Jump to content

Richard Norway

AD Author
  • Posts

    607
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Richard Norway

  1. Thanks guys. I'm not sure what to say.

    I'm honored by the recognition of my humble work. I know my writing is getting a little better as I continue to write, but I still have a long way to go. I have always covetted Des's appreciation award, but I figured that maybe in a year or two as I got better, I might receive one.

    My dog started yelping at 2:00 AM yesterday morning, so I got up to let him outside before he messed the carpet again. Instead of going back to bed, I decided to check my email.

    OMG. There it was. I couldn't possibly go back to sleep after reading that, so I made a pot of coffee and read Des' post for possibly 100 times.

    Thank you Des and to all of you for taking the time to read Oliver.

  2. I used to say, "Consider the source," when I heard ignorant statements by the "unwashed" and then expected the people that I was tallking to, to get it and think. How unfortunite for me. The religious right has grabbed the stage to such an extent that it is now dividing our country in major proportions. People seem to have lost their capacity to "think," and now rely on others (think Rush Limbaugh) to think for them.

  3. As I grew older, I realized that we didn't control our country, the people who controlled our money did. And, it's unfortunate that the Constitution cannot control the people that control our money. The only way that that can happen is for the situation to enter our legal system. That means that PayPal and Smashwords have to respectively sue the credit card companies for squashing their 1st ammendment rights.

    Scarry indeed! There's a lot at risk for these companies to contemplate such an act. But when you think about it, it could help how "We the people" are viewed by large corporations. But the reality is that it won't happen, because the risk of losing their business may be too high.

  4. I had mentioned a "dialoge" challenge in a post some days ago, but it was rather tongue in cheek. Our stories in the "Coming Out" challenge hadn't even been published yet. I think it might be a good creative exercise, but I haven't even asked Mike about it.

    Okay, let me ask. How many of you Awesomedude authors would be willing to give it a try? And what about the ground rules? Suggestions?

    If enough authors are willing to give a try, I would offer my services to coordinate the effort.

  5. That was wonderful Chris. When I write fiction, I usually put more of the story in dialog than in description. I'm old, but I wasn't born in the 19th century. Writing your story using dialog to move the story along is more difficult.

    Which brings me to a great idea. For the next AD Challange, it should be a scene described entirely in dialog, just as Chris has done. Let's give everyone a chance to try this. The dialog should have all the elements of flash fiction - character development, back story, beginning, middle ,and end, conflict and resolution, etc.

    What does everyone think?

  6. Oh my, oh my, oh my. Last night I had a deep conversation with an English grad student friend who was doing some editing for me on my AD Challenge work. We got into a discussion of the dependence or independence necessary between phrases separated by a semi-colon. Oh my.

    Bi_Janus did it much better.

    Oh My!

  7. I'm kind of late to this conversation, mostly because the tears that have gotten in the way of rational thought.. Blue, I know your passion, and you are not alone. I presented this video to our County (Dona Ana) Unity Coalition to fight bullying in our schools and our whole community. But that was preaching to the choir...they already got it. They understood that it is a growing problem and that it.continues on in the work place because of what these kids are taught. Yes, many people finally get it as they mature and see the laws, but it shouldn't have to go that far.

    Just keep trying. People don't change easily, but with a lot of us out there saying what we believe in, eventually change can happen.

  8. I'm kind of late to this conversation, mostly because the tears that have gotten in the way of rational thought.. Blue, I know your passion, and you are not alone. I presented this video to our County (Dona Ana) Unity Coalition to fight bullying in our schools and our whole community. But that was preaching to the choir...they already got it. Bullying has escalated in our schools and they understood that it is a growing problem and that it.continues on in the work place because of what these kids are taught. Yes, many people finally get it as they mature and see the laws, but it shouldn't have to go that far.

    Just keep trying. People don't change easily, but with a lot of us out there saying what we believe in, eventually change can happen.

    My fear is of the lives lost and of the futures denied,

    Richard

  9. I just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your extrapolation of string theory and it's place to meld quantum physics with relativity. Wonderfully done and very imaginative.

    I'm not sure how many people would have understood it, but your explanations worked for me (an anal engineer).

    Richard

  10. These are a lot of interesting and far reaching thoughts, but...one step at a time. Right now we're still in the honeymoon stage. He's only been with us for 2-1/2 weeks and he's getting to know us and we're getting to know him. He's been through a lot and it's too early to have the "what are your long term goals" talk. He's just trying to get through the day right now. As he starts to feel safe and comfortable with us and is able to open up, then maybe we can approach the subject.

    I'm going to start with reading first...to open up his horizons for him to see what is possible out there. Writing is bearing your sole and that is something that I plan on working on but only when he is ready and feels safe and secure enough to do that.

    It's such an awesome (if not downright frightening) thought that we have the opportunity to change his life around to eventually be somebody.

    Richard

  11. Hi guys and gals,

    As most of you know, David and I are foster parents. We have a new placement that is a young boy that will turn 15 in less than 2 weeks, He loves to read and I want to encourage that in him. I mentioned to him that I do a lot of reading online of free and new fiction. He knew that David and I are a gay couple well before he was placed and is straight. Tonight he asked me if I could give him some sites that he could go to to read in the evening. Well, I told him that I mostly read gay themed fiction and said that I wasn't sure if those are the sites he's looking for. He said, "Ah, not really."

    Do any of you know of any sites that feature appropriate writing for straight teenagers?

    Richard

  12. Most kids lie. It comes naturally, starting when they're five or six, and the ability grows with them. They do what they do, and sometimes it's against the rules they've been given, and when caught, they do what they can to avoid punishment, which often includes lying.

    It comes with the territory.

    And if one is a responsible parent and cares about his kids, he'll check their stories, and let them know he's doing it.

    It isn't mistrust. It's caring about the kids' well being, and acting in a way to assure it.

    C

    I'm a foster parent and most of the kids that I've been involved with have been abused and neglected. Of course they lie, but they lie to 1) get attention that they have lacked, 2) make their lives more normal so they believe that they live in the world of their peers and 3) protect themselves from the abuse of their past. But, the kids that I'm referring to are not the kids of Colin's world. I can't say enough about what great parents he has from looking at the way he has learned and developed.

    And I don't believe that Colin has never lied to his parents. That's just not normal. My parents will never know of some of the stuff that I pulled as a growing teen, not because I can't tell them now, but because I'm too ashamed to admit that I was a stupid kid once.

    Kids, even though we call them kids, are thinking human beings who have their own life and they interpret what is being told and shown to them. They will disagree with their parents on a lot of things, but they may not show it.

    Kids need to know that you trust them, but more importantly, they need to feel safe and loved by you, and that feeling of safety will allow them to open up with honesty

    Richard

×
×
  • Create New...