Does anyone have the undercover ch2 alpha? Chapter One had some promise, curious where the story went
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Thought chapter 31 was poorly written butMy next comments are specifically about this particular story. My analysis is that Dan is written this way because he is submissive by nature and this clashes with how he wants to perceive himself. Hence why sometimes we see him lashing out (i.e. what you see as him "taking charge.")* This has been backed up both in all of the characters inner and outer dialog, his actions and in how he is written.
Submissiveness is not a trait unique to only women. He is written this way for what I think are several reasons; it shows the toxic nature of the story, it illustrates the contrast of Sarah's empowerment and sexual liberation, and it allows conflict avoidance so as to not disrupt the erotic relationship btwn Sarah and Lester, while still allowing conflict and drama btwn Sarah and Dan.
*Like it or not, if Dan was really taking charge, he would have communicated to Sarah that it was no longer fun and that either she stop the behavior or he was leaving. However he's not able to do that because on some level he enjoys the powerlessness of his relationship with Sarah and when he gets frustrated he takes it out on others.
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Your statement intrigues me. Who had a chance to recover and from what?
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There is nothing wrong with someone making money with their skillset, it's how the world works. You can choose to either support DS's writing with your wallet or you can choose not to. I think your numbers are off a bit, they are probably closer to these collected stats:You must be registered to see the linksBut even if the amount was a conservative $300k over three years, take out taxes and operating expenses, you're probably down to $75k per year. Not a bad living for an author, but not obscene either.
Welcome. I haven't seen it surface yet.Does anyone have
The Bad Tenant Ch.08
The Bad Tenant Ch. 09
?
I hear you. As always I'll wait to see how things pan out. But, you do what feels right for you.Thought chapter 31 was poorly written but
Had a little hope 32 may prove me wrong..but Alpha Draft changes again proved me wrong...no biggie..I no longer will
Pay for TA...just is no longer plausible for me. I always hope a turn around. just don't see it
Yes, it is similar.Does make you wonder though - cuz it sounds awful similar to EW's Undercover Blonde, at least thematically.
Well it's a trope that is as old as time. My take is that the husbands are cast into "good guys finish last" roles. While not a universal truth, it's a powerful story element paired with the readers' (us) voyeurism and sadomasochism - as you mentioned, morbid curiosiity.Off topic for a minute here guys why do people vote in favor of the dicks winning no offense to Leicester great character love it but I just read the comments on chapter 14 the bet on everybody wants the husband to be treated like crap the vast majority I don't know if it's morbid curiosity or what but let me tell you this is strange...any comments...
For me its not that the husband loses, its that the story is dark and had betrayal, that means, yes, that the husband loses and the troll wins but that makes it more exciting to me, when there is a realistic betrayal that builds. Stories that have the husband treated like crap over and over and over are actually repugnant to me. If you are going to write a wife character who hates on her husband 100% of the time and love on every one else, then why did she marry him? Example: Executive Decision. While well written, my problem is that she is falling into the same tropes that the guy's ex-wife did and swore she would never do that to him. She loves his intelligence and kindness and yet she has started looking down on him because of just that. I get it, he is a numbers guy, but she knew that going in and now it is just so easy for slime that she hated to supplant the husband due to his seeing her as a sales dynamo with the ability to see the advertising picture. She is Don Draper in Mad Men, following the man who is her new svengali. Her Husband is Peggy on Mad Men and now Don, who used to love Peggy now sees her with derision. I wish that, in a lot of ways, that Executive Decision would wrap up in chapter 10 with her apologizing and asking the husband for a divorce. They split up, he quits and finds a job somewhere else, the NY Yankees office as a statistician or something else that will see him have mondo success away from her. Then she can be successful and have a great relationship with her boss. At least it wouldn't be that uncomfortable a read ten chapters from now, when the husband gets hit again and again and again.Off topic for a minute here guys why do people vote in favor of the dicks winning no offense to Leicester great character love it but I just read the comments on chapter 14 the bet on everybody wants the husband to be treated like crap the vast majority I don't know if it's morbid curiosity or what but let me tell you this is strange...any comments...
Your question isn’t off-topic at all. While we often read fiction to escape reality, social norms still shape our way of thinking about characters. I’d wager almost no one here would willingly admit to identifying with a weak-willed character—it clashes with what social norms teach us to value. That’s neither right nor wrong, just context for my answer.Off topic for a minute here guys why do people vote in favor of the dicks winning no offense to Leicester great character love it but I just read the comments on chapter 14 the bet on everybody wants the husband to be treated like crap the vast majority I don't know if it's morbid curiosity or what but let me tell you this is strange...any comments...
I agree. I bounced off of CC upon first read, it didn't seem like the type of story I wanted to read, but I've come to appreciate her craft and dedication. Her work with Rabblelaid on Trinity as well as most of her other work are highly recommended.I'm really enjoying Vivian White and her story (Cuckold Consequences) because the characters are more human. She's a great writer, and so far she's followed her stories without changing the script to please third parties or whoever is paying. Check out her stories.
Her kemono link:You must be registered to see the links
As always excellent points..For me its not that the husband loses, its that the story is dark and had betrayal, that means, yes, that the husband loses and the troll wins but that makes it more exciting to me, when there is a realistic betrayal that builds. Stories that have the husband treated like crap over and over and over are actually repugnant to me. If you are going to write a wife character who hates on her husband 100% of the time and love on every one else, then why did she marry him? Example: Executive Decision. While well written, my problem is that she is falling into the same tropes that the guy's ex-wife did and swore she would never do that to him. She loves his intelligence and kindness and yet she has started looking down on him because of just that. I get it, he is a numbers guy, but she knew that going in and now it is just so easy for slime that she hated to supplant the husband due to his seeing her as a sales dynamo with the ability to see the advertising picture. She is Don Draper in Mad Men, following the man who is her new svengali. Her Husband is Peggy on Mad Men and now Don, who used to love Peggy now sees her with derision. I wish that, in a lot of ways, that Executive Decision would wrap up in chapter 10 with her apologizing and asking the husband for a divorce. They split up, he quits and finds a job somewhere else, the NY Yankees office as a statistician or something else that will see him have mondo success away from her. Then she can be successful and have a great relationship with her boss. At least it wouldn't be that uncomfortable a read ten chapters from now, when the husband gets hit again and again and again.
Betrayal that builds from a plotted story = good
Treating a husband that does the wife nothing but good like trash repeatedly due to an asshole getting involved = bad.
IMHO.
Well written...yes we are all flawed and no one is perfect but you should have seen those comments...wow is all I can say..Your question isn’t off-topic at all. While we often read fiction to escape reality, social norms still shape our way of thinking about characters. I’d wager almost no one here would willingly admit to identifying with a weak-willed character—it clashes with what social norms teach us to value. That’s neither right nor wrong, just context for my answer.
When presented with a powerful jerk versus a spineless wimp, most readers will instinctively root for the jerk. That’s socially engineered conditioning at work. Others might embrace it as a power fantasy, living vicariously through a character who embodies the control they lack in real life. Then there’s a more troubling crowd: those who despise weakness because they recognize it in themselves and hate it. That’s Darwinism twisted by self-loathing and a lack of empathy to boot. And yes, as Berylflame noted, some just crave tragedy—a morbid curiosity for train-wreck TV.
But here’s the catch: humans are complex and messy, that can’t be reduced to a binary equation of good vs. bad, strong vs. weak. We humans are shaped by forces both internal and external, and the best stories reflect that complexity. As a writer, I especially have to guard against this conditioned response, doing my best to ensure characters feel real rather than one-dimensional parodies.
That said, I’m not above being wrong or misguided in my views--after all I'm a flawed human as well.
who is without sin, throw a stone at me....Off topic for a minute here guys why do people vote in favor of the dicks winning no offense to Leicester great character love it but I just read the comments on chapter 14 the bet on everybody wants the husband to be treated like crap the vast majority I don't know if it's morbid curiosity or what but let me tell you this is strange...any comments...
I dont think you been reading, Lester is the one that is behind all the bad stuffs for Sarah. He plans to get rid of her kids, he plans to bed her mom, he plans everything out, and you think he will protect her? Guys like Lester, once he is bored with her, he will toss her and her kids like old used condom. DS shows us what Lester is like, his thinking, his planning, and you think he is good for her?who is without sin, throw a stone at me....
Regarding my comment, I like stories with a happy ending or at least a fair one.
I don't see a future for the Sarah+Dan couple and on the contrary I see a wonderful bright future for Sarah with a man like Lester who will protect her family with whom she will be confident in tomorrow financially, and sex is like the cherry on the cake.
In my opinion, Dan is an NPC and should suffer a cruel lesson and disappear from Sarah's and children's lives, the events with him are irrelevant.
I was touched by the comments about the strong, strong-willed, purposeful Sarah who degraded into a whore.
In ideal conditions, when you are in your place, a person is confident in himself, but how each person will act in a stressful, hopeless situation is a very good question that will not be answered until you experience it personally.