A NOTE FROM DORIS:
More than a year has passed since Candy and I met by sheer chance and began work on Chasing Hope. Our love for writing, the excitement at the idea of one day seeing a finished product, and the fabulous feedback provided from readers kept us working month after month to complete the project.
While I am beyond thrilled with the completed story, I can't help but feel sad at knowing the journey has ended.
To the readers - Thank you for your patience, kind words, and encouragement. Your comments have meant more than you can possibly imagine.
To Candy - Remind me never to write another story without you! When I slack, when I rush through thoughts or events, you are always there to whip me into shape. "We could use a little more emotion in this scene." "Could we add some of what Michael is thinking here?" "I don't get this part." "Is this really what Maria is feeling?" The number of times we passed a chapter back and forth and the massive number of changes made before any post only added to the overall effectiveness and made the story what it is. one of my favorite endeavors. Your creativity and professionalism is comparable to none. I would be honored to work on any project with you any time in the future - hopefully a project centered around original characters so that we can share it with even more people. Thank you for everything.
Personal plug - While in college, I was assigned to keep a journal by my English professor. I am posting a fictional version of that journal online. The entries are based on my experiences as a tormented journal hostage. While the journal is fictional, it is based on real people and real experiences from my 4 years of college... condensed into one semester by pulling the most comical, most emotionally motivating, and most mentally draining happenings. Please check it out, but be sure to go to the Archives and read the entries in order starting with Day 1. I post one entry daily. You'll also find that one of the characters is named after a favorite Roswell fellow. www.journalhostage.blogspot.com
......................................................
A NOTE FROM CANDY:
Wow, it's the end. *Sniffles* It's been a long journey but we've finally made it. It's been a wonderful experience, and one that has left us with a lot to learn from. I had never written anything before, much less posted something on-line, so I must admit that I was very apprehensive and scared at first. However, thanks to all of your support, hope started increasing and we got the courage to continue. It is somewhat sad to reach the end; especially because this means there will be no more writing, brainstorming, editing and feedback *sniffles some more*.
I would like to thank each and everyone one of you who have kept us going from the beginning of the fic about a year ago until its final sections. Thank you for all the feedback that has given us the power to continue. A special thanks to those who inspired us to start this story and those who have been there every step of the way. Thank you all for waiting patiently for the story, no matter how long it took us to produce. Thank you for keeping us on our toes and reminding us once in a while that there was still a fic waiting to be finished.
I would especially like to thank Doris for always being there. It was because of her that Chasing Hope was able to take about a life of its own. She took a simple idea and worked with it until producing Chasing Hope. Without her, this story wouldn't have been possible. It was her constant dedication, her talent, her editing, her strong skills, and her hard work what has produced this story. I am thankful for having the opportunity to have worked with such a great person.
So I am kinda out of words. I know I'm ranting just like those boring people in the Oscar awards, but come on.how many times does a girl get to rant?
To close this up, I can honestly say that working on this story has been one of the greatest experiences I have ever had (That tells you the kind of life I have). Now to your previously scheduled fic.
....................................................................
Lying on her back, she stared far into the massive night sky crammed with zillions of tiny, twinkling stars. The soft breeze caressed her skin as she watched midnight blues, purples, and reds dance across the sky. The blanket of purple grass beneath her was cool and gentle and the nearby song of the crickets calmed her. She snuggled closer to him and enveloped herself in his warmth.
He embraced her tightly and tucked back a silky curl that had escaped her golden pins. He tenderly cupped her delicate face and brought his warm lips to hers for a brief, but emotionally-telling kiss.
She closed the book in her hands and traced her fingers over the black leather cover, paying particular attention to the golden embossed letters that read "Chasing Hope." She snuggled back against his body as she sunk into the serene silence of the magical night... the night her book was released for everyone to read and, hopefully, become motivated to seek out their own form of hope. "You really think hope's out there?" she asked.
He looked into her eyes and was stricken by something he saw in them. Perhaps it was simple curiosity about what he thought. Perhaps it was doubt that the lines between fiction and reality could be so easily crossed. Perhaps it was actual hope she was contemplating.
He turned his gaze back to the twinkling stars and nodded. "Of course, love. Hope existed in your story, why can't it exist here?"
She shifted uncomfortably and brought her eyes from the stars down to the tree-lined horizon.
He felt her body tremble beneath his touch, and even though he knew the answer, he asked anyway. "What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid," she spoke softly, her words barely audible. "What if I can't do this? "
"You've been waiting for this moment for so long, Maria. You're a strong writer. Everything will go just fine," he reassured her and tried to sweep away unjust doubts.
She sat up and buried her head in her hands. "But what if I fail, Michael? What then? What will I do if people don't like my book? Worse yet, what if they hate it? I poured my heart and soul into that book, Michael. I am that book. And if it fails, I fail."
"You don't believe in it, Maria," Michael spoke.
Maria looked down at him, confusion evident in her emerald green eyes. She hadn't expected him to confirm her doubts.
Michael sat up next to Maria. "You don't believe in the hope of your own story. You don't believe in the very hope that carried your characters through trials greater than bad reviews or peer rejection," Michael said pointing out the hypocrisy in her fears.
Maria hesitated, took a deep breath, and consumed herself in silent thoughts for a few minutes.
"Chasing Hope is your creation," Michael continued. "It's true that it's a part of you. But if you don't have faith in yourself, can you expect others to do so? You've got to love it first."
"That's part of the problem, Michael. I cannot love that which I do not know... that which does not exist. I'm asking the readers to believe in something I know nothing about. It was all a story. Nothing was real! The characters. Earth. Hope. It was all a product of my imagination! None of it is real! Things in the real world don't end happily ever after." She tried hard to control the tears she felt welling up in her eyes and, once again, buried her head in her hands.
Michael touched Maria's shoulder. "Maria, you've spent so long in this story it has consumed you. I don't think it's the readers' acceptance you're worried about. You poured so much of your heart into creating Earth and into creating a world where the good guy wins... I think your frustration is not in the idea of bad reviews; I think your frustration is in the story being over, in you having to leave that world behind and return to life here... with me."
Maria looked at Michael with surprise.
"I just..." Michael began. "I've waited a very long time for you to come back."
"But I haven't been gone anywhere," Maria said confused.
"Yes, you have," Michael said wiping a stray tear from Maria's cheek.
"I.I just wish," Maria said. "I just wish that things were like the fairy tale, Michael. But they aren't. There's no such thing as happily ever after, there's no such thing as Earth, there's no such thing as story-book endings." she took a deep breath and continued, "And there's no such thing as Hope."
Michael pulled her body closer to his. "Life's as real as we make it, Ria. And hope is as strong as you let it be. Maria, you know as well as I do that hope cannot be found in some kind of magic potion. No. I think hope is found everyday in people who cry, laugh, and hurt. It is what gives us the strength to wake up in the morning and live through another day. Hope is what makes you who you are, Maria."
"Waking up and fighting through another day doesn't make things end happily ever after." Maria sighed taking control of her emotions. "Besides, it is those everyday things - the crying and the hurting - that's what scares me most. At least when I'm writing, I have full control. I know how it will end. And I know all the trials are for a reason and that everything will turn out okay." Maria carefully looked into Michael's troubled eyes. "And the boy always gets the girl in the end."
"Is that what you're worried about?" Michael asked.
Maria hung her head and had to laugh a little at her own frenzy. Michael had never left her feeling anything but loved. In her heart, Maria knew that was the least of her burdens. "No," she answered truthfully.
"Then what is it?" Michael asked softly.
"I guess I'm just afraid of failing," Maria said still looking at her lap.
Michael smiled. "This is a ridiculous conversation. Your book will be loved as much as you are. And so what if I'm the only one who sees the true beauty in the imagination of Maria Deluca? Score one for me... the most brilliant man in the universe." Michael joked with Maria trying to bring back the girl he loved... the girl he loved who had disappeared into a fictional world called Earth... the girl who he so desperately wanted to come back to him. He knew she would.
"Michael," Maria said trying not to laugh at her love's untimely joke, "It's not ridiculous because I know that when I fail.I just.you don't understand."
"And what's so bad about that? So what if we fail from time and time? Doesn't that provide the perfect opportunity to turn our lives around and aim for that happy ending? So what if we spend a few days crying in our lives? It's hope - just like you wrote about - that carries you through. It's what has carried your characters through, Maria. Why can't it be the same here? This isn't Earth. And no, our grass isn't some absurd shade of green. And I highly doubt we'll ever meet a human - heaven forbid."
Maria laughed a little Michael's recollection of the world she'd created.
"But," Michael continued, "I think hope is universal." He touched her head, "It's here. Regardless of what galaxy you live in, how many arms and legs you have, what color your sky is... Hope exists for everyone."
Maria looked into Michael's honey-colored eyes and then turned her gaze back to the stars. And for the first time she saw something more than just twinkling dots. For a brief moment, she wondered if the stars were small flickers of hope. Maybe there was, indeed, such a thing called hope after all.
Maria returned her eyes to Michael. Maybe she did believe in her book after all. She grabbed her book in her hands and skimmed through it until she found the page that she was looking for... the last page in the book was left blank. She'd left it that way so that each reader could create their own ending, their own hope. And as for Maria, she finally knew how to complete her own. She sighed and clutched her pen tightly in her right hand. She looked up to the stars again for any kind of sign. Any kind of sign that would give her the power to continue. Zillions of twinkling lights illuminated the heavens. She smiled and took a deep breath as she clutched her book tightly. She brought her gaze down to her blank page and allowed her thoughts to form words. Her pen swept across the page in swift motions as she filled the final page of Chasing Hope.
Somewhere amongst it all, they comprehended that hope could reveal itself anywhere and in anyone. It was not necessary to be the hero rescuing a lady's cat from a burning building, pulling a scared child from the rough waves in the ocean, or even helping the elderly man to safely cross traffic. In truth, simple living while seeking Hope brings courage like no other.
And they discovered that failure only made them stronger, and it was failure that taught them to learn from their mistakes. So what if they stumbled? They could always get up again. And if they stumbled again? Chasing after something as solid as hope would carry them through countless falls and bring them closer to understanding how from tear and heartache came the hope of a new and better life.
The End
Your definition of hope: ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________
More than a year has passed since Candy and I met by sheer chance and began work on Chasing Hope. Our love for writing, the excitement at the idea of one day seeing a finished product, and the fabulous feedback provided from readers kept us working month after month to complete the project.
While I am beyond thrilled with the completed story, I can't help but feel sad at knowing the journey has ended.
To the readers - Thank you for your patience, kind words, and encouragement. Your comments have meant more than you can possibly imagine.
To Candy - Remind me never to write another story without you! When I slack, when I rush through thoughts or events, you are always there to whip me into shape. "We could use a little more emotion in this scene." "Could we add some of what Michael is thinking here?" "I don't get this part." "Is this really what Maria is feeling?" The number of times we passed a chapter back and forth and the massive number of changes made before any post only added to the overall effectiveness and made the story what it is. one of my favorite endeavors. Your creativity and professionalism is comparable to none. I would be honored to work on any project with you any time in the future - hopefully a project centered around original characters so that we can share it with even more people. Thank you for everything.
Personal plug - While in college, I was assigned to keep a journal by my English professor. I am posting a fictional version of that journal online. The entries are based on my experiences as a tormented journal hostage. While the journal is fictional, it is based on real people and real experiences from my 4 years of college... condensed into one semester by pulling the most comical, most emotionally motivating, and most mentally draining happenings. Please check it out, but be sure to go to the Archives and read the entries in order starting with Day 1. I post one entry daily. You'll also find that one of the characters is named after a favorite Roswell fellow. www.journalhostage.blogspot.com
......................................................
A NOTE FROM CANDY:
Wow, it's the end. *Sniffles* It's been a long journey but we've finally made it. It's been a wonderful experience, and one that has left us with a lot to learn from. I had never written anything before, much less posted something on-line, so I must admit that I was very apprehensive and scared at first. However, thanks to all of your support, hope started increasing and we got the courage to continue. It is somewhat sad to reach the end; especially because this means there will be no more writing, brainstorming, editing and feedback *sniffles some more*.
I would like to thank each and everyone one of you who have kept us going from the beginning of the fic about a year ago until its final sections. Thank you for all the feedback that has given us the power to continue. A special thanks to those who inspired us to start this story and those who have been there every step of the way. Thank you all for waiting patiently for the story, no matter how long it took us to produce. Thank you for keeping us on our toes and reminding us once in a while that there was still a fic waiting to be finished.
I would especially like to thank Doris for always being there. It was because of her that Chasing Hope was able to take about a life of its own. She took a simple idea and worked with it until producing Chasing Hope. Without her, this story wouldn't have been possible. It was her constant dedication, her talent, her editing, her strong skills, and her hard work what has produced this story. I am thankful for having the opportunity to have worked with such a great person.
So I am kinda out of words. I know I'm ranting just like those boring people in the Oscar awards, but come on.how many times does a girl get to rant?
To close this up, I can honestly say that working on this story has been one of the greatest experiences I have ever had (That tells you the kind of life I have). Now to your previously scheduled fic.
....................................................................
Lying on her back, she stared far into the massive night sky crammed with zillions of tiny, twinkling stars. The soft breeze caressed her skin as she watched midnight blues, purples, and reds dance across the sky. The blanket of purple grass beneath her was cool and gentle and the nearby song of the crickets calmed her. She snuggled closer to him and enveloped herself in his warmth.
He embraced her tightly and tucked back a silky curl that had escaped her golden pins. He tenderly cupped her delicate face and brought his warm lips to hers for a brief, but emotionally-telling kiss.
She closed the book in her hands and traced her fingers over the black leather cover, paying particular attention to the golden embossed letters that read "Chasing Hope." She snuggled back against his body as she sunk into the serene silence of the magical night... the night her book was released for everyone to read and, hopefully, become motivated to seek out their own form of hope. "You really think hope's out there?" she asked.
He looked into her eyes and was stricken by something he saw in them. Perhaps it was simple curiosity about what he thought. Perhaps it was doubt that the lines between fiction and reality could be so easily crossed. Perhaps it was actual hope she was contemplating.
He turned his gaze back to the twinkling stars and nodded. "Of course, love. Hope existed in your story, why can't it exist here?"
She shifted uncomfortably and brought her eyes from the stars down to the tree-lined horizon.
He felt her body tremble beneath his touch, and even though he knew the answer, he asked anyway. "What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid," she spoke softly, her words barely audible. "What if I can't do this? "
"You've been waiting for this moment for so long, Maria. You're a strong writer. Everything will go just fine," he reassured her and tried to sweep away unjust doubts.
She sat up and buried her head in her hands. "But what if I fail, Michael? What then? What will I do if people don't like my book? Worse yet, what if they hate it? I poured my heart and soul into that book, Michael. I am that book. And if it fails, I fail."
"You don't believe in it, Maria," Michael spoke.
Maria looked down at him, confusion evident in her emerald green eyes. She hadn't expected him to confirm her doubts.
Michael sat up next to Maria. "You don't believe in the hope of your own story. You don't believe in the very hope that carried your characters through trials greater than bad reviews or peer rejection," Michael said pointing out the hypocrisy in her fears.
Maria hesitated, took a deep breath, and consumed herself in silent thoughts for a few minutes.
"Chasing Hope is your creation," Michael continued. "It's true that it's a part of you. But if you don't have faith in yourself, can you expect others to do so? You've got to love it first."
"That's part of the problem, Michael. I cannot love that which I do not know... that which does not exist. I'm asking the readers to believe in something I know nothing about. It was all a story. Nothing was real! The characters. Earth. Hope. It was all a product of my imagination! None of it is real! Things in the real world don't end happily ever after." She tried hard to control the tears she felt welling up in her eyes and, once again, buried her head in her hands.
Michael touched Maria's shoulder. "Maria, you've spent so long in this story it has consumed you. I don't think it's the readers' acceptance you're worried about. You poured so much of your heart into creating Earth and into creating a world where the good guy wins... I think your frustration is not in the idea of bad reviews; I think your frustration is in the story being over, in you having to leave that world behind and return to life here... with me."
Maria looked at Michael with surprise.
"I just..." Michael began. "I've waited a very long time for you to come back."
"But I haven't been gone anywhere," Maria said confused.
"Yes, you have," Michael said wiping a stray tear from Maria's cheek.
"I.I just wish," Maria said. "I just wish that things were like the fairy tale, Michael. But they aren't. There's no such thing as happily ever after, there's no such thing as Earth, there's no such thing as story-book endings." she took a deep breath and continued, "And there's no such thing as Hope."
Michael pulled her body closer to his. "Life's as real as we make it, Ria. And hope is as strong as you let it be. Maria, you know as well as I do that hope cannot be found in some kind of magic potion. No. I think hope is found everyday in people who cry, laugh, and hurt. It is what gives us the strength to wake up in the morning and live through another day. Hope is what makes you who you are, Maria."
"Waking up and fighting through another day doesn't make things end happily ever after." Maria sighed taking control of her emotions. "Besides, it is those everyday things - the crying and the hurting - that's what scares me most. At least when I'm writing, I have full control. I know how it will end. And I know all the trials are for a reason and that everything will turn out okay." Maria carefully looked into Michael's troubled eyes. "And the boy always gets the girl in the end."
"Is that what you're worried about?" Michael asked.
Maria hung her head and had to laugh a little at her own frenzy. Michael had never left her feeling anything but loved. In her heart, Maria knew that was the least of her burdens. "No," she answered truthfully.
"Then what is it?" Michael asked softly.
"I guess I'm just afraid of failing," Maria said still looking at her lap.
Michael smiled. "This is a ridiculous conversation. Your book will be loved as much as you are. And so what if I'm the only one who sees the true beauty in the imagination of Maria Deluca? Score one for me... the most brilliant man in the universe." Michael joked with Maria trying to bring back the girl he loved... the girl he loved who had disappeared into a fictional world called Earth... the girl who he so desperately wanted to come back to him. He knew she would.
"Michael," Maria said trying not to laugh at her love's untimely joke, "It's not ridiculous because I know that when I fail.I just.you don't understand."
"And what's so bad about that? So what if we fail from time and time? Doesn't that provide the perfect opportunity to turn our lives around and aim for that happy ending? So what if we spend a few days crying in our lives? It's hope - just like you wrote about - that carries you through. It's what has carried your characters through, Maria. Why can't it be the same here? This isn't Earth. And no, our grass isn't some absurd shade of green. And I highly doubt we'll ever meet a human - heaven forbid."
Maria laughed a little Michael's recollection of the world she'd created.
"But," Michael continued, "I think hope is universal." He touched her head, "It's here. Regardless of what galaxy you live in, how many arms and legs you have, what color your sky is... Hope exists for everyone."
Maria looked into Michael's honey-colored eyes and then turned her gaze back to the stars. And for the first time she saw something more than just twinkling dots. For a brief moment, she wondered if the stars were small flickers of hope. Maybe there was, indeed, such a thing called hope after all.
Maria returned her eyes to Michael. Maybe she did believe in her book after all. She grabbed her book in her hands and skimmed through it until she found the page that she was looking for... the last page in the book was left blank. She'd left it that way so that each reader could create their own ending, their own hope. And as for Maria, she finally knew how to complete her own. She sighed and clutched her pen tightly in her right hand. She looked up to the stars again for any kind of sign. Any kind of sign that would give her the power to continue. Zillions of twinkling lights illuminated the heavens. She smiled and took a deep breath as she clutched her book tightly. She brought her gaze down to her blank page and allowed her thoughts to form words. Her pen swept across the page in swift motions as she filled the final page of Chasing Hope.
Somewhere amongst it all, they comprehended that hope could reveal itself anywhere and in anyone. It was not necessary to be the hero rescuing a lady's cat from a burning building, pulling a scared child from the rough waves in the ocean, or even helping the elderly man to safely cross traffic. In truth, simple living while seeking Hope brings courage like no other.
And they discovered that failure only made them stronger, and it was failure that taught them to learn from their mistakes. So what if they stumbled? They could always get up again. And if they stumbled again? Chasing after something as solid as hope would carry them through countless falls and bring them closer to understanding how from tear and heartache came the hope of a new and better life.
The End
Your definition of hope: ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________