Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => Featured Story of the Month => Topic started by: mare on January 31, 2007, 05:08:27 PM
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So here's the thread to discuss all things Ground Zero. I know i'm starting this a day early but it's all good. It's already February in Australia and New Zealand. ;)
Anyway, I picked this one because it got me started in the world of Fan Fiction. Without ever happening upon this story I can say I would have never began writing as a hobby and in turn writing for more than that! lol
I know we are all busy people and it's understandable if we don't have time to read all the stories of the month. I'm sure I won't be able to do that myself for lot's of them, but if you don't and have read this one, here would be the place you'd want to say what you liked about it. What drew you in, some of your favorite scenes etc...
Remember we all write from our hearts and these stories are very personal for us so it's possible what you write can inspire someone who hasn't written in a loong time to maybe start writing again!
And on that note...
Happy Reading!
http://www.absolutechaos.net/cgi-bin/stories/display.cgi?id=2&sort=date&cat=26
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I'm not entirely sure whether I should talk about this story as a whole or not, but I think I'll start at the beginning.
Ground Zero sucked me in right from the start. The first chapter has so much in it that made me laugh, made me sigh, and then I started to bite my nails over the end of it. I think it says something really awesome about a writer when I see the way he or she has portrayed the Boys and find that I actually think the Boys may think or say those things in real life. Chaos absolutely has this ability, and the vividness of his writing practically made me see the story in my head. I could see the way the shower curtain wrapped around Nick and the way he freaked out over the huge guy currently stabbing at him with a needle. And, of course, at the end of the chapter, I sat there and went "Oh, my gosh! Next chapter, please!" *click*
That's pretty much how I got through the whole story. I couldn't get away from the computer screen because the tension and apprehension Nick and the other Boys feel in the story was transferring itself into me. I HAD to know what was happening next. Another bunch of points to Chaos for making me feel exactly what they must have been feeling.
Ground Zero is an incredible ride of a story, and, the best part? The story isn't exactly over. I'm assuming everyone else will say this, too, but I'll be the first to say it. Chaos, please, pretty please work on the sequel! That teaser on your blog was definitely not enough to satisfy this enormous curiosity I have to need to know what happens!
So, brilliant job on the entire story (and I love the chapter titles, too!), and please keep writing! You're one of the best authors I've read, and I seem to be unable to get enough of your work!
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This was one of my first stories that I've read. I love action, suspense, that type of fic, and this one has it all. Plus, i have a thing for stories when the boys are in danger lol, i dont know why really. One of my all-time favorite fics :)
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I love the way Nick's flashbacks are written.. Maybe that's partly because I'm a psychologist ;) I kinda know how that must be like (not that I really know, but I do know what the symptoms PTSS looks like) and it really really is written like that in the story.
What drew me in too, was the helplessness that Nick feels while on the other hand, he feels silly for feeling that way. The contradiction is described really believable and detailed, which I love.. Owh and another thing. In other stories, the main character that has been hurt, seems to get over that in just a matter of days.. but in this story, you can tell it's NOT gonna be that way which is much more real of course!
And as Felikia, I love reading about fics in which the guys are in some kind of danger.. Great job Chaos!
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I agree with what the three of you have said and I also have to add that one of the things that really drew me into the story was the fact that it was told so brilliantly from Nick's POV. I think it's the first fanfic I had ever read that was in first person and it just flowed so nicely that I really couldn't stop reading it.
His Nick was so realistic in his thoughts and mannerisms. I mean not that any of us know the 'real' Nick. But he captured Nick's persona so well.
The fact that Chaos was never really a fan, which of course we all know by now, just makes it even more incredible. I'm not sure I would ever be able to pull something like that off.
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Anyway, I picked this one because it got me started in the world of Fan Fiction. Without ever happening upon this story I can say I would have never began writing as a hobby and in turn writing for more than that! lol
:o Okay, you've just about made me speechless (and not just in the I'm just generally shy sort of way lol). I can't think of anything that someone could say that makes me feel better than hearing(reading) something like that. It's one of my life goals to inspire others (in general, but mainly in finding their strengths and in expressing themselves creatively such as with writing or art), so to me, that's about the best compliment I can imagine--especially coming from someone whose writing I admire and enjoy! So, seriously, thank you!
Anyhoo, thanks for picking Ground Zero for this month! (And it is one of my yearly goals to finish my unfinished fics--I'll do my best to at least update a couple chapters of Nobody Else this month ;) )
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Firstly, just have to thank you all for taking the time to read my fic. And then even more thanks to you for taking the time to comment!
Starbeamz--I think the first chapter was the one that made me most nervous (except possibly chapter 8 ), so people's comments on it usually tend to surprise me. It was my first ever BSB scene, and when I started writing it, I really wasn't sure at all that I had the "characters" right at all, so I'm always relieved (lol) when people assure me that I made them believable versions of the guys. I also wasn't sure where exactly the story was going when I started writing the scene--I was really thinking that it was going to be a throwaway scene--which I write a lot of just to get the writing flowing. But then once I knew where I was going I realized that the "throwaway" scene did exactly what I needed it to do in introducing "Nick" (and set up being able to contrast the character before and after the attack), getting him isolated from the others, and of course setting up future Kevin-angst scenes. It also made me nervous thinking that the emotions of the scene were pretty much all over the map (from the very silly beginning to the extreme tension of the end of the chapter), so I really am relieved when people mention that as a more positive aspect of it. I like mixing genres that don't necessarily play nice together--especially ones like suspense and humor, or angst and humor--so thanks for letting me know that it works ;D )
Felikia--Thanks for reading! I'm a big fan of stories that place the main characters in danger, too. Especially when it's my favorite character(s).
Nijntje--I really wanted to be realistic in my portrayal of Nick's PTSD. A lot of it comes from my own battle with it, so it was both easy to draw from my experience and hard to keep drawing from it. The feeling of helplessness is such a major obsticle to overcome not only because of the feeling itself, but also because of the social stigma a lot of people associate with it. There's the whole "real men aren't helpless" mentality that is driven into a lot of us pretty much from early childhood that makes it hard to reconcile if/when one can't live up to that "ideal". I agree that a lot of fics tend to have people recover from ordeals pretty much instantly, or at least in a day or two. When I picked the subject of my fic--a subject that had been done before, yes--I decided that the realistic aftermath was going to be the "new" spin that I put on it. So even when it's not always at the front of the story, "Nick's" battle with PTSD (and the others' as well) will continue on throughout the sequel. Severe cases like I inflicted on poor Nick [hangs head in shame] are often lifelong battles, even if they don't manifest every day, it's still there lurking...
Mare--Again, thanks so much for all your comments and encouragement you've given me! You know I really think that having started this fic as a non-fan really actually helped me. It made me *really* research them to get the characters right. I swear I scoured the web for every bit of information I could find about them that wasn't just "teenies" gushing. lol. It was the first time I'd written a "fanfic" where I didn't already totally "know" the characters, so I got a lot of really great experience with research that I didn't usually do a lot of since I usually "write what I know". It also somewhat helped in a way to not have any emotional ties to the characters when I started. Of course as I developed my version of the characters I got rather attached, lol. But I did my best to keep them true to how the guys represented themselves in interviews, and how fans described them (except the teenies, lol). I highly recommend sometime picking a fandom that you aren't normally part of and doing the research--it's really fascinating and great experience. Writing about what you know is great and works, but researching and writing what you *don't* know is, for me anyway, more intriguing. lol
Thanks again for taking the time to comment you guys!
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:o Okay, you've just about made me speechless (and not just in the I'm just generally shy sort of way lol). I can't think of anything that someone could say that makes me feel better than hearing(reading) something like that. It's one of my life goals to inspire others (in general, but mainly in finding their strengths and in expressing themselves creatively such as with writing or art), so to me, that's about the best compliment I can imagine--especially coming from someone whose writing I admire and enjoy! So, seriously, thank you!
Anyhoo, thanks for picking Ground Zero for this month! (And it is one of my yearly goals to finish my unfinished fics--I'll do my best to at least update a couple chapters of Nobody Else this month ;) )
YAY! I've made someone speechless! :D lol
Seriously Chaos, I meant every word and happy to hear there may be a couple of new chapters coming our way!
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Nijntje--I really wanted to be realistic in my portrayal of Nick's PTSD. A lot of it comes from my own battle with it, so it was both easy to draw from my experience and hard to keep drawing from it. The feeling of helplessness is such a major obsticle to overcome not only because of the feeling itself, but also because of the social stigma a lot of people associate with it. There's the whole "real men aren't helpless" mentality that is driven into a lot of us pretty much from early childhood that makes it hard to reconcile if/when one can't live up to that "ideal". I agree that a lot of fics tend to have people recover from ordeals pretty much instantly, or at least in a day or two. When I picked the subject of my fic--a subject that had been done before, yes--I decided that the realistic aftermath was going to be the "new" spin that I put on it. So even when it's not always at the front of the story, "Nick's" battle with PTSD (and the others' as well) will continue on throughout the sequel. Severe cases like I inflicted on poor Nick [hangs head in shame] are often lifelong battles, even if they don't manifest every day, it's still there lurking...
Firstoff.. I meant PTSD ofcourse.. in Dutch it's called PTSS ;) Just to clear things up..
But yeah, you portray the disorder very realisticly.. and as for the social stigma. It sucks! :( But I agree with you, it is still out there unfortunately. Which then leads to emotionally damaged men who can't show their fears and can't cry, so they tend to have anger fits and get really agressive. So it's bad for everyone involved. Mostly for the men themselves ofcourse. I mean, it must be like living in hell if you can't show your friends, family and even spouse/partner the way you REALLY feel, but instead you have to cover things up, cause you're not a 'real' man if you can't just get over it.
So, I wondered.. why did you decide to have him be so emotional? I mean, I can see why he is and all that.. but.. damn, how do I say this.. You also could have him be more angry, agressive and shutting everyone out, because he feels the social stigma is there, and maybe even more because he is a 'star'. So, why did you decide to have him act like he acts in the story and not another way? This is in NO way meant as criticism, because as I said earlier, I think for Nick (and anyone else) this is a much better way to deal with post-traumatic stress. I was just wondering.
Owh, and why did you have this happen to Nick and not to one of the others?
btw, I know these questions should probably go in the "Author Inquisition" board, but on the other hand, this may be easier.. Let me know what you think, mods..
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aww nope you're right those questions belong right here lol :D
sorry to interrupt...it's the Oprah in me.
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So, I wondered.. why did you decide to have him be so emotional? I mean, I can see why he is and all that.. but.. damn, how do I say this.. You also could have him be more angry, agressive and shutting everyone out, because he feels the social stigma is there, and maybe even more because he is a 'star'. So, why did you decide to have him act like he acts in the story and not another way? This is in NO way meant as criticism, because as I said earlier, I think for Nick (and anyone else) this is a much better way to deal with post-traumatic stress. I was just wondering.
Heh. The reason he's so emotional rather than angry/aggressive at this point is mainly because he's still in crisis mode--he hasn't really had time to start sorting things out and start really processing everything because his attacker is still out there after him. I also figure that at this point a large part of him is still in avoidance/denial mode. The anger and agression may still come out in him in future scenes as the sequel progresses. As to why he hasn't withdrawn...I'll just say that from personal experience when you have 4 "brothers" rallying around you (in my case it was 5 sisters, but I digress) they don't really give you that option very much. Although, again, that tendancy may come out in future scenes in the sequel--once crisis mode is over.
Owh, and why did you have this happen to Nick and not to one of the others?
I had several reasons for picking Nick. The first was that when I was researching the guys and watching interviews with them all, etc...he was the easiest to find background information on, he had a lot of mannerisms that were easy to draw from, he had a personality that was similar to my own (goofy, attention deficit at times [insert angelic smile here], tends to come across as not-so-bright yet the wheels are usually turning...most ly friendly but can be moody...that sort of stuff). I thought about using Brian because in a lot of ways we're alike (we share the same birthday even lol) and because it would have been interesting to add kind of a crisis of religion (though ultimately I decided against it because I didn't want to go there). I also felt that being the "youngest brother" that Nick'd have the biggest impact on the group--plus there was a really good love/irritate-the-hell-out-of relationship that seemed to be going on between Nick and Kevin. And the final reason I chose Nick is actually really creepy, but I'll just say...when searching for info on the guys I unwittingly went to a really horrible site that uh...featured him (all of them to an extent, but mostly him) in a very unsettling way that made me really consider him as the prime candidate for being the victim.
Thanks again for reading and for the questions!
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sigh chaos you know already how much i adore this fic. i simply love the way you write Nick's pov, it was (still is) very refreshing to read your style of writing because there were hardly any that write the way you did back then. Nick's pov was strictly his, in a sense you really made sure you didnt give us much info on what's going on out there unless Nick was willing to acknowledge them. Like when we were suddenly thrown in a loop and found out he wasn't feeling well when someone asked him if he was okay, because his pov didnt mention anything about not feeling well.
Also, you managed to throw in humor in his thought process even when he was in danger. and i love it when he started talking to his body parts, i'll never forget that, lol. the suspense was well woven into every chapter, each one always make me want to read more and more.
congrats on being author of the month! I'll go read a few chapters now in your honor :)
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I have to hop back in here and comment that I love the chapter where Nick is going over in his mind of all the things that can happen in six days. I think that was one of my favorite chapters and just rereading it now, I remember why.
The way you had Nick and your readers, slowly finding out what happened. The bruises on the neck and the wrists. The agent muttering wire under his breath. It was all perfect, made me feel uncomfortable all over again and embarassed for Nick as we are made aware that Brian is in the room listening to everything.
Then when you bring in the Carters which was the perfect way to bring them in by the way. They are there because the story called for them to be there but you didn't harp on them and when they weren't needed anymore, they were gone. But loved that part as well, where they talk about what they had been through.
The way you ended it was great as well with the drug and having him wonder if he was assaulted. I can't even imagine how horrible that would be.
Super job Chaos!
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So, now that's there's less than a week for february's story of the month, I finally started reading it. And it's wonderful!!!!! Well the three chapters that are posted on AC are wonderful... Does anyone know where I can find the rest? I know it exists 'cause y'all have read it. I'm dying to find out what happens next!
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So, now that's there's less than a week for february's story of the month, I finally started reading it. And it's wonderful!!!!! Well the three chapters that are posted on AC are wonderful... Does anyone know where I can find the rest? I know it exists 'cause y'all have read it. I'm dying to find out what happens next!
LMAO aww Chaos never updated this story on the new site...Chaos! Jeez louise! :P
SO here's the link to the old site where the story is completed.
http://www.absolutechaos.net/cgi-bin/stories/display.cgi?id=2&sort=date&cat=26
Sorry, I didn't realize that. I hope that everyone else realizes there is more! lol
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I read it a loooong time ago and it is an awesome story - well written! I should post comments more. I know how writers feel when no one says ANYTHING about your work (good or bad!).
I hope you write more stories Chaos, you are a very talented writer!!
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LMAO aww Chaos never updated this story on the new site...Chaos! Jeez louise! :P
SO here's the link to the old site where the story is completed.
http://www.absolutechaos.net/cgi-bin/stories/display.cgi?id=2&sort=date&cat=26
Sorry, I didn't realize that. I hope that everyone else realizes there is more! lol
You're my new HERO Mare!!!! -lol ... off to go read some more now... ;D
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OK... So I finally finished this WONDERFUL story! and I just don't know what else to say about it that hasn't already been said. Excellent fic! Very well written and I think it personnafies (sp?) the guys extremely well. It really kept me on the edge of my seat and was one of those stories that just forced me to to click the "next chapter" button when I got there no matter how long I'd been sitting at my computer. Bravo Chaos!!! Well done!
So... whats next?
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So... whats next?
That is up to Jullily lol ;)
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you know I just realized I never gave my final thoughts on this one lol
So all I have to say is this one will always bring back memories for me. Being the first suspense fic I ever read, I just remember getting this adrenaline rush while reading it. It was awesome and when I saw the sequel being posted it was like an added bonus.
Chaos never stop writing! You're too good at what you do! :)
At the risk of being overly nostalgic, I have dug up the interview I gave him in 2003 when we first discussed this fic on fanfic fun. I thought it would be fun to post this. Chaos you'll have to tell us if any of these answers have chanced since then.
[1) If you could go back and change anything about Ground Zero, what would
it be? Would there be a personality change, perhaps a different BSB lead or
a different ending? etc...]
As an admitted neurotic, I would change a lot of things. LOL. I can never
read back through my own work and not find a ton of things I would change. I
wouldn't change a whole lot plot-related, though I probably would have gone
a little bit different in the suicide near-attempt than I did--it seemed a
bit...unbeliev able to me (my beta-reader at the time didn't think it was,
but it still bothers me). I would definitely change the beginning to bring
the other guys into the story a bit more--I didn't know the characters well
enough to include much of them at that point--I'm a stickler for detail and
can't write about characters I don't know.
[2) What made you choose first person for this story?]
I like to delve into character's heads and explore thoughts, etc. In
addition to writing, I do a lot of acting, and one of the things I have to
do for each role is to completely get inside the character's head...which I
think is really the same for writing effectively. You have to really know
your subject and your characters. In third person, it's harder to convey
thoughts of the characters effectively. While you still have to know all
your characters, you have a little more flexibility to know some better than
others. I also think first person is more effective in mysteries because
often how a person (the narator) sees something at one time, he (or she) may
look back on that same thing later with a totally different
perspective--that's a lot easier to convey in a first person story than in
third. (Plus with third person I tend to get way too bogged down developing
*everyone's* thoughts...lol .
[3) Are there any stories you are currently working on now, BSB or non BSB
related?]
Yes. I'm working on a few BSB stories (End of the World, Nobody Else Can
Walk it For You/Turning Tables, and Frick & Frack are Dead. I'm also working
on an untitled (and thusfar unpublished) Harry Potter fic, and a few Buffy
the Vampire Slayer fics. I'm also working on a children's book (yeah, that
surprises everybody who's seen my other writing lol), an origianal
screenplay, and am co-writing a non-fiction book. (And people wonder why it
takes me forever to update anything...)
[4) Why did you end the story the way you did? Did you always have the
intention of writing a sequel or were you going to leave it open to the mind
of the reader?]
I have always had the intention of writing the sequel (it's all in my
head...). I hate loose ends, and Ground Zero has several of them (namely the
motive--I'm a meanie and am not opposed to leaving open ended fics, so the
ending is not the loose end that I need to wrap up, really lol). I also
wanted to keep Ground Zero completely from Nick's view, but wanted to be
able to explore some of the other characters more, so I also want to do the
companion story that is from other views.
[5) Besides suspense and action, do you see yourself writing in any other
genre?]
I mainly focus on those genres because that's where a lot of my experience
lies. (Oooh yah. Zakheriash, man of action...er... okay not exactly, but I've
had a lot of things happen to me and around me through my life that it makes
it a good genre for the "write what you know" theory.) I also dabble some
in humor, but generally it's not the main genre because then I start
focusing too much on being funny and it becomes forced and/or plotless. I do
write for children (mainly my niece, but also used to volunteer as a
storyteller at the hospital, and work with kids in my other volunteer job).
I don't really see myself writing a full-fledged romance. I have written a
couple semi-romance stories (I personally didn't count it as such, but
several readers classified them that way) but that's about as close as I'll
get. I also don't really see myself writing a "space" type science fiction
(I do write fantasy/other sci-fi), and I can pretty much bet on never
writing a classic western. Other than that, I'm more a believer in writing
the story, than writing a genre, so I guess if I have a story to be told in
a different genre, I'll tell it.
[6) How long have you been interested in writing and is it something you
have ever considered doing for a living?]
I've been interested in writing as long as I can remember. I have been a
storyteller since I was first able to talk, and a writer ever since I was
able to write. My sisters and I were not allowed much television growing up,
and we didn't have much money for books or anything, so we had to find ways
of entertaining ourselves and each other. My contribution was always telling
stories. As for doing it for a living...I would *love* to. Unfortunately, I
have very low self confidence and am constantly finding things wrong with
everything I write (and have had more than one English teacher that told me
I'd never be a writer *semi-g*). I fear that I would probably starve to
death if I had to rely on my writing to survive.
[7) What's your favorite color? (LOL just kidding, I just couldn't resist) ]
LOL. Green.
Other random answers:
Lasagne or Cheese Pizza
Rejection, Heights, Clowns *shudder* and penguins *bigger shudder* (okay, jk
about the penguins)
Boxers
Pepsi
Gonzo, Rowlf the Dog, and Sam the (American) Eagle
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"Dang, I think I just busted a move."
and mint chocolate chip (hmmm. that reminds me, I'm hungry...)
~Chaos
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featured story author survey
I just thought of this and since a few months have passed since, I am posting this in every thread, so authors fill this out when you get the chance. It might help people who are searching the forum and looking for something good to read. Sorry i'm using (this story) and being so generic but like I said everyone is going to get the identical survey to fill out when their turn pops up and i'm in lazy mode lmao
thanks!
Moprah! hehe
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