Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => Featured Story of the Month => Topic started by: mare on August 01, 2009, 07:11:09 AM
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Happy August and last month of summer! :-[
This month we will be discussing Someone's Miracle by Kentuckychickr k. This one seems to be a favorite of many of you so I hope you guys come in and ask our Kentucky chick some questions about her story and give her some feedback.
This is the link to the story: http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=9135
:) Enjoy!!
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1) Tell us one thing about your story that no one else knows?
2) How long did it take you to write this entire story?
3) Give us a summary different from the one you have posted on AC, with a few more spoilers to make people tune in.
4) If you could cast this story as a movie who would play the main roles and why?
5) Have you ever thought of giving up on the story and if you did what made you continue to work on it?
6) What was your writing process? (Outline, make it up as you go along, the characters wrote it, I am Tonja and plagerized lol)
7) Who was your favorite character in this story and why?
8 ) You had to know this was coming, who was your least favorite?
9) Are all the boys in this one? If not why did you choose to exclude them?
10) If we like this story...then we'd love what story? (Could be by you or someone else) and obviously tell us why lol
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Aw, thanks everyone!! I'm so proud of this story so I'm glad to know that it's well received :)
To answer Mare's survey questions --
1) Tell us one thing about your story that no one else knows.
This story was inspired by a class I took during college on death and grief for my major. The class was depressing at times, but it was also incredibly heartwarming. Our teacher asked several indiviudals to come speak and one of those individuals was the mother of an 18-year-old boy who died in a horrible accident. She talked about the decision to donate his organs and how it has become her life to spread the word on organ donation. She herself even ended up donating a kidney to a member of her church.
2) About 3 months... but I thought the story out for a while before I started writing it so all told probably 5-6 months.
3) While one young man waits for a miracle, a father makes the most painful decision of his life. What would you do if your biggest loss could be someone else's miracle? A life lost... A life saved. Will she become someone's miracle?
4) Hm... that's a tough one... Obviously the guys and Aaron would play themselves. I think someone like Christopher Meloni (Law & Order) would make a good Mark Grant and Lauren could be played by any young girl with green eyes and long hair.
5) This was one story that I actually never debated quitting. I wanted to see it through. I did have moments where I struggled with what would happen next or if I would make it a long, drawn out tale... but I like it as is, short and sweet. I think adding more would have taken away from what I wanted to portray.
6) lol at the Tonja thing! I outlined parts and others I just made up as I went along.
7) My favorite character in the story and the one I feel I focused on most was Mark Grant and his journey in letting go. He's the "main" character of the story I would say and I really wanted to show his relationship with Lauren and how that made it both more difficult and also less difficult to make such a gutwrenching decision.
8) hm... really no one. I'm not sure Aaron and Nick's sisters were really necessary characters, but I wanted to add a little bit of humor to an otherwise pretty depressing story, so I popped them in there.
9) All but Kevin... and he's just not there because he's no longer in the band. I'm sure he would have been there otherwise ;)
10) Hmm... I think anyone who likes this story would also like stories like the Swollen Issues series by Carrie or the Broken series by Julie (RokofAges75)
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Aww, Yay! I'm glad this one got picked! It's one of my all-time favorite AC stories! Congrats hun, you totally deserve it.
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Aww, Yay! I'm glad this one got picked! It's one of my all-time favorite AC stories! Congrats hun, you totally deserve it.
Thank you so much Kelly! I'm glad you enjoyed this story, it was definitely one of my favorites to write! :)
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Congrats Rachel!
I actually read this story for the Felix Awards a few months ago, and I couldn't review then because we were told not to (weren't supposed to give it away!), but I can say now that I really enjoyed it!!
You know this kind of story is my cup of tea anyway, but I think because I've read SO many stories in the drama/tearjerker genre, I've gotten kind of picky about them, and it takes a good writer with the right characters and situations to really affect me. That said, you put me in TEARS with this story, and while I am a crier at movies and whatnot, it had been a long time since I'd read a fanfic that made me cry - and wasn't one I'd read before and cried at before LOL. Even more impressive considering that, although this is a Bsb fanfic, Nick is more of a bystander, an observer, in the story - the real drama centers around Aaron and your original characters. I wasn't crying for Nick or any other Backstreet Boy; I was crying for those characters that you MADE me care about. So huge kudos for that!!
Out of all the new (to me) stories I read for Felix, this was definitely one of the highlights for me. I read it in one sitting, and I found it to be just a really nice, touching, tearjerkering, refreshing story. Congrats again on being the author of the month, and I'm glad this was the story chosen! :)
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Congrats Rachel!
I actually read this story for the Felix Awards a few months ago, and I couldn't review then because we were told not to (weren't supposed to give it away!), but I can say now that I really enjoyed it!!
You know this kind of story is my cup of tea anyway, but I think because I've read SO many stories in the drama/tearjerker genre, I've gotten kind of picky about them, and it takes a good writer with the right characters and situations to really affect me. That said, you put me in TEARS with this story, and while I am a crier at movies and whatnot, it had been a long time since I'd read a fanfic that made me cry - and wasn't one I'd read before and cried at before LOL. Even more impressive considering that, although this is a Bsb fanfic, Nick is more of a bystander, an observer, in the story - the real drama centers around Aaron and your original characters. I wasn't crying for Nick or any other Backstreet Boy; I was crying for those characters that you MADE me care about. So huge kudos for that!!
Out of all the new (to me) stories I read for Felix, this was definitely one of the highlights for me. I read it in one sitting, and I found it to be just a really nice, touching, tearjerkering, refreshing story. Congrats again on being the author of the month, and I'm glad this was the story chosen! :)
Thank you Julie! It means so much to me to have won the Felix for this story :)
And seriously, coming from other authors like you and Kelly whose stories I truly love, I really do appreciate that y'all (there's that Kentucky in me!) enjoyed it!
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Well, we really really did. (Or at least I did anyway.) Like Julie, I read this story in one sitting and cried in several places. It just felt like a breath of fresh air to me. Really, wonderful story! And I'm so glad it won. You deserve it!
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Congratulation s, Rach! ;D
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What made you chose the characters you did for this story? Aaron, the Law and Order people etc...
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What made you chose the characters you did for this story? Aaron, the Law and Order people etc...
As far as Mark and Lauren, their characters were as simple as choosing names (Mark in memory of a young man who gave the gift of organ donation and Lauren was just a name that I liked).
At first I thought about making Nick the character who would be receiving the liver, but I decided to go with Aaron instead (and I'm glad that I did) so that I could show the perspective of the other family though Nick and because I really wanted to have a donor close in age to the recipient character.
There is one part in the story where I use quotes from Grey's Anatomy and that is a little shout out to a close friend who, after being in the hospital very sick for a little while stated that real life is not like Grey's Anatomy... there are no hot female interns. :P
The Law and Order guy is just the guy that I thought would play a good Mark Grant in a movie... lol.
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Oh lol sorry about that. I got all confused with the Law and Order thing.
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At first I thought about making Nick the character who would be receiving the liver, but I decided to go with Aaron instead (and I'm glad that I did) so that I could show the perspective of the other family though Nick and because I really wanted to have a donor close in age to the recipient character.
I was gonna ask you that question too, why you chose Aaron instead of Nick or one of the other guys, so I'm glad you mentioned that. I think it works well the way you did it. I'm not an Aaron fan, but because it was from Nick's perspective, and you showed their brotherly bond, I felt for both Nick and Aaron.
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Since this is such a heavy topic, have you ever found yourself getting chocked up or having to step away from writing this when it gets too intense?
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Since this is such a heavy topic, have you ever found yourself getting chocked up or having to step away from writing this when it gets too intense?
To a point, yes. I did get teary eyed a few times because it brought back memories of the conversations from class (during which a dry eye could not be found in our class of 45 people), and there were a few times while writing the story where I thought about giving up because it just seemed too depressing.
Of course, it is depressing. But it's also a fact of life, one that families deal with, in reality, on a regular basis. So in the end I decided to continue the story, not only because it's something I am passionate about, but also because it's one of those stories that needs to be told because regardless of whether or not the characters are real or are based on real individuals, the situation definitely is as real as it gets.
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How long do you wait to post a chapter after you write it? Do you find you post it the same day or do you sit on a it for a few days just in case you want to change something? Also, do you have anyone read it before you post it or bounce your ideas off of anyone?
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How long do you wait to post a chapter after you write it? Do you find you post it the same day or do you sit on a it for a few days just in case you want to change something? Also, do you have anyone read it before you post it or bounce your ideas off of anyone?
Most of the chapters of this story were up within days of each other simply because I'd already written a lot of it before I began posting it. I think the more difficult chapters towards the end where I knew where I wanted to go but not exactly how I wanted to get there took a little bit longer.
I don't actually share my stories with anyone before I submit them here and I haven't bounced my ideas off anyone at this point, though I may in the future. I do sometimes post on the fanclub forum as well, but usually at the same time.
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How much research did you do concerning organ donation and the medical side of things etc... and would you consider writing another story similar in nature to this one ever again? Normally i'd ask if you ever thought about a sequel but i'm not sure if this is a sequel type story?
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How much research did you do concerning organ donation and the medical side of things etc... and would you consider writing another story similar in nature to this one ever again? Normally i'd ask if you ever thought about a sequel but i'm not sure if this is a sequel type story?
Not an extreme amount about the organ donations specifically, but some. A lot of the information came directly from the speakers we had in our death and grief class. I distinctly remembered the one mother discussing how the only information they were allowed to know for years about who would receive their sons organs were the ages and genders of the recipients and vice versa. I also remember her talking about the first time she met the man who received her son's heart.
The medical information I did quite a bit of research on. I'd narrowed it down to kidney and liver and after researching some more I decided on the liver. I researched the symptoms, medications and plausible causes because I didn't want to give Aaron a condition that would be highly unlikely and I wanted the symptoms to fit and in the end this was also why I never gave a distinct diagnosis other than "liver failure" for Aaron -- because there are many diseases and illnesses that can lead to liver failure in otherwise healthy individuals.
I would definitely consider writing another story along these lines, though not likely a fanfic, at least not in this fandom as I feel that would be overkill. It really is a subject matter that is touching and interesting and one that I would enjoy reading a story about as well... so hey, if anyone wants to give it a go... lol. ;)
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I think it's a really interesting topic too. It has always kind of fascinated me, because it's both tragic and miraculous at the same time... sad because it has to involve a person's death, but so awesome that others can be given a new chance at life from that person's organs. And the way that the families of both can become connected that way is really interesting too. I have always enjoyed reading about this kind of stuff, and writing it too. Now that I think about it, I actually have three fanfics that involve organ donation. Way to recycle storylines! LOL I guess that shows that it's a subject worth writing about though.
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I think it's a really interesting topic too. It has always kind of fascinated me, because it's both tragic and miraculous at the same time... sad because it has to involve a person's death, but so awesome that others can be given a new chance at life from that person's organs. And the way that the families of both can become connected that way is really interesting too. I have always enjoyed reading about this kind of stuff, and writing it too. Now that I think about it, I actually have three fanfics that involve organ donation. Way to recycle storylines! LOL I guess that shows that it's a subject worth writing about though.
It definitely it :)
I'm looking forward to reading more from Secrets of the Heart! I just noticed the new(er?) not sure when you posted it, but clearly I missed it, update! I'll have to read up when I get back from shopping later!
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It definitely it :)
I'm looking forward to reading more from Secrets of the Heart! I just noticed the new(er?) not sure when you posted it, but clearly I missed it, update! I'll have to read up when I get back from shopping later!
Thanks! I just posted them last week... Monday, I think? No hurry, cause I probably won't have more up for awhile... too much other stuff going on right now, with school getting ready to start. You're smart for writing ahead and not posting until you have most of it written, like you did with this story. Then the readers aren't left hanging so long. I wish I had more willpower LOL.
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You're smart for writing ahead and not posting until you have most of it written, like you did with this story. Then the readers aren't left hanging so long. I wish I had more willpower LOL.
Yep... cause I never ever leave my readers hanging... nooope... never... er... :bateyes:
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What was your favorite chapter to write? And do you have any favorite lines that stuck in your head after you wrote them?
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What was your favorite chapter to write? And do you have any favorite lines that stuck in your head after you wrote them?
I think my favorite chapter -- and probably the most difficult for me to write was Chapter 8 -- the chapter where Mark Lauren's body is brought back to her room after surgery and Mark gets to say goodbye. I think it's my favorite simply because here's this father who's a hero in my mind, having given the ultimate gift to total strangers by agreeing to donate his daughter's organs, and now he's having to face the reality that she's gone, and he's having to say goobye. And that to me is insanely powerful. :'(
My favorite line - from that chapter actually, is when he sang to her for the last time...
His words were soft, his voice not quite perfect, but the intent with which he sang his song was absolutely beautiful. He held her hand and sang her soul right out of her body and up into the heavens where he hoped that she could hear his voice... where he hoped she knew he loved her.
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Considering how heavy this story is, is there any place in it, where you offer some comic relief? And if so, which character do you feel helps to lighten the mood?
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Considering how heavy this story is, is there any place in it, where you offer some comic relief? And if so, which character do you feel helps to lighten the mood?
I tried to offer some comic relief in the moments with Nick and Aaron - because knowing their relationship I'm sure even in those more serious moments something goofy would occur. I think Aaron was probably the best at lightening the mood and honestly in many situations where I've gone to the hospital to visit teens/children who are ill, this is the exact case... they are the ones who are cracking the jokes and lightening the mood so that everyone else follows suit.
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You are so right about that. They always seem the strongest in those situations.
OKay guys, we are already nearing the end of the month so any last minute questions or thoughts for Rachel would be greatly appreciated. And of course if there's anything you want to say about your story in general, now would be a great time! :)
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You are so right about that. They always seem the strongest in those situations.
OKay guys, we are already nearing the end of the month so any last minute questions or thoughts for Rachel would be greatly appreciated. And of course if there's anything you want to say about your story in general, now would be a great time! :)
Not really -- just thank you so much for featuring it as the story of the month! And thanks to everyone who has read and commented and supported the story. And to those who voted for it in the Felix awards.
I'm glad that someone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)