JamesSavik

Pop Quiz: What stories did these characters come from? 1. Aiden & Owen 2. Evan Smiley & Aaron castle 3. Jude & Quinn 4. Dave & Tim 5. Joey & Scott 6. Brian & Pete ____________________________________________ Easy isn't it? The answers are at the bottom if you missed any. I'll bet you recognize at least several of them right off the top of your head. What makes a character compelling and unforgettable? How do you get to know them, care about their ups and downs, laugh with them and even cry with them? What is is that makes you remember them years after you've read their story? Let me know. It's an interesting question for a writer. I think that it is a combination of a number of things: empathy for the characters, memories of someone that they might remind you of, relating to their struggles. I would like to know what readers and writers think. The Answers ------------------------------------- 1. Aiden & Owen: The Log Way by Dom Luka 2. Evan Smiley & Aaron castle: the Plan A, B, C and D series by Driver 3. Jude & Quinn: The Ordinary Us by Dom Luka 4. Dave & Tim: The Quarry by Driver 5. Joey & Scott: Falling Off A Log by Driver 6. Brian & Pete: Why Brian & Pete of course by Dewey

As a whole, the human race sucks. There are pockets of less sucky people here and there but as a whole when I look at mankind, I am disgusted. Not only am I a cynic, but a pessimist too. Oh wait, that makes me a realist, doesn't it? :) That's why when you meet good people, you value them and treat them with respect; which is, BTW, one of the underlying themes in a lot of Driver's work.

Surface is the series that showing on NBC Monday nights with catch up days on the Sci-fi network. I find that the characterization and plot is very interesting from a writing standpoint. Some of it is a little stilted. The clueless, amoral gov't types are stereotypical but the ordinary smart and resourceful characters are kinda neat. Any comments?

Book of James 2:3 Verily I say unto thee, let those amoung you without typos cast the very first bottle of white-out. 4:10 Thrice blessed is he that brings his own bottle. 5:4-5 It is best not to be prideful and to turn the other cheek. If that doesn't work, kick his f&^*ing ass! 7:11 Be generous with your praise, constructive in you criticism and if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. 10:1 Always be nice and respectful to the keeper and maker of the cookies.

Back in the early 90s, I was working on my old Toyota truck. It had been overheating so I replaced the water pump and the major hoses that looked rough and worn. When I got everything put back together, I took it for a test drive about 10 miles up the Natchez Trace. I wanted to make sure the truck was behaving before I took it to work on Monday. Ten miles up the Natchez Trace in the middle of nowhere, I stopped, put the truck in park (I thought), popped the hood so I could check on everything and jumped out of the truck. I had accidentally put the truck in reverse. The open drivers door knocked me down and the left front tire rolled over my right calf. I was shocked that my truck had turned on me. Not only had it tried to kill me, it compounded its treason by rolling briskly down the road in reverse. I thought- Holy crap! There's no way I'm going to get up and chase the truck down. Thankfully, my right leg wasn't broken and despite being pretty sore, I was able to get up and chase down my rebellious truck. It was shocking. I thought that truck was my friend. I decided then and there to trade that bastard. So yeah Rad, we have all had our moments. While you merely forgot the beef, I ran over myself- something that has to be unique and special in the archives of bumbles, stumbles and faux pas.

You rock

I just finished reading the Pecman's amazing story Jagged Angel and holy cow, what a ride! This story is a disturbing mixture of romance, psycological thriller and coming of age story. I found myself thinking that it would make an excellent movie but it would probably cause riots and heart attacks. It was a great story to read around Halloween because it scared the living bejesus out of me. This story has everything: romance, sadism, emotional manipulation, fear, savage twists and turns- and just when you think that you've got it figured out; the plot careens off in a new unexpected and even more dangerous direction. The Pecman knows his business. This story is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Just be warned: hold your calls, cancel your appointments. Once you start, you aren't going to get much done. >>> :geek: <copied here by request of the Dude>

So... are you ready for Madi Gras in new New Orleans? :twisted: :geek:

Cool! Welcome back Ube! I was looking forward to a new chapter.

Thanks Gabe. :D

What Goes Without Saying? What goes without saying? Too much and too little. Shallow, plastic words we exchange; little gestures betraying our fear of us, what we may be. Or become. Or never were. Words are cheap. Feelings are free. Mixing the two becomes expensive in pain- flaring like napalm searing the flesh and soul. Shouted passion like breakers crashing on the beach: fragile egos- alone together fearing the things that we may say or feel. Mixing drinks and laundry in life mundane; taking great care never to be the reason or, to utter the lovers treason of that which goes without saying.

This house was 100 M from the water. The front was smashed and the storm surge just blew through. Nothing left but the shell. This 30 foot yatch was never meant to be sitting in a bunch of trees. This house was smashed by storm surge and "pancaked". This brick house survived but the ground floor is toast. Wipe out. Trent Lott's lot. The house? Well, you might say it has us surrounded.

I loved this weekend's Icarian feast! Miro's heroics, the intrigue of a traitor in the ranks-- the plot is thickening! To those of you thanking me for pointing out TSOI as a great story, it is my great pleasure. Whenever I spot a story that I've enjoyed, espically here at the Dude's place, I don't mind leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. Here's a copy of my blog entry at gayauthors.org: Jamie, Wizard of Icaria _____________________________________________________________ There are very few serial stories that I have enjoyed as much as the Scrolls of Icaria. TSOI is a grand epic/sci-fi fantasy set in a future world which pits the genetically engineered Icarians, young men with wings, against a feudal society with several kingdoms and a meddlesome church that seeks to control everything. Yes- Jamie has grafted no small amount of not so subtle allegory in this story but it stands on its own fun. TSOI is not just another good story, it's one that will have you dashing off every Sunday morning for the next chapter. TSOI is what you might call a page turner. Thankfully, it is a serial in progress so you can't wolf it down all at one sitting. Looking for an fun read? Like fantasy settings? Jamie has a story for you>>>The Scrolls of Icaria

While I was at Borders tonight I picked up a book: Dialogue: techniques and exercises for crafting effective dialogue by Gloria Kempton. It's by Writer's Digest Books and was published in 2004. When I finish it, I'll write a review for it and let you guys know what I think about it.

I just read chapter 1 and it did exactly what the first chapter of any good story should do: it made me laugh, got me interested in the characters and it left me hungry for more. I'm glad to see that EleCivil has started another story. I've missed his work since the conclusion of L&L. The new story looks like it is off to a good start and I have high hopes. :geek: (JS & Boo)

People develop and mature at many different rates. 12 to 16 has traditionally been the age of adulthood in many societies. It has only been very recently, the industrial revolution, that the age of adulthood has been so delayed. This came about because employers needed laborers with broader skill sets like reading, writing and mathematics. The change from the agrarian economy to the industrial one was a cultural earthquake that changed a great many things. Some of the prime examples were minimum age requirements for employment, the labor movement and public education. The last two hundred years have extended adolescence for citizens of the industrialized world. This DOES NOT mean that the drives and the feelings associated with adolescent sexuality are GONE. This simply means that adolescent sexuality is delayed and, for the most part, usually forcefully repressed. YES- young adolescents are quite capable of forming intense bonds and experiencing the associated emotions. For heterosexual youth, this is considered a rite of passage. For gay and lesbian youth, well... I think you know this part. It is the area which many of us explore in our stories. Is Brian & Pete realistic from an emotional standpoint? For me it most certainly is. I had NEVER seen what I experienced expressed so well and it helped. I didn't feel like such a freak anymore. I realized that I wasn't disturbed, delinquent, perverted or evil. I was just... precocious. :D

I read at the computer screen. ..and am a little disappointed that Jan doesn't have a notebook of my stuff. :geek:

A man wakes up on a Saturday morning and goes to the bathroom to relieve himself. When he gets a look at his unit, he faints. Plop- right on the bathroom floor. When he comes too and looks at his unit again, he discovers that much to his dismay, it's true. His unit is a bright, almost glow-in-the-dark hunter's orange color. He goes to his usual doctor who has never seen anthing like it. He sends him to a specialist right away. The specialist looks at the poor man's orange unit and asks, "Sir, have your sexual habits changed lately?" The man says, "Naw, I just got a porn flick, a six pack and a large bag of cheetos like I usually do on a Friday night."

Love it TR. =D> :albino:

I like adverbs but I don't think it's a problem. I can quit anytime I want. Oh Gawd, not another 12-step program. :roll:

Show us a pic of Big Mac! He sounds like a cat I used to hang with. He was fascinated by lighters and would slap them all over my old apartment. When I moved, I found a nest under the sofa where he kept all his toys- 14 lighters, feathers, 3 catnip mice, etc.

I know a lot about that site. I am one of their moderators. If all they had was Comicality and/or Dom Luka, they would have a GREAT site BUT they've got a whole lot more. It is a very active site with over a thousand registered users. There is some crossover between this site and GA. Because GA is so large and busy, it needs a dedicated host to perform acceptably which is why it is so expensive to run. One of its most interesting features is a huge database of online stories with content, links and ratings. They also have an authors resource page with many interesting and useful links. If you haven't read Dom or Comicality's work, you are missing a real treat. They are both excellent authors. They are both very good about discussing the craft with budding authors.

I tell my coming out story in Broken but I'll give you the short version. My best friend and I were accused of having sex when I was 12. We got thrown out of the scouts in a witch hunt that hurt a lot of innocent people. After that summer. we got the joy of starting junior high "out" in 1976 Mississippi. It has been 30 years since that happened and only two of the original five are left. They were so frantic to "protect the kids" that they didn't mind throwing a few of us to the wolves.

I've had one boyfriend who was uncircumcised. The poor guy had like a complex about it. He was the only un-circed guy around and avoided all sorts of things like sports and gym that might expose his "secret". I must admit that it surprised me (I was only 16). I thought that he was just really shy because he was small. Happily, I was wrong on both counts. :D People were really rude to him about it. Being different isn't easy regaurdless of what is different.

There was a guy in our 8th grad named Richard Pickle who was naturally called Pickle Dick.