John is a hard character to write well. So often people portray him as being a real bastard.
"Bastard" is a valid interpretation, I think. There must be some reason for the depth of the conflict between John and Sam. As a father, he's made a lot of mistakes, bordering on abuse. But it's also true that he loves his sons.
he way he leaves them for days at a time in just a motel room would be considered child abuse in most places that I know.
I don't think so. Neglect, certainly, and enough for child services to conclude he's not a fit father. But not abuse. It qualifies as abuse if you factor in leaving a ten-year-old with a loaded shotgun and expecting him to use it, though.
His obsession can make him overlook the damage he's doing to his sons.
Hmm. Yes and no. We get the "obsession" part from Sam, and he's not exactly a reliable source when it comes to John. As we learn more about the family, I think much of Sam's attitude is misunderstanding: he assumes John is motivated by vengeance but the reality is far more complex. I try to write John as he is, not how others see him; not easy, as he's appeared so little in canon, but I'm coming to understand him, I think.
But in my case, I didn't see this on some of the boards that I have seen your other stories, i.e. Cry Wolf, that I check on a normal basis.
Oh, no you wouldn't have. With Cry Wolf, I was almost finished with the first draft when I started posting. In this case, I'm flying seat-of-my-pants. I won't post on the boards until I know for sure the story will be finished. I believe it will be, but I'm not at the point where I can make promises.
Anyways, I hope that you post another chapter soon.
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John is a hard character to write well. So often people portray him as being a real bastard.
"Bastard" is a valid interpretation, I think. There must be some reason for the depth of the conflict between John and Sam. As a father, he's made a lot of mistakes, bordering on abuse. But it's also true that he loves his sons.
he way he leaves them for days at a time in just a motel room would be considered child abuse in most places that I know.
I don't think so. Neglect, certainly, and enough for child services to conclude he's not a fit father. But not abuse. It qualifies as abuse if you factor in leaving a ten-year-old with a loaded shotgun and expecting him to use it, though.
His obsession can make him overlook the damage he's doing to his sons.
Hmm. Yes and no. We get the "obsession" part from Sam, and he's not exactly a reliable source when it comes to John. As we learn more about the family, I think much of Sam's attitude is misunderstanding: he assumes John is motivated by vengeance but the reality is far more complex. I try to write John as he is, not how others see him; not easy, as he's appeared so little in canon, but I'm coming to understand him, I think.
But in my case, I didn't see this on some of the boards that I have seen your other stories, i.e. Cry Wolf, that I check on a normal basis.
Oh, no you wouldn't have. With Cry Wolf, I was almost finished with the first draft when I started posting. In this case, I'm flying seat-of-my-pants. I won't post on the boards until I know for sure the story will be finished. I believe it will be, but I'm not at the point where I can make promises.
Anyways, I hope that you post another chapter soon.
I'm trying to post one per week.
Thanks again for the feedback!