Lazlo Zalezac: Blog

Yesterday morning, I posted the last chapter of Service Society. The feedback has been tremendous. One request that has been made repeatedly is to post it to finestories.com so that folks can share it with others without sending them to a sex story website. Well, I have started to do that. I will post it in units of ten chapters a day over the next seven days.

Normally at the conclusion of a story, I post a few comments about it. I write about my thoughts of the story and the reactions of various readers. I have already done this in a couple of posts, but I will add a few comments here.

A lot of people understood exactly where Dexter was coming from. His life reflected their lives or the lives of people they know. Still others rejected that things had become that bad. The truth -- I think it depends on where you are and what you do for a living.

Dexter's relationship with his family, particularly Janet, was the subject of a lot of emails. I got everything from 'burn the bitch' to 'what an asshole'. Some people particularly hated the chapters dealing with family interactions. A lot of people were rooting for Amber or Samantha as Dexter's new love interest.

Basically, I feel that our ties with family and friends have been sacrificed in our modern society. In most cases it wasn't intentional, but dictated by events and expectations placed upon us. No one asks to work overtime without pay in order to keep their jobs. They'd rather spend their time with friends and family. That's not always possible.

People are social animals with the same emotional needs as cavemen. If you don't want to be alone then there are two choices: forge new relationships or renew the old ones. They are not mutually exclusive choices. Dexter chose to do both, but only after discovering that dropping old relationships didn't make him any happier.

A lot of people felt that the only reason Dexter was able to succeed was because he got a lot of money from his company. Well, the website was earning money and that is what he lived on. It could have been his only source of money throughout the story. A website with a hundred thousand visitors a month can earn millions.

However, I felt that having access to a large amount of money was necessary for the story. Why? There was a good reason beyond punishing the company for which he initially worked.

Without money, Dexter was basically a small guy who was successfully challenging a large hostile system. That was good and could have ended the story right there. I mean, we all like a good David vs. Goliath story.

However, I felt that a role model for how the system could be run in a less hostile fashion was necessary. Who better than Dexter, an engineer who wanted to make products that made people's lives better and viewed his profession as serving mankind? I couldn't think of anyone and I was writing the story.

Having the money to create the coffeemaker company was part of allowing him to be that role model. He did the simple things to improve the workplace -- things like delegating authority and responsibility, taking the time to perform the proper level of engineering before releasing a product, providing an appropriate work environment, and looking out for the welfare of his employees. Revolutionary concepts? No, not at all.

One last comment. Dexter's story started on a Tuesday morning and ended on a Tuesday morning. I wanted to contrast those two mornings, pointing out where we are and where we could be. In the beginning, he was encased in his corporate warrior gear - work clothes, blackberry, cell phone, and other weapons of corporate warfare. In the end, he was nude and open to the light of the sun. A move from a cold life to one filled with warmth despite the fact that a chill hangs in the air.

I will be taking a small vacation while I prepare my next story. Sometimes a new story, like Service Society, will consume my ability to write and at the expense of other stories. I'm engaged in writing such a story now. It's just part of the creative process.

One last thing-- requests about stories. Magic will be completed soon -- the last three chapters are in my brain, but not on computer. I still am not satisfied with my attempts to reproduce the lost chapters of The Quatyl and I'm thinking about writing a conclusion chapter that leaves open the possibility of a continuance with James Junior. It is highly unlikely that I will return to the John Carter Universe although I have thought about a Bard's tale set in that universe (no promises). There will be a Damsels in Distress story in the future -- the first three chapters are written, but I'm blocked on the details of the adventure. Submarine Dreams is in process, but going slowly. I'm pulling together a Magus in Love story set in the Solutions Incorporated world.

I think it is interesting that some readers consider Dexter a whiner. There have been so many comments to that effect, that I went back to the story to understand why readers feel that way. In looking over the story, I find that he hasn't really complained to anyone (except to his therapist and isn't that why one goes to a therapist?). I will admit that he did write a ranting webpage shortly after he was fired.

Dexter looks back at how life used to be and how it is now. The majority of that reflection is internal. He isn't sitting there telling everyone 'Woe is me -- I'm so unhappy.' He might be feeling that way, but he isn't broadcasting it to everyone. In fact, he takes action to get rid of the irritants in his life. That isn't whining.

Lazlo Zalezac, the author, does let you, the reader, know what is going on inside Dexter's head. It's part of making a social commentary about the world we live in. It is about pointing at something and saying -- 'Look, that is broken.'

The chapter about finding a bank isn't about him complaining that banks are bad. He is searching for a bank that provides him with the service he wants. There is no reason for him to give his patronage to a business that doesn't satisfy him. He states that position quite clearly to his lawyer as an explanation as to why he doesn't go to the first bank they encountered.

The chapter at the steakhouse is about his observations and the little irritants that we, as customers, put up with, and accept without complaint. He doesn't complain to anyone in that chapter. He actually enjoys his steak. He didn't enjoy the service so he left a lousy tip -- that's not exactly whining.

Dexter searches for businesses that provide the level of service that he wants. There is nothing wrong with that. He can spend a little more money to get the service he wants or he can serve himself to save a little money. That's a personal choice and it doesn't make one hardheaded, whiny, or an asshole. You have the same choices.

Many have suggested that Dexter should compromise on things such as the absence of a cherry on the ice cream sundae. Why, if he's paying for something, should he have to compromise on getting his money's worth? Why buy something if it isn't what you want? I think those are legitimate questions that anyone who is a customer should ask. Those questions are asked throughout the story in many different ways.

Now a common criticism of Dexter as a character concerns his treatment of his family. I have received many emails concerning how he acts like a hurt angry child. Having seen a few couples go through divorces, that kind of behavior is pretty common. More than one respectable man has spent a night in jail after being told by his wife that she wants a divorce. I know of few men who would react to a text message such as he received by texting back that they should go have a cup of tea and discuss the matter.

I tried to make Dexter a little human in how he reacted to his wife's text message. So yes, he's acting like a hurt angry child. It takes time to get over anger. It takes time for wounds to heal. Just spend some time with someone going through a divorce to see how quickly they bounce back.

Sometimes I wonder if the reason people feel uneasy about Dexter as a character is because they see the same problems, but are unwilling to accept that they are, in part, responsible for those problems. They accept bad service without comment and before long they've come to accept poor service as the status quo. They buy things that work for a year and then throw it away when it breaks without complaining that it was a waste of money -- accepting instead that is just how things are.

Perhaps, it is being told that accepting less than what you want now is going to assure that you're going to get less than what you want in the future. With each transaction between you and a business, you are establishing what level of service you are willing to accept. If you keep going back to poor service, you will continue to get poor service.

I believe that you can't fix a problem until you recognize it is a problem.

Here's an interesting statistic: approximately 1 out of a 100 babies at birth have bodies that differ from standard male or female. Almost everyone argues that that statistic is wrong. We consider gender confusion at birth to be relatively rare, but it isn't.

What does this statistic mean? Well, I suggest that means that if you have a problem, you can bet that with 6 billion people walking on this planet that there are a million others who have the same problem as you. That's kind of a scary thought, isn't it?

The upside to this is that if you find a solution to a problem, you can bet that someone will appreciate your solution.

One of the things that I enjoy the most about posting stories concerning life in modern times is reading the emails from readers. There are basically four kinds of feedback emails: 1) this story really sucks, 2) this story is really great, 3) I don't know what planet you are from, but life isn't like this at all, and 4) My God man, you just described my life. The current story, Service Society, has really created a storm of emails along the lines of 3 and 4.

I find it fascinating when readers have such diametrically opposite reactions to a story. It is as if there are two separate worlds. It isn't even a matter of pessimist versus optimist. It is that people are experiencing very different things in their daily lives.

The latest chapter, 'Cherries, Kids, and Cops,' is actually a pivotal chapter in this story. It is not a chapter intended to 'make the story longer' as one reader suggested.

In the first few chapters, Dexter is just putting up with life and all the nonproductive junk that is thrown in his direction. He, like many others, just shrugs his shoulders and says, 'That's life -- I just have to put up with it.'

In the next few chapters, Dexter started reacting to the negatives. His reactions are basically emotional in terms of running off and hiding or experiencing a thrill or two. One might even say that his reactions are juvenile.

Then in the next few chapters, Dexter starts complaining. Big deal, one might say. However, in order to correct a problem one must be able to state what the problem is. It isn't a matter of being bitter, although there are elements of that even though anger might be a better description of what he is feeling. It is recognizing exactly what he doesn't like about his life.

In 'Cherries, Kids, and Cops', Dexter has drawn a line in the sand. He is not going to accept shoddy service and low quality products. Whereas everyone else in the store is saying, 'it is just a cherry,' Dexter is saying, 'I'm not a lemming and I will not put up with this because everyone else says I should accept it.'

I'm wondering, if over the course of the rest of this story, whether the emails are going to be just as polarized or will merge to a consensus. It will be interesting to see.

I have recently started using a new word processor when writing. One of the features that I like is that it shows the edits that have been made over time. Unfortunately, when that document is saved as a text file, all of the edits show up as well. That means words that were altered show up twice - once in its original form and once in the altered form. The result is an unreadable mess which you don't see from the program, but shows up when posted.

I recently posted a story and the initial posting included all of those edits. It read like hell. It wasn't the story I wrote, but an artifact of the word processing program. The post has been corrected.

Hopefully, it will not occur again.

When I look at the news, I don't see much to feel good about. There are riots in Europe and the Middle East. There is massive unemployment worldwide. The cost of food and energy is increasing. The value of houses is going down. There is political unrest in places where it is very unexpected. Good honest people who want nothing more than to raise a family are suffering.

I look at this situation and wonder what I can do to help others. I'm not a rich man. I can't help out someone who is unemployed with money or housing. I don't have a company with jobs that I could offer someone. I do donate to a food bank on occasion, but that doesn't solve a problem - it is a bandage on a wound.

Like a lot of people, I'm working longer hours and struggling to keep up with inflation. My family and I have been more active socially as part of building a better community. We meet with coworkers, neighbors, and others to talk about the stuff going on in our lives. Everyone is worried and appreciates the chance to gather socially, even if it is just gathering around a pizza.

Still, I look around and wonder what I can do to make life a little better for more people. As you may be aware, I do write a little as a hobby. I started out writing serious stories like the John Carter Universe, Millionaire Next Door, Glen Wiseman, and others.

When I saw that the world was getting in worse shape, I tried to write stories that might give some perspectives on what kinds of things people could do to help themselves. These were stories like Commune and A Different Sort of Lifestyle. I did get feedback from some readers thanking me for reminding them that it was important step back and look at how they were coping with the nasty curves life was throwing at them. I felt good about that.

The past two years have been pretty rough for everyone. Rather than getting on a high horse and charging around spouting advice that was worth what people were paying for it (free), I thought people would appreciate something a little lighter.

They say laughter is the best medicine so I tried to serve up a bit of that. I started with The Quatyl and it was going well until a lightning strike killed my computers and storage devices. I lost a lot of chapters and just never could get it going again. I recently recovered a chapter after almost a year of effort. I posted it and am trying to return writing a bit more of the story.

I added Solutions Inc, Boston Solutions Inc, Donaldsons, and Magic as additional stories. They aren't morality plays, but just stupid little stories that are intended to make people laugh. I get a lot of emails like the following,

roflol, cleared the courtroom good one

Every Chapter of this story makes me smile.

I read these comments and think someone out there appreciates my attempt to make them laugh. I hope that someone who was having a bad day finds that it wasn't so bad after all. Then I get a comment like the following,

I feel like your just making useless chapters i barely read this chapter 3 chapters of this is just the limit of one boring scene

These kinds of comments sadden me a little although I'm not quite sure what makes me sad - is it that my efforts to entertain have fallen flat or is it because I wonder about someone who can't see the humor in it? Comments like that bother me because I don't know to respond to them. Essentially, they are saying that I'd do better to just not write that kind of story.

So I sit at home watching a news program in which a dozen people have been killed or injured and I ask myself, "what kind of mischief could a couple of magical creatures get up to in the modern world that would be entertaining?" Then I write up what my imagination provides as an answer and hope that people get a chuckle out of it. I feel a little better having done what little I can to make the world a slightly nicer place for others.

I think about the last time the world was in this kind of shape. We remember the best of those who tried to lighten up things a bit - Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and The Three Stooges. Was it high art? No, but it was art of the highest kind. For just a few minutes people felt better at a time when there wasn't much to feel good about. I don't claim to be in their league.