In the interim, you can leave any questions, complaints, love letters, etc., in the comments. I can't promise that I'll respond, but I'll definitely read them.
Here's an e-mail I just sent to a somewhat demanding (if complimentary) e-mailer who aggressively asked me why the hell I'm not updating more frequently:
Dude! You have to understand that I'm a just a guy with a demanding job, an active social life and lots of interests that tend to demand my time, too. Working on the story is a really cool activity that I enjoy, but it's not like I'm getting rich or famous from it -- I'm just some guy doing it because I like it. I also try to resist the urge to post a chapter just to meet demand. Last chapter, I had several thousand words written before I decided that it sucked and went back to square one. Something similar is happening with this one. I've got a plan and structure in place for the whole story, but there are certain sections that I knew were going to be kind of hard. This is just one of those things. I'm not a professional; I have to do the best that I can with my time and my ideas.
That said, thanks so much for your interest and enthusiasm. I really appreciate it, and feel very lucky that people take an interest in what I'm doing. I've got to think that by the end, we're all going to have a better time if I just try to enjoy the writing and do the best that I can, and not rush it just to put a new chapter out there.
Hey, your story is great to this point... I say don't buck your method, it is OBVIOUSLY working. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteWhat? Dammit, I want my money back!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah......
(I'm reminded of William F. Buckley's famous response when someone wrote in and demanded they cancel his subscription to National Review - "Cancel your own damn subscription!")
Kidding aside - much as I hate the wait, I do appreciate "your art" and the final product _is_ very good.
Thanks guys. I'm pretty sure that the rest of this story won't have long staggered gaps. A bunch of things are going to start happening and the story will more or less write itself. The quieter chapters that set all of this up are just a challenge.
ReplyDeleteThese blog posts are just like reminders for me to go back and read the story again. Can't wait for the new chapter.
ReplyDeleteAre you ever going to publish this? I'd like a hard copy to keep, you know.
ReplyDeleteI don't see myself publishing it. By the time it's done, it'll be massive and probably unmarketable. I've thought about cleaning it up and fixing some stuff once it's all over, and then posting it all in one package somewhere. But I'm not really sure.
ReplyDeleteyou could always self-publish on lulu.com or something like that. if it's ~5$ i would buy it, and i think other readers would too.
ReplyDeletehope your writing is going well.
Or you could split it into two books: BC & AC (before & after Joe met Chris) :)
ReplyDeleteYou've probably heard it before, but I've just got to say, I love your style of writing. Currently studying for finals, you certainly make procrastinating worth while! Thank you :)
Thanks guys. I don't want to get ahead of myself. These might be useful ideas at some point in the future.
ReplyDeleteHalf the writing problem is that I start after 11 p.m. and now it's 1 a.m. and I'm going to have to force myself to stop to get a decent night's sleep. Wish I could be better at writing around, say, 9 p.m.
Has anyone noticed that there was once a very auspicious appearance by a character who was supposed to be the seventh roommate, was identified as such, but then she never appeared again? That was far and away my biggest foul. If you haven't figured it out already, you can go ahead and pretend that she just doesn't exist. That scene wouldn't make it to the second draft.
Chapter 14! She was still there until then
ReplyDeleteRight! Katie kind of picked up aspects of her role and I decided that I already had too many non-gay characters and story lines.
ReplyDeleteMan, I promise you guys that the wait is going to be worth it. Not for the next chapter, necessarily, but in the long run.
Can hardly wait *twitch* :D
ReplyDeleteJust FYI the world is ending in December so you might want to tie up any loose ends by then.
ReplyDeleteIf the world is ending, then I'm spending the next nine months in Europe so that I can hook up with tall Scandinavians and live like Keith Richards when they were recording Exile on Main St.
ReplyDeleteApparently Scandinavian men are suppose to be the most beautiful men in the world, so I may just join you! And when December comes and goes and we're still alive... well, why go home..
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Swedish-Men-Are-The-Most-Beautiful-In-The-World/109285129150814
I am re-reading the series again (round 3 for me). Like any good work, I pick up on new things each time that I didn't pick up on the previous times. This story is exactly how I imagine my college life would have been if I had been able to accept, as you put it, my love of boners. Great stuff. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThis really is a really fine story, it doesn't really belong entirely in nifty, it's much more real. The sex descriptions here are easily some of the best ever- they avoid the usual tropes and as well as being sexy are feel psychologically insighful. If you're not working as an actual writer, journalist, then for shame- this is really good stuff. The mystery of Joe, not quite yet unfolded to us is, why he can't manage to come out, what exactly is he afraid of? what holds him back? But as he is always speaking from his own self-obscured view, perhaps we'll never quite know.
ReplyDeleteThe Dante references- parallels between Matt and Vergil I thought were so very moving. The loss of a real guiding force so very beautifully done. Perhaps Joe will be able at last to find another Vergil to help him move forward? Thanks so much.
Thanks so much for the compliments!
ReplyDeleteI *wish* I wrote for a living. If I did, this story probably would have wrapped up at least a year ago.
Maybe you should. I finished my first read, then went back and read chapter 16 again because it was so good, and I'll probably start from Chapter 1 when you post again. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete