Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => Featured Story of the Month => Topic started by: mare on July 31, 2011, 11:14:08 PM
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Happy August. I hope this month goes super slooooow!
Our featured story this month is The Frick and Frack Switch by ForeverFrick.
Let's start things off by reading chapters 1 - 4. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them in here!
Happy reading!! :)
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1) Tell us one thing about your story that no one else knows?
2) How long did it take you to write this entire story?
3) Give us a summary different from the one you have posted on AC, with a few more spoilers to make people tune in.
4) What made you come up with the cocept of this one?
5) Who was your favorite character in this story and why?
6) You had to know this was coming, who was your least favorite?
7) Are all the boys in this one? If not why did you choose to exclude them?
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I read this story and I enjoyed the concept very much!!! Loved the story!
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Congrates to ForeverFrick! This story is one of my faves.
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Congrates to ForeverFrick! This story is one of my faves.
Thanks! I was having trouble deciding between this story and One In A Million, but I saw you'd requested TFAFS in the ideas for stories of the month thread, so I went with this one. Thanks for the suggestion. :)
Thanks so much Delphina! :)
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I hope everyone enjoys the story if they haven’t already read it. I thought it’d be a good end of summer story because it’s not incredibly lengthy and it’s just kind of quirky and fun. Also, thanks for featuring it- this’ll probably be the highlight of my month amid a lot of stress going on. :)
1) Tell us one thing about your story that no one else knows?
One of the first ideas for the storyline was how Brian actually realizes he's in Nick's body (I won't spoil it). It made me laugh (a lot), and I thought 'that could be a pretty funny story.' Also, I’ve toyed with the idea of making a Frick and Frack series of stories. Each story would feature the two of them getting into some sort of unique predicament.
2) How long did it take you to write this entire story?
I'm weird and always date my stories in my Microsoft Word docs... February 2, 2009- January 23, 2010 to be exact. :)
3) Give us a summary different from the one you have posted on AC, with a few more spoilers to make people tune in.
The Backstreet Boys are trying to get back together to make a CD after their hiatus. The story chronicles Brian and Nick's friendship as they attempt to overcome Brian's contempt towards Nick for going solo and staying with the old record company. When they literally spend some time in each other's shoes because of a strange artifact AJ has gotten from Ebay, they pull pranks on each other and Nick starts falling for the girl Kevin wanted to set Brian up with. They're forced to work together if they ever want to turn back into themselves.
4) What made you come up with the concept of this one?
Hmm... I think it was just the idea of how much mischief “Frick” and “Frack” could get into masquerading as each other. Maybe it was also a bit of nostalgia for the days they were known primarily as Frick and Frack. Also, I’d never written a story that mainly fell under the comedy genre. I wanted to see if I could do it.
5) Who was your favorite character in this story and why?
Brian is my favorite Backstreet Boy, and it was fun getting to portray him slightly differently in this story. He’s usually the hero in many ways, but since he’s the one who’s harboring feelings of discontent towards Nick, it forced me to work harder on Nick’s character. He had to pull some weight in this story. So I think I have a soft spot for both in this story.
6) You had to know this was coming, who was your least favorite?
Poor Howie. I love him, but I couldn’t think of much of a role for him in this story. In one way, he plays a very crucial role, but mostly I couldn’t figure out how to overly incorporate him. Of all the BSB, he’s the hardest for me to put on paper.
7) Are all the boys in this one? If not why did you choose to exclude them?
Yes, all of the BSB are included. My stories pretty much always feature the whole group in some way. I like seeing the dynamics between the characters, and when I write BSB fan fiction I can’t see not having all of them.
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You're not alone when it comes to Howie. It seems like we all have a hard time writing him. Poor Howie! LOL
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to avoid writing him in my AU Darkness of Vampires, I killed him. Poor Howie.
I started to read your story and love the concept. I'd actually toyed with an idea like this at one point, I'm glad to see one of these. :)
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Very true, Mare. I never see as many Howie stories on here (or anywhere).
LoL at you having to just kill him off Purpura.
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really? there are Howie stories on AC... my friend has one called Half-Life and my OLAT has Howie chapters... and I don't kill him in that one.
Still loving your story!!
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I have seen some Howie love stories but not many.
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really? there are Howie stories on AC... my friend has one called Half-Life and my OLAT has Howie chapters... and I don't kill him in that one.
Still loving your story!!
:D That made me laugh. lol Yeah, I've seen Howie stories on here, just not in the same volume as for the other BSB. :) And thank you so much! I really appreciated your feedback!
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I loved this story! I read it as you were posting it and really liked the idea of them swapping bodies.
I'll try and think of some questions for you :)
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I loved this story! I read it as you were posting it and really liked the idea of them swapping bodies.
I'll try and think of some questions for you :)
Thanks so much! Yeah, if you think of anything, ask away. :)
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How did you think up AJ getting a charm on e-bay? LOL I think it sounds aj-like.
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How did you think up AJ getting a charm on e-bay? LOL I think it sounds aj-like.
I needed some catalyst to cause the change. I didn't want to use something like a fortune cookie a la Freaky Friday or lightning because I've seen that a lot. Of all the BSB to bring in something random, AJ was my first thought (as you say, it works because it's AJ). Since he loves skulls, I thought that would have a shrunken head sort of vibe, so I went with it. :) And since these magical/old/odd artifacts are usually dug up or some family heirloom... again I wanted to be different and not take it too seriously. I just went with ebay. :D
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I seldom get a chance to do this, but i'm actually trying to read along this month and so far I have really enjoyed the last 4 chapters. I generally shy away from comedies because they can so easily cross over to dumb but I have to say I actually did laugh out loud a time or two while reading this one. I really enjoyed the initial crossover and how it took Nick so long to realize he was now Brian.
I do have a question for you, I know when this hiatus happened the fans seemed to be divided on how they felt about it. Like you said in chapter 4, so many fans hated Nick for splitting up the group etc... I was wondering what were your personal feelings about that time and did it effect the way you wrote the story?
To me it seems like you portray Brian as very bitter about things and that's how I saw it as well but then again that was when I started my love affair with BSB so I didn't really have an opinion about it one way or the other.
Also letting everyone know it's time to start reading the next set of chapters so let's read chapters 5 - 8 by next Monday!
:)
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I seldom get a chance to do this, but i'm actually trying to read along this month and so far I have really enjoyed the last 4 chapters. I generally shy away from comedies because they can so easily cross over to dumb but I have to say I actually did laugh out loud a time or two while reading this one. I really enjoyed the initial crossover and how it took Nick so long to realize he was now Brian.
I do have a question for you, I know when this hiatus happened the fans seemed to be divided on how they felt about it. Like you said in chapter 4, so many fans hated Nick for splitting up the group etc... I was wondering what were your personal feelings about that time and did it effect the way you wrote the story?
To me it seems like you portray Brian as very bitter about things and that's how I saw it as well but then again that was when I started my love affair with BSB so I didn't really have an opinion about it one way or the other.
Also letting everyone know it's time to start reading the next set of chapters so let's read chapters 5 - 8 by next Monday!
:)
Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying the story so far! I know what you mean about comedies. I’m often like that, too. And ooh, good question... I had to think back for this! I don’t think my personal feelings affected the story as I was writing it simply because I wrote it so long after the fact. It was far enough in the past that I didn’t harbor any resentments or anything. I can say that writing the story from the points of view of both Nick and Brian forced me to do what they have to do in the story: look at the issue from both sides. As a Brian fan, I usually view events concerning the group from Brian’s stand point. I think I not only had a deeper understanding of what Brian may’ve gone through from writing his character but mainly I got a better idea of what could’ve been going through Nick’s mind.
As for how I felt about Nick’s solo career and the break... I wasn’t particularly mad at him. At the time, I didn’t realize how serious the issues were. During the actual break, I was just waiting for their next CD and perhaps occasionally wearing some rose-tinted glasses. But I was always 100% certain the group would be back together, it was just a matter of when.
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I love seeing how different people percieve that time in BSB history lol
That's one of the positives about writing in first person too. You really have to put yourself into the guys shoes that way. Do you usually write in first person?
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I love seeing how different people percieve that time in BSB history lol
That's one of the positives about writing in first person too. You really have to put yourself into the guys shoes that way. Do you usually write in first person?
I've always wondered about the CD the other four BSB supposedly began recording without Nick. Time seems to uncover everything, so I'm waiting for that one!
Yes, I LOVE first person. I've tried to force myself away from it occasionally. Brian Potter, for example, is third person limited to better mimic the Harry Potter series, but I'll periodically find myself back in 1st person. I'll eventually realize it and have to go back and change what I've written. :-[
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Happy Monday everyone! time to read the next set of chapters, so let's read chapters 9 - 12 by next Monday! :)
After reading the last four chapters, I was wondering if you ever got confused while writing this story? I mean keeping them straight and who was talking. I know if I was trying to do what you are doing in this, I would be making mistakes left and right lol
Also, what made you decide not to let the guys know what was going on with Nick and Brian? (so far, I'm only on chapter 8 so that might change.)
Did you crack yourself up while writing this? For some reason, I can picture you laughing as you wrote this. LOL
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Happy Monday everyone! time to read the next set of chapters, so let's read chapters 9 - 12 by next Monday! :)
After reading the last four chapters, I was wondering if you ever got confused while writing this story? I mean keeping them straight and who was talking. I know if I was trying to do what you are doing in this, I would be making mistakes left and right lol
Also, what made you decide not to let the guys know what was going on with Nick and Brian? (so far, I'm only on chapter 8 so that might change.)
Did you crack yourself up while writing this? For some reason, I can picture you laughing as you wrote this. LOL
I actually didn’t confuse myself too much. Luckily I’m always picturing the story in my mind as I write, which helped me greatly. My main problem was making sure that it was coming across on paper for the reader! That was trickier. I was taking a visual problem and turning it into a written story.
Hmm... that’s a good question about why they didn’t immediately tell the other BSB. As far as Nick is concerned, I think he relies heavily on Brian. Since Brian has the same problem, he didn’t have to tell him and he does continually ask Brian what to do. This tendency is going to become important towards the end of the story. Furthermore, I didn’t think Nick would admit to Kevin he couldn’t handle something on his own. :)
I see Brian, on the other hand, as more of a leader and decided that he would try to figure it out on his own before going to others. Of course, come to think of it, Brian would’ve probably been the opposite of Nick and run straight to Kevin if he was going to tell anyone.
YES! I laughed throughout the story. Which I take as a good sign. If I think something it funny, usually there’s at least someone out there who thinks the same. The chapters where I don’t crack myself up are the ones where I go back and see what I can change. I really did love writing this story, and I’d like to do another comedy/dramedy similar to this in the future. I’m just waiting for the right idea.
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We're entering the final stretch for this story, so let's read chapters 13 - 15 by Friday!
I enjoy asking everyone this question once we get this far along and that's what was your favorite chapter or scene to write?
Is there anything you wrote in the story that you wish you could change?
I enjoyed the last set of chapters, they were insightful and showed a more generous side to Nick. I like how that surprised Brian. I also enjoyed AJ's reaction to them telling him what was going on.
I don't really think I have any questions for you concerning those chapters, but if anyone else does, feel free to jump in! Also that above question is for anyone who has read the story.
Happy reading! :)
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I just finished reading the story and I loved it! :) but there were just times when I was confused then I had to remind myself that Nick is in Brian's body and Brian is in Nick's.... :)
I know that this is fan fiction and everything could happen but was Brian really mad at Nick for having a solo CD? When the BSB took a break after Black and blue, and Nick released his solo stuff, that was the time I was preparing for my wedding, got married and started a family. I was not an active fan even when they released Never Gone. That's why I was not aware of issue. Fans thought Nick split the group by releasing a solo album?
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OK, absolutechaos is doing that thing again where it keeps logging me off. lol It's been doing it a little since last week, and now I can't quote. We'll see if this posts... *crosses fingers*
Hm... my favorite part to write? I really enjoyed the scene where Brian wakes up in Nick's body. I loved the little clues leading up to it and then how Brian realized he wasn't himself. In general, my favorite parts of this story are simply where Nick and Brian are just by themselves talking or bantering. It was really fun to write both of their characters and I like how the dynamic between them changes throughout the chapters.
As for what I would change, I would actually probably make it a little longer. My problem was that I was running out of humorous material and I didn't want to drag it out too much. This was my first story where I really focused on the comedy aspect, and I didn't want to drive it into the ground. Also, while some of the more serious pieces of the storyline were important and I wanted the story to be meaningful, I think there are a few places where I could've balanced the comedy with the drama a little better. Like a Friends episode: there will be a serious conversation or scene, and then it will end with a great one-liner. But practice makes perfect, so I'll keep it in mind for next time!
Alexsgirl, I'm glad you enjoyed the story. :) You're right, since it's on paper, you do have to visualize in your head sometomes who is who to make it make sense. It was a little tricky. And yes, there was some ill-will when Nick ventured out as a solo artist. Although the events, of course, in this story are my speculation, I'd imagine Brian would've been one of the ones to take it the hardest and take it personally
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Yay! I thought I'd lost that whole post. It timed me out and I had to log-in like 3 more times.. Yay for persistance and a back button on the computer! :)
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^ I see, because honestly I thought the guys supported him with his decision. and BSB recording without Nick, I just can't picture that out. :)
I love the scene you mentioned too, where Brian and Nick woke up and slowly realizing they were in each other's body. you didn't overdo the comedy part and that's what I really like with this story.
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It's time to bring this story to a close by reading chapters 16 - 18 by Wednesday..
Did you ever plan on writing a sequel to this?
If you were to do this all over again without using Brian and Nick, which other two BSB's would you switch?
Overall, what are your final thoughts about this story? In relation to some of the other ones you have written, where does it rank?
I have to read these last three chapters and then i'll be back with my final thoughts, but overall I have really enjoyed reading along this month. It's not something I get to do very often so it was awesome to be able to do that.
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I didn't feel like you overdid the comedy part either. I think this story is a perfect blend of comedy with some drama in it. You never went too overly cheesy and with a plot like this one, you could have very easily let that happen.
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I know Aug. is almost over .. I will finish this story whether it's August or not! :-D
I think the comedy is nice too. Not overly done and campy. Just enough to make yah laugh out loud at work to have people look at you funny .. ;)
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Just wanted to come in with my final thoughts about This story. I thought it was a cute, warm and funny read. A perfect way to end the summer. You really did a great job blending comedy with some light drama and never once did I feel like it was overly corny or over the top.
Sometimes it was a little confusing to follow but like I said in the chapter feedback, I give you major props because I know I would have had a very hard time keeping everything straight.
My favorite parts were when Brian realized Nick was doing some good with charity and of course at the very beginning when they first changed. LOL
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^ I see, because honestly I thought the guys supported him with his decision. and BSB recording without Nick, I just can't picture that out. :)
I love the scene you mentioned too, where Brian and Nick woke up and slowly realizing they were in each other's body. you didn't overdo the comedy part and that's what I really like with this story.
It's funny (and relieving) to see how far they've come concerning their attitudes on solo careers. It is nice that they've come to an understanding that they can have their solo careers and still be BSB and be supportive. The animosity towards Nick in that situation was very circumstantial with the feeling that Nick chose the record company over them. Later I think Brian set the precedence when he started doing his solo stuff because he delayed his CD initially for BSB/Never Gone and then just works things around- he seems to be awesome with time management in general: BSB, solo, family, charity... Mr. Energizer Bunny.
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It's time to bring this story to a close by reading chapters 16 - 18 by Wednesday..
Did you ever plan on writing a sequel to this?
If you were to do this all over again without using Brian and Nick, which other two BSB's would you switch?
Overall, what are your final thoughts about this story? In relation to some of the other ones you have written, where does it rank?
I have to read these last three chapters and then i'll be back with my final thoughts, but overall I have really enjoyed reading along this month. It's not something I get to do very often so it was awesome to be able to do that.
I did think about either doing a sequel or simply another story that really explored the Brian/Nick dynamic. It is probably my favorite interaction between any of the Backstreet Boys just because of how close they were in the past and how different they are. If I had to switch someone else it would be Nick and Kevin. Maybe that’s cheating to use Nick, but the two of them are often at odds so that would be very interesting to see! Otherwise I would switch Kevin and AJ and the story would be set somewhere around the time when AJ was going to rehab. I think their relationship during the time period of the intervention would make for an intriguing storyline.
This story is very high on my list. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite, but it’s probably 3rd or 4th out of the dozen or so BSB fan fiction stories I’ve ever written. I really think it’s just a happy, make-you-smile kind of story with some dramatic undertones to help the reader actually care about what happens to the characters and keep it from being an “empty” comedy. So I hope everyone enjoyed it this month and thanks so much for the feedback. :)