Jashley13

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!

The end of the chapter is in sight! I'm aiming to have it done by the weekend and it looks like it will be Sorry this took a while and I really hope it will be worth the wait. It's almost certainly not going to be the longest of the chapters but it has been one of the most difficult in terms of writing (not even counting the problems I was having a couple weeks ago). So hopefully it will all come together in the end Updates to come.

@JohnnyBanana So glad to hear it hope the good news keeps coming. As for everyone else, I honestly don't mind what conversations happen on this board. If you wanna talk about something, go right ahead. Trust me, I put no filters on anything. I want everyone to feel included and involved here, whether you're a regular commenter or not.

Well, crossed over a major hurdle in the chapter. This may have been the most difficult section for me to write thus far, since I had to constantly go back, revise, rewrite, just to get it exactly as it needed to be. Hopefully, this means that the rest of the chapter will fly by, but I'm not entirely certain. But it should go smoother from here.

Hey everyone! So I'm feeling a lot better and the inspiration for the story has come back, full-force. So I'll be plowing ahead, the goal to be to get the story done by the weekend to keep with the schedule. I know...unlikely. Still, if you don't shoot for God, you'll never reach the stars, so we'll see. Updates to come! And thank you all for your support

Hey everyone. So, quick update...I may not be getting Chapter 33 out as quickly as the others. The main reason is that, at the moment, I'm kinda going through some emotional problems. Nothing too major and nothing I wanna bore you with, but enough that it's affecting my drive to do...anything, really. And the chapter itself is not helping a whole lot. No spoilers but I will tell you that, whatever happens in the chapter, is not meant to be 'sexy' or 'hot'. I'm not writing it as a stroke fantasy; this is literally what would happen if I were in the same situation. Frankly, I'm really glad I'm writing here rather than xnxx since they would probably roundly reject anything that isn't automatically a wank-story; here, I feel like I can expand my creativity and write it as it should be. As such, it's very emotional and forces me to draw upon emotions and feelings that are rather hard to deal with in my current emotional states. So writing is slower because I write for a little bit then have to take some time to recover. I really, really want to get it out on a decent schedule but, at this point, I can't make any promises. I deeply apologize and I promise I will try to use the extra time to make the chapter as good as I can. I will update you all as I go but just know that I would never ever give you guys anything less than what I thought was the best. You guys deserve the best and I will continuously do everything I can to give it to you. Thank you all for your support and encouragement and hopefully I'll be back on even ground soon.

@Joe Long Regarding the dates and whatnot, I kinda did that to myself early in the story. I selected a date and, because I'm kinda anal about the whole timeline thing, decided I'd just stick with those dates in regards to the story's continuity (I didn't plan on making it an actual year, technically; they'll never actually say what year it is). However, I quickly found that they were reacting to modern events and whatnot so I just kinda stuck with it. I guess my explanation is that they exist in our real-time, just the dates are on different days. In regards to talking about Age of Ultron, though, they don't say that they've just seen it; just that they had seen it.

Hey everyone! Time for Reality Check! - The cabin the gang stays at is modeled after one I stayed at with my family when I was younger. We didn't own it but I always remembered the oddity of its design. - Everything involving ranch is pretty much, word-for-word and action-for-action, exactly how my wife introduced me to it. One of a few things she's gotten me addicted to. - Jack's thoughts on the hike very much reflect my own whenever I go walking in the woods. I live in an area that doesn't really allow free-roaming through woods (they prefer we use paths, but I've been on more than a few walks in the woods themselves and it's always a very 'poetic' experience for me. - Jack's thoughts and reactions to The Golden Compass were exactly my own. The trilogy itself, His Dark Materials, are my favorite books of all time and I've lost count of the number of times I've read them. (side note: hugely disappointed with the movie. I understand they wanted to avoid the controversy of the book but they really missed the mark on what made the story so unique). - I was very disappointed with Avengers: Age of Ultron. One of the most disappointing theater-going experiences of my life. Probably not as bad as Prometheus and Les Miserables (which I couldn't wait to see and which ended up being horrendous) but still a massive disappointment to me. Thankfully, I saw Mad Max: Fury Road a couple weeks later, which more than made up for it (seriously, if you haven't seen it yet, go do so ASAP) - While my wife and I have not have a threesome yet, Jack's thoughts are very much the thoughts that have gone through my head when my wife and I have talked about it in the past. Don't know how I would react in real life (since it hasn't happened yet) but I imagine I'd be thinking very much as he did if presented with a surprise like that. And, since I wanted to add a bit to these posts, my Bad Idea Confessional: - I had originally planned to have Kayla break up with Craig at the end of Chapter 2, her having caught on very quick to his act and dumping him. I realized fairly quickly that such an act would render her going out with him and becoming his girlfriend almost completely pointless. Yes, she does eventually dump him, but only after enough time to get wise to him and realize that Jack is a better choice in a more realistic way. I think I was just so eager to get them together that I forgot that proper development was required. I actually was in the process of writing the section when I stopped, thought about it, then redid it. I think it ended up working well, since Jack and Kayla actually had some time to get to know each other first and for Craig's actually douchiness to present itself; as douchey as he was, he would make an effort to keep it a bit more downplayed, at least at first. Gonna start Chapter 33 soon. Got plenty of ideas in my head for how it should go so hopefully it should be quick, but not so quick that I have to sacrifice quality. See you soon!

Chapter 32 is finally up Sorry for the delay. I wanted to wait until the forums were done being upgraded and, by the time they were, I was busy helping my neighbors move so that took up a few more hours. However, all is well, and the chapter is up for you to enjoy And, since I will be out of town and unable to post tomorrow, I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day. Whether you're serving in the armed forces, have a relative who does, or are a civilian, I hope that you spend the day with the ones you love and remember the bravery and sacrifice of those who've passed in service of our country. My family is almost entirely military (I have a family member in every branch of the military) so it means a lot to us but I don't think you're required to be a military-child or anything else to fully appreciate it. To all those who serve or who have served, thank you so much for your courage and know that I keep you in my thoughts and prayers every day that I'm able to live happy and free. Hope you all enjoy the chapter and I'll see you again soon

Gonna make a huge effort to get the chapter finished tonight and out by tomorrow. If not, it will definitely be up by Monday. As for the recommendations for time off, I really appreciate it. Seriously, it makes me feel good that my readers are more concerned about me staying healthy and sane than getting the next chapter. However, because of personal compulsive tendencies, I kinda have to keep writing, especially since, at this point, I'm kind of surprising myself. I've got stuff for the next school year planned, but summer vacation in the story is still being thought up as I go. So I'm just as eager to see what happens in the next chapter, especially with how this chapter ends. The end is in sight for the chapter but I've found myself deleting and rewriting passages, just to make sure it's the best it can be. Hopefully it will be up by tomorrow but, if not, Monday definitely. See you soon!

Hey everyone! Sorry the forum's been so quiet, especially in regards to updates. I've been plowing away at the chapter and I hope to get it out by this weekend. I've just found myself so exhausted recently (maybe overnight shift is finally catching up to me). My days have literally been writing, eating, sleeping, and working, not necessarily always in that order. I'm shooting for Sunday at the latest but it's hard for me to tell at this point. The end of the chapter is in sight, but the path to it may be longer than I think; often what I think may take only a page or two to describe ends up needing a bit more. Still, it's progressing smoothly and hopefully you will all be able to enjoy it this weekend Updates to follow!

Welcome back to the forum, Nicholle We've missed you around here. Hope the newer chapters live up to your expectations

Halfway point! And in regards to how Jack, Alan, and Amanda came to be...all I can say is that I am not ignoring how odd something like that is. Not to give anything away but the logistics of how it works will be addressed in the future. Much like the pipe bomb, Chinese Water Torture, and the drunken tumble.

Hey everyone! So, back from my mini vacation and caught up on rest so it's Reality Check Time: - Actually, this one is a complete coincidence: Kayla's surprise for Jack was something I had written literally a day before my wife did the exact same thing. I didn't even tell her about the chapter. How about that? - My buddies and I have a Dude's Day once a month, where we do, in fact, get together at a bar for drinks and wings and general tom-boyishness. The one Jack and his friends went on is very reminiscent of the first one we had, where we were basically asking ourselves, "So what the hell do we do on one of these? - Rhona's attitude is heavily based on the work attitudes and ethics of several people I've worked with, one in particular. I now count them as one of my closest friends so don't be too annoyed with her; trust me, we've just begun to get to know her. - Frank's attitude towards Rhona and holding her spot is also based off the same friend; I don't know how legal it is but there you go. - The tension between the Hannigans is very heavily based on tension I've seen between my parents and my wife's parents. Never a good experience. Now, because we're getting so far in and the story has gone through so many twists and turns, I figure it would be interesting to take a look back on some of the bad ideas I've had regarding the story. Many people wonder at what's going on behind the scene in the story and others wonder what happened and when to make what happen, etc. Obviously, I can't reveal spoilers or stuff that needs to be highlighted for future installments for fear of spoilers (Rhona's brother, for example), but it would be interesting for you and kind of cathartic for me to share the bad ideas that, thankfully, I scrapped before putting them in the story. I'll probably do one per Reality Check, since there aren't as many of them and it's based on past chapters, not the ones that just came out. Occasionally I might put more than one, like if the Reality Check is especially short, but for now it'll be just one. Let's call this segment...Bad Idea Confessional. So, here we go. First Bad Idea Confessional: - It was originally my intention to have Jack force a kiss on Kayla in the first chapter. Well, 'force' may be a bit strong. He was going to surprise her with it. I was planning on having Kayla come home late while he was still up and have him run over to her to check on how she was. She'd reply that she was fine, that the date went great, and that she thinks Craig is a swell guy and all that. Jack, jealous, would then plant a kiss on her so he could claim to have kissed her before Craig did. For obvious reasons, I scrapped it pretty quickly: it made Jack seem like a stalker and would not really lead to a romantic connection, at least not in the way the story needed; not without making it very contrived and rapey. So, yeah, thank God I saw that as the bad idea that it was before it was too late. Have started work on Chapter 32 so hopefully it will be out soon. See you guys soon!

Hey everyone! Chapter 31 actually made it up! This has been an...interesting week, to say the least. There was all the prepping for travelling to my brother's college, getting that squared away with work, finding out Avengers: Age of Ultron was a crushing disappointment, finding out that there's a Taylor Swift song I actually like ("Blank Space", in case you were wondering), fighting off sickness, and, of course, trying to get this chapter finished up before leaving. I'm really happy I was able to so now I don't feel guilty about leaving you guys hanging while I go off-the-radar for a couple days. Reality Check when I get back and hope you all enjoy the chapter

Hey guys! So I'm coming down to the wire on Chapter 31 and honestly have no clue if I'm gonna be able to finish it before I go to my brother's graduation. I'll be gone tomorrow through Sunday morning so if I get it done tonight, it'll be up tomorrow morning before me and my wife leave. If not, then I will be finishing it as soon as I get back and it should be up Monday morning. It all depends on how quickly I can get the last part of the story written. Just had a nice big chunk of the chapter with Rhona in it which I was able to breeze through no problem so hopefully this last section shouldn't take too long but I don't want to make any promises. Fingers-crossed!

Hey guys! Halfway point! I'm really plowing through this one, hoping to get it done by Thursday. I'm going to be out of town Friday-Sunday since it's my brother's college graduation and I would love to get the chapter out before then but we will see. Updates to come.

Hey guys! So, as you know, I took a rather nasty swipe at Cher Lloyd and her abysmal single 'Want U Back' in the last chapter. While I think it was wholly deserved (seriously, the song is so bad I almost want to recommend you listen to it...but I love you guys too much), I don't want to give the impression that I'm some jaded snob about music so I figured I might as well share my Top Ten Favorite Songs, just so you get an idea of what I like and where I come from when I judge music. Wholly subjective of course. Why Top Ten? Well, it's just easier for me to do. I have a Top Ten Favorite Video Games, Top Ten Favorite TV Shows, make a Top Ten Best and Worst Films list each year, etc. Only exception is favorite movies; being a huge film buff, I have a Top Fifty. Yes, I'm that insane. So, for your pleasure, here are my Top Ten Favorite Songs of all time: 1. "Under Pressure"- Queen with David Bowie 2. "Lose Yourself"- Eminem 3. "American Pie"- Don McLean 4. "What About Everything"- Carbon Leaf 5. "Into The West"- Annie Lennox 6. "The Times They Are A-Changin'"- Bob Dylan 7. "The End"- The Doors 8. "Hallelujah"- Rufus Wainwright (I know he didn't technically write the song but his cover is my favorite) 9. "Citizen Soldier"- 3 Doors Down 10. "All Downhill From Here"- A New Found Glory Plenty of Honorable Mentions but those are my personal top ten favorites. Started working on Chapter 31. Have the whole chapter outlined but it's the details that with require the most attention. Hope to get it out quickly but we shall see. Updates to follow!

Hey everyone! Reality Check time - The move-in of Tara's family is almost exactly like how most moves within my family went. My dad was in the Navy, on subs, so we moved quite a bit so I have many memories of moving around with help from the family. - There are not words powerful to describe how much I loathe 'Want U Back' by Cher Lloyd. I think she's an absolutely despicable artist, not just for the song...although the song itself is pretty heinous in ways that get my blood boiling. - Jack's talk with his dad is very similar to how talks with my dad usually go: we both admit that we know we're not going to change the other's mind but at the very least, we can come to a middle ground of understanding. - Jack's talk with Paul about Man of Steel mirrors almost every conversation I've had with people about the film (I love the movie, think it's just as good as The Avengers, and I don't really get a lot of the criticisms against it...but that's just me). - Rhona...I don't wanna say too much about her but she's drawn from two girls I've known in my life, both of whom did not know each other but who were eerily similar. Again, don't wanna give too much away, but I'm actually kind of excited to have her in the story. That's all for right now. Starting Chapter 31 soon so hopefully that should move right along Provided life cooperates, of course

Hey everyone! Chapter 30 is up Hard to believe it's been half as long again since the big fight with Brad. My, how time flies. Thankfully, there seems to be a bit more of a set schedule now so I'm happy to be churning these out on the regular. Another non-sex, establishing chapter so if you wanted some hot-and-heavy action, unfortunately you're going to have to wait. I realize that's two chapters in a row with no sex but I couldn't find a good way to insert it without having it seem forced. Trust me, this will earn its title of 'erotica' back soon so if you really wanted some intimacy, please be patient. Hope you all enjoy the chapter and I'll see you soon for the Reality Check

Welcome back, Chester! Don't give up on the nurse! Pursue that love, man!

@ Guest_Dark_ Yes I have. Enjoyed the first game, though it didn't hold up to multiple playthroughs like Mass Effect. Hated the second one and LOVED Inquisition.

Presque fini. Si tout va bien de ce dimanche