Tanuki Racoon

They shoulda' kept it and given up on Vista :)

Gambling at the Luxor -- up about $150 thanks for asking :D

Kudos to His Pecness all around here. I do want to add one small point. And I know Pec even agrees 'cause he's told me so in emails about stories here and there. You can write all the rules you want but a very good author can break one or more and still produce a good story. (One example from MY story) You can write a chapter, for example, in which nothing happens and the story is still good. Not all chapters, for example, NEED conflict. Two of my stories (AWMS and NEAWMS) have what I call the "travelogue" chapters. Nothing of any consequence happens on an 'action' level but they DO have a purpose: they change the pacing of the story -- pacing is key for dramatic tension that has preceeded the chapter or drama that will follow the chapter. They also serve to show characters acting in their everyday lives. You gain character insights. So if you're an author, don't take everything written as law. But if you're going to violate it, do it with purpose in mind. (Sort of like in AWMS I specifically gave two characters the same name 'Elizabeth' in the same chapters just because I thought it would lend a small bit of comic relief where I felt it was needed.)

Once again, I'm just going to thank Tim for his comments. At the risk of offending some people I like, on THIS story specifically, his comments count more than the rest. His support is keeping me sane*. * This is a relative term and in no way makes any sort of claim that I was sane before :)

Amen.

You can't make a woman happy. That's like trying to cure a fatal disease. The goal is to treat the symptoms so you can live comfortably with the illness. -- Wanda Sykes

We must defer to Fritz who has quite got it spot on.

I believe it DOES meet the definition of a short story but that's irrelevant. I must pick at that nit, though. But, as to your second point: everything I write is a character study. I said that somewhere in this thread, I think. It's all about the characters. I try to write characters that are so real, you'll think they are real. Characters you care about. That's what generates mail in my most of my other stories: people say a character spoke to them, or they understood the character (or vice versa). I could just write a story, but I don't want to. I probably won't stay writing on this new path long, but instead find another path nobody's foreseen. I loved HT30 and I had fun. I might try a tangent on that path. This one, I'm done with: too much emotional stress writing it, making it just so, and then dealing with the aftermath (afterbirth?) You'll probably see some really deep, dark psychological tale one day. Something that makes HT30 look like a Dr Seuss book. I've also got some other ideas. I just have to decide I want to write. Right now, I don't. My mind is elsewhere.

My understanding is that is Des' real identity.

Aw, hell, might as well post here even though I wrote him straight away after I read it. I read the original and wrote him frequently throughout. This add-on was just smile-inducing. I hope he writes a lot more with these characters.

That's some nasty cocoa they made :) Woo-Hoo. Played him like an instrument, they did.

The number of emails and PM's I received mistaking me for my character were many. The ratio was enough I had to say something. It's not that I exactly care what my readers think, but when people see you as someone like this character, they make certain assumptions about your character. And from that they tend to send you emails that contain things one might not prefer to discuss. I don't want to be the one to judge, and nobody's received an outright flame from me. But I am who I am. The characters are who they are. And that is my public statement on that. A few people have written me long pieces, and they REALLY get this piece. Lots of people get it on various levels but I was surprised anyone GOT it the way I intended it. A few people did and I didn't have to explain it. And except for a very tiny group of people, nobody's disliked the story itself: just the message. I have lots more to say, too, and if interest remains, I will continue to add a bit every day or three.

Not on its own. What's worth something is that people are getting something out of it. It's not a contest to me. I am a good enough writer. Which is why I know when I've nailed it. I nailed this. This is the exact story I wanted to tell in the way I wanted to tell it. The only thing missing is the final sentence. It's two words. Don't ask 'cause I won't say. Actually you did just say that: "potentially good" means it isn't good now but has the potential of being good. And again it's okay to not like it. Believe me, that's not what I'm about.

PS: Based on email and PM traffic, this piece is now my second most popular work ever (behind AWMS). And all that in 24 hours. Every single email WILL be answered. But I'm going to bed. Some of you have to wait until tomorrow. I got all the people where I recognized your emails from previous stories. I'll get the rest tomorrow.

To Pec: You don't have to like it: I simply don't care. It's not a Hollywood story. It's not intended to be a movie. And to you, apparently, it doesn't have an ending. It's supposed to mirror real life. I've got news for you: real life is seldom neat and tidy. This story is exactly as it needs to be. I don't need to defend that aspect of it, and I won't. There's only person's opinion who matters to me on this story, and it's got that person's seal of approval. To Various: I can't explain the high-bits. No issues on my Mac. It's probably an encoding issue in the header. I've already fix it once because of the CR+LF issue that caused some people's space characters to vanish. If you have a screen shot, send it to me and I'll research it. And I fucked the date up. If it offends anyone, I'm terribly sorry. To Norway: I write because I have things to say. I don't often say them in a blunt and obvious way. My messages tend to sneak up on you. Some people never get them. That's cool too. To the Orangutan: You said: that the story does have a resolution, not of sorts, but definitive, held in balance by the question in the detail. See? Someone gets it. And a reminder to everyone: please keep me and my characters separate. I am not my characters. I've said this like 50,000 times already.

Thanks for your support. What Bart said.

Tim, thanks for your support. It means a lot to me because it's from you. I love ya' 'bro! PS: To those who are seeing missing spaces, there seems to be a CR+LF glitch in 8 places. I have fixed them, the one typo, and sent it back to Dude. He will post it if he wants. There is no need to re-read it though as nothing else has changed. The new version has today's date at top.

Nice one. I rather liked this :)

I didn't request no feedback. I said I'd be less than conversational about it. Apparently I've made a liar out of myself.

I will agree. I can't say about the missing spaces. They are NOT in the original copy I submitted. Nor do I see them on my screen when looking at the posted copy. And this story did not go through my usual editing process. Due the nature it was handled quite differently than my other works. I always accept full blame for any errors regardless of who edited it. No, I do not say at any point this story is true. The part at the top marked DISCLAIMER is what I wrote. The part after the row of asterisks marked "preamble" is written by the "author" of the tale told there in. That is Derrick's disclaimer and tale. I specifically called it a 'preamble' to avoid any confusion with reality. I do not use a spell checker. Ever. Keeps my brain in shape. Ask my editors because they find spelling errors. (I ran this through a spell checker and found ONE word spelt wrong: memorialised. No other word was spelt wrong. So I cannot fathom what on earth you are going on about. Please use a UK spell checker when checking anything I write.) There is no question here.

In the first five hours this story was posted, I?ve received more email than Dog, ADIP, and HT30 generated. Not all of those emails were very nice ? but I?m a big boy and can accept that. The anonymous ones were the bulk of those. I'm answering all the ones that have valid emails including the hate mail.

I didn't want to write an author's statement, but as I feared, it has come to this. I knew there was trouble when my editor gave me a lecture on the piece "on the off chance it was based on your experiences." On the plus side it means I did the best job of writing I've ever done. On the minus side, it means I have to explain myself and I abhor doing so. First, this is a story and it clearly said so in the disclaimer. One must separate fact and fiction. I would never hurt a kid. Period. Unqualified and without exception. Second, to clear up any confusion. To the best of my knowledge there are no fifteen year-old males madly in love with me or who are persuing me -- nor anyone younger than that either, nor, sadly, older. I'm sure I'd have noticed. That doesn't mean there aren't elements of truth in what I write. I've written parts of myself or people I know into every story and every character that I've ever written (except Kieran Torrmark in HT30). However, just because I throw parts of myself into a novel doesn't make it true. Agatha Christie wrote about murderers, but it didn't make her one. If you're over 18 you can stop reading here. If you're under 18, please read on. If you're a minor (under 18) and involved in a relationship with an adult (someone over 18) ? or considering one -- I feel obligated to give you advice. Don't roll your eyes. I don't need to warn you there are predators out there. These are people who will manipulate you, use you, abuse you, and a few who will even cause you grave bodily harm. They are smarter than you think. My job is not to talk you out of any relationship you may want but to give you some advice. I feel obligated to do this because I care about my readers and about all the young adults of both genders out there. If you are in love with someone, good for you: I am not here to judge your love. However, if the person you're involved with hasn't given you his (or her if appropriate) full name and contact details and you haven't verified them, raise a red flag up the pole. If they don't trust you, don't trust them. If there is no trust, there is no love. Trust the actions, not the words. As long as you have some power over the other person, you have some measure of control in the relationship ? and if you insist on being involved with adult, you need this. Without this, they can control you ? you mustn't allow that. If something in the relationship makes you uncomfortable tell them to knock it off, stop contacting you, or whatever it is you want to happen. If that person persists, contact the police, your school guidance counsellor, or some other responsible adult. People who make you do things you don't want to do are not your friends. Nothing they say can ever change that. If you're not totally happy in this type relationship, you need to examine it carefully. If you're not sure, get out. Immediately. If someone says ?You?d do this if you loved me? beware. That?s emotional blackmail almost every single time. If someone loves you, they don?t use that sort of line on you. (This doesn?t apply when someone asks you to cook breakfast after a wonderful night. In this case, this sort of tactic is perfectly acceptable.) If you insist on having a relationship with an adult, I at least hope you're the one who started it. If an adult is pursuing you, that's another red flag. Be cautious. Adults should never be the aggressor in a relationship with a minor. We're supposed to know better. Adults are not typically like the adult in this particular story. If you have trouble at home, are estranged from your parents, and such things a predator is far more likely to decide you're a victim. Life is not usually like depicted in my story or any other story. Adults can use their life experiences to manipulate you and your emotions without you being aware of what is happening. The more troubled you are, the easier this becomes. Don't be afraid to question their motives. If they ask to meet you alone, be very concerned. There is no bigger red flag. I hate to tell you to assume all adults are guilty until proven innocent, but that is probably the best way for you to proceed. If you don't know a responsible adult but need one or need help in this area, contact me and I'll help you find one in your area. I should not be your first choice for help, but if you have nowhere else to go, I'll help. You are not alone.

It's one for each IQ point :D :: RUNS FAST ::

Dear Red States: We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes: California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinoi s and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California. To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share. Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire. With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Berkeley, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties. Peace out, Blue States (I am not the author of this piece: anonymous email received)