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LAIKA by Elecivil


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I don't know if anyone noticed, but there's a reference to mismatched socks in "Leaves & Lunatics" as well

Whoa, really? Heh. I forgot about that.

It's been 2 weeks since you said you would fix it, and we are all on edge. You'd better have a good excuse like finals or something.

Excuses, eh? Yeah, I got excuses.

First, this dude moved in with me, so I've been busy with all of that stuff.

Plus midterm tests/projects in all my classes.

BUT!

Chapter six is done. As well as a chunk of seven. I want to go through and edit it before I send it in, but it's done, and I'm happy with it. I ended up doing an almost complete re-write from the first draft. Draws heavilly on my experiences as a lyricist-for-hire, but not close enough to be "semi-autobiographical" or anything.

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?Obviously, you?re unacquainted with the twisted, sexualized underbelly of competitive spelling.?

Now that's one hell of a line.

Nice chapter, and what a way to end it. Such a cute moment cut off right at the climax. It's a good thing you worked it over, it went very well.

And if those are what concerts are like in real life, I want nothing to do with them. I was once in a mosh pit for one song and left it soaked, but not in my own sweat. Creeped me out.

I'd like to say I can't wait for chapter 7, but I can. You are a good writer and I trust you to take your time and do a good job on the next one. And I really have no clue where you are taking the story after this, but it sounds like it'll be fun.

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I am really enjoying Brandon's quirky, observant humor and his bemused, fish-out-of-water take on all the new things around him. Yeah, there are some great lines in this chapter; each chapter so far. (Be scared, I used a semi-colon!)

I'm still identifying with Brandon. His inexperience and reacting *to* people and events, instead of acting himself, are very familiar.

What a cliffhanger ending for the chapter! Heheh, it isn't huge, but it does set up that the results will be surprising, heh, especially to Brandon.

I'll be interested to see if the subplot with the band ties into the subplot with Nick in any of the ways I see as possibilities. (Sorry, that was the editor instead of the fanboy.)

The band members are great fun, and pretty spacey themselves. They're...uh..."atypical," but that's part of what makes 'em interesting characters.

I'm still enjoying this every bit as much. Heh, and to paraphrase the Talking Heads, "I'm not sure where we're goin', and I don't know where we've been," but the ride getting there is sure worth it.

Thanks, EleCivil, Laika is fun and thoughtful and how you express things is always fresh.

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  • 2 weeks later...
?Ms. Dixie, I?m appalled. You?re supposed to be above such things.?

?Obviously, you?re unacquainted with the twisted, sexualized underbelly of competitive spelling.? She tossed her hair and grinned. ?Just as well. You couldn?t handle it. Some of the girls on the circuit can spell things that?d make a marine blush.?

Now this is what I like about Elecivil's writing.

You are winding your way through his story and BLAM- you step right into a :sign5: .

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  • 4 weeks later...

New chapter by the end of the week.

I meant to finish it up yesterday, but I got kind of distracted. My roommate woke up, looked over and said "Hey...want to go build a trebuchet?" Now, personally, I can't imagine hearing that and responding with anything other than "Hell yes, I want to build a trebuchet." So...no new chapter yet, but on the plus side, there's a seven foot tall seige engine in my driveway.

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LOL. I can completely agree on your reaction. Is there any chance in hell of seeing a picture of this creation?

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A trebuchet? -- EC, that's the coolest, wackiest reason for a chapter delay I think I've ever heard.

My college roommates' ideas for serious goofing off didn't quite approach that one, though we did have some good fun.

If my roommate had woke up and suggested we go build a trebuchet, I'm pretty sure my response would've gone something like:

* Look at roommate like he's just grown two heads (or three).

* Laugh really good, 'cause ya gotta laugh at something that outrageous.

* Tell roommate he was clearly under the influence of mind-altering substances.

* Roll over and try to go back to sleep, because mornings are for sleeping, and noon is for waking. -- Except in extreme circumstances, like *classes.* -- Hey, I wasn't really a *bad* student, and I sure wasn't a party animal, but I just wasn't a *great* student either. -- I made up for it later.

* Some time later, making some weak attempt to object, find myself tagging along, helping build a trebuchet and wondering how the hell I got myself into this kind of thing again. :)) And probably grumbling and missing the whole point that it's fun for the heck of it.

...And my roommates should've sat on me and insisted I get over myself back then.

Please note that was me as a college student. Now, I'd probably laugh, explain that I'm not mechanically inclined, but that this, I've gotta see, and join in.

Yes, there's a reason I can identify with Brandon and various other stories....

Too much information, huh? :laughing:

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Oh yeah, I wanna see that trebuchet, whether it's just sitting there or doing its thing.

Props to you and your roommate.

I have this wild mental image involving cows, rabbits, chickens, pumpkins, assorted shrubberies, and scantily clad Britons hurtling through the air. -- Don't ask. Blame Monty Python.

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My roommate woke up, looked over and said "Hey...want to go build a trebuchet?" Now, personally, I can't imagine hearing that and responding with anything other than "Hell yes, I want to build a trebuchet." So...no new chapter yet, but on the plus side, there's a seven foot tall seige engine in my driveway.

It's messages like this that make me think you're actually living one of your stories.

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And what kind of stuff can you launch with it?

Socks, tennis balls, eggs...anything that's relatively small and round will work.

Now, I'd probably laugh, explain that I'm not mechanically inclined, but that this, I've gotta see, and join in.

Haha, none of us are mechanically inclined, either. We didn't even have a saw. The plans were originally for it to be three feet tall, but the smallest pre-cut lumber we could find was six.

Oh, and in non-trebuchet news, I just sent in the next chapter.

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Sweet shippiness(1), wild humor, plot complications, and a little serious stuff snuck in while everybody was busy paying attention to all the other things -- I'm so glad to see Chapter 7. Hmm, and you left on a cliffhanger again. I'll just figure you were busy with that trebuchet, and meant to write more, but sent it early, just to hear the "aarrghs" when we got to the chapter end.

Hah, but you really need to talk to Bran about the writing gig. He's a little...fuzzy...on a point or two or four. But, y'know, I got no prob with him swearing an oath on a remote control. It might actually be *more* binding than most verbal deals.

Lovin' the band. Nick...Nick rules. There's a quote somewhere about, "the tighter you grip your fist, the more sand slips through."

Hah! And again I say, "Hah!" -- I think I see where some of this might be going, plot-wise. If not, hey, it'll still be a heckuva ride.

Keep it up, this is great.

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I?m really starting to like Alex, mostly because he is literally just like the first boy I fell in love with. He is cute and has the affections of a golden retriever puppy, but is very emotionally distant and can?t seem to put too much of himself into a relationship, which is why he is very ?friendly? to everyone instead of just one individual. I really want to see where you are taking this, but almost hope it falls apart since I have such hopes for Nick and Brandon.

But I, being putty in your hands, can?t wait for the next part; I have spread my dreams under your pen, write softly because you write on my dreams.

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Hey, thanks everybody!

I have spread my dreams under your pen, write softly because you write on my dreams.

Heheh. Fear not, good sir, for my pen shan't puncture. Um...yea, verily?

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Just read the new chapter, knowing--just knowing--that there would be at least one place where I would laugh out loud, which I am disinclined to do. And sure enough, there was: the line about driving in the cemetary was killer.

The chapter was very good indeed, which is just about what i've come to expect.

cheers!

aj

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It's somewhere around the end of the semester, or just past it. (Dang, I hope you did better than just passing! :lol: )

Well, we'll see more Laika-ness, like, as soon as EleCivil can see out from under any mess....

Hmm, what *is* he up to in there?

    [*]Trebuchet upgrades?

    [*]Have Rocketship, Will Travel?

    [*]The Space-Dog ate my chapter?

    [*]Post-Final-Exam Hibernation?

    [*] :lol: Busy with Boyfriend? (Dunno either way, but if so, I hope y'all are doing great.)

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    It's somewhere around the end of the semester, or just past it. (Dang, I hope you did better than just passing! :cat: )

    Yep, semester's over now, so expect the pace to pick up as far as chapters go. Next chapter should be out next week.

    As for my education, I learned that "The Role of Phonics in Emerging Literacy" is actually a code name for "How to Bore the Hell out of Thirty College Students" - a practical field-based performace test for college instructors. I think my instructor passed with flying colors.

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    My eldest boy is currently using phonics to learn to read. He's finding it quite helpful. One thing I've noticed, though, is that he continually using phonics to work out the same words, rather than remembering them. He's slowly getting past that, but I think, as a parent, it's a better way than the simple memorisation of a list of words (one of the other primary schools in our area sends it's kinder students home with lists of words to memorise each week).

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    One thing I've noticed, though, is that he continually using phonics to work out the same words, rather than remembering them.

    That's normal. It's good for them to do that, so that they get used to the way phonemes/graphemes work. Easier to apply that than it is to memorize what whole words look like. First comes the phonemic awareness, then comes the bank of sight-words.

    I think, as a parent, it's a better way than the simple memorisation of a list of words

    I agree completely. 'Course, I may be a bit biased, since I just got out of a sixteen-week course where the instructor stated "phonics/phonemic awareness programs are much more effective than whole-word memorization" at least once every day. :cat:

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    The language geek in me is happy and impressed that you know about phonemes and graphemes and pattern recognition.

    Good to hear there'll be another chapter soon, and a quicker pace over the summer.

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    'Course, I may be a bit biased, since I just got out of a sixteen-week course where the instructor stated "phonics/phonemic awareness programs are much more effective than whole-word memorization" at least once every day. :cat:

    It?s good you?re getting all of this out of your system now. If your stories start going on about phonics/phonemic/graphemes/crap no one should have to endure, I might have to stage a filibuster. And don?t think I can?t do it. I am an avid practitioner of quid pro quo/getting people to do stuff against their better judgment.

    Verily, boi!

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