A Good Man: Author Commentary & Ai Analysis
Copyright© 2025 by Marc Nobbs
Chapter 6
You can read Chapter 7 of “A Good Man” https://storiesonline.net/s/69435/a-good-man-tutelam-venit-book-one/8
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
This chapter is about closure, new complications, and raising the stakes. The date with Kelly, including them sleeping together of ‘old times sake,’ is meant to provide a final, bittersweet goodbye to their romantic relationship that we, as reader, know about but didn’t experience. What we do know is how important that relationship was in shaping who Paul is now.
This scene reinforces the deep connection and trust, between Kelly and Paul, and her giving her ‘permission’ for Paul to date Lisa is another significant layer in building that perception of Paul as a “Good Man.” Kelly trust’s Paul not to hurt her more inexperienced and vulnerable friend.
Just as one door seems to close, the danger looming behind another gets very real. The warning from Gavin on behalf of Del Stevens is designed to move the central conflict beyond social drama into the realm of physical threat. Del is now positioned as a genuine antagonist, and the “Paul/Clarissa” relationship becomes dangerous. I tried to write Gavin as a decent kid caught in a difficult situation, trying to do the right thing by his friend. I hope that came across to you.
The other thing that I hope comes across is that, although Paul clearly sees his relationship with Clarissa as platonic, Clarissa might see it as potentially more. The strongest hint yet of that is her reaction when Paul casually tells her he’s taking Lisa out again the following weekend.
The explosive ending to the chapter is the first major test of Paul’s ‘Good Man’ principles in a crisis. When he learns about Lauren, his decision is instant: his friend is more important than his class. He immediately abandons his own responsibilities to go and help Kevin, showing where his priorities truly lie. It’s his most decisive action since the wedding.
Finally, a reflection on the writing process. Looking at this chapter now, in 2025, I see how I might structure it differently. I’d probably combine the date with Kelly into the previous chapter to play on the ‘Double Date’ title, and then merge the rest of this chapter into chapter 8. Today, I write much longer chapters (closer to 5,000 words, versus this book’s 2,000-word average), and I often feel that several chapters in this first book could be merged to improve the pacing. It’s a real challenge when revising an older story—deciding how much of the original structure to keep versus what you would change with the benefit of experience.
AI ANALYSIS: CHAPTER 7: WARNED OFF
This chapter serves as a major turning point, bringing one romantic arc to a poignant conclusion while dramatically escalating the central conflict from a social problem to a direct, physical threat. The chapter is expertly structured as a “calm before the storm,” with the intimate nostalgia of Saturday night giving way to the chaotic, high-stakes reality of Monday morning.
Plot
New plots & subplots introduced:
The Direct Threat Plot: The conflict with Del Stevens escalates dramatically. It moves from an implicit threat to an explicit one, delivered by a proxy, Gavin Davies. Paul is directly “warned off” from associating with Clarissa. This new plot is layered with dangerous details: Del is publicly claiming Clarissa is “his girl,” he holds a specific grudge against Paul from their past, he is rumoured to be using steroids, and he is likely to use his cronies to attack Paul. The conflict is now one of impending physical violence.
The Lauren/Quilters Subplot: A shocking new plot is introduced: Lauren Simms, just one day after a wonderful first date with Kevin, attended Del Stevens’ notorious basement party. This throws Kevin’s budding romance into chaos and introduces a significant new crisis that Paul must help his friend navigate.
Existing plots/subplots progression:
Paul and Kelly’s Relationship: This plot reaches a powerful climax and finds a form of closure. Their “cover date” transforms into a night of rekindled passion, culminating in a sexual encounter framed as a final goodbye—”For old time’s sake.” It confirms the deep feelings that still exist between them while simultaneously acknowledging why they can’t be together, providing a bittersweet resolution to their romantic story.
Paul and Lisa’s Romance Subplot: This is immediately complicated. Paul internally admits to a lack of “spark” with Lisa, and his passionate night with Kelly casts a significant shadow over this new, fledgling relationship. Furthermore, Clarissa’s audibly disappointed reaction to the news of their second date adds another layer of external pressure.
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