Graeme

Click on "My Controls" up above. On the left hand side, under Personal Profile, there's a link called "Change Display Name". You might want to try that to see if does what you want

Happy Birthday, Dan!

Just a refinement on what Kit has said here. You also need to take into account obligations that you've accepted by being in the relationship. The most obvious obligation is if children are involved, but there can also be financial obligations (such as one person in the relationship who has been financially supporting the other so they can dream their dream). In that case, it is not just the benefits but also the obligations that need to be weighted up.

This is very much a stylistic issue. Relationship stories range from the romance through dramas to tragedies. You're referring more to the romance end of the spectrum, so the reader knows the hero will get his guy in the end (even if sometimes it's not exactly clear which guy). How to give the hero a few bumps in the path is up to the author. There are a lot of traditional ways to do so -- jealousy, misunderstandings, handsome rival, interfering parents, etc. Making them seem natural but new is the job of the author. Even better if the author thinks up some new way to cause disruption (maybe the boyfriend falls pregnant....)

My list is constantly changing. Sometimes I feel like re-reading some old novels, like I did recently with Harry Turtledove's Misplaced Legion series. Mainly Science Fiction and Fantasy (heavy on the fantasy), I think most novels by James Hogan, L.E.Modesitt Jr, Anne McCaffrey, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and Janny Wurts and would qualify

Happy 21st Birthday, Billy!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Until we get a decent rain, the major fires will continue to smoulder, and flare up when the wind picks up. And that doesn't count the new fires that have started.....

Partially right, at least as far as I'm concerned. Because I've usually seen unpublished chapters, I'm reluctant to join in the discussions. Also, because I'm generally a chapter ahead, the newly posted chapter is not fresh in my mind, so I'm less likely to have comments to make. Having said all of that, I don't regret helping CJ. My interaction with the story isn't the same (I read a lot more critically than if I was just reading for enjoyment), but it is still one fantastic story to read

Happy Birthday, Rick!

I use Open Office, but my editors use MS Word (I believe). I have had a few problems with Word documents, but only in specialised areas (such as embedded textured backgrounds, or complex table constructs). I've given up on MS Word -- if someone sends me a document in their latest format, I just send it back and ask for something that's readable I've already gone through all the hassles when MS changed their document formats once, and everyone had to upgrade to be able to read the new formats. I don't intend to do the same again.

Thanks to everyone who voted for my stories. I'm very appreciative, especially as I knew how good the other stories in those categories were. Congratulations to the other winners, too, but especially for the first two awards -- the editors and beta-readers. I, for one, know I wouldn't have stood a chance if it wasn't for the polish that they've given my stories. Aaron and Rain from the Mail Crew for their great job of editing, the rest of the crew, CJ, Shadowgod, Kel and Ray for beta reading and pointing out all those little things I've missed. Congratulations, everyone!

If the purpose of the scene is to show a developing relationship, or the depth of a relationship, then I don't see it as useless. The sort of story you're talking about revolves around relationships, and so that's part of the story. Showing the same thing multiple times may be a waste and drag the story down, but if it's being used to develop the characters, then it has a purpose and there's nothing wrong with it being there. How long the scene should be is a judgement thing -- it should be long enough to show what you want to show, without being filled with so much 'stuff' that the reader can't wait to get to the end of it. In short, there really aren't any guidelines. It's up to the author to decide what they want the scene to show or do, which might be advancing a plot, or maybe developing the characters, or both, and then to write a scene that meets that goal without making the reader fall asleep

Thanks, Varrsinn! I'm constantly amazed and proud by my fellow Australians, and how generous they are at this time. Even people affected by the floods in Queensland have been donating to help those in Victoria. Farmers, who are generally doing things tough due to the drought, have donated feed, goods and even stock so the farmers who were burnt out by the fires can restart. Thanks again. Even though it hasn't affected me personally, I know people who have been, and on their behalf, thank you

Happy 18th Birthday, Nick! I hope you have a great day, and an even better year ahead.

Which you can find on Nick James's site.

Happy 21st Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Tiff!

You could try framing it. "See! That's the cheque I got for writing gay fiction online! Who ever said that it was a useless hobby?"

As with these things, the old crisis areas are now largely quiet, but there are new areas of concern. Nowhere near the peak of activity that was reached almost two weeks ago, but there are still fires burning out of control. The main major fire new Melbourne itself is, as Iarwain said, in the Healeville area to the north-east of Melbourne. There's also a fire burning out of control in the Wilson's Prom. National Park, but that's not currently threatening anyone. The main concern there is that there are storms being forecast (some will be only wind storms, unfortunately), and that could blow the fires in new directions, as well as re-energising fires that have been burning down.

G'day, lisabrown14! If you've got any questions, please don't hesitate to ask Cheers! Graeme

A few weeks ago, a man threw his four year old daughter off a bridge here in Melbourne. He had been fighting with his estranged wife. The approach by some people who saw what happened is believed to have saved the lives of his other two kids.... They arrested him soon afterwards, but the last I heard he hadn't spoken a word since the incident.

Hi, Iarwain Welcome to GA. I wish it could have been in easier circumstances.... I've been keeping an eye on the situation in the Healesville area because it seems to highest risk fire in our area. That's not to downplay the other fires, but it's the one closest to home. I'm glad you're okay, but I'm sure you'll know people who have been affected. I know I do....

Happy Birthday, Aaron!