THE WILD ROVER

Hello sue,

this was sad, I think you were writing about a dog
you once had, hope I got it right, anyway I thought
it was a wonderful tribute and I loved what you
wrote.

Thankyou for sharing.

Jenny.

Hi Jen, you're absolutely right. Actually the dog that we lost was a German Shepherd/Collie 'cross' we had as a rescue dog. But this piece recalls the same emotions we felt for Bonnie. I began to realise there was something wrong because she tired quickly on walks and lagged behind and used to look so sad that she couldn't keep up. However, my sister had a black lab (Boo) and my daughter has one at the moment which I walk whenever she visits us - her name is Banjo.

Many thanks for reading and commenting.

sue

new Sue Dinum
Hi! Sue
Just read, congrats;
on the cherry!
Well written sad, read lost
your beloved dog.Labrador.
Thought look read it,at first,
humming. 'Wild Rover Song'.
From day centre's music pages.
julie x

Thanks very much, Julie, but unfortunately I didn't get a cherry as per usual. Wishful thinking on your part perhaps?

sue

Thanks very much, Julie, but unfortunately I didn't get a cherry as per usual. Wishful thinking on your part perhaps?

sue

You are massively underrated - and I know I'm not the only one on this site who feels that. Just because some of your work has erotica in, doesn't mean you can't write. You damn well can. Shame on you eds.

You are really underrated on this site, and I know I am not just speaking for myself. The eds don't get my poetry either, and it does get me down. In you case, just because you write erotica now and then doesn't mean you can't write. You bloody well can.

That's very generous of you, OTT, and yes it can get you down. I also wonder if it is because I occasionally write erotica that they take a dim view of all of my work, which is very unfair because it represents probably only 25% of my output and I write in many other genres too, so I hope my output is balanced. If ABC view erotica unfavourably then for heaven's sake I wish they'd delete it from their legitimate category listing. Yes, it does get me down, because a site that claims to be friendly has certainly got a biased set of editors. Some people ger cherried virtually every time regardless of the quality of their work. I sympathise with you too. I think the site is really 'clicky' as regards certain people. It's quite soul destroying to feel the bias is against you and I do wish the editors would show more parity across the board.

Once again, thanks very much for your support and comments.

sue

I know exaactly what you mean. Soul destroying is exactly the words I have used in the past. I would have thrown the poetic towel in ages ago if it hadn't have been for a couple of people like Fatboy and Maggyv. I can't work out what I'm doing wrong either. I have only had two poems cherried - the most straightforward stuff. But my poetry often just comes out in a way that not only addresses the personal, but the political.

I'm not bigging up my own poetry, but my last one `I am the Resurrection' was not only a rant against men who had messed with my head, but also anger about the holocaust - and why, how it happened and all that. But it's either too obscure, or is really a crap poem. How do I decide? I've noticed a few people on the site, whose work I really like, don't get many cherries either. It's all very mysterious. I'd like to be a fly on the wall!

Me too - fly on the wall, that is. I will have a read of your 'I am the Resurrection', OTT, sounds good. Perhaps we ought not to worry about cherries, it's all a load red balls anyway. I think I've put about 100 poems on the site and not one of them have been cherrypicked. In fact I have made over 300 submissions and have been cherrypicked 12 times. Must be doing something wrong, but the editors never tell you what - great help. I believe that in the end we will attract our respective audiences and after all, those are the ones that matter.

Best wishes

sue

I hope you're right Sue - for all our sakes. My mental health can't take it much more. I DID get a cherry yesterday for one that takes the piss out of the site, but I spent the longest morning ever - seeing if it would be cherry-picked. As soon as it got a cherry, I started to obsess that hardly anyone had commented, despite a lot of reads. Oh what a tortured web etc etc. Well as long as we give it our best shot...Take Care OTT

I agree with you wholeheartedly, OTT. It's a mystery how one can get so many reads and absolutely no comments. That is the case on almost all of my erotica. Maybe it's a case of people not wanting to be indentified because of reading top shelf stuff. But also there may be another aspect, and this going to sound awfully vain - perhaps it's a kind of envy and they are determined not to comment for reasons only known to themselves. I get very few comments on my work, but the ones I do get I feel are genuine and not just the I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine variety which are just attempts at currying favour. Overall, ABC is a great site, but certain aspects baffle me, and although it claims to be a friendly community, I continue to feel alienated by the attitude of the editors.

It's not all bad though. One of my stories has been chosen to appear in the ABC magazine which has a separate editor and his policy is to pick work that has been overlooked (not cherrypicked) by the other editors. So I'm quite chuffed with that.

By the way, very well done on the cherries, OTT.

Take care yourself, speak soon.

sue