Fic Talk > I Challenge You....
Let the 2013 Summer Reading Challenge begin!
usako:
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was kinda of nervous because I didn't know if the story would be appreciated or not.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Since it was only an one short, yes.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Not yet. But I might to.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Maybe I'm being dumb asking it but what does it mean "drawn out"?
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Definetely a good one.
FrickingKaos:
Thank you so much, Julie!!! I can totally understand the.stuff you said about AU. it can be hard when you're trying to picture the guys and they aren't themselves, but I'm glad you are enjoying it.
I wanted to write about Nick being in college cause I thought it was a interesting idea to explore if he wasn't a BSB what would he be doing now. I thought about him and liking drawing/art so that is why I chose animation :)
RokofAges75:
^ I think the interest in drawing and animation really suits him!
RokofAges75:
Final survey
Name of story: Finding Carter
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
For me, it was not just that this story was AU, but that I had a hard time picturing the Backstreet Boys as these characters. Most of them were written differently from how they're portrayed in most stories and how they seem in real life.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Besides struggling with the characters, I did enjoy this story. It was a quick, easy, entertaining read - once I got into it, I could read several chapters in a row with no problem. It never felt like homework.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
My favorite scene was when the frat sent Brian and Nick on a scavenger hunt around campus. It was a good bonding moment for the two of them, and it was funny! I especially enjoyed the boyband references Tracy included in that part; I always enjoy those little jokes in an AU.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Yeah, I still like AJ, even though he wasn't a major character. He turned out to be a nice guy.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
I have to go with Brian, only because I felt that his character was a cliche, being a farm boy from Kentucky who's obsessed with his goat and reads the Farmer's Almanac in his dorm room for fun. Although I will admit the stuff with the goat was pretty cute, it's just a pet peeve of mine when I see Brian and his family portrayed this way because it insinuates that everyone from Kentucky is some kind of farm hick, which is not true. Lexington is a city; Brian was not raised on a farm in real life. This really isn't a rant about Tracy's story specifically; I've seen the same thing in other stories, and it annoys me every time! LOL It's probably just because I'm only a state away and hate when people assume everyone in downstate Illinois is a farm hick too.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
I don't know if I would; I don't think this story needs a sequel. I'm not sure where else Tracy could take it that would be interesting to read.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
I liked the ending a lot. It wrapped things up nicely and skipped forward several years to show how life turned out for Nick, completing the arc of his character's storyline.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
*SPOILER WARNING* There were a couple of big twists/surprises in this story, one being the fact that Nick and Brian are half brothers and the other being the car accident. I did see both of them coming, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of seeing my predictions come true.
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
Finding Carter's biggest strength is exactly what it should be, and that's Nick as a character. I struggled with Nick's character early on because he was such a different Nick from the confident, charismatic heartthrob that is Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. He did have things in common with Nick, like his goofiness and childlike exuberance, but this Nick was socially awkward and, honestly, pretty strange, with his whole Disney obsession. But once I got used to that, I could appreciate how those qualities made him a much more interesting and relatable character than the Nick, "The Chosen One," who can charm anyone with his little half-smile and is universally loved. This Nick really had to work for acceptance! As I told Tracy in a review, I wonder if her portrayal is more how Nick might have turned out in real life if he hadn't been turned into a teen idol. He did admit to being teased in school when he was younger, and honestly, when you watch footage of him from before he was a Backstreet Boy, you can see why! LOL I can see Finding Carter's Nick in spazzy little "Reach for a Book" Nick.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
For me, the biggest weakness was also the characters, just not being close enough to their Backstreet Boy selves, but that is completely subjective and just based on my own preferences. Even when I write AU, I try to keep the guys' personalities and interests and lives as similar to the real thing as I can without making them pop stars, and I like to see the same thing when I'm reading AU, but that is just me!
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
I have read other stories by Tracy that I've enjoyed and will continue to do so!
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I'm glad I picked this story! It was good to finally read it in its entirety and see how it turned out. Most of my feedback was reactions to the story because there really wasn't a lot to comment on or critique in terms of Tracy's writing. Aside from some comma issues, it was well-written in terms of conventions, and it was structured well as a story. I thought Tracy did a great job showing the journey Nick's character took through the story to find himself; he really changed from beginning to end, and as I told her in my final review, that's the mark of good storytelling!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
Regardless of whether it's pairs or the way we did it this year, I just liked having some choice over what to read.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yep!
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Who was YOUR favorite character in Finding Carter, and why?
Are you as big a Disney fan as Nick, or did you have to research for the Disney references?
emilo:
Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Story of My Life by Carter-Orange (I don't know your actual name!)
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?This may seem a little weird, but Kevin. He's the authority figure, but after seeing him get on the line for Nick in the last chapter I read, you can see that he really cares for his employees.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)I have no idea whether this is supposed to have a story woven in other than the day to day worklife or not? I really have no idea how it will end. Maybe with Friday?
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?I think the summary's fine.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? This really doesn't have anything to do with the story, but I was surprised by the amount of foul language in the story. I know Nick is a bit of a potty mouth in real life, but there seems to be a lot. Though, this may be real-life in her office! :)
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. It's pretty short. I'd probably read to the end whether I liked it or not, honestly.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)Nope. The writing is pretty solid. Just a couple little things that I noticed since I'm a member of the grammar police :), but nothing worth mentioning here.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? If this hadn't been a challenge story, could you see yourself expanding the plot to have a storyline other than the day-to-day work life?
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