Okay, I just finished the third chapter of College Days. It was a good story, but there were many, many "Oh Yeah?" moments.
Yeah, that seems to be being a pattern with this story.
Mayhaps I should have thought this one through a wee bit more...
But what the hey. The only way I'll
learn is through reviews like this, so thanks.
'Specially since most of these are things that
didn't even occur to me when I was writting.
The only
rational explaination I can give ya is that all the stuff that Kim was bringing with her, along with the fam, took up all of the available space in the station wagon. Ron's scooter would not be able to keep up with them, and I reckon that the Stoppable parents needed their car for something or another.
More than likely, you have already interpreted the above as an example of blatant retconing. You are right to do this.
The real reason is quite simple: I wanted to parallel ASiT, just in reverse. The first situation that came to mind for that was to have Ron say his goodbyes in Middleton; I liked it, didn't think any more about it. It felt right to me... and it still does.
I'll fully conceed the point here.
Looking back, this is a plot weakness that probably should have occured to me in the initial planning stages; yet it did not, so here we are. I was basing their travel patterns off of my own during my first semester of college; in hindsight, using the travels of a single man as a model for two people who are in love and dating might not have been the best strategy in the world.
Looking back, I think the unnamed city that became Overton was going to be considerable further out from Middleton than it is now. Somehow, in the course of writting and planning "The Fallen", that changed. Unfortunately, I don't fully remember the logical process behind that.
One of the boundary conditions that I set for myself in writting these stories is the Kim and Ron are going to wait 'till they're married. I honestly believe that Kim and Ron both were likely raised to wait in that regard, and I believe that they will.
Whether that is realistic or not... I dunno: I've known people who have been ostensibly "raised to wait" who have indeed waited, and did not regret in the least, as well as one's who did not, and those are split with regards to consequences. Whatever the realism factor, that is the choice that I have made for these stories.
All other characters, BTW, are fair game. It's just those two.
As to the events of "The Fallen"... well, let me share a couple of things with you about that particular scene...
1. There ain't no "close to" about it. This was the real deal, and I still feel numb everytime I think about it. To my mind, there is no more hateful thing that a person can do to another, and at times I really wish I had gone with my original plan in the matter.
2. That particular scene, where Kim confirms it to Ron... that scene surprised the ever-loving snot out of me. When the bad guy alluded to it during the fight I thought, as Ron did, that he was just taunting, attempting to lure Ron into making an ill-conceived attack. It wasn't till I'd already finished the fight, and was planning the "recovery" sequence, did that get confirmed to me. Actually, it was Kim who told me; at least, the Kim-character in my head did.
I had it my head to have Ron surreptitiously ask one of the medics to check on that specifically... then I had to figure out what she'd find. My plan, at the time, was to confirm that it was a ruse.
Kim knew better, that's all I can say. Every now and then the characters will take on a life of their own, much to my consternation and distress. Needless to say, that scene took on a different shape after that.
So, so answer your question, no, they
didn't anticipate someone "getting there first", so to speak, because
I didn't anticipate it. Nowhere, in the time between the conception of the two stories, did that even
occur to me.
Until that moment, right at the very end, when Kim revealed it to me.
The basic plot for this story was formulated sometime in mid or late April, I think. Whichever way, it was shortly after I saw StD, and that particular plot element was born in bitterness, bitterness that was brought on by two particular scenes in the movie. The first scene was the pizza dinner bit where Kim so quickly and casually dismisses Ron, with nothing but a quick "See ya later" and a giggle fit with the new boyfriend (that scene ticked me off). The other scene was the treehouse scene, which I have elucidated upon in other threads on this board.
I've since gotten over those particular "issues", but as you observed (correctly), Ron reacting in that manner is necessary to the plot. He'll get to explain himself in the next (and last) installment; I hope you'll let me know if I do his reasoning justice.
Also... if you've ever seen the movie "First Knight", keep in mind the scene where Arthur walks in on Lancelot and Guinevere kissing, as well as the scene were Arthur discusses this with Guinevere. I'm not going to quote it in the prose or anything, but those two scenes might come in handy as a common frame of reference. At the very least I had them in my mind while planning out Ron's rationale.
Oh, and I couldn't have Ron beat the snot out of Sparks at Bueno Nacho, since he's going to get to do so in Drakken's layer.
That is going to be fun to write on so many levels...
I apologize for the strain; while I will be throwing certain siuations at them that will likely strain belief even further (and I ain't even going into my final story idea yet, cause that'll likely get me tar and feathered by all sorts of folk), and will not apologize for those, I do hope to do right by Kim and Ron, and tell their stories true. If I err in this, I wish to know, so I can ameliorate the situation.
I'm gratified, though, that in spite of the strain, you're enjoying the story enough to look forward to the end. Seriously, as much as I need to be corrected on occasion, I do very much like to hear that people enjoy my stories. Good for the motivation. ;D
Again, thank you for your comments here (and your kind words about "The Fallen"). As I said, I want to do right by Kim and Ron, and the only way I can do so is to have it pointed out to me when I
don't.
I've also gone and posted a couple of my old Star Wars stories to FF.net, so check those out too, if you feel so inclined.
Mayhaps I should have thought this one through a wee bit more...
