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Corners
Apr 5, 2020 23:00:24 GMT -5
glh likes this
Post by Nico Gray on Apr 5, 2020 23:00:24 GMT -5
Another good new chapter. Nice to see Ethan turning the tables on Nathaniel a bit, trying to protect him, and Nathaniel fighting back. Interesting chemistry starting to form between the two... or perhaps all three of the guys. Resolution for some conflict in sight, maybe a happy ending or two, but I'm left with the sense that there's still a plot twist or two ahead.... And it might involve a locomotive....
Also a really interesting couple of lines. '...I looked down to find my penis answering some of those questions. “I'm not taking advice from you,” I told it.' If only more guys adopted that attitude we might be happier... or possibly even live longer.
And on a mostly unrelated note, I ran across an interesting little idea on the IOMfAtS web site. It looks like he's concluding stories he posts there with a brief reader response survey. About fifteen questions. Readers check those that apply. I don't do web design, so I have no idea how complicated it might be to design something like than and have survey results tabulate. But it does look like it might make it easier for readers to offer feedback to authors without having to navigate to the Message Board, then try to put our thoughts about a story into some sort of coherent form. If you haven't already seen it or considered the idea, it's just a thought.
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Post by Dabeagle on Apr 6, 2020 0:10:39 GMT -5
Thanks, I'll check it out. I'm looking to give the site a bit of a facelift.
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Post by Nico Gray on Apr 6, 2020 1:12:48 GMT -5
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Post by PaulR5 on Apr 6, 2020 3:14:44 GMT -5
Okay, here is the deal on that. Timmy over at IOMfAtS issues story challenges to authors every so often. Those have questionnaires at the end of each story in the challenge. In the top portions of the IOMfAtS site there is a listing called "Writing Challenges." This lists challenges of the past and present (normally only one challenge is issued at a time). Rules are described for each challenge. There is a limited time for authors to enter each challenge. However, it has produced some great stories over the years.
That website is at iomfats.org not dot net or dot com.
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Corners
Apr 6, 2020 16:40:43 GMT -5
Post by Dabeagle on Apr 6, 2020 16:40:43 GMT -5
Thank you for the information, Paul. That sounds like it would take major reworking to be useful here. Still it's worth looking at.
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Post by jnwrx1 on Apr 7, 2020 9:23:07 GMT -5
Thank you for the information, Paul. That sounds like it would take major reworking to be useful here. Still it's worth looking at. You could try posting polls on a proboards thread here *sigh* You better not have hurt Mason.
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Post by Steve T. on Apr 7, 2020 20:48:32 GMT -5
Looks like I got to chapter 14 just as soon as it went online. And I had to chuckle at jnwrx1's last comment about not having hurt Mason. I was thinking the same thing as it was happening. :-) Nice ending. Thanks for another great story, Dave.
I really liked the lawyer, Cathy. Smart lady. And why are there always DA's who try to bully people into getting what they want regardless of what it does to the innocents involved. She outsmarted him, though. Good for her!
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Post by Dabeagle on Apr 7, 2020 21:29:49 GMT -5
Mason turned into a fan favorite. I had to chuckle when he said that, too, but didn't want to spoil anything.
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Post by jnwrx1 on Apr 7, 2020 23:04:58 GMT -5
Mason turned into a fan favorite. I had to chuckle when he said that, too, but didn't want to spoil anything. I still wish there was a bit more suspense in the story. Maybe a car chase or a foot chase at night. A house stand off in the gables. The only part that bugs me is that despite always being able to save Mason, Ethan had no idea how to physically save himself. He pins all his hopes on college, but when he went back home, having known his father all his life he still was naïve enough to go in with no protection for himself.
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Corners
Apr 8, 2020 16:13:35 GMT -5
Post by Dabeagle on Apr 8, 2020 16:13:35 GMT -5
Even the smartest of us still do dumb things.
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ivor
Young Hound
Posts: 57
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Post by ivor on Apr 8, 2020 16:17:54 GMT -5
Okay, here is the deal on that. Timmy over at IOMfAtS issues story challenges to authors every so often. Those have questionnaires at the end of each story in the challenge. In the top portions of the IOMfAtS site there is a listing called "Writing Challenges." This lists challenges of the past and present (normally only one challenge is issued at a time). Rules are described for each challenge. There is a limited time for authors to enter each challenge. However, it has produced some great stories over the years. That website is at iomfats.org not dot net or dot com. Sadly on most sites there is very little feedback as readers appear extremely reluctant to send emails. I understand that was the reason Timmy set up the questionnaire to be a way for authors to get some sort of reader response for their efforts. It does appear that there is a small number of readers are prepared to complete these. For whatever reason GA is the site that gives the most feedback. My guess is because it is very easy to do immediately one has read a story chapter and thus requires no great effort.
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Corners
Apr 10, 2020 2:37:42 GMT -5
Post by Nico Gray on Apr 10, 2020 2:37:42 GMT -5
Corners was an enjoyable story to read. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I've been trying to figure out how to best sum up the reading experience in a few short paragraphs, but I haven't been making much progress. I probably should go back and read the entire story again to identify what worked and why it worked. But for now, this is about as coherent as I can get.
I think the greatest strength of Corners is the characters. Each of the main characters was well drawn and psychologically consistent. Each was flawed but exhibited characteristics that had me rooting for them. I cared about what happened to each of them. And the characters' flaws, and the effort to overcome them, was probably the most interesting aspect of the plot. The external conflicts were engaging. The action at least interesting, with a mystery or two that kept readers guessing about what might happen next (and what had happened in the past). But it was anticipation of the resolution of internal conflicts that I found most compelling. And ultimately I found the resolution of those internal conflicts mostly satisfying.
The plot was interesting, with enough conflict and unanswered questions to keep me wondering what would happen next. Pacing was effective. I thought there was a nice blend of action and character development.
Without saying anything that gives away important parts of the story, I did appreciate the way new circumstances or characters were used to create uncertainty about what appeared to be probable resolution to conflicts and the main plot line. It was enough to create some suspense about how events might impact the main characters and the choices they would make about their respective futures. There was enough action and suspense about what might happen to characters I cared about to keep me eagerly waiting for the release of each new chapter.
The only real quibble I have with the story is the rather abrupt way that Ethan resolved his situation with Nathaniel. It was certainly anticipated. It was psychologically consistent with Ethan's character. And the abrupt manner in which it resolved was also probably quite appropriate for who Ethan was, with his traumatic social history. But for some reason I can't fully explain, I was hoping there might be a bit more... perhaps character development... that went into the process of resolving this issue. On the other hand, it's a fairly minor quibble and didn't distract from my appreciation and enjoyment of a very well-told story. Thank you!
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Corners
Apr 10, 2020 16:08:02 GMT -5
Post by Dabeagle on Apr 10, 2020 16:08:02 GMT -5
Corners was an enjoyable story to read. Thanks for sharing it with us. I've been trying to figure out how to best sum up the reading experience in a few short paragraphs, but I haven't been making much progress. I probably should go back and read the entire story again to identify what worked and why it worked. But for now, this is about as coherent as I can get. I think the greatest strength of Corners is the characters. Each of the main characters was well drawn and psychologically consistent. Each was flawed but exhibited characteristics that had me rooting for them. I cared about what happened to each of them. And the characters' flaws, and the effort to overcome them, was probably the most interesting aspect of the plot. The external conflicts were engaging. The action at least interesting, with a mystery or two that kept readers guessing about what might happen next (and what had happened in the past). But it was anticipation of the resolution of internal conflicts that I found most compelling. And ultimately I found the resolution of those internal conflicts mostly satisfying. The plot was interesting, with enough conflict and unanswered questions to keep me wondering what would happen next. Pacing was effective. I thought there was a nice blend of action and character development. Without saying anything that gives away important parts of the story, I did appreciate the way new circumstances or characters were used to create uncertainty about what appeared to be probable resolution to conflicts and the main plot line. It was enough to create some suspense about how events might impact the main characters and the choices they would make about their respective futures. There was enough action and suspense about what might happen to characters I cared about to keep me eagerly waiting for the release of each new chapter. The only real quibble I have with the story is the rather abrupt way that Ethan resolved his situation with Nathaniel. It was certainly anticipated. It was psychologically consistent with Ethan's character. And the abrupt manner in which it resolved was also probably quite appropriate for who Ethan was, with his traumatic social history. But for some reason I can't fully explain, I was hoping there might be a bit more... perhaps character development... that went into the process of resolving this issue. On the other hand, it's a fairly minor quibble and didn't distract from my appreciation and enjoyment of a very well-told story. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank YOU for such a great review.
Ethan's reaction to Nathaniel's news was something I deliberated about. In the end I decided it fit his personality and his reality more that he reacted as he did. Knowing how it happened didn't change things for him, and he didn't feel as if Jackson were taken from him unjustly. He'd already processed, as much as he was going to, what Jackson's loss meant to him - and in the end the answer to that was 'not much'. Why? He burned a lot of emotions or walled them off. Jackson wasn't part of his inner circle, despite them being family. It's likely Jackson felt the same way. Still, I had thought about that scene a lot and wondered if it shouldn't take more time to process - but I think you or I would need that time. For Ethan, it was all a moot point.
Thanks for the great feedback, I appreciate it!
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Post by glh on Jul 21, 2021 20:13:58 GMT -5
So things are a bit slow this summer and I just reread "Corners" at bedtime. In two nights. I love a good read. I loathe insomnia since I've had a near fatal bout and get a bit OCD about my sleep. I have to say "Corners" is worth it, though.
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Post by Lugnutz on Aug 23, 2021 21:51:02 GMT -5
Giving this yet another read. In chapter 8, Mason is asked to drive his mom's car, “Dead or in a Ford?” I asked.
“Is there a difference?” he deadpanned.
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