Conner

Lifts up his nightshirt and says, "Look! Blue Booties!" The person below me has worn a nightshirt.

So, how did you find Anartica? Meet any penguins? I love penguins.

The first part made it sound like a pet. However, you play me on a flat surgace didn't work with a pet...unless it's one wierd pet. A xylophone. Conner

Frankly, I had to sit on my hands for a week so that I wouldn't totally flame what you had to say. Sadly, your opinion or principles on this issue have a certain dogma quality to it. I rarely entertain dogma. There's no exchange in dogma, no discussion, no debate. There's certainly no growth. An author's job is to get published. Otherwise, what's the point? I don't believe creativity is an end onto itself. I am yet to meet any artist who doesn't care for acknowlement of their work. In fact, it's that very acknowledgement that inspires an artist to improve his art. Publication is the ultimate test of an author's work. Conner

For your first foray into poetry, that was good. The concluding line would have worked better, for me at least, had it been his ex who got his heart broken in the new relationship. I'm not the biggest fan of narrative style poems....but they're growing on me. For me, poetry pays more attention to rhythm, imagery, emotion and even sounds of words to convey meaning and life experience. Do some more! Conner

I believe Ranchers is a salid dressing and has nothing to do with sheep, cattle or goats.

I really liked poster #3. The kid looks like a little ninja or maybe that fuzzy green jedi knight from Star Wars. All he needs is a lasor sword. He could make a fortune! Conner

Shepherd, most unfortunately, has been reduced to a biblical or christian term most associated with Christ as the Good Shepherd. As for flock, I never heard it spoken in the film Brokeback Mountain. Of course, they never had to concern themselves with sheep flocking, now did they? They mostly considered themselves as cowboys. I love cowboys. These days people farm sheep and are sheep farmers. Same for cattle. Goats are too refined a beast to be farmed, herded or even possibly flocked. Conner

I think it's an Englisd custom to flock sheep. Conner

It's clear what they're up to, if that's what you're asking. I'm just totally disinterested in that part of the story....for now anyway. You did generate a spark in me when it looked like they might be gay...but you snatched that away pretty quickly. I was thinking "gay terrorists". They both had lost lovers due to vengeful homophobes. Their plan was to nuke Pheonix because it's anti-gay or something...or maybe the home of some anti-gay televangelist. Stranger things have happened. They're not really interested in killing a lot of innocent people, but the media coverage would be sensational. Conner

You rebel, you! Conner P.S. Rebels are sexy.

Your profile says you're 97. You had better vote soon. Conner

You would just eat them....like you did the last time. Conner

Actually, he would ask Steve where he could get one and then gives us all a glorious rendition of the chorus from "Talk to the Animals". Conner P.S. I hated the movie. A stage rendition would likely be better. The kids love it, though, so I'm willing to bear it. I love it when I behave magnaminously.

hehehe...looks like something out of one of C.S. Lewis' stories. That had better be photoshop in action, Steve, or the animal lovers will be on your trail. Conner

For me, your story came across as more of a narrative poem than prose, in the sense that there are more images than content, flashes of reality mixed in with non-reality For example...this works well in a poetry format Images of his sallow stalker flashed through his mind; lying against the school's lab desks, Laurie's kiss like chemicals. Now I happen to love poetry. "sallow stalker" is really nice. You make excellent use of similie..... Prose or poetry, I enjoyed it. I am uncertain as to whether you could write a full story this way. Then again, maybe you're another Homer in the making. Conner

Too dumb! Conner

Feather bed, eh??? I wasn't whining at you. There are many members reading this story and they all went south or something. Giving away the plot is never a good idea for a serial author. Yes, I know you already knew that. Hmmmm Josh has other options. Let me ponder that for a bit. Conner

I absolutely hate it when I post and then nothing. What did I say??? :wacko: I'm depressed. T S Conner (Thread Stopper)

hehehe...well, seeing that you were just taking care of business...you're off the hook. I think we can let you out of the pillory now. 18 wheelers! My, my! Wow! Ya know, that's so manly! I love manly. Re-write is fine, I was going to re-read the story once you posted chap 8 anyway. My short term memory sucks. Glad you're back! Conner

Intentionally duping one's readership is a major literery faux-pas. So, yes, no award for CJ. If he were to make it up to me....uh...I mean his readers, then it could possibly be reconsidered. I'm such a romantic that I always believe in redemption. *sighs* Even yours, Bob. Conner

CJ, you are in deep doo-doo. I specifically asked for a kiss between Chase and Brandon. What really irked me was that the kiss you did provide was between two straight male terrorists pretending to be gay clandestine lovers. I can't believe you named the chapter based on that kiss? A better idea for a kiss would have been having one of Chase's admirers give him a kiss while he was signing autographs. Then, at least, one of them would have been involved. There's a conspiracy here, I'm sure. Not only that, you had them holding hands at breakfast. The kiss seemed a certainty at that point. With no kiss at breaky, I thought that you would've had Helen misdirect Brandon into a change booth that was already occupied by Chase. I would have loved that. You've purposely duped your readers. How could you have possibly even entertained an outcome other than the T&F that you're now definitely going to get. :2hands: A herd of military goats have been dispatched. Conner

Yes, quite right. It'll be a snowy day in Mississippi before the committee would even consider this story for such a highly regarded award. As to your cliffhanger declaration, I must remind you of the literary rules: Rule 224(2)(a)(viii) states that any ending that leaves the reader smiling cannot be a cliffhanger. Accordingly, no cliffhanger. Conner

Happy B-day, Drew!! Conner