Many of you have written concerning the notes that I wrote explaining my daughter’s absences. Unfortunately, I cannot post them at this time.
The whole thing got started when, in the process of bantering back and forth by e-mail with one of my editors, I offered some crazy excuse for a repeated error (I always capitalize the words ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am’) in the form of a short story. They laughingly replied that I could write a story out of anything, even making excuses!
It brought back the memory of the excuses so I wrote about it and sent it to them. They thought it was great and suggested I publish it at SOL. Well, it was really too short for a real story, so I just posted it on my blog to share with you. I had no idea it would generate the response it has.
You see, I lead sort of a double life, in that my family, (except for my little sister), the people I work with, and none of my friends, know anything about Storiesonline, ‘Second Time Through’, or even that I write at all.
I believe that the only reason I’ve gotten away with it thus far, is that even the idea of me being an author would be too incredulous for them to consider. Especially an author of erotic fiction. And especially given my background and lack of formal training. They all know that I married my wife when I graduated from high school (by the skin of my teeth), and have never dated or even kissed another woman in my life.
They believe that I am spending my time on the computer playing World of Warcraft, (I have a Level 80 Paladin) or maybe just surfing the net. And for those of you who correspond frequently, you now know why I write so much early in the mornings. I try to leave for work before 5 am so I can use the peace and quiet of the early mornings to write. Thank goodness for the Starbucks and McDonalds who offer free WiFi! Now, if they only had free coffee, too!
My family and friends are very conservative and I while I do not share their beliefs; I respect them. We still live and work in the same small community, and there are a number of people who are aware of those notes. If it should happen to get back… well, the fallout from that happening would be too great to contemplate.
Thank you for your understanding. And for your continued support and the warm responses. I guess this explains a little more about why I appreciate them so much.
Phil Brown.
A long time ago, our school district used to have a rule that every student absence must be accompanied by a note from the parent explaining the absence.
When my oldest daughter was in second grade, I got called to the school because we had forgotten to send a note for her absence the day before. Some childhood cold or something trivial. Her second grade teacher was actually apologetic for having made me leave work and come to the school for such a trivial matter, explaining that the new principal was a real stickler for the rules and was actually reading every note as called for in the district rule book.
After thanking her and securing a copy of the district rules for notes excusing student absences, I went home and studied the rules, then wrote a seventeen page (typed) note, explaining how my daughter had not been at school due to being kidnapped by aliens and everything that happened to her before I was able to rescue her and bring her back to earth so she could go to school.
For I had found a loophole in the rules that said that in order to be official, it only had to have the reason for the absence and the parents signature. Nowhere did it say the excuse had to be true.
Needless to say, I got called to the principal's office the very next afternoon.
I thought I was in big trouble, because the Superintendent of Schools for our county was also there waiting for me.
It turned out that the only reason the Principal had called, was that I had forgotten to sign the damned note!
The Superintendent had laughed so hard when he read the note/story that he canceled his afternoon appointments and stayed at the school to meet me. He actually kept the original and had it put on display in the display cabinet at the district offices along with the districts' only championship vollyball, for the next fifteen years. (the placard read "The Most Inventive Excuse Ever")
Her second grade teacher loved it and made copies to show the other teachers.
But now I had a new problem, that I only discovered when my daughter again missed a day, a few weeks later.
She came home the next day, with a short note that said that the excuse my wife had hurriedly written was just not acceptable "For Academic Reasons" and would they please have my daughter's father write the note...
And so it began. I stayed up late writing the next chapter/excuse.
I still believe to this day, my daughter stayed out of school a couple of times that year, just so they could get another chapter.
Of course I had geared the story to a second grade level, with absolutely no grip on reality, just pure fantasy fun, with the heroine (my daughter) and her sidekick (her puppy at the time) and their madcap adventures.
Flash forward 15 years, my daughter is now 23 and graduating from our local college, with honors. The commencement speaker was none other than the former Superintendent, and as he spoke of his memories of his time in the district, he began to tell stories about the different excuses he had gotten for student absences over the years as superintendent,
Finally he said, "But I gotta tell you about the most outlandish, outrageous, and absolutely the best excuse I ever received!"
Then he stopped and called my daughter by name and asked her to come up on the stage, which she did embarrassingly.
"Way back yonder," he said, "when this young lady was in second grade, she missed a day of school. As was the practice at the time, although it has since been changed because of her. Her daddy was called off his job to come to his daughter's school to explain why she didn't have a note."
"Her daddy thought it was a little extreme to call a parent out of work just because his little girl didn't have a note, so he got a copy of the rules, and proceeded to write an excuse for his daughters absence that was in total compliance with the district rules at the time."
"Here is what he wrote:..."
And the old superintendent reached under the dais, and pulled out an expensive leather bound book, and opening it to the first page, he began to read the first note. He only read the first few paragraphs, throwing in wise cracks as he went along, but he had everyone laughing with him.
Finally, he closed the book and looked at the audience and said, "This little girl was absent thirteen more times before the end of the year." And holding up the book in his hand, he said, "And I have copies of all fourteen of them right here in this book. And I rekon I've told that story a hundred times over the years, but I believe it the first time that she has heard it."
He then brought my daughter's second grade teacher up on the stage, and together they presented my daughter with a leather bound book of all 14 original notes!
It's on her bookshelf today.
When she brought it to my attention recently, I knew I must confess. I HAVE had at least one other book published even though there's only two copies of it. So I'm sorry that I unintentionally mislead you when I said that 'Second Time Through" was my first story.
Phil Brown
Thanks’ to everyone who has been clicking the feedback button at the bottom of the chapter and letting me know what you think of “Second Time Through”
I appreciate it when people take their time to offer praise or criticism. I figured that if you didn't care, you wouldn't bother, right? So thanks for caring. And I'll usually respond if you include your e-mail address.
To answer a question I seem to be getting a lot lately:
No… I do not write for a living, and I am nowhere near retirement. I work in construction. A couple of years ago, I fell on a jobsite and broke my femur (the big bone in your leg, above the knee). I was out of work for over six months and about to go crazy, when my doctor suggested I try writing. So I started Second Time Through as therapy. I never intended to post it. Hell, I never intended anyone else to ever see it!
My little sister was visiting me from out-of-state, back in October, and asked to borrow my laptop to access her e-mail. I loaned her my laptop, not remembering that Second Time Through was on there.
Now I know that none of your little sisters ever snooped in your stuff, but my sister is different! Of course, she snooped and found it. And she wouldn't give me back my laptop until she had finished the story. She also talked me (I should say threatened me, because she never reads my blog) into posting it on SoL. At the time, I didn't know anything about posting on SOL, or about using editors, or anything else about writing a story. It's my first and only thing I've written... well... since high school (a long time ago).
Your response to the initial story blew my mind. When I found out that over 10,000 readers had downloaded it and it had a score of 8 out of 10, I couldn't believe it. (Still find it hard to believe sometimes). That was in November, 2011.
I started Book Two on December 10th. It takes up where Book One left off, and I usually write some before work, on my lunch hour, or if we have a weather delay. If I'm lucky enough to be near free wi-fi, I can respond to my emails or post chapters. I’m probably the only guy on the jobsite that brings his laptop with his lunch pail, but I’ve been able to outline all 81 chapters, and have written 52. I just posted Chapter 50, so you really are getting it as fast as I can write.
My editors are fantastic, getting each chapter back in short order, then I make their corrections and post it right away.
So that is why my posting schedule seems erratic. But unless something happens to me, YES, I do plan on, and I am working hard to finish the story.
And now you know…the rest of the story.
Phil Brown
One of the pleasant surprises of becoming an author on SoL’s website, is the mechanism they have that allows readers to easily access the author of a story. Simply by clicking the “Feedback to Author” link at the bottom of each chapter, you can send (via e-mail) compliments, criticisms, and questions straight to the author.
If you include your e-mail address, (your option) I generally try to respond. Especially if there’s a question I can answer about the story.
I received an e-mail last month, that I found interesting. It was from Ms. LaToya, who wrote:
“…I am surprised that there has not been any real lesbian sexual learning/exploring between some of the ladies. This may be something coming down the road, I don't know. But, as a woman and a lesbian myself, I would love to see that happen. You cannot tell me that a 16 year old male, and even older men, don’t enjoy watching it.”
Now I’ll admit to you, as I did in my reply to Ms. LaToya, that while I am a heterosexual male, and while (if I ever got the chance), I might like to watch, I have NEVER written about lesbian/gay relationships before. She quickly pointed out that, since STT was my first story, I hadn’t written about time travel or Empaths before, either.
(Ouch!)
Why is it that all the women I meet are smarter than me?
Long story short, I accepted her challenge, and with much assistance from Ms. LaToya, I have introduced a lesbian character. With her encouragement and guidance, I have tried to make it a part of the story, just as it is today, a part of life. With all its happiness and sorrow, all its pleasure and pain. I hope it adds to your enjoyment of STT as Amy explores this side of herself.
Thank you LaToya, for all your help, (and all the cold showers I endured as we discussed a subject I admittedly still have much to learn about). You made the learning fun!
Second Time Through is written entirely from the First Person POV (point of view). If I had known, before I started, how difficult this was going to be, I would NEVER have done it. But because I didn’t know better, and did use the 1P – POV, I have been putting all “thoughts” in italics, to separate them from the verbal dialogue.
Today I discovered COLOR. Actually, I knew about it already. But its usage seemed awkward and clumsy, and took lots of effort.
At the suggestion of a perceptive reader, and with instructions from my all-knowing editor TeNderLoin , I have discovered that I can change the color of the font in SOL’s text editor, using basic <html> symbols and a few of TeNderLoin’s neat tricks fairly easily.
What this means, is that with a little effort, I can now put the characters thoughts in a different color.
I did a quick survey of a few readers and friends, using Blue Thought and Green Thoughts. Most preferred the Blue Thoughts, over the Green Thoughts. So…I re-edited the first 16 chapters of STT (Book 2) and reposted them. I kept the thoughts Italicized. but they are now in blue.
I’d be interested to know if you find the story easier because the thoughts are now in color as well.
Phil Brown