Tragic Rabbit

I didn't realize that you hadn't had many comments so I'm posting mine. In fact, I just read it on the Dude's suggestion. I love the boys, the setting, the description, the storyline. Boys with wings, wonderful! I like all of them very much and look forward to reading more of their adventures. The wing descriptions are fantastic, very detailed, very lovely. One thing (and no, I'm not a sex pervert, ask anyone<G>), if they are a 'mating pair', when do they mate? Do they have cycles of sexuality like the kemmer of the characters in Left Hand of Darkness? I mean, one or two chaste kisses seems a little harsh and not much to go on for the poor embattled boys. <wink> You don't have to DESCRIBE the sex to have it happen, For the Love of Pete has NO descriptions of sex but they HAVE sex. I'm teasing, a little bit, because I'm told you don't write sex, ever. But...'mating pair'? Do they go into a Vulcan type seven year rutting season, perhaps? <grin> The story reminds me of a lot of adventure stories like Earthsea, Lord of the Rings, Left Hand of Darkness, some stuff by Alan Dean Foster and by Terry Brooks. Are you going on with this and, if yes, where are you going? Also, when did you begin this story? Why do you wish you hadn't put it online? Kisses... TR

You are a thousand times welcome, RM. [And thanks for the payback you did with my first xmas sketches.] I like the story and the characters. What I like best, though, is your style of writing, the direct way of expression, the short and often powerful sentences. After sifting through my own overblown prose, its really refreshing. I never much liked Hemingway, never revered him the way so many English majors seemed to, but he wrote that way, powerful punches of sentences that stay in your mind. I see you reworked the end of chapter one and the boyfriend's death. I think leaving it a little more vague adds verisimilitude and power to the narrative, we aren't quite sure what happened,just that it was bad. Keep it going, RM! Kisses... TR

Oh yeah, I'm with you there. In fact, I'vealways preferred physical descriptions to be somewhat vague, too. You know, set up the basic characteristics, but let the reader flesh them out the rest of the way. I thought we were talking about readers asking for pix of authors, which they do and its so odd! Even odder are requests for webcam or phone contacts... do they expect the character to answer the phone? I like having general descriptions, I don't always like stories where characters are described TOO much. One exception, in my mind, is TLOT which does do a lot of physical description but it works for me. I know I keep mine kind of vague...I mean, should you really know, or do you need to know if a character is 6'4"? Can't he just be 'tall' and only when someone perhaps has to look up at him? I rather like that the physical descriptions are vague in L&L, they are blurs in my mind but that's how I read, I still love them. Chapter 8: I love Andrew becoming a moron! The movie theater is nice, sweet, and its sad that he's moving away. Sudden but that's how it happens when you live at home, my parents moved a LOT and I HATED leaving all my friends. Being the new kid sucks big time and all you can think about are your friends you left back wherever. Worse would be leaving a bf, I'm so glad that never happened to me! Andrew is adorable, extremely lovable. Jill is one of the better female characters I've read online, I'm glad you wrote her. What did you read growing up, EC? What do you read now? I still admire you facility with language, your imagery and seeming ease with English. Lovely to read. Kisses... TR Yahoo Messenger: guildenstern75180

Mike's very young and is still struggling with how he feels about being gay, being seen as gay, and, ah, alternate expressions of masculinity. Unlike Gene, he has definite ideas about how men and boys should act and isn't comfortable being seen with someone so obviously...queer. Yes, he'll probably either need to get over it or go back in the closet. I do think p18 is consistent with Mike's previous behavior...he IS a little on the selfish side. No one's perfect. Funny, no one ever asks that! Can Bobby be good for anyone, as a boyfriend? Of course, what kind of relationship he'll have with Gene is still working itself out. What do you really think Gene's agenda is with Bobby, why is he hanging out with him? Remember, it was Angel (and Jaye) who asked for Gene's help with Bobby... I'm trying to make them all understandable even if they aren't likable...or their specific actions don't make us happy. To me, that's how people are. No one thinks they are a bad person, everyone has reasons for what they do, right? If I can make people like Ryan in some way, despite themselves, I'll feel like I accomplished something. Same with the rest, really. Matty and the other debaters will be closer to center stage in Act II, the second book, but I do like him here. I hope I didn't bring him in so late that he doesn't fit in well. More on him in part 19. Well, I've sent in the first of some Christmas stories, more like character sketches, set in the DC world, outside the main storyline. Each centers on different characters. The first two feature Mike with Angel and then Bobby at home. I hope Bobby fans are happy! There'll be a lot more with him in the rest of DC, both books. I hate that I seem to have lost a lot of readers with that long delay between chapters, I really do rely on their support. I'm very new at all of this and still looking for my muse, well, I'm looking for how to keep him happy at any rate. I'm going to play around with the Christmas stories some, try out some new things with old characters. DC 19 should be done by the end of the weekend, latest, and I'm still hoping to finish DC, Act I by the end of the year. Other stories are in note form but haven't been finished yet. Thanks for reading DC and, if you haven't already, please drop me a line to let me know what you think of it, what you like thus far or would like to see. I hope the Christmas stories are entertaining; I meant for them to be on the happy side, even Bobby's, so if they come off a little hokey, blame it on the Christmas Spirit! Kisses.... TR PS. I love my new avatar, its a drawing of Angel de la Torres by one of his fans!

The title, a plea for reader response? Maybe I should try that one... I liked the story very much, grasshopper! Aaron's a cutie and the whole setup was nice and the stream-of-thought preface effective. It was a feel-good story with a happy ending and one I enjoyed. The comparisons between the straight siblings and their relationships and how the parents might perceive the gay son were well done and thoughtful. 'But my dad, you should have seen the look on his face when I said that at the table. If I'd said I ate baby bunnies for lunch, he couldn't have looked more sucker punched. Did he really think that I was any different from Ivy, from Scott? Why is it okay for them to date and have bfs and gfs, but not me?' This type of commentary, the baby bunnies were funny and the plea effective, why should it be different for his boyfriends than his siblings? Great short story, I hope to see more from you here at Awesome Dude! Kisses... TR

I feel for you, getting emails from readers wanting more chapters, like, yestereday! I'm trying not to let that happen again with DC. I loved the new chapters, love the characters and your lovely facility with the language. Please keep writing! Good luck with finals... TR

Haha, cool! But would you date Ryan?? I've gotten a lot less response than I'm used to, either readers tired of waiting or they hate the chapter, I don't know. I won't let the last chapters have such a gap of time again, I promise. I am hoping to finish up Drama Club, Act I with the end of the year and along with a Christmas DC story. Btw, I so love the new chapters of Leaves and Lunatics, you write so beautifully! I hate you! Just kidding...but you do have a fabulous dexterity with the language. The characters are so likable, too. I guess DC will get more tense as it finishes, isn't that normal? How does everyone feel about Mike now? His actions in 18? Does everyone still love Bobby or was he gone too long? Kisses... TR

Australian Translation (take it with a grain of salt ): This is an essay about someone who seemed incapable of growing up. They needed help to develop into an adult and it was denied to them. So they stayed a child in their mind. aj -- how did I do? Graeme Perhaps growing up is overrated. Maybe its more important to be Real, like the Velveteen Rabbit. Real doesn't protect you from hurt, perhaps. TR

I just loved this story, it was so very sweet and so very beautiful. The highland scenes, the hot boys in kilts, the boy's school and rugby games...what's not to love? If nothing else, the setting would make the story worthwhile but there's a lot more that's worthwhile here. I love his true love for Tom (Tom packing his things for school is SO sweet!) but the friends at school are great, varied and interesting and all nicely done. The sex isn't bad either <eyelash flutter>. I'm glad the Dude and others have read this, glad to have directed people to it. I think it was written a couple of years ago but really did think it was on the special side. He has other stories, too, but I've not read them all, just the Easter Ruggers one. Welcome to AD, Joel, I'm fairly new myself ...to aD and to writing, which I began this last July. Kisses... TR

That was definitely my favorite scene in the chapter. I think it's been mentioned before, but I really like the depth that you're giving Ryan. The way you handled that whole scene...I liked it a lot. Thanks. I still think I'm shortchanging Ryan on depth, I'm sometimes torn between my own life experiences and resentments and my wish to make characters, even those I hate, understandable. If nothing else, I'm learning by doing, I suppose. I enjoyed putting some words into his mouth that might help explain his attitude and actions and I thought Mike was most likely to understand him. In fact, Mike may understand Ryan better than Angel & Co would be comfy with, should they find out. I've missed Bobby Boyd, too. I think some of my better writing, even as I learn, has been around his character or perhaps Gene's. I'm sure there's a reason for that but I'm no shrink. For some reason, they inspire a little better prose. I'm starting to free up my vocabulary, unchain my muse, as I become more sure of what is acceptable to readers in this venue. I remain convinced that I can do much, much better than I have so far and am reading and writing [DC and other things] to make sure that imagined potential materializes. I always hated when teachers said that I failed to live up to my potential... Kisses... TR

I suspect that many readers will be put off by who they think the fable is about-which only makes me gladder that I wrote the thing. I wonder how many have considered the extent to which racism and homophobia contribute to that feeding frenzy. Not that the hypothetic inspiration of TVB IS gay, just that any male seen as unmanly is automatically in that category of hate. How many kids are harassed at school for being effeminate boys or masculine girls without actually being homosexual? Quite a lot, as far as I can tell. These perceptions are part of the whole problem and only by seeing the larger picture can people of conscience change. Gender expectations are a straitjacket for more than just gays. Wasn't this supposed to be one of the better lessons from Feminism? About Racism in America, where to begin? In my world, it pervades everything and nothing is valued as slightly as dark skin. It lowers your social value, your IQ, your earning potential, your sexual desirability (except as an exotic) and the extent to which you are considered worthy of courtesy. But hey, that's just my view. Some of those thoughts have come out in Drama Club, I suppose. In any case, I'd be interested to know if anyone liked the story for itself and not what was read into it. Did it have interest as a fable, like the Rabbit story itself? Was the tone nice, did it evoke emotion? This was an experiment in third person narrative without dialogue, another in my series of experimental prose/poetry. Thanks for reading, as always. Peace. TR

I found the story on Nifty and liked it, before realizing this was another of the new writers here on AD. I like the story a lot and disagree wholeheartedly with the comments regarding plot. The idea of plot as something exclusively external is, in my opinion, a simplisitc one although this store DOES have external events, it focuses on the internal. Some of the best writers in the world (Saul Bellow, Anne Tyler, Ray Bradbury, Phil Dick, Faulkner) write that way and possibly more wide reading would make that clear to L&L detractors. In any case, I don't see the story as being strictly internal although, as I say, that would not be a criticism, merely and observation, if it were true. Conflict need not be external and I'm already regretting that I put so much external conflict into DC as its not my first instinct. Its all a learning experience, I just started writing on my birthday this year, late July. Reading, however, I'm a past master at since I've been doing it since I was three. My favorite line is something like, 'the summer took off like a bottle rocket and before they knew it, it was the fourth of July.' I love the use of language in this story. the elegant riffs of words/sounds and the occasional note of humor. I think this is the most elegantly written thing on AD currently, but that's just my opinion. I also like the way the sex scene was written, is this your first story of this kind? I think I was unduly influenced for the longest time in what vocabulary and style were expected [in DC] by general Nifty stories. I think I'm finally coming up for air and hope that my overall writing improves because of it, though that's late for DC itself. L&L is lovely, please finish it, so many stories are left undone for whatever reason. Don't rush, don't add externals, don't change anything that your instincts suggest to you, please. I would say, if anything, that chapter 5 was slightly less beautiful and wonder if that was because you were responding to badly aimed criticisms. Please listen to your internal voice, its exceptionally fine. Don't listen to anyone else. Including me, telling you not to listen to.... Kisses... TR

Hmm. Portuguese. Vai has to be, you go; tomar, to take. But 'no' could be "in the," "our/us," or "no/not." In this case, I'm guessing it's "in the." And "c?" is...well, the English version would be "cu**" is my guess. -- At least, that's my guess. Marina is clearly telling Matty something like, "f--- me" or "go f--- yourself," if I'm guessing right. ?De veras? ?Tengo razo'n? Yeah, telling him to go fuck himself in Portugese. A Brazilian DC reader helped me hatch Marina's character and provided a number of colorful expressions at my request. Matty is also a reader suggestion, just the physical description. I added the personality and, with the help of some Deaf friends, the Deaf background details that will come up (and hearing details). Debating will be tricky to say the least for him but Kuo's determined. Matty's also the first openly bisexual cast member. Matty's had a number of problems that are part of why he's at Northside without his parents. Piercings are a personal choice thing and attractions vary-I find them sexy in many contexts. I'm planning to go by the piercing salon today for some research into more private piercings<G>. Thanks. I'm not sure Mike came off nearly as well in his encounter, either physically or spiritually. Mike is not Angel's hero, he's his boyfriend. I didn't want some sort of Cinderella setup despite wanting them together. Any new thoughts about Ryan after the shower scene with Mike? Or how I did that scene? I think that was my favorite scene in 17... I hadn't intended to overtly mention his hearing in previous chapters, are you sure I did? Some things I like to keep low on the radar but I thuoght I should mention the Deafness specifically otherwise readers might not get it...right, wrong? No idea. I prefer to be subtle but thought Angel would be a good person to have realize it in a nice way, a caring sort of way. Angel's kind of sweet for a smartass kind of guy, esp now that he's In Love. Cupid makes us a little softer inside, don't you find? Any thoughts on Friedman, Trey or Jaye? Chapter 18 will continue with the GSA meeting then go into the evening at various homes, including Bobby's. By next week sometime, I guess. I think it'll take longer between chapters for several reasons as I finish up Act I. Kisses... TR

Rustic, Well, I couldn't find anything to add either but I sure found twenty things to change. That's what I remember about writing poetry, the urge to pick at the scab until you've really made a mess. I'm stopping now, really I am. Thanks for saying that about my something being immense. I liked using the roller coaster image for a love/sex/fear snapshot. That's what was in my head when the words tickled me awake before dawn. I'm surprised I really got up to write the thing. I've ignored, I guess, poetry tickles for so long that I guess I mistook them for the occasional rash. Since I started writing, creative type writing, I'm more inclined to actually put some of these thoughts down as they alight (like horseflies). Eventually, something might be decent but either way, I'm having fun. Fear of roller coasters is probably as common as fear of love...but that never stops people from lining up for both. I didn't make up the connection, people always write about the roller coaster of love, of emotion, I just added some pictures, I guess. Glad you liked them. Kisses... TR

I haven't written poetry in AGES but one tickled me awake this morning so I coughed up it. Here it is. Hugs, TR **************************************** CONEY ISLAND BOYFRIEND You buy me Cotton Candy, oh, Twisting pink upon a stick, and you say, Touch your lips against the sweetness And my tongue darts out to lick. You are lighter than the air, love, As your pink sugar melts to cream, And this lovely light confection Is twice as tasty as my dreams. You, my Coney Island Boyfriend, Take us to the Roller Coaster Ticket Man; You tear it twice, and then, oh softly, You place the paper in my palm. My Admission, yes, and yours, take us To an open car (where you hold my trembling hand); And we sink slowly down together, ah, Into that Red and Raucous Ride. Side by side and skin to skin, we Ready for the Ride, oh yes, Bright lights and great confusion that just Bring me safe into your eyes. Now locked together, you lean over and Touch your lips to mine and whisper, Lover, Don?t be Frightened, Oh no, I am Right Here by your Side. I smile and close my eyelids, Love, And feel your heartbeat in your touch; It takes me past colored lights and Crowd Noise Into the Tunnel of Just Us. As world around us dims, Love, To you, yes, inside my Carnival; I take a breath and, then relax, Love, And we begin that long, long Climb. Ascending up so slowly, you Take me sweetly to that height; Scary but I know (yes, know!) that We two together will keep me safe. Up, Up, the pressure builds, Love, Until we are poised upon the peak, So far above the others, Lover, Heart by heart and on the brink. You say, Oh, God, Yes, this is It now! and Close your brooklyn eyes of brown; Our car positioned, we nudge slow, Love, Into the dip that draws us down. I hold my breath and pray, yes, but I never really fear; no, no shiver of a doubt, Even I have learned to trust, oh, Yes, even I have learned to Shout. And Cry Out, oh, yes I do, Love, As you take me down that slope; Rushing wind and rainbowed crowds blur And my Heart is beating in my throat. We rip right through the atmosphere Tearing right on past my terror ?til I dare to open up my eyes, Love, to see us Balanced light upon that ribboned rail. Dear God, my Love, the lights flash! And the solid earth is far below, But you wipe away the tear and fear And, yes Love, I really, truly Know. I know that you will comfort me, as my Cry escapes my throat, a sound, As our twin hands and hearts grow tight And we hurtle faster toward the ground. I know the joy is in the danger, Love, The thrill is in the feel, oh yes, and the Friction of descent, but Lover, Your love has let me open up my eyes. So I ride your steely rails, my Love, I let you drive me up and down; Climbing high we pierce the sky, Only to fly down fast and wild. Love, the moments when we dive low I am still safe because of you; You are the one I gave my soul to, You are the one I finally trust. So take me on your Roller Coaster With the wind singing in my ears; I will hold you that much tighter, love, For I have tossed away my Fears.

Hi, AJ Glad you're still reading and still like DC. Not so many posts anymore... Camille/Doug/pregnancy was meant as counterpoint to the gay romances in general and to Barbara Kuo's teenage pregnancy (with Gene) in particular. Nothing fancy, just wanted it in there, is it too much or something? I also wanted to show a sympathetic straight boy character, Doug, and to have a strong (atypical?) female character, Camille herself. Ryan's hard to write. When I do scenes, esp from the POV of someone, I'm in their head very much and Ryan's head is seriously icky. That's one reason I did Richard with Bobby from a memory perspective, it was slightly easier for me that way. One thing that worries me about Ryan is that I've made him so thoroughly bad that I'm wondering if that makes him a lousy character. I'm trying to decide if there is some way I could make him more believable or something, or if it matters. Richard is maybe a cliche but I really did want to trash Exodus and if that's shallow, oh well. I think their idea, and that of Focus on Family and other groups who claim to 'cure' gays, is repulsive. The idea of actual gay people doing that upsets me. I do understand that they're working from self loathing and all that but the programs they offer make claims that are taken more seriously in some quarters precisely because these people are, or were, or whatever, gay themselves. I guess I could have made them or Richard more sympathetic but I just didn't wanna. I don't think their portrayal of the 'gay lifestyle' is fair, either. AND, I don't have a 'lifestyle', I have a LIFE. So much for Ex-Gays....grrr Hugs TR

Okay, consider that idea stolen, I'm adding a guy who lights up parts of his body when he blushes or something, I'll give it some thought. Flash can't do that, though, he produces flames but isn't lit from within, that couldn't be the same thing. They only have one 'power' each and they aren't really powers, they're practically useless or, at best, useful for party tricks or small helps and more often get in the way of their lives and, of course, out them to queerphobes. A talent for zaniness? I like that, some of my favorite authors outside gay fiction are on the wacky side: Vonnegut, Robert Sheckley, Lewis Carroll, AAMilne, Douglas Adams, St Augustine... TWOT is an acronym, not an abbreviation. The abbrevition would be 'Worst', which might fit anything I've done... A few peopel said that I wasn't nearly as tough on TLOT as I was on DC in spoofing, that I was too mean to myself as an author in The Farewell Tour...but it does represent what I often think of my writing, remember, I just started...and hope I'll get over my insecurity. My sometime view is summed up in the DC spoof title subheading, under ''The Farewell Tour", it says, 'Yeah, you WISH...'. Do other writers love what they write before anyone tells them its good? Is this normal or a product of my own personality? Or just a phase? I never did outgrow liking boys and some said that was a phase... Kisses... TR

Thanks regarding TWOT! I've gotten a few comments to the effect that its funny but none were as great as those from Josh, I was kidding about him blocking my emails<g>. I love to hear that I'm a funny fellow...overall, I don't get much comment from anyone on anything other than DC. I love DC and appreciate the support but would like to write some other stuff, too, in my life. I may do a few more chapters of Queer City to see if any interest materializes. Right now, you could count the supportive emails on the fingers of one hand.So..we'll see. Might stick it up on Nifty and see if anyone over there likes it but I'd have to add a hot (with Flash!) sex scene to chapter one... BTW, I don't know WHERE people get the idea that Queer City is an alternate universe or sci-fi or made-up... ....but I'm not telling you what MY secret power is.... TR

OMG! It's Keith! I think I just almost nearly got spanked in public...wonder what I'd have to do to GET spanked in public by Keith? (Somehow I just have it in my head that he's David Sciuoto...be still my heart...) Maybe if I spoofed HIS stuff? Josh seems not to hate me, I mean, those 56 bounced emails, they don't MEAN anything, right? And, no, I wasn't complaining or suggesting Keith had been naughty, I just thought it was interesting and when I saw the site, I was kinda flattered because all my favorite stories are there and it looked liked a great 'Best' listing. I wondered what else I don't know; that huge, drafty category of my ignorance. I don't really like the Nifty archives as much for DC, we're having some arguements on whether he has the ethical right to disallow me to submit corrected copies of chapters, for one thing, so that's the worst copy out there of Drama Club. I'm keeping a mastercopy where I make the majority of the corrections and need to break it up and submit it around so that DC won't look such a mess--if anyone has advice in this area, I'd be glad to have it. Thanks, Keith, for saying I'm doing quite well on my own but I'd rather do better with some help, if I get choices. As to the pace, I'm not sure why that is. I love writing and the more I write, the more I write...and the more I love it. I'm off right now to stock up on Dr. Pepper Fusion and Marlboro 27s so I can write some more this weekend. My friends are forgetting what I look like, I guess, since when I get that urge to harf up a story hairball, I go right on and disappear to do it. A few of them demanded to know what, exactly, I thought I was up to so, rather than have them think I was forging money for the mob, I gave them links. They'd probably have preferred mob involvement but I did find out that at least one of them also writes...including one who writes stuff like this. I might be bringing him around to meet Dude if I can get his stuff scanned. Some kind of sci-fi style gay something or other, I'm not sure yet since I've yet to see it. The Dude's been great. I don't know what's more fun, all the airplay I get on AD or all the late night sexchat I get from Seoul. Naturally, the two are unrelated. *wink* I'm still gaga that Keith posted to me. I'll never wash my modem again. Kisses... TR

Now, now, that would be mean, I'm only heading into my eighth week of fiction writing and need some support and guidance (anytime, guys!) My new spoof, of Josh's The Least of These, is on the front page of the site now, Josh loved it which tickled me purple... I'd write chapter 15 of DC tonight but I'm out of ciggies and without ciggies and DP, yep, I just can't do it! Angel will have to wait for, ah, whatever happens next. Someone IMed me the other day about Keith's Best of Nifty site having Drama Club on it, is it anywhere else that I don't know of? I thought that was pretty cool though as my other favorite story, the one that decided me on writing on my own, was Keith's The Boyfriend. So the litter of little rabbits around here is all Keith's fault, actually... Kisses... TR

Honey, are you just saying that because I quoted from your new volume of poetry at the end? And, yeah, I'm probably my own worst critic but at least I'm trying to get better. Mainly by writing more and more. Now, if I can just get Gene to forgive me for what I wrote in The Farewell Tour, I can get P. 13 up and running this weekend. He's a little miffed for some reason so I'm laying low for awhile until his mood improves. Good thing the next chapter is more Michael and Jaye or I'd be in real trouble. On humor, I guess Something About Tom was self-mocking, too, is this a trend? It had a romantic element, though, so maybe it was more fun to read, I don't know. I might want my next serialized thing to have more humor in it, I know that one of my favorite online stories has some pretty funny dialogue and that's what made it work for me despite other problems. I'm really glad to know that I did and can make people laugh, its fun to do and, remember, I'm really really new at fiction! How much of the self-mocking stuff in DC2:TFT worked and how much didn't? Was I too subtle for my own good or did most of it come off as funny? I liked having fun with the idea of Nifty style sex in that story, too, having them have really bad sex and grousing about it! Not that I don't have stories on Nifty, and elsewhere, that I love, it was just fun to poke a little fun. Kisses... Tragical Rabbit

Thanks! A couple of readers wanted to know if I wrote that while I had writer's block, now how could I write a (faux) chapter when I had a block, I ask you? I just felt a little silly and wanted to vent some of my feelings about taking Drama Club (and my own newbie writing skills) too seriously into a story. I also like making people laugh. Some readers seemed to find some of P.12 funny, the parts where Gene and Angel and Jaye talk about Exodus while waiting in the Refuge lobby, but that was a little too serious a subject to count as real humor. I hope I haven't alienated any readers with The Farewell Tour, I love the story and characters, too, or I wouldn't write so much about them! I asked the Dude if he wanted me to spoof any other stories on his site but I wonder if the Witness Protection Program would be enough protection for me, from disgrunted readers AND writers! I'd only want to if I loved the story, though, where's the fun poking fun without love? You can see why I'm single, I guess...<g> Kisses... Tragedy Rabbit

What, running into your True Love, the new 'kid', in the high school hallways? Over and over and over again? Does no one so courted ever think to sue? What if they slipped? Broke a nail? I had fun writing this and am glad some people liked it. I'm working on another story right now, very different and also unrelated, with a completely different feel. If I can get it done, I'll put it up, too. I'm sort of trying different things, different styles to see what works or fits. 'Tom' had no dialogue and the action was all in the head of the nameless narrator. This other one has dialogue but I'm trying to use a little bit more formal style to see if it works, it might make it dead or boring, I guess you'll all tell me if it does. When I finish. And, thanks! Thanks! This is really nice, Bobby and I thank you. No, he doesn't like Exodus or shrinks/nurses and he doesn't like himself. Its so odd how I set up scenes and these guys just talk, I don't know where most of it comes from. A few things are specifically, exactly things I've experienced but most is conjecture. Or imagination, I guess. Mother always said I had too much of that. You aren't the first person to suggest that Angel isn't likable or your favorite character. I guess I'd be happier if everyone loved him but I can understand. People don't always like him in his world either. Yeah, I know, I was thinking maybe more but wanted to be conservative. Maybe 150? I told Dude at the beginning that it would be 20 chapters and maybe that's about right. BUT I don't intend to tie up all loose ends in this storyline. If that makes what follows a BookII and not a sequel, okay, I guess I don't know the difference. I want to tie up the Bobby/Ryan/GSA/tolerance/Trey thing in THIS storyline while also resolving the Michael/Angel situation to some extent. And that's it for this storyline, to my way of thinking. Sure, that leaves tons of stuff: Camille's pregnancy, Gene's debate career and love life, Bobby's continued sanity/etc, Michael and Angel followup, more on Jaye, more on Trey, more with Matty(a Deaf character that joins the cast in Part 13 or 14 in the debate room), Friedman and probably more stuff that I'm forgetting just now without my notes. Wow, that's a lot! And, yes! I have notes! Just no plotgraphs or outlines except one chapter ahead. Okay, where's the rulebook? Do I have to have a single protagonist and, if yes, why? I'm listening and this is my first attempt at this stuff. I'm thinking, though, why only one? And why only one viewpoint? And why, for instance, isn't Bobby up for the protagonist thing--he's had a ton of screentime, too, right? I think of Angel as central for only one reason, well, okay, two, the main one being that the other people and events hinge on him, he's the axis on which a lot of it all turns. Yes? No? That's just my thought. For instance, yes, Gene helps out and that pre-Exodus scene is from his perspective but Angel made him part of that action, Angel ties all the people and feelings together, yes? no? Inside Exodus, its Bobby's perspective OF Gene, not the other way around. Maybe Bobby is Angel's opposite in some ways: opposite extremes of self acceptance, happiness, self less acts, degree of anger, whatever. He's the dark to Angel's light. He's the sad and self-hating side of being a gay teen despite being a handsome sexy guy and Angel, a little skinny Puerto Rican kid with too much glam makeup, is the joyful, hopeful and strong side of gay teendom. Or something. That said, yes! I did mean Gene to be central when I introduced him, his exact role metamorphosed as I went but the idea of a cool, logical debator as a foil to theatrical, emotional Angel was always there. I can't claim all the credit you're offering, I don't know that I'm that subtle. Maybe my hindbrain is...if so, I guess I like it. Please un-bate, I'm writing State of Grace (about a teacher! aha! and a boy named Fancy--it has no humor and no romance, maybe no one will like it! its an experiment!) right now so Angel&Co will have to wait a day or so. I still love them, of course. Thanks for all the great and helpful commentary now and previously, AJ. I love Gene, too, you know. He even lives with me, but he's much tidier than I am. Kisses... TR