what a great read!
(Edited now that I've read the whole thing)
I must admit I am skimming over the erotic scenes to get to Bill Boyd's entries, and the other ones that tie into the whole crime drama (though I still hope Astin's plot revives enough for him to get some lovin' ;-)). My next-favorite character is Kate Beckinsale, though I'm having trouble understanding her motives (and keeping the various older Beckinsales straight). This is turning out to be a great detective story, which makes me want to second-guess the writers, as I do when I'm reading or watching tv, but I don't know if you're supposed to do that with fan fiction.
Though I will be amazed if Orlando doesn't reach out and touch McKellen in the very near future, or if Kate's not setting him up for a scam. And I thought it took some gall for Johnny to say, "[Orlando] got his stupid at a two-for-one sale" for sneaking off to score his own stash, considering how fast Johnny goes through dope.
I appreciate the complex weave of criminal history, eg, McKellen and the Krays. I recalled Ian's first SM scene with Nic, where he thinks to himself something like, "He wondered whether something new would emerge from the cocoon, or be ripped off the branch by a predator," and I wondered whether he was thinking about his own relationship with Ronnie Kray, initiating him into the criminal life. And right away I thought of money-launderer Carlo Cabot when Bill noticed the Italian-looking kid who reminded him of Orlando with McKellen at the fight.
How do you steer something like this, so that the different threads come together at the right places? Did you plan it out to the finish when you started? Do you have a monthly discussion about the major plot points? Or does everyone just do their own thing after reading the previous posts?
So, I am grateful to the writers, and especially to the ones writing about the tricky criminals and their pursuers.
I must admit I am skimming over the erotic scenes to get to Bill Boyd's entries, and the other ones that tie into the whole crime drama (though I still hope Astin's plot revives enough for him to get some lovin' ;-)). My next-favorite character is Kate Beckinsale, though I'm having trouble understanding her motives (and keeping the various older Beckinsales straight). This is turning out to be a great detective story, which makes me want to second-guess the writers, as I do when I'm reading or watching tv, but I don't know if you're supposed to do that with fan fiction.
Though I will be amazed if Orlando doesn't reach out and touch McKellen in the very near future, or if Kate's not setting him up for a scam. And I thought it took some gall for Johnny to say, "[Orlando] got his stupid at a two-for-one sale" for sneaking off to score his own stash, considering how fast Johnny goes through dope.
I appreciate the complex weave of criminal history, eg, McKellen and the Krays. I recalled Ian's first SM scene with Nic, where he thinks to himself something like, "He wondered whether something new would emerge from the cocoon, or be ripped off the branch by a predator," and I wondered whether he was thinking about his own relationship with Ronnie Kray, initiating him into the criminal life. And right away I thought of money-launderer Carlo Cabot when Bill noticed the Italian-looking kid who reminded him of Orlando with McKellen at the fight.
How do you steer something like this, so that the different threads come together at the right places? Did you plan it out to the finish when you started? Do you have a monthly discussion about the major plot points? Or does everyone just do their own thing after reading the previous posts?
So, I am grateful to the writers, and especially to the ones writing about the tricky criminals and their pursuers.