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[RokofAges75]

So, editing this past chapter wasn't nearly as bad as writing it the first time (it did not take six months for instance, probably three hours tops if you count the first couple pages where I wasn't focusing at all). I teared up a little while editing the end, so I think my suspicions on why it took so long the first time were correct: I just really didn't want to kill off Brian, but ignored that feeling. Can you imagine if I had ignored Nick's wishes and stuck to my original plan to kill them all? I probably would have never finished PBox! Thank goodness he was really annoying thirty chapters prior, it saved us both a lot of heartache.

Aww... I have definitely had those subconscious "I don't really want to write this, so I'm going to stall and let myself get distracted" experiences too.  Killing the Boys can be fun, especially in joke stories and challenges, but it can also be really sad in a serious story, even if you know it's the right ending.  Those are the chapters where I do the most pacing.

[nicksgal]

I definitely think that's why.  When I first started writing fanfic, I didn't even have internet in my bedroom (at my parents' house).  I had an old computer I could play games and do homework on, but it wasn't connected to the internet.  The only computer with internet (dial-up) was my mom's computer in the den, where I guess she thought she could better monitor our use of it. Ha!

I had the only computer because my mom didn't want one, but we only had one phone line and the computer seemed ancient by that time since it was from her work after they replaced their computers. By the time I got a laptop before going to college, the graphics card was failing and everything was pink or green. We also went spurts without having the internet, so I took all my trusty floppy disks to the library to either upload stories, do research, or save other peoples' stories. I also printed things I thought I would like a paper copy of. It was a dedicated art form. Thank goodness the library computers wiped the history after you logged out of the session, haha.

That's a good question.  My inclination is to say of course there's still a lot of Nick torture around, but I really haven't read much outside of the AC regulars' stuff in years, so I actually have no idea.  It seems like angst is popular on AO3 (usually slashy angst), but that may be more emotional than physical torture.  I hope we're not the only sadists left.

I like for Nick to enjoy both emotional and physical torture! He's a lucky guy!   It feels like more people posted on AC this month, so maybe it'll come back.

[nicksgal]

Yeah, it has been weird since the great toilet paper shortage of 2020.  At least I've been able to find TP and soap.

Our saving grace was that I always stock a backup for all paper products and cleaning supplies, so that one didn't affect us too much! Although when we tried to stock the backups back, it was a bit of an adventure for a while.

LOL The relatively obscure but terrifying ones are my favorite!  I've given him Ebola and bubonic plague in 1000 Ways to Kill Nick Carter, but of course the goal there is to be as ridiculous as possible.  I don't think I've ever read a "Nick has herpes" story, nor am I sure I would want to LOL.  Technically I have given him an STD, but it wasn't that one.

I looked up your question about flesh-eating bacteria being contagious because I wasn't completely sure either.  Apparently it could be passed from person to person through close contact, like someone with an open wound touching someone else's infected wound.  Ew...

Don't worry, kitty got plenty of pets.  

Bubonic plague is a real concern out here every few summers because of the prairie dogs! It's the mundaneness, plus the forced sexual content bit, I think. Ridiculous is more fun!

I suppose I could have looked it up too, but didn't want to see pictures, so thank you. I figured it might be something like. Open would will get you every time.

Good. Team pets for pets over here!

[nicksgal]

Aww... I have definitely had those subconscious "I don't really want to write this, so I'm going to stall and let myself get distracted" experiences too.  Killing the Boys can be fun, especially in joke stories and challenges, but it can also be really sad in a serious story, even if you know it's the right ending.  Those are the chapters where I do the most pacing.

I think the worst part was, I didn't even realize why it was back then, so I just hated being stuck in writer's block hell and not knowing why. I never even really thought about why and just assumed it was because I was so close to the end and wasn't ready to finish it or something. I honestly don't know if it was the right ending now, but it's the ending I chose and the ending I'd built up toward so I plowed through it. Let's see how editing this next chapter goes!

I mind it less in a joke story, because it's all meant for laughs. But killing off any character in a serious story is serious business, especially a main character.

[RokofAges75]

I had the only computer because my mom didn't want one, but we only had one phone line and the computer seemed ancient by that time since it was from her work after they replaced their computers. By the time I got a laptop before going to college, the graphics card was failing and everything was pink or green. We also went spurts without having the internet, so I took all my trusty floppy disks to the library to either upload stories, do research, or save other peoples' stories. I also printed things I thought I would like a paper copy of. It was a dedicated art form. Thank goodness the library computers wiped the history after you logged out of the session, haha.

I like for Nick to enjoy both emotional and physical torture! He's a lucky guy!  It feels like more people posted on AC this month, so maybe it'll come back.

Kids today will never know the struggle LOL.

Emotional + physical torture = the best!

Our saving grace was that I always stock a backup for all paper products and cleaning supplies, so that one didn't affect us too much! Although when we tried to stock the backups back, it was a bit of an adventure for a while.

I thankfully had just bought TP before all this went down, so I was good for awhile, but when I started running low and went looking for it, I had to buy whatever brand I could find, not my usual.  The first time I ended up with some weird lavender scented Angel Soft.  Who needs scented toilet paper?!  But Mare will be happy to know the pandemic made me switch my brand of choice from Charmin Ultra Soft to Cottonelle.

Bubonic plague is a real concern out here every few summers because of the prairie dogs! It's the mundaneness, plus the forced sexual content bit, I think. Ridiculous is more fun!

Aww, prairie dogs!  I was inspired for that story by an article I read about a squirrel testing positive for plague near LA (when Nick still lived there).  So I had him get bitten by a squirrel while feeding it, and he contracted bubonic plague.

I honestly don't know if it was the right ending now, but it's the ending I chose and the ending I'd built up toward so I plowed through it. Let's see how editing this next chapter goes!

I mind it less in a joke story, because it's all meant for laughs. But killing off any character in a serious story is serious business, especially a main character.

Yep, I agree.  I joke about killing them, but I only kill one in a serious novel if it makes sense and feels right.  It's never a spur of the moment decision, but something I've had planned for a long time.

You said originally you were going to kill them all.  What made you change your mind?

Has anyone else ever planned to kill a Boy and then given them a stay of execution at the last minute?  Or done the opposite and killed one off when you were originally planning to let him live?

[nicksgal]

Kids today will never know the struggle LOL.

Emotional + physical torture = the best!

Yes! They'll never know now that they can get their apps and their whatis in their hands at birth!

Hahaha! Yup, my favorite! That's why Nick angsts and bleeds so much in Pbox! Because then the others can patch him up.

I thankfully had just bought TP before all this went down, so I was good for awhile, but when I started running low and went looking for it, I had to buy whatever brand I could find, not my usual.  The first time I ended up with some weird lavender scented Angel Soft.  Who needs scented toilet paper?!  But Mare will be happy to know the pandemic made me switch my brand of choice from Charmin Ultra Soft to Cottonelle.

Aww, prairie dogs!  I was inspired for that story by an article I read about a squirrel testing positive for plague near LA (when Nick still lived there).  So I had him get bitten by a squirrel while feeding it, and he contracted bubonic plague.

Thank goodness! I feel like running out of toilet paper would be awful. We have also had to buy some weird brands to tie us over. Scented toilet paper is so weird! Sorry you had to experience that! OOh, Mare will be happy to know that we're a Cottonelle household too!

LMAO! Nick would feed a squirrel and die. Nick, you're not supposed to feed them!

Yep, I agree.  I joke about killing them, but I only kill one in a serious novel if it makes sense and feels right.  It's never a spur of the moment decision, but something I've had planned for a long time.

You said originally you were going to kill them all.  What made you change your mind?

Has anyone else ever planned to kill a Boy and then given them a stay of execution at the last minute?  Or done the opposite and killed one off when you were originally planning to let him live?

You definitely have to plan out the serious death of a Boy so you can make it emotional and give everyone else the right amount of grieving.

I was originally going to kill them all! It was what I thought needed to happen for the "priestesses don't really have powers, they hold and purify their demon's powers to use them and having them unseals the box" premise. It worked for the story, but... *someone*... hated that. haha. Nick hated it so much.

So I got to chapter fourteen, Brian's powers were introduced, and short fused Nick jumped in guns blazing, but was still standing at the end of it. Tiny, persistent Nick popped up and said, "Hey, I know you decided we would all die for the plot. I'll for sure do some crazy things, but I'm not dying. I will make it to the end alive." "There's still time, Nick." "Not dying." And this went on over the next couple of chapters as I focused on Brian a little and there was Nick, still trucking along when they got to Kevin. "Fine, Nick. I guess you're not planning on dying." "Nope." "Be honest, Kevin wouldn't get to the end and decide to die either, would he?" "Nope." "Okay, then in addition to it being defensive, I have to make his healing power bad***." So Kevin got the ability to heal and guard his little brothers while turning the power to heal into an attack (somehow, that part took a while longer still)."

Nick and I basically found a loophole he liked that meant he still got to live: "Well, I already gave her my whole heart a long time ago, so she can have it whenever and I can still live since she already had it." And I just kind of figured that Kevin wouldn't actually put up with dying, more than AJ, Howie, or Brian wouldn't put up with it. Plus, after I made his power to heal awesome if he used it to attack (it's like a mirroring thing and then he seals up all his wounds), I realized that he could probably just pry his own heart out of his chest and regenerate another one if he needed to, thus living just fine.

If anyone needed another clue that this whole story is actually about the Boys and Nick in particular, here you go: Pandoras can't open the box without their demons. I've also made it abundantly clear in the title for "Pandora's Necklace," which you'll remember from PBox is a temporary magic artifact that actually represents Nick's heart. Ta da!

[nicksgal]

You know what my biggest writing pet peeve is? Google docs loads slower than my fingers type... So frustrating.

[nicksgal]

Describe what you've got going on writing-wise in five words or less, but cryptically.

Phew! Only two chapters left!

Wish me luck to finish them quickly tomorrow!

[RokofAges75]

You know what my biggest writing pet peeve is? Google docs loads slower than my fingers type... So frustrating.

Ugh, I know, especially with long stories.  I tend to just keep them open and minimized when I'm working on them consistently instead of having to reload them every time.

Phew! Only two chapters left!

Wish me luck to finish them quickly tomorrow!

Good luck!

[nicksgal]

Ugh, I know, especially with long stories.  I tend to just keep them open and minimized when I'm working on them consistently instead of having to reload them every time.

Good luck!

I also just leave them open unless I know I won't be looking at them for several days in a row. And since I like to do callback quotes, as I mentioned, I basically have the entire story open for these last five chapters just in case I have to double check if I edited a quote I used.

Thanks! Nick and Kevin are busy doing the Hunger Games salute. We're almost there.

[nicksgal]

I like to look at my little hits counters during my breaks and, oddly, Beta Sigma Beta has been going up. I feel bad if it's actually people reading and not spam bots, because it will never get updated. I wish there was a way to tell them that. I feel like me coming back and actually updating something has given people false hope for other stories.

[nicksgal]

Only twenty pages left to edit and I've only been at it for about an hour. I wonder if I should be worried or excited that it's going relatively quickly.

[RokofAges75]

I like to look at my little hits counters during my breaks and, oddly, Beta Sigma Beta has been going up. I feel bad if it's actually people reading and not spam bots, because it will never get updated. I wish there was a way to tell them that. I feel like me coming back and actually updating something has given people false hope for other stories.

Hehe, I love the name of that story.  Beta Sigma Beta... perfect name for a fictional BSB frat!  You could always add an author's note just letting any future readers know not to expect an update on it.

[RokofAges75]

Only twenty pages left to edit and I've only been at it for about an hour. I wonder if I should be worried or excited that it's going relatively quickly.

Good for you!  You're getting so close!

[RokofAges75]

I finished reading Bethlehem, worked on my outline for Fallen Angel (the Brian idea) and made a banner, which is how you know I'm serious about it LOL.  Maybe next weekend I'll actually try to start writing something for it.  I got a couple comments from enthusiastic Brian girls after I mentioned it in my site update yesterday, so at least someone is interested in reading it.