Cia

Happy Birthday!!

I have to agree with Trevor. I don't even watch commercials on my own shows anymore. And I detest all the toy adverts my kids get to see. Talk about bringing on a case of the 'gimmies.'

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Wowsers. Quite the rollercoaster! I am so glad you came through the night safe. Work at least is keeping you busy, you gotta love having cute eye candy to ogle, they make time fly by.

You are being strong you know. You are admitting that you are feeling this way and having thoughts of suicide and are not acting on them. Just speaking out about how you feel is a good thing. I know we don't really know each other but I truly hope that you will take care of yourself.

The irony, being up is making you down. That's so unfortunate. Oh, and technically tack refers to any type; horse, pony, llama, goat, pygmy goat, donkey. Lots of options, perhaps that store only sold horse tack (being facetious, anyone looking for tack would know well enough ) All I can say is life is full of people who feel the need to be redundant, even in signage. Sorry, nothing funny to share, well oh, I did see a t-shirt the other day. It said: Caution, I do stupid things. I think more people should be required to wear those

Kissing is cultural. Some cultures are definitely more 'physical' than others. Compare Latin versus American (well northern). That being said part of it also has to do with your own comfort level with physical contact. I don't like to be hugged or kissed, even by family for the most part. My dad still kisses me, and one of my sisters. That's it. Other than that it's the occasional hug, usually as a goodbye. I never hug in greeting. And friends next to never get hugs from me. Usually only holidays or special moments if they need comfort. My siblings that were raised sort of southern are much more comfortable with physical contact, even the boys. The boys will hug and kiss their female relatives and hug their dad but kissing friends? I doubt they'd even go so far as to hug really. I think that if you compare cultures views on sexuality and taboos you will find a direct correlation between that and the physical intimacy between people, both friends and strangers.

Sounds like life has been hitting you pretty hard lately hun. I wish things we could say would make it better but platitudes don't help. I am glad you had a few silver linings in all that chaos and stress. Hugs!!

Smart man Ricky. Mark is obviously suicidal. Seriously though, I do use my emotions and memories of emotions of events in my life that have happened for my characters ands stories. Some of the things I've written have happened to me and other things are made up but I've found it makes it easier to write how something affects a character if you've experienced it. And sometimes I have to step back from writing something until the memories calm but I don't think I've ever actually had the character's plight move me so much that I cried. I think I get too focused on thinking, 'okay, so when this happened I felt fear and anger or whatever and that caused this sort of physical reaction' and how would that best be related to the reader in the character's reactions. Maybe when I have more experience as a writer and have to think less of how to get it across I will become more immersed into the characters themselves.

I can't really answer that poll. I guess I've never been that involved in my stories to just hit the emotional side of it when I read. I'm always too caught up trying to figure out better ways of writing the actual content to be moved by the drama the charactes are embroiled in. Maybe my writing would be better if I were more emotionally involved. Now that I sound like a total robot, I do cry at other people's stories. When the emotions are something I can relate to the waterworks can actually be pretty bad.

Dan's Riders Pride is an excellent fanfic of Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels. Allen Smithee's Valdemar fanfiction is good if you like Mercedes Lackey. Myr has some interesting original science fiction and fantasy stories as well as some HP fanfiction. David MacLeod has some vivid fantasy stories, including a medieval one. If you check out the Authors section you can see a short blurb next to all the writers who are hosted and promising that often will give you some idea of what they write.

I am not really sure what will happen to stories that have been abandoned in e-fiction when the changeover occurs. I don't think that has even been completely decided yet. I do know that in e-fiction if you look at the story 'stats' just by clicking on the title you can see word counts, chaper counts, completed-yes or no. It is easy enough to see if the story has been finished or not which helps the readers decide if they want to put in the effort to read. I absolutely love to read long stories that allow me to become completely involved in the world created by the writer. Getting that involved and never getting the ending is frustrating to be sure. I try to remember that these people are writing and posting for 'fun' for the most part this isn't what they do so sometimes life gets in the way. It's still annoying but I try to understand. Then I try to track them down and nag them to finish stuff, that brings its own satisfaction

Don's Beloved. Absolutely my fav still. I adore many of the writers on here though the list would be way too long to expound here. The quality of some of the stories I've read on here provides me with a very lofty bar to reach with my own writing.

LOL. Sounds like you are in the seventh circle of hell. In other words, a town similar to where I grew up. There's a festival in the spring. Other than that, lets sit around and do nothing while looking at the tress or somethng. Booooring!

It varies for me. Tme, opportunity, if I'm reading something that gets me going or not. I've found time of day is a real factor. By the end of the day after chores, kids, cooking... I'm often just not in the mood. Still, based on what friends tell me after 13 years with the same partner 3-5 times a week is way above average. I won't even begin to say how many times alone though.

I'm a reader. If my life is too much for me I immerse myself in someone elses. After a vampire feeding, an assassin attack, traveling back in time or dealing with rabid animals chewing a body part off whatever I'm dealing with doesn't seem so bad

Busy man! I get you on the fear of the dark, I'm still a wuss about being out at night. Last time I went out to take pics at 1 am in my front yard a coyote came out on the road about 10 yards away though, so maybe I have good reason

I can't even begin to point out how many of those things I am I love this pic. Too damn good of an opportunity to pass up to mess with that guy. Glad they had the gumption to do it! However don't you think that guy doing the jump and kiss routine should know to wear black socks with black shoes?

Happy Birthday!! and to counteract the old comment, wow, you're younger than I thought you were

I like this. It definitely makes the last snippet make more sense. Okay, so stop teasing and start releasing the story!!

I am so happy for you guys. West, you are more eloquent than any man I think I've ever known. That you are willing to share your happiness with us is wonderful.

Happy birthday hun!!

Happy Birthday!! Hmm... a full and complete adult legally now. Woo hoo for you!

I always do my first edit by reading outloud. Especially dialogue. Great suggestions all!!