Steven Keiths

Well, I no longer drink--alcohol--that is. When I did drink, I drank enough Scotch to keep a distiller in business. And I didn't even get a thank you!

That was great, Trab. I even understood everything he said. I think he was an autioneer in an earlier life. I also got another post * added to my modest amount of posting. --Steven If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

Cole is correct. Though I personally never liked soda in my scotch. Either over the rocks--Trab, that's ice to you--or with water. Saved the soda for bloodstains. --Steven

Hmmmmmm? One of the masters of "keep them guessing" is asking me to reveal a rather private matter. As I brought it up though, I'm compelled to reply. No, Cole, everyone knows soda will clean the bloodstains. --Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

I've heard dreprivation is a much better modality of punishment than inflicting physical pain. Besides, self-flagellation is difficult for me as I have a very high pain threshold. That and my cat o nine tails is at the cleaners! --Steven

I had a few responses from my alert readers of some errors in Chapter Thirteen of One Moonlit Night. All the errors people spotted, were actually caught and corrected. I submitted the wrong version. I did submit a corrected version, but perhaps I did not get it to Joey or Dude in a timely manner. Didn't want anyone to think my editors were sleeping on the job. As punishment, I did take away my TV priviliges for the three-day weekend and also the use of the car. I certainly hope I learned my lesson. --Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

Okay, this is sheer torture. It's 5:00 a.m. You may not tease an older person by indicating there is a Chapter 31 only to have it be a repeat of Chapter 30. I feel that Matt is being exactly the person Cole created. He's 16 going on 30 and has all the confusion, angst, emtions and yet is trying to be adult about his behavior. I don't feel he is leading Kevin on at all. He has been very up front about where he is on this road. Does he slip? Hell, he's 16--of course he does. He also suffers as does Kevin. Is it cruel? Yeah, but not an intentional perpetrated cruelty. In my opinion it is a brilliant writing of character development--and of course, it is the correct opinion --Steven If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

The last time I slide off a chair an onto my knees was not to pray. Well, not to St. Isidore. Can't remember his name at the moment.

Well, now that that is all clear as mud, I still only understand playing with a mouse and getting an erection in quick time or something of that nature. Far be it from me to be judgmental however. What ever spins ones top... I just hope the mouse uses a condom and the raccoon enjoys it.

I have no idea what holding a mouse over quick time is. But if it produces and erection I'm willing to try Heck if holding my mouse over slow time worked I'd be willing to give it a shot. I do think however, that I am missing something very important from the message; such as the understanding of its meaning. --Steven

Phew! I thought I was the only one. I too cannot read a story that is continually dark. I need at least some resolution, redemption, or hope--even if only a glimmer. I rarely will watch child abuse or animal abuse movies or programs. Hell, "Oliver" the musical was hard for me to take. This, of course, may stem from my own childhood. This is not to say I do not accept this as reality--hell, I lived it. Chapter after chapter though, for me gets to be a bit much. Maybe it is an age thing. And as Trab pointed out, it certainly says something for the writer to elicit such a visceral response. I've plotted the demise, or more to my liking--torture--of many a nefarious fictional character. I love, "Oh, my God!" moments in a story and hopefully at some point it also contains a "Thank, God." --Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

I've seen this before and I was amazed with the ease I could read it. I have a friend that actually writes like this too!

One more time I am confused. Y'all can stop your groaning right now. Remember, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people. It has to do with this, I'm gonna' step out on a limb here 'cause I'm really not certain of the term but this--thread, Hijacking a topic--is what exactly? I know what hijacking is. It is when you try to have an airplane fly where you want it to go, usually by force. Going up the pilot and telling him/her you'd like to go to the Bahamas rather than the intended destination of Juneau, Alaska, and saying 'please' is probably not hijacking. Putting a small calibre weapon to their temple with or without the 'please,' might be considered, at the least, attempted hijacking. So, if I said I was going to, or threatened to post one of my poems, that could be considered hijacking--correct? Poetry is not my strong suit, though I dabble in it from time to time. These are important things to know as I may not like what someone is saying so I could just tell them if they kept it up I'd sumbit a poem. That of course would have them scrambling to talk about something else. My other question; why would someone start a topic that asks the reader to hijack it? Is this racoon humor I'm missing? --Steven If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

Hmmmm? I do think racoons, though adorable little critters, are more adept at taking things than offering. Though, living by eleemosynarial (is that a word?) means the fuzzy furry creature is quite adept. Where in the hell did you come up with that obscure word? No way I'd stand on street corner asking for eleemosynary for the poor.

...And he still misses! --Steven

Trab, That was hilarious. It's early and I just called in to work sick as I'm not feeling well. Read that and now I'm feeling much better. I am not going to work however! --Steven

Des, Perfect! or, Decision Dodging for Inner Peace for Those in Turmoil. We could keep adding to this and make it longer than the poem! --Steven Keiths

I keep reading it and what I come up with is short and simple: Decision to Decide or just plain Decision --Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

Hmmmm? I thought queens got... Okay, I'm a princess, my mother is still alive! Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

As so many have said previously, for me, almost anything can't plant a seed for a story. I write a lot of what I call vignettes. They are created when an odd thought pops into this cranium and I embellish. They are usually only two or three pages long. Don't know what to do with them really as in a sense they are just imagination gone wild. A great exercise I believe to keep the mind alert and the creative juices flowing. As an example, when I first joined AD and posted a query regarding acknowledging editors one of the responses sparked me to write a small piece--three pages. It is about making 'assumptions.' I have a file folder of seeds that are waiting to evolve into a story. If 'one-of-these-days' evercomes they too may find there way here as a full blown story. That is what happened with One Moonlit Night. I wrote, correction, I started to write 1MLN many moons ago. I was having a garage sale and ran across it in a folder and said to myself, "Self, why don't you finish this damn thing." I knew how I wanted it to end and also some things I wanted to include. Everything else was built around these. Maybe I should start a whole new topic on this, but does anyone else get invested emotionally in the characters they create and write about? I, in one of my stories, actually prolonged the story as I couldn't bring myself to kill off one of the characters--I liked him too much. It's scary sometimes to be in this mind of mine. --Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny.

Well, I for one am very appreciative and thankful for you and all the tech people who make this site possible. And as to that royalty check I received, some one forgot to put a number of value in back of all those zeroes, an oversight I'm sure. Thanks again for a great site. --Steven Keiths

I too am hooked on the story. Of course, I am very biased as I have enjoye all of Cole's stories. I think when it comes to character developement and their reacting to situations Cole presents, he nails them. Yeah, isn't Kevin being a little shit. Love it, and I too wonder what is motivating him. Cole is just a very good at weaving a tale--in my humble opinion. --Steven Keiths He who makes laughs last lasts.

First my disclaimer: Contrary to my ego, I am not the best writer here at AD or in the world at large or small. I can not touch a candle to most here as to knowledge of proper grammatical structure. When you guys were discussing the story written in 2nd person I had nary a clue what that was. I do now. The does and don'ts of things I've read in posts here read, at times, as a fundementalists version of how to be a perfect christian. What I find somewhat humorous and in correlation with my fundementalists analogy, much as they, the fundementalist, can somehow always justify their spreading of hate and fear--so unchristian, is much like some of the authors here explaining away why the very rules expoused here didn't apply to their story. I have the greatest respect for many here, not only for their knowledge, but also so many have given some very sound advice and direction. So, there I schmoozed a little.. I'm a writer, I create and weave a tale and it comes from my heart as most forms of art do. Does it mean it's great, good? Perhaps not. Though it may not be written perfectly, important to me is did you find it engaging. Did it flow. Did it make you think. Did it tug at your heartstrings or make you laugh. We as authors embellish we make things up. Are we always accurate, nah. Now does that mean I should write a story taking place in 1920 and have a line as: while we were watch Bonnanza on our Sony... Noooo! If I have a point it is: I certainly wouldn't want someone to rake me over the coals in a public forum. Or if they must please use grammar vasoline, because it will hurt otherwise. I think it would be much nicer and better to contact the author via personal email. Am I thin skinned, no but I'm not a pachyderm either. I submitted my story here as I liked the quality of the authors, and yes, thought I wrote passably enough to fit amongst a few of you. I was overjoyed when le Dude said they wanted to publish with the provision I had someone edit. I will save this adventure for another reason to ramble. That all being said, and I'm sure there are a few mistakes, please forgive me writing purests; perhaps I'm way off base, out of line, in the outfield, or pick your own sports analogy, I got the sense that part of the mission of this site was to encourage potential writers. Please do not interpret this to mean I think it is necessary to respond to every person who sends in a story. (*Then again, that is handled at the front office.) Or stand on a soap box and recite portions of S & EB White. But once a story is here that respect, sensitivity, kindness, your basic good human qualities should be the way to approach your fellow authors. If it's a real slam or you really think the person needs "your" invalualbe critquing; do it privately. Sharon, le Goddess extraordinaire, my editor was very upfront about my story. She doesn't believe I'm gonna' win a Pulitzer. Damn and I was gonna' donate my portion to saving homeless raccoons. Okay, it's 1:30 a.m. I'm tired and old(er) and have rambled enough. I should probably also edit this--but for this instance I'm going by the old standby--communication is--did you understand what I wrote? Was it engaging, did it tug at your... I like this site and look forward to any of you who may have an opinion as to my story, expressed--here or privately. You see, I'm a glutton for punishment and intend to submit others. --Steven Keiths If you can't laugh at yourself; you're probably not funny. *I only use parentheses because it irritates Wibby. He was right though when it came to having them in my story--they're gone now.