AFriendlyFace

Well first off, it's essential that I don't manually write. I hate, hate, HATE physically writing. Signing my name feels like a chore to me. When I was a kid I used to assume that I 'hated to write'. Well I did (and still very much do) phsyically, but if I have the comfort of a keyboard it's one of my absolute favourite activities. If it's pencil/pen and paper I'd rather do almost anything else. So yeah, has to be computer based writing. The second big thing is that it has to be quiet. I cannot STAND to read, write, or even speak if music, television, or even a noisy conversation is happening in the background. I will not talk over someone/something, and that goes for the dialogue/thoughts in my head as well. So quiet is the other 'big thing'. Assuming I have plenty of time (which is assumed in the question), those are really my only two big requirements. I mean yeah, I guess I'd like to be in a comfortable chair wearing comfy clothes, but it would probably be better for me to be indoors (quieter, more controlled environment). However, it would depend on what I was writing about. When I write 'scenes' I try to vividly imagine the location. Ideally it's a location I'm in or have been. Most of my indoor descriptions of houses come from visualizing my own home or the homes of others. I tend not to focus on descriptions of scenery anyway though. I prefer to write (and read for that matter) things which focus on the characters and dialogue. I only include descriptions of the scenery as needed. For example if I'm writing a scene taking place in a living room I'll briefly describe the living room and the way the characters are positioned around the room and what they're doing etc. because it plays into the narration. I would never stop to describe something which didn't have a direct impact on the dialogue or events in the story. I do try to make it seem like they're 'doing something' though, because most of the time people are. So I'll say "...said Bob as he flicked his cigarette to the pavement and toed it out", but I would not previously have been likely to describe the pavement and I probably won't go into great detail about it unless it will continue to play a role in the story. That's just my personal taste as a reader and writer, I don't like long, elaborate descriptions but I do appreciate reading and writing about what casual activities the characters are doing and how they're interacting in their environment. Anyway, point is I don't care about my environment all that much as long as it's quiet and I can type, however I have a slight preference for being in the environment (or having just been in the environment) in which my characters are interacting. -Kevin

He really doesn't do that much for me, and honestly I don't think he would if he were soft and smooth (although it would help).

Well done then, Steve! **sends Steve his points with a card attached complimenting his cute powerful and elegant penis**

Woo hoo! Congrats and happy birthday, dude!!! I hope it's an awesome one -Kevin

Oh my gosh! That was so funny! Whichever one of you wrote that gets 10,472 bonus points!

Well we're happy to have you exploring our little online community! Welcome to the site and I hope it has cheered you up Have fun with the drink, but keep it healthy and responsible please! -Kevin (whose drinking a pomegranate martini himself)

Well said, Gary

Not to split hairs, but there does seem to be a slight consensus, and it seems that Sam screwed up Did he? I certainly didn't get that impression. I think he definitely would have fallen into Jonah's 'trap' the next time as well. As such it's my opinion that Rob made the right decision. It looks to me like Sam is stuck in a permanent, unhelpful, hopeless cycle. True enough, it just didn't seem to me like it was going to fade into the background and stay there.

When I said "iffy" I only meant "iffy" as in whether it really was a story or rather it was essentially a diary as was originally assumed. For me in my reading of the story there was some ambiguity there. Was Dean making up an excuse to calm Andy, or was the 'truth' really revealed at the end? I prefer the ambiguity personally so perhaps that why I read it with such.

I'll look forward to it!

A great point! No no, I like stories that make me cry!!

I think he looks really angelic in that photo.

LOL, a tree, a steep incline, perhaps a rock, maybe one of those rock climbing walls, that sorta thing Nothing dirty...although that might cheer me up too

Hey dude! Sorry, but I'm not the best to ask about tech issues, I'll see that the tech team get a look at this though, in fact if you don't mind I'll just shift your post over to the relevant forum. -Kevin

I do indeed see what I miss! Anyway, you may not have been the only cute one, but you were certainly one of the cute ones, Gabe Good pic, Old Bob! LOL! I think you did well to remember it was a Chevrolet! When people ask me what type of vehicle I drive I usually just respond "A red one" and leave it at that.

Personally I think the guy does have too much chest/stomach hair. He's got a great torso, and if it were hairless I'd be all over it, but yeah I would think he'd be hotter without the hair. Just my preference though.

... As a moderator (whose job it is to keep threads on topic) I feel a bit like a failure now! On the other hand given the off-topicness of my own post it's a bit hard to dispute! -Kevin

It's cute and lively! I really like it! On a side note, it seems best fitted for the poetry discussion forum (and perhaps you might want to post it in eFiction as well!), so I'm going to shift it over there Great job! Thanks for sharing it with us Kevin BTW: welcome to the forum!

I'm celebrating doing quite well on an exam which had major implications for my future (though hopefully temporary) career in education.

It does seem time for an East Coast location to me as well. I say this as an unbiased southerner.

*gasp* **picks jaw up off floor** Oh Jamie! But you're so good at being gay! No offense but I can't imagine you straight! I thought we were united on thinking straight boys were weird!? -Kevin

Lifehouse - "The Joke"

I have several! -Shopping!!! Or maybe getting my hair done and a nice pedi/mani! That always makes me feel like a new person! -I also like to go out to eat at my favourite restaurant and have a few drinks of something delicious. -Often I'll seek out friends and vent to them or just let them distract me. -One of my favourite things to do is give myself a facial and take a long, hot bubble bath while listening to music! -Often I'll cancel whatever I had planned that day and just go for a nice really long walk! -Sometimes I'll sleep in. -CHOCOLATE! -The pleasures of introspection can also help! I too like to write things out. -Exercise can be great for a case of the blues! I prefer to hike or climb something personally. -Doing something new or going somewhere I've never been often cheer me up. -Doing the dishes! I know it sounds weird but I really like doing the dishes, especially if I need to clear my head and think. -General tidying up (although the dishes are always my favourite). -Listening to music does help. -So does reading. -A game (sport or card) usually helps -One of my most effective strategies is helping someone else instead. Offering support or advice usually seem to cheer me up. -Cooking! -Writing! -Painting! -Going to a museum (alone). -Going for a drive. Lots of other things as well -Kevin

I liked them Length would be something I'd very much like to have known about! Okay, I admit it, I'm kinda ADD and sometimes I just can't get through very many pages at once. At those times I might still want a story, but I only want a relatively short story. Other times I might be settling in for a good long read and I'd like to know which stories will grab me and hold me for awhile before letting me wonder off again. Then there's the simple matter of time constraints. So yes, length would be something I'd like to see, even if it's only relative length or something. In fact if I had to choose between the blurbs or knowing about the length I'd rather know about the length, even though I really like the blurbs.

Well I'm an extremely pan-spiritual person. I'm comfortable picking and choosing what I like about each spiritual/religious discipline and applying it in whichever way seems best for the circumstances at hand. As a result I'm extremely open-minded about such things, but also there's a firm skeptical, scientific side of me that discounts much, perhaps even all, or religion and spirituality. Christianity is the religion I 'follow' (although really I often tend to bend it to my will as I see fit ); however, just as I allow it to coexist with my scientific, skeptical side so too do I allow aspects of others faiths and spiritualities to coexist with my Christianity. By nature I don't think there can be or should be empirical, scientific evidence for any religion or spiritual concept. They would lose their 'otherworldliness' and the fundamental things that make them spiritual if this were to be the case (at least in my opinion). By definition 'faith' is something which you cannot know or prove beyond a belief in your heart. Do I believe in reincarnation (or ghosts, angels, ESP, etc.)? I guess I'm a hopeful 'I don't know'. I suppose I wouldn't really be surprised or alarmed either way. Do I think it's happened to me? As in did I have past lives. No, I don't think so, but if I did it would be irrelevant since I don't remember them anyway, and I don't feel as though they impact my current life. Of course they might impact my current life in a way that I cannot be cognizant of. If that's the case it's still largely irrelevant because they're ticking along doing their thing anyway. I think it would be nice if they existed and I had conscious memories of them, failing that I don't suppose I care either way. Anyway remember everyone: Jesus saves and Buddha recycles. -Kevin