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Dearest Team Liquiders,
Long time no see! You may or may not remember me as a dude who wrote a few well-received articles here and scored a few awesome interviews back when beta was just a small bulge in your pocket and a twinkle in your eye. After that, I proceeded to fall off the face of TL in order to fight evil elsewhere (a very sincere apology to the powers that be for dropping the ball without giving you a heads up - I am an asshole for that).
While I was gone, I accomplished something that I've been working toward, on and off, for a while. I wrote a book called Optimistic. In a bid to get the most eyes on it as possible, I'm releasing it for free, one chapter per week. Here is chapter one. Chapter two will be out Sunday at noon EST.
It's gritty and violent and topical. The special effects are great and every character is really good looking so I think you will enjoy it. There's a war and there's sex and that's to say nothing of the post-modern dystopia I've created for your pleasure. I'm told that is what the kids enjoy these days!
Because I'm in broke post-college limbo, my "marketing" is mostly limited to speaking to people and communities I know and like, people whose taste I really enjoy, and letting them know that my work is up for viewing. So there it is - it's up! I hope you can take at least a few minutes to give it a go.
One last time, here is chapter one, and here is the home page for the book, complete with a table of contents and all of your fan club-related needs (I'll autograph your chest if you tell your friends about me).
I've been told this is a dark and often depressing story. Someone even asked me if I was okay after they read the book (and that's from someone who liked it!). On the other hand, I think I make a lot of funny jokes in here. I guess it is up to you to decide.
A rainbow of violence.
Crushed under war and occupation, a city is blighted.
As fatigued soldiers burn in the hot sun, an insurgency seeks to strike the decisive blow against an occupying force of immeasurable strength. While Presidents and Prime Ministers find themselves at crossroads, it is the sons and daughters of the occupied city who bear the full weight of the cataclysm that is modern war.
That’s perfect. Someone deserves a raise.
If you read it, I'd love to have your feedback. If you enjoy it, the biggest favor you could do for me is to pass it along to friends of yours who also might enjoy it (and then shower me with compliments).
Love,
chobo
PS I've been gone for a few months and already TL had gotten much bigger. Kudos to the staff and, specifically, the writers for handling the explosion of users and continuing to produce pretty crazy shit. Well done.
PPS The story is available in different formats. If you want another format, let me know.
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I wrote a comment.
:D
gonna give some real feedback when i read it 
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Canada7170 Posts
How long did it take you to write?
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Just finished the first chapter, and I gotta say I enjoyed it a lot. You have a very natural writing style: certainly strong enough to get published. The only itsy bitsy question I have is about some of the soldiers dialog. It seemed very stiff an unnatural in a few lines, is that to convey that the soldiers are brick-dumb tools, or is it just me?
I eagerly await the second chapter, and will buy a copy as soon as I can. 
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I did get thrown off by your description that "the special effects are great," because we're talking about a book, right? I am reading it but I wanted to post back real quick that it (chapter 1) is very nicely presented!
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I thoroughly enjoyed the first chapter, however it's very... dark. I'm not used to it but it's a good read with excellent descriptions. Well done
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Netherlands6142 Posts
Let me know when I can read it in full and I might do so + feedback.
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Read chapter 1, looking forward to 2
Those of us on this side of the world need to consider what its like in other places, I think you are painting a vivid picture, well done
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On July 16 2010 08:41 dimfish wrote:
I did get thrown off by your description that "the special effects are great," because we're talking about a book, right? I am reading it but I wanted to post back real quick that it (chapter 1) is very nicely presented!
I'm just kidding around in the paragraph. All the characters are also not totally good looking!
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On July 16 2010 07:04 mikeymoo wrote:
How long did it take you to write?
Started writing it last Feb. Wrote pretty much all the time for a few weeks, burned out. Took it up again a few months later but at a slower place. I 'finished it' weeks ago, went over it again and again tons of times, got feedback, etc.
So technically a year and a half but as far as time spent actually writing, less than a year.
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the Dagon Knight4005 Posts
Just gave it a bash there, interesting stuff. Can't quite get into it yet, but it might just be that I'm tired. The fact that things are hopping around a lot seems to be throwing me.
Some of it feels like it were written in 300 word chips and then pushed together... but again, that could just be me.
Generally, it has a good sense of atmosphere to it and it reads well. Good luck with it man
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Thanks for giving it a go! And thanks to everyone who has read it.
As far as Lexpar's question: Not my intention to make soldier's out to be brick-dumb tools, definitely my intention to make the conversations they have with civilians whose city they are occupying sound uncomfortable and unnatural.
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Dd editors hollow out your book? I've always wondered if editors do that, the book writing process is so mysterious. I'm reading chap 1 now.
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I haven't read all of chapter one yet, but what I did read seemed to flow pretty smoothly. Not totally original, but still very enjoyable thus far.
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the Dagon Knight4005 Posts
On July 16 2010 09:57 Count9 wrote:
Dd editors hollow out your book? I've always wondered if editors do that, the book writing process is so mysterious. I'm reading chap 1 now.
I cannot get my head around the idea of an editor hollowing out a book and going away to live in it.
Editors do get a bit of a bad reputation for sucking the soul out of some work, but the fact is that a lot of writers can't stand to aggressively edit their own work, and sometimes need someone else to sort the good from the bad*
* Disclaimer: I used to be a copy editor
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Editors are big bad scary monsters
but really, as far as I've seen and heard from others, it varies editor to editor, writer to writer, piece to piece. Not that I would know personally, I've never tried to have novel-length work published, I'm a short story hack for now! Or just a hack. Whatever.
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nice. Definitely going to get around to reading it soon. Hopefully chapters will be released quickly because I hate waiting!
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FREEAGLELAND26781 Posts
Holy shit, I've got to find time to read this. Will comment when I do.
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Will read when I get the time. Just recognized the name and wanted to say good to see you around and doing something fun
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EPT
