NotNoNever

To one of the best of the elite, Happy Birthday Marky. In your honour, a wee ditty: Our Fylingdales man, to be sure, Has a heart that is loving and pure Because he's so class We honour his ass He makes life so much easier to endure. xx

Lordy. Who the hell pissed you off today? That's some serious shi That's some serious reaction, even to a grumpy bad tempered grouch. I hope the hairs on his legs got singed, though! lol

Xtro, Lugh is right, pick a concept or two from the list. Preferably the major ones, and ones that might stand out as important in the story. From your list Opera stands out for me, but that may only be a small part. Rmember that simplicity is usually best in cover images - a fast communication of two or three main points. Lastly, if there is anybody on this site can do it, then it's Cailean. Ask him for ideas. Visually he can turn them out ten a penny and good quality to boot.

If anybody has ever edited something Dolores has done, they will know that very few words are chosen without very great care. Clearly the same goes for plot elements. Everything means something, or has a complex weave function. I edited The Game, and even though I had been impressed enought to offer an ESOL edit, I was amazed at the linkages I began to find in a close reading. I was even more impressed when she argued for keeping some parts on the basis that they would very subtly set something off. Seriously, if you want to understand how to craft a story at the level of words and meanings, this is a writer to read, read again, then read a third time.

At the risk of being banged up in a soapbox, I have to say there is something deeply immoral about the video too. Apart from an ad exec seeing an opportunity in a blind man down on his luck, one has to wonder if ONE of the potential messages here is that helping him survive is better than helping him live. It was also rather patronising in that she did not tell him what she had written. Indeed, she did not even tell him she had written it at first. We are led to beleve, in the stiry, that h is happy to be portrayed in this way. Many blind people, and others with disablities, would strongly object to being portrayed as acting too heavily on their impairments. A lot of food for thought in what is certainly a well intentioned video.

Crivvens michty. Only in Glasgow would they think a dull grey wet day was beautiful! Good thinking though!

Ugh! Is it possible to unvote on the star system? I think just voted this a one star by mistake

Abersloth, the difficulty seems to be a basic insecurity in your boyfriend, either about his current circumstances, or about his future circumstances. I suspect, from what you say, it is the latter, and I wonder whether he is insecure about his ability to find an 'appropriate' job when he leaves school, given the economic situation. There's nothing going to do anything about this which doesn't include communication. However, you're probably going to have to do a bit of subtle communication before you broach the subject more directly. Try to guage what he is feeling about himself in general, and what is important to him for his future. Try to guage whether he thinks he is going go be able to achieve it. Also, try to find out if he is being pressurised at school by somebody or something which is causing his insecurity or causing him to doubt his ability to fulfil the future he had in mind for himself. It's a really tricky one, to be honest. However, it may be that an oblique approach will not succeed, especially if he is already guarded and sensitive. In the end you may have to approach it all a bit more aggressively if he won't engage. You should also try to engage his family to see if there is anything they can suggest is bothering him. That, of course, will definitely need to be subtle! Good luck.

The beauty of this little tale is that it shows that some people are good to the core, and others can't cope with something that doesn't fit in with narrow, restrictive, often hypocritical views on right and wrong. I hope Richard survives, but it will be a tragedy for him if he does in some ways. with the pain he is going to have to endure without his soulmate. I have no doubt, Jo Ann, that you and your family will continue to support him in whatver way you can. Sometimes the best we can do is to show love and kindness; the nasty part of the world can only be shown, never told, and they won't listen. Your family's example seems like a beacon in the dark. Thank you for being there for them. Thank you for supporting them. Thank you for doing the right thing in the face of fashion. And thank you for being a decent human being.

Review's on the blog - http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/blog/475/entry-12979-prompt-178-andy021278/

Just remembered seeing this article a couple of weeks ago. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19959565

Creativity is rarely valued when it comes in difficult guises. If it is lucky, it may be tolerated. But it takes history to realise its value. I very much doubt that alchohol is the problem. It is the personality which can be subdued by alchohol which is the 'problem'. The trouble is that in our perfect little worlds of the mind, we like things to be excessively safe and comfortable. Whereupon we get nothing but the same as we had before. The nice people forget that these creative geniuses have enough trouble living with themselves, never mind living with a criticising world which has no ability to recognise what it has till it's gone.

I'd just add one line at the bottom... Three Strikes And You're Out

EMBARRASSED? Slappity slappity slap slap slap. For someone who's only been writing for a very short time, I think you're doing great, girl. I mean, every story has its technical issues, but you have managed to touch several social issues here with quite a deal of sensitivity. I'd say you perhaps wrapped it up a bit quick, but it's a really good exposition of saying a lot, in good to read prose, keeping it engaging,but not overegging it. Andy's right, you've a lot of catching up to do. And that bloody Wayne guy produces these things two a week.

Trim, trim, trim. Don't shave to the brim, nor too close to the qu ahem! It looks much better when playing in the gym, if its not poking out from the crease of a limb. It's true that it's nothing much more than a whim, but claiming for hygiene is correct and not dim. The lengthening of tackle to the eye of a him, is also quite true if there's a bush that is grim. But if it's overly grown and gets under the rim, of the dentals and tongue as your trying to skim, the head of a guy as thick as a shim, it's a pain in the neck if its like flossing with him. A pube round the tonsils will cause you to stim your salivaries and get tonguing around expelling the flim. So the obvious thing is to trim, is to trim.

Um, why's he got a statuette of Myr's avatar on his shelf ... John?

'Your writing is horrible' is not necessarily destructive, but it's not much help to anybody. 'Your mother should be ahamed of you' - total opinion, fair enough, useful to know as a market comment, but utterly useless as constructive criticism. 'The drugs an violence in this story are deplorable', is actually fair comment in itself. But as JS points out, in the context it doesn't really help much. 'I have never heard of somebody writing a murder mystery being accused of endorsing murder.' Actually this is not true as a generality. There is a massive social debate over the effects of creative output on the world. There is considerable opinion that the high sex and violence content of much media contributes to a more violent society. In which case, this reaction to the comment that the writer is endorsing it has some limited validity. Blowing it off would not be wise. Considering it, then dismissing it would be fine. Asking for examples would be good. But if a blank criticism came along such as this, it would be wise for the writer to take a bit of notice and see if they have done something inadvertently. At the very least it indicates that the writer may have failed in any attempt to deplore the murder or murderer. Of course, it could just mean that the reader is an insensitive muppet, and has failed to pick up on properly deployed subtleties, but it needs investigation. JS' point about the difference between plot element and endorsement is well made, though. Reader's do have to be self critical before criticising. But inadvertent endorsement is quite easy to do. If a bad guy gets killed in the process of being run to ground, by being shot accidentally, it is a murder, technically. If there is some element of lack of concern by the pursuers, then the technical murder becomes something closer to homicide by negligence. If the reader is somehow 'invited' to accede to the notion that the world is a better place without the dead guy in it, one has to wonder where that leaves the writer. It's quite easy to get that wrong. But the critic should always explain why they think it is an endorsement.

Yeah, I've read that story twice as well. Trouble is I have a memory like a hen and can never remember plots or characters. But just having looked at it, I do remember it was a treat. But then, Altimexis is usually a treat. The Binary Planet is just awesome, and may actually have been the story that brought me to GA from Nifty all those moons ago. I've read that twice too, and will definitely read it again. The character strength in Love in a Chair is also very uplifting. The New Job - brilliant. Ach, you could go on and on about Altimexis to be honest. Best thing is to start at the top and work your way through!

Oh dear, watch this space. There's gonna be fumes! However, if you do a search on lesbians on the search tool under GA Stories (up top there ^) therre are at least 183 stories listed. The first one is by Riley Jericho who is a good writer. Have a look at Carringtonrj who is really good, although transgender issues are predominant. There are also 31 tagged lesbian. Marzipan should be good.

Cailean's your man

Life comes. And goes. At its own pace, and in its own way. Your troubles are manifest, but it is better to enjoy what you can, in the time you can. Leave your feeling of powerlessness. It only detracts from you because you allow it the luxury of your attention. Better to accept that there are natural spans, and nothing you have done is a cause. Take power in taking heart. By doing that, you will ease the burden for yourself and others involved. But espcially for yourself. Your heart is strong because it is big and it is full. Allow it to power you, and to deny powerlessness a grip on the continuum. Blessings.

I always said he was nothing but a little fart

Dude, you just keep on going keeping those two impostors seperate. Because the minute that the right thing comes along, your trust or doubt will be utterly unimportant. Love overrides both the head and the heart. You'll have no say He's hoping it comes along soon for you.

Bleedin delilah, dude! A quarter million is no half measures! If they've got it that shitways perhaps you do need to be looking for another job - for the purposes of self preservation

It's the happiest of birthdays to mark And to hell with old Noah of the Ark He may want things in twos But we all do choose To have just one of our own little Dark