Forum Comments

Steering people towards this website in a thoughtful way is a good idea, I reckon. Right now, there are 36 users (I don't like that word) and 269 guests, which is about the norm. That would suggest that a lot of people choose to remain in the background for whatever reason, but I would have thought a site as good as this would be a lot more popular, not so much to a wider audience but to writers, poets, debaters and thinkers in general. I've tried other writers' sites but not delved as I have with Abc. Here's accessible, unpretentious and has no alterior motive other than art. I don't know how it keeps going but like any good heart it ticks along well, even if people don't donate as much as they could. It sounds like you've got the bug too. Perhaps if things got too political, though, it might displace a few people from the primary purpose of literature, to read and write, and confuse Abc's priorities, but I for one enjoy the banter and learn from the insight of others. I also enjoy giving my take on the present system of global government because I think it stinks. I mean, there's no point in comparing how poor we are against every other civilised nation if we're all neck-high in debt to insects with offshore accounts..Oops, there I go again; pubby cul de sac nonsense. Maybe to post a daily or weekly favourite of yours from Abc onto other sites for people to look at would go down well, but it may be viewed as indirect publicity, I don't know. Where there's a way there's a will. All the best Richard

Mmmm, very interesting. I always imagine that those who we regard as intellectual saints are, when alone, awful, angry, hateful sods without an ounce of decency in their earthly weight. That the 'owner' of this house was an expert on consumerism brings the message home really well. Call me a dunce, but I couldn't quite grasp the final sentence. Is it that Brian possessive spirit remained and warded away the new owner? Did he trust the narrator because he could detect that person's antipathy towrads consumerism? Oh, have yoiu read Oliver James' book Affluenza? He's nailed it. Another excellent story from the house of Markle. You write as I would like to. Sometimes I get there, other times I'm miles away. If you're in London, try to get to the Abctales evening on Jan 12th. It's on the homepage. Ta for the read, Richard

Another firecracker. A direct hit in between the eyes of love and corruption. Very honest stuff.

Hi Ewan, I went for a painter's job at Westminster Abbey last month but didn't hear back. I keep wondering who got the lift-operative job, though. I reckon it's a she ('quickie, darling?') Insertponcey recommended the same thing- to space out more- which should be a breeze, so I better take heed now. No point in clutching defeat in the jaws of success. Well happy that you found this snippet funny. If I get a laugh from someone, it's job done. Thanks also for your comments on Of Course You Can Meet the Queen. Read it to my daughter's class and they even clapped. This is a brilliant website. Richard

I knew you'd be happy for me, Poncey. You're a good sort.

Prayers are always heard. I like this.

you're a real star, Pia. Maybe distance is a problem but it was good of you to say hello. Keep on truckin', Richard

Hi Owlybynight. My first novel came in at 77000 words. I wrote the majority of it at an ex's villa on Cap d'Antibes in midwinter. Wood fires, red wine and fags kept me company the first week, then I scored some puff in town. After that, the story and I went bonkers. I started getting paranoid and couldn't separate my life/self from the book (set in the future) so I scrabbled back to the girlfriend in London and kept writing there. The problem for me was my memory. I couldn't remember whether I'd said what I wanted to say at different parts of the book and hadn't decided on an ending. I settled for a poor ending without giving it time to settle, although I'm glad I did it. Now, 20 years later, I know how I'd have liked it to end. I'd have mixed in with another novel I started but never completed. It's a heck of a mindfucker, writing a novel. It takes a very trained mind and I always think of James Caan in the film, Misery, when I wonder how it should be done. A hideaway, phone off, constant writing throughout the day and into the night, then sleep, eat a little, and do the same till it's done. Total immersion and no coming up for breath, then the cigar on completion. I wouldn't give length of chapters a thought. Sounds like this may be a self-given block in disguise. Just keep on going till it's done. Don't stop till you've got enough and don't let inconsequential niggles or etiquette drag you into a mopey pit of woe. After you've built the foundations and the build's up, you can edit and polish and tweak. Then let it sit with you for a month, two months, whatever it needs. Other ideas that can be incorporated into the story may float towards you. Listen and ct on them. As for the main body of work, I don't know whether the mind can come and go with such a hefty task. It needs pure attention. I wrote my second novel when I got clean for the first time. It was going guns until I went back on the sauce, then it just dropped off, which was a shame because Pan Micmillan were an inch from giving me a deal. Maybe it went to my head. I look at it as a learning curve. Maybe one day I'll be truly ready but for the time being I'm happy doing shorts, poems and life on its terms. These are just personal thoughts. Hope they help. All the best Richard

Just googled it. It's called The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb, but if you reading it may have even the slightest possibility of diluting this novel in any way, please don't read it! I wish I hadn't mentioned it now. Just keep on writing this please

I've always been the same. I don't think there's a new word for it, but I was always fascinated by Paul Newman's anti-hero films or anything with a trick involved. Trickster. Is that the word? I think anyone with a wild streak identifies with this sort of character. The world would be a dull place without them. I could have done with a half-decent set of brakes but what the hell. We only live the once.

yeah yeah, it wasn't so tough, was it. I read your Birth and enjoyed it alot. Very visual and well written.

I'll keep my ear to the ground for you, Sid. Something amazing is going to happen to you, I'm sure of it. This may sounds weird and religious but that's the last thing it is because I'm not at all religious or weird, but try prayer. If you can get on your knees and ask whatever it is that you feel might be your higher power, I am 100% sure that something very right for you at this time will present itself. It's worked for so many people I know that it's got to be worth a try. Please, give it a go.

A lovely mega-rant of a poem. No wonder they say it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. If I had all this on my plate, I wouldn't stand a chance in hell! Keep 'em coming, Whatsername. Have a read of my latest story, Adam's End? I think you'll like it. It has a similar wretched aroma as this lil beaute.

The bastardisation of intellect has always interested me. When I was 22 or so, quite sure of my own unearthly intellect as a master of LSD(!),I decided to stop reading books, thinking that my mind would be poisoned, swayed away from my own primal instinct. Then I saw Dances with Wolves aged 25 living in Paris and decided never to see another Hollywood in a cinema, but that was a politcal statement. A friend used to hate taking pictures of great moments because he thought that it would weaken the power of the memory of that moment if it was recorded outside of his own brain. Thought evolves with the air we breathe. Each year brings new revelations that may have been pertinent a century ago, so the bastardisation of thought is pretty irrelevant really. The demands of our conscience may well define/guide our intellect and when those demands are not met the costs of its denial can enslave a man without him even knowing it until the day he croaks. I'd much prefer to have three great TV channels than 200 average ones, but that's just how things have panned out. Choice exacts revenge upon us by offering a greater and more constant need for reward, which is good for a free economy in that people are constantly looking for something new to enrich their soapy little lives. It's a convenient vacuum for world govts to watch us get sucked into as a matter of course, and it's called 'the money trick', as Robert Tressell defined it a century ago. All the best Richard Like with channel-surfing, we usually go back to the program that first interested us before we delved into the spectrum of other bullshit on offer.

I'm hungover and I can't work out what you mean. Ta for reading, though.

I'm still guessing as to when this is set and I get the feeling you won't give it away. Great read.

aucous and rebellious, this had me laughing, especially the pleeeeeeeeease bit at the end. Great stuff

I got the tin thing from a book called The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. I was never good at chemistry so I probably meant copper and lead and stuff like that. Anyway, a century ago, various metals, which were poisonous when sucked (or eaten off), were used to make cutlery for poor families who couldn't afford silver etc. They could have eaten with their hands, of course, but there was no tap water to wash off the day's debris. The lesser of two evils. Thanks for clamour. Not quoting anyone in the last two paras. Just trying something out. I'll make it more clear by leaving out the commas. Thanks for reading.

Just as there are many good folk in the world, there are an equal number of not so good folk. I tried my hand at selling contracts for photocopiers back in the eighties and got nowhere, while others did very well indeed. I found it both demoralising and exhausting, plus I was more interested in getting into the receptionist's pants than meeting the head honcho. The capitalist system would rather see ten people scrabbling about doing what one man could do in order to offer 'free market forces' and 'competition'. It employs and empowers some people, but pisses off untold others, one of which is you. It's no great mystery why the marketing explosion coincided with the demise of manufacturing, and so long as the govt can take aimless folk off the dole queue and into 'gainful' employment the marketing mob will always be there. It's not their fault these are the only jobs on offer. I've found a canny way of disassociating myself with the telephonic cold callers. All you have to do is, instead of not answering or ranting facetiously, quietly inform the caller that you would very much appreciate being taken off their database. The fact that they've been treated with respect really works wonders and when asked nicely, they actually do what they say they'll do. The calls stopped instantly. As for the gardening guru, don't expect him to come back at the weekend. Sounds like job (not) done, and maybe your ladylike's learnt a little lesson about judgement of character. He may come back. Who knows? He could just be a tad wanting up top, like your hedges! The main thing is, don't let them get to you. Only you can allow that, and only you can stop it, plus, if truth be known, it's usually a hidden way to vent anger on someone other than loved ones, clients and co-workers. These marketing ghosts are easy targets to disrespect, and it's not their fault they're doing a mindless non-job like 50% of the country's 'workers'. Like everyone, they have to find their way and put bread on the table. Pity is wasted on our less favoured fellow men and women, but forgiveness drives away unwarranted hatred instantly. You know you're much bigger than the man you present to these people. 14 hour days are no way to live, mate, but that's not their fault either. The system only works for those at the top, and to hell with the rest of us. Try out a different approach and it'll stop bothering you.

129 supporters still needed. 93% there and only 7% to go1 Get your cards out for Jennifer and help her to realise the dream we all strive for. It's only £6 for a digital copy. Go on, make not only her day but her life! You could be the next Abcer to get chosen by Unbound, and they're definitely going places, so get on board the writer's revolution and stick two fingers up to the parochial publishing establishment with one click.

Oh, to betray the sickmaking schemes of feminine frolicking; a sure way to lead a very lonely life.

This is right up my street. I'm going to give it a bash. Thanks for letting me know.

Hi Jennifer, Thanks for that. It is hard, and I've got the niggly headache again, but boy is it worth it!

Wow! Thanks. I thought this might be my first commentless piece for ages and then.. Prettyrose appeared. You've really cheered me up but I'd do well to remember what Harry Buschmann said recently; 'writing's not everything'. You're a star all the same. Keep being lovely, Richard

Another very good installment. I couldn't help feeling frustrated that your man could (apparently) only see things in extreme opposites (was he aware or was he not aware of the pain caused? of course he was, otherwise he was insane, no?) but I felt equally frustrated that your mind wouldn't register the situation for what it was, allowing him to go ahead. Ughh. It looks like the cherry pickers have suddenly cottoned on to this important work. Congrats

Come on, this is turning into a very bad joke. Plus, why be nice? Fiction's about alot of things but it's not about cherry-seeking to feel better, and who the fuck are wacko cherry-hunters supposed to be nice to? Is this an ego-trip for someone heavy in the mix? Good idea, bighand, but this isn't about clever trickery (as was certainly the case with copywriting in the eighties, when less really was more). It's just about alot of very bored people seeking merit when they should be concentrating on writing. Oh, and life as well.

Brill as per. is that the end of our intrepid heroes? The devil and the bosses usually get their way. Best Richard

I tried out Writing.com and another one I can't remember the name of. I posted two stories that were very well liked on Abc. Not a dickey-bird, just tacky gift points. Abctales is a proper writing community, and probably the only one in the world.

I know that feeling and I've been to Cricklewood and it doesnt suit me.

Big ditto, LW. I joined about the same time as you and it's one of the best things I've ever done. This site took me from complete obscurity to, well, virtual obscurity, but the big plus has been the sharing of ideas and the common bond we all share as wordsmiths. Its values are very similar to those of AA in many ways, with the journey for sobriety replaced by a commitment to write. How it manages financially is a miracle in itself. Without sobriety and the amazing feedback on this site, there's no way I'd have been able to get my children's book published. Ewan commented favourably to this story ages ago and I knew I was in with a shout, so I just went for it. The Abc reading nights at the Wheatsheaf are a lot of fun and have helped me to come out of my shell. The forums have helped me to put my opinions across in a way that hopefully doesn't tread on toes and the writing here is second to none. A big thank you goes out to Tony, Celticman, Insert and all the other editors who give their time freely in a way that makes other writers' sites look like one-dimensional advertising boards. This is the real thing and long may it stay.

Q1. A wily punter would wait to see which colour had the more money placed on it and then, just before the wheel was set in motion, bet on the other colour with a healthy but not extravagant amount(the table was probably rigged magnetically to take the lion's share). Q2. One gambler, and those who had seen his angle, would have come out on top if he'd got out before everyone cottoned on to his thinking. The others would have lost. Q3. Yes, give it a whirl.

great stuff

You have bundles of great energy, Well-wisher. Hats off to you.

I've always wondered about nature/nurture and put it down as 50/50, unless trauma was heavy in infancy, in which case it's more a nurture thing. I don't know. Life's what we see with our own two eyes. Parallels; habits are made to be broken, just like rules. I may be going to rehab soon. That'll help put an end to parallels..

I know. Most of my stories are quite long. I find it hard to condense, a bit like a stubborn hoarder at odds with a declutter. I'll work on it soon and re-enter it. All I'm doing is putting my shorts on (thinking I've reworked them enough) in the hope that someone in the trade might find them publishable. I know this sounds ambitious but I'm tired of hanging on to them, like a hoarder. I put someone onto abc and he told me about cherrybleeds.com. Have you heard of it? I saw the site. It's not as user-friendly as abc but apparently it's quite well regarded.

Tricky topic. I know precisely what you mean and hold similar views to you regarding this. It seems to be important to guess one's gender and then rip it apart or use it as an excuse to justify obstinacy, though, and that's sad. All in all, women have been given a rough ride over the centuries, but that was when wars needed fighting, coal needed digging and sheer muscle and awful working conditions were a necessary part of the work ethic, which is hardly a place for women, who dealt with the role of child-rearing and home-making as admirably as the men suffered early death form poor work conditions to feed their family. Sadly, now that women are soon to overtake men in the workplace and roles are reversed, fathers continue to be treated like idiots by those who need help, namely the higher earning women with children, but this continued exemption seems to be cemented by unjust, irrational thoughts that any male might well be a potential paedophile or other type of child abuser. Only in nursing has there been an increase in males working. Schools still use women and sexually discriminate men from working. Maternity units always say to expectant fathers that they are welcome any time. In reality, what that means is that thye will suffered between the hours of nine and five. The whole gender-gap going on reminds me of the old saying 'the bullied become the bullies' and I can't see it going any other way, although, in reality, women have always been extremely dominant in the home. Only incidents where men have been the perpetrators of domestic viloence are recorded by the law. Women are at risk of becoming smug in their own conduct, and we are seeing the price of that smugness now. Unfortunately, this will be seen as a sexist jab, which will negate any reasoned discussion in good time. These are just age-old tactics being used against a gender that is all too ready to back down and let the women 'win' the argument. Women are highly intelligent. I just question their maturity on matters such as healthy discussion. They seek to vilify too readily and are at pains to show their emotional side in order to gain the support of neutrals. If women are to be more useful as guardians of the world and not just children, they need to see the picture as it and not how they can manipulate it to their own personal advantage. If you look at army personnel, you will find a huge increase in the number of females now in the forces, but if look at how many are prepared to fight on the front-line, you will find precisely none.

Ta for reading, Celticman.

Oh yes sir. In the words of Mickey J, 'All I want to say is that they don't really care about us'.

Your words make me feel humbled and if I was one for tears I'd be crying now. I really appreciate your encouragement and had only just given up on putting more of gambler born and bred on the site because of lack of feedback, so you've made my mind up for me to carry on with it. Someone I respect a great deal thought it didn't run as well as another set of work I did, and it's true that it may be disjointed and rambles on, but this is the story of my life and the gambling side (the pure bloody shame of it) can often stifle my thoughts. I'm stuck at aged 28, when my heart was stung..Again, thank you so much, Pretty Polly.

Monsters Inc, eat your heart out. If you haven't seen it, there's a ginormous warehouse that houses doors on a conveyer belt (a la YBF) through which the monsters get to scare kids in order to store up the energy of fear through their screams. Cute, huh. This reminded me of a moment I had in a street in Paris. I'd just taken smack and sort of fainted. My face was in a gutter and I couldn't talk, so i just lay there imagining Rothko had poured paint down my visual screen, reds and browns, the entrance to death, or so I thought at the time. This was good. Maybe punctuation needs tidying. Only takes a flash.

That's a great gesture to your child. It's such a buzz putting stories and poems on and could be the perfect springboard for your daughter to dive into the massive pool of words freely available to her. Tell the wee lass that her Mum's certainly got the right idea and that it may well be hereditary. All she has to do is give it a go. Brilliant idea that I would like to suggest to my girls one day.

A daring and brilliantly executed insight into the truly horrific world of self-harm and the appliance of compliance. I once had a girlfriend who'd spoil for a fight, doing almost anything to madden me into hitting her. Always fuelled by alcohol, I left her on the two worst occasions. The next day, she had a black eye, blamed it on me and I walked shamefully with her. So powerful was her delusion that I believed her, that I must have actually swiped at her in self-defence and made contact. Up till recently, this chased me through life in guilt-riddled confusion. Thanks for writing this. It's a brave woman that questions and unravels the intricate and secretive side of the feminine mind. All strength to you.

Glad it took you back, albeit to tougher times, and thanks for reading.

Spot on, Owlybynight. Tom Sharpe, eat your heart. I enjoyed this from start to finish and hope to see more of the same. Yeah, Scum's a great name and Insert's right on the button; there are some commas and apostrophes awry. What a story, though. So visual and believable in a comical way. 100% up my street. This could be my story of the week and it's still only Monday, and I'm reading Frankle next, who I think is excellent. Blighter

Nice. Looking forward to the next installment. Swiss sleeping-pills are the best tonic for long-haul insomnia, but paranoia follows us everywhere, no matter which geographical we choose. We have to take ourselves, after all.

Dear David, I'm flabbergasted by your irrepressible energy and drive. When I approached Railway Children with a view to partnering the Abctales evening at the Wheatsheaf, I had absolutely no idea that its founder was also a great writer. Coincidence is like getting a whisper from a higher power. The reason I hoped your charity would accept the offer of being a part of the Wheatsheaf buzz was simply because I came to believe, many years ago, that runaway children are the most vulnerable people on the planet. What could possibly be worse? Under-age, broke, homeless, usually mangled by defective parenting, in a society that has all but forgotten how to feel, with a government that sweeps them under the carpet with the same curled-lipped disgust as it has for a tramp. I can assure you that my allegiance to your charity is lifelong. My big dream since I was 27 has always been to buy a big old mansion in the country and fill it with runaways. They'd only stay for a month or so, but in that time they'd hopefully see the beauty of nature and the 'other side' of life enough to brighten their outlook for times ahead. Councils responsible for each child will be hounded and held to task until each child is found suitable schooling and accomodation. It's a big dream but when I've got my millions, I'll be calling you!

Bar those who actually deserve to be helped on grounds of human rights, the bill has been corrupted by its flagrant misuse. The only people that benefit on a grand scale are the law profession and guiltless criminals. The Bill of Human Rights needs updating but if it was up to me, I'd scrap it to eradicate needless public spending and open abuse. Like everything else in the deathly capitalist system we live in, the government has allowed private enterprise to destroy the relevance of bills with ultimately decent wishes for its own ends. While lawyers are paid a great deal, they also pay high taxes. As an alternative, each case would be viewed individually (as it is now), by civil servants and other professionals (as it is now). Strict measures to clout criminals who are abusing the system (as it is not the case now) and no case to be taken before court and settled after findings are analysed by those authorised to do so (as it is not the case now, because nobody wants to take responsibility for anything at all) would stop the system being abused. Those who abuse the system the most, unfortunately, are those who are deemed society's most respectable and above the law, namely politicians, the law profession and other eminent tax-dodgers.

you're halfway through so it is quite long- supposed to be a rambling novella type of thing. It's very personal and now I've read through for the first time since writing it, I can safely say it hurts.

Well written, Alylonna. I liked the tempo and the voice; very detectivey. A million miles away from The Aftermath, I hope, and looking forward to the next installment.

A rollocking ride from the farce-master. Like Mr Magoo, but with booze instead of blindness. Your characters always exude frivolity of youth and that's what really did it for me with this old boy. Great stuff Richard