Record Chaser

[Vela Nanashi]

Sure she can be, but that particular video was not about that, honestly it was more about readers, and critical literacy, and how those broken by today's school system make worse writers, since the do not actually know how to actually read (actually read: one word at a time till the story is done, and don't freak out and overload words with meaning), people that do not read the actual story as it is, but I won't try to summarize her whole video here.

Anyway, I do not mind readers enjoying my stories differently than me or all that, it is just when their interpretation of my work is then my fault or they think it is true for how I see/meant the world, maybe you have not experienced that. Also maybe she is guilty of that too, and she most likely would not like my writing either, does not mean she can't be right on some things That was the first video of hers I watched, and so much rang extremely true with it based on my own experiences that it was not even slightly funny, tragic is more like it. Also watched others on death of the author and the curtains are fucking blue thing, and I still lean extremely heavily on the latter camp, due to how I have seen people completely utterly butcher any sort of trace of the original story and blame the author, even want them hurt for what they wrote sometimes, but yeah maybe wrong place for this, sorry.

[Claire]

it is just when their interpretation of my work is then my fault or they think it is true for how I see/meant the world

I get that this is annoying, but I think this is not what the Death of the Author concept means, at least not if you genuinely believe in that. To give you an example as it relates to Record Chaser. My intention as the author of Record Chaser is to depict important moments in chapters 6 and 9 as psychological victories of Claire over Mark. These are moments where Mark's mask slips. For @SoftGameHunter these are moments where Claire loses her composure and Mark get to here. To me, that it is a very alien reading of the text. The Death of the Author concept simply states that @SoftGameHunter reading of these moments is no less valid than my intended interpretation.

On a broader level, I would also say that Death of the Author means that you can engage with a text independent of the author. A trans person can read and find meaning in Harry Potter despite J.K. Rowlings anti trans rhetoric. You can read Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason as a milestone text in moral philosophy despite his antisemic and/or rascist beliefs. Death of the Author just means to radically seperate the author from the text. What you describe is more akin to reinterpreting the author's intent to fit your own narrative. And someone who truly believes in Death of the Author wouldn't say "I know what Vela actually wanted to say" but "For my reading of the text, it doesn't matter what Vela wanted to say".

[Vela Nanashi]

I think feedback I have gotten here on this forum has been good for the most part. However I have had some people treat me bad for things I never meant or said, also I see a lot of reinterpreting author's meanings to totally twist the meanings into completely different things from what is actually there if you read the text, that is where I have the problem, but I may also just be having an exceptionally whiny day, pain, and depression going on right now. I am not upset at anyone here, but I am upset at the people with those ideas that have hurt either me personally for things I never said or clearly completely not read stories that I have read and seen are different, where they come up with completely baffling things, and many of them also making their hate for some authors super clear. I think SGH was friendly in his responses to you, even if they had a very different point of view on what was happening, so I found his comments interesting too, even if they did not match my own reading, and I am sure some things I commented or thought when I read stories and commented here were also alien to author intent, I just hope that my comments never hurt the authors as that is not my intent, if I happen to hate a character in a story then that is just the character, not the author. When I read I try to at least read the text as it is written, but I know I also have things that affect me different than most people.

Anyway I am very much looking forward to your next part of this story and I will be reading and commenting

[Vela Nanashi]

Oh sorry rereading my last post here, people here have not been bad, those are people elsewhere, sorry for not being clear. People here are amazing like surprisingly so

[Claire]

This is it, the final chapter of Record Chaser. Feels a bit surreal to me.
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Chapter 11 – Come Back to Me

Since the forum is closing soon, I'm migrating my stories to Archive Of Our Own (AO3) and Literotica. Read the rest of Record Chaser here:

• Record Chaser (AO3)

Please support the story by leaving a kudos on AO3, thanks!

[SoftGameHunter]

Well I wasn't sure what to expect out of one more chapter, and I'm not certain that what I write here will be the thoughts that gel in my mind after I absorb it. But based on the posting time I may well be the lucky bastard who reads this first, so I may as well respond first.

Overall, great ending. Like I said, I wasn't sure what more there was left. More of Claire emotionally crashing, I suppose, and that's sort of what happened. Except she was physically crashing too. I wasn't expecting the last chapter to be in Jason's headspace. Thus far, he's been a background fixture, not an actual character. I figured we'd get to see him and witness their interaction, but I expected Claire's headspace, or a mix.

I've mentioned in other comments that I've deep-dived into writing theory a lot. Watching writing videos. If this story were in one of those, I'd expect them to say it was a risky move, putting the final focus on a previously unseen character. Well, some of them would say it was just plain wrong, but free advice on the internet often returns what you paid for it. What did I think of that choice? Undecided. It wasn't flat-out wrong, and it delivered something I'm trying to put my finger on. I'm not sure it was the best possible option, but I'll just try to work my thinking as I write it and see if I can figure this out.

First, it gives us, the audience, some closure that all is not lost for Claire. She might not be alright, maybe not for a while. Maybe not ever. But she'll be as alright as she can be with solid, loving people in her life who respect her and her needs. Jason gave a textbook perfect supportive response, not going nuts and demanding to know who he should go kill. That's a sitcom and B-grade movie response. But it's also lifelike. I suspect it's hard to have a close friend let it drop that she was raped that very night. I've never been in that situation myself. But I can imagine there are a million impulses, and staying calm and letting her say almost nothing as she passes out is probably not the first one that would come to mind. Jason gets it right, and that says a lot about him, and it thus indirectly tells us something about Claire's life. The girl's got a support network, and I can see it kicking in full-force over the coming days.

So, ironically considering the nature of the site and most of our stories, I'm really glad this girl gets, not a happy ending, but a hopeful future. My own kinks (and I think Author Claire's too) don't always allow for that option. Quite the opposite.

Now, selfishly, I still wanted to be in Claire's headspace. Maybe it shrank too much by this point to offer much more, but I would have loved to see that. But then she would have had to stay awake longer, which is a different story. This one is probably more realistic, but I also would have liked the more-tears version. It's a conundrum. We can't have it both ways. So going to Jason's headspace probably is the only way to work it if we're to finish in the middle of the night. And finishing with a stranger as the point-of-view is risky.

But it didn't feel that way. I'm torn overall with wanting multiple and mutually-exclusive endings, some with more tears and more open despair, but I guess the reason I'm harping on the whole POV issue is because author-Claire made it stronger by having him present in victim-Claire's mind throughout. He's not a stranger. He's not quite a character, but his presence doesn't feel entirely out of place. I don't know if author-Claire intended something like this as the ending all along, but giving us pictures of Claire's personal connections as a mental lifeline worked in-story and also as a writing technique that allowed her to pull of an ending that breaks a lot of storytelling rules.

Some other stray thoughts. I briefly wondered if Jason and Claire were going to end up a couple after all, but quickly dismissed it. It seemed like a set up in that direction, and Hollywood would have done it that way, but nothing in their background suggested it. And, not to engage in meta-thinking, I didn't think author-Claire would do that. And especially not in a single chapter the night of. In a year or two, after they graduate, after they live a little, maybe. Or not. Certainly I don't put much stock in Jason and Nora's relationship. I probably could have done with less of their argument. They have a story too, but it's not this one. I didn't really care if Nora could be mature about this or not. A really really stray thought I had was what if Claire and Jason had a different talk and then Jason had called Nora up and she gave a snarky answer about what did Claire need, and he replied that he needed her (Nora) to tell him the contact info for a rape crisis center. That would have deflated her sails. Obviously it didn't go that way, but it might have put her in her place a little. No reason to share this. It's just an idea I had.

Well, that's all I've got for now. But it's more than a handful of words, so let's see what anyone else has to say.

[JTCK]

Even though I stupidly already wrote this under the last chapter as well: now really — what a wonderful ending to a wonderful story!

In a way, the ending is open. But somehow you can also sense a kind of happy ending in the distance — and the two of them have truly earned that.

I’m usually quite reserved with superlatives, but this might be the best chapter I’ve read from you so far. I find it incredibly gripping; you manage to portray the psychological exceptional situation the two of them are in with absolute credibility. I was on the edge of my seat during these last lines! Especially during his argument with Nora. Written so authentically! For a moment I was afraid her jealousy would stop him from going to Claire.

Thank you for this wonderful story — for me personally, it’s the best one here on the forum.

Back then, I struggled for quite a while before deciding to register on RU. Now, of course, I’m glad I finally did. And the fact that my comment motivated you to keep writing the story makes me incredibly happy!

[JTCK]

But based on the posting time I may well be the lucky bastard who reads this first, so I may as well respond first.

You have beaten me by two minutes with your comment

Certainly I don't put much stock in Jason and Nora's relationship. I probably could have done with less of their argument. They have a story too, but it's not this one.

I think Jason and Nora's argument is an important part of the chapter — important for understanding Jason’s character.

[SoftGameHunter]

Just to be clear, I was making two separate statements. One was how important I thought Nora was to the story. But the first was my in-universe assessment of their relationship. I see Splitsville for those two.

[Vela Nanashi]

Part 11:

One thing I really find sad is when a girl/boy friend does not trust their boy/girl friend enough to dare let them be with their friends, why even be a couple if you can't trust your girl/boy friend? It is a really ugly look too, and then there are the people who want to isolate their girl/boy friend from all friends, those are even worse. Maybe this is a weird opinion to have I dunno...

If she ends the relationship over that Jason, you dodged a bullet, in fact maybe you should consider dumping her as she will give you a life of misery if this is how she reacts to you going anywhere, and not trusting you. Please excuse me when I talk to characters in the story lol.

All those fond memories are totally adorable, got swept up reading them, and loving them

Now at Claire opening the door. Poor Claire in that utterly worn out state. Psychology Major, no I think you might have some useful tools maybe. Though I suppose you are technically not supposed to be shrink for friends and family. Yeah making sense when utterly sleep deprived alone is like impossible and Claire is also physically exhausted on top of all that and hurt emotionally and mentally as well, so I think she is managing to communicate somewhat good given the circumstances.

I would suggest very slow flaying Jason, that way Mark would go to hell screaming, ahem, but yeah that might not be what Claire needs right now.

I got swept up in Jason's thoughts, he is a really good friend and man, and is Claire's safe place, also yeah I totally get that guilt, I should have been there, and all that. I think you also captured with just a few words the way men guard women they are with when they are out, and women who are with a trusted man can relax a whole lot, knowing they are safe, and don't have to keep eye out themselves.

Though he forgot to go look if door was locked (but it probably is).

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I hope you write that happy story set in the hopefully not too distant future for Claire, that you mentioned. I think I need to see her be okay, also my eyes are leaking, damn it.

Thank you for the amazing story Claire.

Thanks JTCK

Thanks Claire love you too

SGH great comments too in this thread and your last one, thank you

I predict if Jason meets Nora with clothes that smell of Claire's feminine cleaning products and can't tell her it was rape that happened, I am sure Nora will blow up on Jason and think he slept with Claire, and likely end the relationship, but I think that is better for Jason that it happens sooner rather than later. Maybe I hate on Nora a bit too much, but can't help that. I have seen this too many times, I have not seen it ever end well.

I think there was an enormous Jason shaped hole in the story with good vibes and then Jason the character stepped into it and filled it perfectly, so that is why I think it works well.

Also I think Claire got to the state I have been at a few times, where I have cried all the tears my body can, and should I try to cry more it would be blood, and maybe she even crossed over from that utter sadness/intense emotions into a no emotion void that anyone who has had deep depression would recognize, where feeling pain is an improvement, feeling anything would be, and that also tends to come with that utter lack of hunger, barely being able to force herself to take a bite of apple and a tiny slurp of water, that is clear signs of depression to me, maybe not on their own showing that, but yeah... That Jason was able to let her sleep that is truly amazing, and he is a better friend than me able to not let rage actually surface, that is something beyond my control in a situation like that, but also I would cry, and not be able to hide shaking hands and all that, but he was truly amazing for her, is truly amazing.

Anyway that will be enough of a comment for now.

Thanks to everyone who has commented, and please readers, comment on this story, and rate it, Claire the author deserves it a lot, and she deserves it also for making this forum, at least I think so Also if you are a lurker and scared, you can rate and comment inside the rating, only Claire the author and admins/mods can see those comments and ratings, but you really should comment so that we can rate your posts so you can see stories that end up community favourites, and that will happen soon also you want authors to write more stories right? If you comment you can even suggest things you like and don't like and things you would have loved to see, and maybe the author will be inspired to write a story catering to those desires or another author might. No promises there though, just I have in the past been inspired by reader comments to do things, and I think many other authors would say the same thing.