Talo Segura

@Timothy M. when I look on your profile at the bottom left you have FOLLOWED AUTHORS then FOLLOWED STORIES. I don't have that on my own profile or see any way to switch it on.

It used to be that you could click on a member profile and see authors, and stories, they follow. I remember reading new stories that way. Someone commented on a story I liked, I looked to see other stories that person recommended. I looked on my own profile and that doesn't seem to exist anymore. I mainly go by recommendations and occasionally story summaries, often the summaries are not long enough, so sometimes it's pure chance.

I wouldn't worry about that. It's too good a story.

Derek is interesting, because we've just seen this one over-riding trait of being obnoxious, but there is more to him than that. He listens to music, with the headphones on, loud music. He hates to know he snores. And I have the feeling he would rather be nicer than he is, but he's that way as a sort of self-protection. I've always wondered if the two of them aren't both singing from the same song sheet, just playing different tunes. Danny with his not very probable girlfriend and perhaps Derek is leaning the same way?

Prompt 764 - Creative Tag - First Line Didn't Quite Make It BY TALO SEGURA The tears were still falling as he grasped the doorframe watching the dark figure disappear into the rain. Could he have done something different? A contournement of the truth, what the English would call, a white lie. It wasn’t that he had any problem with the situation, or that it upset him, but neither was he able to offer a solution. The more he considered what had happened the more obvious it became the outcome was inevitable a foregone conclusion. Only Matthew was blind to the consequences. It was six months ago, the start of a new term, and a couple of new faces on the staff. Matthew Barkley had graduated in the Arts, before qualifying to become a teacher. Why he chose this particular profession is a mystery and one which will remain forever unresolved. What drives a person to choose one path over another boils down to personality and circumstances. Still, whatever the reasons behind his choice, David respected his decision; even if it soon became evident that Matthew was not cut out for the job. Enthusiasm and a certain idealism do not offer, by their nature alone, enough of a shield from the natives of the jungle, some of whom could be dangerous animals. Apart from the usual settling in to a new and hostile environment, everything went well at first. However, a naivety on Matthew’s part was to lead to the catastrophe that doomed their relationship like some twisted Shakespearean plot. A theatrical drama played out in the corridors of education. James Holland was a precocious and thoroughly obnoxious fourteen year old. David had the dubious pleasure of being his year head the previous year and knew the boy well. He had put him in his place from the outset, his thinking being that he should clamp down hard before anything got out of control. What he needed to set him straight about, a rather ironic term to employ, was his attitude. Not simply his lack of respect for authority, but his continuous jibes of a barely disguised homophobic nature. There were strict policies in place at the college, these revolved mostly around bullying, but had been extended with the aim to prevent victimisation of fellow students, for whatever reason. One reason was making disparaging remarks insinuating a boy or girl was gay. David was certain he wasn’t the only gay person in a school of just over six hundred staff and pupils, but he was particularly vigilant to ensure none of the students felt isolated. In the back of his mind he suspected that young Mr Holland had deep rooted identity problems of his own. However, he would not allow one boy’s problems to destroy a good working environment for everyone else. It was much later when Matthew and David became good friends, rather than simply friendly colleagues. Quite how that transition came about he was not entirely certain. Although, there was the incident during life studies which Matthew had related to David and Muriel over coffee in the staff lounge. It was so hilarious it had Muriel in fits and David choking on his drink. You see part of the art course that every student had to learn was life studies, which meant drawing real models. The art teacher, Matthew this time around, would ask for volunteers to act as the model for the rest of the class. The only difficulty being that one part of this was modelling nude. Matthew recounted how he had gone through practically the whole class and no one would step up to the challenge, so he decided to hold a sort of lottery. The winner, or perhaps loser, got the modelling job. This turned out to be the smallest and possibly shyest boy in the class. Only he proved himself, to everyone’s surprise, up to the job. And that is not meant to be a pun! Once undressed behind a screen, Matthew asked him to come out and take up his pose in front of the rest of the class, with easels and pencils at the ready. After a little hesitation and some murmuring from everyone else, out stepped young Lawrence holding in front of himself a strategically placed fig leaf. Roars of laughter and shouts of, “Take it off!” went up from the class. Matthew looked at the boy and then hushed the class. “Lawrence, this is supposed to be a nude study.” The boy unwaveringly replied, “Yes, I know.” Matthew looked at the fig leaf, “And that?” “I am biblically nude!” He exclaimed theatrically, and the whole class started laughing again. But they carried on with the fig leaf prop and Matthew telling the students to use some imagination. The finished drawings were somewhat amusing, not for the varying degrees of proficiency, but rather for the varying degrees of size! Whilst David never hid his sexuality, neither did he make a prominent display. Only Muriel was close enough to be a sort of confident and it was her, who taking the initiative pushed the two of them together. There is a theory that opposites attract and that certainly was the case here. But over time they grew closer and shared more and more periods together outside of work. They may even have moved in together, it was the next logical step, but for that fatal day. James Holland had decided to take his revenge and not directly with David, but rather through Matthew. The burgeoning relationship David shared with Matthew, they kept very discrete, for obvious reasons. However, not as secret as they imagined, because James had discovered, or perhaps more accurately, believed he had deduced that there was something going on between the two teachers. One wet Autumn afternoon everything went wrong and David was not in school that day. He had an interview for assistant head at another school, and they had arranged to meet up that evening at David’s flat. James Holland confronted Matthew with a barrage of verbal abuse, the kind of homophobic vilification that leaves nothing to the imagination. Perhaps if David had been there, in school, things may have worked out differently, but probably not. Matthew had, as the kids said, lost it. The result, he hit James, and a teacher smacking a student is unjustifiable and an automatic dismissal. One moment ended his career. The buzzer sounded on his intercom and David picked up, “Hello.” “David, it’s me.” He pressed the button to let Matthew in and went out to meet him. His apartment was on the ground floor of a small block. As soon as he saw him he knew something was wrong. He ushered him inside and attempted to take his wet coat, but Matthew just stood there. “I’m leaving!” he said, a blank look in his eyes. “What?” David couldn't understand. “I’m sorry. I hit a kid today. He fucked with my head and...” “Come in. Don’t stand in the doorway.” “No. I’m leaving. I came to say goodbye.” Matthew turned and walked the short distance back down the hall. David followed him. But it was too late. “Matthew, wait!” But he’d gone. Opened the door and stepped outside. The tears were still falling as he grasped the doorframe watching the dark figure disappear into the rain. ◇ ◇ ◇

I worked out at least how to keep the line breaks so that pasted text is not one huge mess. A long press in the window where you want to paste your chapter text brings up three options: SELECT ALL - PASTE - CLIPBOARD. If you choose CLIPBOARD the pasted text keeps the line breaks, carriage returns. My Clipboard does not hold formatted italics, bold, or centered text, so you will still need to put that back. Still it's a big improvement. There maybe an alternate Clipboard available from the PlayStore that keeps all the formatting, I need to check that out, unless someone here can recommend a Clipboard they use.

Another good chapter with a diverting scenario well written. It can be odd what throwaway things can get picked up from a story, but you mentioned Mrs Moseley hadn't or wouldn't give him a key even though he'd had a key at home when he started working late. Which made me think about at what age people, children, get given a key to their house? I had a key when I was eleven, maybe a bit before, I'm not sure if before it was a permanent thing, but at eleven I had my own key.

Does anyone use Android operating system and have a method for posting their story that keeps the format. I am using Android 7.0 and I copy and paste from a word processor . docx file in the usual way, but because the copy does not keep any format I always have to edit the copied version, adding carriage returns for line breaks and italics, centre section breaks etc. In other words put back all the formatting. Also the carriage returns add blank lines, which sometimes I don't want, but there is no way to do a simple line break for a new line. It's okay, but would obviously be less work if someone out there has a method that works for Android.

My request is maybe a little self motivated, but anyhow, I would like, if it is technically possible, a feature that encourages writers to complete a story and promotes new writers and their work. So something like the Top Stories, only when a new writer completes their first story it gets featured, for a little bit, under a panel: New Author First Book - author xxx has completed title xxx about summary and link. Also the feature could apply to everyone, as in Latest Story - by author xxx has been completed. In this way you would encourage writers to complete stories because they would get a little promotion of their stories on the site. That in turn would help them as a sort of snowball effect. People would click read and comment. More unknown authors would get a chance to become known. The well known authors have their readership, a little boost for newbies and unknowns would be great. It might encourage wider readership of authors and less unfinished books, with an incententive to complete and get your name and book mentioned, even if it rests on the front page just a few days like newly published books. You also asked: Can you tell us what prompted you to join GA? I was prompted to join because I could publish my story which had been rejected (sometimes quite bluntly, other times ignored) everywhere else and I was hopeful I might get a few readers and comments that would aid an enthusiastic and budding new author. I'm happy to report I have not been disappointed and am enjoying getting more involved and interacting. I would encourage anyone thinking about it, to join.

That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for taking the trouble and the screen shots. The other suggestions from @Cia and @Ron are good, but what @Brayon suggested is the best. Maybe the tech people could consider making that a clickable link on people's reviews. You see what I was trying to say is: if I like a member's comments and points of view about anything then I want to read what they think about a story they have read, if they have done a review, I want to read it, because I sort of trust what they are saying, it's completely independent. That for me is the best recommendation to read a story. The story synopsis, as someone pointed out, are much too short. If you were buying a book on Amazon, for example, you find a longer summary of the story, by choice, by clicking, more. You find reviews and the look inside. With that info you can decide to buy or not. Although here you don't buy the book, I still need the same degree of info to choose. And yes @Thorn Wilde each person goes about choosing books to read differently, although I (naturally, lol) think my method is the most logical, but I probably didn't explain myself very well, and what I was looking to do. Thanks to everyone who responded, because all of you contributed to getting me the answer I was looking for and getting your replies makes this a really great interactive site, thanks ☺

I don't think it's a must do thing, but it helps promote your writing. Most people don't do it, or don't use it to any effect, at least most of the ones I've looked at.

I know it's the number of reviews a member has written. I'd like to be able to call up those reviews. I like to read stories by recommendation and a review is a good way to do this. The summaries on the front page of stories aren't long enough to know what the story is about. I dislike starting a story, junking it because I don't like it, picking up another, junking that, you can end up going through quite a few, I much prefer recommendations and reviews. I do look at the Ask An Author feature, but it features only the top authors on the site and not the new ones or all the others.

Often if I am interested in a story, I look at the author’s profile, or someone makes an interesting comment and I look at their profile. If they have an About Me, I read it, usually they don’t, or else they don’t say much, nothing more perhaps than, “Ask me!” Well I’m not really going to do that, am I? On the profile page it gives a number for Reviews, but no way to read them. Actually, and maybe I’m missing something, but I have found no way on the site to access book reviews. I often read a story because of a recommendation or review, it seems a shame not to be able to access the reviews people have written. If there is a way to bring up book reviews, please say how.

I have to second that, the dialogue is realistic, the background and setting, interactions, are spot on. I love it. I would just add for @Geron Kees and others, that the Grammar School, Secondary Modern, difference was not merely academic, but represented a class divide. In fact in England society was (perhaps to certain extent, still is) divided between upper, middle, and working class. The upper class going to "public" schools (which are actually private fee paying schools), the middle class going to Grammar schools, with a few working class who were bright enough. Thus English society was set up with its government and ministers with public school education, its bank managers and industrial managers with their grammar school background, and the factory workers. Of course, that's an over simplification, but the class distinction very much existed during the era this story begins in. Which is one aspect that makes it fascinating.

I think you adequately demonstrated that Sean is a good person underneath. I suppose the question is, can he overcome his own self-destruction which manifests in his behaviour and which he is aware of, but for the present, incapable of stopping. If we look at the other characters, his father appears concerned, even loving, but, for whatever reasons, equally inactive in addressing Sean's problems. Like Johnny, all he can do is be there for him, when needed. But that isn't enough. Not as I see it. Even Sean's young (one off?) love interest had to step back. What is the solution? I would be surprised if it suddenly came from Sean himself, or his father, or even Johnny. Perhaps Johnny could confront him, he does his best in a soft way, but I think Sean needs serious help. Will he get it? I'm not sure. A hard confrontation can end in survival or destruction.

Sean is an anti-hero, he uses drink to escape reality and treats everybody badly. He insults his father in public, he rather out stayed his welcome Liam and isn't too bothered about the young guy anyway, and he uses Johnny as free taxi service and shoulder to cry on. Is there anything to like about Sean? Yet despite him acting like an utter self-centred little git, like Johnny, somehow I still care what happens to him.

Now I'm finding it works fine and notifications stay bold until read. So perhaps previously it was a glitch, or the way I was doing it, using the back button. If I don't hit back it works. Thank you for your suggestions.

Whether or not it would leave readers happy is a mute point, but I can see their relationship ending when one or the of other leaves. This might simply be a physical move, or it might be a tragedy. Often the situation described here ends badly, not with a happy ever after, that is life how it is.

I wonder if you have a change request list? Having been here a little while and engaging with authors and others, commenting on story chapters, which I love. The one thing I find frustrating is the notifications list you see under the little bell when you log in. I find a long list of comments and reactions and want to check them all and not miss someone. But what happens is, you click the highlighted bold comment in the list, the last new comment you haven't looked at. You go and read, maybe reply. You come back to the notifications and all notifications are now marked as read, that is no longer bold. This makes it very difficult to know which notifications you have read. It is like receiving twenty emails overnight, opening the first, and all twenty are marked as read. If that could be changed it would be a big improvement. That's my request for the future.

You needn't worry about expectations, just keep writing and publishing the story, I'm completely hooked 😃

Brilliant dialogue, great scene looking for the exam results. This has all the makings of a great novel, it's really well written and enjoyable to read.

Great story, feels very real and true to life. I do have a penchant for period novels, if you count the sixties as "period," I do, it was well over half a century ago. Rock and roll, the Beatles, and in 1966 England actually won something on the football field... lol!

Yes, things are moving along, and although not exactly a cliff hanger, I would like to know where Seen was all day and all night in Tuam. He is a drunk with a big problem, but I've known people like that, and they need a friend like Johnny.

It is refreshing to read a story that starts out different and promises something other than those more usual themes. This looks like it does exactly that and does so in a way that presents the reader with very realistic scenes as in when Johnny arrives to recuperate an inebriated Sean from the pub. The description was really spot on, the reality of the situation portrayed with the surrealist slowing of time that although time doesn't slow, yet it is exactly how those situations feel. We've been there and it's just like the author described. I'm looking forward to reading more.

I guess I was inspired to reply to this question. First up, I wouldn't have sex with someone I didn't have feelings for. Love grows, so you risk falling in love. If he doesn't feel the same way, you've made a mistake, it happens, or things change. If you fall for someone else, then YES, you immediately stop having your involvement with your friend. You'd be a pretty shifty person to play two relationships together? Bitter feelings left over? YES, no matter how a relationship ends and your friends with benefits is a relationship, there are bitter feelings. There IS jealousy, of course there is jealousy when someone else comes along. Temporary - that's kind of a strange concept. I'll just have sex with you whilst I'm waiting to find the guy I'll fall in love with. OMG, just think about what you're saying! Will your friendship suffer from being sexually involved? YES, you bet it will. Finally, can you have sex, because that's what you mean by a mutually beneficial relationship with someone you're not madly in love with? Well yeah, if you're like fifteen, but not when you're an adult, sex with someone just to get off. People do it, but I wouldn't. Well, you asked. Friends with benefits = love and health warning!