Comment from royowen

Excellent

Well that was an interesting episode and a darn good look into how progressive and deceptive addiction is, I was a drunk before I met the Lord and a smoker and a compulsive gambler, so I understand addiction, I gave all up in one day when God told me to, but He is a much better addiction than any earthbound drug, they are actually idols, one serves them, not the other way around, that was 41 years ago, I've never indulged since, beautifully written Jim, blessings Roy

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

That is a great story of your resurrection, Roy, and I loved your statement that "one serves them (the addictive subject) rather than the other way around." So true.

Yes, indeed there are healthy addictions too. Writing for me is one of them.

reply by royowen on 05-Jul-2024

Yep, we become a slave,

Comment from Tom Horonzy

Excellent

Why do I suspect this book is finished and you air it for eyes to read a little at a time... and then I think, perhaps not, and how difficult it would be to pen a novel day by day, but then I forget who it is I am reading.

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

The first novel I posted on FanStory (Some Call It Luck) was complete when I posted it, but since that time, Saving Mr. Calvin, What We See, and now Enough were not and were being written as I posted.

I generally get ahead with the writing (I just completed writing chapter 21, so I'm now 10 chapters ahead of the postings), and I usually finish writing by the time I'm halfway through the postings, and this is consistent with my being a "pantser" (write by the seat of my pants). I don't know at this point how the novel will end, and I only have a vague idea of what will be in Part 2 when we get there, which is still quite a ways off.

I like writing them this way, because I often get good ideas from the reviews to either go back and revise some things or they will spur me to go in a certain direction in the story that I haven't written yet or may revise if I have written it. It's like having a bunch of beta-readers, who most professional authors have, to read their book before submitting for publication to see how it's being received and if any parts need to be tweaked, added, abandoned or if the whole thing should be thrown out because no one likes it. And I always appreciate criticism, whether or not I completely agree with it, because there is usually something there that indicates more work is needed, and it makes for a better novel in the end.

I even welcome your "ho-hums" because they tell me I may need to beef up the interest of the chapter you've just read.

reply by Tom Horonzy on 05-Jul-2024

Fortunate for you, I used up my ho-hums last night trying to doze off. (Not really.) I am simply doing my best to be funny! ;-O

Comment from Wayne Fowler

Excellent

I was wracking my brain to remember a girl named Chloe and how Brian caused her death. Pets hold a low place in my consciousness, even though I grew up with a pet dog.
Well written.

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

Yeah, I get that. That's why I put Chloe in the character list in the notes.

This was actually a difficult chapter for me to write because I've always been very close to my pet cats. I got very emotional reading it back to my wife. The same thing happened when I had a cat die in my novel Some Call It Luck which I think came before you started reading me.

Comment from tfawcus

Excellent

This is a graphic account of the effects of addiction and the road to recovery. Brian is fortunate to have a big sister like Fran, for it wouldn't be an easy road to take alone.

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

He will definitely need her help, but I won't be focusing on that quite as much as on someone else he is soon to meet.

Comment from Wendy G

Excellent

Excellent chapter! I am sorry not to have a six left. I am so glad he was frank and honest with her, and that she will do what she can to help him. Addiction is tough to overcome on one's own. Very well written as always. Flowed with smoothness and authenticity.
Wendy

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

Thanks very much, Wendy. He is basically a good kid, although we haven't seen that much evidence of it yet. He realizes he needs her help, so there was no sense in lying to her about what he's been doing.

Comment from Pearl Edwards

Excellent

For a young woman that was thrust into looking ater her brother Fran is coping well, as is often the case when that is your reality. You are doing well with the growth of this brother and sister, Jim.
cheers,
valda

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

It's a tough role for a sibling to be forced by circumstances to have, and Fran is doing her best. She may have missed some of the signs of his addiction, but it's hard when it's your brother who you love. It's a form of denial, I guess, but finally the proof was incontrovertible, and he will need her help more than ever.

Comment from Pamusart

Excellent

Hi, Jim. I hope you are well

I know Fran and Brian were 18 and 12 when this novel began. How old are they now?

This sounds like Brian is still in high school or middle school probably high school. Because Fran was going to call the school to tell them he wouldn't be in class.

It sounds like Fran is Brian guardian. But I can tell you it's not gonna be easy to withdraw from OxyContin. That's the drug that killed prince and Michael Jackson. Not sure about Prince. It could've been fentanyl.

I enjoyed reading your story

Good job thank you for sharing

 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

Brian is 16 or 17 now and in high school, while Fran is 23 or 23 and is a sheriff's deputy with the county police. She became his legal guardian right after the parents' death when she was 18.

It is precisely the difficulty of withdrawing from opiates that fuels much of the rest of the story and gives rise to his own efforts to create a non-addictive painkiller when he is older.

Thank you very much for reading and your kind words.

Comment from Carol Hillebrenner

Excellent

This is very well written and very accurate in the way Fran decided to deal with the problem. Screaming and yelling doesn't cut it when he has pain and can forget it with oxy. Brian wisely chose to confess all because he knew the oxy was controlling him and was why he killed his cat.

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 Comment Written 05-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

I think you've got it exactly right, Carol. She was all set to read him the riot act if he had lied to her, but his confession changed things. She could already see how devastated he was and how much pain he must have been in, so piling on with criticism would have most likely been counterproductive. Wise woman.

Comment from lancellot

Excellent

Well, so far his addiction hasn't caused any lasting damage, and his sister is wrong. He is Not a good kid. Maybe book smart, but not good. His cheating, lying, and criminal drug use are not what 'good' kids do. Given how straight forward the sister is, I was a bit surprised by that. But I understand the style. Good writing and editing.

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The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 04-Jul-2024

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reply by the author on 05-Jul-2024

Well certainly we haven't seen much evidence of his being a good kid, (that will come), but she has known him all his life and knows that he has made a lot of mistakes that many good kids may also make if they were in the kind of pain he was in. Some of the undesirable things he did preceded this pain, but who among us hasn't made a lot of mistakes in our early years?

I can see some major flaws in my own grandkids and some of the mistakes they have made, but I've known them closely all their lives to know that they are good kids at heart, despite their behavior sometimes.

Fran's true knowledge of her brother is perhaps what has made her slow to pick up on some of the signs of his addiction. A parent doesn't want to believe the worst about their kids and may be in denial a lot longer than others who are not so close to them. Based on your remarks, though, I did just go back and add a little more about this to Fran's reply to Brian when she tells him he's basically a good kid.

Brian is most definitely a flawed character, but we will begin to see more of his good side as the novel progresses.