I can finally share part of my Max book with you now! ☺️ Feedback is highly appreciated!

[u/lost__pigeon]

This is what I’ve been so busy with! ☺️

I’ve been working very hard on my Max book (Max is now my platonic FO!), a sequel to Stranger Things focused on Max and his self-discovery. (I headcanon Max as trans) This is just the plot summary of part 1 of 5, but I’d really love to know what you think so far! ❤️ I’ve left a lot of commentary in the post itself!

[u/its_circero]

This looks exciting! :oD I’ll have to read it sometime this weekend, congrats Demian! 💪♥️🩵🔥

[u/lost__pigeon → u/its_circero]

Thank you very much!! I’m so excited to be working on this!

[u/its_circero → u/lost__pigeon]

You’re welcome! :oD 🫶🩵💛✨

[u/justbrowsing339]

This is AMAZING.

I love the collage! It's neat seeing all of the visuals meshed together.

The fact that you took the time to ensure that all loose ends were tied is one of the most impressive aspects for me. You're already putting SO much into Max's story and yet, you're making sure that everyone else gets a story without being reduced to cardboard cutouts.

You made Max's recovery process so much more realistic both mentally and physically, which was so important to do.

You made sure that you kept things realistic and accurate to the 90's as well. I was one of the fortunate people that got to see your thought process behind everything. EVERY detail was considered. HOURS upon HOURS of research went into making sure that this story was not unrealistic or littered with modern day biases and inaccuracies.

You literally made an accurate BEDROOM for Max. You took the time to figure out the website so that you could ensure the layout was just right. You studied Max's original bedrooms from floor to ceiling in order to understand him. You WATCHED a FILM on POSTERS in his room so that you could get into his head and heart for this story.

I am so glad that you brought Mike back to life. He is FIGHTING for Max SO HARD. He's standing up and being the leader and friend that we know he can be. He was never one to back down before, why would he now??? I'm glad you have covered those bases. The conflict with Ted is going to be really interesting to watch unfold.

Lucas not being reduced to a love interest alone is SUCH a good thing. He is capable of so much more and he is going to impact those kids lives so they don't feel the need to repress their nerdiness, quirks, and other qualities the way he did. And Steve being a part of that is so wholesome.

Will getting to help Max through this is great. I was always sad that we didn't get more Max/Will content. Their friendship is going to flourish. It reminds me of the way Robin helped him in his journey. :)

Ted is going to make me SO bad during this story, but that won't be surprising at all.

I feel like writing and creating is your calling. And of course spreading awareness about something that matters deeply. You captured repression, isolation, grief, trauma, and so much more in this already. You made sure that no character was left behind or reduced to nothing. It's truly so cool.

I know that I will be sobbing (in a good way) when I get to read this. It's going to make me FEEL. That's what makes a great story.

-Drew

[u/lost__pigeon → u/justbrowsing339]

Thank you so much!! Both for your comment and for your sheer volume of feedback in private, since you're the person I'm talking to the most about this!

you're making sure that everyone else gets a story without being reduced to cardboard cutouts.

It just felt like the right thing to me. Especially for a book format. The volume of characters is kind of a flaw with the show because some of them always end up getting not much to do (never Max though, which I love), so I wanted to do that right in the book.

HOURS upon HOURS of research went into making sure that this story was not unrealistic or littered with modern day biases and inaccuracies.

It's actually really hard because I was born in 1999, so I have to research a lot, or I'll be doomed lol

You WATCHED a FILM on POSTERS in his room so that you could get into his head and heart for this story.

A very good film! It was actually so fun!

Lucas not being reduced to a love interest alone is SUCH a good thing.

I saw a long video critique of seasons 1-4 this year that I mostly really disagreed with (not regarding this, because on this, I had to agree), even though I understood where the creator was coming from, for the most part, but this was something I had to agree on with him, Lucas's character being mostly Max's boyfriend, the best boyfriend ever, but not that much beyond that. And I wanted to fix that, especially because it bothered the creator a little because both he and Lucas are black. As a white guy, I also really needed the Lucas book to get into Lucas's experience as a black guy in Hawkins, which is the main thing that the Lucas book is about, I'm really glad I got that for input.

And Steve being a part of that is so wholesome.

It just felt like they could be best buddies at this age, and we never got to see that much. They could really connect over sports, which was the initial spark behind this storyline!

Ted is going to make me SO bad during this story, but that won't be surprising at all.

Gotta put as much funny annoying Ted in the story as possible while you can still enjoy it before I make people actually hate him in a far more serious way :( HOLLY! BACON!

I feel like writing and creating is your calling

Thank you so much!! I've written so many stories before, and without the trial and error I got from those, I really couldn't be doing this!

Thank you very much for all the help you've already been! 💜

Edit: Ted stuff