Chain Story - Matchmaking for the Shy

[Kelliezgirl]

I am very excited to read your chapter, and I sincerely hope that your health will improve soon, if it has not already done so.

Thank you, starting to feel better, hope to be back to normal in another day or two.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Just a quick update, story has been pending since the 8th. I think that's a new record for me. I PMed Laurel about it this morning.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Good news, story should go live tomorrow.

 

[Devinter]

Good news, story should go live tomorrow.

It was certainly worth the wait. Spectacular.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Congratulations on finally getting it through.

Part five is started, though I'm still looking at exactly where some of the pieces are and how to get them into position for endgame.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

It was certainly worth the wait. Spectacular.

Thank you.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Just a quick update as, if it were anyone else's turn, this is about the time I'd be poking them for one.

I've got an outline and written about 3k words. The Christmas/New Years period has been been bad for getting stuff done, but I'm going to try and crack on with it in the next couple of weeks.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I've done a lot of forum plays over the years and have both given and received plenty of friendly pokes, however this is the first time that I've seen someone poke himself. : P

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Just a quick update as, if it were anyone else's turn, this is about the time I'd be poking them for one.

I've got an outline and written about 3k words. The Christmas/New Years period has been been bad for getting stuff done, but I'm going to try and crack on with it in the next couple of weeks.

Looking forward to it!

 

[Kelliezgirl]

*Bump*

How's it going?

 

[TheRedChamber]

Badly at the moment. I haven't been able to get much done over the past couple of weeks due to various family stuff going on. I'm hoping to push on with it next week during some down time at work, but I'm not much further along than I was at the last update. I've got everything mentally mapped out, just need to actually write the prose. It should all come together if I can get a couple of hours everyday five or six days in a row.

 

[Not2Pervy]

Honestly, I had forgotten that this chain story even existed since I weighed in last July towards the beginning of this thread. So it seemed like synchronicity to see a posting here on AH the very same day my story born of a similar idea went live.

Devinter was right. There was no need to worry. My story turned out to be quite different than yours. I bored myself trying to depict the shy subjects of the matchmaking and instead switched to the service itself, which then, inexplicably, took a turn in my head when I picked the idea up again and I ended up trying to make it funny, my first, probably feeble, attempt at writing humor.

I’ve now read yours and I like how you set it up and what you are doing with the characters. I will be looking for the next installment.

As for my one off, completely alternate, take, The Man Who Conquered Loneliness is up for anyone who is curious.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Okay, update time. I'm 10k words in, have 'finished' three out of five scenes, have one scene done except for the sex and one scene still mostly unwritten. It's probably going to end up around 15k. I've managed to work on it steadily for a couple of weeks and should be able to send @Kumquatqueen a draft of what I've got so far, even if it's messy as hell, and let her start planning out her finale (and maybe veto some of my more extreme plot developments)

I should also say that my approach has been to expand both Zach/Emma and Cassian/Heather stories out and let KQ have a shot at closing out both of them, rather than just writing, say, a third and final chapter for Z/E and letting her do a final chapter for C/H. It may be that she will feel that I've given her a bit too much work to do and I could see us needing a six AND a seventh chapter to actually land the thing. This is just a heads-up about a possible conversation for another day.

Finally, I'm really sorry it has taken so long - these two months have been terrible for getting any kind of writing done due to A - Life Stuff and B - General Writers Block. I didn't feel I could really pull out of the event because I'd organized it and besides it always looked like 'next week would be better'. Anyway, I'm nearly there.

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

Looking forward to seeing it

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Excellent stuff. I'll re-read some of the earlier bits to remind myself who all the characters are! I may not be any faster myself.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Thanks for the update, I definitely feel your pain on both a and b. I haven't gotten anything finished since I submitted my chapter.

That said, if we decide we need another chapter or two to wrap things up I'm game.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Just a quick fact check, does Heather have an established surname? It took me a while to find Stafford for Cassian, but I'm not seeing anything for her?

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Just a quick fact check, does Heather have an established surname? It took me a while to find Stafford for Cassian, but I'm not seeing anything for her?

I didn't give her one.

 

[TheRedChamber]

I don't think anyone has. @MrsMackenzie, do you want to give her one as you created the characters (and as I have nothing particularly in mind). I just need it for one 'service interaction'.

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

I checked my notes but don't have anything written down.

Make it 'Heather Morgan'.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Heather Morgan it is. Ta.

 

[TheRedChamber]

I sent KQ a draft of 13.5k words yesterday still with missing sex scenes but essentially 'plot complete' As shes writing the finale I'm giving her some veto rights over the approach to the landing.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Bump...

 

[TheRedChamber]

Hey all,

I sent the draft minus two sex scenes to @Kumquatqueen a month ago. She said that she was fine with the general plot and felt she could land the thing. I've now written one of the sex scenes, but have been starved for inspiration to actually get the second one down. I'm probably struggling because it's the Zach and Emma scene, and I'm having difficulty matching @Joy_of_Cookings unique brand of play (though I want to) Work intervened for a week or two to prevent me from doing anything. I think given how long this had dragged on for, I'm going to give myself one more week and if I still can't finish, beg Joy (on bended knees) to help out with that particular scene.

If anyone wants to look at my draft so far, I'm happy to send it out. FWIW I'm happy with the rest of what I've written.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Right,

All she really said was 'bump' but suitably chastened by @Kelliezgirl I pulled my finger our, stole some time from my employer, fired my muse and got the final section written this afternoon. The draft is still a little rough and flabby, but it's basically done. If anyone wants to beta read, I'll send out a slightly neater version in a few days.