lurker

"You're hitting the Y tonight again, aren't you?" my friend interrupted my dinner to ask. "Come on! I want to go with you!" So much for ignoring him. At least my folks weren't around. They never would have approved of him, and he wouldn't have known just when to keep his mouth shut around them. The easiest way to deal with them was to say as little as possible. When we were eating together, I had two types of answers for them: one-word answers or shoving food in my mouth. How was sch

2006 Anthology

I can relate to how you feel about finding your old story, Jack Frost. A little while ago, I learned that my older brother had salvaged the machine on which I saved all my college era writing - letters to friends, research papers, newspaper columns, and a few fiction projects. He zipped the files all up and sent them to me - reading it was an interesting, often embarrassing trip down memory lane. But there were some pleasant surprises too, little gems, including an offhand, amusing poem that I had written when I was tired of listening to a friend complain about the same dysfunctional relationship yet again. You may think your old story is cheesy, but maybe there is a part of it - even as basic as a metaphor in one sentence - worth saving. That leads me to the question I think you're really asking here, though: How do you take this wonderful story that you have in your head (and now somewhat outlined on paper too) and make it reflect that in writing? That empty white screen/blinking cursor IS intimidating, and I have a lot of respect for how honest you are being about a fear that I think most - if not all - writers feel. I think it's great to have people share their tips for how to get over that initial hurdle, and I suspect there are as many approaches as there are writers! Some people prefer to just dive right in and start writing from the beginning, assuming they can always change it later. Whether you can relate to this or not (personally, I can't), it does offer a powerful reminder: you can always delete or edit later. Writing something down is NOT a huge commitment! So even if you later deem the beginning part "throat clearing" words, you can always delete them, but at least you got started. For me, I think it helps to think about it in 'baby steps' - sentences and paragraphs first, scenes before chapters, no need to work from beginning to end. You're just getting words down. Don't even worry about showing anyone else yet, though feel free to if you're comfortable with it along the way. Use less formal 'outlining' techniques on the side to get your language honed and flowing. For example, if you're having trouble getting a handle of how to write a character, keep a running list in your outline of adjectives that describe him or her and maybe even the active verbs that most accompany a person of that type. And then the biggie: Force yourself to hammer out one scene. It doesn't have to be the beginning. Introductions are hard. It can be in the middle, the end. It can be a scene of dialogue between characters that you think will have to happen. Don't worry about where it fits. Just get a flow for the words, something that you can work from. Don't worry about how good your first attempt is. You know the corny thing teachers say about writing being re-writing. That's all true. So start the process knowing it won't be perfect, and that it doesn't have to be. Your story will come if you're willing to fight the paralysis and just let it happen...

Good stories are based in conflict. They can be outer conflicts or inner ones (that a character has with him or her self). But there has to be at least one - and more often a series of conflict - that move the story along. To me, a story should end when the conflicts are resolved - not before and not after. It can be a 'happy' ending or a 'sad' ending or maybe even neither. But there has to be some resolution. I think a lot of online stories would be better if the authors knew when to stop.

Heh. I think you misunderstood me. I never meant that the author should EXPLAIN why he or she is breaking the rules IN the story! Yeah, I agree with you that this would be silly. I just meant that the author should know why he is doing it and be able to explain it, if asked. Beyond that, I'm curious which story you're referring to when you mention changes in perspective between characters. Usually, stories that do so are switching between first-person narratives (a technique that I don't think works for the most part). But you mention that this story swaps between third person - which I'm a bit confused about. Is it third person limited omniscient? I'm not familiar with any online stories using this perpective.

The first rule of writing is...there are no rules. The second rule of writing is...there are no rules. Oh wait, that's something different. I'm thinking of shirtless Brad Pitt, which has me all distracted. Actually, I know this goes beyond the original question, but I want to point out that there ARE lots of rules. Rules, conventions, standards of procedure, whatever you want to call them, blah blah semantics blah. You do not have to follow them all (as noted above, you probably SHOULDN'T try to follow them all). You don't have to follow most of them. In some cases, you don't have to follow ANY of them (think Shakeperian type-wrtier monkeys!) The key is that when you make a choice to break the so-called rules, you should be able to explain WHY you did and how it works within your story.

I checked out your new website and just one word... WOW!!! PS That's a GOOD wow. very nice! PPS I guess this is more than one word, but hey, I'm not known for brevity.

Looks pretty!

I think a lot of the opinions above make sense: don't force uniformity, let the story dictate the chapter length, and extreme differences in chapter length can disrupt things for readers. But I think the deeper question should be: what IS a chapter? That is, why do we break stories into smaller segments, and what is each chapter supposed to do? To me, chapters are the building blocks of a story and break things down for the reader in smaller, digestable parts. How you choose to lay out the sections makes a real difference in how the story 'reads' to your audience. Not every chapter needs to have the same 'feel' as another chapter, especially given the role that different chapters play in how you are telling your story. Chapters that lay out background will flow differently than chapters featuring the climax of the action. Generally speaking, though, a well-paced story builds in action and intensity - focusing on some conflict (or multiple ones) and then offering resolution (though not always a 'complete' or 'satisfying' resolution). The same is true of a good chapter. I think a lot of serial online 'chapters' aren't necessarily constructed with much attention being given to how they fit in terms of the general story (pacing, development, etc.), which is a problem. Some authors do have a natural sense of when a chapter just 'seems' finished. Others meticulously plot/outline what must happen in a given chapter, giving some structure to what each chapter is supposed to accomplish. Other authors may find that a (flexible) word count keeps them in check to break down a story to manageable parts. And other authors seem to try to copy standard online 'conventions' for when a chapter is done, often with mixed results (all too often including the abused cliffhanger that is resolved in the first paragraph of the next chapter). All in all, I don't think you should have a set idea of how long/short chapters should be or aim for a specific word count or for uniformity. But you should have an idea of how your chapters fit in telling your story, and not only is there nothing wrong with being conscious of this fact, it's probably a good thing. Most authors don't have an innate sense that allows them to be blissfully unaware as the chapters magically fall into place.

I agree that there is definitely a time to "let go" - even if you would want to keep playing with the piece. And that's it's VERY important to get outside feedback on when something is really 'done.' I just want to add that it also helps to put something you've written down for a while and come back to it at a later date. This technique helps you have appropriate perspective that you may lack if you try to evaluate your own work critically when you just finished writing it.

I've been busy with life stuff too. I don't have time to keep up with everything on the forums. But I've stopped in chat every now and then and there is usually no one around. So I often don't even think of looking anymore even when I could.

I've told this to you before, but I will repeat it again: You need to lower your expectations from this friendship and decide whether/how much to include Justin in your life. Yes, it sucks when your best friend ditches you for a boyfriend/girlfriend. It's a lousy thing to do to a friend, though nearly everyone is guilty of doing it, to some degree, at some point in life (especially as teenagers). But you can't make Justin dump his girlfriend and the more you try to harp on how manipulative and evil she is, the worse YOU look, and you help her build a dichotomy where it is the two of them versus the rest of the world. The situation sucks. You can't keep him from acting like an ass of a friend. But you CAN control how disappointed/hurt you are when the predictable continuation of the saga happens...

Those links are great! My personal favorite - though it's not funnier than any of the others - is #27 about prologues. If a story has an incomprehensible prologue, I just won't read the story. Period.

Just want to second the thoughts above suggesting disbelief that you're finding Rory to be a pain after, you know, Quinn.

The FAQ to another message board (one that is deliberately far more snarky than this place) posts the following guidelines: "Don't post to say you are leaving the board forever. That way you won't look like the tool that you are when you inevitably come back. We delete all goodbye posts, and to spare them the temptation to return, we delete the poster's account as well. Just shut up and leave, you self-pitying drip. Don't post to say only, "Hi! I'm back!" Most of us didn't notice you were gone or don't care that you are back." While there are circumstances that warrant such declarations and announcements, typically, I think these are good guidelines to follow.

I always liked Wheels better than Joey. Snake too. Joey was such a dumbass. Hehehe. Not only is Pat still featured on Degrassi: The Next Generation (which centers around kids who are roughly the same age as Spike's daughter, Emma), but the cable channel that airs Degrassi: TNG in the states just started showing Degrassi "old school" episodes. Of course, tuning in reminds me that I'm...old.

The only even number that is prime is 2. So offhand, I can tell that 32352 is not prime.

Where you see honor, I see poor social skills yet again. To be honest, I found Justin's whole "If Rob wants to go out with me, he should ask" routine to be real game playing. Justin KNOWS that Bobby likes him and Bobby KNOWS that Justin knows. Justin has never tipped Bobby off to whether he would like him in a romantic way or be willing to go out with him - to be honest, this isn't something the reader really knows the answer to. So forcing Bobby to ask HIM out rather than the other way around seems to be dumping a lot of risk of rejection on Bobby, a risk that is assymetric (because if Justin asked, Bobby would say yes). And then, on top of that, Justin expects Bobby to be fully out as a condition of dating - even though Bobby has no reason to think or believe that Justin necessary likes him in that way. For all Bobby knows, he could ask Justin out on a date and then come out to the world, only to discover that Justin really doesn't care about him 'like that' anyway. I can appreciate your explanation about Justin's 'sense of honor,' but the way I see it, it would make a lot more sense for Justin to do the asking and to explain along with his asking the full terms of his deal.

You may be dealing with a jerk. But maybe not. Some people are not very good at handling multiple IM conversations or IM while doing other things online. They get distracted and wind up ignoring a window, without realizing how long it has been since they last responded. Beyond that, sometimes people assume that because someone is logged in, they have an unlimited time to chat. If you're really trying to talk to someone about things, it's appropriate to ask if they have a moment to talk rather than saying "hi" and launching into something because it's a good time for you. Plus, there are plenty of IM 'non-conversations' that don't really require additional responses. They naturally fade away. Some people don't like spending time on the phone chatting about nothing - if there is no point, they say goodbye and hang up. Others have the same attitude about IMing. Just because you've said the last comment doesn't mean that it requires/invites the person to say something back. We have no way of knowing what the real deal is with this guy. If you don't enjoy chatting with him, then block him. Or at least be realistic in your expectations about how the correspondence will be. But I think you're getting angry and assuming this is a personal thing when there are any number of other reasons fr his behavior.

This may or may not help Val in her decision, but I don't entirely agree with the information you have provided, Michael, so I feel compelled to chime in. 1) The first year curriculum DOES vary to some extent, though not by much. For example, some schools require a year of Constitutional Law. Some schools don't allow it at all until after first year. The biggest real difference I've noticed across first year courses is that some schools allow/require 1Ls to take an elective course or two (or to take an upper level/mixed class of their choosing) while others dictate the entire first year. For someone heading into law school with a very specific career path in mind (which applies to a small minority), this can be an important part of the decision. 2) Very true, but the method in which the school schedules the classes (sequencing) and allows registration may dictate what you actually get to take when. Some students are very disappointed as 2Ls when they realize that they can't get into the most popular/on demand seminars, courses, etc. until they are 3Ls, and they spend the entire year taking only "bar courses" like evidence with 150 other people. It's an important point to ask at ANY school what courses students really do take and when to get an idea if the model is right for you. 3) The workload is pretty much the same in 2d and 3d year - you're taking mixed upper level classes. It is far more than the 1L workload, but that to some degree is because takes less time to do the same amount/more. 2Ls and 3Ls wind up busy because of non-coursework stuff: clinics, moot courts, journals, and very often, outside jobs. I would be happy to see at least the last semester - if not the entire 3rd year - turned into an apprenticeship instead of course work. But I'm not making the rules. 4) As far as I'm concerned, the bar exam should be changed to reflect the actual skills and knowledge required of lawyers. Memorization of blanket legal principles (like the multistate requires) is not of great value and should be ditched in lieu of an open book/open computer legal research and writing test. I agree with Michael that you should mind the costs of the education. It's an investment in your future - so 'cheaper' is not necessarily always better (e.g., if you really want to practice on the west coast, don't go to a midwestern public school that has more of a local/regional reputation than a national one). All in all, though, there are some good quality public law schools out there, so I think that's worth taking an extra look at. And last, I'd be very careful about choosing a school based on one specific specialization program they have unless you have actual experience in that field before law school indicating that this is truly your calling. A JD opens many doors for the future, and it's very hard to know which ones you would even be interested knocking on until you get more exposure to the law and what the options are.

Always good to focus on the positive. I'd make some witty retort about how that wouldn't have happened if the Bears PLAYED the Packers, but the Packers are pretty pitiful too, so it's not clear what happens with that train wreck.

I haven't read your stories, Madbomber, so I'm speaking from a more general sense here. I suspect that the gay online fiction world is full of unfinished stories somewhat like yours - you started at one point in your life due to some inspiration and after some time, you didn't have the time and/or inspiration to keep the story going. Here is my controversial proposition: Maybe the problem is that your story IS finished, to some extent. Having not read it, I don't know if that's true or not. What defines where a story ends? There are stories where the author slaps on "The End" or the barely less subtle paragraph at the end explaining "And then they were together for another 20 years and had blah blah blah, but they never forgot this story." Does an official ending really work for the reader? To be honest, if an author has to TELL me that the story is over, then there has been something missing in the story telling/crafting. Not every story ends with complete resolution, but as a reader, I should KNOW that the story is ending. This should not be a shock. A well-crafted story is built upon a certain amount of conflict and when that conflict is played out, then the story is over. I know that writing styles vary widely. Some people like to have every detail plotted out in advance and others prefer to be more flexible to follow where a storyline may go. But there is such a thing as too much free-form. There are a great number of aspiring authors who are inspired to write - they come up with a character, a scenario, etc. - and just start writing. I would posit that while many people can be writers, not nearly as many are focused on being story-tellers. The talented authors are the ones who have honed the craft of storytelling. Writer's block often happens when there is a disconnect with the writing (or writing process) and with the story that the writer is trying to tell. Sometimes, the problem is that the writer may not KNOW what story he is trying to tell. Or his writing may have deviated from the story he is telling enough that he now feels trapped and unable to continue in the path he feels that the story needs to go. Or the story he was trying to tell is ALREADY TOLD and the writer is stuck trying to continue when the true underlying story is finished. If you are simply more interested in working on ANOTHER story, that doesn't really seem like writer's block to me. It just suggests that your muse is lit in a different direction. Go with where your creative energy takes you! But for anyone who has systematic problems 'finishing' stories - and always is more inspired to start something new - then that indicates a problem with crafting a story so that it has a natural beginning, middle, and end. There are questions you can use to focus your writing on this core story-telling point, such as: What is this story about? What does this chapter do? What conflicts must be resolved before this story can end? etc. Happy Writing!

After the performance of the Chicago Bears against the Redskins yesterday, there are a lot of players I'd be hatin' - not just the game...

Happy Birthday, Zot! Do you bake your own cake or do you let someone else do it? Hehehe...

I'm a little late to the party, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope your day's been a good one.