h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*floating in, in her usual vague, elf-like manner*

I tried to look for a 'greetings sea' conversation, but failed - does this mean I've never started a conversation on your user page?

Anyway, just thought I'd tell you that I subscribed to any new conversations on your user page when joining S.P.A. but I'm growing tired of unsubscribing... how about you just give us a yell next time someone from... from... S.T.A.T.S bothers you, OK?

Hi, Titania!

I will definitely let you know if anyone from STATS decides to come over here and raise trouble. And I don't blame you for getting tired of unsubscribing!

Seems I didn't unsubscribe from the various headquarters!

Anyway, I was wondering if I could ask you to do me favour? Just let me know if you're too busy...

Since this is my first (like I mentioned at the Atelier) attempt to write something completely fictional, I've no idea if it's a bunch of crap, stuffed with clichees and plattitudes - or if people might actually enjoy reading it!

I asked Shazz about writing for the Post, and she said OK, but I want to make sure she didn't say it just to be nice, if you know what I mean...

So if you would find the time to read the first episode and let me know, quite frankly, what you think, I'd really appreciate it!

First episode here: <./>A768495</.>
There's a link to episode 2, but the text is hidden so as not to reveal it to everyone - but if you use the 'test' function to see the GuideML tags, you'll see the text...

oooooooooooooh, okay!

i'll go read it right now!

wow, titania! i like it!

*applause*

can't wait to see it in the Post! i'm impressed!

Really? So then you don't think I should be working more on it?... apart from writing more episodes of course...

How *do* you manage to come up with a new episode every week? I'm worried I'll run out of imagination!

to be quite honest, i don't know! sometimes it's really hard, and i have to force myself to work... i guess it's all a matter of knowing when you just can't make it work and being able to accept that. i have a general idea of where the story is going to go, but i'm a big believer in not overthinking things. the story has already taken on a life of its own, growing far longer than i had originally expected.

i enjoyed your story, T. and granted that EVERYTHING gets better with revisions, i don't see any need to rework anything. the bottom line is this: if YOU are happy with it, then it's perfect.

actually, that's my whole understanding of the Post. it seems to me that it's as much for the writers as it is for the readers. it's a place for us to test the waters of being published in a supportive and positive environment. not to mention that it's a fabulous publication!

I'll give it a go then - thanks for reading it!

...but I bet that some day, when I'm sitting in front of the computer with a head empty of ideas, I might be regretting it...

Actually I amused myself by selecting some fitting pictures from the h2g2 picture library that I might use to illustrate coming episodes, and noticed that more ideas kept popping up with each picture - this picture might be illustrated for this kind of story, and that picture...

I like those little 'teasers' or whatever you call them (the questions) in the Quest - mind if I use them for my Dark Times?

Please, be my guest! If you want to do the red text, use the tag.



How is the writing going?

Thanks!

Up and down - one moment I'm tearing my hair, not knowing what is happening next - and the next moment my mind is so overflowing with ideas that I barely have time to write them down...

...but I think that once I get a new episode started it gets easier - it's the 'getting started' part that I find hardest...

same with me! here i am, trying to get laundry done and a chapter written and packing done and... eesh. too much to do all at once.

*hollow-eyed*8-|

Wanna swap stories?

I can't *believe* I *volunteered* to write a serial for the post!

Come to think of it... we write so differently that I'm not sure it would work - what do you say?

Naaah... just forget I asked - how are you doing, by the way?

hehehehehe, that would be... interesting.

I'm doing all right. a bit swamped with everything, really... i even had to turn in my sub-eds' badge for a while... but it's okay. i'm dealing.

you?

Well, when the days started getting shorter, my hard drives went down faster than expected, so to speak...

...the little energy I had left was spent on the left half of my brain used in everyday w*rk in finance and administration...

...meaning the right half of my brain went into hibernation - the latest episode of Dark Times was the hardest one to write so far - with practically no imagination to support it!

I tried kick-starting it writing a poem - but no... but fortunately the ginseng cure I started 2 weeks ago is finally beginning to have some effect - to judge by the very peculiar, weird and full-of-odd-details dream I had this morning before waking up

I've noticed the effects differ enormously between individuals - so far I've had the chance to compare effects of the same brand with 2 other persons:
- I've found that ginseng helps against mental fatigue, but not physical
- a colleague of mine felt no effect whatsoever
- a friend of hers got hyperactive and had to cut down on the dosis

Odd, isnt it?

wow, sounds fascinating. maybe if i tried some ginseng i wouldn't be so zombie-ish all the time...

think of all the things i could get done!

Slow down a bit, eh? You're not supposed to do even more, but feel brighter while doing all the things you already do!

If you decide to use it, make sure it is a brand with a high percentage of ginseng in it - there is a jungle of brands, and some of them have very little, or low-quality ginseng in them

We have a couple of organizations in Sweden that test this and that and then publish reports on everything from health food to blenders, from flat-irons to cellphones - everything!

It makes quite interesting reading - the most expensive brands aren't always the best ones - they compare prices, quality, user-friendliness, how easy it is to clean, and so on... I guess you have something similar in the US... *drifting off to check for herself, might even find new interesting info in the process*

Hey ho - the trouble is, of course, that there is too *much* information out there...

I think this might be interesting and more or less trustworthy (but you'll have to subscribe to get the full result list):
http://www.consumerlabs.com/results/ginseng.asp

I tried searching the FDA site, but they have a Goggle-powered search engine - I ended up with page after page after page of search results...

oooooooh, shiny....

thanks T! i'll have to have a look into that.

how have you been?

Fine - sort of... ups and downs - busy, busy - but I think you're even busier...

...I noticed your posting over at the Atelier - I hope you'll soon find the time to be more active again!