[School 'prefect' in story?]

What an interesting subject for us to disagree upon! Does America have classes, and if yes, how important are they, and how conscious of them are Americans?

I can't say I entirely agree with TR, if I'm reading what he said correctly, and I may not be. I get the sense from what he wrote that he feels there are strong class distinctions that play a role here. I disagree with that. Certainly it would be naive to say we are entirely classless. There is old money here, and there is power inherent where there is old money. But I don't feel this is a defning element in this country. I feel it may be so in England with their peerage and history, far, far more than here.

I think opportunity exists here for those who will work. Nothing really holds any of us back accept how willing we are to do what we must to be successful. I think the sky's the limit here. I think one can begin here with a very humble background and by sheer effort become anything one wants. I think there are stumbling blocks in England that don't exist here. I don't know, but my guess is there are less limits on personal success in Australia than in England. I do know that in America, if you want something and are willing to work for it, in almost every instance you can attain it.

I think TR is right that most of us here put ourselves in the middle class. But I also have the feeling that whatever class we put ourselves in, there is pride there, and a feeling that the class we assign ourselves to is somehow superior to other classes. I think there are working class people who DO feel a solidarity with others like themselves, and somehow feel they are a rung above those who sit at a desk or in front of a computer all day. This isn't surprising at all. I think there's a human need to feel important, to feel worthy, even to feel superior in some ways to those around us. I haven't met very many peole who don't have a feeling of personal pride.

People talk of the American dream, of being free to be able to make a success of themselves. I think this is still very true. I think this is one of the distinctions that sets this country apart, that makes us special. In that regard, I think we are less bound by class than perhaps anywhere else.

Cole

[Celebrations Across the Calendar]

If you do write your entire story before posting, which is my preference, there is no bar to posting it chapter by chapter--once weekly, twice weekly, etc.

Exactly. That's what I do, too. I finish, then begin posting chapters serially. I have another reason for doing it this way. When I'm reading a story I really like, I hate waiting forever for the next chapter. Since I'm a man of little patience, forever means more than a day or two. Because I feel this way when reading something, I like to post this way too. This site is admirable in that they will permit me to post twice weekly; Prom is being posted that way now. If the story weren't complete before I started, I'd never meet such an onerous deadline. Having it done, it's easy.

That's something that hasn't been broached here: deadlines. If you're writing a story and posting to a certain schedule, what do the upcoming deadlines for submitting your next entry do to the creative process?

I agree that this is great stuff to talk about. Writing is inherently a lonely activity. It's wonderful to be able to dissect some aspects of it it out in the open this way.

Cole

[Vote for Word of the Year!]

Des:

Now you've got me going. I never heard that you're supposed to come back as the last person you've seen. But wow, what an idea! This is a new cottage industry waiting to happen. Good looking people rent themselves out in hospices and hospital and in the backs of EMT vans. There might be lawsuits in the making as they'd need to be shoving some of these ugly doctors and homely last-rite-providers asside at the approprirate moment and families might object to that, but that could all be worked out, I imagine.

You also make me wonder, are good looking blokes happier than ones that look like me? Ordinary, you know? I don't think there's anything recorded to support that. Certainly, some of these guys are blissful, but some are degererate druggies looking for their next fix, and they're definitely not happy. I think simply wanting to look great in the next life might be a shallow wish, don't you? Without evidence to the contrary.

But then again, if you have the choice, I think going for pretty rather than ugly would get the bulk of the votes. Even if there is no assurance it would make a particle of difference, happinesswise.

If you can be either happy or unhappy while being either handsome or ugly, I guess most of us would chose handsome.

Cole

[Celebrations Across the Calendar]

Thanks, guys. If I can summarize what you?ve said, it would be like this. Graeme, you write something and basically are impatient to get it up. I know that feeling. I generally feel good about what I write and want people to see it. I have this problem, however, of being something of a perfectionist, and know if I post too soon, I?ll regret it later when I feel the need to change something, so hold off if I?m writing something long. I think you, Graeme, are much better at this than I am. Your style is so controlled, so calm and reasoned, and I?m much more frenetic with what I write, and I?m much more just feeling my way. I?d like to have your mastery of the craft. I don?t mind holding off, even if it?s for 12 months, because I know the story will benefit from it. Actually, however, it?s never taken me that long to write anything. I tend to write in fits and starts, and when I?m going along well, I can write for hours at a time. Do that, and no story is going to take 12 months.

Des, you write very much like I do, and for very much the same reasons. You, like me, are shocked other people seem to know what they?re doing so well they can post a chapter at a time without painting themselves into corners. We both look on in awe the way others can write and post and write and post.

I didn?t mean to imply I thought we were wrong doing it this way, Des. I?m more surprised everyone doesn?t do it like we do, and so am looking for compelling reasons why they don?t.

I too can write more than one story at once. It keeps your mind working and prevents writers? block, I think.

EC, you did it sequentially from necessity, and I feel even more admiration that it worked so well for you. As far as going back afterwards and finding things you?d liked to have done differently, I do that all the time, even after multiple edits. But of course, you?re giving one of the prime reasons I don?t post till I?m done. You have no idea how many changes have been made in the final product you see from what I began with. I did go back and I did make changes, changes that wouldn?t have been possible had I posted each chapter as I wrote it.

I hope others will respond to this. It seems to me that many more people write and post a chapter at a time than do it as Des and I do. And I still haven?t heard a reason that makes me think that?s the way to go. But I still do think that you guys that do it that way are simply marvelous, and much more capable than I am.

Cole

[Celebrations Across the Calendar]

You guys are making me blush, and I'm not sure I have enough blood to permit such an activity.

I agree with you, EC. I prefer longer stories myself. I'm sort of in the process of deciding to write another.

Hey, now that I have you gathered here, I have a question about that. I've asked before, but never seen an answer. You guys all tend to post chapters as you write them. My question is, why? I always write the entire story before I begin putting it up, and the reason is simple; this allows me to make changes at the beginning that events in the middle or end make necessary. You guys don't seem to need that freedom, which amazes and befuddles me. Why not? Why the rush to post?

C

[Vote for Word of the Year!]

"Cole,

I should tell you I am a bit of a hypochondriac. However, I know the difference between mistyping and typing non-accidental gibberish. Why won't anyone believe me? Have you been talking to my doctor? "

I believe! I believe! I just am going to advise you not to worry about it. Or try to treat it! It's a figment of your imagination. I hope. It's better to hope than worry, although worry does a better job with weight loss. Worry enough and you stop eating and so lose weight. If you just go around hoping all the time, you'll probably be too encouraged about everything and start eating too much. Maybe the answer is in a typo, which got us started with this mess. But let's try it. Instead of constantly hoping, try constantly hopping. You'll get your exercise, loose weight, improve your circulation and so make your brain work better, and perhaps even improve the work of your confused digits on your keyboard.

"In addition to my hypochondria I also have to worry about world events and gay rights and...the list is endless. Woe is us."

Sounds like more of this woeful worrying you love to engage in to me. Get a grip, man! The world is our oyster. Of course, I got food poisoning once eating oysters. I think I forgot to check for r's and ate one in June. Almost killed me. Sicker than a dog. But I don't want to think about it, running from both ends as I was, and you don't want to read about it.

"Right you have made me feel a lot better...thanks Cole."

Well, writing that last bit made me feel a lot worse, so we're even.

"I can't afford a car with a/c and we just started our summer here where it is constantly approaching 100 degrees F. for days at a time. it is currently 90 degrees and it is only 6am. Believe me a wet hat can be the difference between life and death here. Our weather is very similar to LA I believe."

If I can't travel here in an air conditioned car here, I don't travel. But I'd guess 98% of the cars here a air conditioner. It's almost inconceivable to have a car here without A/C. I moved here from Indiana. We didn't need A/C there. Well, we did, but only for about three months a year. Here we need it for 9 or 10, and then some days in the other 3 or 2. I quickly changed to a car that had A/C. Now I'll admit, buying a baseball cap and a bucket of water to soak it in is cheaper than buying A/C, but think of it this way: when you go to trade in your car with A/C or your cap and bucket, you'll get a lot more for the former than the latter.

"I too hate exercise for it's own sake, but I am doing some when it isn't too hot to go outdoors."

I ride my bicycle even if it's hot. I take a bottle of water with me. If you also cannot afford a bicycle and have to jog, I suggest you take a bottle of water with you as well as your wet towel around your neck and your wet hat on your head. I don't wet myself quite as thoroughly as you do before setting out, but then, American practices are different in these situations than Australian ones, I guess.

"As for aging being better than the alternative, I don't mind being reincarnated provided I can skip childhood and go direct to puberty."

Now that makes perfect sense. I too like to skip the veggy courses and go straight to the dessert.

Maybe thath's why I'm trying to lose weight!

Cole

[School 'prefect' in story?]

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding school monitors or prefects as we call them in Australia and in the UK I believe.

These are older students designated to look after the younger students and encourage some decorum in school behaviour.

Do American schools have an equivalent? If I was to use the word 'prefect' in a story would other countries know what was meant?

I get conflicting results from researching on the net.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

It's been forever since I attended high school, but we didn't have them then and for the most part we don't now that I'm aware of. I'm talking public high schools: private ones probably all have their own idiosyncrasies.

Do they have them in state-run (I don't think I can use the word "public" as it has a different meaning there) schools in Australia and England? I know they do in boarding schools, but I don't know about regular schools.

Here I think it would be a problem. We've become quite litigious, and I can imagine lawsuits emanating from one kid, under the color of a questionable authority granted him by school officials, bossing another kid around. I can imagine abuses, real or spurious, that wouldn't be tolerated. I can imagine jocks being remonstrated by officious nerds and how that would play out. I think you'd have to have a very accepting school population for that to work, and our school populations tend more to the rebellious and independent than compliant.

As an American who reads about the goings on in English schools, I've always rather wondered how the prefect system worked in practice, as I have grave misgivings about it working here. Here, boys take advantage of weaker boys. I would think, boys being who they are, giving some authority over others is like letting the wolf loose in the sheep pen.

[Vote for Word of the Year!]

"Yes, Cole, at 62 I can vouch for the lapse in memory and vocabulary effect. Writing and reading certainly help. So does a vitamin supplement along with a general amino acid complex supplement."

If writing and reading help, I should be in good shape as that mostly what I do.

"Recently I had a nasty experience of missing the keys I wanted to hit when typing. So instead of typing say the word, "many" it ended up as "anmu". The doctor wasn't concerned. Yeah Right!"

You went to the doctor because you hit the wrong keys? I'd have to live in his office if I worried about that! I hit more wrong ones than right ones, and spend tons of time going back and fixing things. Of course, I do type fast. I'd hit fewer wrong keys otherwise, I'm sure. I don't worry about it. I have more important things to worry about than that, things like us increasing the number of troops in Iraq, whether the advances in gay rights that have been won in the past couple years will be whittled away during the next two year election run-up, and if taking twelve pills in the morning counts as having breakfast.

"My family experience with Alzheimer's indicates the following things (for me anyway) and although it might sound a bit funny I am quite serious as I saw the effect happen.

!. Do not watch TV daytime soap operas or mindless quiz shows after the age of forty. (habit forming that inhibits analytical thought processes.)

2. Keep active even if it is just for a 20 minute walk

3. Watch out for extremes in weather conditions avoid the heat with a wet towel around the neck and if you go out (driving in a car without air-conditioning) wear a baseball cap soaking wet. "

I think anyone who watches any TV during the day has already given in to mind numbness. It seems to be getting that way for nighttime TV, too. Probably you have better TV down there than we do up here. You'd almost have to.

I do keep active. I'm trying to lose weight and ride a bicycle an hour a day. I feel much better now than I did before I began that regimen a few months ago. I hate exercise for exercise's sake, but there's no question, being active is therapeutic.

A/C in cars in LA, where I live, is a must. Especially if you're caught in one of our quotidian traffic snarls and can't move enough to even get air flow through the windows. I think I'll skip the wet hat. If something had to drip down my neck, I'll take sweat over cold water.

"Isn't aging fun? "

Is that supposed to be an oxymoron? No, it isn't!!! But it's better than the alternative.

Cole

[Vote for Word of the Year!]

Cole. This is nothing to joke about. Please give a serious response. Are you really having this trouble?

Oops! I thought that sounded jaunty enough that the meaning was clear. Didn't mean to be the least bit dismissive of anyone suffering from the real thing.

No, I'm not having that problem, or at least I hope I'm not. Once you reach your 60's you always wonder, though. My vocabulary seems to shrink daily. Surprisingly, to me at least, I do find that writing every day helps. When I write a lot, I have less problem bringing to mind the words I want to use. When I lay off for a week or so, I'm back to stopping every few minutes trying to remember the exact word that's lurking behind a layer of fog in my mind. But everyone I talk to that has reached my approximate grand age has the same problem.

Thanks for caring, Trab.

C

[Vote for Word of the Year!]

We've had "spaghettini" on our grocery shelves for years. I just looked it up on my favorite dictionary on-line source and it's listed in nine dictionaries. If it passes muster with the Austrailian crowd, it'll be ten!

Incidentally, if anyone is interested, I use OneLook.com as my main word reference. It's great. Not only can you use it to check word definitions, but there are several other features that are hugely useful for a writier, especially one like me who has advanced Alzheimers and raplidly diminishing word recall. This is just a wonderful source.

Cole

[Vote for Word of the Year!]

Graeme:

I went through the entire list of "new" words being considered by the august committee assigned to this task. That took some doing. It was not easy. I applaud the committee for their efforts, while at the same time scoffing at them under my breath. Are they seriously undertaking this endeavor?

I couldn't decide if this was or wasn't a joke, but plowed on, showing great fortitude.

I couldn't, in good conscience, come up with a suitable word in each categroy to vote into any sort of reputable dictionary. Any dictionary that would include most of those words would not be any sort of reference book I'd want to use.

I was left, I'm sorry to say, trying to decide what one word in the entire list to submit as the grossest, most offensive, most politically incorrect and objectionable of all. I'll cast my vote for "Muffin Top."

Cole

[Celebrations Across the Calendar]

Do all the work, huh? You have it cut out for you. I don't envy you. That's heavy lifting, from way down under like that.

C

[Celebrations Across the Calendar]

"I'm rapidly becoming a Cole Parker 'fan'.

Camy "

Awww, shucks! I'm not used to having fans. I don't know how to act!

Thanks for the very kind words.

These stories were lots of fun to write. I hope everyone can enjoy them.

Cole

[Where did the characters go?]

Seems I'm not alone. Others have suffered as well.

I always hated the stupidity of it all. Smart people can work together and make it all happy and efficeint and productive and safe and legal. They can if given a chance. Everyone suffers when that isn't allowed to happen.

Cole

[Where did the characters go?]

Up till yesterday I was deeply and almost terrifyingly depressed in finding a way to write-up my end of year report for my work.

I began the report by resigning.

I would think, by beginning the report with that rather dramatic statement, there would be no need for any additional reportage.

I've been there. It IS terrifying. You seem to be suriving, which is the important thing.

I've often wondered how so many of these toxic people get elevated into positions of power. It's never made much sense to me. I think I'm pretty normal, and I know I do much better work when I'm happy because I'm toiling under someone I respect and like, instead of being depressed and intimidated when I'm cringing under an ogre. I'd guess the vast majority of people are the same. Better quality work from his subordinates means more success for the boss. It is counterproductive for them to be as they so frequently are, yet so many of them are vile, odious creatures. Being as factual as possible, I'd guess 85% of all the bosses I had over the years would qualify between the dial settings of Monster and Terrorist Mind-sucking Sadistic Disemboweler.

One thing I found, however, that always gave me hope: I outlasted almost every one of these Destroyers. The worse they are, the quicker they're replaced, as a general rule. Not always, of course, but I often found upper management wasn't as blind as we alwasy thought they were.

Cole

[Where did the characters go?]

Cole, gee, I feel honoured as I have long since admired your writing and stories. HOW VERY KIND OF YOU. THANKS. IT CAN'T HAVE BEEN THAT LONG, HOWEVER. I'M KINDA NEW TO THIS WHOLE THING MYSELF.

When I first started the story I wrote the first half of the first chapter and the last half of the last chapter in one night/morning. (I'm a night person). The middle was a very clear idea and I knew would take a lot of work. So I thought I should do the right (write) thing and do an outline. So far so good. When I went back to writing the story I felt clearer in my mind as to where it was going, what it wanted to do whilst I was gently steering it. I realised then that I had abandoned a lot of the silly things that had been in the outline. They had changed grown or matured differently to my initial thoughts. I was enjoying this process. The story was as you say finding itself. I once went back to "update" the outline. Definitely over thinking in that one.

I then had some doubts about some similar events and situations I was reading in other stories which made me feel like I was not being as original as I thought.

THAT THINKING WILL GET YOU EVERY TIME. I OFTEN FIND MYSELF MY WORST ENEMY. IT'S SO EASY TO CONVINCE MYSELF WHAT I'M WRITING IS WORSE THAN A LOAD OF CRAP. IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF THINKING THAT WAY, STOP IT! IT'S MORE THAN DESTRUCTIVE, IT'LL JUST TEAR YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT AND STOMP ON YOU. I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF HALF FINISHED STORIES I'VE ABANDONED JUST BECAUSE I'VE STARTED FEELING THAT WAY. THERE ARE FORTY ELEVEN REASONS TO DESPAIR OVER YOUR WRITING. THINKING IT ISN'T ORIGINAL ENOUGH IS NUMBER 16 AND A HALF, I THINK. EVEN IF IT ISN'T ENTIRLY ORIGINAL, AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ANYTHING TO BE ENTIRELY ORIGINAL, WE ALL BEING THE PRODUCTS OF OUR ENVIRONMENTS AND READING, YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR OWN SLANT ON IT, YOU'RE FACING OFF YOUR CHARACTERS' PERSONALITIES AND PROCLIVITIES AGAINST WHATEVER PLOT BACKDROP YOU'VE CHOSEN, AND TO THAT EXTENT, IT'S ORIGINAL.

That didn't help the flow. The changes in direction that this seemed to demand was discouraging.

I am realising many of the problems have crept in from the over thought outline and are incompatible with the spontenaiety. So you have definitely helped with that comment.

I HAVE LEARNED ONE THING VERY WELL FROM THE WRITING I'VE DONE. A WRITER HAS TO WEAR MANY HATS. THAT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM; I PREFER TO THINK OF IT AS A REALLY FUN CHALLENGE. ONE OF THOSE HATS, A VERY LARGE AND COLORFUL ONE, HAS TO BE CALLED YOU 'PROBLEM SOLVING' HAT. EVERY STORY YOU WRITE, YOU'LL FACE PROBLEMS. SOLVING THEM UNIQUELY, INTERESTINGLY, CLEVERLY, CREATIVELY, IS ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES, AND WE ALL FACE IT. YOU'LL BE LUCKY IF YOU'RE EVER ABLE TO WRITE ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T PRESENT ONE OR MORE PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU'VE TACKED 'THE END' ON THE HIND SIDE OF IT. ONE THING I LIKE TO TRY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IS HUMOR. HUMOR CARRIES US A LONG, LONG WAY.

The fact that you have all responded to my post with such empathy really helps overcome my self doubts.

BELIEVE ME, NO ONE HAS MORE SELF DOUBT THAN I DO. YOU HAVE TO IGNORE IT. YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO.

You have given the impetus and the breathing space, I needed. Just knowing that others understand where I find myself is really encouraging. Not that I am going to give up on it, but I did feel like it was giving up on me before you all replied.

IF YOU DO, WE'LL NEVER KNOW HOW GOOD YOU COULD HAVE BECOME. EVEN WORSE, YOU WON'T KNOW, AND WILL ALWAYS WONDER. YOU DON'T WANT TO WISH THAT ON YOURSELF, DO YOU? KEEP GOING. ALL YOU'RE LOSING IS A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, AND YOU SOUND LIKE THE RESTLESS TYPE TO ME ANYWAY.

GOOD LUCK. WE ALL NEED IT.

COLE

Now where is that coffee?

Thank you so much.

[Wibby Fan Club]

Well, Cole Parker, nice guy that he is took a picture of my fan club.

I NEVER SAID THAT! I NEVER CLAIMED I TOOK THAT PICTURE. SOMEONE SENT IT TO ME. HOWEVER, BEING AS SHARP AS I AM<G>, I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED WHAT THOSE CRITTERS WERE OUT THERE LOOKING FOR, AND KNEW I HAD A DUTY TO THIS BOARD TO PASS IT ON.

COLE

[Where did the characters go?]

Hi everyone,

I am wondering how other people cope with what I shall call "marvellously annoying dead-ends" when they suddenly happen in the story. Not so much a writers block as just that the plot seems to be waiting for the character/s to get on with it.

WISH I COULD WRITE IN COLOR, OR A DIFFERENT FONT, OR FIND SOME WAY TO DISTINGUISH THIS OTHER THAN CAPS, BUT WBMS WON'T HELP ME. ANYWAY, THAT'S ANOTHER MATTER. I CAN DO IT THIS WAY. I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN SAY ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP, BUT I CAN SAY THINGS THAT ADDRESS YOUR PROBLEMS.

I know where I want the plot to go, indeed where it has to go dramatically. The start, middle and end are clear but the writing suddenly becomes mediocre and irrelevant. Like patter for the sake of it, which I want to avoid.

PERSONALLY, AND I'M SURE EVERYONE DOES IT DIFFERENTLY, BUT PERSONALLY, WHENEVER I FIGURE OUT A STORY IN DETAIL IN ADVANCE, AND ESPECIALLY IF I OUTLINE IT IN WRITING, I FEEL NO SPONTANEITY AT ALL WHEN I START TO WRITE IT. IT LOSES ALL LIFE, AND BECOMES AS YOU DESCRIBE IT HERE. WHAT I DO ABOUT THIS IS, I DON'T GET IT ALL WORKED OUT IN ADVANCE. I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA WHAT THE STORY IS ABOUT, A FEEL FOR WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO AND HOW IT'LL GET THERE, BUT TO ME, I'VE FOUND THE LIFE OF THE STORY FINDS ITSELF WHILE I WRITE. I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T DO IT THIS WAY. I THINK YOU HAVE TO FIND THE WAY THAT BEST SUITS YOUR OWN STYLE OF WRITING. BUT I WAS TAKEN BY YOUR DESCRIPION OF THE BLAHS YOU FEEL, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH DEAD ON WHAT I FEEL WHEN I'VE COMPLETEY WORKED A STORY OUT IN ADVANCE. IT'S SORT OF LIKE, WHY BOTHER TO WRITE THIS NOW? I GET A HUGE KICK OUT OF WRITING, OUT OF CREATING SOMETHING OUT OF WHILE CLOTH, OUT OF LETTING MY IMAGINATION TAKE FLIGHT. TOO MUCH THINKING BEFORE I GET STARTED KILLS A LOT OF THAT.

Has invention just taken a rest? Do I wait too? Forcing a scene seems to be a direct path to boring the pants off me let alone my potential readers.

TO ME, YOU MAY HAVE OVERTHOUGHT IT. I LIKE TO LET THE CHARACTERS THINK THEIR OWN THOUGHTS, DEVELOP THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES, THEN BRING THOSE PERSONALITIES TO BEAR ON THE SITUATION, WITH BUT A LITTLE SUBTLE GUIDANCE FROM ME. I KNOW THIS ISN'T FOR EVERYONE, BUT IT WORKS FOR ME. AND OF COURSE, I'M THE FINAL ARBITER. IF WHAT THE CHARACTER'S SAY IS PAP, IF THE STORY DOESN'T GO IN A MEANINGUL DIRECTION, I ABORT IT, GO BACK AND ADD DIRECTION. BUT HAVING IT TOO WELL DECIDED DOESN'T WORK FOR ME. ONE MAN'S POISON, AND ALL THAT.

Sometimes I skip to another scene/chapter and bingo that one is working.

Then I when I return to the troublesome text I find I have to alter it, and the flow returns.

The process is slow. I am sure glad I didn't start posting it after chapter one.

Rhetorical question: How the hell do people write serials without being able to go back and correct them?

FOR ME, THAT'S EASY. I DON'T. I NEVER BEGIN POSTING, OR EVEN SUBMITTING, ANY STORY BEFORE IT'S FINISHED. I MARVEL AT THE SKILL OF ALL THE WRITERS OUT THERE THAT CAN SUCCESSFULLY PULL THAT OFF. IT AMAZES ME. EVERY STORY I'VE WRITTEN, BECAUSE OF CHANGES OF DIRECTION NOT ANTICIPATED WHEN I BEGAN, I'VE HAD TO GO BACK AND MAKE ALTERATIONS IN EARLY CHAPTERS TO ACCOMODATE WHAT'S TRANSPIRING IN THE LATER ONES. SUBMITTING CHAPTERS AS I WROTE THEM WOULD COMPLETELY TIE MY HANDS, SO I DON'T DO IT. AND I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE DOES. MAYBE SOMEONE COULD EXPLAIN THAT. IS IT SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU NEED THE MOTIVATION OF AN UPCOMING CHAPTER DEADLINE TO KEEP WRITING?

I had a friend read some of it and he helpfully told me that there could be more in a scene I had written.

He was right, I found a wealth of detail and thrills just from his comment. Now I keep alert for these hidden treasures, but only in review unless the flow is particularly creative.

WHEN YOU'RE HOT, I THINK IT'S BEST TO KEEP GOING. NO ONE HAS EVER SATISFACTORILY EXPLAINED THE CREATIVE PROCESS TO ME, BUT I KNOW, SOME DAYS I CAN WRITE SEVERAL CHAPTERS AND THE WORDS JUST FLOW. SOME DAYS, EVERY WORD HAS TO BE PULLED OUT, AND THE WRITING NEVER SEEMS TO HAVE ANY LIFE WHEN I GO BACK AND READ IT. WHY THAT IS, I HAVE NO IDEA, BUT DO KNOW SOME DAYS IT'S REALLY EASY, AND THE WRITING SPARKLES. YOU CAN FIGHT IT, IF YOU NEED TO, OR YOU CAN JUST WAIT TILL THE WORDS AND IDEAS ARE THERE.

Is this process normal? How does anyone tell when there is nothing more to discover in what is being written? Am I worrying? Needlessly?

ISN'T THAT WHAT WE, AS WRITERS, DO? I WORRY ALL THE TIME. ABOUT MOST EVERYTHING. BUT KNOWING WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH SOMETHING, THAT'S HARD. I WRITE TILL I'VE SAID WHAT I WANTED TO SAY, THEN STOP. THEN, OF COURSE GO BACK AND READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, WITH CONCOMITANT REWRITING. AND WHILE DOING THAT, NEW IDEAS COME, AND YOU NEED DISCIPLINE TO INCLUDE WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED AND OMIT THAT WHICH SHOULDN'T BE. THAT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS OF ALL.

Oh I should mention it is a novel, probably won't be popular and I am doing it because it demands me to write it and I love writing it. At present count there are some 25,000 words across several chapters all arranged for easy access. I am using MS Word Master-doc as it seems to give me better control over the numerous chapters. I looked at some other text based programs for story/book writing but they did not appeal to me, so I don't have a problem with keeping track of it all.

I am probably just thinking aloud here, so don't worry if this seems crazy. If anyone sees anything familiar in these thoughts and has comments or thoughts I would be interested to read them.

I SEE A LOT THAT'S FAMILIAR THERE, WHICH IS WHY I WROTE. WRITING HAS TO BE A PROCESS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER I'VE TRIED. I'VE ONLY DONE IT FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS NOW, BUT IT'S AN INTENSE LEARNING PROCESS. I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER BE REALLY GOOD AT IT, BUT THAT ISN'T REALLY MY OBJECTIVE. MY OBJECTIVE IS TO ENJOY WHAT I'M DOING. I AM CERTAINLY ACCOMPLISHING THAT. I HOPE YOU ARE TOO. YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'VE FOUND SOME FRUSTRATION. I HAVE THAT ALL THE TIME. I'M ALWAYS, ALWAYS FINDING PLACES WHERE I TELL MYESLF, "DAMN, I WISH I WERE A BETTER WRITER SO I COULD DO SUCH AND SUCH." FRUSTRATING. BUT OCCASIONALLY, YOU SOLVE ONE OF THOSE PROBLEMS, YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT'S BEEN BUGGING YOU, AND YOU FEEL GREAT.

KEEP WRITING. EVENTUALLY, IT'LL ALL WORK OUT

COLE

Thanks,

[My effing shirt]

Trab (it's also an anagram for Brat, but we'll ignore that)

Me thinks he's too private, intensely private, for this to be discussed.

I just realized, that's probably why he picked a raccoon as an avatar. The mask! Why didn't I see it earlier? Silly of me.

C

[My effing shirt]

Are you learning trust? For such an intensely private person, it's surprising that you'd reveal you have a shirt.

And to think, I always pictured you bare-chested. Covered with raccooon fur.

Cole

[Recollections]

I haven't tried doing this before, adding useful criticism to a story fragment. I can see it's difficult. Its so easy to find things to be discouraging about, and that isn't only not what I want to do, it's also destructive. So the first thing I want to emphasize is that I see a lot of promise here, and lot of ability, a lot of reason to keep working on this. The things I say below are just my opinions and are meant to help make the story better, and to give you something to think about, not in any way to upset or discourage you.

I would like this story to be less of a ramble. When I read a story, it's more comfortable if there are anchors in it I can hold on to, anchors like where we are, when we're there, who we are. With this story, it sort of moves all over the place, and I'm not sure where I am, or why, or what's important, so I have a discomfort right from the beginning. It's not a huge or unmanageable discomfort, not a reason to stop reading, but it exists, and it's easier to enjoy something if you're not feeling uncomfortable. Part of this feeing that the story is a little out of control is your verb usage. You change tenses a lot, and doing so makes the reader uncertain just where he is, what time frame he's reading in, what came earlier and what later.

I got to wondering about why you'd say "my dad" and follow that up almost immediatey with "my Grandfather." Seniority doesn't change the capitalization.

I like your imagination; all the memory fragments are interesting. You have some good insights and you use emotion well to make your characters compelling. I do have an innate feeling, however, that if the whole were centered a little differently, grounded perhaps, if I had a little better feel while reading it of where we are, how the chonology works, if it didnt just drift around like a helium-filled balloon that had escaped its owner, I could follow it better and have more of a sense of knowing where we were headed, both of which would make reading it more enjoyable.

I think you have great promise here. I also think you need to do a little more work, think about exactly what you want to accomplish and perhaps restructure it somewhat to better achieve that. This of course is must one man's opinion, and your story to do with as you wish. I think it can be great.

Cole

[The Luckiest Summer]

I haven't read the story yet, but have added it to my favorites list and will do so when I have a couple moments. Thanks for the recommendation.

And of course thanks to WBMS for his kind words about my writing. I always heard raccoons are not terribly discriminating in their tastes; I guess this is proof positive.

I'd like to take a moment to talk about the comments herein about the stories posted at the A/Y section of Nifty. I posted one there, When He Was Five. It will supposedly be posted here at AD when Prom has finished its run. This seems a good opportunity to discuss why I wrote it, and why it was posted where it was.

I guess like you guys, I was offended when I read a couple stories in that section. They seemed intent upon taking any blame from any adults having sex with kids. They blamed the kids, or somehow tried to make any sex that occured exculpatory. I don't know what world these writers inhabit, but in this one, sex between an adult and a child almost always results in severe mental and physical anguish for the child, sometimes affecting his entire life. Whatever excuses the writers create, they are disingenuous.

After reading a couple of these, I decided I wanted to write a story, and post it to that section, showing what I felt was the proper relationship between a boy and a man, using the background so common in those stories of where the man was in a position of rescuing the boy, then assuming a postion of caring for him. I didn't have any illusions that such a story would have any effect on those who read in this section and felt the stories there were how the world should work, but it made me feel better to think at least there was such a story there that someone could stumble across.

I was a bit surprised with the reaction my story engendered. I was inundated with mail, every bit of it laudatory. I decided that there were other people that looked at the stories there with the same disgust I felt, and were pleased to see a more realistic depiction of what might, could, perhpas would happen if a small boy were scooped out of harms way by a man.

Cole