Welcome New Folks!

Hi, I am new and all excited about reading other people's stories and having other people reading mine. I have been looking for a place like this for a while. Now that the first couple of stories are ready, just let's get started. I definetely pass the peanuts, and the drinks. I am an old-fashioned sort of person, please put the kettle on for me.

thank you Dan or Pedant. No I realised it wasn't picked in a 'nice' way. I am glad you liked it.

Was there a point to your post V V? Most of us here can read and KNOW what Mark wrote! If you're just saying hi it's spelt 'Hi'. Yeah I know, I'm an old grouch. Hey Kath, good to see you know your way home.

Eh? Tastes like shit?

'Yeah I know, I'm an old grouch.' oooooooooo never!!!!!!

I think he means.. you'll love or loathe it, Paul.

hey guys and gals!! Im gladys, just call me gladz if you want to. Im a Filipino, a college stduent taking up Management. Im 19 years of age and on my way to marching. Obviuosly im new here. i got to surf the internet hoping to find a site that best suit my weird qualifications...Im an avid wirter...in my 4 walled room but the problem is nobody knew that one existed. I try to clue in others but its not worth it. I wana expand my enthusiast talent on writing and creativity. hope this is the place for me. gladys [%sig%]

Keep it up Flashy and I'll have you transported to Port Arthur, where you'll be forced to spend your time everyday explaining to exjasperated that he's a sack of crap, until such time that it sinks in.

Hello Elaine and Mike, welcome to the site. Lovely to have so many new people around. I'm reading Steinbeck's Log of the Cortez at the moment, where he is just sailing round the coast of California and it's making me wish to God I lived in California or Mexico. Very jealous, Elaine.

ooooooooooo noooooooooooooooo not that!!!!!!!!!!! He'll never believe me.

LadyButterfly, depending on your age and sexual proclivities, I'll happily bare with you.

Ah.

Send ritashites instead.

fair enough Herbert, you make some reasonable points and I guess it's a case of horses for courses but I get a feeling from your posts on here that you're the kind of person who likes his debate 'al dente' and, regardless of opinion, I believe you'll find yourself stimulated on here more than elsewhere. I was a newbie once too, I'm part of no clique, I just do my thing and stand my ground and believe in what I say and I'd rather be nowhere else.

It's strange to encounter other people's feelings on dialect. Most of my life I have felt a bit embarrassed about it. I suppose that's one reason why I'm exploring it a little in my writing now. It was very peculiar to read aloud a performance piece in a voice I haven't used in many years. Many many years!!! In Newfoundland this voice is regarded as ignorant, "bay whop" is the term for the speaker. In some ways it gives me power to speak this voice aloud, it's a part of acknowledging who I really am. But I'm not sure if it's something that people in the wider audience can relate to. It's extraordinarily difficult to write it in without making it a museum piece, a fragment of another culture, rather than something widely relevant. Maybe it's not possible, not sure. I daresay I will write more of this, even if just for myself! One thought I just had is that if it makes us pity, if it makes us uncomfortable, to read a native voice, then maybe what would be good would be the point of view of a very strong character, someone who commands our respect. Shame I don't have anything like that in my repertoire!! There is one arrogant misfit lurking in there, might have to dust him off again... This has been very helpful, thanks again both B

Missi, Flash, Ely thanks for your posts and must tell you Ely I have still got that poem you wrote to me on my last birthday and don't think I ever told you I liked it so much I transfered it to my small tape recorder and will always keep it also it has been heard by many of my associates who also thought it was especially good when I explained how quickly it was done of the top of your head like that. I will look in but it can only be now and again because for a while now my health hasn't been to good and these days I get tired very quickly this is only an explanation and no response is needed...

Emily, No I haven't read it! I'll have to look it up. Do you adapt writing for screenplay often? That sounds like a logistical nightmare in some ways, and a challenging creative exercise in another way. And are you referring to writing it for, say, a movie, or for a play? Ooh, I can't wait until I have a weekend free to just spend all day reading users' writings on this site! -Elaine.

where in the wild, wild world of sports did you lot come from? great to see all the newbies on here and from such diverse areas. the writing side of this site is on the other forums named, quite aptly in my honest opinion, discuss writing from ABCTales and, discuss Writing from elsewhere... I wanted another added but Tony felt that Discuss your bottom lacked the necessary gravitas for a serious writing website. It's on those forums where your work is more likely to be discused and reviewed and where you can talk about stuff you've read too either here or elsewhere (hence the two separate forums) this forum is for the general chit chat and lively banter of a group of wild eyed roister doisters and their associated dysfunctional personalities so you're very welcome and I sincerely hope you join in and ignore the morons, It's never easy throwing your vioce into the eye of the tornado but it will get heard eventually and you will be respected I'm sure regardless of your views/lack of views as long as you're not abusive or Scottish... err sorry, Scottish is fine. It can get busy here and it can be quiet, it's as lively as we make it so off you go and remember, you're meant to be writers, so write. Ely [who the hell made this bozo spokesperson for the forums all of a sudden and hasn't Tony made all that perfectly clear already]

I think that people should be made to feel uncomfortable in literature sometimes - we all get to comfortable and forget there are millions of unheard voices out there...

Well said, Ely! The reason for the sudden influx of new writers from all over the glove is that the BBC's Click On programme is shown on the worldwide programming. It's wonderful to greet so many new people from all across the globe. I am a great internationalist and believe that we can understand our similarities and differences through our writing. so get reading - and get writing - and a very big welcome.

>>>It's such bad form....but it has lessened greatly since I've done this!<<< No, it has lessened since you toned down your comments in that forum. Jasper, highlight work by all means but please stop suggesting alterations to the author (how can you say it is brilliant then re-write it?) and please stop announcing your interpretation of their work (invariably wrong). Your not understanding internal rhyme shows to me that you are very dense and your subsequent dismissal of its explanation proves my point. Writers, if jasper comments on your poem, be very afraid :-)

Hey Jay! long time no read, how's it going? hope you're well and still turning a few heads as ever, come back to the forums now and again won't you, keep the connection. Ely XXX

Dear Mark, I joined and sent two poems for the Winter Tale Contest but have had no response from you as how I can pay for the fee since I live in America. Please contact me. Barbara

Emily and Fergal, would you like to comment on this? (or anyone else who would like to!) I would appreciate hearing your thoughts http://www.abctales.com/Members/burinsmith/abcset.2005-03-31.2704399016/... I hope I have copied this link correctly. And that it was ok to post this here rather than in the writing forum. Thank you B

Welcome all you new shiny people, this is first and foremost a writing site and if you like reading there is lost of inspiring quality posted off the main pages. It is a good place to test out your work too, see what sort of reactions you get. There are various discussion boards here and this one is the liveliest in terms of the discussions, arguments and general all round craziness. Stick around and you will become fond of it like so many of us... best of all, you can say anything you want, explore any ideas whatsoever, stick your neck out a bit without worrying too much about making a fool of yourself... as you will come to see, many of us are pretty much experts at that. Welcome.

Mississippi, well I'm a lady in my thirties, don't ask if it is upper or lower that is not right to do so. Sexual proclivities...anything goes, I write erotica. Hope it is ok to submit erotica on here if not I do write rambling pieces where I whine about anything and everything. Please bare all.

Technological wizard other half informs me I need brackets! Sorry!

Barbara, You can pay via PayPal - the same as everyone else! Just click on the link. If you want to pay in US dollars then please pay $4 per entry - it's just about the same as £3 - or you can pay in pounds sterling and the bank will do the transaction for you. Whichever you are comfortable with! Best of luck! The Chief Exec.

Errrrrr, I'm new,and not terribly good with IT and appear to have duplicated some work on to the new 100 listing that I had already submitted some time back...I, ahem, was trying to cut and paste the selection to a new folder...this may not be the right thread to ask...but...help! how do I de-list the duplication and how do I cut and paste work from one folder to another. And a heartfelt apology for cluttering up the listing in the first place. L [%sig%]

Hi all, and mark, I have been reading this site for a couple of months but havent posted any of my work yet mainly because I am writing a long story and get caught up with mounds of editing. Anyways I was thinking of putting together some poems and short stories to post coming up so we'll see how i'm doin in a week or so. Keep up the great work ABC tales peoples. CF

hi all can i type a poem ( sorry if there spelling mistakes) here it is : the girl in the fun fair she has no name no one knows her if you stay late at the fair groud you'll see her not catching her face but her pale blue dress as she runs in between the rides. her screams of laughter gives you a chill and makes you shiver, you catch a glimsh at hair blonde hair and you smell her perfume that shes wearing. you hear fun fair music and theres flash backs to your childhood your ina fun fair your vision goes red and you hear screaming and then silence, sinister silence. you drop your drink and run for the exit its locked you shake it it make no use you turn around she's there the girl in the fun fair there s blood dripping from her hands. shes laughing but still coming towards you she has somthing in her hands now she is so near to you you can see her face there blood pouring from her forehead you noteis what is in her hand s a knife you scream. well do u like it? [%sig%]

Damn good points - I do like people who make me think. Perhaps more dialect is the way to go with the story - if this is closer to your true voice. I'm not at all familiar with Newfoundland, but writing should take you to places you've never been.

Better to send Flashy to the Island of Sentosa, just off the coast of Singapore, where he can become a part of the waxworks exhibit representing the Japanese surrender...he can stand utterly motionless trying to get laughs out of the Japanese tourists with his one-liners...I can just hear him now: "Well, it was a bloody stupid waste of time getting that Japanese currency printed wasn't it."

The place to put your stuff, Megan, is on the main site - not here! It will be very welcome there!

Hi, am just joining this group ! Veena

Thanks Ely. I have looked at as much as I could on this site, including comments and conclude that the stimulation available here is only surpassed by the other things on offer.............. It is not for me and there is no further point in trying to analyse me in order to restore harmony. Did not mean to ruffle any feathers but if I did c'est la vie, I guess. I have found two poetry sites that offer what I expected and so we can all be happy in our own little ways. In the end, I felt like having taken a wrong turn, ending up at a car dealer who didn't have a single vehicle that would interest me. Best wishes, H

Emma, I DO believe you have a yen for Flashy.

Hi Veena :) Probably a good site to practice your English - which is probably already better than mine :o) I hope you like it here.

Yes, don't be put off by the arguments...;-)

Or the morons from Austrailia.

Oh, and he could have a label stuck on him that said 'Flash not permitted'... THAT would be more of an affront to the Japanese tourists than the dig about the currency. (Missi - was that a deliberate pun on Yen? - if so, I commend you)

hey everyon.

Now, now. Freedom of speech applies to everyone.

But of course, Emma.

Australia has only one eye in it flash...see? If one do wish to heckle, do do it right old chap.

Sorry old bean, Horsetraillllyer.

My personal opinion (probably backed up by the number of "cherry-picked" items) is that the quality of writing over the last few weeks has been exceptional and the site's at last got over a bad patch when there were a lot of technical hitches and excessive silly abuse flying around, and this is largely due to a number of very good new writers joining in. Not everything that's good is necessarily "cherry-picked" and not everything that's "cherry-picked" attracts comments, so don't be discouraged if you haven't been noticed, it's hard to keep up with the sheer volume of work being posted!

Much better, has a better ring to it!. ....but still not quite with the enthuisiaism it deserves.

Hi! I'm Mike Coombes, I'm a commercial designer, writer, and in between times I work as an editor and staff writer for NFG. I'm also course organiser with this little thing featuring multi-award winning Bruce Holland Rogers and Night Train magazine editor Rusty Barnes - http://www.write-across-europe.com [%sig%]

hi there. my name is Anastasia, I am 28 years old. I found this site doing a search for creative writing sites i could post a questionaire to. But Im a writer myself though not especially productive. i write poetry too but i dont consider myself a talent in poetry like i do writing (if i ever produced more). I seem to be an ideas person more than anything, i never run out of ideas. Just my ideas can get out of hand and grow much larger than the time i have to give to them. I take it one step at a time, but we are talking baby steps, so even though i am talented i am also an amateur. What I try to do in my writing is to find the extra ordinary in the ordinary and vice versa, to get at the real meat of the matter of living in this screwed up universe (or other possible alternatives) so i gravitate towards soft sci fi and occasionally brush past fantasy. Most of my stuff doesnt really fit in anywhere, an awful lot like me. My advice that I have no right to give: 1. Dont be like me. Write more, think less. 2. Never completely listen to what any other writer has to say about writing...granted some tips may help, but the point being theres no one way to skin a story, you have to basically be brave enough to uncover the meat and the bones in your own way, in your own terms (pun intended). Short and sweet: Let the story tell you. Most of the time Im pretty sweet and innocent but occasionally Im obnoxious. You will either get used to it, or i will have to send out flying monkeys to exact revenge. :) have a nice day, whatever time zone you're on.