Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: mare on July 29, 2014, 08:13:02 PM
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The other thread was getting a bit long so I thought I'd start another!
Continue on...
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Here's one that could be sorta lighthearted. If you had to compare yourself to one real life "famous" writer or creator in terms of your style or ideas, who would it be?
I say this because last night I was joking with Julie that we're probably the Trey Parker and Matt Stone of fanfic LMAO. Twisted, musical, and random (but everything still pertains to the plot, unlike Family Guy).
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Here's a brand new question for you.
What are your favorite scenes to write?
I am in the middle of writing a warm and fuzzy flashback scene and I have come to the conclusion that I love writing those types of scenes. Not sure if they're my favorites but nothing is better than sticking one of those in a story that is loaded with drama to break up the tension and give the readers a break.
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Here's one that could be sorta lighthearted. If you had to compare yourself to one real life "famous" writer or creator in terms of your style or ideas, who would it be?
I say this because last night I was joking with Julie that we're probably the Trey Parker and Matt Stone of fanfic LMAO. Twisted, musical, and random (but everything still pertains to the plot, unlike Family Guy).
I don't know if it's actually true, but I would consider it the highest compliment ever to be compared to either Jodi Picoult or Wally Lamb.
I think I would quit writing if I was ever compared to Stephanie Myers (the Twilight chick not sure if I got her name right. lol)
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I think I would quit too Mare, so I feel you. Or the chick who wrote that 50 Shades crap.
Here's a brand new question for you.
What are your favorite scenes to write?
I am in the middle of writing a warm and fuzzy flashback scene and I have come to the conclusion that I love writing those types of scenes. Not sure if they're my favorites but nothing is better than sticking one of those in a story that is loaded with drama to break up the tension and give the readers a break.
I like writing either really angsty scenes that bring out the bromances within the group, or the ones where I get really violent and gory. Opposite ends of the spectrum but they both are just really fun for me as a writer.
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yeah it kinda was, wasnt it ? ;)
Now to finally answer my question lol...I have a hard time writing any kind of a love scene...i have it alllll planned out in my head...and i try to write it...i can't make the words come out onto paper or typing. It just doesnt work. I have tried so many times to write or type it and it never comes out the way i had it in my head =(
and the craziest or weirdest thing i have done for my stories? i dont have one lol...i am pretty boring lol.
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I don't know about comparing myself to anyone. My writing style isnt like any other people really and I havent read many books or anything so I really have nothing to compare myself too. I am not a very good writer is how i feel anyway lol.
This is going to sound really bad maybe but I have done a few funeral scenes and they seem to turn out really well. I always use a song and maybe that is why the mood is different from the rest of the stories i have written. But next to those I have written some children scenes with the boys and those always seem to turn out well too.
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Craziest thing I have done.... I had to hunt down a bunch of Disney travel guides from 1999 so I could get the rides and stuff for Finding Carter. I also ordered Florida travel guides too. I have a whole stack of them at my house.
For Jizzle Of Oz I watched Wizard Of Oz maybe ten times in one day.
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I really like writing the kind of angsty, awkward, tough conversations I would never want to have or witness in real life. There have been many of those in Sick as My Secrets, and they are always fun to write.
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Lol you just love putting HIV-Howie through hell.
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Clearly LOL
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I also enjoy writing scenes with a lot of action in them. They tend to go really fast fr me and usually flow really well.
On the other side of things, what are your least favorite scenes to write?
How about characters? Who are some of your least favorite characters to write?
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I hate writing filler scenes. I try to have as few of those as possible, but sometimes you just need them to keep the flow and set up for the action.
My least favorite characters to write are the guys' family members. Wives, kids, parents, siblings. As we've already discussed, sometimes it's unavoidable to at least give them a mention, depending on the situation, but I don't like actually making them into characters. I've written a lot of Lauren and Leigh in SAMS and haven't minded them so far, but the more I can make it just about the guys, the better.
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least favorite...lov e scenes cause I cant write them so they are boring to me i guess =( I have even gone as far as googling it and i still cant get it write lol.
I cannot stand writing about Howie...just cant do it..i have nothing in common with the man so anytime he is in a scene i tend to make it go really fast cause I just dont know what to write about. I dont know how he acts really cause I dont pay a whole hell of a lot of attention to him. which i guess is kind of sad.
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My least favorite scenes to write are if I ever have to mentally torture one of the guys. I really hate doing it and I hate having to visualize that stuff in my head to get it right. I often apologize to them afterwards, which I guess can go back to one of the weirdest things you do as a writer. LOL
I also hate writing the family members although some are better than others. I find I enjoy writing Kristin and if the need comes when I have to put them in there, she's usually the spokeswoman on behalf of the wives. I never write the kids because *snore* and I try to avoid all the Carters if I can. I don't feel like I know Leigh or Lauren enough to really capture their personalities, especially Leigh. I guess Rochelle is okay too, along with Kristin. She's easy because to me, she's just AJ with boobs. I hate Leighanne but sometimes it's fun to write her. Depending on the circumstance. I could never write her nice though. Too OOC for me! LMAO
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least favorite...lov e scenes cause I cant write them so they are boring to me i guess =( I have even gone as far as googling it and i still cant get it write lol.
I cannot stand writing about Howie...just cant do it..i have nothing in common with the man so anytime he is in a scene i tend to make it go really fast cause I just dont know what to write about. I dont know how he acts really cause I dont pay a whole hell of a lot of attention to him. which i guess is kind of sad.
Poor Howie!
You know we should do another challenge at some point where you have to write a one shot centered around the one boy you have the most trouble writing about.
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And here's a few more questions:
If you had to write about one boy who gave you the hardest time, who would it be?
If you had to write one genre that gave you the hardest time what would it be?
If you had to write a story about a duo, who would you have the hardest time pairing up? (Besides Howie and Brian because I think that's pretty much a given for everyone so let's just go ahead and say second hardest pairing. LOL)
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And here's a few more questions:
If you had to write about one boy who gave you the hardest time, who would it be?
If you had to write one genre that gave you the hardest time what would it be?
If you had to write a story about a duo, who would you have the hardest time pairing up? (Besides Howie and Brian because I think that's pretty much a given for everyone so let's just go ahead and say second hardest pairing. LOL)
if I HAD to i guess i could do a Howie fic...done one before a longggggg time ago. But its been at leas 8yrs I wold probably have to watch a lot of youtube videos to understand how he talks and stuff cause like i said i dont pay much attention lol.
That is a good question...hm. ..AJ & Howie are best friends...and Brian and Kevin are cousins...sooo oo maybe AJ and Kevin? That would be an interesting story maybe? Cause Kevin is sooooo serious and AJ is well...just AJ LOL
oooo realized i forgot about genre...sci-fi..i am not that big of a nerd to know much about it lol. I know certain things from like watching big bang theory and stuff that Art watches but I dont watch much of it nor do i have a huge interest in it lol.
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The question are coming so fast I can't keep up lol. I leave for a couple hours and come back to a bunch of new ones so it feels like I am talking to myself lol
Its nice to see the forum so active though :p
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The question are coming so fast I can't keep up lol. I leave for a couple hours and come back to a bunch of new ones so it feels like I am talking to myself lol
Its nice to see the forum so active though :p
LOL i felt the same way last night I fell asleep early and there are four new pages lol.
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And here's a few more questions:
If you had to write about one boy who gave you the hardest time, who would it be?
If you had to write one genre that gave you the hardest time what would it be?
If you had to write a story about a duo, who would you have the hardest time pairing up? (Besides Howie and Brian because I think that's pretty much a given for everyone so let's just go ahead and say second hardest pairing. LOL)
Howie or Kevin would be the ones I'm least inclined to write about. They are actually the most similar to me in terms of personality, so it's not that they're hard to write about, just boring LOL.
The genre that I have the hardest time with is sci-fi/fantasy. I like things to be realistic; even if I am making something up, I want it to be grounded in reality. I will look up the stupidest things just to make sure I'm on the right track.
I actually think Brian and Howie would be the second hardest pairing for me to write about, Kevin and Howie being the first. I'm a Brian girl, so at least there would be Brian in that pairing LOL. A Kevin and Howie story would probably put me to sleep!
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I also enjoy writing scenes with a lot of action in them. They tend to go really fast fr me and usually flow really well.
On the other side of things, what are your least favorite scenes to write?
How about characters? Who are some of your least favorite characters to write?
My least favorite scenes typically are the filler ones. They're necessary and annoying LOL. The other kind would be scenes involving the wives. They're boring and blah. Another thing that can be necessary but I avoid them at all costs! I don't mind the Carters cause as much as I dislike them in real life, they're easier to write because I can use the more dysfunctional parts of my extended family for source material LOL.
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And here's a few more questions:
If you had to write about one boy who gave you the hardest time, who would it be?
If you had to write one genre that gave you the hardest time what would it be?
If you had to write a story about a duo, who would you have the hardest time pairing up? (Besides Howie and Brian because I think that's pretty much a given for everyone so let's just go ahead and say second hardest pairing. LOL)
Brian. I think young Brian or AU Brian is a lot easier to write than present day canon Brian. I think it's just because right now his life isn't entirely angsty and Leighanne just makes that harder. It's not like say Nick or AJ with all their issues, or Kevin and Howie with their big brother vibe and the fact they were unappreciated.
Romance! Great as a subplot, will never do it again as the only plot LOL.
Probably Kevin and Howie. I just, I wouldn't have a place to go with it.
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The hardest boy for me is probably AJ. I really have no idea why. I like the guy, probably one of the sweetest guys out there and easy to talk to, but when it comes to centering a story around him, I just can't do it.
The genre that gives me the hardest time would probably be fantasy. Fantasy, I believe is the only genre I have never even attempted to try. At least that I remember. Counting short stories and collabs etc... I have covered everything else pretty much. I know I have a very creative mind and could easily come up with some scenarios, but I would have a heck of a time putting the boys into the story and not feel like I was making them too out of character.
The duo that would give me the most trouble (after Howie and Brian) is Kevin and Brian. You would think because they are cousins it would be easy but I sense really next to no chemistry between those two. Although AJ and Brian are a close third. There is chemistry there but I have such a hard time with AJ that writing Brian into the mix makes things difficult.
Okay I guess my answer is pretty much anyone (except Nick) and Brian. Because I feel like when it comes to the other guys, he doesn't give off that brotherly vibe I need when I write BSB. It makes it difficult.
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I think AJ is the hardest to relate to of all the guys, for me anyway, because he's so "out there." I love AJ, but some of the things he does, I'm just like, "Why?" I don't always get him. I have written stories where he's the main character, but I write him better as a supporting character. He's usually either the comic relief or the one who tells the main Boy what they need to hear.
I just had this conversation with Rose last night about fantasy. I would agree with you, Mare, that fantasy is the hardest genre (for me, anyway) because you have to make so much up. At least with sci-fi, it's grounded in science - which seems like it should be harder because it requires some research to make it at least sound plausible, but I like to research. It's kind of a fun challenge to see if I can mix something real with something totally out there and make it seem legit. I don't like to just make shit up. I am creative in some ways, but I am a lot better at taking something that already exists and twisting it than coming up with something totally from scratch.
That's so interesting about Brian. Do you think that's just because he's sort of isolated himself? He's the only one who lives in Georgia, and he's often the only one who has his family with him on tour most of the time. He definitely seems wrapped up in his family life both on and off tour. Do you think you'd have an easier time writing a Brian pairing story (with someone other than Nick) set in the 90s?
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I think what you said about AJ is about right for me too! He's just kind of an odd ball and it's hard to write someone like him and be able to maintain his level of kookiness for an entire story. Even when thinking about writing something about his addictions, I still don't think I could do him justice. I just spend too much of my time shaking my head and asking "Why?" when it comes to him. LOL
As far as Brian, I think even in the 90's I'd have a hard time pairing him. Brian doesn't really let us know how he feels about the other guys. He very rarely talks highly or lowly about them and never really shows all that much emotion when it comes to them. Like I've said before even back in the earlier years the Frick and Frack era, there was never any doubt that Nick LOVED Brian but I just never much saw it exchanged. Maybe way way waaay back but I think Brian was just kind of intrigued by this little kid who idolized him and kind of played into that. I think Brian really looks at BSB as his job and not much else and as a fan of bromance, this makes my life difficult especially since I WANT him to open up and be more brotherly like the others. I finally got a chance to read the liner notes to IAWLT and once again Brian's was just a FAIL to me, but the sad part is, I wasn't expecting any more than what he said.
Not to say he doesn't care about the guys, because I know he does. But because he doesn't really show it, I've never been able to catch his emotions for things like that which makes it difficult. The only one I have no problem pairing him with is Nick because Nick thinks SO highly of him it's really easy to base Brian's emotions off of that. I think the same can be said of AJ, the problem is I can't really get a handle on him either. LOL
I can seriously go on and on when it comes to Brian because he just intrigues me! I want to love him, I really do. At times I even think wow you know he would have been one of my good high school friends but there's just this 'thing' about him that prevents me from embracing him and that does tend to translate into my writing of him and it's gotten harder as he's gotten older.
Brian is intriguing which is why I am going to write that story about his relationship with Nick next summer.
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Girl, have you ever seen the All Access video from 1997? With the making of the Everybody and As Long as You Love Me videos? If not, PM me your address so I can send you a copy! Watch that, and you'll see the side of Brian that made me fall in love with him.
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I have seen that and I get he's goofy, hyper and funny. I can see why people enjoy him. And it's that video I was talking about when it came to Nick. As well as some of the earlier ones. I think he enjoys being looked up to.
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He also talks about AJ in that one, and there's a nice scene of him playing catch with Kevin. The only one I really don't see much chemistry with is Howie, as we've said LOL.
I do think Brian would rather clown around than be serious and talk about his feelings, but I have seen him do that too, and like you said, I know he's got them. He just doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve as much as some of the other guys do.
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He needs to start openly bawling and sobbing and expressing his love for the others dammit! LOL
See I'm just cynical and thought that was all staged
Go throw a football with your cousin...
Say something nice about AJ
Kevin say something nice about Brian.
Now go be awkward with Howie!
That's how that entire video read to me. LOL
Maybe if I had watched it when I was younger and a die hard fan, I would have come away with a different impression.
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Aww... I'm sure some of it was staged, but I don't think it was disingenuous. But then, I've been watching it since I was a 13-year-old teenybopper, so I'm sure my view of it is skewed too. I think we all just see what we want to see depending on how we feel about the guys and what we're looking for.
It's funny when I watch old stuff like that because even though I really like Nick now, I still find him annoying in most of those old videos. He does absolutely nothing for me in the All Access video. I'm just like, "Nick, stop trying so hard to be funny." But I'm sure people who loved Nick in that era think he's just adorable.
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I felt the same way about Nick in that video and a lot of the videos back then! I'm pretty sure I would have stabbed him in the face if I was Howie or Kevin considering the way he seemed to treat them! LOL but yes, you're SO right! If you were in love with him back then, it would be endearing and adorable.
I sometimes am sad that I found them when I was older and fell in love with their music first and not their looks. I've never been that kind of fan when it came to BSB. I mean I have always thought Kevin was easy on the eyes but it's his personality that I am drawn to. (For whatever reason because sometimes...lo l)
I agree, I think it really depends on what we're looking for when it comes to them as people. I mean the music is easy but when it comes to them as humans... it's a little harder. What made me want to get to know them was how big of an age difference there was between them. I don't remember if I said this on here or on twitter but I am pretty sure if they were all the same age, I most likely wouldn't have gotten to know them the way I do now and we wouldn't even be having this conversation because I would have never become more than a casual fan of their music. Weird.
I guess that's a good question:
What drew you to BSB? Was it their looks? Or their music? What came first for you and how did you end up wanting to know more about them?
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It was their music for me. One of my best friends discovered them first and introduced their music to me. I remember loving the singles, Quit Playing Games and As Long As You Love Me, just from hearing them on the radio and her CD.
I remember the first time I saw them perform and actually saw what they looked like was when they were on "All That" on Nickelodeon in 1998. That was when I picked out Brian as my favorite. I guess it was based on his looks, but it was mostly his smile. He stepped forward to sing his verse, "Every little thing that you have said and done," and he smiled, and I just melted. I didn't even know his name, but I was like, "That one. Right there. He's my favorite." Then when I did eventually read an article about them and learned their names and more about them, that just further cemented the fact that he was "The One." I am a lot more "equal opportunity" these days when it comes to loving all of the guys, but back then, it was all about Brian. And it was nice because all of my friends preferred Nick or AJ, so I got to have him all to myself. :)
(http://dreamers-sanctuary.com/brianallthat1.jpg) (http://dreamers-sanctuary.com/brianallthat2.jpg)
^ That smile right there. That was the moment. <3
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Girl, have you ever seen the All Access video from 1997? With the making of the Everybody and As Long as You Love Me videos? If not, PM me your address so I can send you a copy! Watch that, and you'll see the side of Brian that made me fall in love with him.
It was this same video that cemented my love for Brian! :drools:
I guess that's a good question:
What drew you to BSB? Was it their looks? Or their music? What came first for you and how did you end up wanting to know more about them?
1997 was the year that my friend and I became die-hard BSB fans because of an Intimate and Interactive performance that they did on Much Music. I'm pretty sure that I still have a copy of that performance somewhere on VHS. Anyways, it was a combination of their music and their looks (mostly Brian) that drew me to them. I instantly loved the way that they all seemed to feed off of each other and the sense of genuine camaraderie that they displayed.
After hearing them sing live (and realizing that they could actually sing), I was beyond hooked! In the beginning, I didn't really think much of Nick's voice, but I loved Brian's and AJ's. As Nick got older, I came to love his voice as well.
Also, I just have to say that I love the fact that you ladies are so active on this forum. I wish that I had been around to participate in some of these recent discussions. I seriously need to start logging in more often, but it's hard to find the time. How do you guys do it?? LOL
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^ You do, Erika! Obviously we need more Brian fans on this board LOL. Mare and I are both teachers, so we're off for the summer. It tends to slow down when school starts up again in a few weeks.
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After hearing them sing live (and realizing that they could actually sing), I was beyond hooked! In the beginning, I didn't really think much of Nick's voice, but I loved Brian's and AJ's. As Nick got older, I came to love his voice as well.
Nick's voice has gotten a lot better as it's matured! He could always sing, but his voice was so whiny back in the day. I don't know if it was the vocal lessons he took back in like 2006 or just maturity, but he's lost a lot of that. He almost always sounds amazing singing live nowadays.
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There does seem to be a distinct lack of Brian love on the board. The poor guy has kind of been getting a bad rap lately, but I still love him though. ;D
I would kill to have the summers off!! Must be nice!
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It is! I'm getting my masters, so I spent all of June and part of July taking classes and moving, but I still get about a month off. Can't complain! It makes up for the low pay and the politics and all the other bullshit we have to put up with. I love my job though.
And I love Brian!!!!!! Seriously, there's no better way to bring out my inner teeny than to start talking about Brian, especially old-school Brian.
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The long break helps. It does drastically die down by the second week of August though :( That's when reality sets in lol
And you can always join in the conversation after the fact! Even if the thread was locked. Feel free to answer any of those other questions.
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See, I think there are a ton of Brian fans on this board lol
Brian is polarizing. People seem to really like obsessively love him or not.
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It is! I'm getting my masters, so I spent all of June and part of July taking classes and moving, but I still get about a month off. Can't complain! It makes up for the low pay and the politics and all the other bullshit we have to put up with. I love my job though.
And I love Brian!!!!!! Seriously, there's no better way to bring out my inner teeny than to start talking about Brian, especially old-school Brian.
You're doing your masters!? Good for you! That takes some serious dedication. Five years of university was more than enough for me, thank you very much. LOL
My BFF and I still fangirl over Brian. Old Brian, new Brian ... it doesn't matter. Every time one of us finds a good picture, we send it to the other. Our husbands think we're nuts, but they have come to just embrace our obsession. Hahaha
See, I think there are a ton of Brian fans on this board lol
Brian is polarizing. People seem to really like obsessively love him or not.
I totally agree with this. I have never heard anyone say: "Meh, Brian's okay."
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I do think that's true about Brian being polarizing. Brian and Nick. I have never seen anyone debate so much about AJ, Howie, or Kevin. (Julilly just pretends Kevin doesn't exist.)
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She loves him! LOL
Yup, Nick too!
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Hey! I just realized I have written a fantasy story! "Judy and the Beast" Would b e considered fantasy, right? Done and done! Woot! LOL
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Yep!
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You're doing your masters!? Good for you! That takes some serious dedication. Five years of university was more than enough for me, thank you very much. LOL
Thanks! My school district has a partnership with one of the state universities and offers these masters cohorts every few years. It's awesome because the professors come to us; we meet for class one night a week at one of the schools in the district, so there's no traveling required. They are also giving us waivers to cover tuition, so other than buying textbooks, it's basically free! No loans needed. And I'll make a lot more money when I'm done! So even though it's been a lot of work, it will definitely be worth it. I'll finish in July 2016.
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I havent read all the replies just yet..but the all access was awesone lol. I will watch parts of it on youtube every now and again and laugh my ass off lol.
My fave part has to be where Howie is posing and Brian comes up and says OMG Howard..cencor ed....i laugh so hard i cry everytime lol
I will answer questions when i get on my computer tonight after kids go to bed. My phone hates the internet lol
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LMAO Yes!! That was always one of my favorite parts too.
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I miss those videos! They are a bunch of goofballs ;)
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He needs to start openly bawling and sobbing and expressing his love for the others dammit! LOL
See I'm just cynical and thought that was all staged
Go throw a football with your cousin...
Say something nice about AJ
Kevin say something nice about Brian.
Now go be awkward with Howie!
That's how that entire video read to me. LOL
Maybe if I had watched it when I was younger and a die hard fan, I would have come away with a different impression.
Just had to say, reading this made me bust a gut! Lmfao!!! Now I'm gonna go on my laptop and try to join in on these convos too, lol.
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Here's a brand new question for you.
What are your favorite scenes to write?
I've enjoyed writing angsty scenes; I like putting them into situations that causes mental or physical stress, causes a break in one of them, hurt/comfort scenes, stuff like that, lol. Like it was stated, by Rose I believe, our twisted minds putting them in peril not only showcases bromances or bonds, but also tests and tries them and gives readers glimpse into how the boys' could possibly react to certain situations. At the same time, it's quite a challenge because we don't know exactly how they'd react, but rather base it off what we see of the guys in videos, what we know (ie, Nick and AJ's addictions, struggles, insecurities, etc.) and kind of go from there. I enjoy reading our different take on the guys, how we think they are or whatever.
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Just had to say, reading this made me bust a gut! Lmfao!!! Now I'm gonna go on my laptop and try to join in on these convos too, lol.
He he! :)
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I've enjoyed writing angsty scenes; I like putting them into situations that causes mental or physical stress, causes a break in one of them, hurt/comfort scenes, stuff like that, lol. Like it was stated, by Rose I believe, our twisted minds putting them in peril not only showcases bromances or bonds, but also tests and tries them and gives readers glimpse into how the boys' could possibly react to certain situations. At the same time, it's quite a challenge because we don't know exactly how they'd react, but rather base it off what we see of the guys in videos, what we know (ie, Nick and AJ's addictions, struggles, insecurities, etc.) and kind of go from there. I enjoy reading our different take on the guys, how we think they are or whatever.
I love that too!
Here's another question based on what Reb just said.
Excluding AU or obvious plot related character shifts - Has there ever been a story you read where the author's view on how the boys act was so completely off from your own it made you say WTF? Are these the same BSB guys I like? lol
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On the other side of things, what are your least favorite scenes to write?
How about characters? Who are some of your least favorite characters to write?
My least favorite scenes to write, as horrible as this may sound, would be any scene setting up a scene, or where the story takes place, lmao. I hate it because setting up the location of a story is really important; it helps when you're giving a visual to your readers, like okay here we are. I feel so sheltered living on this rock, that even researching locations to place my story I wouldn't do it justice, lmao.
Also, like other people have said, writing their significant others or families. Oh, and romance of course, which is why I stay away from it, lol.
I actually don't really have a least favorite character to write, I enjoy writing them all, lol. Whether I write them okay or not is another question, lol. I don't really shine much light on Howie, for reasons that people have stated, lol.
And here's a few more questions:
If you had to write about one boy who gave you the hardest time, who would it be?
If you had to write one genre that gave you the hardest time what would it be?
If you had to write a story about a duo, who would you have the hardest time pairing up? (Besides Howie and Brian because I think that's pretty much a given for everyone so let's just go ahead and say second hardest pairing. LOL)
Probably Howard, but like people said, what would you write about him, how would you write him? There's a lot more to him than he really lets on; like we know he's probably the most shunned member of the group, along with Kevin back in the days. It's a toss up with Kevin now though, because a lot of fans were receptive and loved his return, but some rather wished he didn't come back, lol. But yeah, how the boys joked during Unbreakable how Howie has more singing parts now and whatnot, he'd just smile and laugh in agreement, but how does it make him feel, you know... those complex things, lol.
As for writing the genre that gives me the hardest time, I won't be predictable and say romance, because I wouldn't want to write something that I just don't want to, if that makes sense, lmao. I mean, I've done it before, with that one challenge where we write something out of our norm, under a different penname, and guess who wrote it. But even looking back then and re-reading it over, I was like "man... I really suck at that!" Lmao!! I'd say probably fantasy or drama that doesn't necessarily stem from some suspenseful event, lol.
And finally, for a duo to write about... I feel pairing anyone up with poor Howard would be hard, lmao. Even though we know him and AJ started off as best friends, and Nick and him are super close now, he's just hard and I feel like pairing him with anyone would make it hard for me, lol. He's easily a background character for me, as horrible as that sounds, lmao, but he's still an integral part of group stories; like, I won't completely shun him out of stories, but at the same time its a challenge for me spending time writing him. Second hardest pairing for me would probably be... Brian and Kevin, for reasons that Mare stated, which only made me realize that when I read her explanation, lol.
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I love that too!
Here's another question based on what Reb just said.
Excluding AU or obvious plot related character shifts - Has there ever been a story you read where the author's view on how the boys act was so completely off from your own it made you say WTF? Are these the same BSB guys I like? lol
I dont think I have read much AU to be honest. Now when I write a Brian story I will always have it AU I dont know why because I think i portray him as a down home southern man and that is all i see him as. And he did a country song one time for CMT and it was AMAZING! So maybe that is why lol. But I cannot stand to write Leighanne sometimes as well so intead of him not being married to her as BSBer i just take the BSB out completely lol.
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I love that too!
Here's another question based on what Reb just said.
Excluding AU or obvious plot related character shifts - Has there ever been a story you read where the author's view on how the boys act was so completely off from your own it made you say WTF? Are these the same BSB guys I like? lol
Yeah, probably my own, LMFAO!!! I was re-reading Satan's Playground and was just like wow, I made AJ this badass that's gung-ho to do anything and everything. We know out of all of them, and he has said this himself, AJ is absolutely non-confrontational; which is kinda funny tho cause we often write him as a stubborn individual who's quick to go off verbally and get himself into trouble, lol. While him getting himself into trouble somehow doesn't seem farfetched at all, he seemingly puts on a front of being a certain way that may not exactly be true.
Having that said, as a continuation of the question above, and forgive me if this was already asked, which character is your favorite to read, and why? What are the common characteristic s that you see writers include of each BSB?
Maybe I'm being biased, but I enjoy reading writers take on AJ. Like I said, most of us writers will write him being the one that pops off verbally and gets himself into some sort of trouble, but at the same time, almost most of the AJ dialogue that I read cracks me up; sometimes to the point where I think AJ is written to have more wit and humor than Nick and Brian, lol.
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I've enjoyed writing angsty scenes; I like putting them into situations that causes mental or physical stress, causes a break in one of them, hurt/comfort scenes, stuff like that, lol. Like it was stated, by Rose I believe, our twisted minds putting them in peril not only showcases bromances or bonds, but also tests and tries them and gives readers glimpse into how the boys' could possibly react to certain situations. At the same time, it's quite a challenge because we don't know exactly how they'd react, but rather base it off what we see of the guys in videos, what we know (ie, Nick and AJ's addictions, struggles, insecurities, etc.) and kind of go from there. I enjoy reading our different take on the guys, how we think they are or whatever.
You hit the nail on the head here. I think that's why those angsty, hurt/comfort stories and all the suspense/torture fics are so popular in our fandom (and probably most fandoms). You don't always appreciate the people in your life until something bad happens, and that's when those bonds are tested and you learn who your true friends are. With the guys all living their own separate lives outside of tours and recording albums, I think those types of plots are even more important because they bring the boys together.
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Excluding AU or obvious plot related character shifts - Has there ever been a story you read where the author's view on how the boys act was so completely off from your own it made you say WTF? Are these the same BSB guys I like? lol
Yeah... the most extreme example I can think of was one I read off AC a long time ago where Nick was a rapist. He was like cocky, arrogant, ladies man Nick twisted to the extreme dark side, and he spent the whole story physically and emotionally abusing this girl who was working for him on his tour or something. It was really awful. I do think Nick can be a jerk and probably was kind of a douche back then, but not to that extreme.
Oh, I've also read one where Howie was this homicidal maniac who manipulated and threatened Nick to get him to do sexual favors for him... that was pretty out of character LOL.
Otherwise, what I notice more is just stereotypes taken to the extreme, to the point that they don't seem realistic anymore. Like Kevin not just being the "fatherly" one, but literally treating the other boys like babies. Or Brian being written as this country bumpkin whose parents live on a farm. Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky; Brian did not grow up on a farm LOL.
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i tend to read more Nick stories than anything..idk why that is but i will always go for them. I think its probably the way I think he is in real life. I have never met him but from what I have seen from interviews and stuff i think I have a pretty good idea and so do some writers.
I will also read a lot of Brian ones too. Same goes with the statement above. But i have met him and he was the sweetest guy like ever lol.
Right now I am reading one AJ story which is weird cause I totally wouldn't go for it but the title was interesting so i thought I'd give it a shot and its Fault Lines by Kyrie. Its such an interesting story and I see a different side of AJ cause i think of him as this bad-ass and in this story is completely opposite lol.
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This kind of goes along with Reb's question, but do you think there's a difference in the way the Boys tend to be written now that we have social media and YouTube and can see more of what the guys are like in real life when they're not onstage, compared to how they were written back in the old days when all we really knew were their stage personas and the images that they put out there?
Like AJ always had the "bad boy" persona, and sure, he's struggled with drugs and alcohol, and he's got all the tattoos and stuff, so he looks the part, but underneath that, he's also a loving father who's devoted to his wife and daughter. I don't think I ever made AJ too "bad" in my old stories, but I do see him differently now than I did when I first became a fan.
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absolutely..ca use I know Brian chirps with fans quite often...and AJ is always posting on instagram pictures of him and Ava...i dont see too much of Nick, Howie or Kevin on there as much, but I think stories are defiantly written differently now. If only I could get off the "Frick & Frack" thing lol. I can't seem to help myself ;)
and i dont think I have ever really written an "AJ" story...i really dont know how I would write one i would probably have to watch videos to understand him and the way he thinks. The same would go for Howie & Kevin.
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I feel like I know a lot more about Howie than I used to, thanks to Twitter and seeing him in action on the cruises. I don't think I would have ever been able to write a Howie story back in the day. I did start one once, a Howie romance (can you believe it?), really just so I could say I'd written a Howie story, but I only got a few chapters in and discontinued it. It was the first story I ever officially discontinued and took off my site because that's how sure I was that I was never going to write any more of it LOL. Sorry, Howie. I am actually really enjoying writing about him now though.
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to be honest I dont pay that much attention to Howie. I dont really have anything i guess in common or find him interesting. I have a friend love him to pieces in the earlier days though. I looked through some of my stories and i guess i have written a few but I dont think they turned out so great. I only wrote them cause people asked me too when I had my site "Walk On Water" sooooo long ago.
And I have never been on one of their cruises either =(
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This kind of goes along with Reb's question, but do you think there's a difference in the way the Boys tend to be written now that we have social media and YouTube and can see more of what the guys are like in real life when they're not onstage, compared to how they were written back in the old days when all we really knew were their stage personas and the images that they put out there?
Like AJ always had the "bad boy" persona, and sure, he's struggled with drugs and alcohol, and he's got all the tattoos and stuff, so he looks the part, but underneath that, he's also a loving father who's devoted to his wife and daughter. I don't think I ever made AJ too "bad" in my old stories, but I do see him differently now than I did when I first became a fan.
Most definitely; the social networks and whatnot that we have the boys have, it makes their personal lives more accessible and truly fleshes them out... not like they weren't fleshed out before, lol. I know back then we'd read Nick being the sheltered baby that didn't know any better and was always the damsal in distress that needed protection, but now we see videos that sometimes he's the one to step up and take charge or whatever, and though he's still silly and playful, he's actually freaking smart! Lol. Gotta still love the classic blond Nick moments tho, lmao!
Kevin was always the father figure that was well in control of things, the perfectionist that would have that look, and almost a hold over the other four, like "Okay guys, control yourselves during this interview"; I don't know if it's just me, but I don't get that vibe with him anymore. Case in point, him going on and on with that sexual question, lmao. If anything, I would've that that would've been more AJ or Nick, or hell even Brian going on and on, but not Kevin! Lmao. The others kept their answers short, sweet, straight to the point, I was waiting for Kevin to start doing demonstrations or something, lmao!! One thing that hasn't changed is that he still talks a lot, lmao!!
Howie was the passive one that would always maintain the peace between everyone; although he still seems quite the same, through the media there were moments where it left me like "Wait, that came from Howard?!" Lol. And of course he's still the smart, business-savy dude we pegged him to be, lol.
Julie was on point with AJ; he's sucha pushover/cuddly bear! Lmao. In my mind, I seriously wanted AJ to be this wicked badass that backed up his persona, and perhaps in a way that existed maybe during the time he was using drugs (a lot more defiant and aggressive) unfortunately, but I honestly love the fact that he can play the role well, but ends up being the total opposite, lol. Like it was said, the badboy ends up being one of the sweetest guys you'll meet, lol. His charm definitely wins over his persona, lol.
And of course there's Brian... the one that was written to be squeaky clean back in the day, that could do no wrong. It was said earlier, but he's really intriguing... sure the guy tends to get on people's nerves with his crazy antics that sometimes goes overboard, but I think I find Brian the most surprising of the five, lol. It's like him and AJ got their personalities/characteristics switched, lol.
Speaking of which, I was kind of surprised when I read that a lot of you guys think Brian needs more work when it comes to the fans.
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I think what bothers people about Brian and his interactions with fans is that he shows favoritism. He does interact a lot with SOME fans, but usually just the same select few, whereas the other guys seem to spread the wealth more. I am not someone who bases my happiness on whether the Boys follow me or reply to my tweets, so it doesn't bother me, but I think that's where it stems from. Correct me if I'm wrong, other people that said that too LOL.
Brian does do some surprising things, like when he told someone who was insulting Leighanne on his Instagram to "shut your ass." LOL Most people I saw (including me) were like, "Go Brian!" but I think that because he's always been so open about his Christianity, some people expect him to be this saint who never gets angry or cusses or drinks or thinks about sex. And it's like, come on! He's a good person, and he has strong morals, but he's also human! No one is perfect, not even Brian. In that way, he's kind of like the anti-AJ. It's kind of fun to explore his dark side, just like it's fun to see AJ being a big ol' teddy bear.
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Most definitely; the social networks and whatnot that we have the boys have, it makes their personal lives more accessible and truly fleshes them out... not like they weren't fleshed out before, lol. I know back then we'd read Nick being the sheltered baby that didn't know any better and was always the damsal in distress that needed protection, but now we see videos that sometimes he's the one to step up and take charge or whatever, and though he's still silly and playful, he's actually freaking smart! Lol. Gotta still love the classic blond Nick moments tho, lmao!
Nick is a lot smarter than I used to give him credit for. I don't know if it's just the fact that he's matured so much over the last few years or that he's stopped drinking so much and doing drugs LOL, but he comes across as a lot more intelligent lately than he used to.
I think Nick IS intelligent, just uneducated. He knows a lot about a lot, just maybe not so much about things like grammar that you get from going to school. When you consider the fact that he stopped going to real school after about seventh grade or so, it's understandable .
I still cringe at some of his tweets, but that's just me being a Grammar Nazi. I know better than to judge him for it now. He's gotten MUCH more eloquent when speaking out loud, like in interviews and such, compared to how he used to be. We're way past the "I resign in Florida" days LOL. I still like to make fun of him, but it's out of love. I have a lot more respect for him than I used to.
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I think what bothers people about Brian and his interactions with fans is that he shows favoritism. He does interact a lot with SOME fans, but usually just the same select few, whereas the other guys seem to spread the wealth more. I am not someone who bases my happiness on whether the Boys follow me or reply to my tweets, so it doesn't bother me, but I think that's where it stems from. Correct me if I'm wrong, other people that said that too LOL.
Brian does do some surprising things, like when he told someone who was insulting Leighanne on his Instagram to "shut your ass." LOL Most people I saw (including me) were like, "Go Brian!" but I think that because he's always been so open about his Christianity, some people expect him to be this saint who never gets angry or cusses or drinks or thinks about sex. And it's like, come on! He's a good person, and he has strong morals, but he's also human! No one is perfect, not even Brian. In that way, he's kind of like the anti-AJ. It's kind of fun to explore his dark side, just like it's fun to see AJ being a big ol' teddy bear.
You see, I didn't know all that! LOL. The only one I follow on Twitter is AJ, and I don't even really go on Twitter, hahaha!! And being that I've only ever met AJ and Brian, and it was that one time, it wasn't enough for me to really know much of anything, hahaha. I just remember AJ calling me sweetie (and sporting some hard nips when we took the pic, lmao) and Brian making a funny face in his pic; and when it was asked why he didn't make a funny face in a another pic, he replied with "Cause you didn't ask!" Lol.
But OMG, didn't know he replied with that on IG! LMAO!! Him and Kevin have this way of telling people off; it's so badass but makes you laugh cause you know that person they're talking to deserved it, lmao. Like that one interviewer that was asking a question and trying to insinuate that they were gay and ask if they do each other from behind or something, the other guys were trying to laugh it off uneasily; cause like seriously, how do you respond to that?! And Kevin responded as only Kevin could, with telling the guy "You can sit down!" Hahaha. Gotta love them Kentucky boys!
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Just catching up in here! To answer the Brian with the fans question, for me it isn't really the whole favoritism thing. I think it comes off as favoritism but in all actuality I think it's more laziness. I think he will respond to a name he recognizes just to avoid having to read everyone else's tweets to be honest. And therein lies what I think is his deal with the fans. Just like randomly scrolling through his tweets and saying chirp or hey. I think it's homework to him. LOL
I think the BSB Brian, the one everyone meets when they're supposed to is a sweet and charming guy, lots of fun to be around and is always ready to interact with the fans. Take a picture, act goofy, do the Brian things everyone knows Brian to do. But the off the clock Brian isn't interested. After party? Why? I just did a concert. Stop and sign autographs? Why? I just spent and hour doing that!
I have met Brian twice. For his HHC event, he was so 'on' and just the sweetest guy with the fans. I loved him, I really did. We also saw him at the hotel before and after the event and it was a completely different Brian. That one gave off the leave me alone I will be with you guys soon enough or leave me alone I just spent my whole day with you vibe.
He was also at Howie's DLF bowling event and once again same thing. I think when he needs to be on and is being paid to be on, he turns it on, but when he doesn't, he prefers to not be around us at all. LOL Understandable, I wouldn't either but I think that's why I tend to think he's not really all that fan friendly.
I would have to say before Kevin came back to BSB he was probably the same way. The hiatus seemed to really mellow him out. lol
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My favorite character to read is and will always be Nick, but like I've said many times before, I need more than just one of the boys to hold my attention. My favorite stories are ones where they are all present and almost all have equal footing.
I do think social media has really helped us all get a better sense of what the guys might really be like. Although I don't think it's changed the way I portray them.
AJ's bad boy thing has always felt like an act to me. You can just tell he's a genuinely nice person. No matter how many tattoos he gets or how much he cusses. He just has this really sweet vibe. I always pictured him as an over the top kind of a wussy boy and I think that might be accurate. LOL The only thing I am kind of surprised by is that he isn't a complainer. He just seems like a grandpa type complainer to me. So when Nick, I think? said he never complains, I was surprised by that. He did a lot of complaining when I talked to him at our hotel before the HHC event. He was pretty funny with his "I hate getting up at the crack of ass!" comments. lmao and how hot is was etc...
I also never thought Nick was stupid. I always got a sense he was smart but liked to 'act' dumb. You know those types? People who like to act like they don't know things they actually do? Still to this day, that Rosie interview where Nick claimed he never saw the Sound of Music and acted like he had no clue what anyone was talking about, still bugs me!! I do think like Julie said, he is lacking in the school smarts department, but I also think AJ is too. They both make me cringe sometimes lol
I think social media and more fan interactions really helped people see how much fun Howie is. He's hilarious, really. For his bowling thing, I had the opportunity to sit pretty much right next to him the whole time and he was cracking all these side jokes with his brother which were cracking me the hell up.
I think it's also helped Kevin too! But I do think the Kevin that left is not the same Kevin that returned, in a good way. He doesn't seem as uptight and more laid back. I think he really used to step up and take the leadership role back in the day even if someone else wanted it, but now it seems like even though he still has that kind of a hold on the guys, he's more willing to compromise and take a back seat.
I'm not sure if social media has hurt or helped Brian. lol I think his wife has more to do with that then he does though.
I think as a whole the one bad thing about social media and more fan interactions like VIP, the cruise etc... is that it gives the more unstable fans a feeling that they are actually friends with these people now. Just because the guys happen to recognize you doesn't make you their friend. It's no different then the waitress who knows what you want to eat because they've seen you in there that many times! It's a little unsettling but on the plus side, can lead to a lot of suspense type story plots! LOL
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I totes love your explanation Mare, all on point! Lol.
So, to continue with our convo, how much of you, the writer, goes into your stories? Like, as you're writing the boys, do you ever find yourself linking so much with a certain characteristic of one of the boys, that you write them doing something you had done, or saying something you would say, or creating a scene or situation that has happened in your life and just placing the guys in it? Lol. I know years before when I would write a lot, I'd think to myself "Oh, I'm going through this... I wonder what the guys would do if they were in my shoes." Lol.
Also, since we talked about most and least favorite character to read and write, do you think having commonalities with said member plays a role? Like Mare, you enjoy reading and writing Nick, is it because you find that you have more in common with him versus the other guys, or is it strictly because he's your fave?
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I think I put a lot of myself into my stories without even realizing I do. Many of the dream sequences I write about are dreams that I have actually had, like the singing gophers dressed as Elvis in "Shadow Woods" lol I know a lot of the dialogue I write especially for Nick, are things I would say if I were in 'his' shoes. Besides Mel's and it's sequels though, I don't think I've ever really used one of my real life situations in fanfic. Since most of what I write is suspense that's probably a good thing. lol Even my non suspense stuff though, just kind of stems from things I could picture them doing and not so much me, like fishing and camping etc... When it comes to writing about Nick and his need for the boys to be his family well...see answer below LOL
First of all, to answer your second question Reb, Nick is not my favorite. I know he might as well be, but he isn't. Kevin is my favorite Backstreet boy and personality wise, I am definitely closer to his than I am to Nick's. I would say I am a mix of Kevin and Howie in the personality department. I have been told I have 'the look' of my own! LOL
I relate the most to Nick however because of the utter and complete dysfunction of his family. It's so easy to just take my family life and his and intermingle them because I swear to God, we could be related. In fact, my mother was adopted and I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if she ended up being Jane's sister, seriously. I know if I was in the situation he was in, I would latch on to the guys and call them my family all the time too, credit them for raising me and looking up to them. I know people think it's a cop out answer for him, but understanding and relating to that feeling of needing role models, I totally know it's not. I latched onto my older college friends completely. I know it probably drove them crazy but I needed them to be the family I just didn't have.
Just like Nick, if I were to ever be married, I'm quite sure I wouldn't invite my mother to my wedding either. The only thing that seems different is I am very close to my sister, but who knows if given different circumstances, like the crap load of money they have, if that would be different.
I made my sister watch a few episodes of House of Carters with me one time and she said "Wow, they are the rich version of us!" LOL
So in a weird way, I feel so connected to Nick it makes it very easy to not only write him but read about him. And it's probably also why I feel the need to defend him when it comes to people dissing him when it comes to his family issues.
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You see, I didn't know all that! LOL. The only one I follow on Twitter is AJ, and I don't even really go on Twitter, hahaha!! And being that I've only ever met AJ and Brian, and it was that one time, it wasn't enough for me to really know much of anything, hahaha. I just remember AJ calling me sweetie (and sporting some hard nips when we took the pic, lmao) and Brian making a funny face in his pic; and when it was asked why he didn't make a funny face in a another pic, he replied with "Cause you didn't ask!" Lol.
But OMG, didn't know he replied with that on IG! LMAO!! Him and Kevin have this way of telling people off; it's so badass but makes you laugh cause you know that person they're talking to deserved it, lmao. Like that one interviewer that was asking a question and trying to insinuate that they were gay and ask if they do each other from behind or something, the other guys were trying to laugh it off uneasily; cause like seriously, how do you respond to that?! And Kevin responded as only Kevin could, with telling the guy "You can sit down!" Hahaha. Gotta love them Kentucky boys!
OMG, I remember that thing with Kevin; that was so funny!! Kevin is awesome. I've said it many times on here in the last year, but I appreciate him so much more since he's been back!! I think his personality and sense of humor come across better now that he's mellowed out, as Mare said. He seems to be having more fun and doesn't come across as such a hardass. He is still anal; I saw this firsthand at their first soundcheck party of the US tour last year in Chicago, which he treated like a SOUNDCHECK, not a party. The other guys just get up there and mess around, but Kevin was very serious about making sure the sound and his keyboard was right! LOL Which was awesome because we got like 5 songs out of it, whereas normally they sing 2-3. He still tells long, rambling stories, too, but I love those as well.
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LOL!!! That sounds like it was an interesting dream of singing gophers dressed like Elvis, lmao!!! I was re-reading one of my stories over, which helped to stem the question, cause I was like "Oh yeah, this scene was based off of my experience!" Like, with Last Christmas; the scene I wrote of Kevin being in the hospital with his gunshot wound and post surgery. Not saying I was ever shot, lmao, but I included what I did after my recent surgery during that time with Kevin.
I don't know if I had ever told you guys what the surgery was for, but I remember waking up from the anesthesia, still drugged out and slipping in and out of consciousness because I wasn't even wheeled back into my room, and I remember my throat being so parched and sore and having to pee, lmao. The nurse came up to me and was like "Welcome back, how are you feeling?" and I just remember saying that my throat was sore, that I had to pee, and repeating "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm tired and don't know what I'm doing!" LMAO!! Then, I remember lifting the collar of my gown up to look down at my chest and trying to see any scaring; I totally wrote Kevin doing that with his gunshot wound, lifting the collar of his hospital gown up to inspect any scaring. I also wrote the pain I had experience for Kevin as well... when they had wheeled me back to my room, and my mom had asked me how I was feeling, I just remember feeling this intense pressure on my chest, and heat... like a steam roller had rolled over my chest, lmao! Now, is that how a gunshot victim out of surgery from removing the bullet would feel like? Probably not, lmao, but my experience felt sort of revelatory, lmao!
And whyyyy oh whyyyy do I get those men mixed up for you?! LMAO! Just the other day, in another post I was like "you're a Kevin girl right?!" Hahahaha! I knew it, I was just testing you! ;) Bwahahaha!! And LMAO at you having your own look! That's like a DOE employee must... if I was your student Mare, I think your look would have probably scared me into being a straight-A student! Lmfao!!!
And omgosh girl, woooow; I would have never known! Thank you for sharing that with us, and I'm sorry if it struck up any feelings or anything. Yeah, Nick's whole family backstory and whatnot truly makes my heart ache for the guy. I may not know a lot of personal stuff about you, but to me, reading this, just like Nick, despite adversities, not really having that stable support system from the very ones who should be helping and guiding you along the way, your family, and just having to grow up way too fast beyond your years, you both had set out to make a name for yourself and stand on your own. It's easy for anyone that goes through that kind of situation of not having a home sweet home or a family to come home to to roll over and be like woe is me, I can't do anything because my family doesn't support me with anything, my home life sucks; not saying that those thoughts may have never entered the mind, but you both became your own person through your profession and... I don't wanna necessarily say "cut off", but stood apart and rose above the hand you were dealt.
It's a struggle trying to raise to the top of where you want to be or see yourself in life, but even moreso of a challenge when you don't have that extra push or set of helping hands from your family to support and help get you there. And just like with Nick, you can't help than to be proud of the person you've become.
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OMG, I remember that thing with Kevin; that was so funny!! Kevin is awesome. I've said it many times on here in the last year, but I appreciate him so much more since he's been back!! I think his personality and sense of humor come across better now that he's mellowed out, as Mare said. He seems to be having more fun and doesn't come across as such a hardass. He is still anal; I saw this firsthand at their first soundcheck party of the US tour last year in Chicago, which he treated like a SOUNDCHECK, not a party. The other guys just get up there and mess around, but Kevin was very serious about making sure the sound and his keyboard was right! LOL Which was awesome because we got like 5 songs out of it, whereas normally they sing 2-3. He still tells long, rambling stories, too, but I love those as well.
So true, loving this other side to him as well! It seemed as if, when he first returned tho, the boys were actually a little mellow, like "Damn, Kevin's back, we gotta be on our best behavior; we can't goof around, and we gotta let him be the spokesperson and let him answer all the questions seriously." I don't know if it was just me that felt that vibe with their first set of interviews when Kevin came back. But, seeing the recent videos of today, and seeing that Kevin is just as crazy as the rest of them, it's like he's truly glad to be back, and instead of being a 24/7 perfectionist that's serious all the time, he's actually enjoying it all and just living the moment.
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I totes love your explanation Mare, all on point! Lol.
So, to continue with our convo, how much of you, the writer, goes into your stories? Like, as you're writing the boys, do you ever find yourself linking so much with a certain characteristic of one of the boys, that you write them doing something you had done, or saying something you would say, or creating a scene or situation that has happened in your life and just placing the guys in it? Lol. I know years before when I would write a lot, I'd think to myself "Oh, I'm going through this... I wonder what the guys would do if they were in my shoes." Lol.
Also, since we talked about most and least favorite character to read and write, do you think having commonalities with said member plays a role? Like Mare, you enjoy reading and writing Nick, is it because you find that you have more in common with him versus the other guys, or is it strictly because he's your fave?
I am most similar, personality-wise, to Kevin and Howie, who are my least two favorite boys to write about. I really don't have much in common with Brian or Nick (except for stupid things, like liking cheese pizza and The Walking Dead LOL), but those are my boys. I don't know if it's a case of "opposites attract" or if it's more just that I've always gone against the "Write what you know" mantra. I think writing what you know is boring.
That said, I definitely do put some of myself into my stories. There are female characters that I've put a lot of myself into, and I've also based characters and settings on people and places in my real life. As far as Backstreet Boys go, though, I see myself mostly in the way I've written Nick over the last decade. My Nick from 10+ years ago is very different from the way I write Nick now. I used to write Nick as very insecure and emo, always on the verge of wanting to end it all. I don't know if that's because I really saw him that way or because I'd seen him written that way in other fanfics or because that's how *I* was, but I think it's probably a combination of all three. The biggest example of this is in Broken, which I wrote in 2003-2004. I really do think it had to have been some insecurity that led to the questionable choices real life Nick made during that era (the ghetto fab phase, dating Paris Hilton, etc.), but I was also pretty insecure and still trying to figure out who I was and how much of myself I wanted to share with people back then. I was a drama queen, as many teenage girls are, and you definitely see that in my writing.
My Nick now is much more confident and self-assured, and that's mainly because real life Nick seems much more confident and happy with himself, but again, it also kind of mirrors my life because I am a lot more settled and at peace with myself than I was ten years ago. I don't really have anything more in common with Nick than that, but I do think it makes it easier to write him that way. I feel like we kind of grew up together.
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So true, loving this other side to him as well! It seemed as if, when he first returned tho, the boys were actually a little mellow, like "Damn, Kevin's back, we gotta be on our best behavior; we can't goof around, and we gotta let him be the spokesperson and let him answer all the questions seriously." I don't know if it was just me that felt that vibe with their first set of interviews when Kevin came back. But, seeing the recent videos of today, and seeing that Kevin is just as crazy as the rest of them, it's like he's truly glad to be back, and instead of being a 24/7 perfectionist that's serious all the time, he's actually enjoying it all and just living the moment.
Yeah! I went to one of the after parties last year, and Kevin was the first one out on the floor, dancing and taking pictures with the fans. He was so chill and just looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself. Not at all what I would have expected from Kevin ten years ago, but I also think Kevin's always had a tendency to be stereotyped as a hardass. He obviously has that side and probably needed to use it more back in the day, but I think he's always had a good sense of humor and stuff too.
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And whyyyy oh whyyyy do I get those men mixed up for you?! LMAO! Just the other day, in another post I was like "you're a Kevin girl right?!" Hahahaha! I knew it, I was just testing you! ;) Bwahahaha!! And LMAO at you having your own look! That's like a DOE employee must... if I was your student Mare, I think your look would have probably scared me into being a straight-A student! Lmfao!!!
And omgosh girl, woooow; I would have never known! Thank you for sharing that with us, and I'm sorry if it struck up any feelings or anything. Yeah, Nick's whole family backstory and whatnot truly makes my heart ache for the guy. I may not know a lot of personal stuff about you, but to me, reading this, just like Nick, despite adversities, not really having that stable support system from the very ones who should be helping and guiding you along the way, your family, and just having to grow up way too fast beyond your years, you both had set out to make a name for yourself and stand on your own. It's easy for anyone that goes through that kind of situation of not having a home sweet home or a family to come home to to roll over and be like woe is me, I can't do anything because my family doesn't support me with anything, my home life sucks; not saying that those thoughts may have never entered the mind, but you both became your own person through your profession and... I don't wanna necessarily say "cut off", but stood apart and rose above the hand you were dealt.
It's a struggle trying to raise to the top of where you want to be or see yourself in life, but even moreso of a challenge when you don't have that extra push or set of helping hands from your family to support and help get you there. And just like with Nick, you can't help than to be proud of the person you've become.
Yes, my students have told me I have one of those looks. "Uh oh you're making her mad, she's giving you her look!" LOL
And no worries, you didn't make me bring up anything that hasn't been brought up before. I'm pretty sure everyone on the board knows about my dysfunctional family. Thank you for saying all that though, it means a lot. I do feel like, considering all the crap I've gone through that I made it out relatively okay.
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I think when i write i relate to Nick more. Which is probably why I like him so much. We kinda have the same personalities but not really. I feel i have more in common with him or Brian than anyone else in the group.
I can relate to his family...well sorta. My parents were never home or around. I had a hard time in school and was bullied and no one did anything about it. Teachers included. So i went through my entire school career feeling like no one ever gave a flying fluck. It was hard. I still suffer from it today. I have many issues and I hate it. I wonder some days how Art puts up with my craziness!!!
Writing fanfiction is my only way to escape i guess.
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Here is a question. I dont know why I was thinking this, but I was feeding the chickens this morning and i was like wouldnt it be funny to put one of the guys completely out of their element. Like plop one of them some where, where you wouldnt think they would ever want to go. Like for example AJ...I couldnt see him be on a farm, but it would be quite amusing to see lol.
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I have a story like that, where Nick ends up living with the Amish. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turns out I don't really enjoy writing about the Amish LOL. But maybe if it was something I was more familiar with myself, it would be more fun to write. Like, I don't know if you actually live on a farm or just have chickens, but because you do have them, you would be great at writing something like that you described!
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i have 5 acres of land in the middle of nowhere lol. I have 60 something chickens.. three rabbits who just had babies..three dogs and 2 cats lol...might as well be a farm lol.
I live close to the Amish too like 8 miles away. I thought about a story like that but didnt feel like doing a whole bunch of research since there is so much about the Amish...and some are different than the others.
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The thought of AJ on a farm would be pretty funny! Actually any of them on a farm I couldn't really picture.
I haven't ever really thought about doing anything like that because I'm not sure I would be interested in reading anything like that.
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Oh wow! That's awesome. Yeah, definitely, it has taken a ton of research.
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its defiantly different lol. I am originally from the city of Tacoma (by Seattle) so going from that to the middle of nowhere has been interesting. My parents laugh when I post pictures of my chickens and stuff on Facebook.
I guess maybe a farm was a bad example I just threw it out there since I was feeding chickens lol. But anything that you think you couldnt picture them doing. It could be anything really.
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another question popped into my head lol. Have you ever thought of a plot that you thought was going to be fantastic and then thought it just wasn't a good idea in the end?
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its defiantly different lol. I am originally from the city of Tacoma (by Seattle) so going from that to the middle of nowhere has been interesting. My parents laugh when I post pictures of my chickens and stuff on Facebook.
I guess maybe a farm was a bad example I just threw it out there since I was feeding chickens lol. But anything that you think you couldnt picture them doing. It could be anything really.
Oh, I know. I was just saying that I don't think I would ever put them in a situation where they wouldn't fit into because I personally wouldn't be interested in reading something like that. I tend to write only things that I would be interested in reading, selfishly lol
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its defiantly different lol. I am originally from the city of Tacoma (by Seattle) so going from that to the middle of nowhere has been interesting. My parents laugh when I post pictures of my chickens and stuff on Facebook.
I guess maybe a farm was a bad example I just threw it out there since I was feeding chickens lol. But anything that you think you couldnt picture them doing. It could be anything really.
I know what you mean. I had an idea once where Nick decided to go to college (cause he used to talk about how he wanted to do that), which would be out of his element (except for the drinking and partying). I never wrote it because I figured I would get bored with it, but it's always interesting to envision the guys in different settings.
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another question popped into my head lol. Have you ever thought of a plot that you thought was going to be fantastic and then thought it just wasn't a good idea in the end?
There have been many! They almost never make their way on the site though because I don't bother writing them. The one I have on the site that falls into this category is my story "Comedy of Errors." I thought it was going to be a great idea to write a story completely backwards starting with the ending and ending with the beginning but it was the hardest thing I have ever written! LOL I don't recommend it!
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Oh, I know. I was just saying that I don't think I would ever put them in a situation where they wouldn't fit into because I personally wouldn't be interested in reading something like that. I tend to write only things that I would be interested in reading, selfishly lol
LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
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another question popped into my head lol. Have you ever thought of a plot that you thought was going to be fantastic and then thought it just wasn't a good idea in the end?
I have a couple but I am pretty sure people already know my answer.
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LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
I think that I'm pretty selfish in the sense that I only want to write stories that I want to read. If I have to write it, edit it, fix it, proof it, etc. then it better be something that I enjoy reading back over and over again. Let's face it, as a writer, I don't want to bore myself. LOL Besides, if I find a story boring and/or "unreadable" then I would tend to think that nobody else would want to read it either.
I really like to read medical dramas, but I would never write one. The thought of doing all that research in order to make sure that everything is accurate makes me want to run and hide!
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LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
Eh not really. I will read just about anything as far as fanfiction goes. If the summary sounds interesting i will give it a shot most of the time. I am really into romance stories...so i tend to write a lot of them. I cant seem to escape from it lol.
And as far as writing a story that I would probably never read i dont think i have one or can think of one off the top of my head.
Like i have a plot right now but I just changed it cause I had it all figured out in my head but then i realized it probably wasn't a smart idea to promote teenage pregnancy so i quickly changed the ages and will have to rework the first chapter before i post it lol. I couldnt believe I even thought about writing such a story lol. They will be young but not the age of 16 lol.
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another question popped into my head lol. Have you ever thought of a plot that you thought was going to be fantastic and then thought it just wasn't a good idea in the end?
The Amish story I mentioned, Guilty Roads. The story itself is good enough so far, I guess, but the idea itself is so flawed that I've had a really hard time continuing it.
That's the only one I've written "recently" that has made it far enough to actually get posted before I started second-guessing it, but of course I have started stories or at least written down ideas that I haven't done anything with. And there are several stories I wrote back in the day that I look at now and go, "Now why did I think that was a good idea??"
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LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
I do write the stories I would prefer to read because I have to read it a thousand times in order to edit it! I don't know about you guys and this would probably be a good question as well, but before I post a chapter it has been read at least ten times to make sure I don't want to make any last minute changes and fix mistakes I might have missed the other nine times! So, in order to write the best I can, I make sure I want to read the final product. If I don't want to read it, I shouldn't expect anybody else to.
No to the second question. I pretty much write what I like to read and skip what I don't. lol
And yes! I don't know if I would have read "It Stays With You" because it was too disturbing for me, the reader! And was Brian centered. LOL I probably would have skipped my romance too because it was a romance but at least it didn't have a banner. There's probably a whole boatload of short stories I would have skipped as well. Especially the ones I wrote for challenge purposes.
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Okay so the editing question - how do you go about editing your chapters before you post them?
Do you have someone else beta read them? Or do you do it yourself or do you not bother at all and just wing it?
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The Amish story I mentioned, Guilty Roads. The story itself is good enough so far, I guess, but the idea itself is so flawed that I've had a really hard time continuing it.
That's the only one I've written "recently" that has made it far enough to actually get posted before I started second-guessing it, but of course I have started stories or at least written down ideas that I haven't done anything with. And there are several stories I wrote back in the day that I look at now and go, "Now why did I think that was a good idea??"
Poor shot in the head, Kevin. :( lol
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LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
I do write the kind of stories I like to read, which are mainly medical dramas.
I also love suspense, but I don't write much of it anymore. I have tried, and most of my attempts have not turned out very good. I just struggle with that genre for some reason, which is sad because I really love it, as do a lot of other readers!
I know I would never click on 00Carter if I weren't a part of writing it. The spy stuff doesn't interest me, and I don't read a lot of comedy fanfic, unless we're talking those old-school parodies that just made fun of the Boys. But of course, by judging it by its cover, I would be missing out on a very entertaining story! ;) Other than that, I would probably read everything I've written, as long as I had some idea of what it was about going in.
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Oooh, I like medical dramas too and I would never write one because of the same reasons Erika mentioned but I'm also kind of picky with those too.
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Okay so the editing question - how do you go about editing your chapters before you post them?
Do you have someone else beta read them? Or do you do it yourself or do you not bother at all and just wing it?
I edit the best that i can. Which is why I write the chapters on paper and then when I type them I edit as i type. Probably a bad idea but I have no one else to read them for me before I post them. Art used to but then he quit. He probably got tried of reading about Nick lol.
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Okay so the editing question - how do you go about editing your chapters before you post them?
Do you have someone else beta read them? Or do you do it yourself or do you not bother at all and just wing it?
I do all of the editing myself. The only person who knows that I write fanfic is my husband, and his grammar skills are disastrous so he would be no help to my anyways. LOL
Like Mare, I probably read a chapter obsessively before I post it. However, that probably leads me to miss a bunch of little things because you tend not to see your mistakes the more you read things over.
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Another question that is purely selfish at the moment. lol
Would it be okay to go back and add something into a story you are currently posting as long as it has no affect on the actual plot? For instance one of my biggest regrets for Secrets is the fact that I didn't title each chapter. I LOVE doing that and it's kind of been my trademark but when I posted the very first chapter, I couldn't for the life of me come up with a title. Since then, I find myself groaning every time I post because I ALWAYS went to add a title on to the chapter! Is it too late to start doing that? Or should I just leave it the way it is? I was thinking of going back and just adding a title onto each chapter. Thoughts? Have any of you done anything like that?
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Okay so the editing question - how do you go about editing your chapters before you post them?
Do you have someone else beta read them? Or do you do it yourself or do you not bother at all and just wing it?
I edit them myself. I do a lot of editing as I go, so by the time I finish, all I need to do is proofread to catch typos and such. I usually read over the chapter once when I finish and then wait at least a day or so before I post it so I can read it again with fresh eyes. I find more mistakes when I do that than if I proofread and post right away. Sometimes I still miss things! My eyes will slide right over missing words because, obviously, I know what I meant LOL. That's where having a beta reader would come in handy.
I will say, I have been staying at least several chapters ahead of what's posted with Sick as My Secrets, and that has been awesome because it gives me so much more time to go back and edit before I post chapters. I end up reading the chapters way more than my usual two or three times before I post them. It took a lot of willpower in the beginning because I wrote the first eighteen chapters before I posted anything, and I was absolutely DYING to share, but waiting has been worth it. I will have to remember that next time I start a new story!
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I do all of the editing myself. The only person who knows that I write fanfic is my husband, and his grammar skills are disastrous so he would be no help to my anyways. LOL
Like Mare, I probably read a chapter obsessively before I post it. However, that probably leads me to miss a bunch of little things because you tend not to see your mistakes the more you read things over.
What's helped me with that is, I leave it completely alone until right before I post it. I notice that's when I catch all the tiny mistakes I missed before. I'm' sure even after doing that, there will still be mistakes. lol
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I edit them myself. I do a lot of editing as I go, so by the time I finish, all I need to do is proofread to catch typos and such. I usually read over the chapter once when I finish and then wait at least a day or so before I post it so I can read it again with fresh eyes. I find more mistakes when I do that than if I proofread and post right away. Sometimes I still miss things! My eyes will slide right over missing words because, obviously, I know what I meant LOL. That's where having a beta reader would come in handy.
I will say, I have been staying at least several chapters ahead of what's posted with Sick as My Secrets, and that has been awesome because it gives me so much more time to go back and edit before I post chapters. I end up reading the chapters way more than my usual two or three times before I post them. It took a lot of willpower in the beginning because I wrote the first eighteen chapters before I posted anything, and I was absolutely DYING to share, but waiting has been worth it. I will have to remember that next time I start a new story!
That is exactly why I always make sure I write ahead of myself before I post as well. It's nice not having to rush and knowing I have time to let the chapter sit, sometimes for weeks before I have to read it again with a fresh pair of eyes. It also helps if I decide I want to change something. I love doing things this way. I have done this for years now and it's awesome and most importantly there's continuity in posting and therefore it helps readers stick with it and appreciate it more.
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to answer Mare's other question there are A LOT of things I wish I could have added into stories and such. I am just too lazy to go and do anything about it LOL.
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I edit the best that i can. Which is why I write the chapters on paper and then when I type them I edit as i type. Probably a bad idea but I have no one else to read them for me before I post them. Art used to but then he quit. He probably got tried of reading about Nick lol.
I think that's a good idea because at least it gets you to look at each chapter twice. I don't have the patience to write on paper, but like I said, I like to edit as I go, and that's a lot easier to do on the computer. It would drive my little OCD self nuts to see all the cross-outs and arrows there would be if I did it in paper, but mostly the reason I don't write on paper is because I'm a lot slower at it, and it makes my hand hurt LOL. I sound like one of my students, but it's true!
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Another question that is purely selfish at the moment. lol
Would it be okay to go back and add something into a story you are currently posting as long as it has no affect on the actual plot? For instance one of my biggest regrets for Secrets is the fact that I didn't title each chapter. I LOVE doing that and it's kind of been my trademark but when I posted the very first chapter, I couldn't for the life of me come up with a title. Since then, I find myself groaning every time I post because I ALWAYS went to add a title on to the chapter! Is it too late to start doing that? Or should I just leave it the way it is? I was thinking of going back and just adding a title onto each chapter. Thoughts? Have any of you done anything like that?
I don't think that there is any harm in going back and adding titles to your chapters. Like you said, it won't really have any impact on the plot. It will probably drive you crazy if you don't do it, so you might as well do it now. :P
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Another question that is purely selfish at the moment. lol
Would it be okay to go back and add something into a story you are currently posting as long as it has no affect on the actual plot? For instance one of my biggest regrets for Secrets is the fact that I didn't title each chapter. I LOVE doing that and it's kind of been my trademark but when I posted the very first chapter, I couldn't for the life of me come up with a title. Since then, I find myself groaning every time I post because I ALWAYS went to add a title on to the chapter! Is it too late to start doing that? Or should I just leave it the way it is? I was thinking of going back and just adding a title onto each chapter. Thoughts? Have any of you done anything like that?
I think adding something like chapter titles that doesn't change the plot of the story itself would be okay. I'm not a fan of authors going back to change stuff in the actual story (other than editing for typos and grammar errors, etc.) after the fact. Once it's online and other people have read it, I consider it published, and it shouldn't be changed. It's like George Lucas going back and adding/changing things to the Star Wars movies. No! Stop that! Just leave them alone.
What about taking things out? When I moved my site to Wordpress and had to re-post all my stories over there, I took out all the song lyrics from Broken and By My Side because I thought they were cheesy. I left the original versions online just in case anyone noticed and complained, but so far no one has. It doesn't change the actual story, and I think it makes the flow a lot better to not have it interrupted by random Ricky Martin and Nickelback lyrics LOL, but I have always made a point to leave my old stuff online so it can be preserved, as is.
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I think when i write i relate to Nick more. Which is probably why I like him so much. We kinda have the same personalities but not really. I feel i have more in common with him or Brian than anyone else in the group.
I can relate to his family...well sorta. My parents were never home or around. I had a hard time in school and was bullied and no one did anything about it. Teachers included. So i went through my entire school career feeling like no one ever gave a flying fluck. It was hard. I still suffer from it today. I have many issues and I hate it. I wonder some days how Art puts up with my craziness!!!
Writing fanfiction is my only way to escape i guess.
Aww damn hun, I'm sorry to hear that you went through that. :( But, it's up to us to take what we've been through and either have it help to make us the person we want to be, or have us continue to be the victim. With what I've read from you, having your significant other and all, you refused to be the latter, which I applaud you hun. :)
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I think that my answer is the same for when it comes to taking things out: as long as it doesn't change the plot then I don't see any harm in doing it. If taking something out actually improves the story then it was a good call in my mind.
FYI, the idea of Ricky Martin song lyrics showing up in the middle of a story made me laugh. If it had been any other artist other than Ricky Martin I probably wouldn't have even chuckled, but I honestly cannot even look at that man without cracking up! (Although, I have no idea why I find the idea of him so hilarious.)
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I don't think that there is any harm in going back and adding titles to your chapters. Like you said, it won't really have any impact on the plot. It will probably drive you crazy if you don't do it, so you might as well do it now. :P
You are correct, so by the next update there will probably be titled chapters. LOL
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I think that's a good idea because at least it gets you to look at each chapter twice. I don't have the patience to write on paper, but like I said, I like to edit as I go, and that's a lot easier to do on the computer. It would drive my little OCD self nuts to see all the cross-outs and arrows there would be if I did it in paper, but mostly the reason I don't write on paper is because I'm a lot slower at it, and it makes my hand hurt LOL. I sound like one of my students, but it's true!
I am hoping to get a tablet for my birthday and I will do everything from it. I only write on paper mostly cause I can take that anywhere I want to go. I can't really take my computer since its stationary lol. I am hoping to get the tablet with word or office on it. We shall see!
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I don't think I've ever taken things out of one of my stories. But I don't usually include lyrics. I think that would be the only example that would work.
I'm not a big fan of the redo thing either. I also feel like once something is posted, leave it alone! No sense in beating a dead horse unless it's just to make you happy. I don't like when people decide to fix or change their old stories and then get all annoyed when you aren't willing to reread it. LOL It's like "I read it already, I liked it the first time so why would I read it again?" Or "If I didn't like it before why would you think I'd like it now? Is it really that different?"
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Aww damn hun, I'm sorry to hear that you went through that. :( But, it's up to us to take what we've been through and either have it help to make us the person we want to be, or have us continue to be the victim. With what I've read from you, having your significant other and all, you refused to be the latter, which I applaud you hun. :)
Its hard but I have changed not a whole hell of a lot. I am trying to get out of a depression by myself and the writing seems to help. I am not as depressed i was when I first started writing again almost two years ago.
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I was also bullied growing up, but there was a time that I unfortunately became the bully as well. I was teased for the color of my skin, being fat and a tomboy growing up. Then I had that stupid thought, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" and bullied these two kids for a while, but right after, I felt horrible and started talking to them and would stick up for those who were bullied.
I guess I find myself relating more to AJ, and slightly Brian. I always found myself relating to AJ because, although I wasn't the only child growing up, I dealt with the fact of being the oddball, not really knowing where or how to fit in, vying for attention. Growing up, I suffered from the "middle child syndrome", feeling alone and isolated and misunderstood; it was almost as if I felt like I was an only child, but I would vie for my parents' attention. To me, my siblings got most of the attention because my sister was the oldest and would be the first for everything (graduate, marry, etc.), then my second youngest brother has ADHD, so of course he required the attention, and then my youngest brother would need attention by default because he was the baby. Then you just had me, the second oldest, that felt like I was just there.
I too was in to performing arts in elementary, figured it was a way for me to receive attention and a way for me to stand out and apart from my siblings. I remember fondly of a time when my sister was performing in a talent show the same day I had to give a school presentation; I was nervous and excited for my presentation and tried so hard to get my mom to recognize what I had to do that day, but her attention was on my sister and her upcoming performance and how proud she was of her. Needless to say, that was one of the many days that scarred my little heart, lmao.
But, just like AJ, I grew up with this need to stand out and apart, and garner attention all my own. I had that rebellious stage in my life where I'd constantly wear bandanas to school (fuck that it was contraband, lol), I'd wear things that you wouldn't find females wearing, I'd drench myself in accessories and chains and just have this... painstaking style that no one walked around with, but I stood out. Of course, looking back, I was like "ugh, what were you thinking?!" Lmao. Then, around high school, I decided I wanted to get tattoos and piercings to help personify that I was this badass that people wouldn't want to mess with. Next thing you know, I've got six tattoos, a pierced lip, a pierced tongue, etc. Knowing that my mom wasn't for me getting it was what helped drive me to do it, lol.
The whole Brian part comes with my faith. Just like how we talked about how Brian is strong with his faith, but he's also very human is exactly how I am, lol. I go to church, do church things, but I swear like a freaking sailor and I preach about God with my tattoos and piercings; a place that tells you to treat your body like a temple, lol. I remember being at church one night, and this lady saying that I was a bad person because of all my tattoos and piercings. I mean sure, back then I did it to be purely a rebel and put on this front, but it didn't define who I really was. Going back to AJ, I'm a complete pushover as well, lmao!! I don't know what is with the need of some nice people to front that they're a bad boy/bad girl; guess that when we're so nice and get constantly taken advantage of, we create ourselves to be this person you don't want to mess with initially because we don't have the strength or the heart to actually push people away. We're completely fine letting people walk all over us, use us, take our kindness and walk away... all to ensure happiness of others. Being that I felt isolated and alone, I loved the attention I'd get by ensuring the happiness of others, even if it left me unhappy. Case in point, back in elementary, I'd ask my mom to let me take snacks to school because that was the only time my classmates would talk to me, LMAO!! Sharing my snacks with them during recess gave me attention from them and made me feel popular, only if briefly, lmao!!!
To this day, I still try to put on this front of being someone that I'm truly not deep down; guess I still need or want this hard exterior to protect the soft interior, lol. I'm non-confrontational as well, being a Libra you seek out to make things right or balanced or just, but I'm a verbal fighter, and I'd always speak out for others, never really myself for the sake of not wanting to hurt people's feelings or avoid confrontation. But as of lately, I've been finding and realizing that it's okay to speak up for yourself and I've been doing that, feeling very feisty, lmao! I'm beginning to let people know that they should NEVER take my kindness for my weakness, because push me far enough, and I will bite, lol.
Sorry for my novel and still on our other questions from posts before; I go to reply and next thing you know, there are 14 new replies! LMAO!!!
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Here is a question. I dont know why I was thinking this, but I was feeding the chickens this morning and i was like wouldnt it be funny to put one of the guys completely out of their element. Like plop one of them some where, where you wouldnt think they would ever want to go. Like for example AJ...I couldnt see him be on a farm, but it would be quite amusing to see lol.
LOL!!! Funny you should mention that, because I figured, if I stick around long enough, and the fandom and muse doesn't wane from me again so soon, I'd be interested in writing a fic, basing it off their answers to the question "what would you be doing if you weren't a Backstreet Boy?" Not gonna lie, I totes envisioned AJ as a firefighter when he said that, and was laughing my ass off when Nick and Brian were impersonating how he'd be as a firefighter, lmao!!
I mean, I started an AU story of the guys being police officers that took in an orphaned Nick and has set to help him become a cop himself to help put away the guys who killed his family (inspired by the movie The Professional), but it's a challenge thinking of how I'd group a teacher, a fisher, a pilot, a firefighter, and whatever it was that Howie would be doing together, lol. It'd be interesting, but pulling it off would be the challenge.
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I have a story like that, where Nick ends up living with the Amish. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turns out I don't really enjoy writing about the Amish LOL. But maybe if it was something I was more familiar with myself, it would be more fun to write. Like, I don't know if you actually live on a farm or just have chickens, but because you do have them, you would be great at writing something like that you described!
OMG, I remember reading that story! And as much as I had no freaking clue about the amish, besides the obvious, the story still intrigued me enough to read it! Lol. But yeah, feel ya'll on the research, lol. For me personally, I feel like no matter how much research I do on a certain thing, I still couldn't do it justice unless I know or experience it first hand... not saying I'm gonna go get into an accident, or kidnapped, or stabbed or shot or something, lmao. But... ya'll know what I mean, does that make sense? LOL.
another question popped into my head lol. Have you ever thought of a plot that you thought was going to be fantastic and then thought it just wasn't a good idea in the end?
LMAO!!! All. The. Time. That was my biggest problem, since I'm not an organized writer, I'd start off with an idea, have ideas flying out of my ass and figure I'm going somewhere with this, but then my minds fucks me over and decides to think of something else to twist the plot. Case in point, my Last Christmas story. The idea was it be almost like a Bonnie and Clyde-esque story, but when I was left with these questions like why, how, what else would happen, my mind thought to twist it into something else that would build it more, and when I read through it again, the flow was just not there cause I could see where my mind had changed, lmao.
Now it's like I have these ideas, but I think *insert author's name* would be better at writing and executing it.
LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
Everyone knows my answer to my first question, lmao. I think there is that tendency for reasons people have stated; I'd want to write something that I'd enjoy reading, I'm so selfish, hahaha.
I think I've dabbled a bit into the kinds of stories I like to read, with the exception of maybe... sci-fi? I don't normally read sci-fi fics, but there were a few good ones I found that held my attention.
Not so much that I'd never read, but just read it over and thought "well... this was stupid!" lmao!!
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AJ said he'd be a firefighter? I made him a firefighter! Yay me!! lol
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Here's a question, how do you guys come up with your summaries? Is there a process? Like, do you normally take an excerpt from your story and have it be the summary or whatever? Summaries are quite tricky because it's like you want to be vague as to not give away your plot, but at the same time peak the interest of potential readers and grab their attention.
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AJ said he'd be a firefighter? I made him a firefighter! Yay me!! lol
Ooooh my, you didn't see that soundcheck vid?! LMAO!! It was sooo hilarious, I kept watching it over; I'll find it and post it in here. When AJ said that, Brian was kinda in shock like really dude, and AJ, being AJ was like "yeah, when I was younger, but when I realized how dangerous it was that went right out the door!" which totally validates how AJ is slightly prissy, lmao!! Nick had then asked the audience if they could imagine AJ as a firefighter, and both he and Brian were impersonating how he'd be saving someone, lmfao, it was freaking hilarious!!
And yes, yayyy you!! Totally remember and loved that story; you wrote a hot AJ in that one, lmao!! Seriously one of my fave fics to read over and over! ^_^
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No I never saw that video. There was quite a while where I didn't even bother watching concert footage or soundcheck vids because they just depressed me. lol
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No I never saw that video. There was quite a while where I didn't even bother watching concert footage or soundcheck vids because they just depressed me. lol
Aww, why did it depress you? :(
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Here's a question, how do you guys come up with your summaries? Is there a process? Like, do you normally take an excerpt from your story and have it be the summary or whatever? Summaries are quite tricky because it's like you want to be vague as to not give away your plot, but at the same time peak the interest of potential readers and grab their attention.
I have missed a lot of questions LOL but I'll answer this one! I write out my summary like six times in that "notes" document I previously mentioned for every story. First I write out what the story is actually about and then I change it and change it and stylize it to add a bit of ambiguity or whatever until I'm satisfied with it.
Though lately when I post, I post my vague summary and then underneath I do a "AKA the one where Nick falls into a lake and Brian has to save him." so it's clear what the story is actually about.
As for the beta reader question earlier, I send all of my chapters to my friend who reads them over. She doesn't traditionally beta them though, she tells me what she likes and maybe a comment about what I should add but doesn't fix typos or anything. I recently had something of mine fully beta read and it was AWESOME. She went through every sentence (which was a feat because it was 25,000 words) and fixed things, added things, gave little suggestion notes on what she thought I could expand on. The story is so much stronger for it and I find myself remembering her suggestions and incorporating them into the stuff I'm writing now. I wish I could send her everything I write LOL.
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I think that my answer is the same for when it comes to taking things out: as long as it doesn't change the plot then I don't see any harm in doing it. If taking something out actually improves the story then it was a good call in my mind.
FYI, the idea of Ricky Martin song lyrics showing up in the middle of a story made me laugh. If it had been any other artist other than Ricky Martin I probably wouldn't have even chuckled, but I honestly cannot even look at that man without cracking up! (Although, I have no idea why I find the idea of him so hilarious.)
I know, right? That's why I used him as an example. I still love me some Livin' La Vida Loca, but as far as putting his lyrics in a story, why???
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Here's the soundcheck video of what they'd be if they weren't Backstreet Boys, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWfUzFnn054
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Ooooh my, you didn't see that soundcheck vid?! LMAO!! It was sooo hilarious, I kept watching it over; I'll find it and post it in here. When AJ said that, Brian was kinda in shock like really dude, and AJ, being AJ was like "yeah, when I was younger, but when I realized how dangerous it was that went right out the door!" which totally validates how AJ is slightly prissy, lmao!! Nick had then asked the audience if they could imagine AJ as a firefighter, and both he and Brian were impersonating how he'd be saving someone, lmfao, it was freaking hilarious!!
And yes, yayyy you!! Totally remember and loved that story; you wrote a hot AJ in that one, lmao!! Seriously one of my fave fics to read over and over! ^_^
I haven't seen that one either! That is so random; I wouldn't have expected AJ to say a firefighter. Not sure what I would have expected him to say, though. Kevin wanting to be a pilot and Brian wanting to be a teacher are expected, and I've heard them give those answers to that question before. When I write AUs where they have different jobs, I usually make Brian either a teacher or a minister (LOL), and Kevin is usually some kind of pilot. Howie usually ends up being a businessman, so I'm curious to know what he actually said he would do.
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Thanks for sharing that link!
LOL at Nick: "Maybe a captain of a ship... ya know, uh, going and fishing for... fish... in Florida..." And he doesn't get why the girls started laughing at him.
OMG, you were right, the impressions of AJ being a firefighter are hilarious!
That's so funny; Brian has had the same basic answer to that question since at least 1999. I remember on that Millennium special they did on MTV, he said he would have been a gym teacher LOL. I guess he really meant it. He would make a great music teacher too. <3
That's so funny when Kevin was like, "You sound just like your dad."
OMG, Howie wanted to be a doctor?! I never would have guessed that! Wow, I may be writing some more Howie stories after this one's over! Dr. Dorough... it has a nice ring!
And Kevin being a carpenter if he wasn't a pilot... that is hot, too. I can just picture him on a hot day, no shirt, pounding some nails with his big ol' hammer... hehehe.
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Maybe someday I'll write that Brian/Howie story that everyone thinks would be such a snoozefest, and I'll make it an AU, and Brian will be a teacher, and Howie be a doctor, and I will be the female love interest who has to choose between the cute teacher and the rich doctor, and no one else will want to read it, but I will sure enjoy writing it! LMAO
I'm kidding... maybe.
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I haven't seen that one either! That is so random; I wouldn't have expected AJ to say a firefighter. Not sure what I would have expected him to say, though. Kevin wanting to be a pilot and Brian wanting to be a teacher are expected, and I've heard them give those answers to that question before. When I write AUs where they have different jobs, I usually make Brian either a teacher or a minister (LOL), and Kevin is usually some kind of pilot. Howie usually ends up being a businessman, so I'm curious to know what he actually said he would do.
LOL, yeah. I mean, like you said, they've answered those questions before, but I've heard AJ say a pro golfer or something; but his answer also sound like eh, can't think of anything, so I'll just say that. But it was funny to even see Brian shocked with his answer of wanting to be a firefighter... goes to show you there's perhaps still some small things that they don't exactly know about each other. At first I thought maybe AJ was just making that up, but his answer seemed about right... with having an interest in something before, and losing it when he realized how dangerous it was or whatever. Like I said, he's an adorable priss! LOL.
Thanks for sharing that link!
LOL at Nick: "Maybe a captain of a ship... ya know, uh, going and fishing for... fish... in Florida..." And he doesn't get why the girls started laughing at him.
OMG, you were right, the impressions of AJ being a firefighter are hilarious!
That's so funny; Brian has had the same basic answer to that question since at least 1999. I remember on that Millennium special they did on MTV, he said he would have been a gym teacher LOL. I guess he really meant it. He would make a great music teacher too. <3
That's so funny when Kevin was like, "You sound just like your dad."
OMG, Howie wanted to be a doctor?! I never would have guessed that! Wow, I may be writing some more Howie stories after this one's over! Dr. Dorough... it has a nice ring!
And Kevin being a carpenter if he wasn't a pilot... that is hot, too. I can just picture him on a hot day, no shirt, pounding some nails with his big ol' hammer... hehehe.
Yeah, loved the way Nick was like "why ya'll laughing? You guys don't believe me?!" LOL. He's just too adorbs!! And that's right, Howie said he'd be a doctor; even their impressions of Dr. Dorough was hilarious, lmao! It all seems so fitting; now I'm totally determined to write a fic of them on those career paths.
And not gonna lie, your last statement made me laugh, but gave me a nice visual. LOL!!! Carpenter Kev is a very nice visual... like, lumberjack-esque looking, buttoned-down plaid shirt, wielding an axe kind of carpenter. LMFAO!!!
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LOL, yeah. I mean, like you said, they've answered those questions before, but I've heard AJ say a pro golfer or something; but his answer also sound like eh, can't think of anything, so I'll just say that. But it was funny to even see Brian shocked with his answer of wanting to be a firefighter... goes to show you there's perhaps still some small things that they don't exactly know about each other. At first I thought maybe AJ was just making that up, but his answer seemed about right... with having an interest in something before, and losing it when he realized how dangerous it was or whatever. Like I said, he's an adorable priss! LOL.
The firefighter thing is such a little boy thing to say! I mean, some little boys obviously do grow up to be firefighters, and thank god for them, but it seems like all boys want to be firemen or cops or soldiers at some point, and most of them grow out of it when they realize, like AJ, how dangerous it is. I wouldn't even want to be married to a fireman, cop, or soldier because of how dangerous it is, let alone be one myself!
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Aww, why did it depress you? :(
Because I couldn't afford to do the tour at all and I had my heart set on it and the first leg they were pretty close by but I couldn't go. I was heart broken. The second leg they came pretty close too but I still couldn't swing that and a vacation so I chose Buffalo instead. Maybe I'll be able to go next time.
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Not to sound like the stereotypical summary person but I really suck at summaries! It's the MOST difficult part of the writing process for me and sometimes the only thing that prevents me from being able to actually post the first chapter of something. To try to figure out exactly what to say without being too vague or giving too much away is hard as hell.
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Maybe someday I'll write that Brian/Howie story that everyone thinks would be such a snoozefest, and I'll make it an AU, and Brian will be a teacher, and Howie be a doctor, and I will be the female love interest who has to choose between the cute teacher and the rich doctor, and no one else will want to read it, but I will sure enjoy writing it! LMAO
I'm kidding... maybe.
LOL!!
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Aww that video was cute! I love Nick at the end "I want to be a garden gnome." lol
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The firefighter thing is such a little boy thing to say! I mean, some little boys obviously do grow up to be firefighters, and thank god for them, but it seems like all boys want to be firemen or cops or soldiers at some point, and most of them grow out of it when they realize, like AJ, how dangerous it is. I wouldn't even want to be married to a fireman, cop, or soldier because of how dangerous it is, let alone be one myself!
It truly is! I remember when I was a kid, there were two things I was set on being... one, a doctor, and two, believe it or not, a rock and roll drummer, LMAO!! I don't know where the hell the drummer aspiration came from, but I used to belt out songs with my siblings and we'd pretend we were in a band playing instruments, lol. I'll never forget the day that I had belted out "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" to my mom, dropping dramatically to my knees, lmao! Talk about a Nick moment, hahaha.
I have aspirations to become a cop actually; I don't know what it is, the thrill of danger, but actually helping people and saving lives is what calls me to it I think. And as for marrying one, well... lets just say, I have a weakness for a man in uniform, lol.
Speaking of which, I had found another soundcheck video where the same question was asked, and when AJ was getting ready to answer, Nick was all like "Don't say firefighter dude... don't say that!" and both he and Kevin were laughing about the time he had said that he wanted to be a firefighter. Then, I'm not sure if I had heard it correctly, AJ was like "Nah dude, I didn't want to be a firefighter, I don't know what I was thinking!"
*rolls eyes* That special, special man, lmao!! But, he'd be an interesting, yet hot firefighter, hahaha.
Because I couldn't afford to do the tour at all and I had my heart set on it and the first leg they were pretty close by but I couldn't go. I was heart broken. The second leg they came pretty close too but I still couldn't swing that and a vacation so I chose Buffalo instead. Maybe I'll be able to go next time.
Will it make you feel any better if I told you that I just watch and go based off the videos as well? LOL! I'm with you, on the same boat... kinda... well, not really, maybe in two separate boats, side by side, paddling down the same river? ^_^ I'm rooting for you to go next time though Mare! ;D
Not to sound like the stereotypical summary person but I really suck at summaries! It's the MOST difficult part of the writing process for me and sometimes the only thing that prevents me from being able to actually post the first chapter of something. To try to figure out exactly what to say without being too vague or giving too much away is hard as hell.
Most definitely! Summaries can sometimes make a break a story; if your summary doesn't catch the interest of a reader, they more than likely won't even think about opening it. I'll be a few chapters in, or perhaps a chapter into my story, then I'll think of the summary. Rarely do I think of the summary first, then go from there, hahaha.
Aww that video was cute! I love Nick at the end "I want to be a garden gnome." lol
Yeah, that was too funny and cute! A great throwback to that one interview they did with that guy that did... what was it called? Questions In A Cup? Taking a survey of "Which Backstreet Boy..." LMAO!!!
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Thanks, Reb! I hope you get a chance to see them too! Hopefully they'll go to Hawaii!
I have actually watched full shows a few times now.
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LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
I typically write what I like to read. I like fantasy, not a huge fan of sci-fi in books because it can get too technical but I like it on TV and movies. I also love mystery and suspense books...
I read chick lit, rom coms... whatever you want to really call them. I have tried to write one or two but I don't think I write those as well as other people, so I typically stick to reading them.
Yes.
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Okay so the editing question - how do you go about editing your chapters before you post them?
Do you have someone else beta read them? Or do you do it yourself or do you not bother at all and just wing it?
I've had beta readers but I do try to edit as I go. Re-read what I've written so far and edit but once I reach the end I don't re-read the chapter from the beginning.
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Thanks, Reb! I hope you get a chance to see them too! Hopefully they'll go to Hawaii!
I have actually watched full shows a few times now.
Haha, but you're saying this to the girl that's okay with not going and doesn't really want to meet them, remember? Lol. The more I think about it, I'd go for the sake of seeing them perform, but having that said, I really wouldn't be able to deal with girls jumping in front of me and screaming over their vocals; I'd be like "BITCH I PAID TO HEAR THEM SING AND SEE THEM PERFORM, NOT TO HEAR YOU SCREAM AND SEE YOU BLOCK MY WAY!!!" Lmao. ;)
But I highly doubt they'd come here; I don't think they have enough fans out here in Hawaii, lol. I just so happened to have found Sel by chance when she was living out here; it was truly a small world moment, lmao!!!
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The screaming & singing along annoys me as well. Lol
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Okay so the editing question - how do you go about editing your chapters before you post them?
Do you have someone else beta read them? Or do you do it yourself or do you not bother at all and just wing it?
There are already too many questions and I can't keep up. Will answer to answer this and hopefully, I can still answer the next questions.
I actually hate the editing part. I'm a fast reader, sometimes when my husband and I read an article or whatever at the same time, I'd be finished reading it and he is still halfway through. So, when I am re-reading what I have written, I tend to overlook the mistakes, and also because I know what I wrote. So, sometimes, after writing a chapter I'll stop and wait for an hour or so before I read and edit. Having someone to beta read would be awesome! :)
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The screaming & singing along annoys me as well. Lol
Oh yes; idk if that makes me a bitch, because the boys' do hype up the crowd and wants the audience to participate or sing along with them, lol.
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Well if it makes you a bitch then it makes me one too lol
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LOL I think everyone is like that. Or at least, I would assume so.
Do you write the kind of stories you prefer to read?
Is there a type of story you like to read, but don't write?
Have you ever written a story that you would probably never read?
I do tend to write the kind of stories I enjoy reading. I'm not big on romance so I don't write it. I'll sometimes add it in a story if I feel like it adds more to the story as a subplot or it fits the characters. (Like say in Undead) but usually I don't. They're typically Nick focused Group Stories which I love to read. Genre wise I love bromances, angst, sci-fi, horror, and suspense for both writing and reading.
Um, not typically. LOL. I'm not really into slash cause it feels too far from "canon" for me in the BSB fandom. And romance most times is too fluffy. So no.
Yes. I wrote "Just Another Day" and while it was a neat experiment to tackle cliches and go outside of my personal box, it's a story I never ever would've clicked on had I not wrote it myself.
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Well if it makes you a bitch then it makes me one too lol
Lets go be bitches together! LOL!!
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I can't stand when people sing loudly or scream while the boys are singing either. Screaming in between songs is find, but shut up when they're talking or singing. I do sing along, but never loud enough for anyone else to hear it. I don't want to be that person that you hear singing off-key in the background of someone's video LOL.
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I can't stand when people sing loudly or scream while the boys are singing either. Screaming in between songs is find, but shut up when they're talking or singing. I do sing along, but never loud enough for anyone else to hear it. I don't want to be that person that you hear singing off-key in the background of someone's video LOL.
ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh man, I <3 you Jules!! LMAO. I mean, after paying that much money, and if I got girls screaming, singing obnoxiously, dancing in front of me when I paid to see the boys, you best believe I'm gonna be one of the biggest bitch you'll have to deal with, lol.
Speaking of which, did ya'll see the NKOTBSB London stream? I think it was the London stream, lol. The two hour youtube video, that I fast-forwarded to only the boys' parts (teehee), they would pan out to the fans right? So, there was this segment where they showed these two fans singing along to the boys' songs, and started a shoving match; I'm pretty horrible, but it was freaking funny, lol.
Anywho, back to questions... hmm... does anyone write fanfic for any other fandom? If so, which fandom do you favor writing fanfic for? Why?
I know with me, I don't write fanfic for any other fandom, but I read Avengers fandom fanfics, lol.
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ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh man, I <3 you Jules!! LMAO. I mean, after paying that much money, and if I got girls screaming, singing obnoxiously, dancing in front of me when I paid to see the boys, you best believe I'm gonna be one of the biggest bitch you'll have to deal with, lol.
Speaking of which, did ya'll see the NKOTBSB London stream? I think it was the London stream, lol. The two hour youtube video, that I fast-forwarded to only the boys' parts (teehee), they would pan out to the fans right? So, there was this segment where they showed these two fans singing along to the boys' songs, and started a shoving match; I'm pretty horrible, but it was freaking funny, lol.
Anywho, back to questions... hmm... does anyone write fanfic for any other fandom? If so, which fandom do you favor writing fanfic for? Why?
I know with me, I don't write fanfic for any other fandom, but I read Avengers fandom fanfics, lol.
I've never been near the stage on any BSB concert, I'm always a few sections up, so girls blocking my way has never been my problem, the boys being too far away was. lol But I experienced VIP once (bronze), so I saw the boys up close. But they shoo me away when time for pictures. lol
I've only read one chapter of a fanfic for Flashpoint (a Canadian TV show) but did not enjoy it as much as I enjoy reading BSB fanfics, so I guess I'll just stick with BSB. :)
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I dabbed in other fandoms sometimes. When I was younger I'd toy around with Buffy The Vampire Slayer fanfic. But that's the only time I've written it. I will read Inuyasha and Sailor Moon fiction on occasion but I'm super crazy picky with it.
I've toyed with the idea of a BSB/Nikita Crossover. Or even a BSB/Agents of SHIELD crossover. Neither have happened yet LOL. I've also considered writing fanfiction strictly for Nikita and lately Salem. (I have a thing for Shane West lmao). But I don't know. It's just not the same unless it's got the Boys involved or it's straight up Original Fiction.
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The screaming & singing along annoys me as well. Lol
That's why I tell girls to get out of my way and stfu lol
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I can't stand when people sing loudly or scream while the boys are singing either. Screaming in between songs is find, but shut up when they're talking or singing. I do sing along, but never loud enough for anyone else to hear it. I don't want to be that person that you hear singing off-key in the background of someone's video LOL.
I hate when people scream while the boys are trying to talk! LOL And I'm the person who is yelling "Shut the hell up!" to the people singing all around me. I'm probably a real joy to be around at these shows!
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ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh man, I <3 you Jules!! LMAO. I mean, after paying that much money, and if I got girls screaming, singing obnoxiously, dancing in front of me when I paid to see the boys, you best believe I'm gonna be one of the biggest bitch you'll have to deal with, lol.
Speaking of which, did ya'll see the NKOTBSB London stream? I think it was the London stream, lol. The two hour youtube video, that I fast-forwarded to only the boys' parts (teehee), they would pan out to the fans right? So, there was this segment where they showed these two fans singing along to the boys' songs, and started a shoving match; I'm pretty horrible, but it was freaking funny, lol.
Anywho, back to questions... hmm... does anyone write fanfic for any other fandom? If so, which fandom do you favor writing fanfic for? Why?
I know with me, I don't write fanfic for any other fandom, but I read Avengers fandom fanfics, lol.
I have dabbled in a very few Supernatural fanfics and have read some of those as well as Numb3rs ones, other than that, not really.
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That's why I tell girls to get out of my way and stfu lol
We would be fun at a concert together. We'd end up being in a brawl like the one Reb described! LOL
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I've never been near the stage on any BSB concert, I'm always a few sections up, so girls blocking my way has never been my problem, the boys being too far away was. lol But I experienced VIP once (bronze), so I saw the boys up close. But they shoo me away when time for pictures. lol
I've only read one chapter of a fanfic for Flashpoint (a Canadian TV show) but did not enjoy it as much as I enjoy reading BSB fanfics, so I guess I'll just stick with BSB. :)
I'd imagine it's nice being closer to see the guys, but not having to deal with the crazies, lol.
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^ why wouldn't we want to hear your answers? Don't be all wah wah lol
Of course we want to hear your answers just like everyone else!
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I didnt get to see them on IAWLT either...and both times they were literally just hours away from me =( the first one in St. Louis..we were broke...and the next time in Kansas City. Mo I was on a flight to Washington i was upset lol. I havent seen them in concert sine Never gone...and its almost been 10yrs! Baylee was just a toddler lol.
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I just feel like I am too behind to catch up. It's all good..I'm having fun reading other people's posts.
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Having that we discussed that most of us prefer to keep their signig other and families out of our stories, which couple/family do you guys find is the easiest to write? Which is the hardest for you?
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I just feel like I am too behind to catch up. It's all good..I'm having fun reading other people's posts.
Yes yes, we wanna read your answers Tracy!! Lol. Or, yanno, just answer as much as you can! ;)
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The only other fandom I've read and written a little in is Harry Potter. But very little. I haven't read a HP fanfic in probably ten years. I started writing one of my own about ten years ago too and only got to like chapter 3 LOL. Now I have a BSB/HP crossover, and that has been going a lot better.
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Having that we discussed that most of us prefer to keep their signig other and families out of our stories, which couple/family do you guys find is the easiest to write? Which is the hardest for you?
I really hate writing any of them honestly and really do avoid it when I can but as far as easiest, I'd have to go with Leighanne. She's been around the longest and because she doesn't really stay out of the limelight and forces herself on us unlike the other one's do, it's easy to pick up on her personality traits. As much as I actually like the other four, I don't really know all that much about them. I'm not sure if I've even heard Leigh speak. Up until this whole I Heart Nick promo, I could say the same about Lauren.
When writing actual couple interaction which I ABHOR! I would go for Kevin and Kristin over all the others.
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Having that we discussed that most of us prefer to keep their signig other and families out of our stories, which couple/family do you guys find is the easiest to write? Which is the hardest for you?
I'm actually enjoying writing about Nick and Lauren in my current story. Not that Lauren is a main character or anything, but she's been in it more than I've ever written about her before. I really like her, and I think they're easy to write because they've been so open and out there with their relationship the last couple of years. Between the Kitt Fit videos and the promos for their reality show, we've seen them in action with each other, which helps give a feel for how they work as a couple.
I think Brian and Leighanne are also easy to write about (but hard to resist making fun of LOL) because they've been together so long, and Leighanne has always been very involved with the fandom. More fans have actually met and held conversations with her than any of the other Backstreet wives, which makes it easier to write her as a character.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I find Leigh and Kristin harder to write because I don't know much about them. Leigh's been in my current story a lot, but I'm really just making her character up because I have no idea what she's like in real life.
Rochelle is somewhere in the middle. I really like her and enjoyed writing about her in the one chapter of Curtain Call she was in, which may be the only time I've really written about her. I feel like I actually have a better sense of who she is than how she and AJ are together as a couple, which is weird. I think it's because she was so active on Twitter for awhile, but they don't interact on there like Brian and Leighanne and even Nick and Lauren, to an extent, do.
As far as the Boys' families go, I think the Carter clan is by far the easiest to write because we've seen the most of them, through House of Carters and their shenanigans on the internet, and you can go as over the top as you want with them without it seeming unrealistic. I don't know as much about the other Boys' families. Aside from the Carters, I've written the most about Brian's family.
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I was seriously cracking up with whoever had said Rochelle is basically AJ with boobs, LMAO!!!
I've noticed a lot of people convey in their writing this love/hate relationship with Leighanne, and as weird as this may sound, I seriously enjoy reading it! Lol. When she is written in, it's like her character influx brings something different to angst and she can either make or break your heart, lol.
As everyone pointed out with not really knowing the other wives, my notion is that they fit right alongside their significant other... well, maybe with the exception of Leighanne and Brian, but it seems as if she's rubbed off on him from time to time, lol. I picture Kristin being this motherly figure who's so genuine and just pure and true. I picture Leigh being a sweet woman with a good head on her shoulders and extremely smart and analytical. Leighanne being... Leighanne, you can love her or hate her, but she's there, lol. Rochelle being loving and generous (I mean, she is married to AJ, lol) but at the same time aware and seemingly firmly planted to the ground. And Lauren, the caring and independent person she is who is misunderstood and misinterpreted; she seems like if she could, she'd want to give people a chance to just know her as Lauren Kitt rather than Nick Carter's better half, but at the same time knows she doesn't have to prove herself to anyone. It's really sad those select crazy Carter fans had to hate on her; the show looks absolutely adorable and I find myself rooting for Lauren like yeah, show those bitches what's up! Lol.
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The only one i have really written is Lauren, and Leighanne made a cameo in one story, but I try not to even include their wives in my stories. I like mine to be about the boys.
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I'm the one who said Rochelle is AJ with boobs because that's who she is LOL They seem very similar to me but like Julie said, you hardly ever really see them interacting with one another. She seems to always be with that Madonna Mark guy, but not in a sexual way. You can tell they're just friends, but still I get a better sense of their relationship than hers and AJ's.
This story I'm writing now is the first time I'm really writing about Kevin and his family. I really don't know much about his brothers so writing scenes with Tim and Jerald have been a bit hard. I am kind of making it up as I go along. in my mind I have an idea of what they might be like and picture Jerald being a lot like how Kevin is now and Tim being close to how Brian is. I've also had to write a fair share of momma and poppa D which was also a kind of guessing match. I don't know how close to real life I got them either.
I seriously don't think I've ever written the carter clan. Oh, well in Lurks I did with Jane and Bob, but I didn't make them really Jane and Bob but I don't know if I've ever written the kids.
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I am all alone here tonight! :( lol where is everyone?
Like I said earlier I feel like one of my trademarks is titling every chapter. Is there something you tend to do in every story as a symbol to show it's you? I guess I'm asking if you have a "thing" lol
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Speaking of titles...I'm scraping the idea of going back and adding them because I have no idea how to do it since I upload as a web page. There's too much coding and I don't want to mess anything up so I'm just going to start titling them next update and once again, hope no one asks! LOL
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I am usually lurking. Just havent felt chatty. Lol
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I used to title mmy chapters but I stopped because it got boring for me. So for Finding Carter I used Disney movie quotes instead and that worked better.
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I tend to use quotes often as well. I love looking up quotes that fit the chapters.
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Speaking of titles...I'm scraping the idea of going back and adding them because I have no idea how to do it since I upload as a web page. There's too much coding and I don't want to mess anything up so I'm just going to start titling them next update and once again, hope no one asks! LOL
I don't upload as a web page, so it might look different, but can't you just go to Edit, hit enter a couple of times to create some white space above the chapter, and type the title there? If you want to code it to be, say, centered and bold, you would type it like this:
<center><b>Title</b></center>
And if you need to code in the line break(s) after the title, use <br /> for each line of white space you want.
I don't know if this will help or not because I just post mine as plain text, but it seems like it should be easy to go back and add in a title either way. You could also just change the chapter titles so at least the titles show up in your table of contents.
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Sometimes I will do something special at the beginning of each chapter in a story, but only for certain stories. Every chapter of Song for the Undead starts with a journal entry written by the character who is featured in that chapter. In Secrets of the Heart, which featured four main characters, I put a picture of a heart at the top of each chapter to show which character it centered on; there was a different kind of heart for each character. In one of my old stories, Years of Grace, I used a stanza of song lyrics at the beginning of each part, similar to how some of you use quotes.
The only thing I do formatting-wise that is common across all my stories is to put three asterisks *** between scene breaks and at the end of chapters. Once in awhile I write stories with chapter titles, but usually I don't. Sometimes I have a prologue and epilogue; sometimes I don't. It depends on the story.
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I know the html codes, that's not the problem but when you click on the actual chapter to edit it, maybe because it's uploaded from a webpage it really really has a lot of code on there to the point that it's almost impossible to discern where the chapter even starts.
It's weird and I'm afraid I'll mess it up. lol I might play around with it though, we'll see.
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Oh I do this ~ * ~ for scene breaks lol
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I was gone school shopping all evening...woot for tax free weekend! And i came in under budget for two kids go me lol
But as far as writing the wives go i find Leighanne the easiest cause she is always out there. Always on twitter, instagram etc...same goes with Baylee when he is featured. I picture him goofy like his dad..pictures and videos have proved it to be true lol.
It seems Leigh & Kristen are more reserved. They arent photographed often enough to have a sense. I know Leighs instagram account is locked and only family is allowed to see pictures and stuff. I dont know about her twitter or anything like that. Kristen is the same as well havent checked it out to be honest.
Rochelle i dunno about either. She seems just like AJ..and she is so cute with little Ava. I love seeing pictures of them together when they are out and about :)
I kinda have mixed feelings about Lauren. I follow her but I dont know. She seems like a really nice person. I wil probably get to know more about her in the tv show (i hope i can find web airs cause i had to get rid of satalite =( ). But i dont hate her unlike so many other people. As long as she makes him happy i don't really give a rat's butt.
and as far as the question that mare asked about something I do for every story. I try and find song titles for name my stories after. I find it the best way to describe my story i guess. For example "Happily Never After"...Nick defiantly didnt live happily never after....it was a complete train wreck of a story.
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I name a lot of my stories after BSB songs too. I like using a line from the song instead of the actual title to make it more subtle, but if the title fits, I'm not above stealing titles. I've kind of always known I would write a story called Sick as My Secrets someday because that title is too awesome not to use. I think it was a contender for Curtain Call at some point, but I'm glad I saved it for my current story because it fits even better.
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I didn't even know that was a title of a BSB song. Is that one of the unreleased tracks or is my memory failing me once again? #badfan lol
I hardly ever use song titles or lyrics in my stories. I'm not sure why. I generally have a hard time coming up with a story title. It's a very rare thing for me to have a title in mind when I'm writing a story. It's usually not until a few chapters in that something will come to me.
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Yeah, it's an unreleased track from Unbreakable. It's awesome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNd2y-O0L74 If you like it, I can send you the mp3.
Maybe I shouldn't have said that so you'd go on thinking I came up with that title myself LOL.
I have a hard time coming up with titles, too, which is partly why I tend to use song lyrics. I also do it as a nod to BSB, but it's also a cop-out that saves me from having to come up with something original LOL. When I actually do use an original title, it's usually because it popped into my head early in the planning of the story and stuck.
I'm the opposite of you, though; I can't actually start writing a story until I have a title. I'm way too OCD. "Untitled" is not an acceptable file name for me LOL.
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I'm the opposite of you, though; I can't actually start writing a story until I have a title. I'm way too OCD. "Untitled" is not an acceptable file name for me LOL.
that is totally me too! I will NOT write a story until I have a title for it. I cannot stand a story being called "untitled". That is probably why i use song titles lol.
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I go with "The new one" lol
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I tend to use quotes often as well. I love looking up quotes that fit the chapters.
I had so much fun doing that. I would write the chapter first then find a quote that fit it. It worked out pretty nice
- i want to write another novel eventually. Just havent had the right idea, or the motivation to write more than a one shot lately.
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I would like to write another fic with song lyrics throughout the story. Gone Country had a song lyric that fit every chapter. I just cant seem to find the right songs to use most of the time or that go with a storyline for that matter. I am too picky and indecisive lol.
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I was seriously cracking up with whoever had said Rochelle is basically AJ with boobd
Rochelle being loving and generous (I mean, she is married to AJ, lol) but at the same time aware and seemingly firmly planted to the ground.
What I love about Rochelle is how she is like a normal mom. Posting pictures/videos of Ava just like what a proud normal mom does. She's not like any other celebrity moms. I don't know how to explain this further. lol
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I know what you mean, Ritz. I love that about Rochelle too. She's just a normal person, easy to relate to. For as out there as AJ can be, I'm glad he found someone normal to end up with LOL.
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^thanks, Julie. I was having a hard time explaining my thoughts. lol And, I love how she's flexible, she can be like Leighanne and interact with fans, and can be Kristin/Leigh, a quiet Backstreet wife.
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I am all alone here tonight! :( lol where is everyone?
Like I said earlier I feel like one of my trademarks is titling every chapter. Is there something you tend to do in every story as a symbol to show it's you? I guess I'm asking if you have a "thing" lol
Hahahaha, sorry! I was working, and as soon as I got off, I had shot straight to a dinner I had with two of my friends, planning our Vegas trip. It'll be my first time going to Vegas! ^_^
As for anything that may be my signature style... uh... well, I'll title chapters, when I'm not feeling lazy, lmao! Updating Satan's Playground after all these years, I was kinda like ugh, why did I title chapters, my mind isn't feeling creative enough to come up with something! Hahaha. Just like you Mare, I use ~*~*~*~*~ when separating. Funny fact, five is my favorite number, so I'll make sure I either have five asterisks or five squiggly lines, lmao! I started off with three, now it's five... I don't know, it's just been a thing I'd do, lmao.
I'd also like using song titles or lyrics, if it was fitting of course. Using lyrics as your summary is always fun and easy, LMFAO!!! I actually like my summary for "When Doves Cry", incorporating both a song title as my title, an original summary and part of the lyrics of the song; thought it was fitting because the story was that of anguish, pain, heartache, angst, feeling broken, and the song has that creepy vibe yet deep meaning that kinda went hand in hand with the direction I wanted to take the story, lol.
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If you were to take one of your stories (for the readers, a story that you've read) and make it into a movie, which story would it be and why?
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Just like you Mare, I use ~*~*~*~*~ when separating. Funny fact, five is my favorite number, so I'll make sure I either have five asterisks or five squiggly lines, lmao! I started off with three, now it's five... I don't know, it's just been a thing I'd do, lmao.
I'm glad you always use the same number. One thing that annoys me, only because I'm so anal, is when the number of ~*~*~ or whatever changes every time because the writer just does it randomly instead of having a consistent way of doing it.
Anyone else have any random pet peeves like that? LOL
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If you were to take one of your stories (for the readers, a story that you've read) and make it into a movie, which story would it be and why?
I was going to say Song for the Undead, but it'd be better as a TV show or miniseries because it's so long, and then I realized it basically already IS a TV show called The Walking Dead LOL. Except we wrote Undead first! (Well, we wrote Undead before The Walking Dead was a TV show, at least. I think the comic was around, but we had never heard of it.) Anyway, if it was made into a movie or a show now, people would just think we had ripped off Walking Dead or Zombieland.
So that leaves me with my second choice, which would be... Secrets of the Heart? Yeah, I think Secrets of the Heart would actually make a great movie because it has a storyline that is complex, but concise, if that makes any sense. Every scene moves the story forward, and it's not drawn out. It could easily fit into two hours without leaving a lot out. It's also AU, which means it would not have to be de-Backstreet-ized. I think it would make a cool drama/mystery/psychological thriller. It's one of those stories that basically played out like a movie in my head as I wrote it anyway.
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I dunno if any of my stories would be good enough for a movie, unless someone else thinks so. But as a reader I think Whatever The Night May Bring by Mare would be an awesome mini series. Also 00Carter or Song For the Undead. All are great at entertaining and would be really cool to see acted out.
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I had so much fun doing that. I would write the chapter first then find a quote that fit it. It worked out pretty nice
- i want to write another novel eventually. Just havent had the right idea, or the motivation to write more than a one shot lately.
That was what I did as well although sometimes it was the other way around and I'd have a great quote standing by and just wait to use it.
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What I love about Rochelle is how she is like a normal mom. Posting pictures/videos of Ava just like what a proud normal mom does. She's not like any other celebrity moms. I don't know how to explain this further. lol
Yes, she seems normal and very down to earth, just like her husband.
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If you were to take one of your stories (for the readers, a story that you've read) and make it into a movie, which story would it be and why?
Hrmm...there are a few of my own that I can really picture as a movie "To Protect and Serve" "Whatever the Night May Bring" "Shadow Woods" and "Lurks" and "Hope" lol probably because I have so much action in them, when I wrote them I always wrote as if you were watching a movie. Sometimes that's the only way I can think to get through all the complex layers to some of these things. I hope that wasn't a cop-out answer but I think it's the same with each one I mentioned above. They all have a lot of action and a pretty layered storyline that would probably be fun to watch unravel on a big screen. Did you just hear that? Oh there is is again...It was me tooting my own horn! lmao
I think "Save a Prayer" because of the action sequences, I mean can you imagine the bot flies scene? I'd looks away, but still lol "Curtain Call" because of the storyline. I could see this being one of those tearjerkers in the movie theater that girls drag their boyfriends to but they all end up loving it in the end. And going old school "Seven Days" because it was such a visual story to begin with.
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Yes, she seems normal and very down to earth, just like her husband.
Am I supposed to sense some sarcasm with the last statement? LMAO!!!
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LOL I was wondering that too, Reb! AJ's a nice guy, but normal? Ehhh, depends on your definition of "normal" LOL.
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I dunno if any of my stories would be good enough for a movie, unless someone else thinks so. But as a reader I think Whatever The Night May Bring by Mare would be an awesome mini series. Also 00Carter or Song For the Undead. All are great at entertaining and would be really cool to see acted out.
Thanks, Tracy! :)
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LOL I don't know, Rochelle seems as normal as her husband. Maybe it's the tattoos or frequent hair color changing. Quite possibly the binge watching of Friends. I think they are a perfect match for each other.
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LOL I was wondering that too, Reb! AJ's a nice guy, but normal? Ehhh, depends on your definition of "normal" LOL.
Lol, while she's true about Rochelle, I literally snorted about AJ, hahahaha!!
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Oh, little pet peeves for me when reading.
The use of the word orbs for eyes! I don't know why but I can't stand that!! LOL
And sorry all, but song lyrics!! I never read them ever, I always scroll right through them. I hate when people use them in stories and I hate when people randomly tweet them. The only time I'll read song lyrics is if they are made up for the story itself. Otherwise it's one of those things that feel like a waste of my time.
Also not a big fan of "AjJs POV" or "Nick's POV" while reading a chapter. I get the need for it, but I also believe if you have written it well enough, it's unnecessary.
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They really are a good match!
Thanks for the mentions! I always picture the action-packed, suspenseful stories like movies in my head when I read them, anyway, so any of the ones mentioned would make great films! I also think there are certain stories that would be even better as movies because of the cool visuals that could go with them. Like "Whatever the Night May Bring" - you did a great job describing the sort of post-apocalyptic parallel universe in which most of the story takes place, Mare, but it would be so cool to actually see that depicted on the screen! It'd be even better if the Backstreet Boys played themselves... and their dopplegangers, of course!
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Poor AJ! You guys should know he is normal by his own definition of the word! Just as his manicurist and the guy who trims his beard!
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That's why I took my song lyrics out of Broken and BMS, cause I scroll right past them when reading too, and I just felt like they were junking up the story. Like I said, no one seems to have noticed or complained LOL.
I don't like the POV thing either, especially when it changes mid-chapter. In the stories where I switch first person POVs, I just label the chapters with the character's name at the top, but you're right; it's probably not even necessary. Stories like Steph's Running Up That Hill show that, when written well, you can figure out which character is telling the story without the labels.
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They really are a good match!
Thanks for the mentions! I always picture the action-packed, suspenseful stories like movies in my head when I read them, anyway, so any of the ones mentioned would make great films! I also think there are certain stories that would be even better as movies because of the cool visuals that could go with them. Like "Whatever the Night May Bring" - you did a great job describing the sort of post-apocalyptic parallel universe in which most of the story takes place, Mare, but it would be so cool to actually see that depicted on the screen! It'd be even better if the Backstreet Boys played themselves... and their dopplegangers, of course!
Thanks!
Hey if that girl Tatiana Maslany can play five of her dancing at once, anything is possible! LOL
The bird scene is what I always think of for that one. When they have to drive over all the dead birds in the road. Hearing the crunches. yikes!
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That man is his own breed of special, lol.
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That's why I took my song lyrics out of Broken and BMS, cause I scroll right past them when reading too, and I just felt like they were junking up the story. Like I said, no one seems to have noticed or complained LOL.
I don't like the POV thing either, especially when it changes mid-chapter. In the stories where I switch first person POVs, I just label the chapters with the character's name at the top, but you're right; it's probably not even necessary. Stories like Steph's Running Up That Hill show that, when written well, you can figure out which character is telling the story without the labels.
Yes, that's a great example.
I do switch POV's in the middle of chapters and usually the way I do it is by using the ~*~ and hope that everyone will just be able to tell. I guess that's another thing I do. I tend to have more than one POV per chapter. Mostly in my non suspense stuff.
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That man is his own breed of special, lol.
*nods*
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Ugh, I'm trying to think of questions... guess it's not really coming to me cause I'm tired. :( Lol.
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Oooh, here's a question...
Why aren't my icons/emojis showing up when I put them? >:[
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^ You've come up with plenty! It's hard to come up with these questions and not always end up asking the same thing over and over again.
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I see them lol
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^ You've come up with plenty! It's hard to come up with these questions and not always end up asking the same thing over and over again.
Hahaha, yeah I suppose. Guess I'm just trying to think of more to keep the convo going, lol. Part of me wants to start a thread where we ourselves answer questions that are always posed to the boys. LMAO!
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Thanks, Tracy! :)
You're welcome. I may be biased LOL
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Hahaha, yeah I suppose. Guess I'm just trying to think of more to keep the convo going, lol. Part of me wants to start a thread where we ourselves answer questions that are always posed to the boys. LMAO!
That would be interesting LOL. Like what? Don't say boxers or briefs.
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I see them lol
That's weird; they aren't showing up for me, I'm like wtf?! Lol. Ugh, oh well.
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That would be interesting LOL. Like what? Don't say boxers or briefs.
LOL!! Backstreet briefs!!!
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Nothing irritates me more than using defiantly where the person means definitely. I read a story like that and it was in every other paragraph! ugh. Grammar rant over LOL
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Mines would probably be... the writer using themselves as the main character/love interest... in all their stories, lmao.
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LOL It's so awkward when they use themselves in more than one story! Then it's like they're writing in two fandoms - Backstreet Boys and themselves!
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LOL It's so awkward when they use themselves in more than one story! Then it's like they're writing in two fandoms - Backstreet Boys and themselves!
LMAO!!! I struggle enough with one fandom as it is, lol.
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Reb it's so funny cause the story I just mentioned they used their name and their face on the banner. Not hating or anything but banners with the authors face on
Them are a turn off.
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Reb it's so funny cause the story I just mentioned they used their name and their face on the banner. Not hating or anything but banners with the authors face on
Them are a turn off.
Yeah, agreed. I love you all, but I don't want to read fanfics about you and picture you doing things with my boys LOL. That is just awkward.
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Reb it's so funny cause the story I just mentioned they used their name and their face on the banner. Not hating or anything but banners with the authors face on
Them are a turn off.
Yeah, agreed. I love you all, but I don't want to read fanfics about you and picture you doing things with my boys LOL. That is just awkward.
Super-impose my dark complexion onto a lighter colored body, holding one of the guys in the story banner.
"She sauntered up ever so seductively to Howard as he lowered his Spanish guitar, along with his inhibitions. She circled around him, dragging her hand across his broad frame teasingly; like a predator stalking its prey. He was shirtless, because this story demands it, and she idly began to trace her fingers down his spectacular chest, twirling the crop of chest hair around the tip of her finger. Finally, Reb jumped on Howard like SPIDER MONKEY!!!"
To be continued...
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LMAO!!
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Mines would probably be... the writer using themselves as the main character/love interest... in all their stories, lmao.
That one to me is more of a giant sized pet peeve and not a small one! All the small ones I would still read the story even after seeing those things in them. This one though...skip! LOL
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OMG can I just say banners in general? Just...stop!
And yes, I'm not really all the interested in what you do with Nick in the shower, or anybody else for that matter! lol
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Yeah, that jab was enough to make me a little nauseous, lol.
Another peeve of mine, which doesn't happen often these days, but I seen it recently, was reading a story that was typed like this:
AJ ran up to Nick, arms stretched out.
"Nick don't go!!! Nick no!!!"
"I'm sorry AJ, but I'm a loner... and a loners gotta be alone."
AJ tried desperately to keep his friend from walking off.
He fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, reaching out to his friend who was now leaving.
Nick trotted into the sunset.
AJ remained on the ground, a wreck.
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It's even worse when they don't bother to break it up and it's one big paragraph of FAIL! lol
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OMG can I just say banners in general? Just...stop!
And yes, I'm not really all the interested in what you do with Nick in the shower, or anybody else for that matter! lol
There's only so much you can do in a shower........ .... right? LOL!!! Be different and write about, I don't know, what people actually do in the shower at least. Have Nick pass you the loofa. You scrub his back cause he can't reach. Bitch about using cheap ass Vidal Sassoon shampoo instead of Dove. Have Nick accidentally bathe himself with your Summer's Eve Feminine cleansing wash.
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^ LMAO!! You're cracking me up this morning.
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Yeah, don't mind me, I don't know what's going on, if I'm on crack or something, lol. I'm going delirious cause I'm tired, but don't necessarily wanna go to sleep yet, lol.
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I was just thinking about the one and only time I have written a fanfic about myself (a.k.a. made myself the main character in my story) and just had to go look it up.
http://www.dreamers-sanctuary.com/vault/chronicles.html
I wrote this in 2000, when I was 15, but it takes place in 2008, which was "the future" at the time, so I made myself 23 and gave myself this whole little fantasy life in which I was going to med school and living with the boy I had a huge crush on at the time (not even a Backstreet Boy, just a kid I went to school with). It's so hilariously awkward. At least I did not have my face on the banner, though LOL.
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Yeah, don't mind me, I don't know what's going on, if I'm on crack or something, lol. I'm going delirious cause I'm tired, but don't necessarily wanna go to sleep yet, lol.
LOL Same here.
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You people who never go to bed! I don't know how you do it! LOL
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There's only so much you can do in a shower........ .... right? LOL!!! Be different and write about, I don't know, what people actually do in the shower at least. Have Nick pass you the loofa. You scrub his back cause he can't reach. Bitch about using cheap ass Vidal Sassoon shampoo instead of Dove. Have Nick accidentally bathe himself with your Summer's Eve Feminine cleansing wash.
LOL yes, I'd read that...well probably not.
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I was just thinking about the one and only time I have written a fanfic about myself (a.k.a. made myself the main character in my story) and just had to go look it up.
http://www.dreamers-sanctuary.com/vault/chronicles.html
I wrote this in 2000, when I was 15, but it takes place in 2008, which was "the future" at the time, so I made myself 23 and gave myself this whole little fantasy life in which I was going to med school and living with the boy I had a huge crush on at the time (not even a Backstreet Boy, just a kid I went to school with). It's so hilariously awkward. At least I did not have my face on the banner, though LOL.
Aww lol
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Yeah, agreed. I love you all, but I don't want to read fanfics about you and picture you doing things with my boys LOL. That is just awkward.
Yeah it also makes it hard for me to picture it realistically in my head while I read.
I don't know who said it but "Nick pass me the loofa" LMAO
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You people who never go to bed! I don't know how you do it! LOL
I just walked in the door and I have to work at four. Hey I rhymed LOL
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You people who never go to bed! I don't know how you do it! LOL
Can we stay up all night, 'cause we can sleep all day?
Everybody come out to play.
Lemme hear you say yay, yay, yay...
:bananapower:
It's about time for me to start switching my sleep schedule back to normal hours... ugh.
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That's going to be rough! LOL
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I'm almost ready for my mid morning nap since I've been up since 4 but you guys haven't even been to bed yet!
I love my naps *sigh*
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That's going to be rough! LOL
I have been doing it all week. Plus I work til seven tomorrow morning and then work at four again. But good news is I have a day off Monday. I don't know how I keep up with that plus here and Twitter lol.
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That's going to be rough! LOL
LOL I do it every August. I either have to start forcing myself to go to bed an hour earlier every night until I'm back to a normal schedule, or I just don't go to bed one night and stay up all day until I crash at night.
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I think I am tired lol I thought she was talking to me. Oops. Blonde moment.
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I was talking to all of you crazy people lol
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LOL I think all of us except Mare have been up all night, whereas she just woke up.
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Well I've been up for about 4 1/2 hours now. I am on the every four hours I need to nap for one, schedule, like my cat. LOL
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LOL! That would just make me groggy. Instead, I just stay up until I get slap happy and eventually pass out in my bed.
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LOL! That works too!
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Most of the time I sleep four hours a day. But then when my body realizes I don't have work, then I will sleep for ten hours. The no sleeping thing was perfect for the cruise. I got by on three hours a night. I have insomia so even when I am home from work I don't go to bed until four or five am.
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I don't know what my deal is. It's not insomnia, per se, because when I do go to bed, I sleep fine. I just don't like to go to bed at night. Even during the school year, I usually get a second wind around 9 or 10 p.m. and have to force myself to go to bed. I really think I am nocturnal. LOL
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I don't know how you make it on 4 hours a night, though, Tracy! I average about 6 hours a night during the school year, and I am always tired... just not at the ideal times.
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Working nights made things worse but even when I was in school I couldn't sleep at night either. So I got the night job eventually cause I wanted to keep myself busy, if I am up might as well be productive.
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I get normally 5 hours a night. I go to bed at around 10:30 or 11:00 and wake up at 4.
It hits me at around noon big time which is fine during the summer. Not so much during the school year. lol
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I have come to the conclusion I am not human. Lol
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If Mare's a cat, you're a raccoon.
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LMAO
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I'm fading fast here, guys. And the sunlight... it burns!
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I checked the forum cause there might be one new post or two. It is daytime here so I thought y'all are sleeping. I didn't expect 4 more pages following my reply this morning. ;D
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Aww go to bed, Julie! LOL
You too, Tracy!
It might be nap time for me!
At least we finished our musical! :) lmao
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I see a Tony in our futures! :) LOL
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Me too! lol
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I am halfway there. I am in bed but not tired enough to crash yet. Lol
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Now I'm up, but I gotta get ready to head out to work for the whole day. -___-
FUUUUUUUUUUUUU U!!!!!!!!!!
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Yuck! What is work? I have no idea what that means... LOL
Have fun! :)
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I just had to catch up on a crapload of pages but no time to comment cause I gotta go to work. Fail lol.
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What's with all you people and work? LOL
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Hey, I have this whole thing about wanting money LOL.
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Yeah money is kind of important!
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I am sitting in the lobby at work thinking how I want to go back to bed lol but I need money
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What's with all you people and work? LOL
LMAO @ your posts!!!
Mare: What's with you people not sleeping?!
Mare: What's with all you people and work?!
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All sleep and no work makes Mare a happy girl.
(Or a cat.)
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LOL! Lord knows I wish I could get paid to sleep, eat and party, lol.
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One of the perks of being a teacher, I'll take it! lol
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All sleep and no work makes Mare a happy girl.
(Or a cat.)
LMAO sometimes Mare really does remind me of a cat.
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LMAO sometimes Mare really does remind me of a cat.
What animal would a member (the members that are currently in this convo, lmao) be and why?
I'm just trying to think of shit to talk about before I head out again, lmao!!!
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Julie and I are Pandaskunks (see the It's Christmas Time Again video by BSB for reference lmao). or a Platypus which is real but just as freaking random I think.
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Julie and I are Pandaskunks (see the It's Christmas Time Again video by BSB for reference lmao). or a Platypus which is real but just as freaking random I think.
You read my mind!
A pandaskunk is seriously perfect for me because I would like to sit on my ass and eat all day, like a panda, only at night, like a skunk (though I'd like to think I smell better :) ). Also, flying into space with my magical pandaskunk powers would be pretty freaking sweet!
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Julie and I are Pandaskunks (see the It's Christmas Time Again video by BSB for reference lmao). or a Platypus which is real but just as freaking random I think.
I was about to say what in the blazing hell is a freaking pandaskunks?! LOL!!! As random as this is, I seen a video of a platypus playing and eating in the water... those freaky little creatures are cute! Lol.
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I would still like to take credit for being the very first person to call one of those god awful stupid things a pandaskunk! lol
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Watch the It's Christmas Time Again video Reb, lmao. It flies across the sky with it's magical Pandaskunk powers...
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You read my mind!
A pandaskunk is seriously perfect for me because I would like to sit on my ass and eat all day, like a panda, only at night, like a skunk (though I'd like to think I smell better :) ). Also, flying into space with my magical pandaskunk powers would be pretty freaking sweet!
It's become a skill lol.
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I would still like to take credit for being the very first person to call one of those god awful stupid things a pandaskunk! lol
And you are loved for it lol.
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I should have trademarked the thing! lol
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LMAO but then I'd be sad. We wouldn't have been able to make those awesome shirts! I swear one day we're all gonna meet in person and you'll be able to wear yours with us.
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Yes you would have! I just would have made some money off of it and then I would be able to afford to meet you guys one day! LOL
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lmao and you would've gotten paid for Julie, Lynsey and Laureen all dressing up as Pandaskunks last year. That could work.
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And every time anyone else used that! I mean now everyone calls them that, including the boys. LOL
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lmao I know. That's our fault.
On another note have you guys seen this other Swedish commercial? It's a perfect example of the Kevin stereotype LMAO. All of them really, but especially Kevin.
http://youtu.be/Y9MCj6FApFM
It's the "sequel" to this one. (Posted mainly for Reb) http://youtu.be/MVNQlBLgdRI
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I love those commercials so much! LOL
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Me too LOL.
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Oh my gosh! I have never seen those!
Loved the 20 second one! How Kevin manages to not have to sign at all and AJ batting Nick in the head at the end. Very fanfic like, boys! LOL
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Very much so! I love Brian's line. "We've done all these wrong?" Just the way he says it is hilarious.
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Oh my gosh! I have never seen those!
Loved the 20 second one! How Kevin manages to not have to sign at all and AJ batting Nick in the head at the end. Very fanfic like, boys! LOL
Aren't they awesome?
LMAO yes the second one is just like a fanfic. I swear these Boys are having more and more "moments". No wonder we've all gotten to be more inspired since the return of Kevin!
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Kevin has a way of bringing that out in them! LOL
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He's always been the one that makes them feel like brothers to me and I still am unsure as to why. LOL
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It's because he's the reassuring older brother type! Every boyband has one. :)
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I never paid attention to any other boy band LOL
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I'm just referencing 2Ge+her with the five "types," but it is pretty true LOL.
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I love Kevin, he really does strengthen the family vibe :).
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Ah yes, including that one. LOL
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I really do need to stop making everyone hate the poor guy LOL Sorry, Kevin.
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You would probably like 2Ge+her (the movie, anyway). I wish that was on Netflix!
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How flexible are you when it comes to plotting your stories?
I know some of us are planners, while others are more "go with the flow"/"fly by the seat of your pants" writers, so this might be more of a question for the planners, even if you just plan in your own head instead of in an actual outline. But when you plan for something to happen in a story, do you tend to be rigid about sticking to your plan, or do you often change your mind? What would it take to change your mind about something that was all but set in stone?
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How flexible are you when it comes to plotting your stories?
I know some of us are planners, while others are more "go with the flow"/"fly by the seat of your pants" writers, so this might be more of a question for the planners, even if you just plan in your own head instead of in an actual outline. But when you plan for something to happen in a story, do you tend to be rigid about sticking to your plan, or do you often change your mind? What would it take to change your mind about something that was all but set in stone?
I am not someone who comes up with outlines, but I also am not someone who just wings it either. I'm kind of in the middle. I always know how I want to start and end something and also have a pretty firm grasp on the direction I want to take but the road to that conclusion is very flexible as far as I'm concerned. I do change my mind a fair amount of times while writing, I mean nothing overly drastic but sometimes my characters really do take over and bring the story down another road I wasn't expecting it to go and as long as it doesn't really affect the final outcome too much I will trust them and go with it.
The only time I will completely change my mind when it's set in stone is if it's becoming too predictable. Alluding back to the other thread and the reviews rant for a second... I really take my reviews as a barometer of how successful I am at going from point A to point B, especially the action stories with layered plots. If I see the reviewers are constantly guessing right, it makes me think I'm being too predictable and maybe I'll change one facet of something to stir things up. Also if I see a few people asking the same questions, it makes me think I'm not accurately portraying something as clear as it needs to be so I might change or simplify something to help with this. Whatever the Night May Bring is a perfect example of a story that I made some decisions based solely on what people were saying in reviews.
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I see we were chatty yesterday lol. I came on here to find three pages to catch up on. And I agree Mare reminds me of a cat too. :p
Damn work getting in the way of me being online and stuff. It's not my fault people love tacos haha
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What's with all you people and work? LOL
I don't do "work" :P
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lmao I know. That's our fault.
On another note have you guys seen this other Swedish commercial? It's a perfect example of the Kevin stereotype LMAO. All of them really, but especially Kevin.
http://youtu.be/Y9MCj6FApFM
It's the "sequel" to this one. (Posted mainly for Reb) http://youtu.be/MVNQlBLgdRI
Oh my! I never knew commercials like these exist. I just watched them 3 times in a row and might watch again after posting this. lol Thanks, Rose!
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I don't do "work" :P
LOL are you allergic?
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/sigh i have missed questions. I guess this what happens when crazy mil gets well crazy...gosh i swear last night i was almost related to Nicks family! And on top of it i am not feeling well :(
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lmao I know. That's our fault.
On another note have you guys seen this other Swedish commercial? It's a perfect example of the Kevin stereotype LMAO. All of them really, but especially Kevin.
http://youtu.be/Y9MCj6FApFM
It's the "sequel" to this one. (Posted mainly for Reb) http://youtu.be/MVNQlBLgdRI
I remember seeing the prequel video by chance, lol. They looked good in the jumpsuits and tank tops and tuxes, lol. And I totes love the second video; they are just sooo adorbs!!! Kevin being the correcting big brother, Howie like well shit, Brian like wtf, AJ like yeah stupid, and Nick looked like just an adorable lost little kid, so clueless! Lmao. Love it, need more! Hahaha.
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How flexible are you when it comes to plotting your stories?
I know some of us are planners, while others are more "go with the flow"/"fly by the seat of your pants" writers, so this might be more of a question for the planners, even if you just plan in your own head instead of in an actual outline. But when you plan for something to happen in a story, do you tend to be rigid about sticking to your plan, or do you often change your mind? What would it take to change your mind about something that was all but set in stone?
I need to learn to be a planner honestly. My problem with my writing was I'd come up with an idea, go with the flow of it, then my mind takes me to all these different places that I try to incorporate somehow. I need to definitely organize my thoughts; it's okay to go with the flow, as long as you stay on your flow path and not drift away, which is what I often do, lol.
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I tend to plan similar to Mare in that I have a beginning and an end in mind and maybe a few plot points that happen in the middle, but the path it takes me to get to those points changes as I write. I usually only plan a few chapters ahead as I'm writing, sometimes not even that, but I always have that end goal in mind.
That said, there are times when I have my heart set on writing one of those plot points, whether in the middle or at the end, and when I get there, I'm not sure it even still works with the story I've written up to that point because of how things have changed. I have learned the hard way what happens when you force an idea that no longer fits the story, so I'm trying to be more flexible. It's hard to abandon an idea that you've had in your head for a long time though.
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It is really hard to change something when you have your mind set on keeping it. I totally agree!
I just finished reading Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King which was an awesome book and I highly recommend it! But he did what I absolutely love doing myself but sometimes get criticized for, and that's leaving the ending very open.
So here is my question: How do you feel about open endings? Do you like everything to be tied in a neat bow before you actually consider a story to be finished or do you enjoy leaving some of it out for interpretation?
Another one: How do you feel about sequels? (kind of in regards to the first question and open endings) When you write a sequel do you know you're going to do it at the beginning or it is something you don't realize until you are done with the first story? What's the motivation behind your writing a series or a sequel to a story and have you ever regretted your decision to do it?
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How flexible are you when it comes to plotting your stories?
I know some of us are planners, while others are more "go with the flow"/"fly by the seat of your pants" writers, so this might be more of a question for the planners, even if you just plan in your own head instead of in an actual outline. But when you plan for something to happen in a story, do you tend to be rigid about sticking to your plan, or do you often change your mind? What would it take to change your mind about something that was all but set in stone?
I used to be a fly by the seat of my pants writer and have learned over the years that sometimes that can really bite you in the ass. It's a lot easier to write yourself into a corner if you don't plan at all. It really depends on the story. I usually know how the beginning will be, I know the end, and I know certain "fated" events that should happen. The rest I leave to the characters to tell me. Sometimes with certain stories I'll be rigid. I tried to be that way with Show Me but I've literally changed almost every chapter's plan as I went so whatever LOL.
Sometimes if it's something I had in my head for awhile it's a lot harder to change my mind. Most times though if it's too far out of reach for the character I'll let them change it. For example in RMTW Nick wasn't supposed to tell Kevin nearly as early as he did but as I was writing it I could just sorta "feel" Nick urging me to let him do it. I did and I feel like it worked out better that way.
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It is really hard to change something when you have your mind set on keeping it. I totally agree!
I just finished reading Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King which was an awesome book and I highly recommend it! But he did what I absolutely love doing myself but sometimes get criticized for, and that's leaving the ending very open.
So here is my question: How do you feel about open endings? Do you like everything to be tied in a neat bow before you actually consider a story to be finished or do you enjoy leaving some of it out for interpretation?
Another one: How do you feel about sequels? (kind of in regards to the first question and open endings) When you write a sequel do you know you're going to do it at the beginning or it is something you don't realize until you are done with the first story? What's the motivation behind your writing a series or a sequel to a story and have you ever regretted your decision to do it?
Sometimes I do. He left the ending of the Dark Tower series pretty open but while it pissed most people off it fit the story oddly enough. I still find that to be my favorite thing Stephen King's written. Another fanfic example would be It Stays. There's no happy ending and the ends aren't all tied up but it's still a great way for it to have ended.
As a writer, I do tend to have things tied up. I might need to try an open ending sometime LOL.
Yes, I started a sequel I NEVER should have. Only one. Mainly because originally Just Another Day was gonna eventually become very angsty lol. I was gonna delve into Cally's relationship with Nick and then kill her off. Her death was gonna send Nick spiraling into a dark depression and I wanted to explore that. For some reason I decided it was too much for one story. (This was in my fly by the seat of my pants writing days.) So I ended JAD at a nice stopping point, planning to give it two sequels: their relationship and then the angsty third one after I killed her. Bad idea. Exploring their relationship wasn't enough for it's own novel (a common problem in most romances) without it being a soap opera. I don't even think it got past ten chapters.
So if I ever do a sequel again, I'm gonna do it knowing from the get go. Maybe then it'll actually be done properly LOL.
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I loved how he ended the Dark Tower Series! A friend of mine is reading it now and I can't wait until he gets to the end so I can see his reaction. LOL
I tend to leave many of my endings very open purposely. I'm not a fan of neat bows on things unless it's a genre that needs them. I am more prone to tie everything up in a regular drama than I am in a suspense. When it comes to the suspense stuff I like to leave a few unanswered questions in the air that the reader can try to fill in the blanks themselves. Like I did with Hope and whatever happened to Tim. As a writer, it's great to sit back and see people wonder, "Does that mean that he killed himself?" "Did he get the death penalty?" "Did he just not have any more visitors ever again?" "Did he escape?" Only Tim and I know the answer and neither of us will ever spill! LOL
I think leaving those unanswered questions though sometimes leads to pressure to create a sequel. This is where I went horribly wrong with Mizpah (Which I know I've said a ton of times! lol) That story was meant to be left with a totally opened ending. No one was supposed to ever know what happens to Nick at the end. Only thing I didn't count on was so many people begging me to find out and insisting that I write a sequel for it. Which I did. And then the same thing happened after the sequel. I left it opened and once again got more "You need to write a sequel!!" So I did...again. LOL It all came about purely because of peer pressure. The problem with that is I didn't really "feel" those sequels so to me, the writing wasn't as good. Which is horrifying to think after going back and reading a little of Mizpah. Yikes!!
The older and wiser me now says, sorry! No sequel unless I had intended for there to be one from the get-go like I did with Protect and Serve. Even then I wasn't happy with the outcome of that one either. LOL Maybe I'm just not made for sequels although one of my favorite stories I've written is a sequel (Seasons of Change)
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So here is my question: How do you feel about open endings? Do you like everything to be tied in a neat bow before you actually consider a story to be finished or do you enjoy leaving some of it out for interpretation?
I personally prefer endings that tie up the loose ends and wrap them up in a nice neat bow, whether they are happy or sad. But I also think open endings lend themselves well to certain types of stories, especially suspense and horror. I'm more likely to leave those stories open to interpretation, whereas in a drama or romance I want to see the characters come to some kind of resolution.
Another one: How do you feel about sequels? (kind of in regards to the first question and open endings) When you write a sequel do you know you're going to do it at the beginning or it is something you don't realize until you are done with the first story? What's the motivation behind your writing a series or a sequel to a story and have you ever regretted your decision to do it?
I am not a big fan of sequels, I've decided. I think if it's planned out at the beginning that the story will take place across several installments, like Harry Potter, then sequels work, but when they're written after the fact, almost as an afterthought, they're rarely as good as the first and sometimes even ruin the first by taking it too far. I'm speaking as a reader and a writer with this. I have been there, done that with writing sequels, and I don't think I will ever write another one.
There are stories that I've written where I planned to have a sequel from the beginning, but most of my sequels were not planned until the first story was almost finished, which might explain why most of them suck LOL. The only sequels I regret writing are the ones I never finished (a couple that were collaborations way back in the day), but the only one that was actually worth writing was By My Side. With that one, I didn't plan to write a sequel until I was almost done with Broken and realized there was more story to tell if I went the romance route. I don't think it needed a sequel, but I also don't think it was hurt by having one. I just don't see myself doing any more unless I was going to go the J.K. Rowling route and write a big fantasy epic... which will never happen. LOL
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I think leaving those unanswered questions though sometimes leads to pressure to create a sequel. This is where I went horribly wrong with Mizpah (Which I know I've said a ton of times! lol) That story was meant to be left with a totally opened ending. No one was supposed to ever know what happens to Nick at the end. Only thing I didn't count on was so many people begging me to find out and insisting that I write a sequel for it. Which I did. And then the same thing happened after the sequel. I left it opened and once again got more "You need to write a sequel!!" So I did...again. LOL It all came about purely because of peer pressure. The problem with that is I didn't really "feel" those sequels so to me, the writing wasn't as good. Which is horrifying to think after going back and reading a little of Mizpah. Yikes!!
That has happened to me, too, and I agree - it's hard to feel the same sense of pride and ownership in a story that you didn't come up with on your own and maybe didn't even really want to write.
Kind of the opposite of this, but one time I had a reader email me a story idea that she thought I should write. It was AU, which I didn't like to read and had never written, and a long list sibling storyline, which I hate, but something about it intrigued me, and I thought, "Well, maybe I should give it a shot for something different." So I did, and I liked it for a few chapters... until I got bored with it and started to hate it. But I had already started posting it on my site, so I felt obligated to finish it. I had an ending in mind, but I hated writing it so much that I decided to wrap it up early and save the rest for a sequel... which I never wrote. LOL I had people asking me about the sequel for years, but that was not even enough to motivate me to write it, and it probably wouldn't have been any good anyway. I shouldn't have written the original story in the first place.
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I have had that happen to. I've had people write me with full blown ideas that they wanted me to write for them. The plot, characters everything. LOL Some of them I couldn't help but think, wow this is a pretty great idea, maybe you should do this yourself! I don't think I ever actually went ahead and wrote any of them though.
I could never do that. Give someone else my idea and ask them to write it because the entire time I would be reading it, I'd be thinking "Hey! This was my idea!" lol And if I were to write someone else's idea I would feel like I would need to give them the credit and feel oogey for taking it for myself. Too weird!
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I think I would require monetary compensation to write on demand like that again LOL. If you want to HIRE me to write your fanfic, fine... I'll do it for money. But otherwise, no way.
I have never given someone else a whole story idea and asked them to write it. I don't know how I would feel about that. I guess maybe if it was something I'd want to read, but didn't feel I could do it justice, it might be worth it, but then I'd always wonder, "Would I have been able to write it this well or even better?"
I won't lie, though, Mare - if you offered to finish Guilty Roads for me, I'd probably be like, "Here, have at it!" Perfect example of a story that would probably be a lot better in someone else's hands, someone who was better with the suspense part than me. I could keep writing about Koma Kevin and let someone else take over Nick LOL.
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LMAO Mare, I love your new avy!
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Lmfao at your avy Mare. Beyond fitting.
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Oh you guys can see it? It hasn't been showing up for me so I thought it was an upload FAIL! Excellent! lol
And lmao at me finishing Guilty Roads. I don't think I'd be able to do it justice because of all the research you did concerning the Amish. I'd end up in the next chapter having Nick accidentally causing a fire which kills the female lead (I can't even remember her name? lol) and then running right on out of there and back to the city. It would be the only way I would be able to take that one on and not feel like I had failed it, but by doing all of that, I would be failing it!
Hey fanfic on commission! Maybe there is a way for us all to make some money!!
Here is another question: Is there a story that has been incomplete forever that you would love to take over and finish for someone? Or is there a story you haven't finished that you wouldn't mind someone taking over for you?
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And lmao at me finishing Guilty Roads. I don't think I'd be able to do it justice because of all the research you did concerning the Amish. I'd end up in the next chapter having Nick accidentally causing a fire which kills the female lead (I can't even remember her name? lol) and then running right on out of there and back to the city. It would be the only way I would be able to take that one on and not feel like I had failed it, but by doing all of that, I would be failing it!
Honestly, that is the problem I've been having with that story forever. Why doesn't Nick just do that? Is he really that stupid? I want him to stay because that's how I envisioned the story going, but I don't know why he would, and the further I get into it, the harder it is to justify. So I just stopped writing and moved on to something easier to write. When the going gets tough... give up! :)
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Here is another question: Is there a story that has been incomplete forever that you would love to take over and finish for someone? Or is there a story you haven't finished that you wouldn't mind someone taking over for you?
The only one that, if asked, I would consider finishing is "Remember Me This Way" by Jen, which is not on AC or online at all anymore, now that Geocities is gone. I still have it saved though. It's totally my kind of story, and I think I could do it justice. Nick is HIV positive and gets impaled on a pole in like the first or second chapter, so hey, it's pretty much right up my alley! LOL
Guilty Roads is the only one I would even consider giving to someone else, and I was only half-serious about that... but half-serious, not totally kidding LOL. I guess any of my discontinued stories would be fair game too. I still hope to finish Guilty Roads someday, but if anyone wanted to finish Now or Never or Fight For Survival II or keep writing Code Blue for me, have at it!
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Or have him leave! Just do it!! Would you like me to go in and burn a barn for you or something? LOL
Seriously to brain storm with you a second...maybe if you have her leave with him. It'll still keep the Amish angle that you're probably having a hard time justifying leaving that behind. but instead of everything being new to him it'll be new to her and probably a lot easier to write. The hardest part would be figuring out a way to get that to happen. Finding a reasons he would have to take her along.
Just a thought... lol
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The only one that, if asked, I would consider finishing is "Remember Me This Way" by Jen, which is not on AC or online at all anymore, now that Geocities is gone. I still have it saved though. It's totally my kind of story, and I think I could do it justice. Nick is HIV positive and gets impaled on a pole in like the first or second chapter, so hey, it's pretty much right up my alley! LOL
Guilty Roads is the only one I would even consider giving to someone else, and I was only half-serious about that... but half-serious, not totally kidding LOL. I guess any of my discontinued stories would be fair game too. I still hope to finish Guilty Roads someday, but if anyone wanted to finish Now or Never or Fight For Survival II or keep writing Code Blue for me, have at it!
I remember that one with Nick being impaled!! I didn't remember it not being finished though. It's one of those stories I really enjoyed reading at the time. You should totally finish it! LOL
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Or have him leave! Just do it!! Would you like me to go in and burn a barn for you or something? LOL
Seriously to brain storm with you a second...maybe if you have her leave with him. It'll still keep the Amish angle that you're probably having a hard time justifying leaving that behind. but instead of everything being new to him it'll be new to her and probably a lot easier to write. The hardest part would be figuring out a way to get that to happen. Finding a reasons he would have to take her along.
Just a thought... lol
I have thought about that too, and I think I even planned on that happening at some point (I don't even know because I have never actually outlined that far), but that's the same problem I'm having too: Why would she go with him? Maybe if it was some kind of witness protection thing, but then she would have to witness something too, and how many times can the same bad guys be caught dumping dead bodies in one story without them getting caught? LOL
This story has more plot holes than a piece of swiss cheese, and that's why I have been having such a hard time with it.
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I remember that one with Nick being impaled!! I didn't remember it not being finished though. It's one of those stories I really enjoyed reading at the time. You should totally finish it! LOL
LOL Maybe someday I'll get bored and ask Jen if she'd let me. I bet she would. But the last thing I need on my plate is another story right now... especially another story about HIV LOL.
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LMAO Aww
If it makes you feel any better, having Nick just leave would totally make sense. No one would be upset by it, I believe because it's more than justifiable that he'd want to go back to the city because of what happened to Kevin and to try to fix things. At that point, it just becomes the question of if you are willing to let go of the Amish angle. The good part about that is, it's not really in the title anywhere. It's Nick's Guilty Road and he has already lived the Amish life and he could always go back, for example maybe the bad guys end up going to the Amish place and he feels the need to go back and make sure everyone is okay? So it starts and ends in the same place? But I think you're right about the fact that he wouldn't really stick around there for that long. Suspense is tough!
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LOL Maybe someday I'll get bored and ask Jen if she'd let me. I bet she would. But the last thing I need on my plate is another story right now... especially another story about HIV LOL.
The HIV series! lol
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Yeah, I could probably just wrap it up in a few chapters if I chose to have him do that, but I have envisioned the story going so much farther and doing more with the Amish angle... although, I'll be honest; I really hate writing the Amish parts. It was a good idea, just not the kind of thing I actually enjoy writing, as it turns out LOL. So I don't know. I just keep hoping that some summer I'll get a burst of inspiration and figure it all out.
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The HIV series! lol
LOL No more Nick cancer stories; there's a new illness in town!
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I hope so too! Poor Kevin! :( lol
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Lmao poor Kevin.
Hey I'd be cool with Nick going back and things somehow picking up there.
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Well thanks for the ideas, guys! You at least got me thinking about it again. Not that it will amount to much now that summer's almost, but maybe someday, when Sick as My Secrets is done? Maybe? Someday? LOL
I feel like I've hijacked this thread with talk of my story - sorry about that!
For everyone else, what story has taken the most willpower and effort for you to finish writing?
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I would not mind if someone finished Forces Of Nature for me or even rewrote it. It was such a good idea at the time but i had AJ as the main character with a bit of Nick and Kevin thrown in. It was about storm chasing and inspired by Twister. I want to finish it one say but I struggled writing AJ as I normal do.
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For everyone else, what story has taken the most willpower and effort for you to finish writing?
The one I'm currently writing now. I'm not even sure why but it's really been a difficult thing for me, motivating myself to continue. Maybe because compared to my last two stories that were packed with action and lots of plot this one is very simple and not really all that plot driven. It's more of a character driven story very similar to Fly Fishing but back when I wrote that one, I felt a little more connected to the guys than I do now which makes it a little bit of a struggle. I have no intention of abandoning it at all so no worries to those of you reading it, but I admit if I thought there was a decline in readership, I would consider stopping. The ironic thing is this has been to date my most popular story ever! (just going by number of reviews received in such a small amount of time) which kind of baffles me because I'm all like why? LOL
I guess as far as an already completed one, Scars would be the answer. Oh my GOD it was like pulling teeth getting me to finally finish that one up and I probably wouldn't have if it weren't for some of my regular reviewers constantly asking me for updates and to finish it up. I'm glad I did because looking back on it I'm kind of proud of the story.
I am really proud to say that I have never just left a story incomplete and I hope that never changes.
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I hate my life. My last night/day to sleep in before I resume DOE job, but yet I've been up since 2/3ish this morning, reading and watching news updates of a hurricane and some storm systems headed our way; contemplating if I should prepare now or later. -___- Lol. We've been lucking out with dodging storms so far, so who knows with this one.
Now, since I'm up and having a hard time going back to sleep, I shall backtrack and try to answer questions, or at least catch up, lol.
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Yikes! Stay safe!!
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Wow, sounds scary! Hope everything's okay, Reb!
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I think I have a new answer to Carter's (I think it was Carter?) question from the other thread about hard-to-write scenes! Chapter 25 of Sick as My Secrets... OMG! I started it three different times and completely scrapped the first two versions. I thought I had finished it last night, but then got up today and totally rewrote the last scene. I've said before I'm not a big reviser; I'm more of an edit-as-I-go writer, so I very rarely delete and re-write whole scenes. I did not expect that to be so difficult!
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Yikes! Stay safe!!
Wow, sounds scary! Hope everything's okay, Reb!
Hahaha, thanks ladies! It's projected to make landfall on... Friday I believe, which they're hoping it'll just be a tropical storm by then. I'm all about cozying up with stormy weather; who knows, it may fuel me to write a story about the boys' caught in a storm, LOL! Ha, as if I need more incomplete stories under my belt. -__-
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So here is my question: How do you feel about open endings? Do you like everything to be tied in a neat bow before you actually consider a story to be finished or do you enjoy leaving some of it out for interpretation?
Another one: How do you feel about sequels? (kind of in regards to the first question and open endings) When you write a sequel do you know you're going to do it at the beginning or it is something you don't realize until you are done with the first story? What's the motivation behind your writing a series or a sequel to a story and have you ever regretted your decision to do it?
I really don't mind open endings... if I'm reading a fic that has an open ending, I'll just beg the author to get started on the sequel! LOL!! There were a few good fics that I've read that was like that, and the author was debating if they wanted to continue on or not; but at the same time, it can be you're left wondering "well, what's gonna happen now?" and that's no bueno. This is probably a stupid example, but have any of you guys seen the movie Dark Skies? I don't mind open endings like that... where a sequel is a possibility, but not a necessity... if that makes sense, lmao!
I think the only sequel I have for a fic is Empty Spaces for Incomplete. Being that I wrote that fic many years ago, my mind knew the kind of suspense I wanted to write, but as my mind made up the antagonist, more and more ideas came into my mind with how I wanted to write him, so I ended up changing the antagonist to be forever changing; just when the boys thought they knew who was after them, it ended up changing. Having that said, I knew it would take me forever to build up the backstory of this character and why he was doing what he was doing, and I just didn't want to cram it all in one story that was already like... 60 some chapters long or something, lol.
What didn't help that the fact that I had wrote my antagonist singular; as I continued on, I realized that most of the stuff that was happening in the story wouldn't work, or wasn't plausible with just one bad guy; that kind of goes along with the question posed a few posts back about going back into your story and adding something, lol. I didn't necessarily go back and add something, but I added as I went along, which now that I'm older and reading back, it was just done so sloppily, lol. Back to my decision of a sequel though, I had decided to end the first story with the boys' broken, thinking it was all done, leaving it a bit open ended so to speak, and I went into the sequel by delving into their psyche of dealing and coping with the traumatic experiences a year later.
I actually really appreciate sequels, especially when a fic is sooo good I just don't want it to end, lol.
Here is another question: Is there a story that has been incomplete forever that you would love to take over and finish for someone? Or is there a story you haven't finished that you wouldn't mind someone taking over for you?
I had done that with my Satan's Playground, giving Ashley permission to rewrite it. :) Lord knows if I could, I'd want to go back into my fics and rewrite them all... and complete them, LMAO!!!
I'd love for Mare to complete any of Mersey's stories....... .... oh, I'm sorry, are we not supposed to volunteer like that? ;P Lol.
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Does Mersey have incomplete stories? I thought she finished them all but it has been awhile lol
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So as far as Satan's Playground, does that mean that both you and Ashley are working on it still or did you take it back? LOL
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Does Mersey have incomplete stories? I thought she finished them all but it has been awhile lol
Yeah she has a few, and they sucked me in, lol.
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I'll have to go check! LOL She's not coming back :(
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I'll have to go check! LOL She's not coming back :(
At all?! :'(
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Doubtful :( Mersey's days of writing and reading fan fiction are pretty much over.
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Doubtful :( Mersey's days of writing and reading fan fiction are pretty much over.
Oh wow. Shucks. "/ I would love a continuation of "A Quest For Ben & Jerry's", I think that's what it was called, lol.
Does anyone have any ideas brewing around in their heads for their next story to write? Of course, if you wanna keep it a secret you don't have to share it, lol.
And while we're on the topic of story ideas, and I'm sure this was probably asked but I hadn't seen it since I've been back, how do you guys normally come up with your story ideas? Is it inspired, based off an experience? Do you normally like to take current events and just throw the boys in them? Do you stick with our "old school fanfic method" and just do twists on them? If you have an idea, and notice a writer wrote/is currently writing a story similar to your idea, do you continue on with it?
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So as far as Satan's Playground, does that mean that both you and Ashley are working on it still or did you take it back? LOL
LMAO!!! Well, when I had given her permission to rewrite it, I also said that I would look to just finish what I had started; rewriting was a possibility for me, but I wasn't gonna hold myself to it, hahaha. It went along with the whole "who would you want to pass your story down to" convo we had oh so long ago. At that point in time, I wasn't really inspired, and had wanted to read more than write, get the suspense out of a fic that people had seem to get out of my fic of SP; being that Ash and I talked a lot, and she was one of my fave authors and I liked her writing style, I gave her permission to take the idea/story and write it her way. I guess then I wanted a fresh look on this story concept and just wanted to read something that would help strike my muse again. I do not if my explanation makes sense, lmao!
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Oh wow. Shucks. "/ I would love a continuation of "A Quest For Ben & Jerry's", I think that's what it was called, lol.
Does anyone have any ideas brewing around in their heads for their next story to write? Of course, if you wanna keep it a secret you don't have to share it, lol.
And while we're on the topic of story ideas, and I'm sure this was probably asked but I hadn't seen it since I've been back, how do you guys normally come up with your story ideas? Is it inspired, based off an experience? Do you normally like to take current events and just throw the boys in them? Do you stick with our "old school fanfic method" and just do twists on them? If you have an idea, and notice a writer wrote/is currently writing a story similar to your idea, do you continue on with it?
I don't think I know that one. LOL It's been a long time. Ben and Jerry's? I'll have to ask her about that.
I'm planning a new story this summer which will center around Nick and Brian. I don't know much else besides the fact that I'm going to explore all facets of their friendship from the time they met until present day. No idea if there will be suspense of more like the one I'm doing this summer.
If that one turns into a mega fail since I have a hard time writing Brian to begin with, then I'll come up with another action/suspense group one. Maybe it's time they endure a natural disaster or a fire or bomb scare or something like that.
When I write my suspense stuff, most of it comes from my own brain. Sometimes it's a dream but others it's just me thinking hrmm I wonder what would happen if... lol for other stories like Why, I just use their own lives and what's happening in them and then add a little more action to make it more fun to read about.
As far as what if other people are writing the same thing at the same time. It's happened before and all I have to say about that is, everyone has their own interpretation of things. The way I write a kidnapping story is going to be different then the way you would or Rose or Erika or anyone else who writes suspense. Sometimes it's kind of fun if there is more than one story which could be considered similar going on at once just to get those different perspectives.
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LMAO!!! Well, when I had given her permission to rewrite it, I also said that I would look to just finish what I had started; rewriting was a possibility for me, but I wasn't gonna hold myself to it, hahaha. It went along with the whole "who would you want to pass your story down to" convo we had oh so long ago. At that point in time, I wasn't really inspired, and had wanted to read more than write, get the suspense out of a fic that people had seem to get out of my fic of SP; being that Ash and I talked a lot, and she was one of my fave authors and I liked her writing style, I gave her permission to take the idea/story and write it her way. I guess then I wanted a fresh look on this story concept and just wanted to read something that would help strike my muse again. I do not if my explanation makes sense, lmao!
Uh...nope. Made no sense! lmao
kidding, I understand what you're saying. At least I think I do. Anyway...I'm glad you're taking the reigns back and writing on it again, even if I'm afraid to read it because I know you're going to disappear and leave us hanging again!
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I don't think I know that one. LOL It's been a long time. Ben and Jerry's? I'll have to ask her about that.
I'm planning a new story this summer which will center around Nick and Brian. I don't know much else besides the fact that I'm going to explore all facets of their friendship from the time they met until present day. No idea if there will be suspense of more like the one I'm doing this summer.
If that one turns into a mega fail since I have a hard time writing Brian to begin with, then I'll come up with another action/suspense group one. Maybe it's time they endure a natural disaster or a fire or bomb scare or something like that.
When I write my suspense stuff, most of it comes from my own brain. Sometimes it's a dream but others it's just me thinking hrmm I wonder what would happen if... lol for other stories like Why, I just use their own lives and what's happening in them and then add a little more action to make it more fun to read about.
As far as what if other people are writing the same thing at the same time. It's happened before and all I have to say about that is, everyone has their own interpretation of things. The way I write a kidnapping story is going to be different then the way you would or Rose or Erika or anyone else who writes suspense. Sometimes it's kind of fun if there is more than one story which could be considered similar going on at once just to get those different perspectives.
I think the story started off with AJ and Nick going to the store for some ice cream, and AJ finds Nick being held up by a dude with a gun. I think. LMAO!!! I haven't read it in so long, I'm gonna have to go back and read it again, even though it's just one chapter. :( Lol.
And that's what my mind has been brewing too, lol. I wanna throw those guys in the middle of a storm and see how they'll come out of it; or put them on a plane that just disappears and trying to figure out if its a Bermuda mystery or terrorists they're dealing with. Yanno, stuff that'll separate them from their families so I won't have to deal with writing them too much, LMAO!!!
Uh...nope. Made no sense! lmao
kidding, I understand what you're saying. At least I think I do. Anyway...I'm glad you're taking the reigns back and writing on it again, even if I'm afraid to read it because I know you're going to disappear and leave us hanging again!
LOL. Yeah, I'm horrible for that, lol. I should have an award for that... but then it'll keep me away so I can live up to my reputation, lol.
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For everyone else, what story has taken the most willpower and effort for you to finish writing?
well now that I am feeling better and like 10 pages later i will jsut answer this one lol...
Quite a few of my stories take some will power esp if I feel like no one is reading it. It can take me a while to put out chapters. Sometimes reviews will do that too. Id say "Happily Never After" probably took me the longest to really get going. I knew waht i wanted to have happen but I dont know if I really had it in me to finish it since for the most part had bad grammar etc. its finished now though...took me almost a year.
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How did you guys first feel about fanfic? Were you weirded out about the concept of creating/writing stories about real life people? How did you first stumble upon it? Being that we're older, what are your thoughts about writing fanfic now, has it changed from when you first discovered/wrote/read?
Sorry for my slew of questions, lol.
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Does anyone have any ideas brewing around in their heads for their next story to write? Of course, if you wanna keep it a secret you don't have to share it, lol.
I have been wanting to write a suspense/action story. I have this idea since last year but I promised not to start anything unless The Other Side is finished. Nick is an undercover for drugs, he is not a cop but an asset to them. He reports all the drug dealers he discover during tours, parties and whatever. All I have right now is a backstory, how he became an undercover and stuff. Hopefully, I can pull it off.
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I have been wanting to write a suspense/action story. I have this idea since last year but I promised not to start anything unless The Other Side is finished. Nick is an undercover for drugs, he is not a cop but an asset to them. He reports all the drug dealers he discover during tours, parties and whatever. All I have right now is a backstory, how he became an undercover and stuff. Hopefully, I can pull it off.
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How did you guys first feel about fanfic? Were you weirded out about the concept of creating/writing stories about real life people? How did you first stumble upon it? Being that we're older, what are your thoughts about writing fanfic now, has it changed from when you first discovered/wrote/read?
Sorry for my slew of questions, lol.
My first fanfic exposure was when my sister and her friend would write NKOTB fics and I would record them on my Fisher Price tape recorder (complete with voices) - I was 8/9 so my acceptance level was pretty high for that kind of thing lol with BSB fic online I was 14 so it was basically the best thing ever!
As an adult, I don't tell people that I write unless we are really close because there's a lot of judgement for things that can be considered "childish" and I don't want to invite it. I'm definitely not nearly as into it as I was because I have other hobbies to fill my time so it definitely has changed for me personally. The fandom has also changed in that fanfic just isn't as popular now so there's fewer authors, but the stories are generally better adults, many of whom are college grads, writing them not high school students. It's definitely a different landscape now!
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Does anyone have any ideas brewing around in their heads for their next story to write? Of course, if you wanna keep it a secret you don't have to share it, lol.
And while we're on the topic of story ideas, and I'm sure this was probably asked but I hadn't seen it since I've been back, how do you guys normally come up with your story ideas? Is it inspired, based off an experience? Do you normally like to take current events and just throw the boys in them? Do you stick with our "old school fanfic method" and just do twists on them? If you have an idea, and notice a writer wrote/is currently writing a story similar to your idea, do you continue on with it?
I have a BSB/ER crossover started that I haven't worked on in awhile, but will probably come back to at some point. I also have a Kevin/Nick idea inspired by the song Take Care. One of these might end up being my next main story once Sick as My Secrets is done.
I tend to be inspired by other stories/books, movies, and shows more than real life and current events, although I do like to work those elements into my stories too. I definitely do twists on older fanfic ideas, too. Lately I've been feeling like all I write is new takes on old ideas (that I have written before), but as long as they're better written, that doesn't really bother me.
Your last question is a really good one. I have stopped planning ideas before because I've noticed people posting similar stories, but I've never stopped writing one that was already started. I had just started writing Curtain Call when Hannah started posting Something Beautiful back in 2010, and even though it didn't say it right off the bat, my cancer story radar started pinging when I read it, and I was like, "Really??" But SB and CC ended up being about people reacting to a cancer diagnosis in opposite ways, so they turned out really different, and that's usually the case - even if writers have similar ideas, they're probably not going to write them the exact same way unless they are blatantly copying each other.
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well now that I am feeling better and like 10 pages later i will jsut answer this one lol...
Quite a few of my stories take some will power esp if I feel like no one is reading it. It can take me a while to put out chapters. Sometimes reviews will do that too. Id say "Happily Never After" probably took me the longest to really get going. I knew waht i wanted to have happen but I dont know if I really had it in me to finish it since for the most part had bad grammar etc. its finished now though...took me almost a year.
That's a good point; readers and reviews can definitely have a powerful impact on motivation.
I think the story that took the most willpower for me to finish (that is actually finished) is Secrets of the Heart. It's only 25 chapters long, but it took me almost 4 years to write. I started it as a side project and really didn't get into it until the summer I finished it, but even when I was writing on it regularly that summer, I really had to make myself stay focused on it. I loved the idea of that story when I first thought of it, and I love it even more now that it's done, but I did not love writing it. I don't know why. Now I wonder if maybe part of it was what you said about reviews and feeling like no one is reading it. I definitely did not have the readership for Secrets that I was used to having for other stories, maybe because it was AU, maybe because it wasn't a Nick story, or maybe because I just didn't update it regularly in the beginning, but I really did feel like I was writing it mainly for myself. Which is not a bad thing, but it does make it more fun when you know other people are enjoying your story too.
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How did you guys first feel about fanfic? Were you weirded out about the concept of creating/writing stories about real life people? How did you first stumble upon it? Being that we're older, what are your thoughts about writing fanfic now, has it changed from when you first discovered/wrote/read?
Sorry for my slew of questions, lol.
I love your slew of questions; thanks for livening this place up! LOL
When I first stumbled onto fanfic, I didn't even know what it was. I was just looking for BSB fan sites and found this one that had stories on it. I had never heard of fan fiction before, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I got sucked into reading this Brian story, and he died in the end after being in a car accident, and it was so sad, and as I cried, I thought, "This is amazing! I wonder if there are more of these??" Sure enough... once I started searching, I found that there were LOTS more!!! I thought the whole idea of writing stories about the Backstreet Boys was a little weird and couldn't imagine myself ever doing that, but I sure enjoyed reading them! It was only a matter of months before I got an idea for a story and decided try my hand at writing one, and I've been doing it for almost 15 years now!
While I would still never advertise the fact that I write fan fiction because I know other people would find it weird, realizing how long fanfic has been around (since way before the internet was) and how many different fandoms people write in has made it seem more socially acceptable than I used to think it was. A girl in my master's class even mentioned fanfic in class one time, and I thought, "Wow... so other people do know about this." It is just not something that tends to come up in conversation in real life, at least not among people I know. I wonder if the success of books like Fifty Shades of Grey (a former fanfic) and Fangirl (about a girl who writes fanfic) will make it more mainstream.
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My first fanfic exposure was when my sister and her friend would write NKOTB fics and I would record them on my Fisher Price tape recorder (complete with voices) - I was 8/9 so my acceptance level was pretty high for that kind of thing lol with BSB fic online I was 14 so it was basically the best thing ever!
As an adult, I don't tell people that I write unless we are really close because there's a lot of judgement for things that can be considered "childish" and I don't want to invite it. I'm definitely not nearly as into it as I was because I have other hobbies to fill my time so it definitely has changed for me personally. The fandom has also changed in that fanfic just isn't as popular now so there's fewer authors, but the stories are generally better adults, many of whom are college grads, writing them not high school students. It's definitely a different landscape now!
My friends and I used to love recording ourselves doing different voices too! We didn't write stories, though; we usually either did radio shows or played news. My Talk Girl was probably my favorite toy ever!
I think you have a great point about the quality of BSB fics going up as the quantity has gone down. Most of us who are still writing in this fandom are adults, so the stories are generally a lot more mature than most of the ones we read back in the day. I was 14 when I discovered fanfic too, so yes - best thing ever!!! LOL
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Before BSB i was really into Hanson...i just happened to be lurking online for some pictures or something and stumbled upon it. I got really into it but never wrote one. Once i heard about BSB though it was like forget them Hanson boys lol i ended up writing my first fan fic i think in 2003 or 2004 called internet love i think its super old and god aweful lol. After that i have written tons. I am sure i havr more stories somewhere but i threw most of them out after i went on a mental tangent lol
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How did you guys first feel about fanfic? Were you weirded out about the concept of creating/writing stories about real life people? How did you first stumble upon it? Being that we're older, what are your thoughts about writing fanfic now, has it changed from when you first discovered/wrote/read?
Sorry for my slew of questions, lol.
I love all your questions. That's what this thread is for so no need to apologize! Come up with as many questions as you like.
I didn't really understand what it was when I first found it. I came across a visual very first thing and I didn't really get that it was just a story at first. I thought it had actually happened and I was like OMG what is wrong with these people! lmao Then things started making more sense when I ventured onto more sites and started to read all these different stories. I wasn't really weirded out by it, more like intrigued. The fact that they are real people never really bothered me but it is one of the reasons why I don't kill them in my stories. Too much bad ju-ju.
Writing fanfic now I sometimes get into my "Should I still be doing this?" Kind of moods but then I say "Why not?" Because it's something I still enjoy doing. The quality of writing has gone up as we have all gotten older and even though I wouldn't really classify BSB fanfic as mainstream, I think the stigma of writing fanfic has been diminished and more people know and accept it's existence. Kind of like online dating. LOL
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Since I have been on a big everyone must leave reviews for what they read tear lately, I'll ask this one
As Julie and carter both mentioned in their replies, reviews either have played a part in their possible updating and writing processes.
How much or little do reviews affect you and your writing? Do you find yourself excited to work on something after receiving a ton of feedback or not when it doesn't?
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This will sound kind of dumb but I think a big part of me
wanting to write and being motivated comes from people wanting to read. So if nobody is interested chances are I won't be either. I should write for myself of course but I like sharing my work. So if it is not getting any reads or reviews, I am not going to be inclined to write it.
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It doesn't sound dumb at all. We all write for ourselves but let's face it, if that were completely true, none of us would feel the need to post out stories on the net for all to read. Instead we'd be perfectly happy just leaving them on our computers to read at our own leisure. We all want that approval when it comes to our writing. Some kind of awknowledgemen t that at least someone likes what they're reading. So it makes sense to not want to bother if you think no one cares.
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How much or little do reviews affect you and your writing? Do you find yourself excited to work on something after receiving a ton of feedback or not when it doesn't?
Reviews never really affected how much I wrote, but more the way I felt about what I was writing. When I first got back into writing BSB fanfic my stuff didn't get much of a response at all. And of course I wanted comments and I wanted people to love my stuff, but I also wanted to keep writing. So while I was sort of bummed about the lack of response and wondered if I was actually any good, it never stopped me from writing. In fact I always had the mindset of "well, if I want to be regarded as good the only way to get there is to keep writing." so I did.
It's a little different now because I write the entire story before I start posting. Part of the reason is so that I can write it at my own pace and not feel pressure to update by readers and then churn out something not good just to get something up. It's also so I don't get demotivated by a lack of response. The one I'm posting now isn't getting a huge response, and there are some chapters with no comments at all. But I've finished writing it already and I loved it when I was writing it so I'm not bothered. There was a girl who flat out told me she was going to stop reading and while that might have demotivated me while I was writing it, because I've finished it I just told her that if she didn't want to keep reading and wasn't enjoying it anymore of course she should stop. I think that this approach also helps in that I can read and enjoy people's theories on what's going to happen, and not feel like I should change what I already have planned. It makes the review process a lot more enjoyable, actually.
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It doesn't sound dumb at all. We all write for ourselves but let's face it, if that were completely true, none of us would feel the need to post out stories on the net for all to read. Instead we'd be perfectly happy just leaving them on our computers to read at our own leisure. We all want that approval when it comes to our writing. Some kind of awknowledgemen t that at least someone likes what they're reading. So it makes sense to not want to bother if you think no one cares.
I think that is a big part of me not being able to write right now and why I abandoned some of my stuff. I hate
That it happens but it has. There are many ideas I have but no motivation whatsoever to actually execute them. I have tried almost everything to get inspired and then realized recently that inspiration isn't my problem.
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I'm gonna come back and answer the question about reviews, but I thought of another question that I wanna post before I forget.
Several of us said that when we first stumbled onto fanfic, we didn't know what it was and maybe didn't even necessarily realize we were reading a fictional story at first. This may apply more to those of us who have posted stories off of AC before, but have you ever gotten feedback from someone who didn't realize they were reading fanfic?
To give you a couple of examples...
I wrote a one-shot way back in 2000 about Brian's experience in the hospital when he was 5, and I wrote it from the point of view of his mother. I used to get emails - more than once this happened - from people asking me if I was Brian's mom LOL. I guess I could have easily become a poser and messed with people, but I didn't take advantage of that opportunity.
The craziest one was this email I got from an old lady who had stumbled onto Curtain Call by googling her medical symptoms (which happens a lot, actually) and read whole thing, not realizing it was fanfic and not true. This is what she sent me:
Subject: Your story
It took me days to read it and I thought it was true. I wasn't disappointed it was fiction, I was upset I didn't know it from the start. I found the story accidentally and thought he was writing about actually having it. But when I got to part where he chooses not to go thru treatment second time I suspected something. I can't believe he agreed to let someone write such a real story and he wasn't sick. Too sad when we make up stories about people when there are real people dying no one rights about.[/i]
I had to do some inferring to figure out she was talking about Curtain Call, so I emailed her back and explained that it was fan fiction. Apparently I need to put a giant disclaimer at the top of every page of my site saying that the content is just fiction LOL.
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That's a really good point you made about waiting until your stories are complete before you post them, Steph. I give you lots of credit for doing that. I don't think I would have the patience to sit on a story until it was done. I bet that would help with the overall feelings of doubt though.
Since I have pretty much limited myself to writing one fanfic a year, by the time I post it I Have at least five or more chapters done. Maybe as an experiment I'll try to wait until a story is complete before I post it. Try being the operative word there lol
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I think that is a big part of me not being able to write right now and why I abandoned some of my stuff. I hate
That it happens but it has. There are many ideas I have but no motivation whatsoever to actually execute them. I have tried almost everything to get inspired and then realized recently that inspiration isn't my problem.
That stinks. So, if at least one person is reviewing and seems to care does it make a difference? Or do you need more than that to
Feel motivated?
That could also be a general question for everybody.
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Lmao that is equal parts hilarious & sad!
I have had more than one person ask me if I was Nick back in the day and while I was writing Why Id Do it All Again, I received quite a few emails from people asking me if I worked for the boys lol it was flattering that the story seemed that realistic to think I was just journaling a day in the life of lol
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That stinks. So, if at least one person is reviewing and seems to care does it make a difference? Or do you need more than that to
Feel motivated?
That could also be a general question for everybody.
If anyone is reading I am happy but I believe when I was updating regularly last I had some people tell me privately they weren't gonna read anymore for various reasons, ie the characters weren't what they liked or the storyline wasn't what they liked, which is fine...but that demotivated me too. I am just really hard on myself when it comes to work.
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With me even one sole person that keeps reviewing is better than none at all. I feel like sometimes my work sucks and is no good but that one person can keep me motivated. Southern Comfort has more reviews than half of my newer stories now lol. I feel like i am almost getting my mojo back or something rather lol
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Yeah I agree even if one person only reviews my stuff that is better than nothing. I just need to learn to take criticism and stuff like that. I always beat myself up over nothing at all. It's a self esteem thing and a work in progress.
Speaking of that, if you could Improve upon anything for yourself as a writer what would that be? What are you doing to try to help yourself with that issue. (not sure if that has been asked before or not)
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Since I have been on a big everyone must leave reviews for what they read tear lately, I'll ask this one
As Julie and carter both mentioned in their replies, reviews either have played a part in their possible updating and writing processes.
How much or little do reviews affect you and your writing? Do you find yourself excited to work on something after receiving a ton of feedback or not when it doesn't?
Writing is definitely more fun when I get a lot of feedback, but that's not to say it isn't fun when I don't. I think it would bum me out if I didn't get ANY feedback, but as others have said, as long as at least one person read and enjoyed it, then I know it was worth my time. And then there are cases where all the feedback in the world isn't enough to motivate me (*cough*Guilty Roads*cough*), although begging does work on me most of the time. LOL
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That's a really good point you made about waiting until your stories are complete before you post them, Steph. I give you lots of credit for doing that. I don't think I would have the patience to sit on a story until it was done. I bet that would help with the overall feelings of doubt though.
Since I have pretty much limited myself to writing one fanfic a year, by the time I post it I Have at least five or more chapters done. Maybe as an experiment I'll try to wait until a story is complete before I post it. Try being the operative word there lol
I agree - that takes a ton of willpower!! I would love to get to the point where I could do that, and I think I'm getting there... gradually. I used to post chapters as soon as I finished them. Then I started waiting a day so I could proofread them with fresh eyes. Then I started trying to stay a chapter or two ahead of myself.
Then I started writing Sick as My Secrets, and I wasn't sure how that was going to go, so I just worked on it in secret for awhile. I decided to include a prologue that would be a snippet of a later scene, to foreshadow what was to come, but instead of writing the prologue ahead of time, I decided to wait until I actually wrote that scene in order. Well, that didn't happen until Chapter 18, so I ended up finishing the first 18 chapters before I went back and added in the prologue and started posting the story. It was so hard to write that much of a story without showing anyone, but I think the story is better for it because it gave me so much more time to revise and edit, and the goal of getting to Chapter 18 so I could finally start posting it actually motivated me and made me write faster. I was so productive with that story in the beginning that I was able to keep updating through April, May, and June, months in which I actually didn't write anything because I was so busy, and I'm still 5 chapters ahead of myself. It's been awesome!
So maybe one day I will be able to write a whole story without posting any of it. We'll see. The only downside I can see to that is not getting any feedback along the way. Once I did start posting SAMS, I revised some later chapters to clarify some things based on the feedback I was getting, so not only did the feedback motivate me to keep writing, but it actually helped me make that writing better too. I think that's one of the best aspects of posting stories online vs. publishing them in a more traditional sense. It's nice to be able to get readers opinions on a work in progress.
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How much or little do reviews affect you and your writing? Do you find yourself excited to work on something after receiving a ton of feedback or not when it doesn't?
They don't. I've said this before but I'm really not into reading my reviews. Mare has shamed me enough that I do now, but I don't like it. I've had very public media jobs for much of the last decade and everyone is a critic so I've never read my own press, so to speak. I didn't want to read online comments about what people thought of me on the radio and didn't want to know what people thought of my writing.
I've realized of course that the assumption is that it's all negative and that made me even more reluctant to read it, but since I have been it's not too bad. I still don't get excited about it though lol
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That's a really good point you made about waiting until your stories are complete before you post them, Steph. I give you lots of credit for doing that. I don't think I would have the patience to sit on a story until it was done. I bet that would help with the overall feelings of doubt though.
I've been doing this also! Otherwise I'd have a dozen incomplete stories. I post them for Steph to read lol Darby read All That Glitters while I was writing it and Steph read 30 Days, then when they were done I posted them!
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^ I think that would help, to have one person to read your stuff and offer opinions on it while you're writing. I used to show everything I wrote to my friend Bianca before I posted it, but she moved on from fanfic, and I got away from relying on someone for that first opinion. I think it would be more important if I wasn't going to post any of it until I was done.
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They don't. I've said this before but I'm really not into reading my reviews. Mare has shamed me enough that I do now, but I don't like it. I've had very public media jobs for much of the last decade and everyone is a critic so I've never read my own press, so to speak. I didn't want to read online comments about what people thought of me on the radio and didn't want to know what people thought of my writing.
I've realized of course that the assumption is that it's all negative and that made me even more reluctant to read it, but since I have been it's not too bad. I still don't get excited about it though lol
Yeah, the real world answer to this is a lot different for me. I did not want to read reviews for Mel's or the anthology I was a part of. I don't like to see reviews about performances I was in. Fanfic is different for me though.
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I've been doing this also! Otherwise I'd have a dozen incomplete stories. I post them for Steph to read lol Darby read All That Glitters while I was writing it and Steph read 30 Days, then when they were done I posted them!
It is really helpful isn't it! And yeah, I finish my stuff before posting but I always send chapters to my friend Jess as I finish them. So it's not like I don't get feedback, and it's better this way because she'll tell me what's not working with a scene and since it's not posted I have the opportunity to fix it or add things to earlier chapters to make things more consistent.
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I used to have a plethora of people that I used to share my stuff with before I posted it, but sadly none of them read or write fanfic anymore. That was back in the day when I would be posting non stop on several different stories at once. Those were the days...I miss having that kind of a support system.
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If I can improve on anything as a writer it would be to write a strong female character in fanfic land without having her die or become a psychopath. lol
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I have a ton of stuff to improve on. Grammar...char actization.... the list goes on lol.
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How much or little do reviews affect you and your writing? Do you find yourself excited to work on something after receiving a ton of feedback or not when it doesn't?
I love getting reviews, though sometimes I'm guilty of not leaving one every chapter. I sometimes leave a review at the end of the story, especially when I read it in one sitting and kept on hitting next. I always feel guilty about that. It is nice to know someone is reading your story and appreciates it. A review sometimes help you get back on track and not receiving one sometimes is disappointing. But that doesn't mean you should stop writing and finish the story.
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I think it's okay if you don't leave a review on every chapter. There are a slew of reviews I get from one timers who will pop in and say "I love this story!" Or at the end someone will leave a super marathon length review about the entire story in general. As long as you are letting the writer know you are there and reading, it helps!
The only time it really doesn't help me personally, is when that lone review comes on the first chapter because I don't know about you guys but I start to think "Are they still with me those 20 people who reviewed the first chapter?" LOL
If you do start with reviewing each chapter though, be aware that the writers do always look forward to and count on your review for every other one. It's probably selfish on our parts, but I know I tend to get all wiggy when someone who always leaves a review on every single chapter suddenly stops. That's when I find I start doubting myself. It's not their fault, the only thing they're guilty of is being awesome but yeah if it suddenly stops it's natural to wonder why.
I have been very fortunate when it comes to reviews and my stories. I'm not sure what I would do if I were posting a story and it never got a single review. I hope I never have to find out lol
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Name a story that is one of AC's "best kept secrets" - a story that you think a lot of people would love, if only they would click on it. Maybe it's an older story or a story with a summary that doesn't reflect what it's really like or just a story that, for whatever reason, has gone undiscovered. Don't give us one of your own, although that can be another question if you'd like.
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The somewhere i belong series was one of my faves. It was by Teri. She no longer writes fan fiction but we still talk about it every once in a while on facebook. Her stories are some of thr best. They have a ton of reviews. If she was stuck shed ask me for advice so on and so forth. That is all i can think of as far as older stories.
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The Garden by Louise. It's a great story that I don't think got much attention. It's Kevin centered so that might be why.
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There are quite a few that I could recommend here but I'm going to start with one I always talk about & that's "Documentaries" by Izzy. I'm not sure how popular this story was at the time it was written, but it continues to hold up as one of my all time favorite angst stories ever!
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=9871
Another favorite of mine that I'm not sure many people have checked out is "Brothers" by jess20
Its just a great little bromantic story that I absolutely loved.
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=11006
"On the Rails" by our featured author this month filiklepto. Its a historical Au but its so well written you can't help but fall in love with the characters she created.
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=9453
"Rewind" by carter-orange. Steph is a great writer and I loved this story. Its a great going back in time & wishing you could fix your life - type stories.
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=10168&warning=4
"Unwinding Truth" by Steph & Lore is a great sci fi au for those of you into that.
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=10831
The Other Side of Nick Carter by ritz. I love this story because its more like a series of episodes then a novel. Its about Nick & his ability to talk to the dead. If you like The Ghost Whisperer you'll enjoy this one.
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=10684
I'm sure there are tons more & these might be considered oopular by now, who knows but when I read them they had pretty low review counts.
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The Garden by Louise. It's a great story that I don't think got much attention. It's Kevin centered so that might be why.
I lovedthat story!
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I swear I haven't fallen off the face of the earth again, lol. I was busy with work and trying to prepare for this incoming storm, lol. Call me crazy, but I'm excited for it... now if they just cancel work so I can cozy up and write/read or some shit, then I'm set! Lol. It's been a madhouse trying to shop for things in preparation, but I felt this sick sense of excitement having my sister gone out to buy our family cases of water, non-perishable food, batteries, flash lights, etc. Sans for any destruction that may come, I'm ready for this storm! Lol.
Now let me journey back and read and try to answer! ^_^
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Totally agree on The Garden. That was such a good story. I always click on stuff that looks different and interesting. Not always popular stories either.
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The Other Side of Nick Carter by ritz. I love this story because its more like a series of episodes then a novel. Its about Nick & his ability to talk to the dead. If you like The Ghost Whisperer you'll enjoy this one.
http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=10684
Thank you very much for the mention, Mare. This made my day.
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Speaking of that, if you could Improve upon anything for yourself as a writer what would that be? What are you doing to try to help yourself with that issue. (not sure if that has been asked before or not)
This is fanfic-specific, but I would like to write more bromantic stories that focus on just the guys and their relationship with each other. Most of my stories have original characters who get in the way of that, but it's been nice writing a novel where the two main characters are Backstreet Boys. I would like to write more like that, featuring all five more equally.
My main story right now, Sick as My Secrets, is helping with that, and I have some other ideas for more BSB-centered stories to write when I'm done.
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Name a story that is one of AC's "best kept secrets" - a story that you think a lot of people would love, if only they would click on it. Maybe it's an older story or a story with a summary that doesn't reflect what it's really like or just a story that, for whatever reason, has gone undiscovered. Don't give us one of your own, although that can be another question if you'd like.
First of all, I will third "Garden" - great story by the very talented Louise!
I'm gonna list some older stories that newer members may not know. There are some amazing stories on AC that have very few reviews because they were already finished by the time their authors posted them on AC, so they didn't spend much time on the Most Recent page, and you'd probably never find them if you didn't know they existed!
The Nick & Lizz Series by Jenna: http://absolutechaos.net/viewseries.php?seriesid=34
From the title, it sounds like one of those neverending romance series. It's not. It is DRAMA and SUSPENSE and LOTS OF IT!!! You have to enjoy over the top, soap opera type stuff to appreciate this series, but if you do, this is the series for you! I was ADDICTED to this thing when it was being written in the early 2000s. The only problem with reading it now is that the third story in the series is missing, so there's a gap when you get that far. If anyone reads, PM me, and I can try to fill in the gaps with as much as I remember (which is not much, anymore - sad. :( ).
Cover Me With Dreams by Heidi: http://absolutechaos.net/viewseries.php?seriesid=88
This is my favorite fanfic, and it doesn't have ANY reviews, which is very sad!! The author, Heidi, isn't writing anymore, so it's posted under the archive account, which is maybe why people don't bother to review it, but if you like romance and haven't read it, it's a must read!!! I don't even particularly like ROMANCE romance, but I LOVE this story!!! There's a short story that sets up the novel, but it's not required that you read it first.
Between the Lines by Carrie: http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=9179
Another old story posted on the archive account that only has a few reviews. A lot of us have mentioned this story before, which should be enough to tell you that if you still haven't read it, you need to! It's AU, but don't let that be a turn off. I initially did not want to read this story because of that, but once I did, it was SO worth it. It's a great group story that will make you laugh a lot and probably cry a little too.
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The Nick and Lizz series was one of the first things I read. I loved that one.
I also loved this one called Perfection, it's a story about Nick having an eating disorder. I forget who wrote that one but I love it.
I read so many stories back in high school that I cannot remember most of them.
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That was a Jenna classic as well. Perfection.
I have another question for everyone. For those of you who do write ahead of yourselves, when it comes to posting how do you choose to do it? Do you update regularly on a specific day of the week or every day or just whenever or all at once? How do you decide when to post and do you think it has affect on your readers?
If you tend to post a chapter as soon as you're done, how long do you wait for editing purposes?
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I agree about The Garden by Louise and I also like her sci-fi one which is unfinished called Homecoming (I think that's the name)
I've missed so many questions in here! Damn not being able to get on here in work time anymore :(
I tend to post a chapter when I'm done, I'll read it a couple of times to check for typos and then post it.
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I have followed the "one update a week on a certain day" schedule before with certain stories, but usually my updates are pretty random. When I'm trying to stay a certain number of chapters ahead of myself, I will update whenever I finish a chapter so that I'm not catching up to myself. If I'm way ahead of myself, I'll post a chapter every few days, at least once a week, or whenever I feel like it. I don't think it matters to my readers. I know they'll read when they feel like it too.
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I generally post two chapters a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The people reading my stuff had come to expect that often ending reviews with "see you on Saturday!" and the like. It was nice because there was none of the demanding "update!" comments, because they knew when the update was coming.
Because of that, when I post one-shots I try not to post on either of those days so I don't spam people lol.
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Why don't you do the same here? I know you had mentioned you have several chapters of some of your BSB stories written but they still haven't been updated like that robot one lol
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With Show Me, it's the first story I've updated regularly once a week on a set day. I don't think it's helped me at all in the sense of readers or reviews, buts it has helped me give myself deadlines. I've been staying ahead of myself by a few chapters and I know what day to finish one by before posting to keep it that way. It's kinda nice lol.
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Why don't you do the same here? I know you had mentioned you have several chapters of some of your BSB stories written but they still haven't been updated like that robot one lol
I second this so much lol.
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With Show Me, it's the first story I've updated regularly once a week on a set day. I don't think it's helped me at all in the sense of readers or reviews, buts it has helped me give myself deadlines. I've been staying ahead of myself by a few chapters and I know what day to finish one by before posting to keep it that way. It's kinda nice lol.
That's why I do it to.
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It all makes sense now! Lol
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Haha thanks guys. I am still working on them but I feel bad that I update and leave the story hanging. So I'm going to update on those once I actually complete them (and I have been working on them lately!) and when that happens I'll use the same model.
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I miss writing regular stories. But when I did I would update once a day or every other day, mostly whenever I felt like. I dont believe anyone cared cause my stuff had only a handful of people reading, so nobody minded as long as I update. Like Julie said people will read when they can so I didn't have a schedule.
I used to crank out 1,000 word chapters a day too, I remember doing that with Finding Carter. I would post as soon as I was done since I edit as I went.
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As soon as i have written a story and it is typed up i post it. I usually write one day and type another. Next week though updates will probably become more frequent cause thr kids start school on wedensday ( yay..opps did i just say that out loud ;)) but for now its just whenevrr lol
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Here is a question...is there something you have to have or doing while writing like have snacks at your desk or listenig to music.
I cant write in less i am listening to music. Writing quietly bores me to tears...and sometimes i have a snack or two at my desk at all times. Usually a big ole bag of jolly ranchera or somethinf. I very well couls be the weird one around here lol
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I need complete silence when I write.
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I need complete silence when I write.
i cant even sleep with complete silence either...need some kind of noise lol
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I have playlists for every story I write, except one shots lol. Songs that fit the time or feel of the story. I dub them my personal soundtracks.
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Depends on what I'm writing. Sometimes I need complete silence, other times I can write with music that I feel fits the story.
My new faovurite thing is actually writing in Starbucks because I find it less distracting than being at home. And I need music in Starbucks because otherwise I'll just start listening to people's conversations lol. But I find that removing myself and going somewhere with the purpose to write and accomplish something is a lot more effective than just sitting at my desk in the condo. I was like this in college as well, I'd go to the school to do homework and study rather than do it at home.
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I have a complete favorites play list...it has 300 songs or so on it cause if i put my normal one on which has almost 3000 songs on it...i tend to skip through it too much and then i never get anything done lol.
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Here is another question....id k why this popped into my head but do you ever wonder if the boys have stumbled upon on the world of fan fiction? It makes you wonder what they would think lol
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I usually end up making playlists for my stories, too, but I use them more to get in the mood to write rather than actually listening to them while I write. I do sometimes listen to music when I write, but usually only instrumental music, like classical stuff and movie scores. When there are words to sing along to, I do that instead of write LOL. I have found that music makes me more dramatic with my writing, so when I'm trying to lay off the melodrama, I don't listen to music. If I'm writing a big, angsty, emotional scene, then music can be helpful.
I don't think I could ever write in public like you do at Starbucks, Steph. I would be paranoid about people watching me. Plus, I like to get up and wander around as I'm writing, and that would look weird. I was never able to write with someone else in the room back when I used to share a room with my sister and then a dorm room with a roommate.
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Here is another question....id k why this popped into my head but do you ever wonder if the boys have stumbled upon on the world of fan fiction? It makes you wonder what they would think lol
Kevin has. They were asked about it in an interview with Perez Hilton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyv2X0BqxBI You can tell from Nick's answer that he has no idea what he's talking about, even though he pretends he does, but Kevin has obviously stumbled onto some Nick/Kevin slash LOL.
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Depends on what I'm writing. Sometimes I need complete silence, other times I can write with music that I feel fits the story.
My new faovurite thing is actually writing in Starbucks because I find it less distracting than being at home. And I need music in Starbucks because otherwise I'll just start listening to people's conversations lol. But I find that removing myself and going somewhere with the purpose to write and accomplish something is a lot more effective than just sitting at my desk in the condo. I was like this in college as well, I'd go to the school to do homework and study rather than do it at home.
I would be too paranoid that people would be reading over my shoulder to write in a public place. I would also be yelling at everyone to shut up so I can concentrate lol
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Here is another question....id k why this popped into my head but do you ever wonder if the boys have stumbled upon on the world of fan fiction? It makes you wonder what they would think lol
Like Julie said, Kevin seems to know about it & I'm sure he was intrigued enough to read some. I'm not sure I would want them reading anything I wrote but it does kind of surprise me the amount of people that try to get the guys to read their stuff by @ ing it to them in tweets! Uh...no lol
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Right? Nooo thank you! They'd think I was psychology lmao.
I would love to know what Kevins read though.
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Me too! I hope not just slash lol
If you were famous and knew about fan fiction, how would you feel about knowing stories were being written about you? And would you want to read them?
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I would be too paranoid that people would be reading over my shoulder to write in a public place. I would also be yelling at everyone to shut up so I can concentrate lol
I am mega paranoid about people reading over my shoulder too! But I have a couple good spots against the wall to mitigate that lol
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Me too! I hope not just slash lol
If you were famous and knew about fan fiction, how would you feel about knowing stories were being written about you? And would you want to read them?
If i were famous and know about fan fiction i think my interest would be peaked. I would probably read some. Probably not respond but read some. After all some fan fiction is just like a good book but with famous people in it. Or that is how i see it anyway
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I couldnt write in public either. I am overly paranoid even in my own home with my kids lol. Doesnt help that my son reads at almost a 4th grade lvl either and can sound out pretty much any word lol
When i write too usualy everyone has to be asleep cause i am always worried someone is watching me lol
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Me too! I hope not just slash lol
If you were famous and knew about fan fiction, how would you feel about knowing stories were being written about you? And would you want to read them?
I would be curious and check them out. I think it would be weird to actually read stories about myself, but I would probably get a kick out of seeing what was out there. I wouldn't be surprised if at least some of the Boys - like Kevin - had done the same.
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oooo another question...is there anything that just keeps you so distracted you just can't seem to write? Today I am certainly having one of them days...I cant seem to focus even though I am feeling better =( and not to mention my cat seems to think its a good idea to steal my pen and run off with it lol.
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Twitter. Facebook. This forum. YouTube. TV. You name it, I'm distracted by it LOL. I wish I enjoyed writing on paper like you do because I think I would be less distracted that way. When I really want to minimize distractions, I will either remove Chrome from my taskbar so I can't click on it easily or write on my netbook, which is so slow that surfing the internet on it is a pain in the ass. But usually I just let myself get distracted LOL.
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Funny you should ask that because I said earlier on twitter, Howie & his bunny killing has caused a major distraction for me while trying to come up with my final scene for the last chapter I am working on. Not that I'm even sure how to write it without a computer or word but yeah...no matter what should happen, visions of a Howie grabbing a cute small bunny out of Nick's hands, hitting it with a hammer & yelling the word dinner keep showing up instead!
So, here's another question for you
Has finding out about something in the boys real lives, ever affected your writing? Like as you are writing you found out something was totally contradictory to what you were actually writing? Or the opposite? Did it make you change things at all?
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What is this thing with Howie and the bunny?! Is this a movie spoiler? I saw part of that conversation on Twitter earlier and was like, "O-kay then..." LOL
As far as the question goes, I remember it was hard writing Broken in 2003/2004 when Nick was in his ghetto fab phase and then dating Paris Hilton because I didn't want to write Nick as a douchebag. I didn't write for like a week after that Punk'd episode because it was just so NOT how I was picturing Nick. But after awhile I just stopped worrying about it and went on writing my sweet, self-conscious, emo, one-legged little Broken Nick because I liked him better LOL.
That said, I do think finding out more about that time in Nick's life through his interviews and his book has changed the way I write him, and if I wrote something that took place in his past now, my portrayal would be a lot different.
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Sadly, yes! There was a story about Howie, a rock and dinner :( #slightlyhomicidalHowie
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LMAO! It's not really funny, but I'm telling you, Howie has a dark side!!
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Me too! I hope not just slash lol
If you were famous and knew about fan fiction, how would you feel about knowing stories were being written about you? And would you want to read them?
Oh I would so check them out. It'd be weird but yep, I'd read em out of curiosity.
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Twitter. Facebook. This forum. YouTube. TV. You name it, I'm distracted by it LOL. I wish I enjoyed writing on paper like you do because I think I would be less distracted that way. When I really want to minimize distractions, I will either remove Chrome from my taskbar so I can't click on it easily or write on my netbook, which is so slow that surfing the internet on it is a pain in the ass. But usually I just let myself get distracted LOL.
THIS! In a nutshell.
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Funny you should ask that because I said earlier on twitter, Howie & his bunny killing has caused a major distraction for me while trying to come up with my final scene for the last chapter I am working on. Not that I'm even sure how to write it without a computer or word but yeah...no matter what should happen, visions of a Howie grabbing a cute small bunny out of Nick's hands, hitting it with a hammer & yelling the word dinner keep showing up instead!
So, here's another question for you
Has finding out about something in the boys real lives, ever affected your writing? Like as you are writing you found out something was totally contradictory to what you were actually writing? Or the opposite? Did it make you change things at all?
Sometimes. Like it wasn't events but like as I wrote RMTW seeing the Boys happy and healthy in concert didn't help with me writing Nick losing his mind :P. Sometimes real life events inspire ideas or new changes though that I hadn't thought of. If it doesn't fit the story I ignore it. If I can work it in I think it's a neat way to go.
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So, here's another question for you
Has finding out about something in the boys real lives, ever affected your writing? Like as you are writing you found out something was totally contradictory to what you were actually writing? Or the opposite? Did it make you change things at all?
I have been away from the scene of seeing a lot about the guys and interviews and such I havent really read or seen anything make me go i didnt know that lol...i am terribly behind on these kinds of things lol.
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That's probably a good thing sometimes lol
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I tend to be affected by things going on in their real lives when I'm trying to write them. It's kind of awesome when things work out to be like how you picture it, like seeing the guys living in a house together, Kevin & Howie taking Nick fishing on one of his birthdays, going camping and most recently hiking together. But when its the other way around it can be a real bummer. Like Kevin leaving and Howie having homicidal tendencies and Hot messNick of early 2000's lol or working with nkotb. That's when I start struggling a bit.
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After I had gotten together with my ex i pretty much took myself away from the fandom completely because he was "jealous" or something idk..to me it was bull honky but i obeyed. I stayed away. I didnt even know unbreakable was released until after whole year it had been out! And that was totally unlike me,but after I left him it was like..an OMG they have had TWO albums out and i didnt even know about it?!? We were together for almost 7ys.
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Twitter. Facebook. This forum. YouTube. TV. You name it, I'm distracted by it LOL. I wish I enjoyed writing on paper like you do because I think I would be less distracted that way. When I really want to minimize distractions, I will either remove Chrome from my taskbar so I can't click on it easily or write on my netbook, which is so slow that surfing the internet on it is a pain in the ass. But usually I just let myself get distracted LOL.
the funny thing is I write AT my computer desk so I am just as tempted LOL! Facebook gets me the most...cause i play farmville with my mother in law lol...so we send each other stuff throughout the day. All of my music is also on my computer. I dont own an ipod or an MP3 player so if i want to listen to music i have to do it at my desk lol. My phone will play pandora every once in a while when it isnt a piece of crap lol.
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New question...has there ever been a story you wanted to write but just couldnt put the plot together? Or ever want to write about a certain member but just cant seem to get youraelf motivated to do so?
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Many many times. The plot forms really well in my head but doesn't translate as well on 'paper'
As far as writing certain members, depends. I very rarely want to center anything around anyone else besides Nick or Kevin. I know I'm going to struggle with my Nick & Brian story to the point where I am pretty sure I'm going to end up scrapping the idea. I just can't feel Brian the way I would need to in order to maintain an entire novel with just the two of them as the focus.
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I feel the same way when I want to write. Howie, Kevin or AJ i cant seem to do it i have done it but I feel them stories are totally worthless and were one shots lol.
I can write a brian story but is never a BSB center it is always an AU story for some reason.
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I have had the idea for a canon story with Nick and Brian forever. I just havent gotten far with the idea and I have no clue what time period to write it in but I want to do one about their friendship and how it has changed as time goes by. I am not sure how to go about that so for now it is on hold.
I wish Forces Of Nature had worked out. Writing about the storm chasing idea sounds fun. I just couldn't write AJ and that's always been a problem for me especially with AU.
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I just posted a story I have been wondering if I even should have posted it lol. I had been kicking around the idea for the last month or so. I figured since the kids were in school i'd be able to focus on it a little more and just run with it and have fun. It's more of a "what if" scenario to me lol. First time writing AJ so we shall see how long it takes me to say eff this story lol.
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I have had the idea for a canon story with Nick and Brian forever. I just havent gotten far with the idea and I have no clue what time period to write it in but I want to do one about their friendship and how it has changed as time goes by. I am not sure how to go about that so for now it is on hold.
I wish Forces Of Nature had worked out. Writing about the storm chasing idea sounds fun. I just couldn't write AJ and that's always been a problem for me especially with AU.
Yeah that's exactly what my Brian & Nick story would've been as well. Told from present day but covering their entire relationship. I can barely manage the one I'm writing now & its my three guys, so not sure how Brian will fair.
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I feel the same way when I want to write. Howie, Kevin or AJ i cant seem to do it i have done it but I feel them stories are totally worthless and were one shots lol.
I can write a brian story but is never a BSB center it is always an AU story for some reason.
I think writing one shots is the only time I am willing to stray from my normal routine.
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I just posted a story I have been wondering if I even should have posted it lol. I had been kicking around the idea for the last month or so. I figured since the kids were in school i'd be able to focus on it a little more and just run with it and have fun. It's more of a "what if" scenario to me lol. First time writing AJ so we shall see how long it takes me to say eff this story lol.
I give you credit for branching out. Hopefully you'll stick with it.
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Yeah that's exactly what my Brian & Nick story would've been as well. Told from present day but covering their entire relationship. I can barely manage the one I'm writing now & its my three guys, so not sure how Brian will fair.
Yeah that's kinda what I wanted to do. But I don't want to steal your idea or anything. I just couldn't come up with a plot or more ideas for it. I love those two and it was something I was toying with.
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Yeah, their friendship has always intrigued me. You wouldn't be stealing my idea. I have a feeling everyone at one point has thought about the same thing. This is actually one of those plots I would love to see interpreted by a bunch of different people because depending on how you see things, I bet most of them would be different.
Maybe I'll make a frick & frack challenge - that everyone will say great idea, count me in! But no one will actually do lol
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Lol a Frick and Frack challenge sounds like a great idea. But you're right probably nobody would do it. I think their relationship always intrigued me because it changed so much. I have seen so many Nick and Kevin ones that I'd like to see someone take on a new conbo. That's one reason I enjoyed Sick as my secrets by Julie so much was because I'd never read a Nick/Howie story before and it was interesting.
I have tried all the guys but Nick always seems to be the one I relate t the most and aj and Howie the least. I've been trying to write more of Howie in one shots. So far it's been getting better.
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I enjoy the Nick & Howie combo as well. Not sure I could write an entire story around those two though.
I will never get enough Nick & Kevin stories. Its the one combo which will almost always get me to click on a story.
I say almost always because I have my rules as well. It has to be a bromance. I'm not interested in love triangles or them wanting each other. Lol
I do have to say I'm glad there does seem to be a new trend back towards bromance in general.
Down with 'ro' give us more 'bro!'
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LOL. And yeah I've noticed lately romance isn't as big as it was before. Maybe it's all five being married. But I'm enjoying the increase in bromance.
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Maybe it's a maturing thing. Not to say writer - wise but more guys wise. They have all settled down which makes it harder to do the random guy & girl thing unless you're really good at it.
I wonder if most of the romance people are still making up fictional females or are using the real deals?
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Many many times. The plot forms really well in my head but doesn't translate as well on 'paper'
As far as writing certain members, depends. I very rarely want to center anything around anyone else besides Nick or Kevin. I know I'm going to struggle with my Nick & Brian story to the point where I am pretty sure I'm going to end up scrapping the idea. I just can't feel Brian the way I would need to in order to maintain an entire novel with just the two of them as the focus.
Noooooooo don't scrap the idea!! LOL I would love to read your take on the whole Brian and Nick relationship. Writing Brian's isn't so hard ... it's writing Kevin and Howie that's hard! :P
FYI, if you were to make a Frick and Frack challenge, I would totally be up for it. ;D
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Noooooooo don't scrap the idea!! LOL I would love to read your take on the whole Brian and Nick relationship. Writing Brian's isn't so hard ... it's writing Kevin and Howie that's hard! :P
FYI, if you were to make a Frick and Frack challenge, I would totally be up for it. ;D
Kevin & Howie are easy lol well Kevin...Howie still has his moments I guess.
Brian is tough lol I wish he wasnt .
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Kevin & Howie are easy
to omit.
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I would totally be down for a little Frick & Frack!!!! I love them! I told myself if i was ever going to get a couple of pugs (them are my favorite) i was going to name them Frick & Frack only because they'd be good buddies and company of course. I know Nick & Brian aren't the same as they used to be but I think it would be a fun challenge....
and as far as romance I am using fictional characters for only Nick. Only because i dont know much about Lauren and it would get boring to use her all the time lol...same ole same ole......diffe rent girls =different backgrounds for some and different struggles. It just doesnt seem to work as well for the other guys maybe its just because they all have been married a lot longer than Nick.
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I give you credit for branching out. Hopefully you'll stick with it.
We shall see...I am already second guessing myself lol. I put the storyline in the back of my binder this morning. It has to deal with the other two stories i wrote with "All Of Your Life" but it doesnt require to have read the two other stories. Its more of a "what if" like i said. Its more centered around the backstreet kids from the stories so maybe that is why i am so apprehensive about it.
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I am all for more Frick & Frack stories! If there was a challenge that allowed me to write a novel without any kind of deadline, I would be all for that too! I've been toying with the idea of a Brian/Nick story, but I have too many ideas and not enough time.
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My master's class this fall is a writing class. It will focus mostly on teaching writing, but as part of it, we have to participate in a writer's workshop and actually do/share/submit some of our own writing. I don't know why, but that makes me so nervous! It's weird because writing is my hobby; I would happily write every day if I had the time, and I love sharing my writing with you guys online. But the thought of writing original fiction (or essays, poetry, whatever) and sharing it with people in real life just makes me squirm. I'm worried I either won't be able to come up with ideas for non-fanfic stuff or won't be comfortable sharing what I do come up with. I didn't take any real writing classes in college because I took AP classes in high school and tested out of the college requirements, and I definitely did not experience writer's workshop the way we teach it nowadays when I was in grade school, so this is new to me!
Have you ever taken a creative writing class or something similar? If so, what was it like?
Do you write original fiction or any other kind of writing (besides fanfic) for fun, and if so, do you share it with people in real life?
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I took creative writing in high school but i was really not
Good at presenting my work to other people. I wrote for myself as a hobby but other than that the class work got to be challenging because it was homework. It
wasn't fun for me in a school setting.
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New question...has there ever been a story you wanted to write but just couldnt put the plot together? Or ever want to write about a certain member but just cant seem to get youraelf motivated to do so?
I've come to realize that my mind is a complete and utter mess, lol. I'll have an idea, my mind with think up all these things to twist the idea, make the plot grow, and as I begin to type it out, it's like word vomit really, it all comes out at once, and when I'm done I'm left staring like "Well shit... where was I going with this again?" LOL. My mind is notorious of thinking of things I didn't think before and wanting to add them.
My mind is currently struggling with putting together a plot for an idea that's brewing in my head, lol. It's like my mind is going "Okay, so this, this, this, and this is gonna happen... but how, why, when, to whom..." and then when I get that all figured out, my mind will think of the logics like "well, do we reach a conclusion, how do we get there, where do we go from here..." yadda yadda yadda.
And as horrible as this may sound, I can't motivate myself to write about poor Howard. :(
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Have you ever taken a creative writing class or something similar? If so, what was it like?
Do you write original fiction or any other kind of writing (besides fanfic) for fun, and if so, do you share it with people in real life?
I took a creative writing class in high school and it really wasn't for me. We had to take two English courses in order to graduate and it was recommended to me that for my second English I take a technical writing class. So that's what I did and that's what my job is now lol.
I have written some original fiction but I don't really share it. The funny thing is that I have friends who are very active in the writing community in this city and I've gone to their readings and stuff. I have thought about taking another creative writing class or trying to join one of their groups but it's impossible to find information about it. There's also a massive local bookstore here that has a self-publishing machine which I have thought about using. When you do that they also offer a public book launch/reading at the store to get the book out there and sell it in their local section. It's pretty cool actually. I would need a lot more confidence (and a professional editor, obvs) to be able to do that lol.
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^ That is cool about the bookstore's self-publishing thing, but the idea of doing a book launch/reading with something I'd written would terrify me too!
I love the quote in your signature, Steph! That's really what I wanted to comment on. LOL
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I took a creative writing class in high school...i still wrote fanfiction lol...only thing i did was change the last names and have iy be an au...passed thr class with an A lol she never knew the difference ;)
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^ That is cool about the bookstore's self-publishing thing, but the idea of doing a book launch/reading with something I'd written would terrify me too!
I love the quote in your signature, Steph! That's really what I wanted to comment on. LOL
Haha thanks! I figure it's good advice :)
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I've always wanted to take a creative writing class or workshop. I might do that somewhere along the line.
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I have hardly been in here for quite some time. But being that I've been on somewhat of a writing funk myself, a question came to mind.
Have you ever gone on a hiatus from writing? Was it due to life getting in the way? Or just being uninspired?
How long was your writing break, and how did you get yourself the spark to write again?
I should have said "questions" but hope that this sparks a discussion. I know I could sure use some tips to bring
My muse back.
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I have hardly been in here for quite some time. But being that I've been on somewhat of a writing funk myself, a question came to mind.
Have you ever gone on a hiatus from writing? Was it due to life getting in the way? Or just being uninspired?
How long was your writing break, and how did you get yourself the spark to write again?
I should have said "questions" but hope that this sparks a discussion. I know I could sure use some tips to bring
My muse back.
The longest break from writing was during my college years, especially after finished it. I was totally burned out.
Then came the TIU tour, I discovered BSB fiction and slash and I've started writing again. Since then, I don't think I've ever gone through a long break, maybe one or two weeks but it was mostly due to real life. Like last months, between being always sick and life, I've only managed to update one story and translate (and that's only because the story is already finished. lol)
My problem isn't inspiration because I've always one or two ideas. My problem is my lack of self confidence. ;( and my always thinking that I'll never be good enough or the idea is just stupid.
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I always tell myself I shouldn't care what people think, but I have a habit of overthinking sometimes and it works against me. I have little self confidence myself, although it's gotten better in recent years.
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It's not really caring for what others might think, I've made peace with myself and I know that I write and love a genre and a character that only very few people would care. lol It's more a battle with myself, I always want to write as perfect as possible and, mot of the times, I would start already thinking that I won't be good enough no matter how much I try. lol
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I took a slight break while I attended college, but anybody that knows me well enough already knew that. I dabbled in other genres (NASCAR mostly because I was so involved in the sport, wanting to work for them), but BSB fan fiction was always in the back of my mind.
And when I came back to BSB fanfic, the majority of my loyal readers were still there, because many of them followed me to my NASCAR stories, even though they didn't even watch NASCAR or was interested in the sport. Which I thought was kind of awesome.
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I have hardly been in here for quite some time. But being that I've been on somewhat of a writing funk myself, a question came to mind.
Have you ever gone on a hiatus from writing? Was it due to life getting in the way? Or just being uninspired?
How long was your writing break, and how did you get yourself the spark to write again?
I should have said "questions" but hope that this sparks a discussion. I know I could sure use some tips to bring
My muse back.
I don't think I've ever "officially" gone on hiatus because honestly, I don't think anyone really (truly) cares that much about what I do lol
That being said, if you look at the stories I've written... it took me six years to finish writing H&H, it's been three years since I last updated my other major unfinished story and most others, depending on how complicated the plot is, take me about a year to write. A lot of that reason is just life, I've gotten different hobbies as I've gotten older, less of my life is spent sitting in front of my computer and more of it is on my phone and I can't be productive in that environment.
Some people think if you aren't updating once every couple days then that stretch between updates is a "hiatus" but I don't think it is. That's just the time that I would consider to be the working time. Especially since I've started finishing my stories before I post them. So I may be writing but you guys wouldn't know it... maybe I am right now even... OOOH lol
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I'm on hiatus now because during the school year I just don't have the time or energy to write. As far as getting back into it, no idea. Personally I am completely uninspired and uninterested at the moment. Hopefully that will change, we shall see.
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I don't think I've ever "officially" gone on hiatus because honestly, I don't think anyone really (truly) cares that much about what I do lol
That being said, if you look at the stories I've written... it took me six years to finish writing H&H, it's been three years since I last updated my other major unfinished story and most others, depending on how complicated the plot is, take me about a year to write. A lot of that reason is just life, I've gotten different hobbies as I've gotten older, less of my life is spent sitting in front of my computer and more of it is on my phone and I can't be productive in that environment.
Some people think if you aren't updating once every couple days then that stretch between updates is a "hiatus" but I don't think it is. That's just the time that I would consider to be the working time. Especially since I've started finishing my stories before I post them. So I may be writing but you guys wouldn't know it... maybe I am right now even... OOOH lol
I think if you posted a new story it would completely bring readers back to the site.
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I think if you posted a new story it would completely bring readers back to the site.
I think you're trying to trick me lol
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I think you're trying to trick me lol
Not at all. *whispers* If you post it...they will come. lol
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Have any of you also experienced a lull in your reading as well while you're not writing? I know some of you aren't big readers but I am curious on this as well. If not, what stories have you been reading lately? (I'm looking for new stories to read myself)
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I don't know if I would call my break a official hiatus per se but it's been a hot minute since I've written anything other than a one shot. I am feeling good about this Christmas challenge though, I've got some ideas for it.
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There was a span from like April to well last month that I didn't update anything really. I was suffering from really low iron in my blood and had no concentration and every ounce that I had went on work. I don't consider that a hiatus.
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I think one reason a lot of people aren't writing lately is due to life getting in the way. I'm sure once spring/ summer comes around it will pick back up. At least that's what I am hoping lol
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I have hardly been in here for quite some time. But being that I've been on somewhat of a writing funk myself, a question came to mind.
Have you ever gone on a hiatus from writing? Was it due to life getting in the way? Or just being uninspired?
How long was your writing break, and how did you get yourself the spark to write again?
I should have said "questions" but hope that this sparks a discussion. I know I could sure use some tips to bring
My muse back.
Not intentionally. I don't ever go on hiatus really. I more or less just take longer to update cause of life getting in the way. Like I went about three months from my last update for Show Me and before that I was updating once a week. I'm trying to get myself consistent again.
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Have any of you also experienced a lull in your reading as well while you're not writing? I know some of you aren't big readers but I am curious on this as well. If not, what stories have you been reading lately? (I'm looking for new stories to read myself)
LOL yes but not because I don't want to read. It's because the stories I was reading are written by people having the same problem I am - reality getting in the way!
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When I lose interest in the fandom, I lose interest in the fandom so yes, not really reading anything either. Maybe in the summer. We'll see. I'm hoping this documentary coming out the day before my birthday will re-ignite the dwindling love I have for BSB.
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I'm way too ADHD to be a good reader. I don't know how people do it. Especially those 50+ chapter behemoths!
I can usually make it okay for the first four or five chapters and then I'm like BALL! SHINY! GLITTER! and I'm out. I'm sure anyone who has had me review one of their stories can attest that reviews from me stop well before chapter 10 lol sorry about that. It's not you, it's me ;)
That's probably why so many of my earlier written stories aren't longer than 15 chapters. I don't watch TV unless its binge watching bc there's no way I can keep up with a show. If you look on my bookshelf, the very few books I own almost all have a bookmark or a dog ear in the first 1/4 of the book bc I never finish them. I think I've successfully finished 1 book in the last 5 years.
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I have been reading a little but most of the people I usually read haven't been updating. So that goes hand in hand for me.
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I haven't been writing or reading at all, really. I come by this forum to see what everyone is up to. I have three in-progress stories, and I'd love to finish them all, but I'm just not sure when that is going to happen (maybe when my kids graduate high school? Lol) I've thought about posting that my stories are "on hiatus," but I'm not sure I really want to do that, because I'm afraid that will take any little pressure there is off, and I'll NEVER finish them. Like Mare, I'm hoping the documentary reignites my love for the fandom and fan-fiction in general. Honestly, with a four year old and a four month old at home, work, and a sick parent, if I get any spare time, I just want to rest-- or do laundry. I could always do laundry.
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I haven't written or read anything for a while. Not that I've lost interest in it, it's just real life getting in the way and not having the time I used to. Plus doing mostly everything on a phone isn't really ideal lol.
I will get back to it though, I just need a new laptop :)
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I have hardly been in here for quite some time. But being that I've been on somewhat of a writing funk myself, a question came to mind.
Have you ever gone on a hiatus from writing? Was it due to life getting in the way? Or just being uninspired?
How long was your writing break, and how did you get yourself the spark to write again?
I should have said "questions" but hope that this sparks a discussion. I know I could sure use some tips to bring
My muse back.
Seems like a lot of us are in a slump and trying to get back into our groove! I haven't written any fanfic since August, and I think this is the longest hiatus I've ever taken. I didn't intend to take it, but I feel like I've been going nonstop ever since the "back to school" craziness started in August. It just never let up! I am getting my master's, and that has really cut down on my writing time because I usually have homework to do over the weekend, which used to be my writing time. I know they say you make time for the things you love, but even though I love writing, it takes a lot of mental energy that I just don't have after a long day/week of work.
Since it's been SO long since I have even opened my story, I am struggling to get back into my groove. My class is done for the semester, and I have three more school days until break, but I also still have Christmas shopping and wrapping and baking to do. This time of year is fun, but so busy! I hate being busy. I am looking forward to some down time to devote to re-reading Sick as My Secrets so I can get back into writing it.
I guess that's my main tip - re-read! Listening to music also inspires me sometimes. I have a playlist for SAMS that I was playing in my car on the way to work this morning, and it got me thinking about the story and writing dialogue in my head, as I tend to do... but of course, by the end of the day when I was on my way home from work, my mind was all filled up with school stuff, and I was too tired to even try to write some of that dialogue down. Such is my life. LOL
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When I lose interest in the fandom, I lose interest in the fandom so yes, not really reading anything either. Maybe in the summer. We'll see. I'm hoping this documentary coming out the day before my birthday will re-ignite the dwindling love I have for BSB.
You are going to love the documentary!! There was not a dry eye in the house just during the 20 minute clip they showed us on the cruise. Of course, it was Kevin, and he was crying, so, you know... but still, it was really good!! I think it will be good for inspiration, especially for writers who love the bromance.
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Some people think if you aren't updating once every couple days then that stretch between updates is a "hiatus" but I don't think it is. That's just the time that I would consider to be the working time. Especially since I've started finishing my stories before I post them. So I may be writing but you guys wouldn't know it... maybe I am right now even... OOOH lol
That's a good point, that everyone writes at their own pace. I used to be one of those people who literally updated every day with at least one chapter (though, granted, most of my "chapters" were under 1000 words) and averaged a story a month, but I have obviously slowed down considerably. I typically take years to finish something... but, in most cases, I do finish eventually. I think I need to start doing what you're doing and not posting until I'm done. I just worry I would have to disappear for years to do that LOL. I guess I need a secret side project... like you have, right?! :)
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Have any of you also experienced a lull in your reading as well while you're not writing? I know some of you aren't big readers but I am curious on this as well. If not, what stories have you been reading lately? (I'm looking for new stories to read myself)
I also have not read any fanfic since summer. I think the last story I read was Dodging the Daylight, which was fantastic. I haven't even had time to browse AC much lately to see what's new, so if anyone's found a new favorite, do share! If something really sparked my interest, I would make time to read it. Reading requires much less mental effort than writing (although TV requires almost none, which is why I spend most of my free time lying on the couch in front of it, half-asleep).
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That's a good point, that everyone writes at their own pace. I used to be one of those people who literally updated every day with at least one chapter (though, granted, most of my "chapters" were under 1000 words) and averaged a story a month, but I have obviously slowed down considerably. I typically take years to finish something... but, in most cases, I do finish eventually. I think I need to start doing what you're doing and not posting until I'm done. I just worry I would have to disappear for years to do that LOL. I guess I need a secret side project... like you have, right?! :)
I just find it helps because I want to know I'm going to finish it and not leave it hanging but also there are so many times when I'll go to pick a story back up and think, damn I wish I hadn't written that scene or done something else because I want to change something and can't because it's posted. Now I get the chance to do real/significant editing, which is nice.
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You are going to love the documentary!! There was not a dry eye in the house just during the 20 minute clip they showed us on the cruise. Of course, it was Kevin, and he was crying, so, you know... but still, it was really good!! I think it will be good for inspiration, especially for writers who love the bromance.
Ahhhhhh this post just got me soooo excited for the documentary!! :P
In relation to the discussion about taking a hiatus from writing, I took a break after I finished Dodging The Daylight simply because life got in the way. I recently started working on another story a few weeks ago, but I am hesitant to post the first couple of chapters because I don't want to commit to posting updates and then have to stop if I become too busy. Although, I feel as though getting some feedback might help me get back in the writing mindset. So, I'm kind of torn about whether or not to post what I have written. It's funny - I thought that I would have more downtime now that I'm on maternity leave, but the opposite is true. Apparently, taking care of a baby is WAY more work then my paid full-time job. ??? LOL
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Ahhhhhh this post just got me soooo excited for the documentary!! :P
In relation to the discussion about taking a hiatus from writing, I took a break after I finished Dodging The Daylight simply because life got in the way. I recently started working on another story a few weeks ago, but I am hesitant to post the first couple of chapters because I don't want to commit to posting updates and then have to stop if I become too busy. Although, I feel as though getting some feedback might help me get back in the writing mindset. So, I'm kind of torn about whether or not to post what I have written. It's funny - I thought that I would have more downtime now that I'm on maternity leave, but the opposite is true. Apparently, taking care of a baby is WAY more work then my paid full-time job. ??? LOL
How old is your baby? I had a baby in August, and I have a four year old at home. I also work part-time, but my big job is the one at home! So, I feel you! I had more time when my oldest (and actually writing and posting here) was about one and had a consistent naptime routine down. Sometimes, I would write when he napped. Other times, I would try to get some housework done. But of course, I only work part-time, so not everyone has that luxury.
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My baby just turned six weeks and she sure keeps me busy all day long!! LOL I admire you, having a four year old and a newborn. I don't know how you manage to do everything! I'm having a hard enough time just keeping up with one baby. Haha.
Unfortunately, working part-time will not be an option for me. I will be going back to my full-time job when my one year maternity leave is over. Until then, I intend to enjoy spending time with my daughter. Luckily, she tends to nap for a few hours every afternoon so I have been using that time to do some writing. I probably should be doing housework ... oh well. :P
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You are going to love the documentary!! There was not a dry eye in the house just during the 20 minute clip they showed us on the cruise. Of course, it was Kevin, and he was crying, so, you know... but still, it was really good!! I think it will be good for inspiration, especially for writers who love the bromance.
I really hope so because honestly, the trailer hasn't even done much for me. :-/
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I came across this post on Pinterest yesterday...
Bad Ways to Start a Novel: http://www.wattpad.com/4667955-bad-ways-to-start-a-novel
Beginnings are almost always hard for me, and I have probably used just about all of the ways they say NOT to start a novel at one point or another. What are your thoughts on this list?
What would you consider the best and worst beginning you've ever written and why?
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As I'm reading Harry Potter again for the millionth time... I was curious, has anyone here read a fanfiction more than once, and why did you find yourself reading it again?
For me, I've read a couple of Mare's more than one time just bbecause they're amazing. Plus I read Hawk and a Handsaw a couple weeks ago because Ilove a good Nick and Brian story.
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I love to reread both books and fanfics. Most of my older favorite fanfics, like Where Can We Go From Here and Cover Me With Dreams, I've read many times. I've turned some of them into ebooks so I can read them on my Kindle in bed, which is my preferred way of reading these days. I don't like sitting at a desk reading off a computer screen for hours at a time like I used to. Sometimes I reread stories for the nostalgia, sometimes I reread for inspiration for what I'm writing, and sometimes I reread just because nothing else sounds good.
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Happy New Year!
Do you have any writing- or reading-related resolutions this year?
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Yes! To stop slacking! lol
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I came across this post on Pinterest yesterday...
Bad Ways to Start a Novel: http://www.wattpad.com/4667955-bad-ways-to-start-a-novel
Beginnings are almost always hard for me, and I have probably used just about all of the ways they say NOT to start a novel at one point or another. What are your thoughts on this list?
What would you consider the best and worst beginning you've ever written and why?
That was an interesting article. Not sure if I agree with all of it. They didn't really leave much to go on. I have done many of those things as well though.
I'm not sure what my favorite first line is. I can barely even remember story names. I think for a real novel my favorite first line of a book was from "Nineteen Minutes." I don't recall what it was but it sucked me in immediately.
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As I'm reading Harry Potter again for the millionth time... I was curious, has anyone here read a fanfiction more than once, and why did you find yourself reading it again?
For me, I've read a couple of Mare's more than one time just bbecause they're amazing. Plus I read Hawk and a Handsaw a couple weeks ago because Ilove a good Nick and Brian story.
Thanks, Tracy!
I'm not someone who re-reads things. I'm more of a once and done girl. Maybe when I first started getting into fanfic, I might have read Documentaries and Can You Keep a Secret more than once. I have gone back to maybe read a favorite chapter of a story but very seldom the entire thing. I'm the same for novels and movies as well.
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Happy New Year!
Do you have any writing- or reading-related resolutions this year?
I really miss reading and thanks to my kids and all the B&N gift cards, I have made a vow to start reading daily again. I've already finished "Revival" and just started "Leaving Time"
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That was an interesting article. Not sure if I agree with all of it. They didn't really leave much to go on. I have done many of those things as well though.
I'm not sure what my favorite first line is. I can barely even remember story names. I think for a real novel my favorite first line of a book was from "Nineteen Minutes." I don't recall what it was but it sucked me in immediately.
I have mixed feelings about that article too. I agreed with a lot of it, but I can see the reasoning behind using at least some of those beginnings. Like I get that the "It was a dark and stormy night" is cliche, but I don't think it's the worst beginning ever. At least it sets the scene and suggests that something scary might happen. And sometimes I think it's important to show an average day in the main character's life, or at least part of an average day, so the reader understands the status quo before things change.
That said, I also thought this was interesting:
"The modern trend, particularly in genre or YA fiction, but increasingly in literary fiction too, is to start the story with the main character on the first page, and to start with the inciting incident. No backstory before chapter three, and then pare it to the bone."
I have noticed this change just comparing the recently-published YA fiction I've read to the books I read growing up. Modern books move a lot faster, whereas I remember skipping ahead to the third, fourth, or fifth chapter to see when things would finally start getting good with books I read when I was younger. I have definitely been THAT writer, who takes forever to get to the point, too. I think you can definitely show a wider character arc if you take the time to show how the character was before his or life changed, but that's only if you can keep the readers' attention long enough to get them to read that far.
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I really miss reading and thanks to my kids and all the B&N gift cards, I have made a vow to start reading daily again. I've already finished "Revival" and just started "Leaving Time"
How was Revival? And which was the SK book you mentioned earlier this fall that had the boyband in it? I could use something new to read before I get bogged down with professional reading for class again. The last book I read was "Gone Girl" last fall, which was great once I got into it, and afterwards I was looking for another good read, but couldn't find anything that really hooked me from the beginning. I love being able to sample books on my Kindle, but sometimes it makes my pickiness even worse because I'll download a million samples, start reading them, and then not care enough to actually buy the book so I can finish it. I need to find something that demands to be finished!
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As far as resolutions go... I would really not like to go another semester without writing a single word of fanfic. I hope I can find more of a balance between work, homework, other real life obligations, and writing this year. I have learned that I can make time for writing, even on weeknights, if I'm really inspired and into my story, but if I'm not, I just don't have the energy. So I guess my first priority is to get back into my story so I can keep writing, even when life gets busy again. Otherwise I'm going to end up being a summer-only writer, and by summer I mean July, at least until I'm done with my master's.
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I have mixed feelings about that article too. I agreed with a lot of it, but I can see the reasoning behind using at least some of those beginnings. Like I get that the "It was a dark and stormy night" is cliche, but I don't think it's the worst beginning ever. At least it sets the scene and suggests that something scary might happen. And sometimes I think it's important to show an average day in the main character's life, or at least part of an average day, so the reader understands the status quo before things change.
That said, I also thought this was interesting:
"The modern trend, particularly in genre or YA fiction, but increasingly in literary fiction too, is to start the story with the main character on the first page, and to start with the inciting incident. No backstory before chapter three, and then pare it to the bone."
I have noticed this change just comparing the recently-published YA fiction I've read to the books I read growing up. Modern books move a lot faster, whereas I remember skipping ahead to the third, fourth, or fifth chapter to see when things would finally start getting good with books I read when I was younger. I have definitely been THAT writer, who takes forever to get to the point, too. I think you can definitely show a wider character arc if you take the time to show how the character was before his or life changed, but that's only if you can keep the readers' attention long enough to get them to read that far.
I have noticed that too. Most of these stories start after the main plot point has occured and then they spend their time flashing back and telling us the story. I think because the attention span kids have in general is nowhere like it was when we were kids. No one has any patience anymore. Because of all these video games and action packed movies, if something starts too slow teens want nothing to do with it anymore.
Kids today... lol
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LOL It's so true though! As a reader, I don't particularly like slow books, but there is something to be said for sticking with a book long enough for it to pay off and then appreciating the slow building of suspense and the depth of character development that comes with a long, slowly-moving story. Like I think of Stephen King's The Stand. It's SO long and so slow in parts, but you have to get through that to appreciate the epicness of the whole thing!
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Yes! That's a great example. I love when the story finally comes together and you get that "Holy crap!" Moment lol that seems to be missing nowadays.
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I think one of my resolutions is going to be to write something. I don't think I wrote anything last year, or nothing which got posted at least. I do intend to change that now that I have a nice new laptop :)
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Ooh, congrats on the new laptop! Hopefully that will help get you motivated again.
So what does everyone's writing set-up look like? Do you do your writing on a laptop, desktop, phone, on paper, or what? Do you have a certain place where you do all your writing, or do you move around? Do you do anything special to create an ambiance, like lighting candles or playing music?
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I no longer have a laptop & decided I can't really write via any other way so writing has become non-existant.
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That sucks that you still haven't been able to replace your laptop! :( I would never have the patience to write on my phone, and I don't really like to write by hand either, although I guess if you got really inspired, you could do that and type it up at school or something.
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I agree. I don't know what I'd do. I'm sorry you haven't been able to get a new laptop :(.
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Unless another laptop fairy comes along I'll never be able to afford a new one...well never say never I guess... not for a very very very (add a few more) long while. lol
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That was an interesting article. Not sure if I agree with all of it. They didn't really leave much to go on. I have done many of those things as well though.
I'm not sure what my favorite first line is. I can barely even remember story names. I think for a real novel my favorite first line of a book was from "Nineteen Minutes." I don't recall what it was but it sucked me in immediately.
You know I took a break from writing for a little bit cause I was curious as to what my fave first line was from something I've written. So I actually looked LOL.
It's actually from Undead and it's nothing innovating. But it really sums up everything Nick's entire character arc throughout the story. And I like that it happens in the very first line of the story LOL.
"I guess a lot of people say that through every tough thing, you find more of yourself. "
On the same note anyone know of a final line that they love in their stories? Mine is from RMTW. It's so simple and yet so final. "I shut the door behind me." Because of Brian's visit with Nick being the end, it's sort of shutting the door on his acceptance of who/what Nick's become.
That article and writing more in general got me thinking about this stuff.
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Happy New Year!
Do you have any writing- or reading-related resolutions this year?
Well considering I haven't written in month, that would nbe my first resolution is to get back into writing again. I've been busy though with other hobbies and work taking up my time. Plus I write from my phone so it's hard for me to motivate myself to write on a touch screen. With my blackberry it used to be so easy to crank out a chapter a day. I guess when it's time for me to write again it will just happen.
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You know I took a break from writing for a little bit cause I was curious as to what my fave first line was from something I've written. So I actually looked LOL.
It's actually from Undead and it's nothing innovating. But it really sums up everything Nick's entire character arc throughout the story. And I like that it happens in the very first line of the story LOL.
"I guess a lot of people say that through every tough thing, you find more of yourself. "
On the same note anyone know of a final line that they love in their stories? Mine is from RMTW. It's so simple and yet so final. "I shut the door behind me." Because of Brian's visit with Nick being the end, it's sort of shutting the door on his acceptance of who/what Nick's become.
That article and writing more in general got me thinking about this stuff.
I think that first line of Undead is true not just of Nick, but of many of the characters! So in that respect, it actually sums up one of the themes of the whole novel.
I would say my best beginning is probably Guilty Roads. The first line is "If Nick had known the impact his choices that night would have on the people closest to him, he would have just stayed at the hotel," which I like because it foreshadows something bad happening. And that inciting event actually happens in the very first chapter. No messing around with back story and the slow building of suspense in this story!
As far as endings go, I think my favorite actual last line is from a short story, In Pieces. It's AJ's dialogue: “She didn’t love us. She just left us there in pieces.” I like it because it's catchy and incorporates the title in a way that is both figurative and literal.
My favorite overall ending to a novel has to be By My Side, though. They say you're not supposed to end with a wedding or a funeral, and I did both, but for that story, I think it worked. It was an epic ending for an overly long, completely over-the-top story. The actual last line is "Yet it was here their bodies could finally rest, side by side," which I think is a fitting ending after all the drama and suffering the characters went through.
Endings are tough, though... maybe even harder than beginnings! I think I put more pressure on myself to come up with a great last line than I do for a first line, especially for a novel I've been working on for a long time and am really attached to. I feel like I owe it a worthy ending. I probably should spend more time on my beginnings because that is really what makes or breaks the story as far as attracting readers. If the beginning sucks, they'll never bother to read the ending!
Which do you guys think is harder, writing beginnings or endings?
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So what does everyone's writing set-up look like? Do you do your writing on a laptop, desktop, phone, on paper, or what? Do you have a certain place where you do all your writing, or do you move around? Do you do anything special to create an ambiance, like lighting candles or playing music?
I do most of my writing on a desktop computer. I absolutely hate writing by hand, could never handle trying to write on a phone or tablet, and have been mistrustful of laptops ever since my laptop in college overheated and fried my hard drive, which resulted in me losing EVERYTHING. It was only two years old. I have found that desktops last a lot longer, work a lot better, and are overall more reliable, so I will stick to my desktops, despite the inconvenience of having to actually sit at a desk. I do have a little netbook that I will sometimes use to write in bed or on the couch. Sometimes I can get a lot more done on that because I'm comfortable and because there's not a lot on it to distract me. I don't have any music, pictures, videos, or much of anything saved on it, besides whatever stories I'm working on, and it is so freaking slow that surfing the net is too much of a pain in the ass, so I just don't do it. The downside to that is that researching is also a pain in the ass, so if I'm writing a scene that requires research, it's not worth my time to write it on the netbook. And since I am the type of writer who googles something every other sentence, that doesn't really work for me. So I usually end up sitting at my desk and using the big, fast computer because even though it's not as comfortable, it's way more convenient.
At some point, I would like to get a cheap laptop that can handle basic internet browsing without being ridiculously slow so that I can do more writing on that. In my new house, I turned one of the upstairs bedrooms into what I thought would be my writing sanctuary. I call it my "Room of Random Things," and it houses all of my favorite things - not only my random things collection, but most of my zombie stuff and my entire BSB collection. I can put up BSB posters and stuff without worrying about looking like an almost-thirty-year-old teenybopper when people come over. But, since the computer I like is downstairs in a different room, I haven't done much writing in my actual writing room yet.
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I write on my phone. So my set up is non existent and I write wherever I am at the time. So it could be on break at work, in my bedroom, just about anywhere. This has advantages and disadvantages. If my computer was working it would be in the corner of my room where i have some BSB things on the wall. I'd also play music while I wrote.
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I like to sit comfortably with my laptop on my knees, TV is off and no distractions around me. I also have to stay away from the internet or I'll end up browsing for hours lol.