John Doe

So my university that I attend does not offer web design/ computer classes. Well they do, but only computer science majors can take those classes and since I'm an art major I'm banned from taking those classes. No hard feelings, since art classes are only art majors only. I am interested in reading books on how to understand and build a website. I am currently learning how to use Photoshop for art stuff and figure I can deisgn my own web templates. So I want to know how to create a web template basically, like inputting my own art in and creating buttons and linking pages, etc... is there a good website or book anyone can recommend? To get a grasp on my level of understanding, I'm beginner. I have designs done ready to be in be inputted into "web format," but I'm stuck on huh? How? So beginner and clueless... any help?

Okay well I wrote out a story outline for it. Put it on hold (meaning work on it whenever I feel like it but not post) until I finish Get There. Maybe when I'm almost done with Mages and if I'm 3/4 of the way through with that story I'll post it. Thanks for the feedback yall. Much appreciated.

Bangs is the area of hair that comes down and covers the forehead.

I'm not sure one could make a generalization like that. Maybe in your cirumstance and from the people you know it may seem that way to you, but I think people are just different. They have different tastes and what not. I read a lot of young adult novels and the details and stuff like that compared to British author and American author are different only because of author style and not country origins. I've read examples from both sides of details from both countries and I enjoyed all. And the sucess of each novel I believe was due to craft and overall quality of writing and not attention to detail. This is similar to this forum topic recently posted as well....

Ugh i hate this topic because it reminds me of the stupid ignorant people who blow things out of proportions. And I don't mean those arguing for a natural happy relationship between an adult and child but the idiots who yell child abuse. It reminds me of a case I studied in my siociology class where a female primary teacher was acccused of sexual molesting a child. A child went to the doctor and the doctor pat his back and he said that Ms. Jones does that to me. Well low and behold the mother caused an uproar and thankfully stupid uncle is a judge so thing was blown out of proportion. People started coming out of the woodworks accsuing this poor lady of molesting and sexually assaulting their children. Sayng things like she shoves object into children's orifice and peed on them while they napped. The whole thing was a circus. Parents told and forced their children to lie in court and the judge who happens to be related to the first idiot woman supported it because his nephew was "molested." Years afterwards another judge ruled in favor of the woman, because of the circus act and the admittance of some parents saying they were swept up in the fevor. Some refused to acknowledge their lies to this day. Poor woman had to and still carries that stigma of being that woman who molested primary school kids. A stigma that she could never take away. Now i'm pissed.... but yeah I don't blame those two guys or anyone else for that matter for acting like they do because there are douches like the stupid lame excuse of a mother who would yell rape and molestor, and people would come crawling out of holes and popping out of graves to accuse an innocent of doing something perverted to their children. With that aside, I do hope that one day this changes because children do need that physical touch. Human beings are social creatures and we need others to feel at home and safe, whether it be a family, friends, or caring adult.

I hate stupid notebooks!!!!!!! Why oh why do the pages returns when you touch the pad a certain way....dang I have to retype what I wrote all over again. Anyway... I agree with what Bugeye said in that you should just keep writing. And here's my addictional comments. Like some have alluded to, simple or detailed description is fine either way. I have read books and novels that was one or the other and can remember thinking wow that book was written well. When it comes to science fiction and fantasy I tend to like the descriptions to be on the higher scale but that doesn't necessarily mean that I want every detail. When I wrote Mages of the Academy, in the beginning I waslike details details and details because I wanted my reader to know the world that I created. Now the detail is a bit slack but I don't think it subtracts from the story as now people have an idea of what my made up world is like. After posting the first few chapters I got opinions from both side: too descriptive and others loved it. So the lesson is this.... it don't matter if its simple or fine detailed, people will have a preference no matter what and you cannot cater to everyone. You should not change your writing to please one or the other and the only person you should be writing to please and be happy and content with is yourself. The only thing you need to worry about is the craft and execution of the work at hand. If your craft is solid and your execution is done well, simple or fine detials won't matter. so... Contiously write and write for youself and how you envision the story to be. Don't write how someone else thinks you should write. If they keep telling you how to write and what to write you can tell them they should write their own story. But there is a difference in someone telling you how to write better. You just have to know as the writer what to take into consideration and how to digest a comment or suggestion. Yeah there are some people who thinks your work needs this or that, but sometimes really they are just saying those things because your writing style is just different than theirs and they aren't comfortable with it. I had a reader tell me once that my story needed editing and I asked what and he stated things that were fine and it turned out that he didn't like the way I worded things. Like I referred a smile as a gesture and he didn't think a smile was a gesture (when it is), his thoughts were a gesture had to do with movements with the body outside of the face. I appreciated his opinion but that was just a matter of taste. I didn't do anything wrong. But that same reader also pointed out that I kinda reiterate the same concept or emotion over again after just saying it in another sentence. When I reread the story, he was absolutely right. When I was writing the story at the time, I like the way it sounded and didn't see what he pointed out but after I was made aware, it was obvious that I was just repeating myself in a different way, so I went back and edited those repeated implications out. So filter out your comments and suggestions. Everyone is tryng to make you a better writer, but not every comment or suggestions will make you a better writer.

I agree with this statement. People go back to what they are comfortable with. Reminds me of food. Heh. We all have different ideas and takes on what comfort food is. I grew up in the south and comfort for me is hearty stuff like BBQ ribs, grits gravy and biscuits, and/or traditionally Asian food from my culture like fried spring rolls and stuff chicken wings. My roommate thinks of pizza and meatloaf (*gags* on both items). Growing up as a kid my parents allow me to watch all sorts of things. Excpet for R rated stuff. So I tend to be indifferent towards shows when it comes to association. There's the thing with Japanese anime that has it's own stigma in western culture. People who are seen as people who enjoy japanese anime are nerds, dorks, geeks, etc. For example when i was talking Japanese for a few semesters (6 semesters totaled) it annoyed the crap out of me when people show up because they like anime. But as I advanced to higher levels, those people were quickly weeded out. Yeah there are a few who still liked Japanese anime passionately but they also have a deep interest in Japanese culture (I should go read through my textbook again to refresh my memory). A lot of people I know can't stand Japanese anime because they associate Japanese anime with the anime fanatics, which I think is a bit unfair as they aren't really evaluating the anime itself but rather the people who watches the show and the association that goes with those people. I like anime because it pushes the creative ideas and expands on them. American cartoons are more for comfort. Japanese Anime as a generality is a bit more complex (talking about plot here) than American animation and I like that aspect. Though it can only be found in American animation where opinions are obvious and isn't a "let's hold hands and hope for world peace" and I like that about shows like Family Guy and South Park. Shows like on Nickelodeon (sp?) like Hey Arnold I could care less about because I didn't grow up on them, they are artistically incompatible with my tastes, and I much rather watch shows like Tom and Jerry or Ben 10. Today I much rather read books and write. Rarely do I watch TV. I watch anime because I can watch them for free on the internet (in Japanese usually a week after it's been released in Japan) but it's kinda hard to watch a whole series or catch up on a whole American series since only a limited number of episodes is availible online, but I guess the thing with most American animation shows is that you can watch any episode and not be lost. Though bring me a comic book or graphic novel and mangas and I'll sit down with you and read the days away. I equally love both when the art is on par with my preference. PS. Has anyone read the graphic novel Unwritten? It's pretty interesting.

Because of Mark I was going to write my wishes in Japanese with the characters.... but then you may think I was saying bad things about you so Happy Birthday... you're getting old, should stock up on the aging cream.

I chose the third option. Heh just for giggles. I work in a place filled with feminist extremist and I like to say things like that just to tickle their bones. We joke about stuff like that all the time now and I couldn't resist the temptation. But Nephy is right. I would have to agree with her. I'm a smaller guy and things like that doesn't really cross my mind. Hence I was effy about the age thing because that was the thing that was bothering me I just didn't know exactly why, but as soon as I read Nephy's comment it clicked. Though I may be 23 and if some 16 year old comes up to me picking a fight and makes an attempt to hit me or any of my friends, I'll hit the kid if he or she is larger than me. 16 year old guys are getting huge these days.... dang world of physical poweress and muscle buidling obession. It's not hard to outweight or outsize me. But if I was a buff guy or expert hand to hand combat person I would show long restaint and patience. Not necessary to hurt someone when you are in deed the superior one in physical poweress.

I agree with most of what you said. I agree that it's wrong to hit anyone male or female. I also agree that if push comes to shove and someone tried to hit or harm me or people I care about, yes I will hit that person regardless of sex. So with that in regards I believe it is not wrong to hit a woman. I am an equal opportunity hitter. I do not discrimnate towards sex, age (well this one here is kinda tricky), sexual orientation, gender, religion, creed, race. etc. I would gladly show them the microscopic cells of my knuckles and fists up close.

Somewhere between a and b...

If this was a poll on manga and comics then I would be divided as I like the drawings of both. And there are expections to both cases. I like the buff and slender Marvel and DC heroes and the same goes for manga. I dislike the thin or overly muscled (except I enjoy theoverly muscled in manga...called bara.... which are mostly sexual in nature... which I don't tend to like). I'm talking about visual aspect and not plot. Plot wise I do happen to agree that Japanese anime are a bit more hmmm how should I say this... imaginative and outlying. American animation is geared towards the younger age group. Though American art style I dislike. Boxy and weird lined people just looks bad. I can't find many American animation that I liked. I liked the disney stuff when I was younger but now after knowing that some of the disney animations were just retold in a different manner and one that was pretty much "stolen" has created a slight distasteful stigma of my opinion towards Disney. Shows like rugrats and basically anything that can be on nick... where too plain for my tastes. Not fantasical enough. (Mind you by the time I was eight I was reading books by Peirs Anthony and Terry Brooks). I throughly enjoy shows like South Park and Family Guy because of their jokes and unrulyness, and humor like that cannot be found anywhere else. Japanese anime I love because of their vast expansive ideas and storylines. Gods and angels coming down to earth to fall in love or wage wars are always entertaining (example: Ah! My Goddess... though I thought the concept was good.... the overall episodes was a bit redundant.... I greatly enjoyed the movie/ Example #2: Princess Mononoke). I love mythology and japanese anime has that kind of lore. Or the science fiction detail and background of some are just creative, like the advancement of technology (example: Gundam Wing, Bubblegum Crisis, Lain). Though Japanese anime tend to repeat a storyline over and over and over again in different episodes without seemingly going anywhere is kinda annoying. (exapmle: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Tenchi) Shows like these just uses the same concept and add in a new baddie in for the next episode... when really it's just the same episode with a different bad guy. Then there are the perverted ones that are absolutely worthless in my opinion, like panning shots of girl's butts or chests (Battle Athletes) or unnesccesary pervertedness when they could have done a great plotline about the characters of their story (Golden Boy and Ranma1/2). *shrugs* watching animation of any sort for me I'd stick with shows like South Park and Family Guy. Japanese anime I watch a vast majority but also skip a massive majority. I can categorize the shows that I like and dislike and can probably figure out how I classify what I like in what anime. Oh oh thought just came to me. I forgot that I like American "3d" animation. Like Shrek, How to Tame your Dragon, Up, Finding Nemo, Happy Feet (disney has done well in this area but thanks to Pixar studios) Here's a few anime that I like: Witch Hunter Robin / Naruto (though this show is like Sailor Moon in the respect that it prolongs important details and has a lot of filler crap... overall story good) / Avatar The Last Airbender (as stated before this is an American Animation) / anything by Hayao Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli like Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, etc. / Air TV (sad anime of tragic lovers) / Street Fighter franchise (I like watching the fight scenes... characterization is a bit shotty but I guess you are suppose to play the video games too) / Balsa / Final Fantasy: Spirits Within / Records of the Lodess War / Devil May Cry / FateStay Night / Full Metal Alchemist / Fushigi Yuugi (heh though I tend to not enjoy dramatics I really enjoy the overdramatics in this one) / Kyou Kara Mauo! Just to name a few. Though I do watch many of these online. Ugh I hate dubbed version of anything so online sources are nice.

Gah I wished I had that kind of freedom but I don't. I barely have time to text my friends at work. I work for the state and I'm just swamped with paper work and I'm only a part time employee. It sucks. If I fall behind at all at work, I basically screwed. But I like the job, it's fast paced, the people are nice, times flys and I don't have to stress about work when I clock out (<I'm not stress because I use the time at work to actually do work, so I'm not ever behind... heh) I do wish at times though where I can sit at my desk and read a chapter or two.

Woot Woot! Who is next? BIG congrats.

Is this open to all members? Maybe we can have a specific forum made for this? Just a suggestion. I understand it may be more work to create a new forum for book club discussion. I assume it's going to be here in your forum, Comic? Anyways I'm not too literate in navigating and it took me quite a whiel to find this thread again. I'm sure other people in the forum are not aware of this idea as it's not part of oen of the more open forum roads and maybe they would like to participate. But if this is a RSVP type thing then well...

I understand this well. Just I can't help when my creative juices will flow and into what story. Sometimes I have a thought and BAM! I'm writing a outline for a new story or other times...WHAM! I writing a new chapter for efiction story. Though I do try and sit and force myself to write on one story just never really works out. SOme days it does other times not really. I think my two stories now I keep posting (Get There is almost done) and I'll save the others until I have completed 75 percent of the story or completely finished it. That way I can just update weekely or biweekly. Thanks for feed back everyone. I will work on this story to fruitution (<probs spelled that wrong).

Okay so to add to the delay of updating my stories I'm also working on a multitude of others. Which kinda sucks when your computer is also broken. But anyway I wanted to test the waters for my third story (I have a fourth also which I know some of you will like). I know there is a forum for a sneak peak of stories but I don't want to do a sneak peak. It's the theme and way the story is worked. Let me explain. I have this fetish/fascination with authoritative/abusive and rape fantasy. And it basically ends there. It's a fantasy. I know I'm not the only one who had such thoughts. I interviewed many people about this topic and surprisingly a large number of them share the same fantasy. Not surprisingly a large majority of them are women, young women, and gay men. Again it ends at being a fantasy. No one in their right mind REALLY wants to get raped and abused. It's all fancy and dandy so long as it stays in the mind. Anyway, I have been reading a lot of Japanese Yaoi (gay) mangas (comics) and I found it interesting that many of the stories have these types of relationship. Abuse = love. My third story is that. Its smutty for my readers who keeps emailing me about smut (this is your story dammit! ) but I also hope to achieve a fantasy (reference of fantasy above mention) like characterization and write in homage to these yaoi mangas. A little explanation. I am not condoning such relationships. As I have stated it's pure mental fantasy. Stays in the mind but never want to experience physically. I just think the fantasy itself is interesting. There's even terms for those type of guys in Japanese. Seme and uke. Dominant and submissive (I forget which is which though). So I wanted to write out a fantasy of this kind of relationnship. I don't want to hear your thoughts on the topic. Frankly, I don't care if you think me and everyone who shares this fantasy is screwed. Nor do I want to hear how you would like to be unwillingly sodomized and well you get my point. My question is this: Would you read something like this? I said it would be smutty but it won't be complete smut. It's more like a mind game of forced submission. A breaking of will and forced realization <of love>. Psychological sexual warfare done physically. That kind of thing.

Plus I never liked Jesse anyway. I knew he was a douche from the beginning.

Oh boy. Fun times.

Oh yay now I'm excited for the sequel.... didn't know that. I finsihed the book in under 24 hours also.

Hmmm I would say it's the personality of the person and how the topic is discussed. I would agree that if you hit on the person all the time, it'd be uncomfortable for the other person. My friends and I do a lot of camping, rafting, and stuff like that and we change in and out of skivvies in front of each other (and I'm the only gay person in my group of friends... cause I live in Conservative America) and they know about me. Two of them knew I had a crush on them at one point of knowing them (because I told them... I figured it'd help my crush go away faster... which was true in one case but not the other...) but it didn't make any difference. I can't speak for them but when we do change I just change without thought for the most part. Sure I scope out a look discretely but it's not like I'll get "excited" over it because for me it's "business." Need to change out of clothes and set up camp or change out of clothes and get out of park. Yeah once or twice the thought does stray and I'm sure my friends are weary and think "protective" thoughts but we never show it nor does the atmosphere get uncomfortable. You have to do what you have to do. But I hulu'd the last episode and yeah that scene was intense. I mean I thought that "faggy" room looked nice. Like something I would see in a luxury hotel room. Or upscale Hookah bar with money. Those two jock guys were very convincing. They were stereotypical but not like overtly stereotypical... like that black guy made it too convincing. Haha.

You got that right... haha I did watch that one after I "discovered" them I like spent two days watching all their videos. Their "Technology ruins romance" shorts are pretty funny.

Hey my friend made me watch this video and I was rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. It sounded cheesy and well just cheesy and then I watched it and let me tell you... I don't think I have ever experienced feeling sympathy for a pair of glasses, a telephone, an umbrella, a scarf, and mostly for a coffee cup. It's about a girl, but I think we can all relate because it deals with love. The video is artistically done well, the script/ words are moving and poigant (<- spelling? Too lazy to fix), the music is soothing... everything is amazing and I hope you all watch it.

I had nightmares from Dawn of the Dead. I hate any movies about Zombies. They freak the crap out of me. My theroy if there should ever be real zombies. I'll have a gun and make sure I'll have a bullet for myself... so when I'm cornered I can shot myself in the head. *shivers* I hate zombies. (and scary movies in general, even if they are scary for others... haha)

I finished reading the book and it was AMAZING!!!! I'm still in awe. I loved the protaganist and the family dynamic in the story was just amazing. I felt for Thom and *sighs* and the ending was ... gah I don't want to give it away. Yuo all have to read it. It touches all the tpoics that concerns a gay boy in the closet... the yearning for a father who will accept him, the perfect boy, etc... and then add in the super hero touch... it's amazing!!!!