Gee Whillickers

A perfect flash. Everything builds to the ending, yet the ending is completely unexpected. Nice job!

The problem with self-editing is that I already know what I meant, so errors or awkwardness is easy to ignore or gloss over. A set of objective eyes is needed to catch many errors.

Absolutely a wonderful story. Not a teacher, indeed. Heh.

Thanks again guys. I appreciate the kind words.

Okay: Amy closed her eyes and forced herself to relax, to ease the tension in her shoulders, in her jaw, in her fists. The piercing wails just would not cease, and were penetrating directly to her spine, making her thoughts muddled and confused. She couldn't think, couldn't act. She wanted to wail and scream right back at the source of the problem. Amy glanced at the balloon. A perfectly good one, she had thought. She spent good money on it. How was she supposed to know, as she blew it up for her distraught son's third birthday party, that he wanted a plane, not a car balloon.

Hmm, this explains a lot about my writing problems as of late. Apparently my problem is all of the above. Especially number four. I don't think I've ever done number 4.

There are some who believe much of the content of the stories here is somewhat unrealistic. Dramatized for the sake of story telling. Read this. http://www.danoah.com/2012/04/a-teens-brave-response.html

Some of you may know how ridiculously popular Tim Hortons is in Canada. Known everywhere as simply "Timmys" and the go to spot for a reasonable lunch, stale dougnuts and mediocre coffee, the chain appears to be blocking certain GLBT news sites on its free public Wi-Fi. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/07/19/bc-tim-hortons-wifi-dailyxtra-blocked.html I have little doubt that the public backlash will have this problem rectified within the week. Timmys hates bad press.

Congratulations on this! And you're welcome for us lowly commonwealth testing ground (Canada) giving this a successful run through for you!

I wasn't there, and have only limited information about the evidence presented at the trial, so my opinion about what happened that night is uninformed and useless. Since the actions of both of them hinge on those events, I remain silent. However: I strongly disagree with this statement. Racial profiling is, by definition, exactly what that is. He is judging a person he does not know by his race. Now, if he were to react exactly the same way to a stranger of any colour, culture, creed, etc, including those that match his own, then there is no stereotyping. It would appear that is not the case. I may be incorrect on my information however.

Dynasty Young was tired of being bullied and tired of the school administration's response to his and his mom's complaints to, "Stop being so flamboyant and the bullying will stop." So, they sued. Resulting in a cash settlement and some legislation being changed. https://nclrights.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/agreement-reached-in-lawsuit-against-indianapolis-public-schools-for-failing-to-protect-gay-student/

As most of you likely know by now, one of the fatalities in the Boston Marathon bombing was an 8 year old boy. This young lad was standing with his mom and sister at the finish line, waiting to congratulate their father upon his completion of the marathon. His mom and sister are now in critical condition. This youngster lost his life. His name was Martin Richards. This picture is from his school. His teacher says, "Martin was a true, authentic believer of peace."

Yeah, it's from our Goods and Services Tax, shortened to GST, which of course then becomes gouge-and-screw tax. Otherwise known, when at the till, as "Harper's cut."

Like most here, I love the use of language that is appropriate to the time and place of the story. It adds so much to the overall environment of the story, the feel of it. Yes, I have no doubt I've missed a few references that I'm not familiar with, but I think it's usually reasonably obvious when a phrase is being used as a popular reference, and it's usually also fairly easy to figure out or find out what particular meaning and emotional slant is meant by the use of it in that context. The best writers often have a way, when using a catchphrase they think readers may be unfamiliar with, of sneaking in some kind of hint about where it comes from and how it's used, all without interrupting the flow the story. Maybe I'll learn how to do that someday. In any case, keep those references in there! Now, I'm off to Timmy's for a double-double and some poutine. Maybe a jam-buster for afters. It's cold out, so I'd better wear my bunny-hug and toque, eh? Last time, they were out of serviettes, so I had to wipe my hands on my lumber-jacket. Had to scoff a loonie from the dole 'cause a couple of toonies won't muster-up thanks to the gouge-and-screw tax.

:wav:

That's just wonderful!

An excellent story. I first read it on iomfats, and then re-read it once it appeared here. Just as good the second time around.

Very moving video.

Give this a try. Some of them are a real hoot. http://www.mcoorlim.com/random.html I challenge you all to pick one of these and write an actual story around it. An even bigger challenge: pick the third title from your fourth click-through. Write that story. No matter the title.

Like Bruin, I just read this whole wonderful story this evening in one sitting, and my tears haven't quite dried up yet as I type this. An absolutely wonderful story. The setting was so well drawn that I could see every nuance, feel the wind and the rain. The characters so real I'm yet hoping for news on their lives afterwards if I just search well enough. Thank you for writing this. Bravo and well done.

Excellent article from a favorite writer of mine. I emphatically agree. In writing, when I'm feeling the emotions of the characters, when I'm truly reacting to what they're going through, when the words are coming almost unbidden out of my fingertips and I feel more like I'm reading than actually writing as I watch the story unfold on the screen in front of me, even though I know exactly what I'm doing and what's going to happen, that's when I know the writing has meaning. That's when I'm confident I will be able to elicit those same emotions from readers. Incidentally, that's also when writing is most fun. It's odd when you think about it. It's rather self-centered and vain, and a bit embarrassing. But there I sit, chortling gleefully at jokes that I made and feeling ever so proud when my character gets out of a nasty jam. But, somehow that's just how it works.

Welcome to AD, Boy Howdy, and congrats on the story! I knew it would be well liked.

The ones where I wouldn't die or be permanently disfigured when I missed aren't so bad. In my younger days I'd probably been able to be talked into trying them. The others? Nope. Here's one of my favorite adrenaline junkie vids: And, of course, the sequel:

Well at least they made it close after the 2nd unscripted halftime. But, three chances to punch it in from the 5 for the win and they couldn't do it. I was surprised by the safety, but I suppose it worked.