It's the same way with my fiction. I have about two loyal fans who post once after every chapter. It drives me up a friggin' wall. I spend an hour trying to think out how to develop my characters while keeping the story interesting, yet some 10 year old who types up a chapter before he leaves for school in the morning gets lauded for his writing skills. For shame.

As for your fan fic, you nailed the personalities of Stranger and the Clakkers, along with the Outlaws you created. You know how to develop a character, which is more than I can say for the majority of other fan fiction writers. It practically feels as if I'm reading the script to the second SW!
Well.... not really. But it's the next best thing.
Well.... not really. But it's still damn good. :)

Thank you, Kimon. It's good to be supported.

...You guys can put me down now.

(How you managed to lift me is beyond my realm of comprehension)

Great work Dipstikk, it really is. Just trying to show my support ;)

Well....finally got around to read this chapter, sorry it took so long.

What can I say? I'm really impressed with your writing style, like I've already said. I like when I need to use my English-Polish dictionary while reading a fanfic.
You're right- most of the fanfictions are really badly written, but still- they get a really huge number of comments. Why support something that doesn't make any sense is beyond me (sure, no need to be rude for some people, but please....sometimes, while reading a story with 100 plotholes- and even worse- without ANY plot, I'm sure that even I could write better things in English and my English is not all that fantastic as everyone can see :P). So it's sad to see a good author who feels underestimated. Really Dipstikk, no need to be bitter....I'm sure there are a lot of people who are really enjoying your story. And I'm one of them :)

I agree with Super Munch, most of the fanfiction writers wouldn't care as much as you did for that 'Stranger's hunt for the ammo' scene. Not only you decribed it very well- you did it very interesting to read (sure, sometimes there are beautiful describtions in stories, but usually they're just boring...yours wasn't and this is a rare ability :))

“Yo, man. I’d watch out if I were you,” a Chippunk said to another. “There’s some douchebag with a rock and it looks like he’s going to—YOWCH! Son of a b—ugh...”
Stranger hated people who spoiled the stealth approach. He knocked out the one who was warning the other, who passed out.
That really made me laugh :D

Stranger grinned. It was a shame there wasn’t a crowd around to see that. If you’re that good, it’s okay to show off.
I liked that line a lot for some odd reason.

And poor Pugsley.... I'm waiting for another chapter, yup.

hey dipstick i is still waiting for mor peethigns!1!!

Happily anticipating the next chapter. :)

Wow, I've only just seen this story, and I must say: good stuff, Dipstikk! I don't really look at many fan fictions here anymore, simply because, like you said, most of them either have a not-so-good plot, or are so difficult to understand that you can't even tell what the plot's supposed to be! But now I know that all is not lost, there are still some writers who can make a good story. ;)
I, too, have a very small amount of posters in my fan fiction, although mine probably isn't that good anyway. Speaking of that, I'd better update it soon...

Great fan-fictions like this is what convinced me to join this forum. And excellent story, this is definetely a must read for me. No plotholes, and a loveable outlaw. Keep up the good work.

Great fan fiction? You're at the wrong place then. Most of the stuff here is utter incomprehendable crap.

...And I would know. I contribute to it. :p

I kid, I kid. Welcome to the forums, Booty. And thank you for the compliment. :)

i maek gud story 4 u 2 reed LOLZ

ok heer it go.

Okay I tel u story now k thx. onse apon tyme there was moodawkin name flappydoodle. Him gratist of al mudawkkunz betr then ayb evun. He go to rupshurfarms now. "hi grappo" he say and grappo say "hi flappydoodle" they laff and play and run in crcle. But meen glukkin come to take mony and steel frum flappydoodle so he maek plan to stpo him. grappo jump and tel glukkin "swipr no swiping" an glukkin sad and crying is. then big ol mr bigbroslig come and he say meen things make grappo cry and he fall down and it was funny hur hur hur and flappydoodle say "u meen guy bigbroslig u say you sorry plz thx." bigbro say "You know what? You all suck. Suck and die, you fucking retards." grappo fel betr and maek klay moddl in preskule an show it to flappydoodle they laff the end lolerphant!!!!1111one
:hungry: :pipe: :cheer:

Now if you'll all excuse me, typing that made me ill.

OMG Dripptick you t lik teh most PWNZORS authir evah!!!QZ1337!111twenty-seven1!!#2!@?!?!?! Whn flappedoddlss was ilke OMG a glukkni I waz LolROXOR!!!!111 sweet so funy godd fictin gud job!!!1

Seriously though, that's a pretty accurate description of most of the fan fictions I've seen. Way to.... umm.... imitate crap? :p

I'm going to keep it so nobody figures out who or what Grappo is.

Wait... is that saying that people have a comprehension of the rest of the story? If so, than I have failed.

At any rate, this is going to be a side story. (Calling this a story has just decreased my score in life by 25 points.) Every so often I'll use the Flappydoodle and Grappo shit to either bump up the topic or use it as a cop out for not having a chapter for a while.

Oh, man, you're actually going to try to turn that into a story? Ewww.... Well, good luck I guess. :dead:

Other people have done the same thing. :D

Haha, I'm terrible.

Hehe. Yeah.

EDIT: Oops, this is getting spammy. Ummm... keep up the great work?

OMG U IS TEH BETS OF WRITORS@! an dteh glukkin mad me cry lot's.

Just make sure you're not sidetracked by teh goooooood novel, and continue writing The Reluctant Outlaw.

Wow, this is the first time I've actually read the faction straight through, reading every line. Before I just scanned it and replied about the characters personalitites. :P

Anyway, I'm awestruck. This is honestly the best fan fiction I've seen on these forums. You go into such detail with each character and what they're feeling, it's amazing. I like how you used a realistic alternative to the unlimited zappflies thing. But yeah, keep up the good work, and I'm anticipating the next chapter. (I mean it this time ;))

I think I have to agree with Kimon here. You've got great characters, a great storyline and good punctuation ;). Can't wait until the next chapter, Dipstikk. By the way, are you doing any art to coincide with your story? Anyway, keep up the good work.

Yeah, each illustration goes with the chapter. Expect many more.

I have just recently begun reading your fanfic. It's absolutely amazing!! Both the story and the art you've put with it are great! :) You've got a hit with the fans, Dipstikk. ;)

Updating anytime soon, Dipstikk..? ;) I mean, it's been a page since last update... No rush, though.

Man, Dipstikk. Me loves deh pics you drew. How'd yeh do it?

Pencil and paper, m'friend. I try to bold the lines out so it looks more professional.

Thank you for the compliment, I'll be sure to add to the story soon.

Well guys, sorry for the wait. School comes first. We have some useful advice in this chapter, such as why you shouldn't wear dark clothes in the desert.

Also, Pugs experiences a bad case of heat stroke. Now, most of the description comes from personal experiece. I'm a big fat guy, I get the heat pounded into me much faster and harder than people who are in shape. The worst comes during the summer.

Anyways, you don't want to read my ramblings. Prepare for...

Chapter Five

The Confrontation

I was probably put at least twenty miles behind me since I had fled the hideout. Leaving there left a strange taste in my mouth.

Why would Bailey, a short-fused and uncomfortably violent Outlaw bestow something so harmless as a banishment? I practically waltzed out of the hideout, and the brute didn’t even bat an eye.

Well, count your blessings, as they say. What’s past is past; so don’t dwell on it, Pugsley old boy.

The heat was beginning to get to me. My vision was blurry and I was having trouble keeping the sweat from my eyes. My coat was ripped in various places, beaten senseless by the elements. My head was getting the worst of it. Note to self: Black bowler hats are not good for trips through the desert, and are only good for soaking in excess sweat.

I was trudging through the grassy savanna at the base of Canyon Pass. There was a pair of forests on either side of the savanna, and a dirt road slicing through it. I made a long turn towards the trees on my left. The shade could provide some comfort, and I could stop and get the thorn out of my foot that had been nagging me since I received that hit-and-run from that tumbleweed a while back.

For a moment, I could have sworn that I saw a figure approaching from the distance. But I looked again, and it was gone. I chalked it up to heat stroke playing with my mind and headed for the woods.


Stranger cautiously followed the figure in the blue coat. He kept a considerable amount of distance between himself and the Outlaw, and for good reason. If he were to be seen, he would surely have to face this guy head-on. No, better to let the hot desert sun do the damage for him, rather than jump right in.

The bounty hunter was doing well, until the Outlaw turned his head. Stranger was sure that the Outlaw was looking straight at him, so he quickly bolted behind a rock.

The Outlaw turned and veered to the left, towards a long stretch of forest on the left wall of the canyon. Stranger took off on all fours, turning towards the forest as well, and ever so often ducking behind rocks or jumping into trees to avoid detection.

Stranger made it into the thick brush, still about three hundred yards away from the Outlaw. He climbed up a tree with incredible ease, almost as if he were simply treading ground. There was a branch at the top of the tree, uncomfortable, yet good enough that he could spy on the Outlaw without being seen.

Stranger felt at home here in amongst the forests for some reason, more so than he had ever felt in any town he’d been to, no matter how nice it was.

The Outlaw was sitting on a log, picking at his feet. Stranger would make his move soon, but first he wanted to have some fun with him.

Stranger arched his back and leapt to another tree, grabbing a large branch with his claws. He spared no time and sprang foreword yet again, soaring through the air and landing at the back of the branch. He continued on in that fashion until he was sitting in a tree right behind the Outlaw.

The Outlaw was at least nine feet tall, and wore a tattered blue coat with a white coat (with yellowish sweat stains), and a soggy, stinky bowler hat. All were such great choices for traveling in seering, triple-digit weather.

It was time to implicate a little paranoia on this guy. Stranger picked up a twig nested in the middle of the tree and tossed it to the left of the Outlaw, who followed it with his eyes. He got up and studied the twig with a strange sense of intelligence in his eyes, not usually a very common trait in Outlaws.

Stranger then slunk down out of the tree, crouched in the tall grass and tossed a pebble just behind the Outlaw, who heard it clack when it hit the ground.

“What in the world is going on?” the Outlaw said to himself as he turned to look. Stranger raced back into the tree, making just enough noise to ruffle the grass a bit.

The Outlaw looked over to the grass, which was still shaking.

“Okay, I know someone’s here,” he said, his voice having a distinctly exhausted ring to it. “Show yourself.”

Stranger didn’t usually take requests, but the time was right to confront the Outlaw.

He dropped from the branch in front of the Outlaw, landing flat on his feet.

“Why are you following me?” the Outlaw enquired.

“I’m here to take ya in,” Stranger replied. “You’ve got a purdy price on yer head, and I aim’s to collect.”


It wasn’t long before I found a place to sit; and by "sit," I mean completely drop. It was a moss-covered log, and seemed sturdy enough, probably solid all the way through. I pulled my leg up onto my lap so I could get at that thorn. Note to myself: Wash my feet when I reach the next town.

I was probably half of the way to the end of the canyon, and from there I would need to head west, taking the road all the way to the town of Sanderson Flats. Hopefully, I could get a nice, warm reception and a nice, cold glass of water.

Who am I kidding? The Clakkerz would sooner tar and feather me than let an Outlaw live amongst them. Besides, I couldn’t just walk right into a town. I’m a wanted felon.

Or could I? I mean, I’ve got at least five feet and two hundred pounds on each of those clucking bastards! Who’s to stop me from…

No, no. I had promised myself that I would never resort to intimidation to get what I want, and that’s a promise I want to keep.

I would have to do some heavy ass kissing, and just to get a drink of water. Oy vei.

I had finally gotten the thorn dislodged from my foot when I saw a twig sail past my head. What the hell? Twigs don’t just fly around unprovoked. I got up to investigate; maybe it was an insect of some kind.

I bent over to look at the stick up close, as my eyes blurred out anything that wasn’t at least two feet from them. I felt a rush of pain in my skull from bending over so fast.

It was definitely a twig. Nothing to worry about, just a twig. A twig that…moved by itself? Okay, yeah. I’ll admit that seemed a bit creepy.

As I was standing there, hunched over, I noticed something behind me move. It was a pebble that had been tossed to my right. Okay, I was officially nervous. Knock it off, nature.

“What in the world is going on?” I asked myself, baffled as to why things were moving when they shouldn’t. It was a regular “square peg in round hole” scenario.

It made a pit in the sand when it landed. It couldn’t have rolled; it was definitely thrown by someone. But by whom? There was nobody else around!

And if things weren’t freaking me out enough already, I heard the grass behind me ruffle. There was practically no breeze coming from anywhere, so what…

My suspicions were confirmed when I saw something in the shape of a boot quickly move up the tree. I knew it; someone was fucking with my head.

I tried to look as brave as I could. “Okay, I know someone’s here,” I said. “Show yourself.”

Suddenly, the leaves in the tree above me rattled as a figure fell from the branches. He couldn’t have been more than a foot or so smaller than me. His body was covered in fur and he wore a triangular-shaped vest composed of different parts sewn together and decorated with convoluted patterns. He wore a hat with a huge brim, which shaded his face.

“Why are you following me?” I demanded.

Though his grammatical skills were about as sharp as an elum on pain killers, his voice was unwelcomingly deep and sent shivers down my spine.

“I’m here to take ya in,” he said with a smirk. “You’ve got a purdy price on yer head, and I aim’s to collect.”

I was staring a bounty hunter straight in the face. Great, just what I don’t need. A guy who wants to earn a paycheck by dumping me into a jail cell.

Sweet! Finallys, we've gots us an update. :D

I find showing both of the characters perspectives of the same event rather interesting. It indeed makes a chapter worth reading even more so than it already is- just so you can experience each characters opinion.

Nice going!

I just read through this and if any fanfic on this site could be made into a book I would definitely think it should be this one! Its brilliant and its actually deep! Not just: Abe decided to fight a glukkon. He went into feeco depot. to find him. He killed some sligs along the way. He found and killed the glukkon.
The End

Congrats on a good story!

Thanks, guys.

Kaizer- The thought of sending this idea to Lorne has crossed my mind many times. I will most definately send it, but right now I'm just concentrating on finishing this and hoping to Odd that I don't come into contact with any plotholes.

In fact, I just fixed one plothole in the chapter entitled "Big, Bad Bailey." It's near the bottom, where it now talks about the journey through Canyon Pass. It originally involved Pugsley spotting Stranger, which clashed with the latest chapter where Pugsley catches a glimpse of him and actually confronts him in the forest.

TEH STORY IS TEH AWESOMENESS!!!!!!11111ONE!!!! :D

But in all seriousness, I think you did an EXCELLENT job with this chapter-I love the whole Stranger/outlaw scene you put together-it was very discriptive and you really brought both characters' emotions and personalities out. It was great! Keep up the good work-it's one of the best stories on this forum. ;)

Excellent new update! It took a while, but it was definately worth it. As Super Much said, the double-perspective telling definately makes the story even more interesting.
RoK oN!

Keep up the good work, Dipstikk. Can't wait until you post the new chapter.

Bump.

The reason I'm bumping this up: I'm just that great.

And this is NOT going to be a second-pager.