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Toni's Absence
I feel like I should explain Toni's (or her story's) absence for the past roughly six weeks...
I'm one of those people who becomes obsessed with things, sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a few weeks, occasionally for a couple of months. After that obsession ends, usually due to real life circumstances, I move onto something new. If the obsession really piques my interest and lingers, I come back to it again after a few weeks or months. Toni and her friends have reached that point.
I was obsessed with Toni's story when I wrote the bulk of the entries. Then I moved onto something new, however I never stopped thinking of her, and what she and Jess and Sally, and all the rest could be getting up to. Toni et al have reached a point where they're a permanent part of my brain, re-programmed neurological links and synapses, and all. I don't think they'll ever not be a part of me, and barring something catastrophic the entries will, at the very least, be coming in fits and starts. Sometimes much faster (which I'm predicting for the next entry.)
I understand if people don't want to read without a story being self-contained and completed, but that's not the nature of what Toni's story is. From where I see it now, this story doesn't really have an ending, it is a true serial and soap opera. Story arcs will happen, story arcs will close while new ones open, sometimes a finished story arc will crop up again later, with something new and relevant re-igniting what happened.
Toni has a life, as do her friends, as do the majority of people we meet. Sometimes the hidden aspects of their life will be revealed to Toni, sometimes there'll be enough for a reader to figure out or guess at it without Toni realising, sometimes a reader will see things I didn't even intend but could be entirely valid for that particularly reading. Toni's story is a story about life.
Toni With An i will continue, presuming you all don't hate it and start to ignore it. I'm having a huge amount of fun with it.
MsWoolly
MsWooly is back!!!
I literally put an APB out on you! And Toni’s back, too, and better than ever, were it possible.
I love this story, I love these characters, and I love the fact that Ms.W says it’s just going to go on and on and on . . . . :)
Please, please, please, Ms.Wolly, take just an itsy bitsy break and write something for the contest as well. Just a little, 2500-5000 word morsel. Join the fun!
— Emma
It’s wonderful to have you back!
I was missing Toni. So I’m very glad to hear more about her.
And it’s been a busy season with a lot going on.
You have a gift for moving the story along with dialogue. It’s worth waiting for.
Gillian Cairns
Two things
Firstly. Welcome back, I have missed Toni.
Secondly. Thanks for your explanation. Usually I like to believe that the author of a part-work has a final objective, and therefore I may get frustrated when it just fades out. On the other hand I accept that some works are just not like that, and are a continuing saga, but it helps if we know when that is the case (as you have just made clear). There are others already, notably and specialy, Angharad's "Bike", for which at one stage (a few years ago now) I went back to the absolute beginning to get "full coverege". On the other hand, should your "Toni" motivation dry up, it would be nice to know.
Best wishes
Dave
Dave
Two things
Thanks for the comments Outsider, and everyone. I'm as glad Toni is back as you all are.
A few further explanations...
The initial hump I had to get over was "Tim." Not to lift the veil too much but Tim is the first person who cares for Toni who isn't interested in her transition (at least for the moment.) Sure, Sally, Jess, Natasha and the staff in Light Avenue have all only ever met female Toni, but they have a care for her as a person, and what she's going through, and want her to be who she wants to be. I don't think I'm revealing too much to say Tim doesn't particularly care about that aspect of her life, not at the moment at least. He simply fancies the pants of her and thinks she's amazing (at least that's his limits so far, who knows where it goes?) I was finding it difficult how to plan out how to get over that bridge, an important turning point in Toni's life and how people treat her, and there were quite a few thoughts running through my head that I could never fully commit to. The basic thread, yes. How to actually write it, no.
Secondly, a video game I really like came out. It's those simple things, isn't it?
And finally, Christmas happened. Not a moment of peace. And, of course, when I did get some time to myself my thoughts turned to what I'd do when I did have some real time to myself. The answer was Toni. Like I said, it's like someone took a Toni shaped cattle-brand to my brain.
I suppose the other issue, something I've struggled with from the start, is how long the Toni posts are. The base of each part is generally written in at most four days, then there's editing, etc. but unless I'm in one of my "obsessed" moods it really does take a lot out of me. When I wrote this part and published it earlier in the week my plan was to immediately start Part 9. I've just started today. Some of it is pride, where I'm looking to see what comments come in, the main part though is my brain was completely foggy. I was so focused into writing Part 8 that my mind needed time to de-clutter itself and free some space after. And it wasn't just writing I couldn't focus on, it was anything. This will mean very little to people who just want to read stories, and I fully appreciate that, am fine with it and am completely happy for you to simply enjoy reading whatever you read. It might explain things to a fellow writer, however.
Now, though, it's time to stop procrastinating and continue on with Toni...
Gotta do what works for you!
I’ve only been writing for about a year and a half. I’ve tried different things to see what works. The first stories I posted, each installment was on the order of 12-13 thousand words, and they kind of poured out. I posted them as soon as I’d finished them and then, on re-reading, would sheepishly go in and clean up a ton of typos. Then I did some experimenting.
For what it’s worth, I discovered that shorter chapter lengths — 5-7 thousand words — are more likely to get read, but that (conversely) even popular series lose readership over time. Typically a big drop after chapter one, followed by a slowish decline that was likely to have another drop after ten chapters or so. I also discovered that readership is higher if you can post on a regular schedule. Weekly versus bi-weekly didn’t seem to matter. To keep myself from feeling the pressure too much, I tried keeping a couple chapters ahead of what I was posting. But the downside in doing that, for me, is that I drew both energy and inspiration from comments, and enjoyed the ability to bounce off in a slightly different direction based on something a reader had mentioned. I also learned how much time I personally needed, after completing a draft, to get it in any sort of condition for posting.
The purpose of this ramble is to say, try different things and see what works best for you. If you don’t care about clicks, comments or kudos (several authors don’t, but I’m not wired that way), your life is simpler. If, like me, you do care, find a balance between your optimal method and what keeps your readers engaged. Trial and error is the only way — and has the added benefit of giving us lots more of your fabulous story to feast on!
— Emma
I just started reading this…….
And unfortunately I was interrupted a few times in catching up with it, but the story and the characters have been great!
You had me laughing out loud with the whole scene after Tim and Mouse showed up at Light Avenue.
I am dying to know where “Mouse” for a moniker like that! Not to mention how he and Tim ended up sharing a place, and why Mouse is so fixated on food.
The whole deal with Steve makes perfect sense as well. It was fairly obvious that Steve was hung up on Toni, especially since he was conspiring to get Toni into a dress from the very beginning. I can’t help but wonder just how long Steve’s hidden desire for Tony was buried before he met Toni. He obviously has had some thoughts that way - plus there is the fact that he apparently hosted a game of strip poker with a group of his male friends. That’s not exactly the kind of thing that a hetero male normally hosts
Looking forward to more of this!
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Great to have you back !!
yea, Like D, I was chuckling along at the witty banter between the friends and the sharp wit of the writing.
Clearly you have a wonderful gift with the written word and when it flows it flows !!!
I appreciate that you need to feel the muse guide your fingers and some days you just want to be doing something else. I started a stoy yesterday and got nowhere with it. Today I returned to it and churned out and published it in about two and a half hours.
There's a lot of us out here in BigCloset land who are lovin your work so when you have the time, we'll all be waiting for you !!
Hugs&Kudos!!
Suzi