Xtro

First off, you need to wait and see how you feel in, say, five or ten years' time. Emotions and circumstances change, and without trying to sound dismissive, 19 is way too young to know what you want. I was 18 when I found my first partner (back when the legal age was 21) and when I lost him in 1982 I was totally unprepared emotionally, and it took me a long time to come to terms with his death. However, I do know that the dreams and aspirations we had in 1976 at the start, and also our joint responsibilities, had already totally changed by the time 1982 came around and we were both involved with the Falklands. surrogacy is a three-way agreement (Evolution has seen to that) but as mentioned above, do take time to consider every aspect before making a decision - because that one will be totally life changing for you and your partner, regardless - and something which cannot be undone if things don't work out. If you and he are still willing to go through with it all after spending some time together, then that will be the right time.

Never actually slept with any but... I still have a little Ty dragon (called Oscar, after my first partner who I lost in an accident back in 1982) - he still lives by the toaster in the kitchen (hey, where else would a little dragon live, eh?) and Den, my second partner, has another bean thing which I gave him about ten years ago when he was pretty sick with Pancreatitus. The trouble is the thing is a dog, and for some reason he's always been called Mister Floppy (and no, we don't have a cat called Viagra, in case anyone was wondering!)

Five countries I've never been before? In no particular order: New Zealand The Philippines (Manilla) Egypt The Marshall Islands Cuba

where to start? where to stop! My father was a true Cock-er-knee, and would regularly get a bit narked at some of the rhyming slang passed off on TV and radio. He passed away back in 1981. Having done my 22 in the Royal Navy (1975 - 1997), there's more than an a few which would probably get me red-carded. However... Some I always liked and often used myself - Thru'penny Bits - Breasts Bulldog licking piss of a thistle - unhappy/sour/unpleasant face Like a Rangoon Fisherman's Worm Tin - Just ugly as in really ugly Kosher - In this case it means 'The Real Thing' or honest Gypsy's Kiss - to urinate (as in 'I need a Gypsy's') 'Fess Up - tell the truth One for his knob - actually a card game expression from Cribbage, involving the Jack of the same suit turned over NAAFI (which used to be the on-camp/on-ship 'shop') - No Ambition And Fuckall Interest Goffer - Soft drink in a can (soda to the Dogger Banks reading this) - or - being hit by a wave, usually from the likes of a bow-jumper 'well and truly goffered' From the derogatory gay but amusing side - knob jockey (and an Oztralian one I find amusing) freckle puncher. Who would have thought a bunch of Botany Bay Bastards would come up with something like that?

No matter what name you finally settle on, I'll still say Hi! to you

I don't know. I do one photo shoot that gets a bit out of hand, and the next thing you know the pictures are all over the Internet... (I doubt he's been outside a gym in years!)

We've been back from our holiday and had the Royal Mail Keepsafe Service (cost £11+) for a week. On our return we had no mail for several days. I rang RM and complained (mail service due to start on Monday, we complained on Thursday.) The following Tuesday we ended up with three pieces of mail, all posted two weeks previously. I rang RM again and said something was definitely wrong, and how far had they got with sorting it out? Was told there were other investigations before ours and it might be some time. Today I received an email from a magazine publisher saying they had had our monthly subscription returned to them as being undeliverable. Considering the RM has been delivering that magazine for the last 12 months, I'm starting to wonder. I've contacted the RM again (via their website as their offices are closed after 1pm on Saturdays) and I'm waiting their response. However, has anyone else been in a similar situation with the Royal Mail? IE, complained and then had their mail messed with?

Whatever's left of the day, have a great one!

Hi Kobi, I usually write for the XCite anthologies these days - and in the past I supplied ADC in Manchester with 53 scripts, Libertine magazine, Caprice magazine & others. If you're interested in sending me an outline (word count, style, examples of material you think might be similar to what you're looking for, also what you're not looking for - ie, is this going to be commercial general, commercial niche, designed for gallery presentation, book presentation, that sort of thing) then drop me an email - mansized-ink@gmx.co.uk Best! John C

Skyhooks? I still have one of their albums on vinyl! Ego Is Not A Dirty Word - "Even granny tunes her tranny to Three-F-Q!" Oldie stuff to match? New York Dolls first album Rose of Avalanche - LA Rain Bauhaus - Rose Garden Funeral Of Sores

At the moment - Fiona Apple's 'Anything We Want' from her last album.

And Hi back at you. Welcome to an interesting place (to say the least! )

Jon, as hard as it might seem, things will get better. I lost my first partner back in 1982 (killed in the Falklands - we were both in the Royal Navy, back when being gay in the Navy was illegal - instant dishonourable discharge if caught.) Back then there was no one to talk to about it all. These days there are forums, discussion groups, support groups - and you are already talking the guy out of your system. So, don't let one bad experience colour you for the rest of your life - apart from the fact that you are obviously much better than that, there's a whole world out there waiting for you to brighten it up! So get out there and SHINE!

Having worked for the likes of GSK a decade or so ago, unless there is money to be made then research will either be altruistic or philanthropic at best. 1994 - research into Nicotine as an aid to preventing short term memory loss had its funding pulled because nicotine was perceived as 'bad image' etc. Kill the speculation (and the problem) with concerted and organised research - rather than a race to see who can cash in first, or claim exclusivity. http://www1.american.edu/ted/aidstrips.htm http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/tfisher/South%20Africa.pdf

I've slept in an empty bath once - and an inflatable lifeboat

Many thanks for the crit - the problem was that RS&R had a tight word limit, hence the compression - which can only be resolved by dismantling and re-writing from ground up. Trouble is, most want flash/micro rather than something with length and varied pace. The other problem is that I'd chopped it around so much for Bill Tucker's anthology that I don't particularly like the work that much now. Dusting it off and pushing it up here is my way of getting feedback to try and salvage time and effort. Thanks for the review, it really is much appreciated.

Hi Stephen - Nice website BTW (OGM, txtspk!*) - curious comment re writing psycho characters - I found using italic and regular text helped with multiple personality character, without messing the reader around with a change in the font itself. I told him to do it that way No you didn't Yes I did! Okay, that's it. Where's the medication... (*Never sent a text in my life, and proud of it!)

Apparently it’s debatable as to whether I was hatched, birthed, or super-evolved in an A.I. Bio-tank. It was on account of the fact I don’t appear to have any truly discernible navel that quite a few of the other coffin crews had taken to believing I was some sort of wingless Angel. Or, at the very least, some sort of similar, breedable variation. Anything other than Humanid. Which, of course, is what I am. To me it doesn’t matter. But to the rest of the lifeforms who seem to b

Originally accepted for the Library of the Living Dead SF anthology - Rockets, Swords and Rainbows - the anthology was pulled prior to publication date due to a shortage of funds. It deals with relationships and how things are perceived via totally different lifestyles and race philosophies. Written for as wide an audience as possible, so nothing sexually graphic.

No smartphone - and the tech I have are basically Frankenputers, built from other peoples' cast-offs (it's the perils of being an old IT Systems Manager.) However, I can see the value of some things, and anything which nails thieves gets a thumbs-up from me! Especially if it's also OpenSource (my first Linux was Slackware, back in 1995) - it's also what keeps me sane when my other half decides to go surfing the net (Ubuntu 11.10 + Firefox.) Take your time and sort the hassles out first, then we can bounce some ideas & tips around. Stay cool - but don't freeze! John C

Soliciting? Moi? Not since the 1980s! What? Oh, you mean 'advertising'....

I suspect 'faggot' - like 'queer' when used in a derogatory and discriminating fashion - is one of those words which have been 'claimed back' (says he, now counting the number of single-quoted words used so far...) For me, it has different emotives than for a post-2000 generation. As to worms which make me cringe? Gravid is one when used to describe a pregnant woman. Thankfully old-fashioned, it sometimes appears in 'literary' material.

Depends on when and where. Usually naked, same as Den my partner. However, if on holiday or visiting we both take robes with us for trips to the bathroom, etc.

Hi Ricky, Recomend me somewhere and we can start discussions (unless The Lounge is a free-for-all space?) - worst time with my writing was actually letting someone edit my first novel - he did an excellent line-by-line job and it was vicious. Learned a whole new bag of tricks from it all though, and the finished product has been getting good comment. No agents, however, but I'm also taking a serious look at Stephen Leather's business model (professional, long time author now branching out into self-publishing/independent publishing.) I still love my Faulkner-length sentences, but the style today is short and sharp. Gotta keep with the style otherwise it's not likely to sell, alas. TTFN! John C

New to this BBS/Forum/Whatever-the-kids-are-calling-it-this-week - been writing and editing small press and semi-pro since the late 1970s through to around 2000, took a break, found my other half (fell in love to the point of Civil Partnership in 2006, after having been together for six years prior to that) and now getting back to writing and editing again. Half a dozen* sales to XCite, before that 56 sales to ADC up in Manchester before they finally closed. Two novels finished and going through the rejection process (getting comments back such as 'consider this not to be an easy sell in the UK commercial market.') which is pushing more to consider going back into the publishing side and doing ebooks, etc. Prefer my fiction to be longer, and less pornographic (erotic, yes, if you take the reader along wtih the fantasy - graphic sex for the sake of it is, IMHO, just porn) and have had more than my fill of the Twilight generation of storylines. Give me a good story, with a logical ending (happy or sad, it doesn't matter) and I'm more than happy. Looking to discuss writing, styles and ebook design, as well as maybe posting some of the less commercial fiction up in the relevant sections - and also see if I can find some people who have good graphic design ideas as well. Website (says he, gambling that the moddies won't yellow card me for posting a link) is at www.murderous-ink.co.uk - I keep it updated as best I can, now that Marcus has been having problems with jobs and the recession. So here's to what I hope will be a fun time, Best to all! John C aka Xtro (and no, the picture's not been photoshopped! ) *That's half of twelve, for any metric-only people reading this - writing under my own name, also as Jerry Wilson, and Jason Haywood