Heya Kit!

Just wanted to compliment you on your site and stories!

Just read Not Always Easy, and I must say I thought it was smashing!
You've displayed Paul's emotions really beautifully, as well as Dan's for 2 chapters
I also liked the fact that it seemed reasonable... A lot of authors have the problem that they make their characters pure good or pure evil, and you certainly haven't done that, each having their own good and bad characteristics!


And the relationship between Dan and Paul is just soooo cute, I was smiling throughout all their parts tongue.gif
And Ron's awful relationship with that Tony guy is done right, not overdone too much, but certainly can be true! Pity though

I'm going to read many more stories here in your library (already read Tapping, was smashing as well!)
And I certainly hope your list of stories gets extended!

Greetz

Hi Greetz,

Glad you enjoyed NAE.
It was the first ever piece of fiction that I wrote... it seems a lifetime ago now!

I learned a lot from writing it and some people wrote to ask if the Kit who wrote the later stories was really the same Kit who wrote NAE. Apart from the obvious writing techniques I picked up, I also learned a lot about myself, not least that I'm the sort of writer who needs to have the whole story completed before I start posting.



A good story needs to engage the reader and one way to do this is to get the reader to like the main character and empathise with them. This is obviously easier to do if the main character is a 'good' guy. So in my first ever piece of fiction I tried to make Paul and Dan likeable. However, in retrospect I wonder if Paul and his family are perhaps less flawed than most real people. Obviously I'm biased here, but I think that if you read my story 'Tough Question' you will find the main character more complex and realistically flawed than Paul or Dan in NAE.



Great! I hope that you will enjoy the other stories there as well, and whether or not you enjoy them, I hope you will comment on them.

The list of stories will certainly increase. I am currently working on two stories. One is a short story written especially to celebrate my arrival here on GA, and the other is a novel length story. I hope that the short story will be ready to post within the next few weeks.

Best wishes,

Kit

Oompf, this was the long story I had wanted to read, but then got sidetracked until I saw this thread.

Anyway, I couldn't stop reading, so now I'm sweaty (after working out), very tired (no sleep and reading for endless hours), and hungry (eating would hinder my reading). LOL. I know, maybe that was too much info.

I liked this story. I like Paul and his loyality. The whole thing is about loyality, it seems. Everyone is so protective and loving. It was a bit refreshing to see that. I love great friendships and close family bonds. It seems like that doesn't exist anymore, in any family, whether a member is gay or not. Maybe that's why I liked this story so much; the unconditional support was nice to see.

The only thing that I didn't like was the ending! It was so sad! Poor Rob. He's a vulnerable person, and I hate that Tony took advantage of that. I got the bad vibes about Tony as well. Unfortunately, it's hard to warn your friends when they isolate themselves. Luckily, everything else in the story is promising, so perhaps Paul can once again be there for Rob like he had been in the past.

Hi Tiff,

You read it all in one sitting?
Wow! I'm impressed with your stamina!
And I'm honoured that you enjoyed the story enough to dedicate such a chunk of time to reading it.


As you understood, my intention with NAE was to express an ideal of loyalty and friendship. The last line was the first thing I wrote and gave the story it's title. However, as it was my first attempt at writing fiction I think the lack of experience and expertise on my part might have made the expression of my intention rather unsubtle.


Also, Paul's family and loyal friends are probably rather too idealised to be totally realistic, but I suppose that it reflects the idealism of my youth! Stiil, I think that it is nice to have an occasional story that makes the reader 'feel good', even if the story doesn't have nitty-gritty realism. If the author can get the readers to like the characters and get caught up in the plot action then they will usually overlook the fact that parts of the story might occasionally be a little too good to be true!


Anyway, I didn't think that the ending was really sad for Rob. Despite Rob's trials and tribulations in the latter part of the story, at the very end he had at least one loyal friend, as well as his parents, to stand by him and support him. With that support there is hope that he will be physically and mentally healed and go on to find true love. I thought it was a happy ending for everyone...

Well, at least that was what I was hoping to convey in the ending, but perhaps I didn't communicate it well because of my lack of writing experience at that time.

Thanks for the comments!

Kit

Yeah, I agree. Everything was too perfect and happy, but I like that aspect of stories sometimes. That life can be so "ugh" sometimes, you need a feel-good story to get immersed in. That's why it's fiction; it doesn't have to be true!

Now that you've explained it, you're right about the happy ending for everyone. See, whenever I read stories, I always see the negative ending, but never the hopeful side. I guess that makes me a pessimest? Ah well. But you're right. Rob is free of Tony. He has his best friend and his family that obviously cares about him. Maybe he can go to more meetings in the future and find a keeper.

OK, I guess I need to check in here. I have been a fan forever. I found "Not Always Easy"
on nifty in 2003. Then there was "Tapping", which is my favorite. And now "Tough Question which is a great story. I have read them all and I am waiting for the next one.

I know I have just started to read your story Tapping but I am already intrigued. I just finished reading the first chapter and really enjoyed the way you have set the stage for the rest of the story. I am sure I will enjoy reading all of the chapters. I can already sense that Mark is going to be a very complex person. Even though he might have feelings for Tony, Tony looks to be straight, but what do I know? I will have to read further to find out. Keep up the great writing.

In regards,

Roger Howell

PS when I clicked on your e-mail link at the bottom of the chapter pages on your site, the above message got sent back to me.

Hi Best Wishes lol You naughty boy


Well, I was rather commenting on the fact that Paul waited so long to actually commit himself to Dan. In some stories they meet, and they commit like the second after that, and never have a fight aso... Ok, Paul and Dan didn't have a fight, but Paul did make Dan unhappy when he said he couldn't commit himself yet! And that's more than some stories can say..
Well, Tough Question will be my next story to read


I'm glad you're working on some more stories!!
Lol, do I sense the hint that you want more comments?
Anyhow, I will, because I think that that might encourage you to write more

Greetz (DON'T YOU DARE, lol)

Niels (LOL, I'd feel lucky, first time I ever used my name on the forum )

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the nice comments.

What was the 'above message' you refer to? I can't see any message.

Kit

Hi Niels!



Oops! Sorry for that silly mistake... I'm very embarrassed...



Don't I dare what??!!??
(innocent look)




I'm honoured that you share your lovely name with us here!

Kit

You really mean it's a mistake? lol! I really thought you did that as a joke! lol

Dear Kit,

Now I've finished Not Always Easy. It was good and I enjoyed it and was engaged to the extent that I couldn't put it down. I see what you mean that the characters are more subtly drawn in later work - but the difference isn't great.

The villains are (perhaps intentionally) rather sketchy - Tony and James' dad are too nasty, if anything, and I didn't feel there was any long-term danger from them, but looking back I think I really expected Rob to catch a sexual disease from Tony and the victory over James' dad was just too easy - maybe it wasn't really easy but if it had been hard it would have merited a more detailed account.

But I think I cavil. It's a gay love story for goodness' sake and was supposed to give its readers a warm feeling inside and in that it succeeds very well.

So thank you very much. The debt I owe you gets larger and larger.

Love,
Anthony

Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the story. I tried to pace myself and not read it all in one go but it was very moreish