KHCombe

I really like the way you write; it's complicated, but it doesn't harm the readability. Though I know absolutely nothing about Go, I find myself liking the ideas behind the game. I'm looking forward to the next chapter! Oh, and I cannot 'unlike' Hao anymore, ever since he put L'Incoronazione di Poppea on his dating profile. He's got good taste ;-)

Happy birthday!

Definitely snack foods; medication doesn't allow me to have alcohol (never had it in my life so far). Same q

Again, thanks for the review. It's lovely to hear my story is appreciated As for Dido's Lament - there's still enough story left to put it in, so just wait and see I've seen Dido and Aeneas been performed by the King's Consort actually, earlier this year. I'll never forget that, it was beautiful..

I find it wonderful you liked it Hoping it'll stay that way!

Haha, it might not be thát spontaneous as you'll see in the next chapters, but there might be something going on...

Even at a distance of less than twenty meters, no one was to be seen at the place Ernest supposedly had went to. All the bags and clothes they’d left were still lying in an undisturbed circle. It wasn’t until Tristan had set another ten steps that he heard something rustling on top of the dune. Once he’d conquered the hill with a very sandy skin as a result, his premonition was confirmed; Ernest sat, still wearing just a pair of swim shorts, on top of the dune. His knees were pulled to his ches

Being (physically) touched without seeing it coming. And drunk people. Same q.

I'm a bit scared this is only the 'start', as this is the longest story I've written on...ever. To think everything has just started at chapter 6 is a bit frightening, but I'll just keep on writing, and you'll get to know everyone better

Thanks Every chapter title, as you probably have noticed, is named after a dance from a suite. I try to match the moods of the dances with the mood of the chapter. And indeed, Tristan will have to start over again, somehow.

My uncle. He lives alone and is the youngest of my mother's siblings. We share the exact same taste in music and have long talks about the more serious topics in life. I can't seem to find people my age that act similarly. How do you feel about talking in front of a large audience?

On the ride back to the hotel, neither of them had spoken. The first tourists were hiking towards the beach at this moment; time hadn’t halted during the early event and it was half past eight now. The elderly couples, dressed like they were to climb Mount Everest, greeted the two cyclists on their way up. Both men looked like they needed some sleep. “Ernest! Good morning! Oh, hi Tristan. Everything okay?” Upon arrival they were greeted by Ids, one of the well-dressed lecturers in Dutch, who ap

I'm really glad you still like it It will take a fair amount of chapters for the plot to unfold, so I hope you'll keep enjoying it! And if not, please tell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SXsuZt_pj0 I have absolutely no clue why it says "Huckleberry Finn" in the corner, so just ignore that..

It's my pleasure The fact you seem to like it, is more than enough! And about the pace: I just don't want to rush the story. I mean, real life isn't hurried, so why would this story be?

Note: this relatively heavy chapter deals with depression. If you're sensitive to reading about such feelings, please be careful in your decision whether or not to read this. (from the previous chapter:) His speech was interrupted by a pair of slightly cracked lips kissing his. Fuck. - Tristan pulled his head away a bit too slow to have considered it a reflex. To hide his own insecurities he quickly stood up and took a few steps away from the bed. “What…Why… Why the hell did you do

I won't stop incorporating the musical bits, so it's great to hear you like it. A new chapter's up already, hope you'll continue to like it

And now that I'm supposed to write an answer, I don't really know what to say... Henry_Henry2012, let me first mention I've noticed your admirable sense of vocabulary. Any native speaker should be jealous of it, let alone someone who hasn't mastered the language that well (I'm not sure whether or not you're a native speaker..?) Reading my story aloud has been helpful, though I didn't practised it while writing, for the reasons you've mentioned. I rather make use of it when I've finished a chapter and want to check if my grammar/spelling/vocab. range are meeting my standards. It turns out to be a bit difficult finding books on, or similar to, my subject. I did come across a movie, however, so that helped (even though it was in German). Mainly I aim for my first story to be close to home when it comes to facts and figures. Practice is what I'll do and continue to do so, as is broaden my vocabulary. Thanks for giving your advice, and the very best of luck with writing yourself! DavidAB, I recognize the preference for the Enlish language, as opposed to your own. I grew up exclusively watching the BBC, which hasn't changed (apart from the national news). When it comes to literature, though, I think I can safely say I was a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to you. When I was about fourteen my interest was sparked by Huxley's Brave New World. I've read a mix of both English- and Dutch literature since. The notebooks sound great and practical. I'm approaching the summer holidays, so I know what I'll be doing Like I said in my less-extensive answer: I really like writing in English, I do it with great pleasure, so I'll continue to do it. I won't translate it anymore though; when I come up with an idea that's suitable to be written in English, I'll reserve it to be executed in that language only. No silly Dutch interference anymore It's a bit complicated to 'just lose' my Dutch processes of thought, but I hope to get better at separating the two languages for different purposes. Thanks again for your answer, and I wish you the best of luck, too! Myiege, your compliments make me grin, because it's great to hear my English apparently is up to at least a modest standard. And what a great idea to ask for an editor! I've seen examples come along as I've stalked GA, but I had no idea whether or not I was allowed to ask for someone to help. I know now, so thanks for that! And. I. Won't. Stop.! With love - So yesterday I started a new chapter, but apparently I was on a roll, because I finised two! I love the feeling of making progress, of achieving something. I'm greatful to have found this community.

Happy birthday, Layla!

“Rise.. rise.. rise, glory riiiiiiise! Pam-padam-pam!” Cold water sprayed from the showerhead, before trickling down a dark-haired head. It wasn’t that they didn’t have warm water or anything, but a cold shower after working in the garden all morning didn’t hurt. “Beat the drum, pam-pada-dam!” It hadn’t even been his idea to install a radio in the bathroom. Mara liked a bit of jazz while brushing her teeth, some Satie while taking a bath and even, once in a while, a sliver of baroque to go w

I'll post a more extensive reply tonight, because there are a few more important things I need to do first, but I just wanted to show my appreciation for the extremely helpful comments above. Henry and David, you've given me a few great ideas. I feel like I need to clear up one thing, though: my writing in English isn't forced, I really enjoy doing it. It's a beautiful language, and it's often more suitable for writing than my 'own' language is. I've read a lot of English literature (lóve Pride and Prejudice, but Jane Eyre a bit more ), but writing is quite a bit different than just absorbing the text. The columns and books of Stephen Fry have positively broadened my vocabulary, so I might just read them all again. More on this tonight though, I really have to leave now..

Thanks for the replies! Myiege, I've decided I won't write a Dutch overview of every chapter anymore. It really doesn't help with writing it out in English, so I'll just stick to the 'simplified' English for now. Thanks for the advice! podga, it's funny you mentioned that; one of my classmates, who's a hundred percent Dutch, prefers to speak and write in English because of all the online games she plays. It would be certainly in my advance right now if I was capable of thinking in English, but I still have to write papers in my motherlanguage. So I'll just stick with the slight difficulties that come with writing in English, for now ;-) CassieQ, yep, that sounds exactly like me when I write. I've changed my approach now though; I just make up the story as I write along, without writing out the plot in Dutch first. Thanks for wishing me luck!

Well, I think the title pretty much says it all. When I searched the forums a similar topic didn't come up, but my apologies in advance if it turns out I missed it. English isn't my first language; I'd like to think of myself as a native speaker, but let's keep it at 'fluent'. All of the stories I've written so far (apart from the one I started recently on GA) have been written in Dutch. Writing in English turns out to be quite a challenge; not only does it take significantly longer to write a substantial amount of words, but I seem to "mentally create" the story in my motherlanguage. So instead of thinking in English, I cling on to the story as I would have written it in Dutch. Anyone else here facing the same difficulties? Wanting to translate sayings literally, being unable to find the right words for the things you want to say etc.?