Sorry, folks, but you have posted exactly at the same time as Jon.

Jerry: nice story. No wonder, you are the master of all of us.

Eddie: how come you are not in bed with influenza? The news here is that the UK is suffering from an epidemics of flu. Hope you are all right (which does not mean that you cannot sleep till noon tomorrow). Looking at the clock (our time is the same)... till 2 0'clock. That's my favorite hour to get up, actually.

I see that tonight is the night of the canibals and the vampires. At last! My favorite film is "The Silence of the Inocent". I am the inocent of course.

Americo, since today is short story day, here goes:

They tell me that every short story should have some of each of the following: Sex, religion, money and suspense.

My God! said the bankers daughter " I am pregnent, I wonder who the father is!"

Hows that for short.

Anyhow have a great day.

Jerry

Hello all,
Just a quick word of warning. Heed this well or be damned!!
I have just been duped, tricked, suckered.....I was sooooo foolish.
How?, I hear you plead expectantly.
Well friends, I will reveal all.
Firstly, in mitigation, I will ask....Would you open a file which was sent to you by a trusted member of a group to which you were affiliated?
Of course you would, wouldn't you?
After you had scanned it for nasties of course!
So, it comes up clean after a scan with the most recent DAT file on your virus checker. So, you open it.
I did!!
Sparks flew....
Obscenities were hurled....
Teeth were gnashed....
Hair departed cosy root burrows and flew skyward.
That was 6 hours ago and I have just finished rebuilding my system! I have probably lost more than I know just now.
So, Mark these signs well and at first sight (NO MATTER WHO IT SEEMS TO BE FROM) Bin it, Shred it, burn it.
The signs:

WINAMOGO
FIRESTORM

If you get an email with either of these words clipped to it, just get it the hell out. It is a nasty little beast.
Sigh....
Good luck
Later,
Ed

Tonight I had little pieces of black heart marinated in red Port for dinner. Delicious. Jon brought the meat home. He's a dear, and I decided to divorce him only next month. I was a vegetarian before I met him. But he buys meat very dear, I don't know where. His favorite movie is "Delicatessen." Never saw it.

Methinks that Heather is the best present this Notebook has gotten since my apparition here on January the 26th, 1999.

Will you stay with us for some time, Heather? Promise!

And now a little question: why are all Canadians so interesting people? Rachel is, and Steve was (he starved some months ago), and, if you investigate in the archives, you'll find that all of them were. The English are nice but disappear when it smells to work, the Europeans are crap (look at me), the Americans are all right except when war rings the bell, the Chinese... yes, where are the Chinese? They took me Macau sometime ago but never mind, I'll discover another one. By the way, is Jon the only African on the spot?

Heather, your shortie is a source of inspiration for all of us. The voice you heard among the tendrils of the wind was my voice. When it reached your ears, it became the sound of your morning moon and you felt your blood warming, It is now running in your veins looking for your heart. Ah, here it is, your little heart. I feel like eating it and sucking its blood (I hope it's warm enough by now). Yes, with all my qualities I am a canibal. That's my fate: a new kind of vampire disguised in the wind, condemned to sweep the snow of the Northern countries from midnight to three (only on certain nights). Then I sit down in the most hidden corner of the yard I chose to rest and cry my awful destiny. The villagers think it's the noise of the wind in the branches of the trees, but no, it's my tears dropping (glopGlop) upon my bare feet. Yes, I have no shoes. And I have no feet, no legs, no nothing. I just have my voice. Keep it in a safe place, it's the voice of your soul.

PS. In case you don't have a soul, you may borrow one from Jon — he has three.
PSS. For warming blood quicker, nothing like a pocket microwaves. That's where I warm my voice again at 3:05 am, when I get up and run home, before my mummie calls the police.
PSSS. You, Heather, and me (or I) have written our stories of the day. How about the other lazybones? I'll eat them one by one in the next few nights. Since now that I have drunk your blood you are one of us, you are invited for the canibal feast. Bring the wine.

Rachel - It didn't snow too much. By tomorrow it'll probably all be gone. Seabeck (a town close to us) got around 3 inches - I totally wish that was us. Supposedly there's a big storm front coming in so school might be cancelled tomorrow. If school is cancelled, sophomores and juniors have to make it up but seniors don't 'cause we're special. No, it's just that graduation is already set and they can't move the day (unless we miss over a week, which at this point seems unlikely). Actually, my german club teacher brought back the pictures from our party and in one I do look like a deranged psycho. I look evil. The flash made my eyes red and it just looks really evil. Heh, heh, heh... Actually, it was October when you came, 'cause I remember it was Columbus day weekend. Gee, last century - we need to get together soon. :)
I'm doing well - busy studying for finals. Anyway, tell me how you are? How much dust has my Christmas card collected? Just kidding. ((((BIG HUGS))))
Take care.
Allein

Hi all

Heather - Allein is not a deranged psycho (smiles and laughter). No, she is a complete nut bar!!!!! I am just kidding. She is a 400lb man in a pink spandex outfit. naw, she is, she is. She's a very nice young woman. I can say this for certain because I had the opportunity to meet her in person last November. Ah, and yes, she is blond, but not nearly as spinny as she might like you to believe.

Allein - How the heck are yah? We also have had a dump of snow here. The kiddies love the stuff, I think it is very pretty. My yard looks like a wonderland.

Jon - Thanks for the compliments on my story. You are a very sweet cat.

Take care all
Rachel

Oh yeah, important announcement - IT SNOWED HERE TODAY!! IT ACTUALLY SNOWED!! Everyone jump up and clap your hands - do the funky sqrlmunk dance!
Anyway, after that bout of weirdness, we can all use another right? Here's some interesting trivia:
+--------------------- Bizarre Trivia ---------------------+


Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using
products made for right handed people.

Taphephobia is the fear of being buried alive.

Clinophobia is the fear of beds.

The sloth (a mammal) moves so slowly that green algae can
grow undisturbed on it's fur.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist. [Figures.]

Astronauts cannot cry. In space, there is no gravity, so
the tears can't flow.

A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you
can eat your plate.

In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.

Heather - I got your e-mail and will reply to it.

Jon - Isn't it hard to type with paws? Or do you have one of those dealies where you just say what you want to appear on the screen?
Allein

"Remember, when people make you angry it takes 43 muscles to frown, but only 4 to lift your middle finger."

Allein! Forgot to reply to your post earlier. No, I didn't get the photo of you - and you'll have to wonder what on Earth (ha ha) I look like since I don't have a scanner yet. Planning on buying one before the spring because I have an upcoming art show to do posters for. But that's another topic altogether!!
Celtic history is very fascinating. I have runes that I like to ponder upon once in a while, but mostly I have ben interested in Egyptian lore and such (Isis, Osiris, Hathor, Ptah, Bast, etc...) since around ten years ago when I ran across my first real treasure of information on pyramids...
I have Egyptian Cartouche cards. I've also designed and written the book for my own deck of Divination cards. Would cost me $150/deck to self publish them so I've stuck that on back-burner status for a while. (Busy busy) I think I'll submit them to a company that publishes Tarot like U.S. Toys and Games in the future... don't know yet. They're not traditional Tarot though. More like runes, with 25 cards in the deck, not 78. Anyway, enough about moi.
I would be glad to proofread (critique, whatever you wish) your creative writing assignment for you. Just send it as an attachment and away we go!
(Americo is smiling right now at this message tag we're playing.)
And may all the dragons reading this please donate any unused/shed scales to me, snail mail is fine! I just can't seem to find that perfect necklace to compliment my eyes.
Green and Blue dragons first, thanks.
Heather

Americo, Americo!
Your thoughts are received with glee! Yes, I have seen the fields of heather - in pictures. Some day I would love to see them in person... sigh. And don't worry that the honour of being Scottish isn't yours - be honoured that you are
you. "If it's nay Scots it's crap!" is something only Scottish people perpetuate... not that I mind all things Scottish. I rather admire the history and country and I love the language. (esp. the local dialects, etc..) But I'm English, and a little german and italian too although I'd say I look most like my birth mother and she's mistaken for Native American by just about everybody. So what does that say? I've been Native in past lives... but not this one as far as I know. And past life recall could be lucid dreaming or certainly wishful thinking as far as I know too.

So it's short shortie day?
Here's a shortie for thee.

Among the tendrils of wind and beneath the full of a spring moon, Hannah lifted her arms to the emptiness of sky. "Wake!" she breathed, feeling the current caress her bare flesh. "Wake for me!"
In the cobalt darkness there came a stirring from stark silhouettes of underbrush. A whisper of a voice flew to her waiting ears. "I am with thee," came the voice.
Hannah held her arms aloft to embrace him, the invisible mate of night.


ta ta for now, fellow scribblers!
Fare thee well.
Heather

I have a dragon-friend. She's quite a nice dragon-friend. She's thinking of getting married, as she feels lonely in this world of men. Shee complains that no one understands her. I do. Can a cat marry a dragon? Mind you, she's a she-dragon (a dragonnette, perhaps, Howard?).

Today is short-story day. So everyone must tell a shortie here. I have already told mine. Your turn perhaps?

I forgot the epilogue. The dragonnette is called Susie. I like this name. We will live happy ever after. I also forgot the epigraph. Here it is: "Who's afraid of beautiful dragons?" (Jon, adapted)

A short post to smile at the duet between Allein and Heather and thank Heather for her kind words on SM** You will be welcome to that fabulous collection of short-stories, Heather. Think of that fabulous meal you had with that fabulous person at that fabulous castle in Normandy at the light of fabulous scented candles -- and there you are, a fabulous shortie. Do not tell us any tale (that's for children and TV fans), just make your words sing. Did you know, Heather, that the hills of Scotland become lovely in August when heather covers them in purple and white? Not that I am Scotish. I have not that honour. I am Portuguese.

Laura, I've read your latest text for SM**. That Lord Trenton seems a very promising character. I don't understand the role and place of that dragon, but you'll certainly explain that to us. I do believe in dragons, but they are a bit out of fashion, aren't they. Please defend your point and kill me for saying they are out of fashion. And mainly do not tell any dragon that I consider them a little bit out of fashion. I hate arguinig with real dragons, especially the red and blue ones. I like those who vomit fire, though.

Too late Allein! I sent my chapter 1! But that's quite alright if you don't get to it until February. I might be a while until I get back to where I left off in chap 2 or 3 of your book. The file I got had no spaces between paragraphs or chapters so I can't remember offhand if I passed into chapter 3 yet. I'm enjoying it so far!
And yes, the critique is gentle - minor suggestions that if you take them into consideration may work out as less effort for you in the writing process. (That's always a boon, isn't it?)

And to all who may have some time and are interested in critiquing my chapter 1 and or 2, feel free to post a note and I can send it along to you as well. The more the merrier to quote somebody or other.
And if you critique, remember to be gentle!!!
What was that quote again....Allein - laughed at the quotes you posted (and the other ones further down the notebook too - can't remember who wrote them )
oh yes, I've got a few to add... enjoy all!

Always remember that you are unique... just like everyone else.

A man who lives in a glass house should change his clothes in the basement.

Be careful with your thoughts: They may become words at any moment.

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

Do for others with no desire of a returned favor. We should all plant trees we'll never sit under.

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Cole's Law: One head of cabbage
sliced thinly
and one chopped carrot

Hoffer's Law: When people are free to do what they want they usually imitate one another.

It's Ok to let your mind go blank, but please turn off the sound!

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars... and they pass by themselves without wondering. (St. Augustine)

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. (Carl Sandburg)

Remember that failure is an event - not a person.

Remember: Worth and value are not wrapped up in what you do. You are not a human doing, you are a human being!

Show me a man with both feet planted firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't put on his pants.

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Albert Einstein)

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of dreams. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.

The word 'listen' contains the same letters as the word 'silent'.

Wherever you are - be all there.
(Jim Elliot)

Ok I'm sure that's enough silly (and serious) quotes to last you all for a while... if you didn't fall asleep half way through!
Parades across the page and off to write I go.
Heather

Heather - oh yeah, I think you mentioned being from Canada. *sheepish grin* Yes, I am blonde. If you want to send the nice gentle critique, I'll accept it. I'd be happy to read your story but not until the start of February, because the end of this month is Final Exams and I won't have enough time to really sit down and read it until then.
I'm from Washington, but in ancestory, I'm mostly Irish - celtic. I have two friends at school who are also Celtic and we get along great. We're all into the Celtic magic and dragons type stuff.
I'm currently working on a short story as a final creative writing project. If you'd like to take a look at it to critique it (when I get it typed up - probably this weekend) that'd be super. If anyone would like to help me with this, please speak up and I'll e-mail it to you.
Anyway, I must go and get my beauty sleep - not that I'm much of a beauty to begin with. Did you get my picture? I was all dolled up for that one, usually I look like crap.
Anyway, take care,
Allein

"Don't go out after dark, that's when all the weirdos turn crazy."

"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you."

Hi Rhoda! Sorry, I had to check back to the notebook page to find your name so I could say hello.
Will be glad to play message tag with all of you at this site!

Post again soon
Heather

Hi Fellow scribblers and dreamers...thanks for the thoughtful welcome!
Looking forward to a one year celebration party - heh heh
Americo - liked the Strawberry and a moon idea, and the short stories so far on the workbook are pretty FAB-U-LOUS!
Enjoyed the read. Also, thought up a nice addition and will add it when I get a chance...should be soon
(-er than later)!
Allein, I got your attachment just fine (easy to do right?)
Read the first 2-3 chapters. If you want critique (the nice, gentle kind!) let me know and I'll email you.
Also, if you've got an hour or so to read, would you be interested in taking a peek at my cliffhanger of a chapter 1?
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have few resource people with which to share my writing and would like some willing readers (helps if they are the writing breed too - gives me a calibre reading as well!)
Anyhow, my mug is empty and I am eager to refill.
Ta ta for now..
Oh, to reply to the Q: No, I'm not exactly from England. I am English though - in the blood. My father was born there. My grandparents (still sashaying it up I might add) are VERY English and so I pick up the lingo sometimes. I'm Canadian. (Note: I gladly omit 'eh!' from my vocabulary.)

I might just send you chapter 1 of 'Haven' while I'm online - and you can email any comments, etc.. to me Allein!
Write on...
Heather

Heather - I sent you the file. It's name is redonestoriesII (I originally had a different version of the story so I named it that). I sent it through AOL, so if you get an e-mail from Lunika@aol.com, that's me and not some deranged psycho (I know Rachel may have a difference of opinion...). *grins*
Allein
PS: Are you from England? Just wondering 'cause "cherrio" is an English expression or an American cereal. :)

Jai,

Great to see you back. I am glad you had a good vacation. I'm sorry work is already getting you down. Just consider how much you will appreciate the next vacation.

Americo,

Hard to believe you have been here for only a year. In some respects it seems like yesterday that you first posted. In other respects due to your great activity and your participation it seems as if you have been here forever. Anyway, happy first aniversary.

Nicola,

Sounds like a wonderful seminar. Writing classes in the south of France is a beautiful dream when one is bound up in grey winter. If only I had the money and the time.

Heather,

I have read your posts with interest. It is great to have you on board.

Teekay,

Hope you are still going strong with your novel.

Happy Writing!
Rhoda

Cheerio, all:

Allein! Here's how to do an attachment (it's really easy don't worry)
Click on my email address at the top of this message,
then look on the window that pops up. Below the address line should be a symbol for a paper clip (to the left).
Click on the paper clip and another window pops up.
It will be a file window, all you do is type what file you want to send me. Make sure you type the name exactly...
(You can also type a message in the regular spot and it will arrive to me just the same, then a line will appear below your message and then your attachment will be on the bottom of that.) When you've chosen the file just click send and it'll go as a normal email.
You can try it with any file. If you want to check that it got sent, just go to your sent file in the mail program, and a copy of what you sent will be there. It will have the attachment too.

Good luck and hope to find the results in my email soon!

Hmmmm.... sounds delicious (these storied I've got a whiff off...) I shall follow my nose and find them! Yes, I think I need some nourishment - for the mind. Don't we all?
Keeps me humming. Trouble is my mind gets whirring and it won't stop even when my body says 'Hey! Enough! Get some rest!' Sometimes great inspiration comes in the wee hours when I'm supposed to be dreaming. (Or is it in dreams?)
take care everyone,
keep cradling those beloved words in the willow boughs of books.
Heather

PRESS RELEASE
from LA MAISON VERTE
Creatively and commercially, crime and thriller novels are at the cutting edge of modern fiction. They may be easy to read, but how easy are they to write?

SARAH DUNANT & GILLIAN SLOVO
COMMIT CRIME IN SOUTH OF FRANCE
21 - 27 May 2000

CRIME BUT NO PUNISHMENT is a week-long residential writers’ workshop which takes place in May in the South of France, led by the well known writer broadcaster Sarah Dunant, and her partner in crime, Gillian Slovo.
Sarah Dunant, aside from her fame as one of Britain’s liveliest and sharpest arts broadcasters, is also one of the country’s foremost crime writers. She won the 1997 Silver Dagger for Crime Fiction Award for Fatlands and her two most recent novels, Transgressions and Mapping the Edge, are currently being turned into feature films. She directs the course with Gillian Slovo the eminent South African crime writer whose recent family memoir Every Secret Thing was widely acclaimed in 1997. Her latest novel, Smitsrivier is to be published by Virago/Little Brown this year. Both writers have taught extensively both in the UK (including the Arvon Foundation) and in Europe.

The five day writing course puts the emphasis on good writing and the art of telling a thrilling story. Mornings are spent on story construction, character development and dialogue, with afternoons devoted to writing, with plenty of time for individual tuition. The course is open to students of all ages and stages and a maximum of sixteen students will be accepted.
It takes place at La Maison Verte, a newly established residential arts centre in the Languedoc Region of the South of France. Owned and run by Nicola Russell and wood sculptor Teddy Hutton, La Maison Verte welcomes groups people wishing to extend the creative and cultural aspects of their lives whether through writing, painting, singing or simply relaxing in the warmth of the Mediterranean sunshine.
The 19th Century Mansion can sleep up to twenty people and has the feel of an eccentric English country house, crammed with paintings and curios and Hutton’s sculptures. It is surrounded by its own wine making barns, which have been converted into studios, workshops, exhibition spaces, and extra private ‘gites’ for independent smaller groups. They surround a vast private courtyard and two acre garden,
with a big pool fringed by fig, oleander and mimosa trees and twelve painted flamingoes.
Cost of Course and Registration Deadlines:
Full board, lodging and tuition fees £330 per person shared room, and £350 per person for a single room. Non participating partners: £250.
Further information: Nicola Russell at La Maison Verte.
Tel: (0033 4) 67 24 88 52 Fax (0033 4) 67 24 69 98
e mail: NicolaRussell@compuserve.com web site: http://www.lamaisonverte.co.uk

Hello gang,

Well I'm back from holidays and feeling much refreshed. Now life goes on...

I can already feel myself slipping back into my old mold, work, work and more work. The world is slowly turning grey.

Well hope you have all been well.

I really do.

Jai

Hi everyone. Long time to talk to. I have five chapters of my novel finished. I need to update the Novel area. I got an A in my novel writing class. I am also typing this from my own computer for once. I finally got it working.

RACHEL:- Great chating with you. You too JACK. I don't know what happened at the end. I got a disconnect message and it wouldn't enter after that. Hope you enjoyed your dinner.Smile.

AMERICO:- Are you in a bad mood or what!! There are certain rules that apply to writing a story. If your interested in inspiring someone to publish it that is. If you intend to publish the book yourself or are writing in your journal, or just to please yourself then you can throw the rules out the window.
I feel a bit paranoid about this. I posted a critique for Dick and he never came back. Am I one of the narrow minded reader of which you speak?
Now you see that was one of the major tests. If you let somebody elses opinion stop you from putting pen to paper, then you were never a writer to begin with.

Have a good day.

Hi all

Teekay - It was nice to chat with you. Sorry I left so quickly. The meal wasn't that great, that I had to rush off like that (grins). My server cut me off. I hate when that happens!

Take care all
Rachel

PS - Americo - Why do you get a party! I didn't get a party (sad little face).

wow this is posting really quickly. If any body is there, lets meet in the chat room okay?okay! good.

Hi All,

AMERICO:- Yes they do mean the same thing. I was just checking to say if you were listening.

Just to try to refresh this 150K page so that I can read and admire A*s previous post.

Ah, what was it?

Yes: there are two stories (at least) that fulfill our head editor's lust (I wonder if this is the word, perhaps urge is better -- must consult my own CatsDictionary). The two stories are: Jerry Ericsson's "Dinner with Father" and Rachel's "Strawberries and Dreams". After he reduces them to minced meat, shakes them, puts them in his mouth, and cooks them in his infernal oven of course. On second thoughts, I wonder if he could do that to such masterpieces. He would probably just move a comma or two. He almost cried when he read those stories.

Okay, Allein, Jon sends his blessing to you.

Now for short-stories and novels. The best is to tell you what I would like to read in your collaborations for "Strawberries and a Moon".
1: a piece which would not remind me of any other piece I have read;
2: written in a way which would not remind me of any other writer (except perhaps his author);
3: which would not try to tell a little story but would try to sing a song;
4: which would make me shout: - A writer, a writer at last!
5: which would not have errors of any sort (of the kind that can be corrected by one of those stupid grammar&spelling correctors you have in your wordprocessors) and however would constitute the most obvious error to the genre for narrow-minded readers supposing they know what a short-story is because some stupid teacher told them in a creative writing course in Denver in 1957 that short- stories must be etc etc. I always feel like killing people who try to teach a writer what literature is.

So I'd better stop before I get hurt by my other (better) self.

Heather - I will send the first two chapters ASAP, but I don't know how to do an attachment file (I'm computer illiterate) so I'll just send it with text.

Americo - I'm sorry. I did recieve that copy of shadows and put it into my word file. School finals are in two weeks, however so I will be very busy up until then. After finals though, I have a 3-day weekend in which I will read what I haven't already read (I've read maybe 60 pp. before I was kicked off the computer). So far, everything seems good. :)
Allein

Good day, everyone.

Allein, I sent you a copy of S* some days ago. Please acknowledge its reception.

Teekay, isn't it the same thing? Anyway, I write fiction (not sci-fiction, just fiction, i.e., novels and short-stories), and also literary essay.

In some days, it will be a year since I discovered this place. You'd better start organizing a party.

Jerry - glad to hear you could get your valuables back!
And with you being pretty expert on computers it's kinda nice to know it's not just us amateurs. Although crashing isn't kinda nice at all...
I will check out your site soon - but off I go first to attack and hopefully finish ol'chapter 2 before it stinks up the place. (can you refridgerate good ideas? Do they last longer in the crisper?)
You never know - that novel idea may spring well for you in a series of short stories if you can't stick to the longitude of novel writing. Myself - I'd say my short story writing is exculsive to emails and posts!
Maybe I'll give it a try after ... well, after two books. I've got the idea for another novel and have to finish this one first. By then who knows.
Ta ta for now
Happy paper trails everyone
Heather

Hi y'all and good tidings to you!

Hi Allien, you can email w/ attachment of chaps to the above email on this post. It's my home email. wcm = my husband's initials if you wondered. I'm also on icq as waterspider (my husband's nickname which i use mostly - or hexagon but i don't log on as that very often) Another note - I live in Canada (Ontario) if you are trying to narrow down nicknames in icq search. Don't think there'll be many waterspiders out there.

Rachel: Sounds like you've had a rough go with computers too - and yet both of us have forged onward and not let it deter us from the greater thing - writing! This is an excellent sign. Hope you are faring well with present computer soft and hardware. Mine is bug free thankfully - after my bro fished all he could find of my novel we erased everything and had a naked harddrive to start from scratch with. Now I back up my backup backup backups (4 disks) plus I have it in desktop files and others, and I have a plethora of printed copies. I usually print another fresh copy of what I'm working on when I add another 2-3 pages. Sometimes less, but paranoia may serve me well if (god forbid) this stack should ever fall victim again to the steely mandibles of a computer virus.
Do you go crazy with backups too,now? Does everyone???
Glad to hear you won't let just anyone fiddle with your computer. And sometimes the know-it-alls are the worst. I never let friends touch this one, they've all screwed their own systems up enough.
I must remember to kiss this machine before I go to bed! Seems to keep it humming. (well, just a bit of superstition perhaps).
Keep plugging!
I guess I should be too... alright...off I go to do a little bit more on chapter 2 (does it seem endless or is it me? chapter 3 would be nice around now).
hope all are faring well and may your muses sing sweetly and bring most delicious ideas evermore.

Never mind if my grammar or mechanics fail me at this hour! I edit my writing but rarely my posts.. sorry if this bugs anyone.
Heather

Heather, I know that feeling, lost my computer a few days ago to, and I am the "computer guy" here in town. Sometimes things just go wrong with these infernal machinenes, but then it seems it happens to almost all machines from time to time. Luckily I am just writing short stories at this time, and most of them I have had backed up on disk and paper so my losses were just in the software department. Found what I lost on the web, so I am in good shape again.

Jack - see there you go, short stories are much easier to back up, I have had an idea for a novel kicking around in my head since college, but I have never got it down on paper. Started it a couple of times, but never liked the starts and tossed them. I have much better luck with short stories, seems like I can't make the commitment to a novel, whereas I can knock out a short storey in a short time. Guess it's a matter of personal taste.

Good night all.

PS - clicked on the link and read some of the rambelings of "The Old Fart" - loved them.

Jerry

Hi all

Heather - You said you were 28? I'm 31. Yup, the old kid on the block (grins). You are lucky you have a brother who can find stuff for you on your computer.

I lost a ton of stuff, due to friendly help (grim little smile). Yup, last time I let that fellow help me with my computer (grin). Truth be told each time I have had a friend "help" me I have had a pretty nasty crash. Now I have learned my lessons.

Still, glad your brother was able to help.

Take care you

Rachel

Hello Allein, Teekay, Rachel and all!
HELLO...again
Teekay: yes, imagine what exactly makes a grown woman cry.
Yes, losing three month's work - not to mention 30,000 words or more. Lucky for me my brother is a computer scientist with his masters in it - so I called him (Emergency!!!)
and he was able to fish through my hard drive and get bits and pieces. It was up to me, however, to swim through the millions of half-sentences and paragraph fragments for those to-die-for lines that I couldn't bear to lose. Still sifting through some, but guess what?
It turned out to be a blessing in diguise. I started fresh, just knowing my characters. I began the first chapter in a different spot --more action-- a bigger bang. And every sentence seems now much wiser, better said. Instead of just retyping much of what was lost, I reinvented it. So now the story comes out peachier (not to over-use 'fresh') and suddenly I knew where the story had lacked before. I'd never been satisfied with the opener, but now blam! It's much more grabbing. I still go back and print out the chopped tidbits and use them to rewrite certain things I am not changing in the rewrite, but mostly the characters are taking me on this journey so thank the stars it's a good one.


My story is grounded around an abusive relationship, its effects on friends, family and so on. BUT it's not written all from the 'victim's' viewpoint, nor is she necessarily the protagonist. Another character - her friend, is just learning about certain psychic intuitions she's been having - are turning out to be true - so she tries to warn her, but....THere are also some very strange twists and turns along the way - and some very interesting characters. Can't give you the pitch as that is on the drawing board still... wait until it's in print (I know - thinking positively here)!
Anyway, I'm sure there are many people posting here who have full-bodied careers in writing and don't need to listen to one hopeful's wishing... so I'll end soon and get to the real writing!
Allein - went to your webpage and would be interested in reading some chapters- however, I am up to my ears in work so I may not be able to get to reading it right away. I can send you chapter one of my novel if you like, and we could critique each other's work. Sounds like a good opportunity? I don't have too many people to proofread or critique. Here's what my husband said - (yes, seems callous but he's not)
"I'll read it when it's finished..."
Which is his way of helping me get to it. Of course i was upset at first, but after I thought about it i knew why he said that. Believe me, he won't read it until it's done.

Rachel: Thanks for the welcome! Will be nice to chat with all of you at this site!

Good evening to all and happy scribbling/typing
may your wit and wisdom bless each page.
Heather

Hi all

Hayden - Nice to see yah, you lurker you!

Aline - I'm not sure when I'll be able to get together next. My time seems to be vanishing again. I am having to steal time from myself left and right just to keep things moving along.

HEATHER - (I wrote in caps to be sure I had your attention -smiles) Welcome:) Hope yah have a blast.

Take care all

Rachel

Hi all
The new year has taken us all into the 21st century and we're now up to tricks that are now centuries old. hehehe

For me the last eighteen months have been horrendously busy, and to some extent have also been successful. Currently I am in the last throes of a novel (my sixth) with two weeks off to finish it and only 30K words to finish.

Over here we have been setting up a local Speculative Fiction group that gathers together a range of people, from writers to games designers and illustrators. Most interesting. Soon we will have a website up which I will send a link through for you all to have a look at. Nothing like the ghost of an old chatter to get the willies going.

In the meantime, I've included a link to the column I write. It's not as farcial as I would like, but there are restrictions on what you can write here and get away with.

All hail to Jack for his successful site, and to you all lots of broom broom...or should that be vroom vroom.

Bye
Hayden

Heather - I'd love to have a night in to write, but my parents have limited my time to one hour a day on school days and two hours on weekends (excluding time used for school work), so I can't really write too much anyway. But, I plan on doing some during the summer. However, the parental units told me that this summer I have to get a job and then either keep it or start school in the fall in order to live at home - I'm not going to be a couch potato. Actually, I have my afternoons off and since we have free membership at a health club, I'm going to start working out there and trying to lose some pounds (I'm not fat, but I'm not exactly skinny either). I hate losing my work to the computer. I remember once working for a long time - writing one and a half chapters to my story and then my computer decided to be retarded and not save my work.
Anyway, take care,
Allein

I'll be lurking in the chat room for a bit, if any body is out there.

Hi All.
HEATHER:- Welcome. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for you to find the computer had eaten your work. Once I was writing out something to post in the notebook and as I was posting it it disappeared! That almost made me cry, vomit and choke simultaneously, so if I lost something to the extent you did I think I'd probably die, as ALL my organs would probably malfunction.

RANDALL:- They may have been scared stiff, or perhaps they didn't want to wave and over balance the car, or maybe they were all too scared to take their eyes off the road. Maybe they had a body in the boot and didn't want to attract attention. Could've been a car load of mannikins on their way to Grace Brothers. They may have been all deaf and blind except for the driver who was concentrating on where he was going. Of course they could have been just really shy or really rude. Enough said, I'm only mucking around ;)

T.O.M.:- Like a cloak of many colours hewn,
each word more precious than gold,
the brilliance of your paragraph dazzled me,
as it's meaning did unfold.

Catch yas later Alligators.

Americo - Sounds like a plan

Take care you

Rachel

Heather - Wow. I did not know that. And I liked 'The Outsiders' when I read it. We had to for an assignment in the 8th grade and I thought I'd hate it but it was really very good. I've been working on my novel since about that time and it and it's characters have gone through some changes. If you want to check out what it's all about, there's info on my webpage - listed above. However, there isn't a detailed copy of it on my webpage so if you'd like to read it, e-mail me and I'll send it to you a few chapters at a time. :)
Take care, *smiles*
Allein

Hello Allein and everybody!
Nice to get a welcome - thank you!
Allein - keep writing - doesn't matter your age...
Did you know the author of The Outsiders was only 17 when she published that book? Pretty cool. I wish I'd sent off my novel at 16, but I reread it once much later and in some ways I'm glad I didn't... the dialogue is terrible, but the plot and so on isn't bad at all...
Maybe someday I'll dredge it up again and rewrite it. Would probably fit in the SF genre. (Not my present one, mind you)
For now, I am hip wading in the close-to-middle arena of this novel (my first REAL novel - to be sent to the publishers) and just started a part time job to help with the expenses (which will tear me away from writing or at least tire me out ahead of my writing time slot) and I've got two small children too. (oh! and a new house so there's remodelling and stuff still to do...) My husband does a lot of the renovation stuff but I usually get to do the finishing (painting etc) after he's done!
So as you can tell, I'm a pretty busy person. You sound busy too, between school and going out. Lucky you have the summer to catch up if you get behind in your writing because of school work. Would I love a night out if I weren't so tired! Half the time I end up writing until 3 am, losing track of the time because I'm so into the work. Then I get up and do it all over again at 7:00 am. By the weekend I'm pooped but there's saturday morning dance lessons to drive my daughter to, then I usually work saturday afternoons. Sunday I usually sleep in late to make up for lack of it all week! If my husband's tired, we take turns sleeping.
Can't wait until my two year old is in school; then i can stop writing all night and get some work done in the daytime - that is if I don't get a full time 'regular' job then.
I want more than anything for writing to be my full time job!!! And I'm going to write until it happens!!!!
I promised myself I'd get this novel done this year. I started it last year (serious writing) around July, but as I explained in an earlier post, my computer took a dive and swallowed three months' work with it. So I've begun again, the Pheonix rising. And I'll be ****** if I don't finish it this time!
talk to you later--
thanks for listening while I grumble!
P.S. I forgot to say I'm 28.
Heather

Good afternoon all:

WOW!! Teekay...my hats off to you. In only a few words you outdid a Texan in description! Way to go lady. If we get a little extra rain up here (and I wouldn't hold by breath by the way) I'll send you Aussies some.

Rhonda, as always your gentle personality comes through in the words you write. You're obviously a fantistic person and I hope your family knows it! I like the way you write girl!!!

I am amazed at different folks in different locations, relative to how they react to others. And after 50 something years on the planet I've seen a wide variety of humans. We lived in Utah for over a year and the ones I met were not friendly, same thing as Farmington probably.

A quick story then I'm outta here.

I enjoyed banging around the back woods of the Wasatch Mountains in my 4-wheel drive Chevy when we lived in Utah. One afternoon my daughter and I met another vehicle on a very, that is VERY, narrow mountain road. Steep mountain on one side, heart stopping abyss on the other. Spooky, like looking into an open grave! I stopped, after moving to the abyss side on the right, :-) (We drive on the correct side of the road up here Teekay) :-) to let the other vehicle pass. There were three men inside and not one waved, looked at me, or anything as we passed. I had leaned out the window, prepared to chew the fat a little when they stopped...but no luck. Our side mirrors softly clicked as they passed, without so much a glimpse from them. Now, if Texans or folks from the southwest met under these circumstances we would have yarned away the afternoon.

There are friendly people everywhere, don't get me wrong, but there is an attitude of good humor and companionship in this region unlike any other. If you meet this Texan on a winding byway of Texas you're going to get a wave. If you breakdown, I will stop to help. If you have a flat, I'll help change it. If you need to use a cell phone, mine is available. If you get stuck, I'll pull you out. It's part of the Code of the West to help other folks. Period! Perhaps not on the interstate, but you know what I mean.

Bye and forever young at heart,
Randall

Heather - Hi. *smiles* I'm Allein. It's nice to see another new face here. I always like making new friends. I'm in the midst of writing my own novel (between school and my social life). I enjoy writing. It gives me a chance to express myself. Anyway, I've never had anything published - too bad. But, I'm only 17 so I have a lifetime. I hope you stick around. :) I'm a very smiley upbeat kinda person, if you can't tell. So's Rachel. She's nice. :)
Take care,
Allein

Greetings again
Never been to Texas. I'm a snow person. (think I'm nuts already?)

About the short stories vs. novel discussion, I'd have to say that the precision involved in paring down for space in a short story means that I'm not of that breed. Novels it is. I admire many of the ss' that I've read, with Bradbury the header of the list. But of the very recent ss in magazines, I felt they were lacking some savoury grit, as well as lacking in that very precision that is supposed to differentiate them from a novella,(besides the obvious word count). Perhaps I'm not picking up the right ones. Or perhaps the short story has gotten diluted? Maybe I'm reading ill-chosen mass market...?
Steer me toward a few notables and you might change my mind.

ciao, and a good night to all.(or day, depending on time zone)
Heather

Ah, Texas, God I loved that state back in the 70's when the Army thoughtfully stationed me there. We lived in El Paso for five lovely years, in fact my daughter was born in Texas. Over the years, we moved around the US., we always talked of moving back to Texas, but it seems they were only pipe dreams. When I left the service we came home to the Dakota's and have lived there ever since. But you know from time to time, when all is quiet in the house, conversation turns to Texas, and we both smile at all the great times we experienced down there.

The only modern short stories I have read lately have been the ones posted on the Workbook. I rarely read them in magazines. I did read several classical ones when I was in college. Once in a while I still read an O'Henry story from an anthology my mother had given me. Having read short stories from Tolstoy, Hawthorne, Melville, Poe and several others whose names I have forgotten, I have come to the conclusion that the purpose of the short story is altogether different from that of the novel.

As The Old Man mentioned the short story dispenses with the normal character development and subplots found in the novel. I consider a short story like a laser which zero's in on one certain point or moral. A traditional short story makes some very specific point in very few words. All detail and facts given in a short story have to in someway reinforce the point of the story. Words in a short story have to be more carefully chosen. Because of that, short stories are a far more disciplined form of writing than novels.

I personally don't have the right kind of mind to write a short story. I start short stories and have them turn into novels. Furthermore, I don't seem to have the precision required. I much prefer writing novels.

Rhoda

Hello fellow page fillers,
Just joined this fine site ---
What? Nothing witty seems to fly from my lax digits this hour. Perhaps it's not late enough.
A bit about me? Well, alright, but just a tidbit.
I'm on the new side. Wrote a novel at 16 but never showed it to anyone. (Shhh, it's still in the closet)
Now I'm a tad more experienced but still languidly sloshing about in mid chapter... but simultaneously stuggling to wade into 'middle of the book' waters.
Got into the 30,000 word range on my novel and a virus ate most of my work. Yes, I saved it to disk - but unfortunately what was on the disk was gibberish too.
So, back to the fresh blank, the unspoiled 20 lb. lovely white, the pristine page with which to hoist my wrists above the keys and spatter with misspellings!
My computer is healthy, and I am a little wiser. Now I've got myself a new printer; the last had smoked it's last cannon of ink. And now I've paper and ink copies (real and tangible and in my hungry fist!)to savour; and disks filled to the brim with which to wipe my fetid brow in relief.
No manuscript of mine will ever again be virus fodder.
I have faced the gargantuan task of reinventing the beginning; which has come off the press so to speak in a much improved condition. But now on this arid journey, I find that it is all uphill - perhaps I will feel it smooth out beneath me as I pull myself together and forge onward?
I must not be stuck! I refuse to believe it.
Thanks for reading so far...
Glad to join such a crew.
Advice? Comments - welcome. I'm sure you have all passed this prickly strait and come out victoriously unscathed.
Heather

Greetings and felicitations,

Lo, the hurried pace of a rapturous night in the throws of passionate abandon!
Ink flows from the quill with small regard for subplot and character development!
Thoughts spill forth in heated language and furious twists of imagined fates as the tale quickly grows in dynamic shapes eager to enthrall the reader.
It is a tryst with little regard for explanation and speculation. The conception is still warm in the frontal lobes as the hand paints the picture of words that will draw all who will see into a frantic realization of the writer’s mind.
Such is the nature of the Short Story.

In flowing, languid motion, the pen deposits its burden onto the page with the sure touch of an experienced lover.
Long have these two known each other and long will they wrestle into the short hours of night as their expression of truth brings us to deeper understanding and compassion.
The total placement of characters and locations are exposed in the countless meetings of these partners.
Pathos and comedy are subtle textures to be caressed before the end.
The gentle curve of storyline is practiced and familiar as side-stories are initiated and followed, only to merge in surprise as the crescendo comes to view.
The last vestige of their meeting tells us of all things wondered in long hours of study and we learn more deeply than we may have had the time been shorter.
Such is the nature of the Novel.

Such is the way these old eyes see the differences in space and time allowed a tale. The shorter is quick and fresh, the longer wields the reader’s emotions like a broadsword, taking it up and slashing it down with a will intended to captivate.
Whatever your preference, the passion is the same. Either a frenzied affair or a substantial commitment is correct for which ever meaning will be passed along.

Fare thee well, dear friends!
T.O.M.

AMERICO:- Now how did I know that you were going to be evasive. I actually asked you what you had written not what you wrote about. Language is everything.

Wow I have just discovered where this ` sign comes from. Fantastic!

:-}
To you all.

HOWARD & RANDALL:- You guys don't know the meaning of space till you come to Australia. Why here you can drive for 6 weeks before you see another human being and dry! By gum here it's sooooo dry the only lakes we have to swim in are salt lakes and we have to wash ourselves with sand.
And our idea of a spa is to stand outside when there's a real big wind blowing. And rain!!! Well the only rain we have here is the type you use on a horsey.
Hee hee ( as Jack D. would say.)

One other thing. I prefer to read a novel than a short story, but I prefer to write a short story than a novel.

ciao, arividerci, sienara, Guten tag, grosbum, azotec, bye, au revoir, bestak, lentils, seeya.
CAN YOU PICK THE RED HERRINGS???

Hello --
Randall, I know just what you mean about driving out of Texas! We drove in at the TX-OK border, and took I40 (and parts of old route 66 out through Vega, and into NM. Lots of time (and room) to change yer mind there!.

Unbelievable story time:
I was stationed in Karlesruhe, West Germany in 1964-1966, and while I was there I bought a new VW. I had lots of time to myself, so I travelled around quite a bit. One afternoon I stopped on the autobahn and picked up two young couples who were hitch-hiking from West Berlin to Cannes, to attend the film festival. They were camping along the way, and had picked up a cute little hedgehog as a pet.
We had a great time travelling - had enough common language to sing and get acquainted, and I took them into Austria, where they bought me supper, kissed me goodbye (all four of them), we took some pictures, and I headed back to Germany while they went on their way to the festival.
Okay -- would you believe that my wife and I were sitting in the restaurant at the motel in Vega, Texas, when I overheard two couples near the window speaking German, and having a good old time. I introduced myself to one of the guys at the buffet, and we got to chatting. Turns out that they had flown two loaded BMW motorcycles in to Chicago from Frankfurt, and the four of them were doing the round trip on Rt 66 from Chicago to LA and back!
A week later we ran into the same foursome at one of the overlooks at the Grand Canyon, several hundred miles to the west! Small world! :-)
howard

Randell and Howard,

I have mixed feelings about Texas. For some reason, I have lived much of my adult life here. It was never intentional; this is just where my husband has worked. I have lived my youth in Indiana and have spent a few years in Louisiana, Kentucky, and New Mexico. In all my travels, the friendliest people I have ever met resided in Texas. I found Farmington, New Mexico friendly also, but with all the Californians and easterners moving into the community, that was quickly changing.

The best thing about Texans and many people in the southwest is that they accept you for who you are regardless of your income and place of origen. No one has ever put me down because I don't drawl or talk with an accent, though I have seen people make fun of the way Texans speak. People here tend to take your word for things. They mind their own business. When you take items back to a store and you don't have a receipt, store clerks believe you when you say you bought the item in their store. In Indiana storekeepers always assumed the worst and refused to accept your returns without a receipt. Here in Texas people make eye-contact, wave and even smile at people they don't know.

I don't think you can make judgments about this state by having visited once or twice or having watched DALLAS on television. I think the stereotypes of Texans are deplorable; if fact, all stereotypes are bad. Remember also that Texas is a big state inhabited by many groups of people. The east tends to be Southern in character while western Texas tends to be western. Up here in the Panhandle, many people are decended from Kansas and Oklahoma settlers. There is no such thing as a typical "Texas" culture.

I would love nothing better to live in another part of the country. Quite frankly I am tired of living so far away from my relatives in the mid-west. I would like to live in a place where towns are not 40 miles apart and where there are woods full of maple and sycamore trees. I miss the rolling hills of the Ohio River Valley. I miss humidity and more frequent downpours of rain. But I could still think of several worse places to live than Texas.

Happy writing,

Rhoda

OOPS! Mark that up to fat fingers!!

Hi gang, :-) (You too Prissy)

Friday night and it's raining in central Texas. Sorry for you guys in the northwest with all thoes web toes and fingers, but rain in Texas is a blessed event. I have friends there, well used to anyway, and they were always complaining about the rain. I told them to step into these boots for a while and things would be different. Rain for us is simply a renewal of life...literally. At last, BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL. Took a nap after work today and entered the sweetness of dreams as the rain pattered down outside my window. Simple pleasures for simple minds.

Howard: My friend, the problem with my home state is it's TOO big, TOO wealthy and TOO many overinflated egos and I agree with what you say...mostly. I can think of a lot of things to do with a Caddy, but burying it, tail up in the desert isn't one. My prefered country is Taos or Pagosa Springs...perhaps the western slope of the Rockies in Wyoming, maybe the Wasatch in Utah. Still Texas is home for now anyway. Howard, you don't know what eternity is until you drive out of Texas from deep inside. It takes us 6 to 8 hours to get into New Mexico from where we live in central Texas and that's on a good day with the pedal to the metal, set sails and a strong tailwind. A lady I knew from Germany told us one evening she could drive across Germany in the time we spent simply getting out of Texas. I've never tried this, but the distance from the panhandle to southern Texas is suppose to be nearly the same from the Ok. & Tex. border to Canada.

Uh, how about them short stories...huh? Stepped on some toes didn't I! No, not tonight my friends, let's leave it alone.

We face a real threat from a legal battle playing out in Utah. An anti-Mormon couple, the Tanners, who operate the Utah Lighthouse Ministry website have been slapped with an injunction requiring them to remove certain pages from their website, by lawyers representing the Latter Day Saints - the Mormons. These are not details on how to make atomic bombs or automatic weapons, but material the LDS finds sensitive.

Won't effect you because you live in Europe you say? It might, if someone decides the internet needs regulating. Check it out at their website or the Salt Lake Tribune site.
The Mormon Church is a very powerful, (read wealthy) religious sect. Their upcoming wrangle with the Tanners of SLC promises to be a heck of a battle and far ranging consquences for us free thinkers.

Gotta go, work tomorrow. No rest for the wicked or weary.
Randall

:-) Americo my friend, :-) if you keep on using thoes $2.00 words, I'm have to go out and buy a dictionary. See ya.

Hi gang, :-) (You too Prissy)

Friday night and it's raining in central Texas. Sorry for you guys in the northwest with all thoes web toes and fingers, but rain in Texas is a blessed event. I have friends there, well used to anyway, and they were always complaining about the rain. I told them to step into these boots for a while and things would be different. Rain for us is simply a renewal of life...literally. At last, BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL. Took a nap after work today and entered the sweetness of dreams as the rain pattered down outside my window. Simple pleasures for simple minds.

Howard: My friend, the problem with my home state is it's TOO big, TOO wealthy and TOO many overinflated egos and I agree with what you say...mostly. I can think of a lot of things to do with a Caddy, but burying it, tail up in the desert isn't one. My prefered country is Taos or Pagosa Springs...perhaps the western slope of the Rockies in Wyoming, maybe the Wasatch in Utah. Still Texas is home for now anyway. Howard, you don't know what eternity is until you drive out of Texas from deep inside. It takes us 6 to 8 hours to get into New Mexico from where we live in central Texas and that's on a good day with the pedal to the metal, set sails and a strong tailwind. A lady I knew from Germany told us one evening she could drive across Germany in the time we spent simply getting out of Texas. I've never tried this, but the distance from the panhandle to southern Texas is suppose to be nearly the same from the Ok. & Tex. border to Canada.

Uh, how about them short stories...huh? Stepped on some toes didn't I! No, not tonight my friends, let's leave it alone.

We face a real threat from a legal battle playing out in Utah. An anti-Mormon couple, the Tanners, who operate the Utah Lighthouse Ministry website have been slapped with an injunction requiring them to remove certain pages from their website, by lawyers representing the Latter Day Saints - the Mormons. These are not details on how to make atomic bombs or automatic weapons, but material the LDS finds sensitive.

Won't effect you because you live in Europe you say? It might, if someone decides the internet needs regulating. Check it out at their website or the Salt Lake Tribune site.
The Mormon Church is a very powerful, (read wealthy) religious sect. Their upcoming wrangle with the Tanners of SLC promises to be a heck of a battle and far ranging consquences for us free thinkers.

Gotta go, work tomorrow. No rest for the wicked or weary.
Randall

:-) Americo my friend, :-) if you keep on using thoes $2.00 words, I'm have to go out and buy a dictionary. See ya.

Yo all,
Eddie and Jon, I'm awful sorry if I 'ruffled' any feathers or fur, but the fact remains that it's better to cut to the quick if you're trying to get your point across. 'Nuf said.

If I seem as if I'm in a bit of a dither and unable to concentrate, it's because of all the sickness in my house...seems I haven't gotten any since the late nineties. (You all know how that tends to mess with the old mental faculties.

Take care, Jerry Lee

Just a brief note to remember my dear fellow writers and all admirers that there are more stories in a scrambled egg than the eye can meet.
Your princess,
Pussy (you probably guessed by the style)
PS. I'm thinking of asking the divorce from Jon. I need life experience to start a literary career. With my big blue eyes I will be very successful.
Ciao, ciao.

I'm reading a treaty on Christianity by Hans Kuhn (no one can be called a Christian without reading Hans Kuhn), but I cannot resist giving my opinion on short-stories and big novels.
Hum... I'd better be as wise as Eddie French and think about this topic a little longer.
For the moment, may I recommend my CatsDictionary to my friend Jerry? It has 1,774 pages and is therefore bigger than "War and Peace". In my accomplished opinion big is beautiful. Well, it depends...

Hmmmmph...!!
Thinking about those last two posts!
I have my own opinions on the merits of the short story.
(Or the shortcomings)
My feathers have been rankled!
I'll get them smoothed out shortly!
But for now,
Hmmmmmphhhh!
Later,
Ed.

Yo all,
I just thought I'd drop a line to let you all know whether or not I'm still kicking. Well, I am, but barely.
Happy New Year!? If I wasn't sick since New Year's Eve, my wife has been. The damnable flu is going around our house. Don't worry, though; I washed my hands before typing this.

Welcome to Viper Six! This is a unique place on the net. I have no doubt that you will enjoy it here as much as I do.

On the topic at hand, Short stories are great to write and tedious to read. Nothing like a good 590 page doorstop to relax a person. I must say, however, that deeper thoughts seem to be written in shorter formats. I have learned more useful information from three page quickies than I ever have from 300 page blockbusters.

"...feed your head." the Doormouse

Take care, Jerry Lee

Teekay,

You asked me what I write about. I write about life as "a casserole made of hours spiced with darkness and light" (Howard Tuckey - see SM**).

Rachel, that feeling of empy hands after finishing a book is quite natural. I'll get something for you to fill your hands, your heart and your mind as soon as I can. Just the time of putting some of my own projects on the table and be sure that I will not become too distracted of real life with the Notebook.

Randall, are you sure you are RLH? Really sure? I do not think you are. The moment you get a second name you become two persons. That's called the "heteronimic complex" and is a very complex thing really. Anyway, welcome aboard, RLH.

Jon, sorry Howard offended you by saying you do not have a soul. I think he is right. Rejoyce.

Pussy, I hate you. Hope you appreciate my sincerity.

Jack, it's 2 pm. Time for breakfast, man.

Allein, that's not funny. I'm laughing.

Teekay, there are moments which are much worse than the time you are starting a novel and the time immediately after you publish it. I'm thinking of the times when you are not writing anything.

Is there any writer you would like to be? I would like to be myself, but with more genius (if possible).

Teekay - I think that Mr. King had it right. That is certainly how I see it.

With "Shadows" being done now, I am getting those strange feelings that come with the completion of a project. The whole happy sad thing. That sort of empty arms feeling that you get when you see your last child off to school for the first time.

I do have other writing projects to keep me busy. It isn't that I don't have anything else to write, there is always more to write (smiles).

Going back to the short stories - I also have to agree with Americo. What he wrote in his post sounds hauntingly familiar (smiles). I seem to remember something very akin to those words being written almost a year ago now. Yes, it is all about language.

Either way, short story or novel, if you write with your heart, with dedication, attention and conviction you are sure to have something beautiful when you are done.

Take care all
Rachel

PS - If there are spelling mistakes in here, just try to skim over them. I didn't have time to do the cut and paste thing, but wanted to leave a little note.

Sorry, Tex -- I know things is bigger in Texas, but mile after mile of rocks, sand, and dead armadillos gets boring after a while, no matter which end of the armadillo is gettin' the sunburn.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my drive -- got to see the Cadillac tailfeathers sticking up outta the ground and all, and those irrigation booms are awesome, but it was a loooooong trip.

Same with lots of novels I've read. Sure, you do get those grabbers like JRR's LOTR, and Lawhead's "Byzantium," (and a bunch of others) and I really enjoyed "Dune" (up to about the middle of the first book), but long for the sake of long is not my cuppa.

Give me a Zenna Henderson short story collection any time, or Ray Bradbury's "Quicker Than The Eye," or Poe, Howard, Camus, Kafka, etc etc. And Jean Giono's "The Man Who Planted Trees" is an absolute gem!

There are some who could function well in both arenas: James Schmitz' "The Witches of Karres," for example was an excellent novel, while his "Grandfather" was a great short story. Asimov was another example, with his "robot" series, then "Foundation."

But neither was done as an exercise in word count, but to tell a story. Just enough words to get the job done -- no more, no less, then get outta the way and let the story do its job on the reader, not the author's vocabulary.

No, it's the story that counts, and while I do enjoy the occasional long one, it's the short story that usually kicks the imagination into gear, and that imagination, running on after "The End," is what I'd rather evoke.

I mean, who wants to stop at the poster on the fenceline when you can ride right off into the sunset?

howard

Greetings All,

JON:- Do good Christians need to be concerned with be saved or should that just be a concern of the bad Christians?


AMERICO:- If this is the most interesting phase of writing a book then God help me. I'm not starting over though, if I did that then I'd never get any where. I think I've got a good plot, but that may be because I still have a little bit of household cleaner still in the blood stream. No, I like the plot although it does keep changing slightly every time I put pen to paper I just need to keep track of the core of it all and I should be alright. Gotta put some meat on the bones of it all.

Are you going to tell us what you have written. I don't think you will although I wish you would. May it happen to me that one day I shall be sitting beside strangers who are discussing the merits of my writing.

RANDALL;- I remember what Stephen King once wrote about short stories and novels, at least I remember something of it. He said,
misquote:
"a short story is like a kiss, a novel is like a love affair."
end misquote.
I think that says it nicely.

Bye All.

Short Story Versus the Novel.

Interesting subject Jack. Not one I lose much sleep over though. Still, you've asked for comment, so here goes.

Wait :-) Now, before I get into this you must understand one thing ... my view of the world and life is one of basic simplicity, borderline paranoia, enhanced by a jaundiced view of humans and their nature. Have fun w/tongue firmly in cheek, but be prepared to cry. I think crying should be followed by a laugh, day by night, sunrise by sunset and/or vice versa. Everything neat and in place. (Must be that old Navy training.) Wanna know a secret gang? Americo knocked me out of my chair recently when he wrote he could see the boy in me. Right on Bro! Hit the nail on the head there my man.

So with that in mind ... my only concern, SS versus novel would be the mechanics of writing SS versus a LONG story. Logistics perhaps, emotional content...well certainaly a consideration. Keep track of time and characters, and so forth. Simple mechanics, ain't nothing to it. But folks, (a big wave of the Stetson) in Texas we say, "Never send a boy to do a man's job." If one has an interesting storyline, plot and can dream up enough characters...why not crank up the keyboard, kick the cat outside, threaten the kids with banishment and write a novel 50,000 words minimum? Just do it.

Okay, okay I hear the yelling!!! Before I am leaped upon by SS gurus...yes I know literature is filled with first rate, classical short stories. Jeez, goes without saying, calm down out there. But, how much more interesting would Poe's (example) tales be extended outward. Okay? "Quote the Raven, evermore at 8 chapters, 6 characters and 75,000 words." Content is everything and the more the better.

I pounded out an interesting short story about a dream I had years ago. Drug induced by the way. No, not that kind of drug! One given to me by a doctor. Could I make it longer? Sure no problem, a little more plot, couple more characters and zippo the magic 50,000! But would it sell Randall?

Well hon, guess what, who cares!!

I write for myself anyway, and baby, if you think I'm gonna concetrate on a storyline that only covers a few pages and 1500 words? Forget it! Short stories, hey, okay for some... But short story is not in my dictionary. I need the meat, bones and gristle a long, long, novel gives me. My ideal long novel? Without question LORD OF THE RINGS by old JRR. Start that sucker in the fall and read each night till I'm fast asleep dreaming of Hobbits and adventure.

Short stories are only a snack for the mind. Big is good? Bigger is better? (Grins) After all, I am a Texan by birthright.

Forever, a boy at heart.
Randall

(Americo....RLH & Randall are the same. See ya Pal.)

Teekay,

You've written a very interesting piece on the troubles of the novelist. You are probably in the most interesting phase of writing your book: when, after thinking you wrote some splendid pages, you switch on the telly, look at the news and sigh: "What crap I have produced today compared with real life." And you go to bed feeling dejected. If you are like me, you start everything again on the next day. Till your head aches every day and you feel like eating something really exotic that does not exist anywhere. A holiday is a good idea for those times. To go on holiday and forget about the novel. But taking the notebook and twenty pencils, just in case there's a sudden recovery from that terrible sensation of complete failure. This awful phase of novel writing is not very different from when one falls in love and the victim of our reverie does not pay any attention to our romantic state. That's why I consider it the most interesting phase. It's not too bad actually if compared with what comes in the end.

The worst phase of novel writing is when the book is published. If it is a failure we feel that the world is stupid, if it is a success, we feel like vomiting with the stupidity of the world who could not see that there was a misprint on page 34 and probably did not read the book with critical eyes. There is no way out. Except writing another novel. Alber Camus called this process "the myth of Sysiph", but probably the name of the Greek has just been mispelled.

This Notebook gives a great lesson to its writers: it lives a lot out of silence. Writers must learn that getting no reaction to their best pages is a painful but necessary part of their jobs. That part really sucks. I like people shouting around my books! The most glorious moment in my life was when I heard two people getting mad in a train because they did not agree on the quality of a novel I had just published. I felt like kissing the person who liked the book, but I could not tell him that I was the author. On the other hand I knew that the one who did not like the book was right. And I could not kill him because that's probably a sin.

Hey, hey! Do not procrastinate: Jack has asked us to discuss a very interesting topic -- shot-stories versus novels. What's a short-story? Does it require a plot? NO! A story? NO! What is indispensable in a short-story? Just language, preferably conveying feelings, emotions, life. Not very different from a novel, except that the latter tends to be a bit bigger. That said, I must admit that the subject is not so simple as that. Must read something on that.

Thought of the day: switch off wordprocessors' grammar correctors. They are absolute crap, and they can induce people to make terrible mistakes, like writing in too short sentences, avoiding preposition at the end of sentences and other things which were recomended in the 16th century to secretaries. What distinguishes a writer from an office clerh is that the writer knows where and when to make "mistakes". A text without "mistakes" tends to be a poor thing. This does not mean that you people go on mispelling words and making other silly (real) mistakes. The "mistakes" I am referring to are of a creative order.

Hey, Howard, I have a soul. It's my wife Pussy who has lost it in the laundy some time ago. But I'll buy a new one for her. Americo has no soul. He is a terrible Catholic. But he loves Jesus, who is a great friend of his. (Actually I'm becoming rather suspicious of their strange relationship).

BTW: please do not get scandalized with my views on religion and other decent matters. I rarely get scandalized with even more important subjects. I'm thinking of getting life insurance for my soul, hope it's not too expensive. In my opinion, I'll go to heaven. What do you think?

Thought of the day: can a good Christian be saved? Americo told me not, but he knows little about transcendental matters. In his opinion only good people can be saved, so perhaps some Christian girls that I know (allo, Allein!) will go to paradise with me. I like paradise very much. Hope you also don't mind paradise.

SHADOWS IN A DREAM has been archived at last. A copy has been sent to each of the magnificent four (Rachel, Allein and Jack, besides your truly). Now it's just a question of finding a publisher. The first person in this forum to get a publisher THAT WE CAN ACCEPT will get 10 % of the proceeds ($100,000 in a million bucks) and will become rich. Rich & Famous only the writers who made it till the end -- not an easy task, but a rewarding one.

The novel has been copyrighted under the pseudonym of John McIntyre.

As you see, we are not playing in the "Writer's Notebook", which, from now on, can boast a full-fledged novel to its credits.

The next project? STRAWBERRIES AND A MOON, already in full swing. Open to everyone, including those who abandoned the ship of S*.

PS. The final collaborators of S* are kindly expected to send me their impressions of the novel together with a list of errors or misprints.

Teekay again --
I left out the most important group! Those who just keep chugging along, enjoying Allein's jokes, Jon and Pussy's irreverence (they can be irreverent because they've no souls to worry about, right, Americo?), Americo's constant goading to "write Write WRITE!" , and the general attitude of encouragement and cameraderie we find here.
At least that's what keeps bringing *me* back!

howard

Randall - Sun? What's that? Oh, I remember now, that thing in Florida with the light and the heat that turned my skin red. See, we don't have that in Washington. But we have rain - lots and lots of rain. :)
Take care,
Allein

Teekay -- Many have visited, stayed a while, then left again. Some get real busy with other things, and get away from the habit of stopping to chat. Some come back when they get bored elsewhere, others get bored here and leave for greener pastures. Some are more thin-skinned than others, or forget that a sense of humour may be perceived differently on the screen than in person. Some are truly more sensitive, and cannot abide the haggling that we get into now and again. A few (thankfully) get tired of not being able to have it Their Way, and decide to go be the bully in someone else's yard.
Gee! this place sounds a lot like life! :-)
---
Randall -- R.E.Howard's "The Colour Out Of Space" is one of my favorite stories. The "Conan" series is excellent also. R.E.H. was second only to Edgar Allen Poe in my estimation. Too bad he couldn't have lived with himself -- he committed suicide at age 39. A very disturbed young man. There have not been many who could follow him -- August Derleth is one, perhaps.

howard

Back Again.

I was just looking through the archives, I started with one this time and it was very sad to see that the people who started of writing in the notebook no longer come here. What happened to them and will it be the same with us? Are we but ships who pass in the night? I feel quite depressed now. I know you've been here all that time JACK, but you've had to be really haven't you. It was reassuring to see your name there amongst all those strange ones. You're rather like the island and we are but sailors who will touch upon your shores. Some may stay for but a moment, others longer and some may decide they want to stay. I think I'll stay.
AMERICO I see you rather as the tour guide.

Remember Arak and what about Avatar. 'sigh'.

Hello Everyone.

Yes Randall welcome. Maybe sometimes Americo reads the noticeboard with one eye closed? Who knows?

Welcome VIPER SIX.

JACK:- I think the main difference between writing a short story and a novel is that in a short story you need to make everyword matter, every word is there for a purpose whereas in the novel one can dilly dally around a bit, throw in some decorative bits and I think have a little more freedom.

Also with a short story, I think it is much easier to keep control of your characters and the plot, where as with a novel there is so much scope. Characters tend to run amok and not behave as you wanted them to and are saying things they're not supposed to ( I have come to this conclusion in my 2 days of writing the best selling novel.)

Also with a short story you can write it in an afternoon (if your lucky) and then you can wash your hands of it. A novel, no such luck, it haunts your dreams, you find yourself watching over your shoulder, you bite your nails to the quick, try to go to sleep without adding to it that day, if you can. Your novel becomes your alter-ego, this may not be a bad thing if the words are flowing smoothly and the plot is moving along nicely, but when it's not my sympathies are with you.

When someone tells you that your short story stinks it hurts, but you can deal with it after all it wasn't that much of a commitment, where as with a novel....

And how hard must it be to keep the reader entertained for the duration of the book????

That is my opinion on the difference between a short story and a novel.

Now just to let you all know how I'm going with the ?novel?
What a mess!! I have scribbly bits all over the place and the paragraphs aren't in order and I have notes next to everything!?!? and I think once I edit what I have actually wwritten I'll have practically nothing there.

Yesterday I spring cleaned the house, I think it was to put off writing and I was so tired when I went to bed last night, but I still couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about 'it'. So of course I had to write after that I felt better.

Going now.

Howard,

I know TWO persons that fit your description. One is you, the other is me, but I do not work for IBM.

Anyway, it's almost 5 am in Portugal and I am still working. On what? On my job and hobby and life and the thing I love most: writing. Well, I also love soccer and my thousand wives (today I converted myself to poligamy -- any objection?)

Hey, Viper Six and Randall -- Welcome aboard!

I did not know a site like this existed . I'm glad that I was informed of it's existence. I am a friend of Laura's. My story is in the short story archives. Please E-mail me and let me know what you guys think.

Sincerely,
Viper
Six.

Good afternoon group (You too Jack)!

Not much to report from this keyboard. Another balmy day in central Texas. 65 degrees (F), clear sky. That is, another DRY day in central Texas. Had a heck of a sandstorm yesterday. At 4:00 PM we stood outside the store and was able to stare straight into the sun! A manical farmer raced by on his tractor yelling. "That's my dirt up there and I'm gonna farm it if I have to chase it plumb to the Gulf of Mexico!"

Man, it's so dry here jackrabits are packing canteens! There are children in our neighborhood a year old who have never seen it rain! Someone reported this afternoon fish at the lake were seen stockpiling water!!! Y2K meant nothing here, because weather is on our minds. Seriously, local ranchers are watching their water holes for the ocassional cow who becomes stuck in the mud trying to reach water. Hay sales are rising and stockmen are buying feed and/or selling their stock.

The Empire of Texas! No place like it.

Not a word from my agent. (Sigh) :( Randall drops another bomb it seems. My name should be Randall "Bombs Away" Hackwriter. I'm sorry, sell or not, I have to write what I feel comfortable with. I can't write of lawyers foiling mafia gangs or White House sexcapades. I like SF (sorry Americo) I feel comfortable writing of such affairs. It's an escape for me, and an exit from normalcy!

Any of you guys heard of Robert E. Howard? No? Okay, how about Conan the Barbarian? Yeah, that's the guy, swords and sorcery. Now that's SF for ye. Mr. Howard lived, wrote and died only a few miles from my home. Conan always seemed to be battling monsters in rugged mountains, sailing wide seas with pirates or somewhere in between. Guess the dry Texas climate affected Mr. Howard's writings and he chose to escape the Texas concept of normal as well.

There are, I suppose many things that affect the writer...where on the list should climate fall? If one writes to escape, then it stands to reason adverse local surroundings will be avoided. Right?

Forever in doubt.....
Randall "Bombs Away" Hackwriter

This just in -- ain't it the truth!

----

There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to
become a great writer.

When asked to define "great" he said, "I want to write stuff that the
whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional
level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"

He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.

Since things got quiet all of a sudden, thought I would throw out an enquiry about the differing skills involved in writing a short story as opposed to a longer piece like a novel. And, as an extension, which do you prefer to write in. In this, I am picking back up the proposed topics for discussion since we do not have any discussion of round robin activity going at the moment. Hope everybody is having a wonderful New Year and having few if any computer problems. I just had a go around with AT&T Cable Modem tech support that finally ended happily, but was without fast internet for the better part of a day. Oh, well. Take care.

Well, I'm back on the desktop again, after two installations of Windows 98 second addition. I knew there were some things wrong with my old setup anyhow, it was going very slow, and having a lot of errors, so this was in reality a good thing, now my computer is back up and running at full speed again, I think it would be good to do this at least every two or three months anyhow. Just wished I had backed up all my files, lost my favorite program called streambox ripper, which allowed me to download real audio music, and convert it into CD music, so I could make CD's for my CD player. Went back to their site to get it again, and seems Real Audio sued them and they can no longer sell the software. Should have learned long ago to back up, but you know hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

FYI: A new online school is starting in mid-February: this one’s with Writer’s Digest, long known for their magazines, books, and correspondence courses (they published my bestselling book Writing in Flow). I’ll be teaching Focus on the Nonfiction Magazine Article, and Writing the Nonfiction Book Proposal, and the workshops will repeat twice more during the year. My husband Stephen, a New Yorker-published poet and the most encouraging teacher you could ever hope to have, will be teaching Fundamentals of Poetry Writing. Find out more at www.wdwow.com (for WritersOnlineWorkshops).

Courses are 12-14 weeks long, and though they’re not inexpensive, I believe you’d get more writing done and more personal feedback than from a traditional course.

Writer’s Digest isn’t yet linking to instructors’ Web sites, but if you’re interested in finding out more about me or Stephen, do see our extensive site at www.bunnyape.com. (And don’t miss my Expert Q&A page - get to it quickly from the index on the very opening page, or from the Writing in Flow page. Lots of detailed free info.)

Susan K. Perry, Ph.D.
Author of the bestselling WRITING IN FLOW: KEYS TO ENHANCED CREATIVITY
http://www.bunnyape.com

Jerry,

Be careful with that set-up thing. Not everyone can load Windows 95 and 98 that way. My Windows 95 got corrupted and I used the Setup on the Windows disc and lost it. If you have Windows Explorer, loading Windows95/98 with Setup will crash your hard drive. That was what I was told by this tech-support person I called.

Good luck with the reloading process. I have got my system working where I can do most of what I need on it, but it is not what it used to be. It does strange things like locks up my Corel Word perfect whenever I load my Microscoft graphics programs or load the software for my scanner. I think for it is time for me to buy a new hard drive. As far yourself, I would advise you to consider getting your money back or having the company you bought from provide you a new computer. At two months, you should have warrenty on it. Incidently we bought a Compac a few years ago. It crashed constantly from the moment we brought it home. We tolerated a week of it and then took it back to the store we bought it from--best thing we ever did.

Rhoda

Well the accident gave us a great exit to the old year, so today, just to keep things going well, my desktop computer (its only a couple of months old) had convulsions, then displayed a large blue Microsoft Windows 98 Screen saying ERROR please run setup again, so I did. The machine locked up, had to reformat it, lost all my data, except what I keep here on my laptop. I am re-installing Win 98 again as I type, this new year just keeps getting better and better.
;-}

Bye
Jerry

Hi again, and thanks again for all the notes, posts, prayers, and encouragement. It has been deeply appreciated.
--------------------------

Now, in a much lighter vein:
In honor of the annual SUPERBOWL mania (at least on this side of the pond)I wrote the following "pre-history." My apologies to those who don't follow American football (I don't much myself).
One critic called it a "One Trick Pony." He's probably right, but I liked it anyway. Enjoy!
-----------------------

Superbowl LVII


January 25, 2023 (Lombardian year 57)

It was officially "Auld Lang Syne" last night, when, during the halftime ceremonies of Superbowl LVII, the New Lombardian Calendar was formally adopted, to the cheers of the 400,000 fans in the standing-room-only crowd jamming Microsoft Stadium. The rest of the world went wild as well, as they followed the action on interactive hyper-TV, and on the remains of the old internet. The Reorganized UN finally approved the new cal