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[emilo]

Hubby totally has the Kevin brows, except lighter! I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. Lol. He also has that "Littrell" nose. Heck, maybe they're related and don't know it! Haha.

[Carter-Orange]

That leads to my question... Have you ever had a crush on someone in your real life because they resembled a Backstreet Boy?

No, I've not come across anyone who really looks like the boys, except my old boss who looks a little like Howie (he's Spanish and short lol)

My sister's boyfriend in 1998 had the blond bowl look lol, she thought he looked like Nick but he didn't, apart from the hair.

[julilly]

I was totally going to find a picture for you guys but I think my yearbooks are sitting in a storage locker somewhere LOL Likely to end up on Storage Wars some day...

[Carter-Orange]

I will scan some pictures tomorrow and post them so you can see my sister's old boyfriend  'Nick' lol

[RokofAges75]

I made my boyfriend in grades 7 & 8 get a bowl cut to look more like Nick LOL

That leads to my question... Have you ever had a crush on someone in your real life because they resembled a Backstreet Boy?

(I'm totally finding a picture of that guy to show you what I made him to do his hair, too lol)

I tend to be attracted to guys who look like Brian... not because they look like Brian specifically but just because that is my type.  I love blue eyes, curly hair, and that cute boy-next-door type of look.  I had crushes on boys who looked that way before I knew of Brian's existence.

However, the answer to your question is still yes because I did have a slight crush on a football player my senior year of high school because he sort of reminded me of Nick (chubby ghetto Nick from 2003).  It was not a strong resemblance at all, but there was just something about him that was vaguely Nick-like, and that intrigued me.

[mare]

Since it appears that suspense and action/adventure are making a comeback, here's a question for those of you who read it and or write it.

What do you think are the most important elements of a good suspense story? And as a reader what do you enjoy most about them?

related lol

How do you feel about cliff hangers? Do you enjoy reading stories with them or writing them? Or do you generally like things resolved at the end of chapters?

[Sakabelle]

What do you think are the most important elements of a good suspense story? And as a reader what do you enjoy most about them?
Strong characters and good description! Obviously if the characters have a lot of depth, then as a reader I'll feel more connected to them and care more what happens to them, which is obviously important in suspense. Description is important to me as well, I need to be able to picture in my head what's happening as I read. This is easier to do with description that flows nicely.

How do you feel about cliff hangers? Do you enjoy reading stories with them or writing them? Or do you generally like things resolved at the end of chapters?
Love them! Love writing them and love reading them. They're always a fun way to end a chapter, if just for the reader reactions LOL and I love reading them because it makes me that much more excited for the next chapter. I love the excitement that comes with a cliffhanger that I don't think would be there if there was another scene sitting after it, instead of the review box.

[RokofAges75]

Another fanfic related question:

In the genre you feel most comfortable writing in (Can be more than one) offer five tips to what you consider makes a great story work in that particular style.

I don't think anyone ever answered this one, did they?  Too busy talking about music, which is great!  And since I'm too busy listening to said music to be able to focus enough to write, I will answer it!

The genre I feel most comfortable writing in is medical drama, so here are my tips for that.

1. Research!  I don't believe in the old mantra of "write what you know," but you shouldn't write something you know nothing about without trying to learn something about it first.  Google is a medical drama writer's best friend!  (Actually, EMedicine is an even better friend if you want all the gory technical details.)

2. Don't get so bogged down in facts that you forget about the emotional stuff.  Try to put yourself in your characters' shoes, but if you're finding it hard to relate to what they're going through, you can research that too - I find blogs and online support groups/message boards helpful places to go for more personal accounts of what it's actually like to go through stuff.

3. Medical professionals are not supposed to become romantically involved with their patients, even when said patients are hot Backstreet Boys.  It's especially creepy/inappropriate when they're lusting after Backstreet Boys who are in comas or dying of cancer or something.  If you want that to happen, you need to find a loophole (see: Curtain Call).

4. When someone is on a ventilator, that means there is a tube down their throat that's forcing air into their lungs, which means they are unable to talk.  Don't write your characters having a heartfelt conversation while one of them is on a vent.

5. Contrary to popular belief, Backstreet Boys songs are not a cure-all for comas.


LOL Okay, so really I just have two serious tips for writing this genre, and that is to research and try to put yourself in your characters' shoes - which is just part of good writing anyway!

[RokofAges75]

What do you think are the most important elements of a good suspense story?

I think the two most important elements of a good suspense story are pacing and motivation.  The pacing is important because you want things to move slowly enough to build that suspense, but quickly enough to keep your readers clicking ahead to the next chapter or wanting more.  Whether it's action-packed from the beginning or the suspense builds slowly, you don't want to bog it down with a lot of unnecessary details and subplots.

Character motivation is also important.  If you have a villain, you should make sure you know what their motive is, even if you don't do the Scooby Doo thing and have them reveal it all to your protagonists in a climactic monologue.  Sure, sometimes people commit random crimes, but more often, there is a reason.  Also make sure your protagonists have motivation for acting the way they do.  If they're running up the stairs when they should be running down, there better be a good reason why; otherwise, they're just going to seem stupid!


And as a reader what do you enjoy most about them?

I love suspense stories because they tend to move quickly and catch my interest from the beginning.  I love stories that keep me guessing or dying to find out what's going to happen next!  I also love reading about Backstreet Boys in peril, and suspense stories are usually good for that kind of drama!


How do you feel about cliff hangers? Do you enjoy reading stories with them or writing them? Or do you generally like things resolved at the end of chapters?

I love cliffhangers!  I may complain about them when I'm reading, but I do so out of love.  It's frustrating to be left hanging and have to wait to find out what happens next, but at the same time, it gives me something to look forward to, and I like that.  I love writing cliffhangers when appropriate; I always especially look forward to the readers' reactions on those chapters.

[usako]

I don't think anyone ever answered this one, did they?  Too busy talking about music, which is great!  And since I'm too busy listening to said music to be able to focus enough to write, I will answer it!

The genre I feel most comfortable writing in is medical drama, so here are my tips for that.

1. Research!  I don't believe in the old mantra of "write what you know," but you shouldn't write something you know nothing about without trying to learn something about it first.  Google is a medical drama writer's best friend!  (Actually, EMedicine is an even better friend if you want all the gory technical details.)

2. Don't get so bogged down in facts that you forget about the emotional stuff.  Try to put yourself in your characters' shoes, but if you're finding it hard to relate to what they're going through, you can research that too - I find blogs and online support groups/message boards helpful places to go for more personal accounts of what it's actually like to go through stuff.

3. Medical professionals are not supposed to become romantically involved with their patients, even when said patients are hot Backstreet Boys.  It's especially creepy/inappropriate when they're lusting after Backstreet Boys who are in comas or dying of cancer or something.  If you want that to happen, you need to find a loophole (see: Curtain Call).

4. When someone is on a ventilator, that means there is a tube down their throat that's forcing air into their lungs, which means they are unable to talk.  Don't write your characters having a heartfelt conversation while one of them is on a vent.

5. Contrary to popular belief, Backstreet Boys songs are not a cure-all for comas.


LOL Okay, so really I just have two serious tips for writing this genre, and that is to research and try to put yourself in your characters' shoes - which is just part of good writing anyway!

For those three, I love you! lol

[RokofAges75]

LOL I had to; those are just my personal pet peeves!  Well, maybe not the coma thing; I love me some Don't Wanna Lose You Now coma scenes!

[usako]

The ventilator one is one of mine too. lol

[RokofAges75]

LOL That is my worst one!  I will click out of the story when that happens.

I think the worst I've seen was in this story where Brian got Nick's heart transplanted into him, and then Nick's girlfriend was sitting in his hospital room at the end, and the heart monitor started talking.  Like, the words "I love you" or something went scrolling across it like it was a damn screensaver, and that was supposed to be Nick's heart talking to her.  I was like, OMG, WTF?!  But it was a long time ago, and the author (who is actually one of my old favorite authors) was very young when she wrote it, so I'll forgive her for that.  It was funny!

[usako]

LMAO!!!!! The talking heart! LOL

Aside talking while still having the ventilator, one of mine is when someone, after waking up from a coma, is all ready to jump around (or have sex) like they've only slept for a few days. LOL

[RokofAges75]

LMAO!!!!! The talking heart! LOL

Aside talking while still having the ventilator, one of mine is when someone, after waking up from a coma, is all ready to jump around (or have sex) like they've only slept for a few days. LOL

Well, why not?!  They've got that creepy nurse who's been lusting after them while they were in the coma ready and waiting to jump their bones.

OMG, I am so sad because that whole story is archived except the last chapter.  I swear it happened though!  http://web.archive.org/web/20040501211308/http://expage.com/page/yourheartchapters

Oh, I was wrong - it was Nick's girlfriend that was killed, and Brian got her heart, and it was her heart talking to Nick, apparently.