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[mare]

^ LOL That would be me.  I am trying to branch out of my little Nick, Brian, and occasionally AJ bubble, but still, the thought of writing a story solely about Kevin and Howie and their friendship is not very appealing to me.  I think they're more interesting when paired with one of the others.

There is no way I would be able to maintain an entire story about just those two. I need Nick in there at least lol

Really, I would only feel comfortable doing a duo type story as long as Nick is one of those two people. He's just so easy for me to write and channel. The others I'm not too sure of. I also go by the adage of "Would I want to read this if someone else wrote it?" And the answer is usually no when it comes to other pairings like AJ/Brian or Kevin/Brian. Totally forget about Howie and Brian. lol that story would be a completely awkward snooze fest!

It is weird how Brian and Howie to me seem to have absolutely no chemistry together since they seem to have the most in common. Go figure. lol

[KeepThisSecret]

Approaching this from a reader's perspective, I don't think that I would ever click on a story that was solely about Kevin and Howie. Even if the writing was amazing, the two of them just don't interest me enough. The same is true for a Brian and Howie story. Although I adore Brian, I could not read about just him and Howie. Quite honestly, I don't think that anything would happen plot wise aside from maybe a conversation about their kids. LOL

In all fairness, I didn't really think that I would ever read a Nick/Howie or a Nick/Kevin story either, but Mare and RockofAges have made me think differently. I'm hooked on both of their stories at the moment. 

I do think AJ and Kevin have a special connection that comes from the whole rehab thing and AJ crediting Kevin with saving his life by forcing the issue.  Kinda like the story of Kevin giving Nick that book that he finally read years later and wrote about in his book.

I thought that this was an interesting point. It seems as though Kevin's relationships have stemmed from "saving"  the youngest members of the group.

[mare]

I think AJ and Nick both kind of look up to Kevin as a dad/big brother figure where Howie is more of a friend. I feel like that has been in play a lot longer with Nick and Kevin but like Julie said, post rehab for AJ. And especially now that he is a father, I think they have used that as a new bonding point.

Yeah Howie and Brian...now THAT would make a good challenge! Although I can't see anyone who would actually want to read the results lmao (sorry Howie and Brian)

[mare]

Aww and thank you! Erika, I'm glad you're enjoying Nick, Kevin and Howie. LOL

[RokofAges75]

Whew, that took some counting!

Of my novels, I have:
14 group stories
10 Brian stories
6 Nick stories
2 AJ stories
2 Brian/Nick stories
1 Brian/AJ story
1 Nick/Howie story
0 Kevin or Howie-only stories


Before Sick as My Secrets, I had really only written a lot from Howie's perspective in 00Carter, which is a lot different from a normal fanfic because he's the supervillain LOL.  So this is my first time really writing in Howie's point of view.  I didn't start that story out of a desire to write about Howie; he just fit the role best, which is how I always decide which Boys star in my stories.  That said, I am actually really enjoying it!  I have probably enjoyed writing his parts more than Nick's, which has been surprising to me.  Maybe there will be more Howie stories in my future!

I have never written a true Kevin story outside of one short story a long time ago, and I don't have any desire to write a story just about Kevin, but like I said in an earlier post, I do have an idea for a Kevin/Nick one.  Again, just another case of me getting an idea that worked best with those two - yay Kevin!

As far as your last question about popularity, I would definitely say my Nick stories and group stories have been the most popular, but my results are also somewhat skewed because of how my writing habits have changed over the years.  When I first started writing, I wrote almost exclusively Brian stories, and I averaged about a "novel" a month, so they racked up quickly.  They aren't popular because they're super old and not well-known and also not very good LOL.  Most of my Nick novels were written more recently and are a lot better in terms of writing, so it makes sense that they'd be more popular.  Really, I've only written novel in the last ten years that was not about Nick or the whole group, and that was my Brian/AJ one, which was also an AU - I think that affects popularity too.  That said, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if other people found that their Nick stories were more popular no matter what.  Nick is The Chosen One LOL.

[mare]

All Hail Nick! 

[RokofAges75]

Totally forget about Howie and Brian. lol that story would be a completely awkward snooze fest!

It is weird how Brian and Howie to me seem to have absolutely no chemistry together since they seem to have the most in common. Go figure. lol

LOL I am a Brian girl, and even I'm with you on that one!  No thanks.  I like Brian paired with any of the other guys, but the only Howie pairing I really like is Howie/Nick.  I really do like their relationship.

[KeepThisSecret]

LOL - Nick is definitely the chosen one!! I think just putting his name in the character list will earn you a few guaranteed reads.  For me, I love a good Brian story. Julie, maybe you should try writing another Brian story now that your writing has improved. You will for sure have at least one reader!! 

Mare, I can totally see AJ and Kevin bonding over being daddies. Honestly, the two of them are so adorable with their children that I can hardly stand it! I especially love how cute AJ seems with Ava. She totally has him wrapped around her little finger.

[RokofAges75]

Quite honestly, I don't think that anything would happen plot wise aside from maybe a conversation about their kids. LOL

LMAO!!!  You're so right.

I thought that this was an interesting point. It seems as though Kevin's relationships have stemmed from "saving"  the youngest members of the group.

I think there's a lot to that!  That, for me, is what makes the Kevin/Nick relationship - the huge age difference between them and how it's changed over the years as Nick has matured and Kevin's mellowed.  They seem like equals now, whereas it used to be more of the big brother/little brother thing.  They'll always have that too, but they seem to be able to relate to each other more now.

[FrickingKaos]

Hmm.

I have done one Nick/Brian centered story (Finding Carter)



forces of nature is a Nick and AJ story.

when I Grow Up, Jizzle Of Oz, incomplete, Figured You Out, At the beginning, not the other guy, you give love a bad name,  still the one, and from this moment on are all Nick centered.

In a World Like This and Weird World are group stories.

I just realized I barely write Howie other than for challenges or one shots. Probably because I cannot write him well.  I just have never been able to channel him

[KeepThisSecret]

I think there's a lot to that!  That, for me, is what makes the Kevin/Nick relationship - the huge age difference between them and how it's changed over the years as Nick has matured and Kevin's mellowed.  They seem like equals now, whereas it used to be more of the big brother/little brother thing.  They'll always have that too, but they seem to be able to relate to each other more now.

Nailed it!! - Perfect summary of their relationship right there!

[RokofAges75]

In all fairness, I didn't really think that I would ever read a Nick/Howie or a Nick/Kevin story either, but Mare and RockofAges have made me think differently. I'm hooked on both of their stories at the moment.  

Thank you!  I remember feeling the same way when I read Mare's story "The Importance of Fly Fishing," which is also Nick/Kevin.  That's one of the first Kevin stories I remember reading.  That and Louise's "Garden," which is also Kevin/Nick centered.  I guess as long as The Chosen One is in there, that makes it worth reading LOL.  I didn't used to read many Nick stories either, though!  Back in the beginning, I was all about Brian.  Nick grew on me.  Plus, there are a lot more Nick stories to choose from, especially nowadays.

That leads me to a couple of other questions.

How have your reading habits changed over the years, as far as which boys and what types of stories you like to read?

What would it take to make you read outside your comfort zone, as in a different boy/pairing or genre than you typically read?

[RokofAges75]

I just realized I barely write Howie other than for challenges or one shots. Probably because I cannot write him well.  I just have never been able to channel him

You know what is weird... when I think about the guys in terms of their personalities, I am much more similar to Kevin and Howie than I am the other three, but those are the two I don't care to write about, even though they should be easy to channel.  Easy to channel doesn't always equal interesting, though.  I guess part of the fun and challenge of writing is channeling a character who has almost nothing in common with you.

[mare]

As far as my stories:

Group stories: 10
Nick stories: 9
Kevin stories: 3
Howie stories: 1
Brian stories: 1
AJ stories: 0 (sorry AJ)
combo of Nick/Kevin: 1
combo of Nick/Kevin/Howie: 1
combo of Nick/Kevin/AJ: 1
combo of Nick/AJ: 1

I think my group stories are the ones that are most popular in general but people also really enjoyed my Brian story too.

The only time I really forced myself to write something out of my comfort zone was my one Howie novel which remains my least favorite novel I've ever written to date lol

[FrickingKaos]

In response to Julie's question:

My tastes when I began reading fanfiction were mostly Nick or group stories. I read anything Nick was in. Some good and some bad ones too. But if Nick was in it I'd click on it. I always stayed away from Howie stuff.

Now however I have read almost everybody but I tend not to read Howie stories with the exception of Sick as My Secrets and Secrets That We Keep because they have the other boys in it. So my tastes have branched out beyond just Nick but the Howie part is the same.