Truths That Wake

Sentinel Fanfiction
Title:	Truths That Wake
Author(s):	Charlotte Frost
Date(s):	7/05/02
Length:	578k, 153pgs
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Sentinel
External Links:	online here
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Truths That Wake is a Jim/Blair story by Charlotte Frost.

The sequel is Heart and Home.

Summmary: " A year after TSbBS, Blair is finally closing in on finishing his doctorate and the future has never looked so uncertain -- for himself and for his friends. A story of what we think we need versus what we think we want versus what others think we need versus what we allow ourselves to have."

Author's Comments

After having my every conscious thought wrapped up in Jim’s senses – and especially how they affected him sexually – during the writing of my first TS story, “Self Discovery 101”, I was eager to next write a simple love story, where Jim’s senses weren’t a factor. This novel now has many cringe factors for me, but I remember that it was very enjoyable to write.

I am proud of the Simon subplot – he ended up being a fully fleshed character – and I like various moments, such as the scene when Jim gets the news of Steven’s death, and the scene in the restaurant where they kind of, sort of talk about adding sex to their relationship. On the cringe side, I think Part One goes on way too long, and I’m appalled at some of my word choices (such a Blair’s “little tummy”, or something like that).

When it was time for the first time sex scene, I absolutely did not want to write it. I was so, so jaded on sex. And yet, after all the build-up, how could I not? What I ended up doing was having Jim reflect on it the morning after. That way, I didn’t have to write ten uninteresting pages, and yet the reader could still get the idea. One of my betas gave her whole-hearted approval.

Still, I’ve gotten a complaint here or there at how the story (or my TS stories in general) “fade to black” too much.

I’m not very good at writing endings that feel like endings. But I really liked the final paragraphs in this one. Wish I could do that every time.

One of my most all-time favorite feedback comments concerned this story. A fan who was black mentioned how it gave her a different perspective on her sometimes-anger toward her more privileged white co-workers. To write something that is truly helpful to another… it certainly made all the hours of effort worth it.

Another reader made a passing comment that the story should have had a “smarm warning”. She said she kept expecting something dramatic to happen and nothing ever did.