new story by Grasshopper

[E.J.]

I have not read the STORY yet, so don't know what it is about.

[Trab]

Here is the index page for Grasshopper. Scroll to the bottom for the new story, Darkfall.

http://iomfats.org/storyshelf/hosted/grasshopper/

[Cole Parker]

Here is the index page for Grasshopper. Scroll to the bottom for the new story, Darkfall.

http://iomfats.org/storyshelf/hosted/grasshopper/

Trab:

Is this one finished? I'm always so disappointed when he leaves one undone, as his characters are so compelling. If it isn't done, I'd rather wait a bit. Personal preferrence.

C

[Trab]

I haven't read it either, but a quick glance at the last one makes me think that it ISN'T finished. I will be waiting too.

I've mentioned it before, that I don't like reading serials mostly due to that very chance that they could stop at any time, but to some degree because of intermittant posting. I just looked at my files, and I'm reading no less than 7 serials. Will I never learn????

[Oliver]

I've started it. Yes, I will never learn, Trab.

Small spoiler about it;

It makes me sad, very sad..

[grasshopper]

Hey guys ~ I came visiting to see if y'all knew my story Darkfall was posted and I'm glad I did .

Hahahaa I want you to read it, not wait.

You can read it. I'm way up to chapter 23 and am almost finished. I can't leave Wes and Cole swingin' in the wind ..... I hope you like it.

take care & be safe always ~

Jamie (grasshopper)

[Trab]

Now THAT is good to hear. Is there going to be a regular posting schedule? Can you tell us what it is?

[blue]

YAY! Double yay! And we recommended you at Codey's World, too.

Good to see you back and posting, Grasshopper.

[Cole Parker]

Jamie:

I was wonderful to hear from you! And I've never, ever read anything by you I didn't love. I look forward with eager anticipation to this new story.

And I hope you're back to writing again!

C

[Lugnutz]

I read what was posted, liked it. It has the same feeling as "Dreamchacers" More of a mystery than anything. Can't wait for more.

Anything happening with "JHS"?

Graicas for the great work.

[grasshopper]

Hiya ~

I think Tim said he was going to post one chapter a day of Darkfall during the weekdays.

I've written half (10 chapters) of a spinoff JHS story like In A Heartbeat. It's about Gabriel with his backstory.

I need to get back to my short stories for teens, but I seem to just keep having these huge ideas. It just takes sooo long to get to the end. When I write long stories, I have a beginning and I know the end, but the middle is a mystery to me too until I start writing.

Oh, and I always fall totally in love with my hero every time.

Hugs ~ Jamie

[Lugnutz]

I've written half (10 chapters) of a spinoff JHS story like In A Heartbeat. It's about Gabriel with his backstory.

I need to get back to my short stories for teens, but I seem to just keep having these huge ideas. It just takes sooo long to get to the end. When I write long stories, I have a beginning and I know the end, but the middle is a mystery to me too until I start writing.

I can't wait!! Almost like the shorts better than the serials, if they wern't so bloody short.......

[blue]

Darkfall's very good, and the themes and characters are heartfelt as usual.

Long stories, short stories, poems, ... napkins and cereal boxes -- write what you want, when you can.

[Bruin Fisher]

I read up to chapter 5 in one sitting and can't wait for more. This is a story that deserves the adjective 'visceral'. It sears into my heart and makes me feel like baying at the moon, feeling Wes's pain. So is it a good story? Did I enjoy it?

Yes it's a very good story - it must be because it's made me feel so deeply. Did I enjoy it? Hmm, 'enjoy' is the wrong word to describe being put through an emotional mangle, but when you take a breather and remind yourself it's fiction and you don't have to hurt so much because Wes and his awful family are not real, you can enjoy being taken for such a powerful ride.

Fantastic writing, involving, affecting, and very very sad so I hope some nicer things begin to happen to the boys. I think Cole is beginning to hurt quite badly on Wes's behalf so it's not just Wes we need to feel sorry for.

Bruin

[Cole Parker]

I'm not hurting yet because I haven't started it yet. If it's too strong, too emotional, too dark, I might not be able to read it. I don't watch some TV shows or see some movies just for that reason, they're too much. Too violent, too hateful, too full of hopelessness and despair, just too.

This is a departure for me, this attitude. I used to be normal when I was younger. Now I just don't like all that angst in my life.

Becasue of the quality of Grasshopper's writing, I'll definitely read it, eventually, and if it isn't too painful, will even finish it. Like I'm waiting to finish JHS (Hint! Hint! Hint!) <g>

There are a lot of detailed stories dealing with child abuse, stories that go into specifics about the actual abuse itself, the pain and suffering. I cannot read those, even if the writing itself is mechanically sound. Do the rest of you read that material and make your way through it? Maybe I'm too suggestible.

C

[Trab]

I think you and I are quite alike in that sense, Cole. I cannot read anything too dark, or, for that matter, too sexually explicit. My emotions take over completely and I'm overwhelmed. It is to the credit of the writer, obviously, that he or she can do that, and maybe to my credit for feeling someone else's pain so exquisitely, even a character, but it is not entertaining. Sometimes I can force myself to read that type of 'heavy' stuff, but not at a time when I need to be 'happy'. I'm sure you know what I mean. There are times when you NEED to feel in a certain way, and if light and frivolous is what you need, heavy reading is the wrong way to go. BTW, I also turn off TV shows that are too much, and seldom get caught at a movie as I check the trailers (why are they before?) and just don't go to the heavy or vicious ones.

[DesDownunder]

I have a real need for a story to give me something that goes beyond just depicting the horrors of reality.

I know people do awful things to themselves and each other. I don't need to be dragged into a fictitious world where they do it without any redeeming qualities in their characters; or without a dichotomy of balance.

Yet I know we cannot have a story, a meaningful dramatic interaction, without conflict. Life is not all Mary Poppins or Pollyanna.

But even in the most despairing heart of darkness, there just has to be a glimmer that even an Apocalypse will render some meaning to the horrors to enable me to be glad to be alive. I want a chance to live in hope. To give that hope too.

I just watched "Across the Universe." The movie by Julie Taymor. This woman of the theatre is an astounding director who has taken Beatle songs and created a visual and audio sequel to HAIR on film. It is what the movie HAIR should have been, but didn't come anywhere near it.

All that wonderful Beatle music made me weep along with their guitars and their insight into the authentic voice of youth from that time and this. The human story will be too simple for some.

Somehow the price of sadness and depression is worth paying when it gives hope for today and tomorrow, just because it reveals someone who gets up and says I care enough to make the effort to create a story, a film, or a piece of music, art, or a thought, with and for other people.

Then comes a willingness to be tortured by all the love that the artist conceals in their work.

[Trab]

I agree with you, Des, but need to add that at times I cannot make that sacrificial payment of sadness and depression. Not at that particular point in my life. Other times, I will need someone to assure me that there truly is bounty and beauty and love at the far end of the story that will make it worthwhile reading for me. I am also sure that others will have different requirements within themselves and be more able, or more willing, to deal with the required payment to get to the 'good'.

[DesDownunder]

Absolutely Trab. You are correct to point out that each of us will be able bear different levels of the pain of payment at various times of our lives.

Thank you.

[Cole Parker]

Damn but you guys express yourselves well!

I know where you're both coming from. I agree absolutely. As I said, I could tolerate a lot more violence, pain, bloodshed, abuse, all that sort of thing, in stories when I was younger. Just as a feeling of acrophobia began when I was about 45 and has grown stronger every year since then, these sorts of dark emotions and unpleasant realities bother me to a much greater extent now, too.

Stories need some angst, or conflict, or crisis or something of that sort to give them interest and meaning. Otherwise, they're too bland to hold our attention. And I put some in my stories, so I'm not entirely innocent here , either. I do prefer it not to go on and on, or to be describled in too luscious a detail, and I especially dislike the character feeling these emotions to be void of hope. That's more than I can bear.

Like Trab, I empathize too much, feel the anguish too much.

But a good story must have some of this. I just prefer reading ones where it's muted, or passsed over quickly, or isn't so horrifically detailed.

To each his own.

C

[Camy]

"So, you're my boyfriend and I'm your boyfriend and we're like ummmmm,"

[blue]

Guys, guys --

Some of you got on a tangent earlier. It's a good discussion, but... are you sure it's relative to Grasshopper's story, Darkfall, or to what you know of his other stories?

The story is darker than most of his earlier stories, yes. But he holds out hope, relationships and events that are good, in spite of others that aren't. That's one of the things about his writing you should know, if this is the first story you've read by him, and you should remember it enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, going in, if you've read his other stories.

Another is that he doesn't generally get too explicit or graphic. There are things he'll say and things he'll leave unsaid. Some don't have to be shown or spoken of, in order to get the meaning across.

I'd recommend you give it a chance. If you see something is too strong for your tastes, then set it aside or go back to it later. But please don't forego his work, based on someone else's first impressions.

If it helps any, folks, keep in mind that if I don't like something, I either say so or avoid it. I am not a fan of the more extreme stuff.

Grasshopper's one of those writers I read, because I trust his writing, based on past experience.

I hope you'll gain something from reading it.

[Trab]

I'm not sure if I'm one of the tangentees, but if I am, then obviously I need to clarify myself. I would never forgo reading one of Grasshopper's stories. My only concern is that possibly, and I admit it is based on hearsay, the first few chapters are 'heavy' and that there may be no reduction of this until new chapters are posted. I'm not saying this is the case, but should it be so, then I could be dragging my depressed butt around until things lightened up. I would rather wait till a few more chapters are posted so that IF it is too much for me at the start, I can get past that point to where hope and love start to help my mood. This is not a knock against the excellent writing by Grasshopper, but a simple fact about my own abilities in coping. It in no way should be taken as anything but a compliment to Grasshopper's ability to make his characters so real that I am torn apart by their angst and elevated by their love.

[Cole Parker]

Thanks, Blue, for giving me a chance to remove any misconceptions I may have left.

I said I hadn't read Darkfull yet, and by so doing hoped not to convey the impression I didn't like it. I also said I definitely would be reading it soon. I happen to be involved in several other stories at the moment, and can only juggle so many before their lines begin to blur.

I then went on to discuss a personal sensitivity I have to some darker material in response to another writer's prod. And asked if others shared this sensitivity.

But while doing this, I did worry a little I might be giving the impression that Grasshopper's writing, or this story, might somehow be offensive. I didn't mean to do that, and am glad to have the opportunity to clear that up.

I love Grasshopper's writing! It's great, great stuff, and I've not only read everytihng he's written, I've read it all more than once. I am eagerly looking forward to starting the new one. I've wanted to write to him many times to express my great admiration of his work, and his ability. Now I can say it publicly. What a wonderful writer he is!

I am positive this story won't be devoid of hope. That's the antithesis of Grasshopper's writing. I trust his writing explicitly.

You were right, Blue. The discussion was tangential to Grasshopper's writing, not focused on it, and wasn't about Darkfall, which I haven't read. I didn't mean the discussion to be based on that story. My remarks were based on thoughts generated from reading other's comments on the story being darker than most, and were general comments of my own sensitivity to some subjects.

I'm very excited, knowing there's a new Grasshopper story out there waiting for me.

C

[DesDownunder]

I guess that leaves me to substantiate that I certainly never meant to reflect on Grasshopper's writings with what were my personal statements on general matters, either.

I think in any author's forum, however, we are at chance of making deviating statements on general writing issues as they affect us personally, without meaning to impugn the author under discussion in the thread.

I do not think for one moment that any of us who frequent these forums with contribution, do so with intent to attack any of us, or to discourage our efforts.

Indeed the opposite of encouragement and thoughtful criticism along with our side comments seems to be the norm.

It would have been proper for us to have made it clear that the comments were asides before our tangential wanderings. (posting such thoughts elsewhere is not always a suitable option, at least until they have developed.)

I thank Blue for bringing this to our attention.