Can't Have It All

Reader Question

Hey guys as we go in the second leg of the book, I want to get your thoughts.

I see a lot of feedback. All kinds. Some I agree with. Some I don't. But all, I try to understand and take into consideration. Because Sometimes you guys provide insight I never thought about.

One of the things I try to balance as a writer, and I think a lot of readers forget, is that this story is not real life. Odell and Kenya are real people yes, but in this book they are imagined.

As a storyteller, and this is for all my writers, you have to notice what makes stories work. And what makes your readers tick.

There are some chapters, I might get only a few comments. Some chapters I might get as many comments as it is votes. I pay attention to that.

I read comments, so I pay attention when I get my regular people who comment every chapter and then when new comers start coming out the woodwork. New people I've been seeing y'all. Lol.

These patterns are for a reason. And I understand why.

Imagine watching your favorite movie right? What do all great movies have in common? Conflict. Even if we know what the ending of the journey will be. Let's say the boy and the girl end up together, what makes us lean forward as an audience is the journey to see them getting there.

We say we want characters happy. But deep down its a lie. We want to see them torn to shreds and then somehow make it out alive. It's human nature in regards to story telling.

It's an age old formula

One of my favorite movies as a kid was the Wizard of Oz. most, if not all of us have seen this.

Do we watch the Wizard of Oz to see Dorothy just stay in Kansas and play with toto? If
That was the case, why would we need a movie?

Or do we watch it because we want to know after she ends up in Oz, if she gets home and learns the lesson she needed to learn? You follow me?

So yes I am an advocate for functional relationships. Yes I want to see K and O happy, all the time.

But I also want K and O to grow in this book. Their are very specific things they need to learn. And they cannot learn them without going through their Oz of sorts.

It's the same thing with us in life. We won't learn anything in life if we never go through anything.

So for those who just want roses and rainbows, you'll get there. But not till after the rain. Isn't that when we see rainbows anyway, after a storm? Isn't that how roses appear anyway? Because rain provides the water they need to grow?

Some writers might just write to write. But for me, this is very calculated. Im
Not just out here writing. I have story telling principles in mind. I listen to you guys. I listen to myself. And I always have the end in mind. I know how this story ends, but the real journey and why you guys read, is to see how we get there.

With that said, before we get to the end what do you guys want to see from this story?

I thank each and everyone of you for your reads, votes and comments. You guys have supported this series more
Than I imagined and I'm grateful.

I said all this to say, I'm not new to this writing thing. Especially
To my regular readers, trust me and trust my judgment.

❤️