Tiff

Thanks to everyone involved in this anthology shennanigans! Graeme--that hardworker! (and to CJ for passing the torch) Steph--the lovely technical assistance, who has been recently my personal lifesaver! Sharon and all beta-readers/editors/authors who worked so hard to get their words out and published for this. Writing can be frustating and tiring, but we all work together to make it possible. Till the next anthology.

Hey Tim! I had to read this blog, just to see if my college French did me any good. I was very pleased to say that I understood most of it without reading the translation. I guess I paid more attention than I thought... Anyway I hope you are doing well and that inspiration comes back to you, in terms of your writing. I look forward to reading your future works.

Dr. Feelgood, I hope you have the most wonderful birthday....with tons of "helpless patients" lining up to see you...maybe Greg will stop by if he's feeling "sick." HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Don't be too naughty, although knowing you....

Ahh, good one! That would be a good sketch comedy...a person jumping around talking gibberish (pretend Chinese), including wild gestures while a friend pretends to translate, looking extremely stern. Jovian, do that! You'll get a nice laugh out of it.

Yes, bookstore guys cannot be trusted. They're there hunting for nice boys, when they're pretending to be all intellectual. They're probably holding up an Edgar Allen Poe collection book, while their eyes scan the area. But seriously, don't be bothered by what he said. There are a lot of rude and obnoxious people out there, and it's better to just let their comments and behavior roll off your back. It's easier said than done. It takes some practice. You're still young, practice! And dating is a crummy trial and error process. You may run into a few more jerks, but that makes it so much better when you find someone good. Yup, Cantonese is a dialect. I wish I knew mandarin and Japanese! I'd be all cool, spouting various languages. Maybe one of these days I can dedicate myself to learning. The next time someone assumes you're from China, just stare at them blankly and start speaking Chinese. Create a scene, wave your arms, talk loudly! Or curse them out in one of your languages? I would do that, but I prefer just walking off. Or crank up my music.

I wrote a lot of letters to my best friend when I was younger. But then we exchanged them in school. As for a penpal, I had one from France, but that was part of a letter exchange program for my language class at the time. We obviously didn't stay in touch, but it would have been cool if we did. With the introduction of emails and chats and texts, I ditched letter writing. It takes too long, my handwriting is loopy, and it becomes tiresome. Plus, technology is faster. Why wait? I'm impatient. Although, it would be cool to have a penpal again, if someone was willing. Then again, I'd probably get annoyed after awhile and ask to switch to email...

That's great news! Congratulations!!! I always love hearing about couples who stay together a long time, and the fact that you met so long ago and fell in love instantly is the sweetest thing ever. It's almost one of those romantic stories us authors are always writing about, but rarely happens these days. It's nice to know that it still exists. Not to mention, driving 200 miles...wow, talk about dedication. Hugs!

Blah, that guy was a total tool! You deserve much better, and you'll find someone cooler to go on a date with. Dating basically means you'll wade through a lot of crap before finding someone decent. It's the crummy business of things. But someone being rude to the waitress is a huge turnoff. Unless the service was bad, there was no reason to be mean. I like people who have something to say, but not when they're rambling about how great they are (when they're not all that.) Plus, laughing about what you wanted to do in the future? That's not right. Why did he ask in the first place if he was going to mock your answer? You should have swiftly kicked him in the balls under the table and said it was an accident. I would have done that. As for that racist comment, it was stupid, immature, and uncalled for. I guess his ego was bruised when you didn't jump at the chance to date some future actor. GAG! And WTF was that about, asking you if English was your native language? I know how you feel, because I get that all the time. Mostly older people who don't know any better and figure I'm some foreigner, but occasionally young people will assume I'm from abroad. Personally, I would have called him out on that fact and then walked out. I speak shitty Cantonese, so yeah, English is totally my first language and I hate when people make assumptions based on my race. Go you for sticking the date out and being so polite about things. You're a good man, lol.

Take her advice. It's good. Basically, do what you gotta do.

Damn, that's a really great poster. Your kids created that? Some artistic kids. I'm jealous. All I can manage are stick figures and even those come out ridiculous. Did YOU get a rose? Mike, I'd send you a rose.

Maybe sincere people don't exist? I'm partially kidding. But finding sincere, honest, and genuine people can be difficult. To find a good one, you must weed through the crap. Or perhaps you find people to be insincere because you're looking for a sign of it? As if you're expecting it... I think it's a good idea to take things with a grain of salt. Let things roll off your back and only trust someone as time goes on, once they prove it to you. And for the people who have burned you in the past, sure it hurts, but stick it in a mental compartment, lock it up, and move on. Not everyone is like that and one day you'll meet someone sincere.

Rutgers University isn't so bad. A lot of campuses to choose from, depending on your field are/interests. As for being overqualified for a job, perhaps try office work. They really love all the experience and will most likely choose you over someone else. At a university job posting, I got an admin job that paid extremely well for what I was doing, which was not really much and I managed to save up money.

GA is definitely the best, because of the quality of the stories and the forum/community. Over here has the best interaction between readers and authors, whether in the forums, via PM, or the new Live Chat. We can form real friendships. At GA I read everything, pretty much, whether Hosted, efiction or whatever. As for other sites, I go to Nifty because it's a major force of habit. I rarely spend much time there because of the lack of good material. Then there's The Mustard Jar. The stories are geared toward a younger crowd IMO, but still very enjoyable. Lastly, IOMfAtS for Grasshopper and no one else. AND if I'm super bored and have read everything already at all the above sites, then I start venturing to all the other available links, like AwesomeDude, the Hub, etc. Usually, I don't bother, since a lot of stories are also on GA, hence I rather go to one location to find something.

My posts can be long, especially when commenting on a story. I tend to go on and on when the story really impressed me. But those are never as long as your posts! As for regualar topics, it varies, but no more than a few paragraphs. Your posts do tend to be extremely long. You do have some great things to stay and I always start out strong when reading them. But slowly, the more I read, my eyes glaze over and my attention drifts...But I try! Maybe cut to the chase and try to be as precise as possible? Or just don't worry about it in general. Some will read everything you write and others will either ignore it or try to skim it. The reason to post is to give your opinion or get your thoughts down. It doesn't really matter who reads it...all, right?

Mike's hot! I'm your master! lol.

This had me cracking up for a good five minutes if not more. I'm sure I'll think back to your statement and start laughing in the middle of my lecture tonight. You're lovely. Btw, dancing is good for the soul. It will lead you to great things one day *solemn, grave voice*

"Tiff" is an abbreviation of Tiffani. Tiffani sounds super girly, and while I don't consider myself butch, the image of a giggling, flaky, blond girl comes to mind, and I am none of those. And if any blond girls on this site are giggly and flaky, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Oh, same thing for blond, giggly, flaky guys. That's cool, too. I'm just trying to come off as a dark and moody writer, so something simple... And all my friends call me that. And I love everyone here. Oooh, I loved that candy. I used to have so many and spend time chewing and letting it sit in my mouth that my tongue would get sore. Not a candy fan anymore, too many horror cavities as a child.

Hey Steve, It is easy to get comfortable where you're at. Most people probably would be stagnant. Not everyone is super driven. I'm not, but with Asian parents bearing down on me, I have no choice but to kick it in high gear after I'm done with school. As for you, it seems like you have an idea of what you want to do, but can't seem to make it to that point. That happens to a lot of people. It's kinda like, "Where do I begin?" or "Can I make it that far?" Whatever issues you had in the past, put it behind you and look at this as a fresh start in which you can succeed. So if you want to achieve something, go get it. Don't let any little doubt get you down. Try to create tunnel vision where you only see your goal. Before you know it, you'll get there! And everything takes work. Baby steps. Finish JR college and then prepare for university. Unfortunately, nothing is easy and you can't skip steps although we'd all like to. Eventually you'll get there. Life is scary. It's hard to find any happiness or sense of contentment out of life unless you branch out a little and dig into the unknown. But once you step out, it will be worth it. It's the only way to escape. Tiff

WELCOME! Finally you took my advice. Took enough convincing. I think I exhausted my entire outer network text plan by talking with all day yesterday! Don't you work, man? That's right, I am your bff, don't you forget it. Stop being lazy and shy and start posting and getting addicted to the forums. And if you need any good story recommendations, you know how to contact me. Hugs

When I first joined here I wasn't very active in the community, because it felt a bit intimidating at first. But once I got started, it was addicting. So my primary reasons for being here: 1. The regular stories (reading and writing. I do an equal share of both. I love to write, but there are so many great authors I can't help but spend hours reading their stuff as well.) 2. The 'community' feel/aspect of the forums. 3. The discussion/informational/intellectual aspect of the forums--I love talking about certain techniques or other writing topics, or even something unrelated. It's a great way to learn a lot. We're only supposed to pick three, but lately I've fallen in love with the anthologies because I like the idea of having a broad theme and then reading all the entries the authors have submitted. It's fun to see how every person and their own unique mind and writing styles have interpreted the theme. I usually stay up very late to read them all and comment, depending on when it's posted. One more thing that I'm growing to like, although I've only been there once: Live Chat. It's a great way to interact with the community in real time. I only tried it last night, but I enjoyed it. Who knew the admins were so funny? And I got to talk with some other members whom I've never spoken with before and I've realized how funny and talented they are. GA as a whole has so much to offer that it blows other websites out of the water. There's a lot to offer here, which is why I have five reasons rather than three.

My summer class ends the day before and that's a reason to be happy and celebrate. As of now I don't have any real plans. This summer is busy with renovating my apartment and helping my parents fix their own house. So I'll spend the long weekend helping out around the house and then packing for a small vacation to Florida starting the 6th. Whooo!

As for rebuilding a relationship that went down the toilet, reach out and apoloize. The fact that you're apologizing already acknowledges the fact that you know you did something wrong (hurt someone else, etc). That's all you can do at this point. The rest is up to the other party. So hope for the best. Like you said, you know it's not realistic to expect things to go back to the way they were, but perhaps they could, in time. Oh and a side note, I know it's easy to try to please others all the time, but sometimes it's just not possible. Work on yourself and doing things for yourself. If you're not feeling good, then you can't feel good around others. You're the most important in your life. Depression is tricky and hard to handle, even if you're not dealing with it yourself. My mother is on medication and has explosive rants that lasts for days. I feel for you. I hope things go well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! CAKE TIME. MMMMMMM. Have a great day. Hope you're having a fun time. And are you in school still? Summer class, perhaps? Yes, I feel your pain.

I have to agree with Gary. I don't have a lot of series under my belt, but eventually when feedback dies to the point where the author doesn't receive anything, it does become discouraging. Especially when a story is in progress and the author relies on feedback to keep them going. If they get nothing, not even a small line, they feel as if no one is reading their work, so why bother investing time and energy into writing for no audience (or so it seems). What will provide authors that push to keep writing, to finish a story? I had trouble finishing my own story and without encouragement from my very wonderful beta-reader, as well as my own goal to complete the story no matter what, I might have never completed it. Basically, every little thing means something. Even a vague/brief line is helpful and I don't hold one-liners against anyone because not everyone is good at expressing themselves. Just my two pennies

I love anthology season; thank goodness there is more than one a year! I enjoy reading what the creative minds of our GA authors have managed to come up with. As it is, I spent a lot of time reading a good portion of them, and it's 3:30 in the morning, east coast time. Ugh. Need. Sleep. But none of that would have been possible without the anthology team, so a BIG THANKS to Graeme, CJ, Steph (the formatting and discussions/reviews look great!!!) the editors, the betas, and the authors. It's really a team effort and it really sums up what GA represents: the group effort. (I know, I know, so cheesy) Once again I'd like to thank my editor, and my wonderful beta-readers--Sharon, Pete, and Gary. I don't know what I would have done without you guys. I probably would have chopped up my story and butchered it into something crappy, but you guys stepped in and saved me. Thanks. You guys are the best. Happy reading for everyone.