationship.
 
Brian out of them all is the hardest for me because like Steph mentioned in her reply, he's the hardest for me to relate to. I don't get a lot of what Brian does in real life so sometimes it's hard to take and try to become him. It's not how I feel about him personally because I do like him, I don't LOVE him like I do all the others though so it is hard for me to portray him as a supportive friend to Nick for instance when in reality I don't feel like that's really been the case. If that makes sense? Or thatt he is in love with Leighanne because that seems inconceivable to me. LOL
 
As far as balancing them all out, that can be rough as well. In a story like Why, it was easier because all five of them usually shared one chapter and to me that's actually a lot easier than something like Living at the Top or Long Road Home where they each had to stand alone in their own chapters. When writing them all in one chapter, I try my best to be aware of word counts and try to make sure they have equal time. If I didn't do that, I could see Kevin and Nick dominating each chapter. When it comes to the single chapters, I tried to do that as well, although in this latest one, I'm not caring as much lmao
 
Wow, that was a long reply! Hope it answered your question though!

[Sakabelle]

Brian out of them all is the hardest for me because like Steph mentioned in her reply, he's the hardest for me to relate to. I don't get a lot of what Brian does in real life so sometimes it's hard to take and try to become him. It's not how I feel about him personally because I do like him, I don't LOVE him like I do all the others though so it is hard for me to portray him as a supportive friend to Nick for instance when in reality I don't feel like that's really been the case. If that makes sense? Or thatt he is in love with Leighanne because that seems inconceivable to me. LOL

Everything you said here about Brian is exactly how I feel about him and exactly why I find it so hard to write about him. It's really hard for me to portray this time in Brian and Leighanne's marriage because to be thinking of starting a family and being basically newlyweds is just something that I do not get at all when it comes to those two. Though I've actually found that reading Pengi's Borrowed Time has really helped me out. Through that story I really have begun to understand that Brian and Leighanne relationsip, and the reasons why he loves her so much. It helps that that story is so realistic so even though I'm not so into Brian and Leighanne as a couple in real life, I do dig them in that story a lot. It helps.

[mare]

I'm pretty sure my opinion wouldn't change either way lol but I see what you are saying though. Sometimes reading things differently from how you see them can help with the point of view.

[RokofAges75]

Thanks for the answers, guys!  I'm not sure I've ever written a story that alternates between all five POVs that way, so I was just wondering.  The closest I've come is Song for the Undead, but that's a little different, being AU.

Mare, I so agree with what you said about AJ and find myself writing him the same way.  He's usually the comic relief or the one who has the balls to say what no one else will.  I see dark AJ going to very dark places that I'm not so comfortable writing, so I prefer to keep him light and let him lighten the mood.

And Steph, I liked what you said about Borrowed Time helping you understand Brian and Leighanne's relationship.  I love the way Hannah has written that relationship.  Leighanne tends to be villainized or made fun of in stories, so it's nice to see her written as the woman who loved Brian so much, she was willing to bargain her own future with him to get him to fight for his.  And even if you find them annoying, you've done a nice job writing them as newlyweds too.

[FrickingKaos]

One of my weaknesses is 1st person POV. I've been improving though through doing the challenges and trying different boys in each scenario. I think that has helped me a lot. Nick is the one I relate to, we've had similar experiences in regards to family. So for me it is very easy to put myself in his mind. AJ is the only one I haven't tried writing because I cannot relate to him at all, same for Kevin.

[Rose]

I swear I'm gonna answer this as soon as I get home. I don't have the patience to try and give a in depth response on my phone lol.

[kevmylove]

I have a general question...
What is your favorite story you've written and read of each of the guys?

AJ:

Nick:

Kevin:

Brian:

Howie:

[RokofAges75]

My favorites for each guy...

AJ:
read - Nowhere to Run
wrote - The World Will Know Your Name

Nick:
read - Cover Me With Dreams
wrote - Curtain Call

Kevin:
read - The Importance of Fly Fishing
wrote - Guilty Roads (I like my Kevin comatose LOL.  Really, I just don't write Kevin stories!)

Brian:
read - Mind Games
wrote - Secrets of the Heart

Howie:
read - He Had it Coming
wrote - 00Carter

[mare]

I have figured out how to answer these long questions from my Ipod! Write an email on my laptop, mail it to myself  check my email from my Ipod and then copy and paste it to the forum! LOL what a huge pain in the ass!
 
Anyway, thanks for the question Erika, because I didn't have one in mind for today.
 
Favorite stories I've written and read about each of the BSB's
 
AJ: Documentaries by Izzy <-- this is a short story but I loved it! AJ takes over making a documentary Nick was working on after he gets into a car 'accident.' Izzy was one of those writers who was able to write an emo AJ without going way over the top. I think her AJ is one of my favorite AJ's.
 
   As far as one I've written, I don't believe I've ever really had him front and center in a novel length story but he had kind of a co leading role in All I Wanted Was Some Cough Medicine so I'm going with that one. LOL  
 
Nick: Ground Zero by Chaos <--- again I think Chaos does an awesome job writing in Nick's POV and I just loved this story!! So awesome, even after all these years.
 
This one is rough because I have written a ton of Nick stories lol But I'm going to go with The Importance of Fly Fishing because nothing is better than a Nick and Kevin combo! lol
 
Kevin: Garden by Louise <---- Excellent story about Kevin dying and his thoughts. I rarely read stories about people besides Nick but I featured this one on my old fanfic reading group and fell in love with it.
 
I'm going with To Protect and Serve for mine, because Kevin as an FBI agent? Yes please lol
 
Brian: Can You Keep a Secret by Kat and Amy <--- it was just a really sweet story alternating POVs between Nick and Brian and really captured the stereotypical Frick and Frack we loved so much!
 
 For me, It Stays With You because it was really hard to write lol
 
Howie: Sad to say I have never read a Howie centered story. *sorry Howie* I don't mean to be so stereotypical. lol
 
 I have written a lot of Howie short stories though! Yay Howie! But I'll go with my one Howie novel and that was Lion's Den!
 
I'm also adding Group onto this one. lol
 
Group: Snapshots by Jennifer Stephens <--- fantastic story, each boy had their own chapter about what happens when Nick suddenly goes missing after going to a club.
 
For mine it would be Why I'd d it All Again.
 
* Sorry I always seem to pick the oldies but I find myself going back to them again and again. 
 
 

[RokofAges75]

Kevin: Garden by Louise <---- Excellent story about Kevin dying and his thoughts. I rarely read stories about people besides Nick but I featured this one on my old fanfic reading group and fell in love with it.

I had the hardest time deciding between Fly Fishing and Garden as my favorite Kevin story, I almost just called it a tie and put them both!  Garden is a great story.

[mare]

Aww I did the same with Can You Keep A Secret & Mind Games lol

Thanks for picking Fly Fishing

[RokofAges75]

Sure!