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Forever 1 - Beginnings


Castle Herald

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I am unsure of proper protocol in addressing the Emperor and Defender of the Realm, so with shaking knees and the deepest bow of respect I can  present (without falling over onto my face completely)...

 

Your Excellency, I am humbled that you would single out my story for such accolades. And I am thrilled that you enjoyed it, as I have certainly enjoyed writing it. It is a labor of love, as I am sure all of your writing efforts are as well. Thank you again for the the support and encouragement. It is much appreciated. I am looking forward to reading your "New Beginnings". It is next on my list.

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Ken, as Grand Vizier you can probably get away with that. Me, I'm a lowly knight, barely allowed into the royal audience hall. One false step and I'll be assigned to patrolling the swamps and keeping the trolls at bay. Plus, my sword is as dull as a butter knife - the quartermaster did not have confidence in my sword-swinging skills. Okay, so I dropped it a couple of times trying to get it into the holder thingy, and yes, maybe I did nick his ear a little when he got too close, but the bleeding stopped right away, and - well, I think he looks better with one ear shorter than the other. We can't all go through life perfectly symmetrical. It's boring. I'm sure I did him a favor. So why did he take that shiny sword away and give me this one, which weighs a ton. And it took me nearly a week to scrape off the rust and who knows what else was on it. Some of that was gross, man. But, hey, I almost have the hang of it I think, and I don't walk so crooked anymore from the weight of it around my waist. I can even lift it all the way over my head if I use two hands, so if my enemy is right in front of me, and holds perfectly still, I can probably deliver a strong blow - if the wind is just right. Baby steps, right? Everybody has to start somewhere, right? 

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Jack,

I believe that incident report came across my desk. The quartermaster brought it to me personally. I forwarded it to the court jester to give him some new material.

I have to say I thought the quartermaster must have thought I had trouble hearing him. He was speaking very loudly and was using terms from a language best not repeated in public.

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hmmm... i think it is time to have a chat with our quatermaster.  I mean really letting something so simple get to him such.  it's just unbecoming. 

 

So Jack, i will set you up with some classes that are being taught by Chang.  I am sure by the time he is done with you, you will be a fearsome foe.  or he may just wash his hands entirely.  but hey.  we'll see.

 

Anyways, keep up the good work my Noble Knight!

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Despite your deeming me noble, and the promise of remedial sword play lessons, I fear my swashbuckling skills will always pale in comparison to my passion for articulation. I am told that in some circles a pen is considered mightier than a sword. I can only hope to find noble employment in such a place before I am the cause of any further unintentional bloodshed, mostly my own. Thankfully I still have eight toes evenly divided among my feet so I can almost walk a reasonably straight line. Who knew getting blood out of chainmail could be so difficult. Ugh.

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Scene: Private Skype window with Ken.
Ken: Hey Al! I want you to read this and give me your opinion.

Al: OK, I'll byte. What is it?

Ken: Just read it. [sends a file - ch1 of Forever]

 

5 minutes later

 

Ken: Well?

Al: Shut up. I'm reading.

 

Another minute or three

 

Ken: Well? What do you think?

Al: Where did you find this?

Ken: [sends a link]

Ken: What do you think?

Al: Shut up. I'm on ch-2.

 

Ten minutes later

 

Ken: Come on Al! What do you think of this story?

Al: Ken? Shut up! Don't bother me until I finish with ch-10.

 

Ken: Al? I'm getting tired of this. Do you think we can host this?

Al: Ken I'm only on ch-xx, leave me alone!

Ken: ch-xx? Crap I haven't read it that far...

Al: Get David. He needs to drop everything and read this.

 

Sometime later, in a different Skype room

 

Al: Dave? Ken? If you guys don't invite Jack to host this at CR, I quit!

 

 

At least, that is how I remember the initial conversation. Now, having said that, Jack? Would you be so kind as to send me more docs? I just coded the last one for next Thursdays update!!

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I have the honor of being one of the editors of "Forever" and so see the chapters before you get them. I know, life is so unfair. Deal with it, grin... But telling you all that editing the story is a breeze since Jack is dang good and edits are few. Some people are natural born writers and Jack is one of them.

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Sometime later, in a different Skype room

 

Al: Dave? Ken? If you guys don't invite Jack to host this at CR, I quit!

 

At least, that is how I remember the initial conversation. Now, having said that, Jack? Would you be so kind as to send me more docs? I just coded the last one for next Thursdays update!!

Alan,

Wow, thanks for sharing that. I had no idea. Ken said a few of you liked it, but I didn't know it went down like that. Glad you all liked it, but I certainly hope you wouldn't quit because of my little story...grin. I have another chapter ready to go and I'm sure I can light a fire under the editor and he can get the next couple whipped into shape. The good news is after chapter 11, I think the rest are all ready as it. I have it to you tomorrow at the latest. Thanks for staying on top of it. I appreciate all you do to get these posts ready and placed. We authors owe you guys a lot of credit for making us look good online.

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I have the honor of being one of the editors of "Forever" and so see the chapters before you get them. I know, life is so unfair. Deal with it, grin... But telling you all that editing the story is a breeze since Jack is dang good and edits are few. Some people are natural born writers and Jack is one of them.

Mark,

 

You're awesome. Thanks for that. You know you make me look so much better than I would without your editor's pen. 

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As this story is my first attempt at writing, I am still fascinated by the process, and how I occasionally have stumbled into doing something that pleases readers. About this point in the story, I started receiving emails from readers who were excited about the growth and change in Jack's character - how he was starting to face his fears and find freedom. The biggest impact appears to be found in the idea that Jack considered himself unworthy and not a good person, unable to do good things with his life, simply because he was gay. That was not originally an intended theme when I started writing, but it certainly is now. The response to this realization by Jack set off a firestorm of responses from guys literally all over the world who identified with those feelings. I even received an email from a lady who said she cried when Jack realized the mistake he had made in seeing himself as no good, because her uncle told her near the end of his life that he had felt the same way for nearly all of his life. It is especially gratifying to a novice like myself that more than one of these readers has let me know that they have been inspired by Forever to live a better life, and see themselves as valuable and good, even if no one else in their lives feels the same. That makes me happy.

 

One of the early criticisms I faced in writing Forever was the plot line of someone having untold millions of dollars at their disposal. I agree that it has been "done to death" in a variety of genres, not the least of which is gay fiction. But I did not include such a vast sum of money as a gratuitous plot trick. I wanted to make the point that money is amoral. It is neither good nor evil, but simply an amplifier of the character of the person who wields it. Sadly, too many really good people don't have enough to meet their own needs, let alone help others. And likewise, there are a number of "bad" or "selfish, self-centered" people who have much more than enough and run out of ways to spend it on themselves. The supremacy of "character" will be a central theme in Forever as the story moves along.

 

I am trying to handle the subject of sudden wealth carefully and realistically, from an emotional point of view. Because money amplifies emotions, as well. It can be a real hindrance in relationships, as we will see in the future. But I am also excited to see how Jack may use the money for the purpose it was intended when it was gifted to him - as a tool for good. I have received a few excellent ideas from readers on how Jack may use the money to help others, many of them centering on helping gay youth in some way. I'd be interested to know what the readers here at the Castle think would be a worthy use of Jack's millions.

 

Speaking of millions and numbers too hard to fathom for most of us: I hope that the explanation of where the vast sum of money came from is reasonable and realistic. I have no personal knowledge of such mergers and acquisitions, but I have worked for a company in the past that was sold for over $2 billion, so I know it can happen. The man who started the company and owned the majority of shares walked away with most of it, and promptly bought a professional sports team here in the United States, which he still owns today. I won't say which one to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

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Alan,

Wow, thanks for sharing that. I had no idea. Ken said a few of you liked it, but I didn't know it went down like that. Glad you all liked it, but I certainly hope you wouldn't quit because of my little story...grin. I have another chapter ready to go and I'm sure I can light a fire under the editor and he can get the next couple whipped into shape. The good news is after chapter 11, I think the rest are all ready as it. I have it to you tomorrow at the latest. Thanks for staying on top of it. I appreciate all you do to get these posts ready and placed. We authors owe you guys a lot of credit for making us look good online.

Jack, dont worry we quit a few times a week. There was one day that Allen and I tried to see who could quit the most in one day. I won of course but he says differently. I keep telling him that telling it only counts if Roland sees it but he says the rules are a quit is a quit. Hmmm might need a referee for this one.

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Ok, here goes.

 

I agree whole heartedly that this is a wonderful story. I have also been reading it on Nifty, and fell in love with it as everyone else who has posted here has said. I will also point out that one of the marks of a good author is to allow the characters to lead the story where they want it to go. I have tried to write stories whrer I am in control of it, or at least I thought I was, and it is always worse if I don't listen to the people in the story, since as each one grows, their personalities become part of the story itself, so even if I think a plot twist needs to happen, if it doesn't fit that person, the whole thing falls flat, and I have to redo it to make it right.

 

Thank you Jack for writing this wonderful love story.

 

I am embarassed to have just realized that the story is actually here on the castle. I am so happy to have Jack here as an author and as his leading man in the story.

 

 

Youe Friend,

Darryl

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Daryl,

 

Thank you very much for your kind words. I'm thrilled you are enjoying the story as much as I am writing it. As a fellow writer, I'm sure you understand the labor of love such an undertaking becomes.

 

I loved what you said about characters being allowed to lead the story. As this is my first attempt at writing, I was not prepared for it when it first happened. For example, Sharon and Billy, two characters who were not supposed to be significant to the story at all, came alive in just a few paragraphs, and they each became central to the story and Jack's metamorphosis. It was then that I decided to let any character have a chance, so to speak, to rise up and make a case for him or herself for a bigger role in the story. Many have, each one lending their voice to the overall romance and love story that is Forever.

 

I write from a basic outline in my head, just a few bullet points of the main events I want to see take place. But I write mostly from what I see and hear the characters say and do in my head, so as I "watch" them and "listen" to them, they tell me where the story is going. I have found myself sobbing in tears and laughing out loud as I write, experiencing the reality of Forever as it unfolds, much as I hope the readers do as well. I think this is why I love writing so much. It's a journey of discovery for me as the characters come alive and find their voice. I wish I had started writing a long time ago.  It's so much fun!

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