Reaching Through Darkness

FAQ

1. Will there be a sequel to this story?

Yes, this will be a trilogy. I have been sort of planning the third story as I wrote this one.

2. Did you have this all planned out or did you make it up as you went along?

For this story I actually sat down before I wrote a word and thought out most of what was going to happen in the story. A few places I had to make up as I went along, but that turned out fine.

3. Will you publish this?

As said in the last story, no for the same reason. This story is not being written to make money, but to have fun with it and to heal myself of fears and problems of the past. I’m just glad you all enjoyed it too.

4. How long did this story take you to write?

Ten long months. My mother sadly died in the middle of this story and I mostly stopped writing for about four months. I had to mourn for my mother and come back to college before I could make myself finish this story. Believe me, it was hurting me a lot to not be able to write and it was a great joy to finally end it.

5. How much of this story relates to you?

Some of it does, but this was much more of a daydream story than the last one. This story was meant to be a break from the serious thought and healing of the last story. It was a way to let me be creative and have a lot of fun with jokes and minor points about society, relationships, and other things that I can’t draw up. But there were a few things in this story that came directly from real life.

6. Why did you have your character raped?

Honestly, there was no really good reason other than it just worked out well in the story. I know it was a cruel thing to do to her and maybe it wasn’t very realistic, but do understand Karen was not a fully trained Jedi, mostly a normal young woman with half developed Force skills and very little physical fighting skills. Placed under the circumstances, I think it was believable enough.

7. Is it true that your mother was raped?

I will never really know the true answer to that, but there is some strong proof that she was, and I possibly could have been the result of that rape, but that is not why I put it in. It was strange, but right before I wrote about the rape scene; my sister came out and told me she had been raped six months before. So her story convinced me what I was doing was right and that people need to be aware of how bad it really is and what the mother faces if she is pregnant.

8. What about the astral projection scenes?

All information given in those scenes is true. They were based on my real, personal experiences, though I have not met Luke or actually taught someone like that. If you do more research, you will be able to follow my steps and tips to be able to project.

9. Are you pro choice or life?

I am pro choice. I admit it was hard for me to logically explain in a believable way to my readers the turn in her decision. Had that actually happen to me, I probably would have not kept the kid, but my character is not always me. I feel women should always have the choice to have the kid or not. If they don’t want the kid, that kid may live a horrible life if the mother tried to raise it. There is no point in having another miserable person in the world. Yet I do not support the idea of using abortion to fix stupid mistakes and people who are just insensitivity. If you were raped, do not have the means to support the child, or really hate or don’t really, really want to raise the kid, then I will agree to an abortion.

10. Was this trip based on any trip you’ve been on?

Yes, but not directly. I have traveled a lot since I was 9. I have been to a lot of places like all the way from Key West to Maine, The Four Corner states, Mexico, Washington State, and other places in the United States. I have learned a lot about travel and in the first chapter, what I say about travel is true.

11. Any hints on what the next story will be on?

Yes and no. This next story will take the same format as this one, but a different point of view will be used. This will also go back to being a very serious and emotional story now that I have had my fun with writing adventures. This story, I hope, will help me deal with my mom’s death, but I will not go further than that in details.

I would also like to personally thank Paul, known as OldSoul, and Christine who both edited this story and the other one. Christine did the first edit and Paul did the fine point, fussy things that polished this story until it shined. (Though depending on what site you read the story, you may have read the unedited version) Both were hard on grammar and spelling, making sure I actually made sense, but both gave me the support that I needed to keep writing. I would also like to thank those who commented me privately or publicly about my story. Those comments let me know that people are reading it and make me want to post more and faster. And I haven’t forgotten the nameless readers who have stuck through the end. I realize this was a long, action packed story with a very unhappy twist, but you have to admit it was worth the read. Thank you so much and I hope you look forward to the continuing story of Karen Nightingstar’s journey.