Marc Nobbs: Blog

I like the idea of comments from readers at the end of a story. It gives me an insight into what they may be thinking - particularly if those comments come as the story is being posted.

But not all comments are going to be positive. I accept that. Think everyone does. But if the replies to a comment by "christianjordan" on Eternally & Evermore are anything to go by, it seems that some people make a habit of posting negative comments on a story. This is always going to happen on open forums. You see it all the time on Twitter & Facebook etc.

But I thought I'd take Mr Jordan's comments in good faith and respond to them as such anyway. Below is his comment and my reply. i feel I can post it here because both the comment and my reply are already public.

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@christianjordan: So why do I give a shit about any of these characters? A run of the mill lawyer and essentially a gold digger? This entire novel seems like a exposition on the lives of very ordinary people with few if any redeeming qualities and for no apparent reason we're supposed to care about?

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Christian, thank you for your comment, which appears to have come after Chapter 20, which represents the end of "Part II" of the story.
Let me address each point you make.

"So why do I give a shit about any of these characters?"
That was kind of the whole point of "Part I". Giving you their history together as youths who seemed destined to be together, was meant to make you care about why they didn't end up together. If it didn't, then I have failed you.

"A run of the mill lawyer and essentially a gold digger?"
Run of the Mill is harsh. The early chapters of "Part II" establish Will as one of the most respected Lawyers for the Elderly in hie region - that's hardly run of the mill
As for Amy being a Gold Digger, I'd genuinely like to know what gives you that impression of her. Genuinely Interested. At this point of the story, I don't think we've seen enough of Amy as an adult to for that opinion - or indeed, form any opinion of her.

"This entire novel seems like a exposition on the lives of very ordinary people with few if any redeeming qualities and for no apparent reason we're supposed to care about?"
Aren't all novels essentially just a slice of people's lives? And, in all honesty, I think the best ones are about "ordinary" people, because these are the ones most people are able to relate to, because most people are "ordinary". As for not caring about them, well, that was what "Part 1" was supposed to do. If it didn't, then I suspect that say more about you than the book.

Again, thank you for your comment. It made me think.

The blog title says it all really. I've submitted the first three chapters of "Eternally & Evermore" and expect it will post in short order. Later tonight, I'll queue up the rest of the chapters for auto-posting.

This is from the Author's Note to E&E...

"Eternally & Evermore" started life as a rewrite and extension of the first ever "long" short story I wrote, "Reunion", but quickly morphed into something much bigger and very different. Whilst Will and Matt are quite similar characters even if they are at different stages of their lives, Amy and Kelly are very different, at least, they are as adults, having had very different journeys through life.

So if you've previously read Reunion you may find some of the early scenes in particular quite familiar. Not quite "copy & paste" scenes, but certainly "based on".

"The Truths We Live" completed posting yesterday. Thank you to all that have read along and voted. It's currently sitting as my second-highest-rated story on the site, so that's all good.

I've got two more "old" novels to post to the site in the near future. "Eternally & Evermore" is already on Bookapy and is ready to go on here, but I think I'll give it a little while before I begin posting - the weekend at least or maybe a little longer.
At 87,000 words it's a little longer than both the "Lies" books. It's 53 chapters, meaning each chapter is much shorter, averaging at just under 2000 words per chapter. If I alternate posting 2 & 3 chapters per day, I can post it all in between 2 - 3 weeks, which seems about right.

After that, I'll get around to posting "Kissed by a Rose". KbaR is inspired by an older Don Lockwood story, "Transcending The Role". The basic concept is the same and some of the beats of the plot are similar, but at 91,000 words it's almost three times as long, the characters are older, the setting different, there's more sex and, at times, it a bit darker.
KbaR isn't even on Bookapy yet though (it is available at the Rainforest retailer), so I've got some work to do before it gets on here.
Beyond that, I currently have Charlotte's Secret to be updated and when that's done (and uploaded to the Rainforest Retailer) I'll get it on Bookapy and sort out getting it on here.
Then I'm working on a couple of short stories and three other novels. A 3rd book in both the Paul Robertson saga and the Lies Series, and a sequel to The Big Four Ohhh!. I've been working on all of those for a long while though, so I wouldn't hold your breath.

The final two chapters of "The Lies We Lead" will post later today.

Thank you to everyone who has been following and reading. I very much appreciate it and hope you have all enjoyed Bobby's story.

The sequel, "The Truths We Live" will begin posting next week.

I’ve been asked a few times now where “The Lies We Lead” fits in with the wider timeline of the Westmouthshire Universe.

I’ve not yet updated all the short stories on here, but at the rainforest retailer, all my shorts aside from one or two are part of the WMSU and I have a spreadsheet that I’ve been working on that has both a simple timeline in it and a more detailed year on year calendar (which isn’t complete).

I also have another spreadsheet which serves as a database of which characters appear in which stories and in what capacity, and the ages of some of them at various points in the timeline.
I also plan to do the same for common locations in the WMSU – this fictional place is getting a bit out of hand without a reference guide for myself to work with.

But anyway… Here’s a simple timeline of the stories that make up the Westmouthshire Universe. (Not all these are no SOL yet).

• April-May 2007: Lost & Found
• June 2007: Banging my Teammates
• October 2007: Bus Stop
• November 2007: Extended Family
• March 2008: Scratched
• May–November 2008: The Ladz Series (4 stories)
• July 2008: Our Memorable Holiday
• October 2008-July 2009: Kissed by a Rose
• September 2009: Claire (present day narration)
• October 2009: Measuring Up
• March-June 2010: Eternally & Evermore (With flashbacks to 1989)
• May 2010: Charlotte’s Secret
• August 2010-October 2011: A Good Man
• September 2010-August 2011: Sophie
• March 2011: Private Party
• October 2011: Public Performance
• January 2012: The Slumber Party
• February 2012: Would Twins do This?
• August 2012: Sun, Sea & Shagging
• September 2012-June 2013: A Tortured Soul
• January-July 2013: The Big Four Ohhh!
• October 2013: The Lies We Lead
• April-June 2014: The Truths We Live

In addition, I’ve got three books I’m working on. A Wounded Heart starts in June 2013 (right after the end of A Tortured Soul) and will likely run through until at least the summer of 2014. “The Facts We Face” picks up the story from “The Truths We Live” in June 2014. And “The Big Ten Ohhh!” will continue Dave and Ruth’s story from “The Big Four Ohhh!” in May 2015.