Date: January 15, 2021 03:42 pm Title: Musical Mugs
So I finished reading Wake Me Up again, and now I'm back to NYnNJ.
Jim is so good with kids even if they have really hard questions. I had to shake my head at how Vanessa even heard the conversation in the first place, but then children hear everything. When they ask questions, adults are forced into distilling/eliminating their rationalizations and owning up to their faults. One wonders if the teaching moment is more valuable to the kid or adult?
Your dialogue is so natural and just flows. Uncle Jim did just fine.
Good onya though it's still your fault. [/fun]
Author's Response:
You came back! :)
Remember this is the child who earned the name Snoopy- and you are right children hear everything even if we think they don't. But I felt Jim should and could handle that kind of confrontation and this whole night is teaching moment for both of them.
I promise it may seem to flow but I sometimes agonize over the writing of dialogue and story flow...my ideas come pretty naturally but bringing them to life is the hard part for me. But since I gotta get them out I try my best to make it something worth reading.
So thanks/
1 [Report This]Date: January 14, 2021 01:44 pm Title: Musical Mugs
Just to be clear. My prior post was joking.
Why hasn't the Net developed a sarcasm and joking font yet? We've had close to 50 years!
Author's Response:
Of course I knew and thanks for the double beans.
Love to get any review and glad to have you giving it a read ...hope you are enjoying my vision of their NYE. Not typical but I hope you are finding it fun.
But Wake me Up was so good so I don't blame you for going back for another round.
1 [Report This]Date: January 14, 2021 01:12 pm Title: Musical Mugs
Just wanted you to know that you will be delaying me reading YOUR update by half a day by mentioning Wake Me Up. I must go reread it again.
See? It's all your fault. Good onya?
Date: January 13, 2021 06:22 am Title: Musical Mugs
Very cute chapter. The milk vs. water scene is also one of my favorites from AG's story so it's nice to see it represented here too.
I think Jim did a very good job at explaining things to Vanessa. That he uses her real name not her nickname was a great way to highlight that it was a serious conversation. I also like that he doesn't gloss over the question or try to avoid it. Young kids deserve to have their serious questions answered and this fit the bill nicely.
Pam was sweet by offering to switch mugs. It shows that even in so short a time she's bonded with the kids in that Vanessa lets Pam use her mug. Nicely done.
Author's Response:
One of the things that makes this forum so fun and more than just a place to post fics is the community and the cross referencing of our stories so it was fun to be able to bring in. I knew you would remember this classic runner.
Glad you appreciated the whole dialogue there. Sometimes kids can ambush you into conversations you're unprepared for, and I really wanted to paint the idea that the nickname was well earned.
Thanks as always.
1 [Report This]Date: January 12, 2021 09:14 pm Title: Musical Mugs
I definitely appreciated the Wake Me Up tribute, but really this chapter is all about Vanessa earning the nickname of Snoopy. I thought Jim acquitted himself pretty well, especially for a question eh clearly wasn't prepared to answer - and Vanessa tossing his lines right back at them was just really perfectly eight year old.
Author's Response:
thing about kids is they hear more than you think they do, they ask a lot of questions, and they have NO FILTER.
Vanessa was like the pre-Amazon Alexa in their house - sounding off at random times based on things she heard,
Thanks for the read and review.