Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => I Challenge You.... => Topic started by: mare on May 25, 2013, 05:17:37 AM
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Hi gang!
Since we have all picked our stories, let the summer reading challenge begin!
You have until the end of August to finish reading the stories you have chosen for this summer. If the story is not finished by the end of August you are NOT obligated to finish it if it's something you didn't enjoy, otherwise it is your mission to finish reading both stories and commenting along the way.
I wanted to talk a minute about feedback and this challenge.
As far as feedback goes, you all know how important it is and it's probably one of the main reasons you have decided to participate in this challenge, so when you offer your opinions, whether they be good or bad, please give more than a "good job" on every chapter. What was good about it? Be specific because it helps the authors understand what they are doing right or wrong and in some cases, it helps them decide to finish the story or work even harder on making it better.
You don't have to leave feedback on every single chapter but you should leave it on at least every other one. For this, use your common sense. Obviously if something is less than 20 chapters, you SHOULD leave feedback on every single chapter and it is okay for an occasional "good job, I enjoyed that!" if it's just one of those filler chapters or there's not much else to say. If you are reading a long story, it's okay to leave feedback on every other chapter or every third chapter (if it's REALLY long) Just as long as you do remain vocal as you are reading.
There will be times you pick something and find you just don't enjoy it. That's okay too. I think when we signed up for this, we realize not everyone is going to like everything. That is part of the challenge, but when you leave feedback, you want to explain what it is you aren't enjoying. Is it the storyline? Is it the character development? Are there too many grammatical errors? etc... In other words, be honest without being mean about it. An "it sucks!" is not acceptable and it's also considered flaming. Not that any of you would do that, but just in case lol
As authors, we also need to be willing to take this constructive criticism and move on. It works both ways. Obviously if you know someone is reading your story who doesn't enjoy gore and all you have is gore galore, you should be prepared for more critical feedback etc... take what they are saying in but then also realize "They hate gore so of course they aren't going to like this chapter!" lol
This is why I'd like you all to fill out the survey I will be posting in a little bit. It will help us get to know each others likes and dislikes and let you know as the author, what to expect from the person reading your story.
That's about it for now!
I'll post again at the end of this month. Feel free to start reading your stories if you'd like and don't forget to fill out the survey!
Happy reading!
updated 8/29
*carterkid CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Us Against the World
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Cinzia
Save A Prayer
Halfway There Survey Complete
Final Survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Steph
*mamogirl CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Secrets of the Heart
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Julie
The Other Side of Nick Carter
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Ritz
*DelphinaCarter CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Love Story
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Cinzia
Separate Ways
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Mare
*Carter - Orange CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
To Protect and Serve
halfway there survey complete
Final Survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Mare
Bound by Honor
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's completed by Erika
Falling In Love Again
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Emily
* Mare CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Forever
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Emily
Switch
Halfway there survey complete
Final Survey complete
Reader's survey completed by carterkid
My Safest Place
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Erika
[/color]
*RokofAges75 CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Crash and Burn
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey by Cinzia complete
Finding Carter
Halfway there survey complete
Final Survey complete
Readers survey completed by Tracy
*emily_michele CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Story of My Life
Halfway there survey complete
Final Survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Steph
The Long Road Home
Halfway there survey complete
Final Survey complete
Reader's survey complete by Mare
*Alexgirl_Ritz FCHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Four Santas too Many
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Readers survey completed by Mare
When We Collide
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by Carter-Orange
*kevmylove CHALLENGE COMPLETE!*
Falling In Love Again
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by emily_michele
Switch
Halfway there survey complete
Final survey complete
Reader's survey completed by carterkid
* means started reading
Slash means completed the story
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story:
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story:
Person reading it:
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story:
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
7) Were you happy with the ending?
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
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Reader's Survey
1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
9) What draws you to a story?
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family?
Romance or Bromance?
All five guys, one or some?
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
Female centered or BSB centered?
1st person or 3rd person?
More description or More dialogue?
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Slash or Het?
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Reader's Survey
1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
- Cover Me With Dreams by Heidi because it's a realistic, far-from-a-fairytale romance between two strong, likable characters
- Where Can We Go From Here by Whitney because it's a classic, bromantic drama starring all five guys struggling to recover from a horrific bus crash
- Signal to Noise by Bobbi because it's a twisted suspense starring all five guys, a strong heroine, and a great cast of supporting characters
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
I love drama and suspense with a hint of romance (usually as a subplot).
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
I shy away from fluffy romance because it tends to bore me; I like tragic romance, but loathe romantic comedies. I also don't read much sci-fi or fantasy because I prefer realistic fiction.
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Brian and Nick
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
Backstreet Boy meets girl who has trust issues because of some tragic event or bad relationship in her past and teaches her how to love again.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
Bad writing or boring plot
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
Failure to follow writing conventions (i.e. many spelling/grammar/punctuation/paragraphing errors)
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
Yes
9) What draws you to a story?
An interesting plot driven by characters I can relate to and want to root for
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Yes
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
Present day
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family?
Real, unless it's a romance
Romance or Bromance?
Bromance
All five guys, one or some?
Any of the above
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
I prefer stand-alone stories to series and novels (of any length) to one-shots.
Female centered or BSB centered?
BSB-centered
1st person or 3rd person?
3rd person
More description or More dialogue?
I like a good balance of the two. I would rather read something descriptive than something that's all dialogue, though.
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
NOT!
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Blood and guts!
Slash or Het?
Het
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1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
My top three tend to change from time to time. lol
Ground Zero by Chaos because of the suspense, action and incredible writing.
Seven Days by Refuse 2 Lose I just loved the plot, action and interaction between the guys.
Can You Keep a Secret by Kat and Amy because it was a sweet and fluffy story with all the bromantic moments one could hope for.
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
Suspense, action, drama with a little comedy thrown in.
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
Romance and AU's. I'm just not interested in guy meets girl fics when it comes to BSB and I like to read the BSB AS the BSB so I tend to stay away from AU unless they are brothers.
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Nick
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
Random girl is damaged beyond belief before she meets a BSB and he changes her life or the other way around.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
If it doesn't seem like it was edited, the plot seems to be going nowhere or the author does not respond to feedback
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
When stories are left unfinished without any explanation.
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
Extremely
9) What draws you to a story?
If the summary is well written and thought out and it seems like something that might hold my interest I will click on it.
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Always
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
Back in the day
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family?
Real family, although I like no family best lol
Romance or Bromance?
Bromance
All five guys, one or some?
All five
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
Shorter
Female centered or BSB centered?
BSB centered
1st person or 3rd person?
1st person
More description or More dialogue?
More Dialogue
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
NOT!
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Fluffy kittens and sinister bunnies
Slash or Het?
Neither
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Reader's Survey
1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
Ground Zero by Chaos, it was one of the first I'd read and it was such a good suspense. I loved the way the guys were written.
Perfection.... I can't remember who it was by, but Nick had an eating disorder. It was such a good angst/drama.
It Stays With You by Mare because it was one of my favorite suspense stories I've ever written to the point where i sometimes look for the word Mine carved into Nick's arm under the tattoos. I can't say enough about this story, it's hands down my favorite.
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading? Suspense, Angst, AU, Drama and Comedy
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
Usually slash and romance. I write romance myself and feel if i read it, i wont be able to write it lol i am weird. As for slash, never got into it.
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Nick usually. I really love group stories where Nick is the main character, but I like to read him the most as he is my favorite.
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics? Bsb meets girl backup dancer and they.fall in love on tour.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
Bad grammar, punctuation... .not much makes me stop reading.
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
The cookie cutter mushy romance type stories.
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
Somewhat. If the summary looks interesting and I've heard good things I will read it.
9) What draws you to a story?
Good summary and first chapter. good writing and storyline. Also if I've read the authors work before i am more inclined to try a new one.
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Always for each chapter!!!
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
I wish more stories took place back in the day.
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/ family?
Depends on the story. I have no preference.
Romance or Bromance?
Bromance!!!
All five guys, one or some?
Either is fine.
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
I like both.
Female centered or BSB centered?
I prefer bsb centered.
1st person or 3rd person?
I like both.
More description or More dialogue?
an even balance between the two.
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
I like no list because I can use my imagination
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Slash or Het?
Het
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1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
1) "Mind Games" by Amanda.
It is the very first story that I've come across when I started to know the BSB fanfic world. Love this for the plot, the suspence in every chapter and for the originality.
2) "Something Beautiful" by Pengi.
No matter how many times I read it, I still end up crying. One of my favorite FricknFrack story.
3) "Somehow, Someway" by Stacey.
I'm not much into het but this story captured my attention because it's drama and has Brian in a light that very few people had ever thought.
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
Angst. Drama. Fluff. Hurt/comfort.
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
Romance. Especially het, especially those story where there is a fan that met one of the guys and fall in love. Stories where all the attention is on the girl and not the group.
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Brian. Or Brian and Nick.
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
Fan meet BSB and they immediately fall in love and treat her like she is the star.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
Bad grammar. Bad plot.
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
Angst, the more the better. Especially, stories that have like a criminal plotline (kidnapping...)
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
Yes. :D
9) What draws you to a story?
The summary. The writing style. If it's written by an author that I already know and love.
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
I try but usually I tend to stay in the shadows because I can't find the best way to translate it. lol
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
Both, though I would die for stories that deal with Brian's operation.
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family?
Real wives/family.
Romance or Bromance?
Bromance.
All five guys, one or some?
All the guys.
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
Long stories and series.
Female centered or BSB centered?
BSB centered.
1st person or 3rd person?
3rd person.
More description or More dialogue?
A balance bewteen the two.
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
Not. A little bit is okay but I don't have to know everything.
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Blood and guts!
Slash or Het?
Slash.
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Reader's Survey
1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
Ground Zero by Chaos because I love the way he wrote it, the suspense was amazing and I couldn't stop reading once I'd started. I think it may be the first fanfic I cried reading!
Song For The Undead by Julie & Rose because even though it's not finished yet, I've been reading since they started posting it and it's right up my street. I love zombies and gore but the story is just so good, it's not all horror, it has a bit of everything I like.
It Stays With You by Mare because again, it's a great story featuring all the boys. I loved the suspense and was biting my nails with anticipation and nerves as I was reading parts.
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
Anything really, if it's a good story and grabs my attention then I'll stick with it.
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
I don't read slash romance stuff
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Nick mostly, but I've read the others in the lead too.
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
Boy spots girl in the crowd at a show and falls for her instantly.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
Bad layout (clumped together), terrible spelling, writer doesn't respond to reviews or only to certain people. They are the main reasons.
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
Seeing a promising looking summary, only to click on the story and there are no paragraphs, just a clump of words.
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
Wasn't when I first discovered fanfic, but I am now.
9) What draws you to a story?
If the summary looks good I'll click to read.
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Always
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
Don't mind, depends on the story.
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family?
I prefer fictional or none at all, but wouldn't stop reading a good story if the real ones were in it.
Romance or Bromance?
Don't mind, depends on the story
All five guys, one or some?
Don't mind
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
If I'm enjoying the story then I don't mind.
Female centered or BSB centered?
I don't mind, I've enjoyed both
1st person or 3rd person?
Don't mind
More description or More dialogue?
I like a good balance
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
No lists
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
I prefer blood and guts but sometimes feel like reading fluffy stuff.
Slash or Het?
Het I suppose as I don't like slash
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Reader's Survey
1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
With the Band by evergreenwrite r83, and the stories associated with it. I just love her writing style and how the characters are portrayed. There's so much variety with a lot of subplots, twists and turns, drama, comedy, suspense, romance. There's a little bit of everything. I pretty much love everything she writes.
Secrets of the Heart by RokOfAges75. This is such an original plot, and I love that while it's AU, the AJ and Brian characters are very much portrayed the way I imagine they could have possibly lived had they not become Backstreet Boys. Also love the twist at the end. I'd hate it if something like that actually happened, but for a piece of fiction, awesome!
Where Can We Go From Here by Whitney. This is one of the first fanfics I can remember coming across back in the day that grabbed me from the beginning and kept my interest until the end. It is such a classic piece of BSB fanfiction that I just had to include it.
There are so many others I love, and handful of writers here on AC that I so admire for their work.
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
I'm going to make up my own genre here and call it "Romantic Dramedy." Give me a story with a mix of drama/suspense, comedy, and romance, and I'm a happy camper.
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
Sci-fi and AU- I just never was able to get into the sci-fi stuff, and AU stories in which the guys don't seem like themselves really bug me. That being said, some of my favorites are AU stories. There only seems to be a handful of writers that can write an AU and keep the Boys true to character. Isn't that what makes it a BSB fanfic? Otherwise, it's just a piece of fiction with characters who happen to be names Nick, Howie, AJ, Kevin, or Brian.
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Nick, Kevin, and like Nick/Brian stories
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
Give one of the boys a terrible disease or injury.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
Bad grammar/punctuation and poorly developed characters.
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
See #3. AU fics that don't seem to accurately portray the Boys personality-wise
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
Yes
9) What draws you to a story?
Intriguing summary, it's by an author I know and love, or honestly, a professional looking banner.
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Not often, actually. I'm way too lazy when it comes to that. I should really work on leaving feedback, because I know how much it motivates me personally as a writer.
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day? I actually love those "in-between" stories that attempt to fill in the gaps between albums/tours. For example, Mare's "Why I'd Do it All Again" about making the Never Gone album.
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family? I like to see a little of both. Real families mixed with fictional characters
Romance or Bromance?
I think every romance should also have a little bromance. It's the BSB we're writing about here!
All five guys, one or some?
I like to see all five at least make an appearance.
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
I like series if the original is one I loved. It's fun to see the characters grow and develop over a long period of time.
Female centered or BSB centered?
I like a strong female lead that is somehow involved with the guys, but at least one of the BSB needs to be a main character as well.
1st person or 3rd person?
I like to read 1st person, but find it easier to write in 3rd.
More description or More dialogue?
Dialogue, but there needs to be a good balance.
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
Depends on the number of characters. If there are a lot, you need that or you just get lost trying to remember who's who.
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Blood and guts leads to fluffy kittens and bunnies. I'm a sucker for Happily Ever After.
Slash or Het?
Het
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Just jumping in to say I'm really finding these reader surveys interesting. I know we've all talked about our fanfic likes and dislikes across the board, but I really like the "this or that?" questions and how everyone's answers are different. A this or that survey for everyone to fill out, in another thread outside of the challenge, would be fun to see. (We've probably had one at one point or another, but if so, it's been awhile!)
Also, thanks, Emily, for mentioning Secrets, and Steph, for Undead!
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I should just copy and paste this one in the general thread for everyone to fill out for fun lol
Maybe I will come up with one tomorrow.
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Well it's officially June so the challenge is ON!
I know some of us have already started to read and review which is great! Everyone else, it's time to start your stories. You can choose the best way for you to get through them, whether it be one at a time or back and forth. Make sure you are leaving feedback at the end of the chapters.
Also, use this thread to post comments and questions about the stories you are reading as you are reading them.
Three of you still have not filled out the readers survey yet so get on that as well:
Erika, Chris and Ritz
Ritz will be on vacation until the end of June so she will not be reviewing until that time, so whoever has Ritz as a reader, just be aware of that. :)
I will be checking in again at around the 15th!
Thanks guys and Happy reading!!
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Well I'm just over halfway through To Protect And Serve and I have to say, I'm absolutely loving it! Child serial killer stuff isn't my usual kind of thing (any other serial killer I'm fine with lol), but this is so well written and the storyline really hooked me from the start.
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Thanks, Steph! :) I'm a real psycho lol
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I have started reading Separate Ways, I am maybe two chapters into it. Love Story, I think I am on chapter two.
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Thanks, Steph! :) I'm a real psycho lol
LOL :)
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Thanks, Tracy! YAY an anti-psycho story! LOL
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I love save a prayer I'm already on chapter 9!I started it first because its longer then the other. I'm also working on the readers survey thing.
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So sorry Mare! I'll get to filling that out tomorrow.
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Just finished up reading the first ten chapters of Forever by Emily_Michele. I have to admit, I was hesitant at first because it seemed to have all the qualities I tend to avoid in a fanfic but one thing that really stands out in this is the fact that I care about the female lead. That kind of says a lot right there. Emily (the character) is strong, but also flawed. She isn't the typical needy, whiny girl we see so many times in fics. She has a confidence about her that I like and I also like the fact that it's not all about romance and sex. There's some sexual tension between some of the characters but it's more about them being friends and possibly becoming more that keeps this from being a cliched boy band meets girl band type romance. The other girls in the group aren't that important. The clear focus is on Emily which is another reason the story is holding my attention. It's hard for me to read a BSB story that really isn't about BSB, but this one is holding my attention because Emily is a great writer with a knack for description.
Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!
Now onto Erika's :)
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I am actually putting the finishing touches on a new chapter for Forever-- the first in over a year. Thanks so much, Mare, for the great feedback and comments about the story here! I am currently reading Mare's "The Long Road Home," and I'm loving it! It's obvious that it's one of her first stories, as it's not as polished as some of her other work but the content more than makes up for that. It takes place circa 2003 during the BSB's hiatus and delves into some of the possible reasons the group did not put out any new music during that time. It's a classic Mare "bromance," and I'd highly recommend it. I'm having fun with the feedback, as Mare's not read it in so long that sometimes she has no idea what I'm talking about...lol. It's a relatively short story (16 chapters), and I'm already 8 in, so I'll probably finish this one before moving on to the next.
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Thanks, Emily. It's funny I was checking to see how many chapters it was and saw how short my chapters were. That's another thing that's changed over the years lol
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1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why? With the band by evergreenwrite r83
Fighting Fate by Purpura Lipstick
Guilty Roads by RokofAges75
They all have a a knack for description and getting the guys just right it makes the stories come alive for you.I also love the storylines.
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading? Angst, Drama, Suspense,Action,Advention, Humor,AU, Science Fiction, Supernatural
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why? Romance, most of the time its just not my thing but I have read a few
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead? any one
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics? I don't know,all of them lol
6) What would make you stop reading a story? if I can't understand the thing
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader? heck no
9) What draws you to a story? If the summary looks good I'll click to read.
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read? yup
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day? both
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family? real or not at all
Romance or Bromance? bromance
All five guys, one or some? any of them
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories? any of them
Female centered or BSB centered? bsb centered
1st person or 3rd person? both
More description or More dialogue? more dialogue or a nice of the two
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read) not
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies? both
Slash or Het? slash
AU or Sci Fi?
Both
Suspense or Drama?
Both
Nick as a victim or Nick as a hero?
Both
Happy and healthy or sick and dying?
Both
Emo or over the top happy?
Emo
Kevin the jerk or Kevin the big brother? Kevin the big brother
Pre rehab AJ or post rehab AJ? both
Brian or "Husband" Brian
Stereotypical Howie or Evil Howie? both
Cliffhangers or not? cliffhangers
Open endings or resolutions? both
Banner or no banner? both
One shots or song fics? One shots
Reader or writer? both
Sorry it took so long Mare, I got busy.
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Ok finally got a chance to do this...
1) What are your three favorite fanfics of all time and why?
Searching for Mercy by Honey
On Nightingale Hill by Filiklepto
Chronos Project by PurpuraLipstic k
2) What genres do you most enjoy reading?
AU, Romance, Drama
3) What genres do you typically shy away from and why?
Slash, Sci Fi, Historical
4) Which boy do you enjoy reading as the lead?
Nick or AJ
5) What do you think is the biggest cliche in fanfics?
Backstreet boy meets girl and they immediatly fall in love.
6) What would make you stop reading a story?
Poor updating, really bad grammar, too much unecessary description
7) What is your biggest fanfic pet peeve?
8) Would you consider yourself a picky reader?
I can be
9) What draws you to a story?
The summary, the banner and the first chapters
10) Do you typically give feedback when you read?
Yes I do.
Which do you prefer:
Stories told in present day, or back in the day?
Either one, but I rather present.
Stories featuring real wives/family or fictional wives/family?
Either one works for me as long as they stay in the background
Romance or Bromance?
Romance
All five guys, one or some?
Any
Long stories, Series, or shorter stories?
I prefer short ones. I like series if they are necessary.
Female centered or BSB centered?
I like both
1st person or 3rd person?
Either one is ok.
More description or More dialogue?
Equal amount of both. Not a fan of too much description.
Character list or not (Meaning a visual diagram of what all the characters look like before you start to read)
Maybe subtle hints.
Blood and guts or fluffy kittens and bunnies?
Both.
Slash or Het?
Definitley Het.
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I just finished reading "Crash and Burn" by mamogirl. It's a one-shot, so it was a quick read. I enjoyed it! It was a very angsty story that captured a small, but beautiful moment between Brian and Nick. When you combine Brian and Nick with angst and powerful, descriptive writing, you've got a winner in my book! Nice work, Cinzia!
I'll be starting Tracy's "Finding Carter" next.
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I just finished reading "Crash and Burn" by mamogirl. It's a one-shot, so it was a quick read. I enjoyed it! It was a very angsty story that captured a small, but beautiful moment between Brian and Nick. When you combine Brian and Nick with angst and powerful, descriptive writing, you've got a winner in my book! Nice work, Cinzia!
I'll be starting Tracy's "Finding Carter" next.
Thank you so much!
Brian and angst is my favourite combo ever! :D There is so much potential!
I've started reading "The other side of Nick" and I really really love the plot!
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Just finished the first five chapters of Erika's "My Safest Place" It reminds me a little bit of the movie "Dying Young" with Julia Roberts. Not sure if that was your inspiration or not, Erika. You should check it out if you've never seen it before.
Back to Forever by Emily tomorrow.
Glad to see most of you have started your challenge reading! :)
I'll be making another fun survey to fill out soon!
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Just stopped in to tell everyone I'm going on a trip the week of July 4th.
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Hey gang! Hope your start to summer is going well.
I know it's early, but I would hope by now, most of you (with the exception of Ritz) have at least started reading one of your two stories. I have been kind of checking reviews and was glad to see all but one have actually begun the process.
To help you along, I made the halfway there survey which I posted in the very first post in this thread. I will also include it here but I think I will do that with these surveys so this way you won't have to scroll through pages to find them. No rush filling it out since I know most of us haven't hit the halfway mark yet, just when you do, know it will be waiting for you. I'll also be coming up with a few other surveys for you to fill out as you read.
Happy reading! :)
Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story:
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
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Here is a reader's survey for you too!
Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story:
Person reading it:
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
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Halfway there survey
Name of story: Crash and Burn
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? It was pretty easy to follow. The only thing that might make it difficult for some readers is that some of the descriptions are overly wordy and/or awkwardly-worded. However, since I know English isn't Cinzia's first language, I didn't let that bother me. Anyone who can write this well in a second language has my respect!
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Even though I'm a Brian girl and the story was centered around Brian, I have to go with Nick on this one. I love how compassionate Nick was when he came into the room and comforted Brian. He didn't pelt him with questions; he just gave him a hug and let Brian know he was there for him, and that was all Brian needed.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? Not applicable, since I'm already done!
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? There isn't really a summary, only the lyrics to "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden. The lyrics do fit the tone of the story, and since it's a one-shot, there's not much plot to summarize, but a one-sentence description would be a nice addition.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? I was surprised that the story never really revealed what triggered Brian's big angst-fest. There were a couple of lines of dialogue in italics that looked like a flashback, and I thought there might be more to provide some back story, but there weren't.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No, I would have read the whole thing because it short, and I wanted to find out what Brian's deal was!
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? Not that I recall.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? So what WAS Brian so upset about? The only hint I got was where it said "what he shouldn’t had said, like that day" - maybe he had a fight with Nick? It wasn't clear, but like I said in my review, I don't think that was the point of the story either. I'm just wondering what the back story was in your mind. :)
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Name of story: The Long Road Home by Mare
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Hmm... Maybe Howie? He's pretty introspective, but still fun-loving in this story. He's such a lovable guy-- cares about everyone so much, but he still gets angry in the story, and I like that. Makes him seem more real.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) Well, yes. I'd guess this is going to be a happily ever after type of story, in which the guys realize how much they love each other and their careers and decide to go on as a group, maybe after a little bit longer hiatus? Mare, I can imagine you laughing evilly because it actually ends with them deciding to go their separate ways, or with the beginning of the Zombie apocalypse or something....
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? Yes. Short and to the point, but I don't really think I'd add anything.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? Nothing really big plot-wise or character-wise. One big observation I've made (which, turns out, is unintentional) is Mare's use of literary devices in the story. Methaphors, imagery, foreshadowing, parallelism, and so on. Makes me feel more like it's an actual piece of literature. Though there are some mistakes grammar and organization-wise, as this is an early story for her, it's obvious that I'm reading the work of a strong writer.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. Probably not. This isn't the type of action-packed story with a lot of twists and turns that will keep me engaged and reading for hours on end, but it's a nice characterizati on of the guys and their relationships (Mare's specialty), and I'm interested to see how it all turns out.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) Nothing huge. There are a lot of sentence fragments and a few incorrect punctuation marks (i.e.- a period where there should be a question mark), which kind of bugs the former writing center tutor in me, but no big snafu content-wise (content is very good!)
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? When was this written exactly? I understand it must take place about 2003 or so. Was this when it was written? What inspired it? Were you possibly thinking (like me at the time) that maybe the Boys were gone forever?
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: To Protect and Serve
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes, Mare always tells a good story and writes in a way which is easy to follow.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? It's got to be Kevin. He's a detective working on the case of a child killer and his character is likeable and also realistic.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) Well, I do like a happy ending, so I'd like to see Kevin and Howie catch the bad guy and no one else get hurt. But as this is Mare's story I'm sure it won't be predictable!
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
Yes, the summary fits the story well. I don't think it needs anything else.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
I didn't expect Kevin's work colleagues to be in on the crime (that's if they really are, I'm on chapter 28 now), so that was a nice twist.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No I wouldn't have stopped reading. Even though I don't usually go for stories where kids are tortured/killed, I'm really enjoying this story and can't wait to see how it all ends.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) No errors that I've noticed.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Was it tough to write some of the more upsetting scenes?
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Thanks, Emily!
3) Oh, so you haven't gotten to the part where Howie goes bonkers and eats all the others yet? Oops! Have I said too much. (I made sure to put a . instead of a ? just to annoy you lmao)
5) Thank you so much for saying all of that! Like I told you, I had no idea what I was really doing when I wrote this but I'm glad it felt like a real story to you! YAY!!
7) I agree with you there. I was the sentence fragment queen, when I wasn't busy running them on and on and on and on... lol
8) I honestly don't remember when it was written, Emily. I'm sure that's shocking to all of you what with my wonderful memory and all. I know I posted it on AC way after it was written. It was originally posted on Izzy's and Julie's sites so I'd actually have to check. I think Izzy had it first but I would imagine it was around 2002 or 2003. I never really thought they'd break up, but I wasn't really sure what to expect when they got back together.
I was inspired to write it because of how disconnected they all seemed to be in interviews I had seen around that time period. I hated seeing them like that and it was clear to me that they weren't enjoying each others company. I thought what better way to convey that then forcing them all to take a long drive together. lol
Thanks for being an awesome reader!!
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Thanks, Steph!
3) Hrmmm....well. .. lol
5) There's a pretty big twist coming up in chapter 29 too! LOL
8) I am actually like you. I would have skipped this story after the first chapter just based on the content. The only thing I really had a hard time writing was the dead puppy at the beginning and the final few scenes at the end. The last one in particular but I obviously won't say why! LOL I needed to write it though to set up the sequel.
You are also an awesome reader! Look at that, two of my people the first to do their surveys! You get gold stars, both of you! You too, Julie but you only had to read one chapter! LOL
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LOL Yeah, I had it easy! Also, I checked, and I started hosting The Long Road Home in October 2002, so it's over 10 years old!
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Wow! We've been doing this for a while! LOL
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Sorry I havn't checked in.My power went out and just got it back on tonight.So if I don't answer that's what happened. :-[
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Nobody has started reading mine yet but here are my surveys.
Name of story: Separate Ways by Mare
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
Yes....the plot is simple and clear.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
I love Nick because he's got such an innocence about him yet he wants to be a tough guy when it comes to his emotions. I just love how he's written.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
I think that Nick will get hurt somehow, he is a bit too trusting. However part of me thinks things will work out between Nick and Mike, and their family will be together.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
Yes, everything is fine the way it is.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
Mike doing drugs and learning to steal...that road made me feel sad for him because Jane acted like he didn't exist anymore.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
Nope. I always love Mare's work. Never a disappointment to me.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
Not so far that I have seen.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Where did you get the idea to write about Nick having a long lost brother from and why did you choose the setting to be around Jane's book release?
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Sorry I havn't checked in.My power went out and just got it back on tonight.So if I don't answer that's what happened. :-[
Sorry to hear about your power and no worries, you don't have to answer the survey until you are at least halfway through the story yet and looking at your reviews for Steph's story you still have one more chapter until you're there. lol
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Thanks, Tracy! Seems you jumped the gun on this a bit too since you are only on chapter 8 but I know...you wanted that gold star LOL
To answer your question about Mike, It's a bit early to really get into why I came up with this idea but Kevin has a lot to do with it. I guess in my mind, Jane was such a horrible mom that I almost felt the need to invent a different family for the poor kid and watching Nick interact with Kevin in interviews etc... made me think he needs to get himself one of those things lol.
I really was never a big fan of the family he has and I wanted him to be the youngest sibling in real life so I just made the real wreck of his family disappear and created Mike. Nick's relationship with Mike adds a new element to his relationship with Kevin since they are about the same age.
I figured Jane's book was a perfect opportunity to show how much she uses her son while at the same time giving Mike something to be able to 'see' to make that connection.
And of course, you know how much you rock as a steady reader all these years and this one is about as old as Long Road too. Yikes!
And feel free to ask or comment on anything else once you get to the real halfway point.
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8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? So what WAS Brian so upset about? The only hint I got was where it said "what he shouldn’t had said, like that day" - maybe he had a fight with Nick? It wasn't clear, but like I said in my review, I don't think that was the point of the story either. I'm just wondering what the back story was in your mind. :)
There isn't a back story in my mind, I wrote that story a day when I was feeling really low and needed a hug so I kinda conveyed those feeling into Brian. :D In my mind, Brian is the kinda of guy that internalize everything so it comes to a point when it takes only a small thing, a joke or a owrd taken in the wrong way, to make him break down.
Also, especially with one-short, I tend to leave something open in case I might get inspired to write more. That's the case of "Crash and Burn",I might go back and write something more. Who knows? :D
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? It was pretty easy to follow. The only thing that might make it difficult for some readers is that some of the descriptions are overly wordy and/or awkwardly-worded. However, since I know English isn't Cinzia's first language, I didn't let that bother me. Anyone who can write this well in a second language has my respect!
Thank you. This is one of the few story that I wrote in English, without the long process to first write in Italian and then translate it.
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Thanks for your reply! That sounds like it would be difficult, having to translate most of what you write into another language. About as difficult as writing it in the second language to begin with!
I am nowhere near fluent in another language, but I did take four years of German in high school, and if I were to attempt to write a story in German, it would either have horrible grammar or be very simplistic so as not to butcher the grammar too badly. So again, I admire your ability to craft those long, sophisticated descriptions in English!
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: The Long Road Home
Person reading it: Emily
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I honestly didn't know what to expect. I wasn't that familiar with Emily so I wasn't sure if she would like the kind of stories I wrote.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
She left me comments on every chapter and they were very insightful and helpful
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
No, but mostly because I was too lazy lol I might go back and read it now though, out of curiosity
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Nope, she was very clear and concise with her feedback.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
I had a great time! Thanks, Emily!
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In case you are wondering why I've not started on yours yet Erika, I'm reading them one at a time, so will be starting yours in the next couple of days once I've finished Mare's :)
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: My Safest Place
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
Truthfully I am having a hard time caring about any of the characters so far, but I would have to say Kevin. He is dying and is dealing with it the best way he can whether it's anger or sadness despite everyone's lack of concern about his well being.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
Kind of? But then again he is in a hospice so I'm assuming he's going to die. lol
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
I think it could be a little more detailed. I really had no idea what to expect and was surprised to see what the story was actually about. I think more people would click on it if the word cancer was in the summary lol may be sad, but true.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
Not as of yet
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
Yes, because as I mentioned above, I'm having a hard time caring about any of the characters.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
Nothing at all grammatically. Erika is doing a great job with that. The characters need some more developing but Erika has said this is one of her earlier stories so I'm sure she has gotten much better with that since this one.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
I was just wondering what made you decide to center this around a hospice and how much research you did?
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Just posted the final survey for those of you that have finished up one of your stories. Don't forget guys, you have three surveys to fill out for each story although one you really have no control over until the person who is reading YOUR story, finishes it.
:)
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Here it is but it's also on the first post!
Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story:
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
7) Were you happy with the ending?
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story:
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
Getting past the grammatical stuff (and honestly, it wasn't all that bad...just weird for Mare, and I'm a little bit of a grammar Nazi), and being able to delve deeper into the content.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
I did look forward to it. Like I said before, it wasn't as fast-paced as some of my favorites, but I still wanted to know what was going to happen.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
The next to last chapter with Nick as narrator. It's a really beautiful scene.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Actually, I think I'll change my mind here-- thanks to the aforementioned chapter, I think I'm going to go with Nick now.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Hmm...maybe Brian? For the story, it was good characterizati on, but he had the worst attitude out of all of them, so he wasn't all that likeable in this particular story.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Yes. Although, I might say that even if it wasn't intentional, "Why I'd Do it All Again" might be considered a sequel of sorts to this story.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
Yes.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
I don't think there were any big surprises, really.
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The characterizati on of the "brothers." Mare does that beautifully.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
Just some grammar stuff.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
Yes. I've read a few of Mare's but not many. The challenge itself actually has me really intrigued by "To Protect and Serve." I've read the reader's response to that one and I think I'd really enjoy it. When I first discovered Mare's writing, I was very anti-AU, but now I'm seeing that some writers can do it very well, so I will probably revisit that one for sure.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I think this was a good story pick for me. Plus, it was fun that Mare and I happened to be reading each other's stories, so we had a fun dialogue going on. I thought it was fun to pick out favorite parts of each chapter to comment on, and once I noticed the "metaphor" theme, I had fun looking for that and other literary devices, although Mare claims they were unintentional. It was fun to look back and see how Mare has grown as a writer.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I've never done the pairings, as this was my first reading challenge. Like I said in the previous question, I liked that Mare and I were reading each other's work and had a good dialogue going on. That being said, I can see how it would be a big let-down if your partner doesn't hold up to her/his end of the deal, so without really knowing, I'd probably pick this format, because everyone gets to choose their own story to read, so may be more inclined to read and give good feedback.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? I had a great time! Sorry you have to much reading left to do one mine, but I'm looking forward to the rest of your feedback :)
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: To Protect and Serve
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? Before I started reading, I did wonder whether I'd like a story containing child torture/murder. I usually stay away from stuff like that. But once I began reading, it was no challenge at all as I loved it :)
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? I looked forward to each chapter.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? There are so many to pick from, but I'll go with chapter 37.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Yes, it was Kevin all the way through the story.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
The baby killer, and that one is self-explanatory lol
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Yes, there is a sequel and I'm definitely going to be reading it.
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes, because Mare gave two endings to it, so if you wanted the happy ending you could have it, but you could also read on and have the real ending if you chose to.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
There were a few surprises. One being that Kevin's dad wasn't really dead, but had been in witness protection for the past eight years. Another was that a couple of the detectives were in on the crimes too, that was quite a shocker.
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The plot and just the way Mare writes it.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? I don't think it had a weakness
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
Yes. I've already read a few by Mare and had already planned on working my way through her other stuff.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? Great story from start to finish. Packed full of action and suspense, kind of like watching it on screen. The kind of feedback I gave was my reaction to the events happening in the story. I'm glad I picked this story as it turned out to be my kind of thing!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I don't mind either way.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes, Mare did respond to every bit of feedback.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Great story!
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Thanks to you both! I really enjoyed both of your comments on my stories. It's been a long time since I've gotten feedback only because it's been over a year since I've written anything, minus the short Nick birthday story. It's nice to know I've grown as a writer even from seeing the difference in the comments from PS which I wrote later on as opposed to Long Road which was one of my first. I feel like the more I have written, the easier it has become. I guess practice helps lol
And Emily, I'll be getting back to your story on Wednesday!
Thanks again! You've both made this an enjoyable and insightful experience for me! :)
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Name of story: Save a prayer
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes,very easy
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Nick because she's writing the story when kev wasn't there, she's writing nick as the 'big brother' that kevin would be
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? No way,it's all a surprise
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? the summary all fits in
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? I was very suprised,Most fans at AC have read this but if you havn't like me you should
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No I was planning on reading before the challenge and never got to it
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? nope
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? How did you come up with the story idea?
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Name of story: Save a prayer
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? How did you come up with the story idea?
Glad you're enjoying it :)
I came up with the idea after watching Bear Grylls Born Survivor one evening. But I was also inspired by a couple of action/adventure films too, like Romancing The Stone. I thought it would be fun to have the boys stranded somewhere like that lol.
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Final Survey
Name of story: Crash and Burn
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? I thought it was going to be reading slash, since I know Cinzia is a slash writer, but "Crash and Burn" really wasn't a slash fic. I guess for me, the biggest challenge was also what made the story an easy read - the fact that it was short! I appreciate a well-written one shot, but I usually prefer novels to short stories because they have more "meat" or substance. Despite its emotional depth, this story was still... well, short, and the lack of back story left me wanting more!
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? I enjoyed reading the story. There wasn't really much to look forward to since, like I said, it was a short story, and I read it in one sitting, but it didn't feel like homework.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? My favorite scene was when Nick walked in and, without saying a word, hugged Brian. That was a really touching moment and spoke volumes about the depth of their friendship.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Since I filled out the halfway survey after finishing the story, I'll say yes LOL.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? I guess if Nick was my favorite, then Brian, by default, would be my least favorite, since he was the only other character in the story LOL. There's really no other reason than that.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? Maybe. I'd rather read a prequel!
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes, I was happy that Brian finally got some comfort!
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) I was just surprised that I never found out what Brian was moping about.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? It was very atmospheric and had a lot of emotion packed into such a short story.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? Some of the descriptions were too wordy or awkwardly-worded.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? Sure! This was my first experience with Cinzia's writing, and now I know that she's a great writer who loves Brian, Nick, and angst, which are three of my favorite things as well. I think the only thing that's held me back from trying her stuff before now is the slash factor.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I'm glad I picked "Crash and Burn" as one of my stories. To be honest, it really wasn't much of a challenge for me because it was an angsty short story about Brian and Nick, my favorite Backstreet Boys. I thought it was going to be a slash, which made it more of a challenge, but it wasn't, so it was an easier read than I expected it to be. I enjoyed it!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? I actually got the best of both worlds because Cinzia and I ended up choosing each other's stories, so I'm kind of doing pairs and my own choice. I like having some choice over what stories to read - even with the pairings last year, it was nice to have some options so that I could challenge myself to read something new and different, but not torture myself with something I knew I wouldn't like. As far as pairings vs. whoever, I don't have a preference.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes, she did.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Do you have any longer stories that aren't slash or romance at all, or do you see yourself writing any in the future?
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My vacation is almost over, we will be back in Dubai on Sunday. I probably start with my reading challenge on Monday. I apologize for being late. I just wanted to spend the whole month with my kids, so I rarely go online.
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Final Survey
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Do you have any longer stories that aren't slash or romance at all, or do you see yourself writing any in the future?
I have only one kinda long story that isn't slash but it's my very first story, back in 2010 after years and years of not write at all. I still have it, I can't bring myself to erase it but it's very bad. lol If I do translate it, I might end up writing it again from the start. :D
As for the future, I have some ideas which don't include slash. It's just a matter of finding the time. Mostly because it would be a sort of challange, writing about Brian and Nick without adding the slash.
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Hey Cinzia, don't forget to fill out the reader's survey for Julie on your story when you have the chance! Thanks!
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My vacation is almost over, we will be back in Dubai on Sunday. I probably start with my reading challenge on Monday. I apologize for being late. I just wanted to spend the whole month with my kids, so I rarely go online.
No problem, Ritz! Glad you had the chance to spend time with the kids! Sadly, you aren't the only one who hasn't started anything yet lol
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1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was kind of nervous because Julie is one of my favorite author. So, yes, I wasreally nervous! lol
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Well, it was an one shot so yes, she did. It was really helpful, especially since she pointed out what are my weakes points. And I couldn't believe when I read the positive comment about my writing, since I'm still at the beginning and sometimes I still find some difficulties in translating and conveying words and ideas in English.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Yes, I did. I don't usually read my stories, especially the English one because I tend to find lots of things that need to be rewrite or changed. I might go back and read it again for a possible future sequel or prequel. :)
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
If she has any advice to improve my English. :)
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Definetely a good one. :)
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4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
If she has any advice to improve my English. :)
Thanks, Cinzia! I think your English is fabulous! That said, my only advice for your writing would be to watch the length of your sentences. You don't have run-on sentences, which is means they're all properly punctuated and not technically wrong, but most of the parts that sounded awkward to me when I read them were in the longer sentences. It can be hard to pack all the description you want into one sentence. I tend to be wordy too, so this is something I've struggled with myself!
For example, here's your first paragraph:
He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaned on the cold surface and a steaming cup of coffee warmed the fingers wrapped tightly around the ceramic. Outside that room of a hotel, the rain was starting to get ready for its melody as lightning made the grey shade of the sky darker and darker. He shivered at every thunder, the faint veil of fear that was slowly creeping upon him and his nerves.
I love the sense of atmosphere you build by describing Brian sitting at the window, watching the storm. It's very descriptive, but in some parts the description gets a little muddled. If I were beta-reading this, I would suggest revising it to sound more like this:
He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaning on the cold surface, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. Outside his hotel room, a light rain had begun to fall. He watched the gray sky as it grew darker and darker, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning. He shivered at every clap of thunder, unnerved by the faint veil of fear that hung over him.
It's the same scene with the same imagery, but I broke it up into four sentences instead of three and took out a couple of phrases that I couldn't get to flow. This obviously isn't the only way you could revise it; it's just my take on it.
I think the "art" of writing is in choosing the right words and arranging them in the right way. It's not easy to do, but it has to be especially hard trying to do it in a second language because you may not always be sure what sounds right. You're doing a great job at it, and I hope this advice will help you do it even better.
Sorry for the long response!
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Thanks, Cinzia! I think your English is fabulous! That said, my only advice for your writing would be to watch the length of your sentences. You don't have run-on sentences, which is means they're all properly punctuated and not technically wrong, but most of the parts that sounded awkward to me when I read them were in the longer sentences. It can be hard to pack all the description you want into one sentence. I tend to be wordy too, so this is something I've struggled with myself!
For example, here's your first paragraph:
He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaned on the cold surface and a steaming cup of coffee warmed the fingers wrapped tightly around the ceramic. Outside that room of a hotel, the rain was starting to get ready for its melody as lightning made the grey shade of the sky darker and darker. He shivered at every thunder, the faint veil of fear that was slowly creeping upon him and his nerves.
I love the sense of atmosphere you build by describing Brian sitting at the window, watching the storm. It's very descriptive, but in some parts the description gets a little muddled. If I were beta-reading this, I would suggest revising it to sound more like this:
He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaning on the cold surface, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. Outside his hotel room, a light rain had begun to fall. He watched the gray sky as it grew darker and darker, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning. He shivered at every clap of thunder, unnerved by the faint veil of fear that hung over him.
It's the same scene with the same imagery, but I broke it up into four sentences instead of three and took out a couple of phrases that I couldn't get to flow. This obviously isn't the only way you could revise it; it's just my take on it.
I think the "art" of writing is in choosing the right words and arranging them in the right way. It's not easy to do, but it has to be especially hard trying to do it in a second language because you may not always be sure what sounds right. You're doing a great job at it, and I hope this advice will help you do it even better.
Sorry for the long response!
Thank you so much for your advice! It will surely help me to do better. :)
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Hey everyone!
It's my usual Saturday check in! Now that we are way into this challenge, it's time to start issuing goals etc...
I am constantly updating the first post with where everyone is in terms of reading and the surveys that have been completed. This gives the writers an idea of where you are in terms of reading their stuff. Keep in mind, I can only gauge where you are reading-wise, by the reviews you leave so if it says you are on chapter 5 but you are really on chapter 12, it means you aren't leaving reviews which in my eyes is even worse than not reading it to begin with!
Ritz said she'll start reading this week since she's been gone this past month. Welcome back! :)
That leaves only you, Erika. Time to get started
So here is everyone's first goal - which most of you have already achieved! (Chris, Tracy, Steph, Emily and Mare have already hit goal one! Gold stars for us! lol)
By next Saturday everyone should have read at least 10 chapters of their stories (all 10 on one story or a combination of both, depends on how you are approaching this challenge)
10 chapters should only seems like a lot if you haven't started yet lol
Also remember to fill out the appropriate surveys when you hit those points!
I posted a fun reader/reviewer survey in the general section of the board. I was going to put it in here but I figured it would be a fun one for everyone to do, so feel free to go fill it out in there instead of in here!
Happy reading!! :)
Don't forget to occasionally comment in here and ask any questions you feel like you need to ask!
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Forever by Emily
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
Yes, I only found the very first chapter confusing, after that everything has made perfect sense to me.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
I would have to say Kevin because of his layered personality. You never truly know what he's thinking and that drives Emily especially, a bit crazy. Their interactions are fun to watch and of course whenever he's with the boys it's instant love for me!
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
I would think so, but there is no current end so not sure if even Emily knows yet lol
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
I think her summary is pretty spot on.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
Nope, not as of yet.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
I probably would have not even started it, mainly because it's not the type of story I would want to read. I generally hate female based narrative for a BSB fic. That being said, if I did click and read, it would have held my interest because of the great writing for a few chapters, but I admit once we got to those Nsync chapters with no BSB in sight, I would have finally stopped.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
Nope, that's the perks of reading a story by a member of the grammar police! lol
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Nothing at the moment.
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Thanks for your feedback, Mare! I appreciate your honesty, and I'm glad you're able to find parts you enjoy, even though this isn't at all the type of story you like to read.
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You're welcome! :)
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Save a prayer
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
I don't know if you would call it a challenge but for me, it was reading the other four guys without Kevin in the story.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
I looked forward to it a lot.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? My favorite part was when AJ was almost eaten by a snake.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? yeah
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? I didn't have one.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? Oh yeah,I hope steph writes one.
7) Were you happy with the ending? yes,a happy ever after
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)All five NK getting killed! Wow,no didn't see it coming.I thought at least Jordan would make it out.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? The writing was great and the characters were how you would picture the backstreet boys.The story itself made it all come alive as you were reading.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? Just some small writing mess-ups in spots.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? I was reading stuff by steph before this challenge.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
It was a great story and I love to read survivor/living off the wilderness stuff.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? I like it better this year, that way people can pick what to read.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? yes
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? nope
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story:
Person reading it: Carterkid (Chris)
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? I just hoped that she'd like it.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, she left feedback every few chapters.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? Just one chapter where I was asked about it and so I had to read to see which part it was.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? No, can't think of anything.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? I enjoyed it.
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Halfway there survey
Name of story: Finding Carter
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
AJ is my favorite because he resembles his real-life Backstreet Boy self the most and because he's mysterious. He seemed like a typical drunk frat boy douche in the beginning, but now it seems like he might be a nicer guy than I thought.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
I'm not sure how it will end, but I do think Nick and Brian are going to find out they're brothers.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
I think the summary works. It's a little vague, other than saying it's a story about Nick going to college, but I like vague. I'm more likely to click on a story with a vague summary than one that gives away too many details.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
If I'm right, Nick and Brian being related will be a good plot twist. I was also surprised about the feud with Howie; I didn't expect Howie to be the villain of the story.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
I actually did start reading this story when Tracy was writing it last summer and stopped mainly because I got busy with school starting and fell behind. If I had gotten further in it, I might have continued reading because it's a cute, well-written story. What might have made me stop is the fact that most of the characters don't really seem like the Backstreet Boys I know. It's an AU, so they're not supposed to be "The Backstreet Boys," per se, but when I'm reading a fanfic, I want the guys to still seem like themselves, even if they're not a boyband, and I'm missing that in this story. I think if it were original fiction and I weren't trying to picture the guys as these characters, I would have an easier time enjoying it.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
No, not really. Especially given that she writes on her phone, Tracy does a great job with spelling, punctuation, and all that. I haven't noticed any major plot holes or anything like that either. I was confused early on about the relationship between Nick, Kevin, and Brian, but now I see that that's an important part of the plot, so it makes sense to me now.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
What made you want to write a story about Nick going to college?
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You guys are making me so happy! lol
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story:Us Against the World
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Brian cause he is my favorite bsb
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) yes
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? yes the summary fit
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? no big plot twist
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. I feel as if I would have stopped but not because the story was bad just cause I got bored reading
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) nope
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? nope
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Us Against the World
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? It was kind of drawn out and I got bored
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? after a while, It felt like homework
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? Ah, the whole thing?...lol it was only one chapter
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? yep
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? none
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? she was going to make that story chapter 1 of another story,if that happens than yes I would read it
7) Were you happy with the ending? yes
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) nope,it don't have one
9) What was this stories biggest strength? very touching
10) What was it's biggest weakness? drawn out
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? yes
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? I liked it this year
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? I just posted it tonight she hasn't seen it yet
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? nope
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1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was kinda of nervous because I didn't know if the story would be appreciated or not.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Since it was only an one short, yes.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Not yet. But I might to.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Maybe I'm being dumb asking it but what does it mean "drawn out"?
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Definetely a good one.
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Thank you so much, Julie!!! I can totally understand the.stuff you said about AU. it can be hard when you're trying to picture the guys and they aren't themselves, but I'm glad you are enjoying it.
I wanted to write about Nick being in college cause I thought it was a interesting idea to explore if he wasn't a BSB what would he be doing now. I thought about him and liking drawing/art so that is why I chose animation :)
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^ I think the interest in drawing and animation really suits him!
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Final survey
Name of story: Finding Carter
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
For me, it was not just that this story was AU, but that I had a hard time picturing the Backstreet Boys as these characters. Most of them were written differently from how they're portrayed in most stories and how they seem in real life.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Besides struggling with the characters, I did enjoy this story. It was a quick, easy, entertaining read - once I got into it, I could read several chapters in a row with no problem. It never felt like homework.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
My favorite scene was when the frat sent Brian and Nick on a scavenger hunt around campus. It was a good bonding moment for the two of them, and it was funny! I especially enjoyed the boyband references Tracy included in that part; I always enjoy those little jokes in an AU.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Yeah, I still like AJ, even though he wasn't a major character. He turned out to be a nice guy.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
I have to go with Brian, only because I felt that his character was a cliche, being a farm boy from Kentucky who's obsessed with his goat and reads the Farmer's Almanac in his dorm room for fun. Although I will admit the stuff with the goat was pretty cute, it's just a pet peeve of mine when I see Brian and his family portrayed this way because it insinuates that everyone from Kentucky is some kind of farm hick, which is not true. Lexington is a city; Brian was not raised on a farm in real life. This really isn't a rant about Tracy's story specifically; I've seen the same thing in other stories, and it annoys me every time! LOL It's probably just because I'm only a state away and hate when people assume everyone in downstate Illinois is a farm hick too.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
I don't know if I would; I don't think this story needs a sequel. I'm not sure where else Tracy could take it that would be interesting to read.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
I liked the ending a lot. It wrapped things up nicely and skipped forward several years to show how life turned out for Nick, completing the arc of his character's storyline.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
*SPOILER WARNING* There were a couple of big twists/surprises in this story, one being the fact that Nick and Brian are half brothers and the other being the car accident. I did see both of them coming, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of seeing my predictions come true.
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
Finding Carter's biggest strength is exactly what it should be, and that's Nick as a character. I struggled with Nick's character early on because he was such a different Nick from the confident, charismatic heartthrob that is Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. He did have things in common with Nick, like his goofiness and childlike exuberance, but this Nick was socially awkward and, honestly, pretty strange, with his whole Disney obsession. But once I got used to that, I could appreciate how those qualities made him a much more interesting and relatable character than the Nick, "The Chosen One," who can charm anyone with his little half-smile and is universally loved. This Nick really had to work for acceptance! As I told Tracy in a review, I wonder if her portrayal is more how Nick might have turned out in real life if he hadn't been turned into a teen idol. He did admit to being teased in school when he was younger, and honestly, when you watch footage of him from before he was a Backstreet Boy, you can see why! LOL I can see Finding Carter's Nick in spazzy little "Reach for a Book" Nick.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
For me, the biggest weakness was also the characters, just not being close enough to their Backstreet Boy selves, but that is completely subjective and just based on my own preferences. Even when I write AU, I try to keep the guys' personalities and interests and lives as similar to the real thing as I can without making them pop stars, and I like to see the same thing when I'm reading AU, but that is just me!
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
I have read other stories by Tracy that I've enjoyed and will continue to do so!
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I'm glad I picked this story! It was good to finally read it in its entirety and see how it turned out. Most of my feedback was reactions to the story because there really wasn't a lot to comment on or critique in terms of Tracy's writing. Aside from some comma issues, it was well-written in terms of conventions, and it was structured well as a story. I thought Tracy did a great job showing the journey Nick's character took through the story to find himself; he really changed from beginning to end, and as I told her in my final review, that's the mark of good storytelling!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
Regardless of whether it's pairs or the way we did it this year, I just liked having some choice over what to read.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yep!
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Who was YOUR favorite character in Finding Carter, and why?
Are you as big a Disney fan as Nick, or did you have to research for the Disney references?
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Story of My Life by Carter-Orange (I don't know your actual name!)
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?This may seem a little weird, but Kevin. He's the authority figure, but after seeing him get on the line for Nick in the last chapter I read, you can see that he really cares for his employees.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)I have no idea whether this is supposed to have a story woven in other than the day to day worklife or not? I really have no idea how it will end. Maybe with Friday?
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?I think the summary's fine.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? This really doesn't have anything to do with the story, but I was surprised by the amount of foul language in the story. I know Nick is a bit of a potty mouth in real life, but there seems to be a lot. Though, this may be real-life in her office! :)
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. It's pretty short. I'd probably read to the end whether I liked it or not, honestly.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)Nope. The writing is pretty solid. Just a couple little things that I noticed since I'm a member of the grammar police :), but nothing worth mentioning here.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? If this hadn't been a challenge story, could you see yourself expanding the plot to have a storyline other than the day-to-day work life?
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Oh my God! You guys are all SO awesome! At this rate we'll be done with this challenge by the end of July and not August! lol
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In response to Julie's question about Finding Carter:
My favorite character was probably Nick because as the story progressed he grew as a character and it was great to see that as I wrote him. Things really did come full circle at the end and it really great to see that he ended up somewhat different than how he was in the story began, but he was still himself at the end.
I am sorry about Brian, I wasn't trying to go for that hick stereotype because I know in real life people from there are not like that, but for story purposes I wanted Brian to be completely different from Nick and for them to somehow find common ground before they knew they were brothers. It kind of became a running gag about Bella (his goat) and I wanted him to kind of realize that he didn't want to be on the farm just because it was expected of him, hence why he changes his majors and becomes a teacher. I wanted Brian and Nick to both grow but I kind of just focused on Nick more since he is the main character.
As for the Disney stuff, I am a Disney buff like Nick but I don't collect merchandise. I have seen most of the movies and a lot of things referenced I actually did remember, although for the Disney World scenes I had to do a lot of research. I actually bought a copy of a 1999 Disney World travel guide so I could be as accurate as possible with the attractions and park layout....I really went into detail and wanted to be accurate. I did a lot of research on fraternities as well, Pikas are a real frat at the University of South Florida....and I did research on what movies came out in 1999 or what songs were popular then. It was the first time I actually did research before writing a story, so I'm glad it was accurate.
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Here is a reader's survey for you too!
Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: Finding Carter
Person reading it: RokOfAges75 aka Julie
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was very excited because Julie is one of my favorite authors, and I always feel honored when she reads my work.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Yes, she reviewed every chapter and her reviews were always detailed, and had some tips that really helped me out.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Yes I did because I had to remember some of the bits she was talking about, but for the most part I remember the story pretty well.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Not really, she already mentioned why she didn't like Brian as a character, which I completely understand her reasoning. He's probably my least favorite as well.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
A good one. I always have a good experience during these reading challenges and would gladly participate in any more that we have in the future :)
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In response to Julie's question about Finding Carter:
My favorite character was probably Nick because as the story progressed he grew as a character and it was great to see that as I wrote him. Things really did come full circle at the end and it really great to see that he ended up somewhat different than how he was in the story began, but he was still himself at the end.
I am sorry about Brian, I wasn't trying to go for that hick stereotype because I know in real life people from there are not like that, but for story purposes I wanted Brian to be completely different from Nick and for them to somehow find common ground before they knew they were brothers. It kind of became a running gag about Bella (his goat) and I wanted him to kind of realize that he didn't want to be on the farm just because it was expected of him, hence why he changes his majors and becomes a teacher. I wanted Brian and Nick to both grow but I kind of just focused on Nick more since he is the main character.
As for the Disney stuff, I am a Disney buff like Nick but I don't collect merchandise. I have seen most of the movies and a lot of things referenced I actually did remember, although for the Disney World scenes I had to do a lot of research. I actually bought a copy of a 1999 Disney World travel guide so I could be as accurate as possible with the attractions and park layout....I really went into detail and wanted to be accurate. I did a lot of research on fraternities as well, Pikas are a real frat at the University of South Florida....and I did research on what movies came out in 1999 or what songs were popular then. It was the first time I actually did research before writing a story, so I'm glad it was accurate.
That makes sense about why you made Brian the way he was, so he could be Nick's opposite. Thanks for answering my questions! I could tell you had done research on college, Disney, and the late 90s. Like I said in one of my reviews, I loved all the references to 90s stuff!
And by the way, you totally need to watch The Great Mouse Detective on Netflix!
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Story of My Life by Carter-Orange (I don't know your actual name!)
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?This may seem a little weird, but Kevin. He's the authority figure, but after seeing him get on the line for Nick in the last chapter I read, you can see that he really cares for his employees.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)I have no idea whether this is supposed to have a story woven in other than the day to day worklife or not? I really have no idea how it will end. Maybe with Friday?
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?I think the summary's fine.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? This really doesn't have anything to do with the story, but I was surprised by the amount of foul language in the story. I know Nick is a bit of a potty mouth in real life, but there seems to be a lot. Though, this may be real-life in her office! :)
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. It's pretty short. I'd probably read to the end whether I liked it or not, honestly.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)Nope. The writing is pretty solid. Just a couple little things that I noticed since I'm a member of the grammar police :), but nothing worth mentioning here.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? If this hadn't been a challenge story, could you see yourself expanding the plot to have a storyline other than the day-to-day work life?
My name's Steph, the Carter-Orange is a mixture of my Take That and BSB faves LOL
I think the story was a challenge to write about the boys doing our job, so I did a week in the life of an IT service desk person. It's not really that fun in my work, at least not anymore! So yes, the story does end with Friday :)
The swearing in the story, hmm, I didn't realise I'd written much! I don't really swear much at all (the odd 'shit' here and there, in fact people in my real life would be shocked to hear me say more than that), but I figured that a bunch of guys together would swear. I know that the guys in my work swear, not excessively, but it's there.
I suppose if it wasn't a challenge story I could've expanded it, but I'm happy enough with it as it is.
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Hola!
So sorry I'm so late. I started reading Falling In Love Again by emily_michele yesterday and I'm on chapter 4. I'll start reading Switch by CarterKid right now!!! Woohoo!!
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Name of story: Switch by CarterKid
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? A little
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? I've gotta say that the story is moving a little too fast and I get confused with who is who, that no character really holds my interest.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) I really have no clue.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? I think it works for the story.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? None
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. I really don't like these kind of questions, because I'm not a pro writer myself, but I must say that yes I would have. One reason is that the story is moving a long a little too fast for me and it doesn't have enough description to hold my interest. Another reason is the tenses tend to change a lot confusing me.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) Just the tenses...and maybe some grammar errors.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? Hmmm I'lll have to come back to this one!
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Yay! Glad to see you finally starting, Erika! :)
And I know some of those questions are tough to answer on the halfway there and final survey but because it's a challenge story, I felt like we needed to include some of those real constructive criticism type questions. None of us are perfect and there's always room for improvement so with that in mind, answering those questions should help us all out.
You guys are doing a great job! Keep it up!
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Story of My Life by Carter-Orange
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? I was expecting a little more plot-wise, but I understand this was a challenge story, and it met the challenge perfectly. So, I guess getting past that was the hardest part for me.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?I looked forward to reading because the writing was good.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?I liked the scene in chapter 3 where Nick's dealing with a difficult call and Kevin steps in. Lots of good, convincing dialogue in that scene.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Maybe Howie? I just felt like we didn't get to know him as well as the other guys.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Maybe so! I'd be interested to see these characters try to get out of some difficult situation-- something a little more plot-driven than the day-to-day life of the characters.
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes. I thought she tied the story up really well.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) No big surprises, really.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? Good writing. She was able to take something as mundane as an office job and make me care about the characters and what went on during their day.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? I just wish there had been a bigger story than just the day-to-day work life, but like I said before, it fit the challenge perfectly, so there's nothing wrong with that.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? Yes. I've read very little of her work, and she's a solid writer, so I bet I could find a story that has all the traits of a great one in her work.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? I think I was expecting a little more office shenanigans and humor than I actually got. I kept comparing it to "Office Space" in my head, and while this story was really well-written and pretty entertaining, I would have liked to see something a little more over-the-top. However, had I looked more into the story before choosing it, I would have realized sooner that this was a challenge story about what we do in our day-to-day lives. Like I said, it met the challenge perfectly, and the writing was good. It just wasn't exactly what I was expecting.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? This is my first challenge, so I can't really compare the two, but I did like this format.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? I enjoyed your writing, and you can expect that I may try reading more of your work!
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I'm really glad you enjoyed the story Emily, maybe I could've done more with it, but oh well, it's done now lol.
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Hello! Doing my Saturday check in!
Congrats to Emily, Julie and Chris for finishing the challenge! The reading part, anyway. I know some of you are still waiting on the reader's survey but that's all you have to worry about now! KUDOS!
My goal for you this week was going to be to get at least one halfway there survey done but going down the list most of you have already done that. So now is the time when I start handing out little individual goals. If you're name is not here this week, it means you're going at a good pace. I'll only assign you something if I feel like you might need that extra push.
Cinzia and Ritz - your goal is to have at least one halfway there survey done
Steph - your goal is to complete the reader's survey for Story of My Life
Everyone else is about on track. Try to keep going, so far it seems like everyone is rocking this challenge! :)
Remember you can always check the very first post of this thread to see where everyone is in terms of the challenge!
Happy Reading!
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Story: Story Of My Life
Person reading it: Emily
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? I didn't really know what to think as I'm not familiar with Emily's writing and haven't seen her on here a lot.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, Emily left feedback on every chapter and it was good to hear her thoughts on what I could've done more if the story hadn't been just a short challenge story.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? Yes, because I wrote this story about 2 or 3 years ago, I couldn't remember much about it. So when Emily mentioned there being a lot of swearing, I had to go back and see lol.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? None that I can think of right now.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? I enjoyed the experience.
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I am on my way to halfway there survey for your story, Mare. and when I'm done with you story, I will be starting Steph's, hopefully by next week. :)
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Just finished Chapter 8 of 15, so, I guess I'll do this one.
Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Four Santas Too Many
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes! After the first chapter, you'll probably have an idea of what's going to happen.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? In Mare's story, Nick is always my favorite. I love how she writes Nick.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) Actually, No. Because Mare wrote this one and anything can happen. But, I am hoping for a happy ending. I am really hoping that Baylee's christmas is not ruined. lol
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? yes.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? None yet. I am enjoying it as it is.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No. Because I enjoy thr boys' conversations. The interaction between the boys are so good.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) No. But if I will compare Mare's writing style on this story to her most recent. She improved so much. I don't know how to explain but it seems she got 100 times better now. :)
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
None as of the moment
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^ Thanks, Ritz! I think one of the reasons I chose all older stories for this challenge was to see how much I have grown from when I started to write all those years ago! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)
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Since I'm at chapter 14, I guess I'm halfway. lol
Name of story: Secrets Of The Heart
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
Yes. Even though it's a suspence story, Julie has managed to leave here and there little clues about where the story might be going.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
Strange but I'm loving all the characters and that's because Julie makes them realistic. They aren't perfect but she gives reasons why they're behaving like that. I guess that my favorite is Brian but only because he's the one I'm feeling more connected emotionally. But so far I've liked any characters. And yes, even Nick. lol
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
I'll have an idea. As I said before, Julie left some clues here and there but they're not that easy to find. Especially with the way she planned to write the story, two different storylines that seem to convey to one common point.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
I think it's perfect. It's intriguing and it makes you want to click on the story and read it.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
No big surprises overall. I think that the big plot twists is in the rest of the story, right now it's a preparation of what has to come.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
No, I think I will have still kept reading even if it wasn't a challenge. Maybe what would have stopped me long ago could be the AU factor but now I've come to love the AUs so... I wouidn't have stop.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
None.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Mh, I think I'll leave my questions after reading the whole story, just to avoid any kind of spoilers.
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Thanks, Cinzia! I'm really glad you're enjoying this one. Your feedback on it means the world to me!
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Thanks, Cinzia! I'm really glad you're enjoying this one. Your feedback on it means the world to me!
You're welcome.
If I could write in Italian, my reviews would be much longer and more detailed. :D
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You're welcome.
If I could write in Italian, my reviews would be much longer and more detailed. :D
LOL Aww. Feel free; I can always plug them into a translator to get the gist of it!
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LOL Aww. Feel free; I can always plug them into a translator to get the gist of it!
An advice: just stay away from google translator. :D :D
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An advice: just stay away from google translator. :D :D
Oh I know, they're bad!! That's why I said "get the gist of it" because I know the translation will be terribly awkward! LOL
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^ Thanks, Ritz! I think one of the reasons I chose all older stories for this challenge was to see how much I have grown from when I started to write all those years ago! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)
You become so much better. I think you have mastered this craft. :)
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You become so much better. I think you have mastered this craft. :)
Wow, that's a huge compliment. I am VERY far away from mastering the craft, but it's nice to know I'm going in the right direction! Thanks, Ritz!
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Secrets Of The Heart
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
I guess it was leaving review. It's the main reason why I decided to do the challenge. Being a foreign reader, it's hard and difficult to put in words everything you want to say to the author while making it understable.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Definetely the former. Especially the last chapters, I couldn't stop reading.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
Favorite scene, hands down, is when Brian hears his new heart beating for the first time. I don't have a favorite chapter, I loved every one.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
At the end, Brian. Though I cried in the end, I think Julie did an amazing job showing the path that led him to his final decision. And you can not love him because he did it only to protect is son. Even from himself.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Mh... I don't have one really. I guess I'll go with Becci only for the reason that she never really believed Brian during his journey towards his last decision. I get why, she was only concerned about his husband. Still, a little support wouldnt be a bad thing. lol
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Given how it end, I don't think there is the chance of a sequel.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
Yes, I was. Julie said in the notes of the chapter that the ending was a downer but, as I said to her, I don't agree. It was the perfect ending for that type of story. Sad, very sad, but extremely realistic.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
Aj as the killer. That I didn't really see it coming. And the end and how Brian died. I'm still shocked. lol
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The unique and original storyline and how Julie has structured it.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
I didn't find it.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
I've already read some of her works and I definetely keep reading her stories.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
As I said in one of my review, reading this story was like watching a movie or an episode of "Criminal Minds". It was packed with suspence and drama, the kind that makes you stay glued to the tv because you want to see how it ends and if your theory was right.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
It's my first challenge so... I love that, in the end, me and Julie ended up reading each other's stories.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes, she did.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Yes, one question: How did you come up with the idea and its structure? I loved how you've planned it, with the two storylines that end up at the same common point.
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Thanks so much for your feedback, Cinzia! I enjoyed your reviews, and I had no problem understanding them. I'm sure it's a lot harder for you to say what you want to say in English than it would be in Italian, but I really appreciated the effort you put in to your feedback. Don't let that stop you from leaving reviews in the future; your English is great!
To answer your question... I got inspired to write in this "medical mystery" genre by a movie called Awake, about a guy who experiences "anesthetic awareness" while undergoing a heart transplant. That's where the heart transplant part came from, anyway. I've always been fascinated by the idea of organ transplantatio n, but I've written a couple of stories around that topic before, so I knew if I was going to do another one, I had to come up with a fresh take on it, and I also wanted it to have more of a suspense/mystery storyline than a typical medical drama.
At some point over the course of brainstorming, I thought, "What if, after receiving a new heart, Brian started experiencing visions or memories of his donor's life?" It sounded cool, but far-fetched, but I did some googling, and whaddya know... it's a real phenomenon known as "cellular memory!" Not scientifically proven, of course, but there are some pretty crazy stories out there that can't just be coincidence. Once I found that out, I knew that was what I wanted to write about.
After that, it was just a matter of coming up with a storyline that would suit that premise well. I figured the only point to Brian having visions of his donor's life would be if she had been murdered and he was using them to try to solve her murder and bring her killer to justice. So then I had to think about how and why she was killed, and I sort of worked backward from there, until I had a story full of twists and turns and motives that made sense.
I knew I wanted to write it in a way that revealed them all in a certain order, and it couldn't be chronological without ruining the mystery, so I got the idea to jump between the two storylines and make them seem parallel to each other, not revealing that they were actually happening at two different times, months apart from each other. I had to do some major outlining to figure out how to piece everything together in the right order; this is the only story I've ever outlined chapter by chapter, but it paid off in the end because everything came together! I've never written a story quite like this before, so it was a challenge for me! I'm so glad you enjoyed it - thanks again!! :)
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Thank you for your reply. I never saw that movie so I'll probably go and see if I can find it because now I'm really interested.
It showed how much you've planned the story and that's one of the strongest point of the story. So, really, congratulation for the awesome job. :)
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It's not really as good a movie as it sounds, but it's worth watching once. Thanks you again! :)
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Finally, I'm done with my first story.
Name of story: Four Santas Too Many
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? Nothing. Maybe finding time to read, I'm lucky I have internet access during lunchbreaks. :)
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? Looking forward as I enjoy the story so much.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? I have favorite scenes in almost every chapter but I'd go for the ending. Baylee having fun playing with his uncles on a christmas morning. That's really sweet.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes. Nicky is consistently funny from beginning to end.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? Leighanne is the only character who is not part of the Backstreet Boys, but even she plays an interesting character so I like them all. Ooops I forgot Baylee. :p
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? Yes! I am actually hoping there would be one.
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes. I love the ending.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) There's no big surprise but still every chapter makes you want to click the next button.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? The guys interaction. I love how a simple joke can turn the conversation into a serious one. The way the guys tease each other is so funny.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? None. It was written very well.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? Definitely. I love Mare more now. :)
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? I really enjoy reading this one. It is worth half of my lunch break period. This is the kind of story I will read even when I'm not on a reading challenge. I am not the kind of reviewer that could provide feedbacks about writing in general as I am still a newbie on this field. But I am letting the author know that I really enjoy reading her story.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? The reading challenge this year is better.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes. And I really appreciate that.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Have you considered writing a sequel? Maybe still set in early 2000 and the gusy will surprise Nick? or maybe they'll play Santa for Ava. lol
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Thanks so much, Ritz! I'm relieved you liked this one. I admit, I was worried to include this story for the challenge because out of all my stuff it's very different and just stupid & silly. Don't get me wrong, I've written a TON of stupid, silly one shots but never a full novel.
Now to answer your question, it's funny because everyone wanted me to write a sequel about the guys surprising Nick with a 'real' Christmas because I guess it did kind of seem like I set it up that way, but honestly, I've never had plans to write one and I most likely never will. I'm not sure how I would be able to do this story again, like with Ava for example, without it seeming like the same exact thing. I guess the possibility for a Nick one shot might exist, maybe for his next birthday story he can 'reminisce' about the time the guys gave him a proper Christmas or something lol
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: Four Santas too Many!
Person reading it: Ritz
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I hoped she would like it. Knowing she had kids, I was also hoping that she would be able to relate.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
She was excellent with feedback and it was very helpful. I loved reading her reactions to the things going on and happy to know she thought it was funny. lol
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
No, but I might go back and read this one.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Nope, I think she pretty much covered everything in her reviews. Thanks again, Ritz!
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Very nice experience. :)
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Readers survey
Story: Secrets of the Heart
Person reading it: Cinzia (usako/mamogirl)
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was glad Cinzia chose it. I knew that she loves Brian and angst, and this story has both, so it actually seemed like something she would enjoy.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Absolutely! Cinzia left detailed reviews on every chapter with both her reactions to what was happening in the story and comments on my writing, which I really appreciated. As far as I know, there are not many people who have read Secrets in its entirety because of the big gap between when it was started and when the majority of it was written, so it was really nice to get feedback from someone who read the whole thing in a week.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Yep, I did end up reading it.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
I'm wondering how you felt about the pace of the story. Did it move too fast or too slowly? Were there any parts where it dragged or got boring? Did the ending feel rushed?
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
I had a great experience! Of the two stories I submitted for the challenge, I'm so glad that Secrets was chosen, and I think it worked out perfectly that it was Cinzia who chose to read it. I appreciated her wonderful feedback, and I'm really glad she enjoyed the story!
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4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
I'm wondering how you felt about the pace of the story. Did it move too fast or too slowly? Were there any parts where it dragged or got boring? Did the ending feel rushed?
I think it was good balanced. There were chapters that didn't add much to the storyline (Aj's proposal, for example) but weren't boring or slow. As for the ending, I didn't get that feeling: actually, the fast pace of it was what kept me reading and reading until it was finished because I wanted to know the truth.
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That's good to know - thank you!!
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Hey gang! It's check-in Saturday! :)
Once again it looks like everyone is doing a great job moving this challenge along. The goals I set last week for Ritz, Cinzia and Steph were all met with plenty of time to spare so yay to you guys!!
This week's goal is to have either both of your halfway done surveys complete (if you are alternating your reading) or one halfway done and one final survey completed (if you are doing one story at a time)
The people that still need to accomplish this are: Tracy and Erika
Tracy I believe you actually are past the halfway point on Cinzia's story but you just haven't filled out the survey.
So by next Saturday try to get that done both of you! :)
Happy reading everyone!
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Thanks so much, Ritz! I'm relieved you liked this one. I admit, I was worried to include this story for the challenge because out of all my stuff it's very different and just stupid & silly. Don't get me wrong, I've written a TON of stupid, silly one shots but never a full novel.
Now to answer your question, it's funny because everyone wanted me to write a sequel about the guys surprising Nick with a 'real' Christmas because I guess it did kind of seem like I set it up that way, but honestly, I've never had plans to write one and I most likely never will. I'm not sure how I would be able to do this story again, like with Ava for example, without it seeming like the same exact thing. I guess the possibility for a Nick one shot might exist, maybe for his next birthday story he can 'reminisce' about the time the guys gave him a proper Christmas or something lol
Yes, I think you did. lol There was a part where the guys were talking about when did they found out that Santa wasnt real. Brian learned that Nick never experienced a visit from Santa and he said somthing like Nick will experience one in his mind. I actually waiting for that in the final chapter but I was not disappointed when it did not happen cause I absolutely loved the ending. :) A one shot about Nickwill be so much appreciated on Christmas. lol
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Love Story by mamogirl
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
-Not really, as I told her in a review, I am having trouble getting into the story because the chapters jump around. Her wriring is excellent so that makes up for this however.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
-Brian, he is shy and unsure of himself, I can kind of relate to him.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
-Nope lol not really....I suppose that Nick and Brian will end up living together and being serious as a couple.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
-The summary is song lyrics...I think they sum up everything just fine.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observation
-She writes extremely well for someone whose first language is not English. i was very impressed.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
-I honestly would have....the writing is great, the description is wonderful but I just don't read slash because I have a hard time picturing them being together like this, although it is an AU. It isn't anything personal, slash is just not my thing.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) -There are some but because she doesn't use English primarily....I let the minor stuff go. Her writing is wonderful.
8) Do you have any questions for the authority in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
-What made you get into writing slash and did you do any research for this story?
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8) Do you have any questions for the authority in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
-What made you get into writing slash and did you do any research for this story?
I've started writing slash because I've always loved Brian and Nick's relationship. Actually, Nick's frienship with Brian is the only thing that makes me like Nick. It's a little bit twisted, I know. lol But, maybe because I've came into the fandom really late (back in 2010), there weren't a lot of stories about their relationship. Most of stories are Nick's centered or about this original female character and the guys sort of rotate around her. I've never loved this kind of stories, I want to read about the guys and how they might deal with certains situations. The step from simply writing and writing slash is very simple: I do think that Brian and Nick would make the perfect couple ever! They're cute and having both of them as the main characters gives me the possibility to write only about them and the group.
Actually, I've never asked myself why I love slash. I suppose it's the same thing as asking someone "why do you write het?" At least, to me.
As for the research, yes. I did it. Aside from the cafeteria, I've researched most of the places that I used in the story. I even bought a tour guide of New York so I could be the most realistic possible. The "Frick" museum really exists (I laughed when I found it out!) and I've always had a map of Central Park, along with pictures from Google images, so I could know where to put the characters and move them around.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
-Nope lol not really....I suppose that Nick and Brian will end up living together and being serious as a couple.
There's a drama in the future. I hope to have the chapters translated before you've finished the challange. :)
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
-Brian, he is shy and unsure of himself, I can kind of relate to him.
This Brian is a lot based on myself. Most of his insecurities are mine.
And, well, thanks for the compliments :blushes: I'm always insecure when it comes to writing but with English I'm way more insecure because sometimes I've trouble with the order of words or the exact translation. Especially with slangs and American words. So, thank you :blushes:
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Yes, I think you did. lol There was a part where the guys were talking about when did they found out that Santa wasnt real. Brian learned that Nick never experienced a visit from Santa and he said somthing like Nick will experience one in his mind. I actually waiting for that in the final chapter but I was not disappointed when it did not happen cause I absolutely loved the ending. :) A one shot about Nickwill be so much appreciated on Christmas. lol
I will make that a goal of mine then! A Nick Christmas story that will tie in to that scene! lol :)
Of course this means I'll have to read it first lmao
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^ I will be looking forward to that. That would be a really nice christmas gift. 8-)
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You might have to remind me though lol
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Halfway There Survey
When we collide by Carter-Orange
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes. the story plot is common but Steph has a different attack on this.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Nick. He might be the mean boss from hell in this story but he's somehow showing a good heart. I would have chose the female character as well, but I don't like her name. The name reminds me of someone I will hate forever. lol
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) I have a feeling that this would have a happy ending but I am curious as to how Steph will bring the two together.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? Yes. It's a one liner but it says it all.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? The teasing part. lol As I've said before the plot is common but Steph has a different attack and I love those part when the two are teasing each other.... sexually. :)
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. I would have.. because of the name of the female character, but then again, I know I would still give it a chance because steph is a great writer and I know her stories are good.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
None. It was written very well.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? None as of the moment.
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You might have to remind me though lol
Don't worry. I will.... ;)
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LOL Ritz, I couldn't even remember the character's name until I went back and re-read chapter 1.
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: My Safest Place
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
Primarily because it was a Kevin romance and female centered. Two things that tend to take me out of my reading comfort zone. I'm one to enjoy non romance Nick centered fics , but if I picked one of those, it wouldn't have really been a reading challenge lol
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Honestly, It felt like homework.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
When Kevin was saying his goodbyes to the guys.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
I think so
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Hands down, Nadine! She was too self involved and too much of an emotional train wreck to even consider volunteering at a hospice, never mind trying to date one of the residents!
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Not really, because I'm sure it would center around Nadine.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
I thought it had a very appropriate ending.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
There really wasn't any big surprises
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
It was a great idea!
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
The over all execution of the idea.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
No, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't read something else by Erika. She has admitted that this is one of her earliest works. I bet she has grown by leaps and bounds by now.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
As I've told Erika, the premise behind the story was a great idea! You have a dying Kevin in hospice care and then this volunteer trying to learn the ropes on how to deal with that. The idea was one I hadn't really seen before played out in fanfic. Unfortunately, there were a lot of inaccuracies when it came to the hospice part of the story and the actual fact that Kevin was supposed to be dying, that it took away from the entire story itself. I found myself not being able to get over those details enough to want to enjoy what I think Erika's main objective of the story was. I think I would have enjoyed it more if instead of giving him this terminal disease, she had made him paralyzed or something. Knowing how much training real hospice workers/volunteers have and how people really are by the time they hit hospice care made this really hard to read at times. So, yes I think in the end, I would have maybe picked something else from Erika.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I enjoyed both ways but I think it was fun to be able to pick and choose what to read and what to submit as well.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Not really. I felt like this was a very one sided thing which is why I stopped giving any detailed feedback.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Just wanted to say, I do apologize if this comes across as harsh, Erika. I definitely don't mean it to come off that way. Believe me as I was reading this, I wasn't sure if I was going to be honest or just kind of half ass my reviews and shrug it off. This was a challenge though, and I felt like in the end, I needed to let you know how I felt about the story as a whole. I have a ton of respect for you as a writer and I really am looking forward to reading something else from you at one point. I just hope the things I said were helpful to you, because that was and is my intention.
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LOL Ritz, I couldn't even remember the character's name until I went back and re-read chapter 1.
Notice how I call her Miss Bloom in my reviews? I couldn't even type her name! LOL :crazy:
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Notice how I call her Miss Bloom in my reviews? I couldn't even type her name! LOL :crazy:
LOL, I don't know what made me pick the name, probably someone on TV at the time of writing as I don't have any friends with that name.
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Name of story: Seperate Ways
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
- It wasn't really a huge challenge, except having to read it a bit at a time, not all at once like I would normally. I read it during work mostly early in the morning.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
- I always look forward to reading Mare's stuff so it never felt like homework at all, I actually would finish my cleaning at work faster at night so I could have more time to read. LOL
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
-It's soo hard to choose but probably when Nick tackled Kevin and punched him because Kevin was being kind of a tool.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
-Yes he was :)
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
- John, and I am sure this was not a secret, he was a con artist and was not very nice to put it mildly. I didn't like him at all lol
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
- It would be interesting but the story is fine as a stand alone and doesn't need a sequel. However, if there was one written yes I'd read it in a heartbeat.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
- No in the sense that it ended but yes because Nick and his brother finally came together with their mom as a family again, it was very sweet and everything came full circle.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
- I was surprised that no female characters were maimed or injured as Mare usually doesn't like writing female characters ;)
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
- Great storyline and characters, loved the original characters and the premise....des criptions were great too. It was awesome.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
- Nothing major, just minor grammar stuff but overall the story was perfect.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
- I have read maybe 80 percent of Mare's stuff and am about to start another one today, so yes of course I will!!
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
Honestly I had intended to pick something by Mare from the very beginning as I haven't read many of her old stories, other than Mizpah and the sequels....but I wanted to read it because it had some things that I like and I always love how she writes Nick. I always have a good experience with the reading challenge so I wasn't worried this time around and I can't think of any other stories I would have chosen. I am really glad to have read Seperate Ways!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
- I liked the pairings but I liked it better this year because you got to choose what story to read and it made things a bit more fun. I would continue to do the reading challenge regardless anyway.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
- Mare is always great at responding to feedback and I always look forward to her reactions after I react LOL. It makes reading and reviewing more fun and interactive for me when the author responds back, and I love getting them.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
- I wish you still wrote Mare, would love another story to give me warm Kevin and Nick fuzzies haha but for now I'm having fun reading these old stories and getting to experience them :)
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Thanks so much, Tracy! I am still writing, just not the novels anymore. Who knows, maybe one day I'll pull a Twinkie and show up with one again! LOL Yes I am trying to make that a new expression! :)
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Bound by Honour by Kevmylove
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? I've got to be honest, in parts it's a little confusing as there's a lot going on.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Kevin, because he seems like a good guy, he's also the main character's police partner and seems like the kind of person who can be relied on.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) No idea! I'd like her to end up with Kevin as Alex is a womanising asshole who tells her he loves her and then dates other women!
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? I'm not sure it really fits what the story is about, maybe it means she's saying goodbye to Alex? I hope she is anyway :)
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? No, not really. I did like the family meal where all the secrets came out though.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. I'm sorry to admit that I probably would've stopped reading, which I hate to say because I'm usually such a big fan of Erika's romance stories. The reason I say this is that it reads a little awkward in places during some chapters. I don't know whether Erika was typing on her ipod or something, but the grammar isn't up to her usual standard in places either, but that's not a big deal. Also the characters aren't likeable enough. Maybe I'm comparing this story too much with the stories I love by Erika. I don't mean to be negative and I hope you don't think I'm being that way Erika.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) There are some missed words and grammar errors in places, but other than that, I can't see anything that really stands out.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? I'll wait until I've finished reading before I ask anything, just in case it's answered within the story.
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: Separate Ways
Person reading it: Tracy
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was excited that Tracy picked this story. I knew she'd probably enjoy it and I was eager to see what she thought.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Tracy always leaves great feedback and gives a good blend of both concrit and talk about the actual story itself which is always helpful.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
I went back and read one of the chapters after Tracy said it was really sad and how everyone needs to feel loved.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Not that I can think of. Her feedback was so precise there was really no confusion as that what she was thinking about the story at all.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
It was a really good experience! Thanks, Tracy!! :)
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Name of story: The Other Side Of Nick
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise?
Yes. The plot is very easy to follow and, 'til now, there hadn't been so many twist or things hard to understand.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
I've to say Nick but only because he's the main character and his point is the only one the reader gets to see. Though, even if he had appeared a few times, I think that Brian is going to be my favorite. He's standing by Nick's side, though he's worried.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
My guess is that it's going to end with Nick finally meeting the evil ghost and fight against him.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
I think the summary fits perfectly with the story so far.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
Not much. As I said in one review, I would have loved to know a little bit more about Big Ben and his relationship with the guys.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
I think I would have stopped. Mind, I love the idea and the story, it reminds me of "Ghost Whisperer" and I loved that telefilm! But I'm finding hard to get glued to the story because it's a Nick centered fic and I'm not a Nick girl. Secondly, it's told in first person and I'm not very fond of it.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
Not that I know.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? I think I'm gonna leave my questions for the final survey. It already happened that I asked her something in a review and I got my answer in the next chap. LOL
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Happy Saturday everyone!
Today is the halfway point of this summer's reading challenge! The summer needs to SLOW down! lol :'(
Thanks Tracy for completing your task this past week! Gold stars are mounding up for you! ;D
Since we are at the halfway point, everyone should also be at the halfway point in reading by now. Which means either completely done with one story or halfway done with both. Once again I am pleased to say, that everyone is right on point or even ahead of schedule. :-*
Except you, Erika! >:(
So the only person who has a goal this week would be Erika, if she ever comes in here to check that is! LOL :shrug:
Erika: By next week you should have your second halfway there survey done for Emily's story or your completed survey done for Chris's story. You also have the readers survey to complete for My Safest Place, but I'd rather you read and review the other ladies instead if you are short on time for whatever reason.
Okay everyone else, just keep reading and reviewing!!
Also don't forget to drop in here and tell us your thoughts about the stories you read :)
See ya next Saturday!
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Thank you, Usako (I'm sorry, I dont know your real name) for the review. I apologize ahead of time cause the story will get slower and it is unfinished. This would be a homework for you.
I haven't been able to read these past few days. Ramadan has started and since we are not allowed to eat from 6 am to 7 pm (unless we are inside the house and no one can see us), our work hours has been reduced to half, which means no more reading during lunch breaks. But I will try to finish it before next saturday. Hopefully, Heath will sleep longer. :)
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Thank you, Usako (I'm sorry, I dont know your real name) for the review. I apologize ahead of time cause the story will get slower and it is unfinished. This would be a homework for you.
I'm Cinzia. :)
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^thanks. I've been following you on twitter. :)
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^thanks. I've been following you on twitter. :)
I guess you're Ritz, right? :)
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Halfway there survey (Only to be completed once you have gotten at least halfway through your story)
Name of story: Falling In Love Again
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes, it's an easy read and flows really well, making me keep clicking that 'next' button.
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? I like Annie, she's a working mother who's gone through some tough times over the past few years, but is doing the best for her little boy.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) Well, I'm hoping for a happy ending for Nick and Annie, but we shall see!
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? The summary fits it perfectly.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? Towards the beginning of the story, when Annie was talking about telling her husband about Brian's offer, I had no idea her husband was no longer alive.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No, I wouldn't have stopped reading because I'm absolutely loving this story. I think what's stopped me reading until now is the fact that I saw the words 'Christian music' in the summary. Just goes to show how wrong I was to have overlooked this until now (I don't believe in religion).
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) Nothing that I've really noticed.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? What made you decide to write about her seeking a career in Christian music rather than say country, etc?
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Steph you're awesome! :)
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Yes, she is! Thanks so much for reading, and for the compliments!
To answer your questions, there are a lot of reasons I chose to go with Christian music. I had this idea in my head for Brian and Annie's "chance meeting" at church, and I imagined Christian music in particular as a common thread for the two of them to bond over. In my happy little fanfic world, Brian didn't get all the backlash from the Christian music community for his support of the gay community (I, too, am pretty religious and a Christian-- we're not all that small-minded and judgmental). So in the story, I imagined Brian being pretty influential in the Christian music industry (as he was at one time), and it seemed more likely that he would be able to get her into that industry than say, pop or country. On top of that, I imagine the Annie character being more apt to pursue a singing career, particularly considering all her reasons for not doing so before if maybe there's more attached to it, a "higher purpose," so to speak. On top of that, the female singer meets boyband member story has been done a lot. I thought the Christian music angle made it different from the rest.
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Mare, I have to warn you ahead of time about my miss use of tenses it might throw you off.I have a horrible time with that.
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Thanks for the warning! It's nice to know you're aware of it though. Do you want me to point them out to you and help correct?
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yes,please do thanks!
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Sure thing! I'll see if I can help you out! :)
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Yes, she is! Thanks so much for reading, and for the compliments!
To answer your questions, there are a lot of reasons I chose to go with Christian music. I had this idea in my head for Brian and Annie's "chance meeting" at church, and I imagined Christian music in particular as a common thread for the two of them to bond over. In my happy little fanfic world, Brian didn't get all the backlash from the Christian music community for his support of the gay community (I, too, am pretty religious and a Christian-- we're not all that small-minded and judgmental). So in the story, I imagined Brian being pretty influential in the Christian music industry (as he was at one time), and it seemed more likely that he would be able to get her into that industry than say, pop or country. On top of that, I imagine the Annie character being more apt to pursue a singing career, particularly considering all her reasons for not doing so before if maybe there's more attached to it, a "higher purpose," so to speak. On top of that, the female singer meets boyband member story has been done a lot. I thought the Christian music angle made it different from the rest.
Yes, I think the church meeting is something different to what I've come across before.
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I'm totally jumping in on your conversation, but since I just read Falling in Love Again too, I agree about the church meeting and Christian music thing - it was something different and fit Brian really well, better and more believable than having Annie being a country music artist or something.
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Thanks! I was really going for believability in this story-- to come up with a scenario that could feasibly happen in real life.
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Yes, I think the whole Christian/church thing is a great way for a chance meeting with Brian. I was even reading during my break in work today, so have a couple of chapters to leave reviews on as I wasn't logged in on my phone :)
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Figured I'd do another fun little survey to get people involved who may have been long done with this challenge.
1) What if anything is one thing you learned from doing this challenge?
2) Where you ever afraid to be honest?
3) Did you find it easy to give concrit?
4) Did you find it easy to TAKE concrit when given?
5) Did you tend to agree with most of the comments made?
6) Did you find yourself reading other challenge stories besides the one you originally picked?
7) If you could offer one suggestion for next year's challenge, what would it be?
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Falling in Love Again
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? It was no challenge at all as I loved it from start to finish.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? LOL homework? I couldn't hit the 'next' button fast enough at times!
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? I liked the build up to the kiss and then when they actually had that first kiss.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes, but I also really liked how Nick was written. So I'd say I liked Nick and Annie equally.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? Lauren, she was a cold hearted bitch.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? Although I'm not a huge fan of sequels, if there's still some story to tell then I'm all for it. I think there could be more to this, but if it's left as it is, I'm happy enough with the ending too. So yes, what I'm trying to say is that I'd read a sequel if there was one.
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes, it was perfect.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) It was finding out that Annie's husband had died in a plane crash.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? Emily is a great story teller and her presentation and attention to detail is excellent.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? It didn't have any weaknesses.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? Definitely!
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? My overall experience has been a fantastic one! I really enjoyed the story and I think my reactions in my feedback showed that lol. I'm so glad I had this as my challenge story.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? Either way, I don't mind.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes, Emily responded to all the reviews.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Can't think of any questions, and well done Emily, I loved your story and look forward to reading more of your stuff :)
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The sequel to this one is going to be a totally different beast. I'm trying to challenge myself with that one. But if you liked these character, I hope you'll like that too, whenever I actually start posting it! And Steph, you rock! I promise I didn't pay her off to say any of those awesome things! LOL
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Bound By Honor
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? The fact that it was a police drama, I may like to watch it on TV but I don't usually read that kind of thing.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? At times it was more like homework if I'm being honest.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? When she finally gets together with Kevin. I'd been hoping for that all along!
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes, it was still Kevin.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? Alex. Not only was he just using Sophia for sex whenever he fancied it, but he was a cheater (he was engaged and still having sex with his adopted sister) and he was also a corrupt police officer by the look of things.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? I don't think I would as this one isn't even finished yet.
7) Were you happy with the ending? No, because the story is incomplete lol.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) I didn't see it coming that Brian was the father of his "sister's" child.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? I think Erika had a good idea with this storyline. It's quite complex and has a bit of everything in it.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? Even though the idea for the story is a good one, sometimes I felt like the story jumped around a bit and left me confused. Also I think it would've been better if they hadn't all been related, but rather just friends or something like that. I still don't know if any of them were really related or adopted, but maybe it was explained and I forgot.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? I have already read a lot of Erika's other stories in the past.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? My experience of reading this story wasn't as great as I'd hoped it would be. When I picked the story, I didn't realise it wasn't finished, or I would've picked something else. I'm just wondering if it ever will be finished, or has it been abandoned.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? I don't mind either way.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? No, only the very first review I left.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Do you plan on finishing the story? What made you decide to write them as brothers and sisters rather than just friends or work colleagues?
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Yay, I've finished the challenge :)
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YAY Steph! Congrats!! :)
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Don't forget I put another survey in here for everyone to fill out :)
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1) What if anything is one thing you learned from doing this challenge?
2) Where you ever afraid to be honest?yep
3) Did you find it easy to give concrit?nope
4) Did you find it easy to TAKE concrit when given? sometimes but not always
5) Did you tend to agree with most of the comments made? yes I did
6) Did you find yourself reading other challenge stories besides the one you originally picked? no but I put some on my want to read later list
7) If you could offer one suggestion for next year's challenge, what would it be? Make it the same as this one lol
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1) What if anything is one thing you learned from doing this challenge?
I don't know if it was directly from doing this challenge, but it was mostly because of talking to Cinzia that I opened myself up to trying slash. Slash is a genre I always said I'd never write, but reading what she had to say about it made me see some appeal in it. I still don't see myself as a slash writer, but at least I tried something new!
2) Were you ever afraid to be honest?
Not really. I never want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I figured people signed up for this challenge knowing they were going to get some constructive criticism, so I might as well give it. Luckily, I enjoyed both of the stories I read and didn't have to be brutally honest about my opinions of them.
3) Did you find it easy to give concrit?
It wasn't hard because, like I said, I knew the authors were expecting it, and I didn't have to give a lot because they're both talented writers, and their stories were both good.
4) Did you find it easy to TAKE concrit when given?
I didn't really get any concrit that would have been hard to take, as Cinzia enjoyed my story.
5) Did you tend to agree with most of the comments made?
Yes
6) Did you find yourself reading other challenge stories besides the one you originally picked?
I read Emily's story Falling in Love Again, though not because of the challenge. I may have read one other that I won't name.
7) If you could offer one suggestion for next year's challenge, what would it be?
Whether you go back to pairs or do it the same way we did this year, I appreciate giving us some choice over what we read, either by letting us choose from all the submissions or choose between several stories written by the same author.
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I guess you're Ritz, right? :)
Yes! Ritz220429 :)
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Name of story: Switch
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why?
I think Kevin as Nick is my favorite because he's seeing that Nick isn't as immature and dumb as maybe he thought he was.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be)
My guess is they will switch back but as a result have a lot more respect and understanding for each other!
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit?
Yup, it was pretty straight forward
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations?
Not yet
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why.
I think it's a cute story but I might have stopped reading because of all the grammatical/spelling errors. It looks like it wasn't edited and I usually won't stick around an unedited story for too long.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of)
Like I said above, there are a lot of mistakes but the great thing is, Chris is aware of that and I'm trying to help her out as best as I can by fixing and beta reading the story for her as I go along. :)
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Why did you choose Nick and Kevin to be the ones to switch bodies?
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1) What if anything is one thing you learned from doing this challenge? I don't really think I learned anything new.
2) Where you ever afraid to be honest? Not really. We signed up for this expecting good, honest feedback and that's what I feel I gave.
3) Did you find it easy to give concrit? I never find it easy because I'm aware that I'm no expert, but if I feel the story needs it, I will point things out. Luckily the stories I read were well written and didn't require any concrit.
4) Did you find it easy to TAKE concrit when given? Yes, I think so, although I think the only concrit was about the amount of swearing (which is weird when in reality I rarely swear).
5) Did you tend to agree with most of the comments made? Yes
6) Did you find yourself reading other challenge stories besides the one you originally picked? No, but I might in the future (although I think I've read a lot of them already).
7) If you could offer one suggestion for next year's challenge, what would it be? I can't think of anything, I've enjoyed every challenge so far.
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1) What if anything is one thing you learned from doing this challenge?
Not sure, maybe to have more patience and realize that despite the kind of story it is, if it's good writing, it's worth a try and if it's bad writing, it's not.
2) Where you ever afraid to be honest?
No, because that was the purpose behind this challenge.
3) Did you find it easy to give concrit?
Sometimes. It really depends on what it's about. I find it a lot easier to tell someone they are doing something wrong with grammar and spelling than I do with the fact that their story might not be that good.
4) Did you find it easy to TAKE concrit when given?
Yes
5) Did you tend to agree with most of the comments made?
Absolutely!
6) Did you find yourself reading other challenge stories besides the one you originally picked?
Yes lol
7) If you could offer one suggestion for next year's challenge, what would it be?
I think we're going to do it the same way but I might make it a new rule that the story has to be at least 10 chapters long and almost near completion or totally complete. Other than that, I really think the way we did things this year worked out really nicely! :)
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^ I think those are both good suggestions. I felt bad because I wasn't able to give Cinzia anywhere near the amount of feedback she gave me, since I read a one-shot of hers, while she read a novel of mine. Requiring them all to be "chapter books" would make it more balanced. And I think having them be complete or near completion is a good idea, too; it just makes it easier to give feedback on the overall story when you know how it ends.
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Yes, or for people who maybe write a lot of one shots and don't have a ton of novels written, they could submit at least five one shots as a novel or something. This way it is more balanced and fair for everyone.
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That's a good idea.
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Happy Saturday! :)
I wanted to say congrats to Steph for finishing her challenge this week and an extra kudos because she took on a third story and STILL finished way before the deadline! You are awesome!! Ten gold stars for you! :)
Everyone else, you are doing a great job so just try to keep reading. Maybe tackle one chapter a day or two a week or something like that. I does look like most of you are almost done reading which is great! Bit for those of you tat have quite a bit to go, you might want to set some kind of goal for yourself.
Happy reading!
oops! Did notice one thing, Emily make sure you complete your reader's survey for Falling in Love Again! :)
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Forever
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
I knew that a story about the female lead and her band was going to be a very tough challenge for me to get through since I typically stay away from female centered fics.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
At first I was worried this it would feel like homework, but thankfully because Emily was such a great writer and we seemed to get along instantly just from giving and receiving feedback to one another, it became something I actually looked forward to every day.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
I think my favorite moments in the story were the times that the boys were the center of attention. For instance the last chapter Emily posted had a lot of great scenes in it where the boys and some of the girls are all hiding in one room while Carson is in the kitchen cooking an egg. LOL I know it sounds silly but I guess you'll have to read the story to find out what that's all about!
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
I think it might have changed from Kevin to Howie. As we got further into the story, Howie's role changed and I love how Emily portrays him. Gotta give Howie some love!
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Joey. Because he wasn't a BSB and when he was in the chapters, I didn't feel like I was reading a BSB fanfic and it made those chapters feel like homework.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Emily isn't finished with this one yet, but I don't think she has plans for a sequel and if there was one, I most likely wouldn't read it unless Emily were to die and Kevin took over lol (Sorry Emily but hey, they would sing Back to Your Heart at the funeral if that helps?)
7) Were you happy with the ending?
I'll have to get back to you on this one! lol
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
Honestly, that it wasn't a huge cliche. I went into this with very low expectations just because I have seen so many girl band meets boy band and they fall in love fics and they have all been terrible. The fact that Emily made me care about some of the characters was pretty great and made me realize that no matter the plot, as long as a great writer is at the helm, it could be pulled off!
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
Without a doubt Emily's writing! She is great with descriptions and has a natural rhythm to her writing that made it so easy to visualize everything she put into words.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
I guess I would have to say the balance of the characters? This story has a lot of characters which is bound to happen when you have two five piece bands and while most of the emphasis is clearly on two of the members, when the others got involved, things tended to get confusing, especially since they all had such similar names. I think also trying to figure out the overall plot of the story might be a challenge if you are not a romance type person.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
I would read a nice male centered BSB fic by Emily in a second! I don't think I could do another female centered unless it was for a challenge but a story about the boys as told by the boys, I'd be on board!
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
Like I said before, I knew nothing about Emily or how she wrote, but just judging by the subject matter, I went in not expecting much. I was so pleasantly surprised that I had to smile and I think I even let out a sigh of relief after reading the first chapter. If any of you have not read something by Emily, you need to give her a try. She's a great writer who was always willing to listen to my feedback whether it be dumb and whiny "Where are my boys!" or insightful and usually babbly. She took everything I said and always responded with how or why she went about things the way she did. I feel like not only did I get to know her as a writer but also as a person. Both of whom I think are super which is why responding to reviews is also such a vital part to this challenge or the writing process in general!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I had the opportunity to do it both ways this time around and I think they both have their advantages and their disadvantages. We are going to do it this way from now on.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Always!
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Just wanted to let you know it was a pleasure and I hope you really do branch out one of these days and come over to the dark side. I know you have it in you! LOL
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8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Why did you choose Nick and Kevin to be the ones to switch bodies?
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They are two of my favorites and I wanted the oldest to switch with the youngest.
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Love Story by Cinzia
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
-The fact that it was slash, and I am not used to reading that genre.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
-I feel horrible for saying this but yeah after a while it did feel like homework because the story was not yet completed. Every time I thought I was finished, I'd come back to more chapters to read. It was not a horrible story, just got tedious after a while.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
- It was really towards the end but I liked the scene where Brian tells Nick he won't go to Europe in a letter and uses post its of things he likes about him to lead him to the letter. I thought that was really clever and adorable.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
-Yes Brian was still my favorite.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
- Kevin because he only had one scene LOL
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
- I don't see how there could be one as it wrapped up pretty nicely, but if there was....no. I just couldn't get into the slash part. Mostly the reason I can't get into it is because I can't picture Brian and Nick being lovers for some reason. The writing was great, but I couldn't get past my own feelings.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
-I liked the ending because it was realistic, Brian not running away with Nick felt real and honest.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
- I was surprised at the addition of Kurt and Blaine as characters, they are from Glee. I found that interesting.
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
- Cinzia has a wonderful way with description and writing a scene so well that I could picture the details in my head. She writes very well for someone who does not use English primarily.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
-Some of the chapters would have done better as one chapter rather than splitting them up.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
- If Cinzia wrote a non slash story yeah I would try reading it.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you wou have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
- I gave honest feedback and tried to leave helpful tips as well for her, because that is what new writers need. Honestly i wanted to try something new which was reading slash....so in a way I am glad I chose this story. I was as honest as I could be without trying to sound like a jerk about it.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
- I really liked that we could submit multiple stories and that we could choose what we read.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
- Yes, she was very good at responsing. I always love the author comments.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
- Nope.
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Story: Love Story
Person reading it: DelphinaCarter
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was happy. I've read one or two of her stories so I was glad she picked up one of mine.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Yes, she did. She was honest, even when she didn't like some scene and, as I said her, I appreciate every little advice she gave me.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Actually, I found pushing myself to finish the story so that she could have the whole picture and not being left half way.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Nope. She was very clear in her feedback.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Definetely good.
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11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
- If Cinzia wrote a non slash story yeah I would try reading it.
I have a non slash story, which is the one Julie has read for the challenge. Actually, my own challange is to be able to write and finish a non slash long but I know it will take time because the translationg process is really long.
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8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?
Why did you choose Nick and Kevin to be the ones to switch bodies?
They are two of my favorites and I wanted the oldest to switch with the youngest.
Oh okay, thanks! That makes sense! :)
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Switch
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
The grammatical errors and lack of editing.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
No it didn't because despite what I just listed above, the story was cute and enjoyable to read.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
Probably the salsa night lol
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Yup, I still enjoyed Kevin as Nick
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
I didn't really have one.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
I really can't see a sequel to this one without it just being the same old thing so no, probably not.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
It's still in progress, so I'll have to get back to you on that one!
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
There were no big surprises
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
It was a cute storyline
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
As listed above, the grammatical errors and lack of editing made it hard to read at times. But hopefuly Chris will be working on that.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
I might click on another story by Chris to see if any of the things we talked about have been taken and utilized for a newer fic, but if I just see the same old mistakes after being corrected, such as spacing between commas and periods, I would most likely not read anything else.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I decided to read this story since Erika had disappeared and Chris deserved a chance to get her story read. I'm glad I did because it gave me a chance to offer suggestions and advice to Chris about writing. She had a great idea with this story and overall it was very cute. I think with just a little more work on storytelling and plot plus editing, She will go far in this fandom. My approach when giving feedback in this case was to try to help out with the editing and point out things that she was doing wrong or getting confused with grammatically but I also tried to talk about the story itself as well. I hope it didn't seem too overbearing to her, but most importantly I hope it did help her out some!
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
LOL Same answer as before
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Always!
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Just wanted to say great job, Chris and thanks for being patient while waiting for your story to be read!
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I actually had no clue you'd read any of mine, Cinzia!!! If I remember correctly though you read Ok Cupid if I'm not mistaken, so thanks :) glad you had a good experience with me!
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I actually had no clue you'd read any of mine, Cinzia!!! If I remember correctly though you read Ok Cupid if I'm not mistaken, so thanks :) glad you had a good experience with me!
Yes and I've read "Weird World". :) Actually, Weird World is my favorite among your works. =)
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: Falling in Love Again
Person reading it: Steph/Carter-Orange
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
Well, honestly, my initial thought was "Aw, she doesn't have to do that! It's not originally her story to read." This was actually the third story Steph read because of someone apparently deciding not to participate. That being said, I was really interested to see what she thought because I don't think she'd read any of my stuff before. Plus, I was excited because we actually read each other's stories.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Yes, and yes. She left a review for most of the chapters, only leaving out a few. And, she said once at some point that she knew she should be commenting more on my writing, but she was getting so into the story that she wasn't doing that much. That in itself was the biggest compliment! Her reactions to what was happening were more than enough.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
I did with a few chapters here and there. I finished this one back in the spring, so it was still relatively fresh, but I did go back and read a few chapters.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Nope. She was a great reader.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
It was great!
(sorry Steph, I forgot that I hadn't already done this!)
Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: Forever
Person reading it: Mare
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
Honestly, I was terrified. As a lurker on the message boards for a while, it was very obvious that this definitely wasn't the type of story I imagined Mare enjoying. I kind of felt like she might rip me apart-- like one of her female characters. lol
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Yes, and it was very helpful. She often even went above and beyond. She was honest about what she liked and didn't like without being harsh, and even gave me some tips along the way for things I might be able to do with my writing in the future.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
I did go back and read basically all of this one, and read a chapter or more ahead of her. I started this one almost two years ago, and took a long hiatus, and am just getting back into writing it, so I had to read to refresh myself anyway. I also wanted to be able to respond to her con-crit by thinking about what I was thinking at the time I wrote what she commented on.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Just a little curious about why you are so anti-female centered fic. I get that you love the boys and don't want anything to take away from that. Is that pretty much it? I really have trouble not including a female lead to complement at least one of the boys. Though, I've not written that much. The action/suspense storyline I'm working on, is (sorry!) not necessarily female centered, but will feature a female. Baby steps, I guess..... So, I kind of doubt you'll even read it. haha. Maybe for next year's challenge....
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
It was great! Like I said before, I was terrified at the beginning, but through this challenge and commenting on each other's stories, we've started a bit of a friendship that would have probably never happened otherwise. It scares me how much we are in each other's heads sometimes! lol.
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Yes and I've read "Weird World". :) Actually, Weird World is my favorite among your works. =)
Aww. I am trying really hard to finish that one. I am really stuck on that story right.now.
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As I said to Julie, I'm very patient. :)
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Story: Switch
Person reading it: Mare
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was happy, although she wasn't the one who was reading it first. I was in stock when she had the time to read mine.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Yes, she did. She was honest, as I said her, I appreciate every little advice she gave me.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? no but I might have too.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Nope. She was very clear in her feedback.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Definetely good.
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Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Just a little curious about why you are so anti-female centered fic. I get that you love the boys and don't want anything to take away from that. Is that pretty much it? I really have trouble not including a female lead to complement at least one of the boys. Though, I've not written that much. The action/suspense storyline I'm working on, is (sorry!) not necessarily female centered, but will feature a female. Baby steps, I guess..... So, I kind of doubt you'll even read it. haha. Maybe for next year's challenge....
This will be one of my typical babbly and long explanations lol
Like I think I've said before on the forum, if this were even a few years ago, I would have shunned a female lead character at all, but I've kind of gotten over that. I think for me in this particular fandom, I just kind of get what I like to read and what I don't. If it were an OF then I'd have absolutely no problem reading about the girl and her boyfriend who happens to be in a boyband. But since this is a BSB thing, I don't really care about the girl, just like in real life, I don't really care about any of their girls lol I lump them all into a misc... category. You know ...and the rest. I 'like' some of them but I don't really care about them.
When I read about BSB in a fanfic, it needs to be about them and their relationship to one another. Now if one of therm happens to be dating Cindy Winklestein, top model at the I R Purty Institute, that's fine and dandy, as long as Cindy's primary function is reacting to what's going on in the the boys lives and not visa versa. Once the story seems like it's about Cindy and the boy or boys only caring about her, it has lost any hope for me.
So to sum up, if your story is about the boys, and one of them gets in trouble and as a result someone is going to kill, kidnap one of them, or run one of them over with a moped, I'll be intrigued and will probably want to read it. If instead Cindy or her son/daughter/best friend/ cousin by a third marriage is in trouble so someone is going to kill, kidnap or run one of those misc people over with a moped. I root for the driver of the moped. LOL
It's nothing against people who write those kinds of stories. I get what you all see in those, they just don't really interest me and most likely never will. BSB fanfic anyway.
I'm glad you enjoyed your experience and I am very happy that you are branching out and writing some suspense. I bet you'll do a great job! If you put a psychotic moped driver in there, I want her named after me! LOL
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Thanks, Chris. I'm glad you had an enjoyable experience! :)
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Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
Just a little curious about why you are so anti-female centered fic. I get that you love the boys and don't want anything to take away from that. Is that pretty much it? I really have trouble not including a female lead to complement at least one of the boys. Though, I've not written that much. The action/suspense storyline I'm working on, is (sorry!) not necessarily female centered, but will feature a female. Baby steps, I guess..... So, I kind of doubt you'll even read it. haha. Maybe for next year's challenge....
This will be one of my typical babbly and long explanations lol
Like I think I've said before on the forum, if this were even a few years ago, I would have shunned a female lead character at all, but I've kind of gotten over that. I think for me in this particular fandom, I just kind of get what I like to read and what I don't. If it were an OF then I'd have absolutely no problem reading about the girl and her boyfriend who happens to be in a boyband. But since this is a BSB thing, I don't really care about the girl, just like in real life, I don't really care about any of their girls lol I lump them all into a misc... category. You know ...and the rest. I 'like' some of them but I don't really care about them.
When I read about BSB in a fanfic, it needs to be about them and their relationship to one another. Now if one of therm happens to be dating Cindy Winklestein, top model at the I R Purty Institute, that's fine and dandy, as long as Cindy's primary function is reacting to what's going on in the the boys lives and not visa versa. Once the story seems like it's about Cindy and the boy or boys only caring about her, it has lost any hope for me.
So to sum up, if your story is about the boys, and one of them gets in trouble and as a result someone is going to kill, kidnap one of them, or run one of them over with a moped, I'll be intrigued and will probably want to read it. If instead Cindy or her son/daughter/best friend/ cousin by a third marriage is in trouble so someone is going to kill, kidnap or run one of those misc people over with a moped. I root for the driver of the moped. LOL
It's nothing against people who write those kinds of stories. I get what you all see in those, they just don't really interest me and most likely never will. BSB fanfic anyway.
I'm glad you enjoyed your experience and I am very happy that you are branching out and writing some suspense. I bet you'll do a great job! If you put a psychotic moped driver in there, I want her named after me! LOL
Changing one of my characters to Marianne now.....
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Woot! LOL
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Readers Survey
Story: Safest Place
Person reading it: Mare
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? Oh no...cause it's
one of my older stories and it's a bit teeny bopperish.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, she left a review for every chapter. Thank you.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? No...but I'm tempted. lol.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? Not at the time.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? It was a good one.
Readers Survey
Story: Bound by Honor
Person reading it: Steph (Carter-Orange)
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? Yay...she's read most of my stories before.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, she reviewd almost every chapter. Thank you.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? No.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? No. (I just wanted to apologize for not answering all the reviews right away, just have had a lot going on this summer. I appreciate all the feedback tho.)
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? I did...although I wasn't able to pay as much attention to the challenge as I would have liked to. :(
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(I'm not sure if I'm not part of the challenge anymore since it looks like someone else read my stories, but I never said I was quitting. I apologize to my readers for not being able to respond to your reviews, please don't think I'm ungrateful I just had a lot of drama and no time to be on my computer. As for the stories I'm reading I also apologize for taking so long but I signed up for the challenge and I will go through with it. Sorry once again.)
Final Survey
Name of story: Switch
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? It got a little confusing at times and the story was a bit too fast paced.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? The story is cute and it's a great concept, I will admit it was a bit like homework at first.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? Hmmm...I liked
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes, Kevin seemed to be struggling more with the switch then NIck.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? I didn't have a least favorite.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? I probably would.
7) Were you happy with the ending? The story isn't completed yet. But it did leave off on a cliffy.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) Nick in Kevin's body sleeping with Kristin lol. Wow!
9) What was this stories biggest strength? The concept
10) What was it's biggest weakness? Grammar
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? I'm not really good at giving feedback where i try and tell someone what they have done wrong. But I tried with this story since some of the grammar, spacing and tenses were off. But all that is fixable and she has great concept and scene ideas. I'm glad I picked this one.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? In a way I like the pairing much more.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? As I said before you have good ideas and grammar is fixable Once I got through the first chapters I enjoyed reading your story.
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Bound By Honor
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? The fact that it was a police drama, I may like to watch it on TV but I don't usually read that kind of thing.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? At times it was more like homework if I'm being honest.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? When she finally gets together with Kevin. I'd been hoping for that all along!
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes, it was still Kevin.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? Alex. Not only was he just using Sophia for sex whenever he fancied it, but he was a cheater (he was engaged and still having sex with his adopted sister) and he was also a corrupt police officer by the look of things.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? I don't think I would as this one isn't even finished yet.
7) Were you happy with the ending? No, because the story is incomplete lol.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) I didn't see it coming that Brian was the father of his "sister's" child.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? I think Erika had a good idea with this storyline. It's quite complex and has a bit of everything in it.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? Even though the idea for the story is a good one, sometimes I felt like the story jumped around a bit and left me confused. Also I think it would've been better if they hadn't all been related, but rather just friends or something like that. I still don't know if any of them were really related or adopted, but maybe it was explained and I forgot.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? I have already read a lot of Erika's other stories in the past.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? My experience of reading this story wasn't as great as I'd hoped it would be. When I picked the story, I didn't realise it wasn't finished, or I would've picked something else. I'm just wondering if it ever will be finished, or has it been abandoned.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? I don't mind either way.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? No, only the very first review I left.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Do you plan on finishing the story? What made you decide to write them as brothers and sisters rather than just friends or work colleagues?
Hey Steph,
I actually did type most of this story up on my ipod and it just wouldn't work with me sometimes. Sorry about that. Yes, when I did reread this story I found it a bit confusing too and don't feel bad about the critic part because that helps me out.
I don't really know why I chose for all of them to be adopted siblings really, I guess at that moment I thought it would make it interesting and complex lol. As for the finishing it...this story is complete in my mind I just haven't had time or concentration to keep writing...whic h sucks. Thank you Steph for all the feedback and once again I apologize for not being around to respond to your reviews, you know I appreciate them greatly. :)
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Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: My Safest Place
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
Primarily because it was a Kevin romance and female centered. Two things that tend to take me out of my reading comfort zone. I'm one to enjoy non romance Nick centered fics , but if I picked one of those, it wouldn't have really been a reading challenge lol
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Honestly, It felt like homework.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
When Kevin was saying his goodbyes to the guys.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
I think so
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Hands down, Nadine! She was too self involved and too much of an emotional train wreck to even consider volunteering at a hospice, never mind trying to date one of the residents!
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Not really, because I'm sure it would center around Nadine.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
I thought it had a very appropriate ending.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
There really wasn't any big surprises
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
It was a great idea!
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
The over all execution of the idea.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
No, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't read something else by Erika. She has admitted that this is one of her earliest works. I bet she has grown by leaps and bounds by now.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
As I've told Erika, the premise behind the story was a great idea! You have a dying Kevin in hospice care and then this volunteer trying to learn the ropes on how to deal with that. The idea was one I hadn't really seen before played out in fanfic. Unfortunately, there were a lot of inaccuracies when it came to the hospice part of the story and the actual fact that Kevin was supposed to be dying, that it took away from the entire story itself. I found myself not being able to get over those details enough to want to enjoy what I think Erika's main objective of the story was. I think I would have enjoyed it more if instead of giving him this terminal disease, she had made him paralyzed or something. Knowing how much training real hospice workers/volunteers have and how people really are by the time they hit hospice care made this really hard to read at times. So, yes I think in the end, I would have maybe picked something else from Erika.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I enjoyed both ways but I think it was fun to be able to pick and choose what to read and what to submit as well.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Not really. I felt like this was a very one sided thing which is why I stopped giving any detailed feedback.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Just wanted to say, I do apologize if this comes across as harsh, Erika. I definitely don't mean it to come off that way. Believe me as I was reading this, I wasn't sure if I was going to be honest or just kind of half ass my reviews and shrug it off. This was a challenge though, and I felt like in the end, I needed to let you know how I felt about the story as a whole. I have a ton of respect for you as a writer and I really am looking forward to reading something else from you at one point. I just hope the things I said were helpful to you, because that was and is my intention.
Hey Mare,
All your feedback was helpful and also made me think that this could have been such a better story if I wouldn't have been in my teeny bopper days. I'm glad you liked the concept and Kevin in the story. I never saw Nadine the way you see her and yet now i do. UGH!!! Also at that point I did do research just not enough to make it all believeable. That's why I cringed and was happy at the same time when you picked it, luckily it's a much older story and I do believe I've grown as a writer.
I also want to apologize for not being able to respond to your reviews as I would have liked to. I'm sorry you felt like it was a one sided thing it wasn't my intention. I do hope that one day you give one of my newer stories a chance...just not Bound by Honor lol. I'm not offended by anything you said either. I appreciate any feedback especially if it's helpful. Thank you Mare.
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(I'm not sure if I'm not part of the challenge anymore since it looks like someone else read my stories, but I never said I was quitting. I apologize to my readers for not being able to respond to your reviews, please don't think I'm ungrateful I just had a lot of drama and no time to be on my computer. As for the stories I'm reading I also apologize for taking so long but I signed up for the challenge and I will go through with it. Sorry once again.)
Since it had been so long since you had posted or read anything and I hadn't heard back from you when I sent you a PM, I had decided to ask Steph to read one of the stories since she was done with the challenge and I picked up carterkids. I didn't want to take the chance that you had just disappeared and leave them in the lurch because let's face it, when people flake on challenges, they usually don't bother to come in and tell is they quit. LOL
I'm glad you're still participating and I'm sure both Emily and Chris will love more input on their stories, consider Steph and I your back up.
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Hey Mare,
All your feedback was helpful and also made me think that this could have been such a better story if I wouldn't have been in my teeny bopper days. I'm glad you liked the concept and Kevin in the story. I never saw Nadine the way you see her and yet now i do. UGH!!! Also at that point I did do research just not enough to make it all believeable. That's why I cringed and was happy at the same time when you picked it, luckily it's a much older story and I do believe I've grown as a writer.
I also want to apologize for not being able to respond to your reviews as I would have liked to. I'm sorry you felt like it was a one sided thing it wasn't my intention. I do hope that one day you give one of my newer stories a chance...just not Bound by Honor lol. I'm not offended by anything you said either. I appreciate any feedback especially if it's helpful. Thank you Mare.
You're welcome! And I will try something else of yours somewhere down the road, but I guess not Bound By Honor lol Glad to see you're back.
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Hey Steph,
I actually did type most of this story up on my ipod and it just wouldn't work with me sometimes. Sorry about that. Yes, when I did reread this story I found it a bit confusing too and don't feel bad about the critic part because that helps me out.
I don't really know why I chose for all of them to be adopted siblings really, I guess at that moment I thought it would make it interesting and complex lol. As for the finishing it...this story is complete in my mind I just haven't had time or concentration to keep writing...whic h sucks. Thank you Steph for all the feedback and once again I apologize for not being around to respond to your reviews, you know I appreciate them greatly. :)
Hi Erika,
Yes, you certainly made it complex at times LOL. I hope you find the time and motivation to carry on writing :)
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(I'm not sure if I'm not part of the challenge anymore since it looks like someone else read my stories, but I never said I was quitting. I apologize to my readers for not being able to respond to your reviews, please don't think I'm ungrateful I just had a lot of drama and no time to be on my computer. As for the stories I'm reading I also apologize for taking so long but I signed up for the challenge and I will go through with it. Sorry once again.)
Final Survey
Name of story: Switch
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? It got a little confusing at times and the story was a bit too fast paced.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? The story is cute and it's a great concept, I will admit it was a bit like homework at first.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? Hmmm...I liked
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes, Kevin seemed to be struggling more with the switch then NIck.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? I didn't have a least favorite.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? I probably would.
7) Were you happy with the ending? The story isn't completed yet. But it did leave off on a cliffy.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) Nick in Kevin's body sleeping with Kristin lol. Wow!
9) What was this stories biggest strength? The concept
10) What was it's biggest weakness? Grammar
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? I'm not really good at giving feedback where i try and tell someone what they have done wrong. But I tried with this story since some of the grammar, spacing and tenses were off. But all that is fixable and she has great concept and scene ideas. I'm glad I picked this one.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? In a way I like the pairing much more.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? As I said before you have good ideas and grammar is fixable Once I got through the first chapters I enjoyed reading your story.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading it.
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1) What if anything is one thing you learned from doing this challenge?
To open myself up to some new ideas/genres. I'd really never considered branching out of the romance genre until Mare mentioned she'd like to see my try my hand at it. Also, I hadn't read much outside of the romance genre, and I did that both for the challenge, and for a couple stories I read as a result of the challenge.
2) Were you ever afraid to be honest?
At times, yes. I'm relatively new here, so I wasn't sure at first how some comments would be taken. I did give honest reviews, though. Luckily, I had two pretty great writers to be reading.
3) Did you find it easy to give concrit?
Not really. I could have been nit-picky about some things, but overall, I had two great stories, so what little concrit there was to give, I tried to do so very nicely.
4) Did you find it easy to TAKE concrit when given?
Yes. I tended to agree with what concrit I got, and it also gave me an opportunity to respond and explain why I did things the way I did. It was good.
5) Did you tend to agree with most of the comments made?
Yes
6) Did you find yourself reading other challenge stories besides the one you originally picked?
I read Mare's To Protect and Serve and it's sequel. This was really out of my comfort zone as far as what I usually read, and I really, really enjoyed that experience as well.
7) If you could offer one suggestion for next year's challenge, what would it be?
I like the suggestion to include only stories with multiple chapters or make several one shots considered a "story." Evens out the playing field, so to speak.
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Name of story: The Other Side Of Nick Carter
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
Biggest challenge was to read a whole Nick - centered story. Usually, I can get through a story that has Nick as main character only if he interacts a lot with Brian. So, yes, that was the biggest challange.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Yes and no. Yes, it felt like homework because I had to push myself into reading because of Nick. But, whenever I started a chapter, I found myself keep reading because I liked the plotline and I wanted to know what was going to happen.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
I'm a sucker for children's chapter so I have to go with Grace's story.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Yes, in the sense that I didn't want to kill Nick and make Brian the main character. LOL Actually, my love for Micheal kinda grew. I love villains and Ritz has done a wonderful job with his backstory that I felt for him.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
I guess Kate. lol And good thing that she died! lol
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
If Ritz intents to keep writing I'll keep reading. Since she hasn't finished yet, I don't how if she's already planning for a sequel or not.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
It's not complete so... not happy? lol I'm not happy that it's not finished, I wanted to read the epic battle between Nick and Micheal. (if it's going to happen)
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
The biggest surprise was finding out that the "past" chapters were actually Nick telling and explaining Brian about his gift.
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The background stories for the ghosts.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
Lack of descriptions. But I'm a lover of descriptions.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
Definetely yes.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I'm glad I picked up this story. Otherwise I wouldn't ever read it or keep reading it because too much Nick for my taste.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I liked this way.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes, she did.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
I do hope that you're gonna finish it because I want to know how it will end. :)
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Happy Saturday everyone!
I can't believe it's the last Saturday of July already, BOO!!
Great job to Cinzia and Tracy for finishing up the challenge this week! Gold stars abound! :)
This now only leave Ritz and Erika who need to complete this challenge.
Ritz you only have 3 more chapters to go of your story and Erika you have about 46. The good news is you have all the way until the end of August to do it!
Keep reading and I'll check back next Saturday!
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I just finished reading. Will post the answers to surveys tomorrow. :)
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Yay! :)
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Name of story: When we Collide by Carter-Orange
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? The female lead's name. Honestly, I wanted to close the story right away when I saw the name. But since this is a reading challenge and I know Steph writes great story, I gave it a chance. :)
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? If I had the time, I would have finished it in one sitting considering it only have 21 chapters. I look forward to reading it .
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? The teasing scenes. lol And the Nick Carter Ice cream sundae. That's just wow. It shows how versatile Steph is as a writer.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Of course Nick. He was an asshole but Steph did a great job by telling his backstory in the early part of the story, it made you understand the character when he was being a jerk.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? Oops I think my answer to the number 4 question should be written here in number 5 and my answer to number 4 should be a plain yes. lol
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? yes. But I don't think there would be unless Steph would write about their marriage life and kids.
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes. It was a happy ending but I felt Steph could have wrote a few chapters more before ending. The reconciliation was too quick. I had a feeling the story shouldn't end yet but Steph had to end it. Please correct me if I'm wrong, Steph.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) The teasing scenes. As I've told steph the romance plot about the mean boss and his staff has been written a lot before but Steph made this unique and interesting because of the way Miss Bloom ( I still cant write the name lol) and Nick teases each other... sexually.
9) What was this stories biggest strength? The unique way of how it was written. Steph could write a whole chapter of narration but it is not boring at all. She's gifted like that. :)
10) What was it's biggest weakness? The quick ending. I really wish it was not ended that quickly. I wish she wrote how the make-up sex happened. lol
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? Definitely
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? I had a great time reading this story. Steph delivered more than what I expected.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? Actually, I don't mind how we will do it as long as there would be reading challenges every year. :)
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes!
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Was the ending the way you really planned it? I really felt that you had ended it quickly and there are some missing chapters between chapter 20 and the epilogue.
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Readers survey
Story: The Other Side of Nick Carter
Person reading it: Usako/Mamogirl
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? That I hope she'll like it.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, and I really appreciate her honesty. she pointed out some things that I was not aware of.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? Sometimes. I remember all the ghosts' stories but I don't remember how it was written. Like, when she said something was not clear, I read a few chapters related to that.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? None. I just want to thank her for her good reviews and feedbacks on the surveys. I appreciate the time she spent reading a Nick Centered story.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? A good one. I definitely look forward to the next year's reading challenge and hopefully, TOSONC is finished and I started a new story.
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Okay!! Got some reading done today. Wow that sounds like a lot but I'm so hooked that I doubt it will take me that long to finish. ;D
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Thanks for the lovely reviews Ritz, and now that I look back at that story, I see that I did kind of end it suddenly. I have no idea why I did that, and I see that I should've given it a better ending than I did. Who knows what was going on in my head when I wrote it lol. But despite it's disappointing end, I'm glad you still enjoyed it.
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What is the name that Ritz hates so much? And WHY do you hate that name, Ritz? lol
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story: When We Collide
Person reading it: Ritz
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? I just hoped she'd like it.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, Ritz was very good with feedback and I enjoyed reading her comments, even though I had to read the story back as I couldn't remember what I'd written :)
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? Yes, there was a lot I couldn't remember about this one, even the name of the main character!
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? None that I can think of.
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? The experience was great.
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What is the name that Ritz hates so much? And WHY do you hate that name, Ritz? lol
The name was Rowena, which I couldn't even remember until I read the story.
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That is a unique name. Why do you hate that name, Ritz? LOL
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Thanks for the lovely reviews Ritz, and now that I look back at that story, I see that I did kind of end it suddenly. I have no idea why I did that, and I see that I should've given it a better ending than I did. Who knows what was going on in my head when I wrote it lol. But despite it's disappointing end, I'm glad you still enjoyed it.
It's not disappointing, Steph. I just wish there were few chapters squeezed in before chapter 20 and epilogue. But the ending was great, kind of realistic because they were not married. Lol
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Mare, that name is not unique here in the Philippines. Lol. Well, just someone who tried to ruin my marriage. After my experience with her, I will not let her end up with Nick Carter. Fiction or not. Lol
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Mare, that name is not unique here in the Philippines. Lol. Well, just someone who tried to ruin my marriage. After my experience with her, I will not let her end up with Nick Carter. Fiction or not. Lol
AH, I see. Well makes sense then!
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I can understand why you hate the name Ritz!
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Thank you, girls. Lol
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Halfway There Survey
Name of story: Falling In Love Again by Emily_Michele
1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes
2) So far who is your favorite character and why? I think Annie and Nick. She isn't the usual Mary Sue and she seems like a strong woman even though so much has happened to her. Nick is a nice guy without having to be a big douchebag first.
3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? (Sometimes authors get a kick out of seeing what a reader thinks will happen and how predictable they may or may not be) I have the slightest idea how this story might end. Although Annie is so stubborn that she could end up starting a new life with Drew and NO Nick lol.
4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? I think it fits just fine.
5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? Yes there have been a few twists and surprises in this story. For instance the story of how Drew was conceived...tw isted.
These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.
6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No, I wouldn't stop reading. But I will be honest and say that I probably wouldn't have started reading either because, one it's a Brian story and two it's past 30 chapters.
7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? (I'm not talking about the occasional missed period, typo or spelling/grammar errors but huge mistakes that need to be pointed out that the author might not be aware of) No, not at all.
8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot? Did you outline this story before writing it? Did you know you were going to make Leighanne a likable character from the begining?
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I wrote Leighanne exactly the way I intended in the beginning. At first, there's a little bit of speculation that maybe she's going to be pretty difficult, but surprise! She's actually kind of awesome. You'll see how all of that plays out later on! Thanks, Erika! I'm really enjoying this.
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Happy Saturday everyone!
Just doing a quick check in! Pretty much everyone is finished with the challenge :)
Erika just trucking along!
Steph you still need to complete the reader's survey for When We Collide.
See ya next Saturday!
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I've already done the reader's survey, it's on the previous page :)
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Oh, Sorry about that! I completely missed it! LOL
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Just doing the usual Saturday check in.
Keep on truckin' Erika! You are more than halfway through! Try to get ten more chapters done this week. You can do it!!
:)
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I sure will. ;D
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Well, the first time all summer I forgot to come in here on Saturday! Hope you're still reading away Erika! I know the reviews have been disabled so it's making things harder to check progress but Emily did open an update thread, so feel free to continue reviewing in there. You have about two weeks left so hopefully you're almost done!
I also noticed that carterkid still needs to fill out her reader's survey for Erika!
Okay I'll check back in next week! :)
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sorry I forgot LOL
Readers survey
Story:Switch
Person reading it: Erika/kevmylove
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? I was happy about it, althought we don't talk much to each other I like Erika's stories and knew she would know what issues to tell me about.
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes, I really appreciate it.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? Some of it but I should re-do it all if I find the time.
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? None
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one? A good one
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I can't believe this summer is gone already! :'(
It seems as if everyone has really enjoyed the way we did things this time around so next year look forward to the same format!
Erika, you still need to finish the story by Saturday which is the last official day of the challenge. Don't be the only one not to complete it!
Then Emily, you'll just have to do the reader's survey.
I'll be back on last time next Saturday to see if we all have passed this challenge!! YAY!!
Feel free to jump in here with any final thoughts or suggestions. :)
Go Erika!!
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So sorry Mare...but I promise I'm reading! I only have six chapters to go. If I don't have homework I shall be reading the rest tomorrow. ;)
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Yay!
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Yay it was a crazy summer, but I'm finally finished...so sorry I'm so late. But I told ya I wouldn't quit. Wouldn't want anyone quitting on me! ;D
Final survey
Name of story: Falling In Love Again
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? Just the length of the story. I'm not used to reading stories that long.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? I definitely looked forward to reading.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? When Nick opened up and told Annie about what really happened with Lauren. I never ever imagined why he had broken up with her.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end? Yes he was. Nick played a different role in this story. He wasn't a douche gone good. lol
5) Who was your least favorite character and why? I don't think I had one. Although Annie kinda made me mad sometimes lol.
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it? I'm not sure there could be a sequal.
7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes I was. It was very cute!
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one) There were a few surprises in this story that I definitely didn't see coming. Mainly the whole Lauren being relieved with the miscarriage. That took me by surprise
9) What was this stories biggest strength? The story was very well developed.
10) What was it's biggest weakness? I didn't see a weakness.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author? Yes, I think I will.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? I've got to admit that I was dreading having to read 50+ just because I don't have the attention span or time. But once I started I just couldn't stop reading.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better? I like either way
14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes she did. Thank you.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? I just wanted to apologize to Emily, she must have thought I wasn't going to go through with the challenge, but I had a few challenges this summer myself. I'm sorry I'm all late, but I knew I was not going to quit. I really did enjoy the story and I have taken a liking to Emily's writing style. I do have a question for you Emily...Did you outline this story before writing or as you were writing. Becasue I don't think I would have been able to remember all those details lol.
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Yay Erika! So glad you finished! Woot!! :)
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Readers survey (To be completed once the person reading your story is finished)
Story:
Person reading it: Erika (kevmylove)
1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts? I was excited! I mean, she's a Kevin girl, too, apparently (even though this is a Nick story!)
2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you? Yes. She reviewed almost every chapter- just left out a couple, I think. The feedback was helpful in that it showed she liked and was interested in the story, but there really wasn't any concrit or comments on the writing in general, which would have been more helpful.
3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback? I did read a couple chapters here and there, just to see what she was talking about :)
4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story? Hmm.... Since you commented on the length of the story, do you think there were parts that I could have left out and still had the same impact? I find that I struggle with getting from point A to point B without being too long-winded sometimes. It's something I'm noticing myself doing in the sequel (so, yes, there's a sequel! It's very different, though).
5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Overall, it was good. It was a little frustrating that the reading was so sporadic, but I understand she is very busy, and I'm glad she was able to still finish it!
To answer your question, Erika. I did not physically outline the story. I started writing with a general premise (Annie's background and meeting with Brian), then decided to make it a Nick story, gave Nick a background story that tired into Annie's, etc. I basically knew what was going to happen and when. So, I guess I outlined it in my head!
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And thus endeth this summer's reading challenge! :)
All of you have absolutely rocked! Thank you for taking this seriously and realizing that other people were depending on you to come through for them. This is the first year that everyone completed this challenge and it makes me tingly! In a happy kind of way and not the want to poke someone with a stick kind of way! *insert stick poking smiley here!*
I know through this challenge, I have really gotten to know some of you as people and as writers that I probably would have never done if I hadn't been initially forced to try something new. Through your feedback to one another and of course to me and giving new people feedback, I know it helped me see some things writing-wise in a different light and I hope all of you managed to take home some of the same feelings.
I hope in May when I put this out there again, you all rejoin so start thinking now about stories to submit or maybe it's time to write a new one in time for the challenge!
Thanks everyone!
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Emily,
I don't think you left out anything and the reason for my question was just because I thought everything felll into place just perfectly. My reviews were more of my reactions becaue i didn't feel that I needed to criticize you in any way. You have a great way of describing things without too much detail (too much detail drives me crazy) and you developed your characters just fine. Although I read sporatically I was hooked on the stor and wish I could have read it more often lol.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequal then :)
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Thanks, Erika! The sequel is "Run," on the most recent page in case you're interested! I'm less than halfway finished with it at the moment, but it's going to be the September featured story, so...yay!