Aphelion

Better watch it Jaimie, Bob's gonna get jealous again.

<br>Well, if he'd only write as well as John R. Murray, he wouldn't have to get so jealous... :) Just a joke, Robert. You've got a few in the top five in my book.<br><br>Dan forbade me to hold anything back last time, but I'd already given my grumbly bits to Jaimie on this one before it came out.<br><br>Publicly, let me say that I thought it had more than its fair share of brilliant moments (and he better have left a few for the rest of us to come:))! It's style is a departure from what we'd seen previous, using more complex and darker characterizations, at least, I thought.<br><br>I think all the Nightwatch stories this year showed a step up in characterizations and craftsmanship, starting with Jeff's "Kindness". Last year, things tended to be very "white bread"--crazy scientists trying to take over the world stopped by happy operatives using the latest gizmo. Nothing wrong with that, but this year, Simon and crew aren't monochromatic anymore. They can do both good or bad, for lofty or sometimes dark reasons. I think the Nightwatch universe is all the more complicated and more enjoyable for it.<br><br><br>If you aren't reading Nightwatch, shame on you!<br><br>They're damned good fiction pieces, every one of them. <br>Try finding free fiction this good anywhere else. I dare you.<br><br>Nate

The Sin Watcher really raised the bar for the rest of us. I would think that several additions to the Night Watch Bible would be in order after this.

I read this story very carefully and have gone through it three times from beginning to end (for reasons of my own) and the time, effort, sweat and blood that went into this work really show...

<br>Dear Lord! Did Jeff get you, too? <br>It sounds like he did. Good luck to you, and I hope you don't have to wait like me. Only Jigsaw Creek was written before mine for this year (and that includes Jeff's), and I'm still waiting. When December comes, it will be a whole year since the 1st draft was done. (Must be my punishment for my being such a pain to all the other Nightwatch writers. :))<br><br>

This series may well become (if it isn't already) a true benchmark in the developing genre of the free webzine.

<br>Hear, hear! <br><br><br>Nate

And Nate, your name was spoken with naught but reverence at ApheliCon1. We all simply love your critiques. Don't even worry about that little efigy-burning incident. I don't think they had access to more than two samples of your bodily fluids. . .and it hardly ever works without at least three.

<br>Let's see... "reverence..." that's Latin for "he better wear Kevlar underwear if he shows next year", right? :)<br><br>Nate<br><br>PS. Check it out! I turned "Master Critic" with a fluff post! <br>I feel just like Robert. ;)

...Check it out! I turned "Master Critic" with a fluff post!
I feel just like Robert. ;)

<br><br>You mean arthritic, diabetic, but otherwise a paragon of virtue? You have my sympathy, for as the great Mac Davis once sang,<br><br>Lord, it's hard to be humble<br>When you're perfect in ev-er-y way ...<br><br>And fluff is as fluff does, to paraphrase Forrest's Ma. So you must be feeling ... fluffy right about now.<br><br>Robert M.<br><br>

I've read three-four of these Nightwatch stories and each writer has brought something different to the character of Simon, which is fine, but it strikes me as a thin line to tread. I wonder if these were ever gathered with the intent of publishing a collection if there'd be some question from a publisher as to Simon's character arc. His personality, moods, etc, tend to shift enough that continuity of his character might be compromised. I don't think that referring to other stories is sufficient to tie one character "shade" to another. This is not meant as criticism in anyway, it's more a question of what I think would be a fundamental dilemma (if that's not too strong a word) for this kind of project, which I think is, at the very least, a wonderful exercise for writers, and a great means of fostering creativity.

<br>Obviously, every writer sees a character through his or her own eyes, and it would be, I think, impossible to keep the characters 100% consistent in all things. <br><br>But really, has there been anything really important about the characters that doesn't jive with the others? <br><br>Ok, a character may be more or less confident in one story versus another, but the basic core values of that character stay the same. It's true nobody can write Simon's smartass dialog as well as Robert can, but everybody tries. <br><br>Plus, Jeff keeps things even more consistent than anyone knows. Stephanie and Simon are more at odds in Jaimie's story than normal, but Tom, who keeps them in balance, is in space during this story. He isn't there to smooth the friction the way a friend who is also a psychologist can. All that was on purpose, and was a good thought by Jaimie.<br><br>There are trends and plot developments that point to other stories, even if it isn't readily apparent. Jeff will tell you things like a character is unavailable to use there, you can't put that in your story because someone else is already doing that, make sure you mention X company, or living in Y city, or add Z scene somewhere.<br><br>All because they tie things together. Jeff has plans for each of these characters and where they're going in life, and they'll change in the stories to match.<br><br>Unlike the Mare where every story remains independent, and the Mare never really changes, Nightwatch is a true serial adventure, one leading to another. If Simon and Callow suddenly develop a love of thumb wrestling each other in the next story (they do not), that would be a constant between them from that point on. <br><br><br>Do any of you other Nightwatchers agree?<br><br>Nate