[Mark Newman]

Don’t worry about that, Mr. Stone.

Other than the comment I had about the humongous size some of these girls are achieving, I’m very happy for y’all to take the story forward in your own ways. There are plenty of students at the high school, plenty of high schools, and plenty of cities all over, and different things can be happening everywere.

Go for it. So long as you don’t push me on my own characters, I’m very pleased to see you write and develop your own.

[Mark Newman]

The very one!

[Mark Newman]

I think it’s very interesting the way the readers here are developing Pendant Changes.

I haven’t asked Marilyn to reply as much to the recent letters, because they are more extensions of the story than letters to her. I am enjoying them. Do you think they should be moved to separate topics, so that we can all post our own developments of the new individual story lines under discrete threads or should they be kept under the Marilyn heading? Should I run a poll?

One observation I have is that the amount of growth y’all are giving the girls is much greater than I had imagined. I had set things up so that in terms of height and "natural" musculature, the boys and girls would pretty much just be changing places. Of course the girls would have the ability to get much stronger, since their exercise will have "lots" more impact on their muscle than the boys on the football team had, but I still think that muscles as big as a boy’s head after a few days of training is taking things pretty far.

Still, this is the difference between writing a story yourself and opening the door to everyone. I’m enjoying what you’re doing, and once we settle on the format I look forward to contributing my bits to the new story lines.

Mark

[Mark Newman]

I think Power Play is a long story. What makes it long are:

1. Sustained and consistent plot, character development and style, and

2. its length

All long stories should be broken up in chapters. That’s what most "real" novelists do, and it makes it easier for readers and writers alike. Readers can stop and rest at the end of chapters. Writers have to stop for breath frequently.

I think bad long stories are much worse than bad short stories. Part of that is, of course, the length. More importantly, it’s harder to find the good parts. Double entendre intended.

I find 5 pages normally too short to accomplish much more than set a mood.

Beyond that, I like both formats. If the story is really good then as a reader I want it to go on and on. As a writer, it’s a house I’m enjoying living in and I don’t want to move out too soon. But some themes don’t extend well and should be kept short. For me, some stories are good for one or two ideas, one or two twists, one of two good parts. The effect would be lost if they were repeated. Others, like Jilly Milly, needed extended development to bring out all the implications.

[Mark Newman]

I agree with CP’s comments. The triple organ theory is a great idea.

Good writing. I would have liked slower growth too. I often have to discipline myself to hold back and let the growth spread out over a period of time.

Thanks for contributing.

Mark

[Mark Newman]

Dear Geekboy:

Thanks for the reassurance. In my position sometimes it’s hard to tell, especially through email. My "craziness sensors" work much better face to face!

I do find your statement about a disturbance in the universe very interesting. I hope that the physicists are following it up. Who knows what they’ll find? That area is pretty far outside my own expertise too. It could just as well be a "Disturbance in the Force" for me.

[Mark Newman]

Haha! I just read Marilyn’s reply to Geekboy. She’s finally losing it. What would she say or do if she ever found out about the pendant! If I didn’t want to keep it a secret, I’d almost want to tell her, just to watch that uptight bitch freak out!

What she doesn’t realize is there are always people with power over you. The trick is to get some power yourself. Or to keep them happy. Or to stay out of their way. That’s the way the world works. At least that’s what I’ve seen.

I’ve GOT to get that fucking pendant!

[Mark Newman]

Dear Geekboy:

Hmmm. You sure have me scratching my head!

This is pretty far outside my area of expertise. Or, I admit, my interests. I deal with the human mind. Conscious and unconscious. The goings on of vampire priests and priestesses, draining life forces, and Gallifreyens and Tardis’s are beyond me, to be honest.

You might be insane.

What’s more likely is you’re playing with me. There are probably some "D&D" sites that like to indulge in your kind of speculation, but I frankly don’t know what to do with it in this forum.

I do know that fantasies of mystical forces and magic are some of the explanations circulating about the reasons for the changes. And I do admit that science has no definitive explanations … yet. It’s a natural reaction, especially for boys, to assume that powers beyond our control are responsible for their diminished strength. This may be a dark magical power wielded by evil vampire priestesses. Or it could be a power as basic to science as electricity but something the world at large has not yet discovered or disseminated but which has been activated randomly — or by design.

This is not something that I or anyone else can prove or disprove at this time. But I will say that belief in magic means a loss of confidence in rationality. If magic exists, then human endeavor is for nothing, and our only option is to appease those evil forces before they work against us. This is how our ancestors lived for thousands of years, and many of the dark eras of modern history show similar patterns of blind allegiance to irrational behaviors.

So, I’m not going to psychoanalyze you here. I’ve made a choice for science and rationality. If you are not delusional, then you can make that choice or the other for yourself. If you are not capable of a choice, then this is were more formal psychological help may be needed. You can contact me privately for referrals.

I wrote the paragraphs above but held back sending them to give one point some more thought. You will notice that I DO leave open the theoretical possibility that whatever forces have caused the changes, whether magical or scientific, were put into play by design. It’s a chilling thought that any of us could have such a power. Almost as chilling as the thought of evil vampire priestesses. If someone had the power to change our bodies — the very terms of our existence as they have been for all of human history — that would far dwarf what any absolute dictator has ever been able to do. To be honest, I admit that the possibility terrifies me.

If ultimately that is proved to be the case, then we will all have to bid farewell to our modern beliefs of equality, personal autonomy, human rights and democracy. And in my own field, I would have either have to brush up on my Jung (which I happily put away after two weeks of Freshman study) or take up something else. Like gardening.

No, I could never be a Jungian — at least not professionally. I would tend my own garden. And try to help myself and those around me cope with the fantasies of terror that are no longer fantasies, with nightmares that are now real.

But I won’t go there. Not unless I have to.

Marilyn

[Mark Newman]

I agree Pug. I gave him the same comment. I like a few ups and downs in a story. But writing is harder than it looks and it’s his first try.

[Mark Newman]

Dear Monty:

I think you did the right thing by not getting involved. Growing up is difficult enough for children without having to mediate between their parents’ relationship. This sounds like a somewhat unhealthy dynamic that has been going on between your parents for some time. Maybe the Changes have shifted it to a different playing field, but it’s the same story.

At least your father shows a healthy sense of humor about it. But I hope he can sleep on the couch without developing a backache.

Obviously we all want our parents to have a healthy marriage. Even when they’re such a ripe old age that they have high school children, loving relationships and a healthy sex life are attainable. But it’s not up to their children to help them achieve it. You have enough problems with your own lives. Just don’t feel discouraged by the shortcomings you see in your parents. The fact that your Mom can now do curls with your Dad as easily as she puts them in her hair doesn’t mean they can’t still love each other and do things together — including some things that they won’t want you to see!

Good luck!

Marilyn

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