Jashley13

New chapter will be up tomorrow @thismy I do IT stuff, mainly working with computer accounts and installing software

Hey everyone! Sorry this has been kind of a ghost-forum lately but I just got off an 8-day stretch of work so I finally got some time off. First @ Guest_N_, it was just a Fringe Theater sort of production for children. Nothing impressive but something I can put on a resume. Second, work in the chapter is progressing well. I've just about finished so hopefully by this weekend, it will be all done. Hopefully, I can get it done in time for you to read before going back to college Guest_Dark_ Hope everyone is well and I'll try to update more. See you soon!

Happy anniversary to an author and story whose talents I can only dream of matching someday

Hey everyone Reality Check time! - As with the first session with Fitzsimmons, this is based less around an actual event and more what I gleaned from the one time I actually went to see a shrink. I can't claim that this is exactly how shrinks talk or behave but, based on the doctor I talked to, this seems as close as I can get without regular sessions. - Jack and Kayla's arguments and what they see as 'faults' in each other are all things that I've dealt with about myself. I can be an overthinker and I can keep things to myself, not talking about them openly. I'm still working through them but I've come a long way since I was younger. I guess I'm still working through my own issues. - Jack's chat with Craig and Becca was very similar to one I had a couple weeks ago with a friend who went on vacation, up to and including me being absolutely exhausted (I was in a play at the time, which was bumping into my sleep schedule with my night-shift work). - I haven't had a birthday that big since I was about eight years old but a lot of the conversation was cherry-picked from conversations I've had at my own celebrations and at others'. - I got a PS4 a few weeks ago, cheating on my birthday just a little bit. I'm really enjoying it and I'm glad I waited, since if I had gotten it at the time of release, I'd have to deal with the initial wave of crap exclusives. *shudder* And now for the Bad Idea Confessional: - This might be less of a Bad Idea and more laying to rest something that people have been wondering about for a while. At the end of Chapter 5, when Jack and Kayla have first kissed and they are cuddling with each other, Jack thinks he may have seen someone at Kayla's back door. Some have speculated that this might be Amanda or Craig or Brad or even her parents. In actuality, there was really no one there. The scene was more making reference to the fact that, while Jack was happy as could be with Kayla, he was aware that Craig was now going to be a bigger problem and that he'd have to earn the happiest he'd just gained. Maybe I could have illustrated it better but I didn't want to hammer the readers over the head. I'm working through Chapter 37 at a fairly swift pace. After the heavy emotional stuff in the last chapter, it's good to have a lighter chapter to write, with plenty of jokes, easy-going scenes, and good feelings between the characters. I'm currently working an 8-day shift since I'm switching my days off at work, which could be a good or a bad thing. I'm not sure how that's going to affect my work, since I won't be getting as much sleep or days off for a little while, but that also means my mind is going to be more focused than before. We shall see. Oh, and since I saw some questions about it, the next chapter will be the last one of the Summer Saga. Also, today is a milestone, though most people don't know it. Today officially marks the one year anniversary of Being More Social If you haven't visited Bashful's forum, please do so and give him some congratulations. He deserves it and I'm sure he could use the encouragement to keep writing. And just the general good sentiment That's all I've got for right now, I think. More updates to come soon, hopefully all good news See you guys soon!

Chapter 36, at long last, is up I am so so sorry about the lack of updates and the time it took me to do this one. I just haven't been feeling myself lately. Partly it was my birthday that distracted me (25...holy crap...a quarter-century) but that was one day, so that's no excuse. My biggest issue was just how draining certain sections of this chapter were. They weren't as emotionally-charged as certain other sections of the story (or others to come) but it was enough, with the emotional troubles I was having, to ensure that I took a while with this one. For that I apologize. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and support. I really couldn't do this without you guys. You make all the crap I go through worth it, just because I know I can come on here and read responses from some of the best fans ever. I seriously love you guys and all I can hope is that the story continues to live up to expectations. I promise to try to update more for this coming chapter and keep things active and fluid. Reality Check soon. See you guys then

Hey everyone! Really sorry for the lack of updates! First of all, thank you so much for the birthday wishes It means a lot. I'm sorry the new chapter wasn't out before then but I'm working on it as hard as I can. Speaking of, I'm finally managing to push towards the end so, hopefully, it will be up this weekend. I've been feeling more exhausted lately so I'm trying to balance sleep, work, and writing, but I thnk I should be coming to an equilibrium. Good news soon, I hope!

Hey everyone. Kinda bad news. It looks like the new chapter will take a little longer than expected. The first part of the chapter kinda left me emotionally drained and it took me longer than I thought to get through it. I'm past it now and working as fast as possible, but it looks like it may not be completed by my birthday. Pity...that was going to be my birthday gift to you guys. I'm gonna work hard to get it done anyway but, unfortunately, I can make no promises at this point. I apologize.

Seminal moment in my life: I finally had a chance to meet BashfulScribe in person today and let me just say that, aside from being an amazing writer, he's also an amazing person. If you haven't checked out his forum or his story yet, please do so. You won't regret it.

Hey everyone! Update time! So I've been plowing through Chapter 36, trying to get it out in time for my birthday. Kind of my birthday gift to all of you. I'm hoping it's out before then but, if not, I definitely want to get it out the day itself, especially since Jack and I share birthday So that's the best timeline I can give you for right now. Anyway, onto the Reality Check: - The awkward drive home is reminiscent of so many awkward drives I've had with family and friends. It's always fine if we're in a comfortable silence but awkward silence? Makes the car ride three times as long. - I worry very much the same way as Jack when I'm waiting to hear back from someone. I check my phone every few seconds, certain that I felt a vibration. It's gotten to the point where I'll feel a tremor in my leg, just because I'm so desperate to hear back from whoever I was texting. - Jack's tense conversation with his father is very similar to tense conversations I've had with my own father. In fact, I think I may have taken it verbatim from an argument we had, just changing the context a bit. - Jack 'warming up' to Rhona is very much how I myself warmed up to her real-life counterpart. For me, it was a bit more gradual than Jack, but since there is so much more to work through, I figured that dragging it out was probably not the best plan, especially since I don't want things too cluttered in the coming future. - Jack's argument with Kayla was, I hate to say it, modeled after some arguments I've had with my wife. The ones with my wife were not as severe as the one between Jack and Kayla but I still had her read it and give her permission before I posted it, just to make sure she was okay with it. And now for Bad Idea Confessional: - When Amanda was seducing Jack by having him handcuffed to the bed, I was originally going to have Kayla see it and it was going to drive a wedge between them. I dropped it for a couple reasons. First, everybody was already suggesting it and I wanted to do something a little more unexpected. Second, I felt it was too cliché and wouldn't make sense given how I'd already laid out their rooms and I'd have to come up with a plausible reason why Kayla would look out at that exact moment...it was just too much. I scrapped the idea for the better, I think, and Kayla is still unaware of what Amanda did to Jack...so far. Working as hard as I can on Chapter 36 and I'm hoping it turns out as well as I need it to. This is one where everything kind of comes to a head and I really hope it lives up to expectations. See you guys soon!

Chapter 35 is up Hope you all enjoy! On a related note...over 200000 views on the forum...almost 2000 responses...and almost 300000 views on the story. WOW! Just looking at those numbers makes my head spin. You guys are the best readers an author can hope for and I have to thank you all so much for the support and love you've shown. I hope I continue to live up to it in future chapters Hope you enjoy the chapter and see you soon!

Hey everyone! First of all, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have the chapter out by tomorrow. Can't promise that for sure but it will definitely be out either tomorrow or Monday. Second, @thismy...that was incredible. A wonderful, wonderful job at conveying such a scene I can't say anything specific regarding it, whether pro or con, without revealing stuff that happens down the line but I'm really impressed and thank you very much. I'm honestly touched by how much effort and heart you put into that. It's not every day an author reads a better version of his own work See you guys soon! Keep fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Hey everyone! So, quite a while since the last update, huh? Looks like everyone's been keeping busy on the forums in the meantime, I'm glad to see. Sorry it's been a while but having to make up for the lost work time while I was on vacation meant I had to work several 12-hour shifts in a row xP It basically left me in two states: working and sleep. So I didn't have time to update. But, here I am, so let's do some catch-up. First, Reality Check from the last chapter: - Minor point, but everything they say about the humidity is exactly how I feel. It's no sweat for me in the cold (no pun intended) but once it's a degree over room temperate, I'm like Mike Tyson at a third-grade spelling bee. It's horrible. - A buddy of mine actually did the whole 'let's throw all of them fruits and vegetables together to make healthy smoothie' thing, pretending it was a legit drink. I still have nightmares about it. - The whole roller-skating rink incident happened to me with a previous girlfriend. If I concentrate hard, I can still feel my head hitting the ground. Ouch. - As much as it pains me to say it, Jack's frustrations at being denied sex are very much like my own thoughts. Oh, I'll respect the decision and everything, but if I'm in the mood and it's been a bad few days, there will be plenty of grumbling. I'm not proud of it but there you go. Second, Bad Idea Confessional: I wanted Jack and Craig to have their fight in the lunch room back in Chapter 4. It was going to be a big throwdown, with the two of them slinging each other across tables, into trash cans, and cranking each other over the head with trays. It was gonna be brutal. I realized that I couldn't get away with it in a lunch room, since teachers would be around to break it up almost at once. If it was barely a fight, there was no reason to put it in. So it just became a short scuffle, with the big fight still a couple chapters away. All right, so onto other stuff. I'm about halfway through the current chapter and am aiming to have it done by this weekend, if all goes well. There are only about two or three chapters left in the Summer Saga before the school year starts up again and believe me, I have plans for that. I'm not going to reveal anything but for those of you looking for a 'relaxing' time for Jack and company...give it a little bit. That's all I'll say. Believe me, he's going through a lot less emotionally than I did at the time and I would have liked nothing more than to just have time away from all that stuff so...I'm trying to do it as realistically as I can. All I ask is that you don't judge the characters too harshly. They might do it to each other but we, at least, have the benefit of experience that I wish I'd had at the time. More updates to follow. See you soon

Hey everyone! Bashful Scribe just started a forum thread here on AFF. You can find it in the General area with mine and Magusfang's forums. Please go and show him some support. I'd like for him to feel as welcome as possible

Welcome Bashful Glad to see we can all hear more from you and your in-every-way-superior story here lol Welcome aboard the forum train

Hey everyone! Got back home safe. Will be posting the Reality Check soon and will be starting the next chapter tonight

Chapter 34 is up!!! So glad I was able to get it out before we head out the door Anyway, Happy One Year to She is the One! Can't believe it's been a whole year since I started this story. It's weird to think that I've been writing these characters and this story for so long that, now, I can't imagine life without them. They're as much a part of me as the real people I interact with because, well, you guys make them real. You discuss them and their thoughts and decisions, debate the 'right' thing to do, come up with predictions for what's gonna happen next. Honestly, I couldn't have made it this far without you guys. For all the ups and downs of the story, you guys have been the most awesome, most amazing, most wonderful readers and author could ask for and it's because of you that we've gotten this far and will go even further. Here's to another year of twists and turns to come I get back on Monday and will post the Reality Check then. Take care guys and enjoy and thank you again

Couple things: 1) Next chapter should be up tomorrow morning, right before we leave for the airport 2) I don't like to bring politics or stuff into this forum (I respect you guys too much to try to get all 'controversial') but I am beyond happy with the Supreme Court right now. Not to trample on dissenting opinions but honestly, I've never understood why two people who love each other should not be married and I am so happy that whomever wants to get married, gay or straight, can do so. See you tomorrow morning for the one year anniversary of She is the One!

Steam is a fantastic way to get into video games if you only have a computer and don't want to spend a huge amount of money. There are dozens of games for very small price ranges that you can spend hours with and end up being just as entertaining as the big-name high-price-tag console releases. It's free to sign up and their library is expansive. And, since we're on the subject, I remember when I posted my Top Ten Favorite Songs. Well, figured it might be interesting to do my Top Ten Favorite Video Games as well. Probably a little more predictable due to multiple mentions in the story, but... Skyrim Knights of The Old Republic Bioshock Infinite Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Mass Effect 3 (I'd love to put the whole trilogy here but figured I shouldn't cheat) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Resident Evil 4 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal God of War II Final Fantasy VII Honorable Mentions: Dark Souls, Red Dead Redemption, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2, Shogun 2: Total War

@thismy I say go for it and all the best of luck. Trust me, I went through the same thing. I don't subscribe to the whole, "Worst thing that can happen is she says 'no'" line of thinking, just because it never seemed to work for me. My best advice is to make it a casual offer. My first girlfriend and I went to the musical our high school was putting on. Something that doesn't scream DATE but that acts as a fun social thing you two can do together. The more of those you go on, the more intimate they can be. I've never known a girl who wouldn't rather hang out with a guy she likes in a casual setting than immediately go for the formal 'suit-and-tie restaurant' date. On another note: I've been getting more than a few queries in messages about if I'm going to set up a Patreon for the story. While it would be nice to have some extra cash, I feel like it would be unfair. Patreons seem to run based on a cash-and-reward system. If I get a monthly donation from readers, what would the reward be? More chapters? I've been giving you guys plenty for free up until this point and it seems rather unfair to start now. I appreciate the thought and, like I said, money is always good to have, but I can't make myself ask for money for something I've been giving for free until now. It wouldn't be fair to you guys.

Halfway done! I'm hoping to get the chapter done by at least Saturday morning. My wife and I are flying with my family out to Iowa for my grandfather's birthday. He's recently been moved to a nursing home so we're doing our best to make him happy and really cheer him up by having the whole family there. I'll be gone from Saturday-Monday so I wanna at least get the chapter out before I leave so there's not a big gap in my posts. Btw, love all the theories and ideas. Honestly, I've considered making standalone 'WTF' stories based on She Is The One, just to incorporate the insanity. See you guys soon!

@thismy Having read that whole thing, I am now conferring on you the power to continue the story should something happen to me, death or otherwise. It may not be the story I had originally planned but I'll be damned if it won't end up being an entertaining one.

Realized I had a couple other things to address: First of all, @COJimmyV, don't worry: both of your points have already been addressed in my newest chapter and there's going to be more about them coming up. Good catch, though. Second, I will not be writing a chapter from someone else's perspective. I'm aware that would add some variety but, at this point, I'm a little hesitant about changing up the POV, especially with all the development the characters have already had. I might do a standalone piece at some point from one of the other characters' perspectives but the main POV is gonna stay Jack, mainly because I'm a guy and I understand how guys think. Trust me, if I pretended to know how girls think internally, I'd be squashed. Call it limited ability but the whole shift in perspective thing just doesn't seem within my capacity at this point, not like with nivek_88 (who introduced it early enough). Third, I'm gonna have to make a poster at some point with all these crazy ideas. Zombie Walburn, Walrus Tara...we'll see what else pops up as the chapters continue.

Well, this is gonna be a long one. First of all, to answer a question from before, here is the breakdown of the Sagas: Kayla Saga: Chapters 1-8 Jessica Saga: Chapters 9-15 Tara Saga: Chapters 16-22 Twins Saga: Chapters 23-28 Summer Saga: Chapters 29-present As for the whole emotional aspect of the chapter...well... Okay, I'll be doing this in place of the normal Reality Check, since, aside from some jokes and familiar feelings, actual events in this chapter are not based entirely on real-life. That's part of what made it so difficult to write. Instead, I'll just kinda share with you the process that went into writing this chapter. At first, I had planned to have the threesome be your normal spank-story threesome: girl-on-girl, screaming orgasms, everyone laying in a sweaty, hazy post-orgasmic mess at the end. Almost as soon as I started actually writing the sex itself, everything seemed to change. My original ideas just didn't seem to fit with the characters. That's one thing I've noticed at this point in the story: I can set the scenario but the characters play it out. I've developed them enough to where I'm just chronicling stuff they have already done; they're saying their own dialogue, making their own decisions, and I'm just here to put it down like I'm writing their memoirs. As such, I found that trying to force the 'sexiness' of the threesome onto the characters just didn't make sense. That's not how they would act or behave and despite being 'young' and sex being a 'fun' act, they are people, not constructs. Sex may be 'fun' in a general sense, but so is Disney and I can name you a bunch of my friends who despise Disney. What is fun is not fun for every case. As for the idea that there may be too much in the way of 'emotional suckerpunches'...I agree. There really is. I was saying the exact same thing my sophomore year of high school, when it seemed like it was one blow after another to my self-esteem or my ego or my mentality or my relationships or...whatever. Hell, that was the year I almost committed suicide and had a certain gun not been loaded at the time, I would not be here to tell this story. Trust me, it was a closer call than I care to think about. Now, this is not to belittle opinions that maybe this is getting a little too overloaded with emotional baggage but, trust me, the Saga isn't over yet. All I ask for is patience. If, by the end of the Saga (or even the story itself, though God knows what chapter that will be), you still feel the same way, I won't begrudge you your opinion. But trust me, the way Jack thinks and acts is exactly how I did at his age. If he has a 'mental disorder' then so did I. Actually, I still would, since I still think that way a lot of the time, though I've learned to control it. One of the hardest things for me, as a writer, is realizing that how I think/speak/act/whatever now is not how a teenager does. Sometimes, I'll write an entire passage and then go back and read it and realize, "Wait a minute...this is how a twenty-something-year-old would act, not a teenager." Then I'll go back and redo it. This is not to say I think all teenagers are over-emotional, mopey, woe-is-me types; just, especially in a situation like this, it's hard not to be, though I like to think Jack isn't a woe-is-me type; when I think 'woe-is-me', I think Bella Swan, a character who deals with no actually big emotional torment but treats it as such and makes no effort to right it. That's the distinction for me: woe-is-me means you aren't doing anything to fix it. Hell, even in the context of the story, the threesome wasn't really gonna go off without a hitch; all the emotions and reasoning was transferred over from Christmas and remember how well that went? One doesn't just forget that and decide that they'll make something that was so heavily based off of emotion suddenly a fun romp under the sheets. I realize that this may not sway opinions and I'm fine with that. This is just where I'm coming from when I write. And if you really want some reassurance, the next chapter isn't going to be near as heavy and in a couple chapters, and old familiar face will return. So...there's my tease for the next couple chapters You guys are amazing and I really value your opinions. Believe me, I never take criticism personally; not unless you're calling me a 'niggr' or something like that for no particular reason. I just thought some explanation was in order, especially since there seems to be some sullen feelings coming out of this chapter. I can't promise that happy-go-lucky, relaxing filler chapters are on the horizon, but I do know that there is some sunshine on the horizon for the characters so...again, tease Thank you so much for your continued support and encouragement. I've already started writing Chapter 34 and it's looking to be a lot easier to write. See you guys soon -Joe

Chapter 33 is up! Also, this is my 100th posting on this forum! Two milestones at once! Not bad. Again, I apologize that this chapter took a bit longer to come out. You all have been so wonderful and supportive about it, but I still owe it to you to get new chapters out as soon as possible, if only so you aren't left dangling. This was a tough one to write, I'm not gonna lie. It ended up turning out very different than I originally intended but, well...that's how it goes with writing. I just found my original idea wasn't working out and followed this path. It might not be the happiest, but...well, you'll see when you read. No spoilers at this point. I'm gonna take some days off to recover and then I'll be plowing ahead. Hopefully, the next chapter will be back on schedule. Fingers crossed Thank you all so much for your support. It really does mean the world to me. Hope you enjoy reading! -Joe

Should be uploaded tomorrow I'll be trying to finish it up tonight so either it'll be up tomorrow or on Monday. Fingers crossed!