Cole Parker
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Posts posted by Cole Parker
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Dude:
Nope, still have to log in every time, no matter what.
This is different though. Yesterday I couldn't input anything to the forum. I'd pull up the Reply screen and about two seconds later, be bumped entirely out of AD. Now, it looks like I'll be able to put a reply up. I'll test whether I can do this in other forum rooms. The first tday this happened, it was a selective problem, and then yesterday, universal.
As you can imagine, frustration reigns.
Cole
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Cole, are you on a Macintosh or Windows?
Blue:
Windows. Whether that's good or bad, it USED to work!
Cole
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here I was about to congratulate Wibby for being a genius, but no matter how or in what sequence I clear my Internet of memory, I still don't stay logged in. I have IE-6. Maybe that's the problem.
AAAARRRGGGG!
C
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Hey, 12 times a day is an improvement. I'm back to writing again, so don't have time for the 14 I was up to.
Cole
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Very weird. I can't add a comment to the spelling disucssion without being knocked off-line, but can do it here and at another I picked at random, the Vista discussion.
I am still having to log in every time I enter.
Lots of fun, this. A learning experience.
But hey, the emoticons work! I could never get them to cooperate before!
Win some, lose some. Still, this signing in all the time is a ruckus in the rectum. Maybe I'll just have to stop visiting 12 times a day.
Cole
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I have just encountered another problem; I don't know if it's system-wide or specific to me. I just tried to add a comment to the speeling discussion in the Writer's Workshop and was kicked off-line. So I came back, and the same thing happend again. I seem to be able to use this part of the forum, but that one doesn't like my input, I guess.
And all I was doing was agreeing with TR. And I was going to point out another use for semi-colons no one else had thought to mention.
I doubt anyone was interested anyway.
Cole
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And I didn't add that message twice, either!
C
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I have the same problem, and it started yesterday. I assume it's due to the changes made.
Do I have to admit to using MS Explored and incite the wrath of the gods?
Cole
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I have the same problem, and it started yesterday. I assume it's due to the changes made.
Do I have to admit to using MS Explored and incite the wrath of the gods?
Cole
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Thanks for the kind words, guys. That was the second story I ever wrote. Writing is a strange and beautiful avocation. It's a learn-by-doing sort of activity for me. It's challenging and engrossing and humbling all at the same time, and is constantly making me aware of how much I don't know.
It's also a lot of work, but fun work. Trying to do most anything well is that, hopefully.
Cole
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I was about to make the very points that were finally made. I agree. A good writer can even take a worn out clich? and make it interesting. It's the quality of the writing that's important.
It's easy for a list like this one to make us defensive, or conversely, proud that we don't do those things. I don't think we should do either. It's interesting to read, but also easy to find fault with every point made.
If we start writing with axioms like that in mind, I think we'll become hamstrung. I personally don't describe my characters dicks, and in fact often neglect to describe their appearances either. There's a reason for this. I want as many readers as possible to identify with the main character. If he is described as 6' 2" tall with shiny blond hair and eyes the color of a Colorado sky with a V-shaped torso, narrow waist and strong legs who can bench press 450 pounds but doesn't because his study load at Harvard and volunteer work in the burned children ward doesn't leave him the time, who'll identify with him? Not me, either.
As I say, there's a reason I don't do this, and that's the point. I have a reason. I think about what I write, and have reasons for what's on the page. You guys do too. I can tell from reading your stuff. And if we do things with forethought, and make it work, then the rules in that list aren't really important. It's possible to violate every one of them and still write a good story. Granted, it might be harder, granted, some of these suggestions are soundly based and can help destroy or at least trivialize a weakly written piece, but they are not hard and fast rules that must be followed to the letter or the story will be crap.
Individual writing quality will out.
Cole
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James:
I'm certainly no expert, but I might suggest you look really deeply at what is giving you the trouble. Think about it and identify the crux of the issue that's bothering you. Is it actually facing what happened? Is it letting other people know what you did? Is it reliving what you went through? If you can really identify where the angst comes from, maybe it would be easier to deal with it.
If you hate the idea of revealing terribly private things you're ashamed of, but want to write them down, do so with the understanding that you're not going to let anyone else read them. That way you may gain the cartharsis you're looking for, you've completely bared your soul to the printed page and gotten the demons out of your memory, yet you keep what needs to be private, private.
I've read Broken. It's difficult reading. Great writing, difficult to read. Must have been much worse to live through. You've shown lots of courage writing what you have.
Cole
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And of course it makes one wonder just where you were in the act when she came in. were you-- NO! NO! Bad Cole!. Don't go there! Dont'ht think about it!
I need anohter drink now.
Cole
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I agree with Blue's views, but there's nothing new there. I almost always do.
And I agree with Des.
I like feedback. I like it a lot. If I get none, I feel it reflects on the quality of writing I'm putting out, and I feel I've spent a huge amount of time and effort rather futilely. I get discouraged and disappointed.
I was surprised in the response I got from my Celebration series. I got some mail, but very, very little, especially when compared to the response of my stories at Nifty. There, it was typical for me to get at least a hundred pieces of mail per story. For long stories, even more. So when I get one or two responses per story here, I have to wonder. What am I doing wrong? And because no one seems to be reading what I write, is this really the site to be posting at? Perhaps another site would be more suitable.
Having a counter in place so I could see that people are reading what I write would help. The way it is now, I just don't know if anyone is bothering to read my work. If they are, and not bothering to write, that's a lot easier to take. I can accept people don't want to write authors; Blue's explanations were right on the money. If no one is reading the stories, however, that's something else again. I don't want to take the time to write and have no one read it. I don't know about you guys, but I find trying to do this well is hard work.
I will say something in defense of those who do take the time to write. The quality of the responses I get here is much higher than the ones I got at Nifty. Those ran the gamut, and Blue touched on some. Some were funny, some dull, but most all were sincere. With all the mail I've gotten, there was only one flame. Someone didn't like the way I ended Josh, Evolving. I thought the ending was perfect. This guy thought I was the devil incarnate. After calming down, I took his comments to mean he was really involved in the story and disappointed with the way I finished it. So, on reflection, I took what he said as a compliment. I also couldn't think of a better way to avenge myself on him. Screw him!<g> But back to the quality issue. What I like best in mail from readers is well-considered comments about the story, what they liked or thought weak, and why. I get this in the responses I get from what?s posted at AD, making me feel the people who do read stories on this site are a very high caliber people indeed, insightful, intelligent and just the sort of people I?m writing for. Well, to some extent. I?m writing mostly for teens. I wish more of them would write to me.
I don't care a whit if more people are reading my stories, or fewer people, than those of some other author. I would just like to know my work is being read.
One final comment. I have a pet peeve. I very frequently write other authors to compliment them when I find something they've written enjoyable, and especially when I find the writing top notch and compelling. I don't always get responses from the authors when I do this. I usually do. But sometimes I don't. That bothers me. If someone is good enough to take the time to write us, we should write back to thank them. It takes about 15 seconds to do so, and all you have to do is hit the reply button, so not much work or thought is required. There are authors at this site who could use this reminder. I?m no exemplar and don?t mean to suggest I am, but I always thank every person who writes me about my stories. They deserve it.
Thanks for bringing this up, Des.
Cole
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Looking forward to it.
Cole
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Please, please, please. Don't anyone else write about getting caught by their mom. It doesn't bear thinking about. I think I need a drink.
Cole
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" Hmmm Could be the basis for a story? "
Des, I think you're something like me. EVERYTYIHING seems to be a possible basis for a story!
C
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Why do I get the feeling this woman also enjoys getting telephone calls from telemarketers too?
Des, does this mean you're not sitting home praying Amazon will profile you next?
Cole
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Sorry, but the poll insists I pick a choice from the second list, and none of them are right for me. So I didn't vote.
I enjoy serial novels, but hate waiting for the next chapter. This is especially true if I love the story. Then the wait becomes intolerable.
I generally wait till the story is finished, then go read the entire thing.
If chapters are posted frequently, like twice or three times a week, I'll read it as it's posted. That doesn't seem to happen as a general rule, however.
I began Laika about four times before I stopped reading it. I can't remember the charaters and what happend well enough with a month between episodes, so had to go back and read it from the beginning each time, and after reading chapter 1 four times, chapter 2 three times. . . well, you get the idea. When it's done, I'll read it. I LOVE the story, but find I can't read it in this format. It's great writing, and that makes it frustrating for me. But then, I'm old with no memory. You young guys probably don't have these problems.
There are other problems we old guys have, but this is a PG forum, isnt it?
Cole
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Me thinks me must take a class to figure all this out.
C
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Having "no class" and being "classless" aren't quite the same thing :)
And just how would you know that? <g>
C
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I think that's what I said, James. Just not quite so lustily.
C
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Discrimination of any sort is truly horrible. I feel for you, Trab. It shouldn't happen. Maybe one day it won't, but I won't hold my breath. Human nature being what it is, people are always going to be looking down on others if and when they can. It makes them feel superior, and that too is a human feeling. Not a nice one, but one that certainly exists.
To me, however, that's not the sort of thing I'm talking about when I'm discussing social classes. I was thinking about distinct classses as they had in England with one group definitely above the others and very little possiblility for people born below that class ever to move into it. That's the sort of class I was referring to, and it's the sort of thing that isn't pervasive in this country.
Discrimination based on race, sexuality, handicaps and the like is an entirey different breed of cat.
C
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You guys are truly amazing.
Let me rephrase my argument.
When I said America is inherently classless, moreso than other countries, I was using the word class in a more narrow construct than it is generally being used here. When I think of the word "class" to define and separate and categorize people, my first thought is to get angry, and my second is to look at it probably as it was used long ago in the Western world, as something defining the quality of people, something that sprung from their birth status, their lineage, their breeding, their titles and only then their education, property and money.
So when I say this is not the prevalent way of separating people in this country, it was on that basis I meant it. We are not judged on our lineage nearly to the extend it was done that way in England. That there are still distinctions based on race, sexuality, economics and education and the like remains obvious. However, if we simply focus on the value of the person, who he is, we Americans don't hold who he came from as being terribly important. He can become whatever he wants here, and that isn't limited by his birth peculiarities.
Okay, so I'm a hopeless romantic.
Cole
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Dude:
After posting the message prior to this one, I went to the discussion on using phony names and tried ot post there, and got kicked off AD.
The fact I have to log in when I come back just exacerbates the ouch.
Cole