Jack Green: Blog

At some time during the past few days the number of Sol readers who 'follow' me reached 500. It might have happened on Monday November 9th, which would have been something to celebrate, but as I have been sulking listlessly in my tent -- actually a 1930s built two up two down semi -- for a week or more I missed the magic moment.

The fact that 500 readers enjoy and look forward to reading my stuff gives me a warm glow of pleasure and delight. It also gives me a certain responsibility to continue writing stuff for their future enjoyment. I have been in the, 'can't be arsed to write' mode that enfolds me after finishing a series /long story and it now behoves me to pull my finger out and bestir myself as there are at least 500 pairs of eager eyes waiting to scan my latest offer.

I did attempt to work on the third story in the Linkage series, The Waiter's Tale, but wrote my way into a cul de sac and couldn't decide on the best way to get from it, falling back on that well-worn adage 'if in doubt do nowt'.
However, I have a duty to those 500 readers who 'follow' me to continue writing until I have nothing more to say. Hopefully that time is some way off as I have several embryonic stories rolling around in what passes for my brain, and will now sit back at the PC and continue to hunt and peck on the keyboard -- Peccavi, in fact.

My grateful thanks to Vincent and Wyden; the former for his advice and suggestions and the latter for his support and encouragement.

Regards
Jack G

Today marks the tenth anniversary of posting my first story on Sol. I had hoped to celebrate (?) by posting a new story today. Unfortunately that is not going to happen. I have been writing the third story in The Linkage series but have given up. Not that I've run out of ideas, plots, or story lines but have simply lost the inclination to write.

I often get these periods of inertia after seeing a story finally posted and then voted and commented on and hope the urge to write will soon return.

Sorry if anyone is waiting on tenterhooks for the next Jack Green story. It could be a long wait.

Best regards
Jack G

There have been quite a few discussions on the Sol forum over the years concerning tags in the story description section. Too many tags, too few tags, incorrect tags, tags not in place when they should be, tags in place when they shouldn't be. All writers know there are squicks, and readers are quick to show their displeasure if squicked without warning. Similarly, if the tags in a story reel in a reader but do not fulfil the promise the tags advertise then the reader will complain. It is a mine field that I cautiously tip-toe through when deciding tag usage. The less the better is my choice , and as most of the sexual content in my stories is off camera so far so good.

However, one reader complained that I should have used the necrophilia and snuff tags in '15 Days'. There was no snuff in the story although necrophilia was mentioned, but as there was no graphic description of the act, merely talk and a viewing of a photograph, I decided I didn't need to tag. After receiving the complaining email I contacted Lazeez, who supported my decision and agreed there was no need for either tag.

The reader who complained obviously uses a different dictionary than I do as he (I assume the reader a male; females have a firmer grasp on reality) described the death of Molly as 'gratuitous slaughter'!

Several, many, readers were dismayed at Molly being written out/ off but saw it necessary for the plot. And one death does not a slaughter make.

Regards
Jack G

Thank you all those who downloaded/voted/ commented/sent e mails regarding this story. And my grateful thanks to Old rotorhead who once again did an exemplary job editing my rambling prose. He also had a lot of input into the Mighty 8th chapter.

The genesis of 15 Days was a catchy title for the first chapter, a pithy ending sentence for the last chapter, and the words of a 1940's popular song. I was quite pleased with what I produced from those rather meagre ingredients, although not all my readers were. There have been a shoal of comments, and a deluge of e mails concerning the story so rather than address each correspondent separately I thought it best to give my responses to the comments/e mails via this blog.

There were many comments regarding Ajay's character, or rather his lack of same. I didn't have any particular thoughts regarding the MC's character when starting writing, letting his actions reveal his inner self. I thought him sympathetic to others, thoughtful and caring towards his colleagues and tenacious in his job. Compared to the MCs of my other series Ajay was a paragon.
Des Desmond from Over the Hills and Faraway trained as a sniper, and had no compunction in shooting a young Bosnian Serb in the back. Jack Greenaway from Poacher's Progress was a psychopath, a berserker, who bayonetted dismounted and unarmed cuirassiers in the throat at Waterloo, and set fire to a man he had pinned to the floor. I can't imagine Ajay doing anything like that.

I did give a hint of Ajay's inner turmoil, that he thought himself unwanted by his mother. I left it to the readers to make of that what they may and how it might affect his character. Overall I rated him as a good sort but many readers thought him weak, shallow, pathetic and a poor excuse for a policeman. Where I had thought Ajay the dogs bollocks (excellent, first class) others thought him a load of bollocks (rubbish, crap). The words within the brackets are translations of the idiomatic English used.
This brings me to another perceived shortcoming of the story. I write in British English, in fact in English English. When using idiomatic English phrases or words I try to make the meaning clear in the context they are used but it seems I failed. Many readers from across the pond found some of the words/ phrases incomprehensible, and I apologise that my writing talent did not stretch to full explanations within the text.
I suppose I could have inserted a glossary of terms used but I have never yet come across an American written story with a glossary of idiomatic American English terminology.

The final black mark awarded me was that the story rambled, or as the correspondent put it, 'the story is all over the place'.
Guilty as charged. I write about what interests me but don't expect my interests to be the same as everyone else and know I will lose a certain number of readers when I go off-piste, so to speak. I was not disappointed this time although I was surprised that one doughty fellow stuck it out until Chapter 26 before slinging his hook (leaving).
One of the perks of being a complete amateur is I can write what I like without feeling the backlash in my pocket, only in my self- esteem, and a lowering of one 's vanity is probably good for the soul.

Finally, there was one commentator who I think might have been reading a different story to the one I wrote. Either that or my writing was so obtuse he got the completely wrong idea of the set up between Ajay, Molly, Maddy, and Deborah, Molly's daughter.

Obtuse is as obtuse does.

Best regards
Jack G

It came as a surprise when I realised that on the 28th September it will be ten years since I first logged in to Sol. To mark this auspicious occasion, or inconspicuous occasion to the rest of the Sol membership, I have rejigged the auto delivery system and four -- count them four! -- chapters of '15 Days' will be posted on Monday 28th September 2020.

The remainder of the 27 chapters will be posted as normal, viz ; two on a Thursday and two on a Sunday.

I didn't actually post a story on Sol until 9th November 2010. I am working on something that I hope will see the light of day on 9th November 2020 to mark the equally auspicious /inconspicuous moment my first attempt at a story was let loose on an unsuspecting readership.

For those of you interested (thank you mum, dad and Bonzo the dog) the story was 'I met her in a pub'.

The fact the story has been downloaded a mere 4173 times in ten years may give a hint as to its popularity.

Regards

Jack G