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

Good afternoon Flame,

I have just read Xantief's 'Stonecutter', as you suggested to me yesterday. It's a beautifully crafted story enhanced by the high quality of his writing.

Having said that; he might not like my making comment of any kind, because he has specified that the piece is not up for review, and therefore has no conversation thread going for that purpose.

By specifying thus, he misses out on one of the key advantages of our sharing society, I feel. This is a great pity.

f.

Good afternoon to you,

Isn't it a gorgeous day?

I think you'll find it's not up for review - as it's not finished. He's currently working on the final part. I expect it will put it up for review when complete.

Are you getting into this new role of yours? I expect you are meeting lots of new people.

Flame

Hi Flame,

Yes, it's a nice day here in Cheshire too, very warm (if you like it that way!) and a little overcast, but no rain up to now.

Aha! I'm glad that Xantief's piece is still 'work in progress', it will be good to read it again on completion.

The new role? Well, I don't honestly know how well I'm performing at this early stage of what is an entirely new ball game to me. Whether I'm doing justice to the job I've been given, or even to myself in that I feel as though I'm not casting my net wide enough throughout h2g2. I've been advised to 'lurk about' in Researcher's Personal Spaces to see what they are currently writing, for something to comment on and to try to 'promote' Entries in some way or other.
(It wasn't said exactly like that, but that's the gist, I think.)

Do you have any advice to impart Flame?

Ron

Actually I sometimes sense that most people are only interested in what goes on in the PR forum. Maybe you can catch a few of them in your net.

I think you're doing a great job. And you can come and lurk in my personal space anytime.

Xantief has produced yet another chapter to his wonderful tale. It's very good reading.

The story I'm working on at the moment seems to be a slow, painful process. It's not that I don't know where I'm going with it, I do. But at the same time I am trying to raise the level of my writing, trying to feel my characters, and add some depth.

I've always read you should write about what you know. I certainly disagree with that. What do you think?

Flame

Well Flame, I have personally found it a lot easier to write about what I know, particularly about myself; hence my autobiographical tendencies in my writing, even if these personal experiences are sometimes creatively interwoven with truly fictional characters and events.

When it comes to writing creatively we subconsciously employ our own experiences and our own psychosocial attitudes (our own 'take' on things) in the analyses of the phenomena in the storyline and their effect on our invented characters, and project them onto these characters, anyway. We essentially impose our own 'take' on the course of events in our stories because that is all we can do, ultimately. We are not omniscient beings. Ultimately, all our knowledge and experience comes to us second-hand, through the conscious and random learning processes we go through in the course of our lives.
Creative writing is far more difficult an art form than 'second-hand' research and the transcription of other's written or spoken material.
In short, UG writing is harder than EG writing!

f. (Now watch the reactions flood in!)

Good evening.
Well there is an art to writing non fiction, researching and gathering material, and then presenting it in a balanced way. Did I ever mention I once helped to research and write a local history book?

When I'm writing fiction I try to imagine what I believe one of my characters might think, say or feel, even though it might be far from my own thoughts or beliefs. Of course ultimately it is my own 'take' of what I believe they might say or think.

Sometimes of course I do impose my real thoughts and beliefs into a story. But which of them is the real thing and which is imagined? Oh what fun!

Flame

Hi Ron,
Hope you had a good weekend. I'm still working on my own story, but Xantief has been writing up a storm. He's put the first couple of chapters up for review. I'm sure he would be pleased to receive some feedback, so chapters 1 & 2 are there if you want to take a look.

Flame

Hi Flame,

Hope you are on top form!

Yes, right, I look forward to reading Xantief's second 'episode', and you know me; he'll get his feedback!
We've been busy this last 4 days, as our eldest and his wife came to stay for 2 days, and then they went into Wales, to LLanrwst in the beautiful Conwy Valley. They are coming back to us on their way home to stay the one night before returning to Potter's Bar. We throughly enjoy seeing them both.
I hope your present story is proving to develop a little easier for you now. An artist has to suffer for her art! Much of the most wonderful music, literature, painting and sculpture has come from 'tortured' minds (and bodies!).
I've also been busy setting-up my new 19" Flat Screen monitor. It's great being able to see a screen without annoying reflections; and the text is larger. It took me some time to get all the settings right; I'm not the technologist, unlike our two lads!
Look forward to talking to you again soon. Let me have your reaction to my comments to Xantief if you wish.

Ron

f.

Good evening,

I read the review you gave to Xantief. It was a wonderful review, but you really do have the touch in this field.

I'm glad to hear you had a great weekend with your family. You strike me as a real family man anyway, your wife made a good choice. And you can tell her I said that, ha. I'm sure she will laugh as much as I am at writing this.

In a way I do suffer when I'm writing my stories, although I expect the struggle is something more about what's going on inside of me. But I think that's more on an unconscious level than something I am actually aware of. I don't believe my writing comes out of an 'ego' place either, (so no need to ever massage mine). I think it comes from somewhere else. But don't ask me where from - 'cos I haven't got a clue!

Are you working on another entry yourself?

Flame

And a Good Evening to you Flame,

Well, in point of fact, I should be spending some time 'polishing' my Entry in Peer Review on the Power of Attorney, but I don't seem to get the time at the moment; with family responsibilities and celebrations and the like! (That's my excuse, anyway!). I should be spending some time thinking about that piece; as to whether I need to add to its content, mainly.
The struggle of the artist IS an internal suffering! It is a 'pain' in the psyche! (Just like I'm a pain in the butt! To use an Americanism).
The artist agonizes about his work: 'Is it up to standard; does it look good or read well; will it be marketable; is his own judgement of it realistic, or a distortion of the truth? All of these questions tend to inhibit his free flowing thought. Many suffer physical ills or are injured or afflicted in some way. Some famous artists have sought to use their physical or mental sorrows as a spur in their quest for fame and fortune, or merely, simply, to become a respected and loved figure. Virginia Woolf springs to mind, as also does Sylvia Plath.

Don't worry Flame; I'm not close enough, nor bold enough to try to massage any portion of you! ha! ha!

Good evening Ron,

I see you've made it to the front page today. Congratulations!

Hi Flame,

Thank you for your encouragement of my efforts.
You are the first to recognize my success of today!
Speak to you tomorrow.


Ron.

Good evening Ron,

It was a very worthy entry, so the congratulations were very easy to express.

Sometimes I think some researchers can get so caught up in their own work, and dare I say it, even in their own self importance - that they fail to notice anything else that goes on around the site. (Yep! I dare!)

Whether you are writing for the EG or the UG, it all basically requires the same thing, hard work and dedication. Sometimes it can feel like nobody notices what you are doing around here. I know I’ve felt like that in the past, and wondered why I’m even bothering. But I have realized that there are a few people who do indeed read my work, and dedicated people like yourself, - who will take the time to review and comment. And I know your own reviews will be thoughtful, and that you will always have something worthy to say. That means a lot to people like me!

So I always keep all of that in the back of my mind. And although we can’t go all over the site congratulating everyone, it’s nice when you see good work from friends. So when it comes to friends I do try and make an effort.

Sometimes I think other people might have read my work, and either have nothing to say or maybe just don’t bother, so therefore you never really know who or who has not read your work. I know because sometimes I'm guilty of that myself. Maybe there should be a counter so you can tell how many researchers have visited your entry. The trouble is, I’d probably get about 20 visits, only to realize 15 of them are my own, where I’ve gone back into it and changed something.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Pauline

And a Good Evening to you too, Flameisgold, my friend, Flame!

Now, that is a really nice gesture from you Pauline; and a lovely name! I feel honoured that you have chosen to reveal your personal name to me. Thank you so much. May I call you by your own name; if only just occasionally?
Pat has just called me to my evening meal, but I shall talk with you later this very evening!

Ron

Much later this evening, it appears, Flame!

We have been watching the infernal 'box' all evening.

The one good thing we did watch though was a videotape of the film shown the other evening on Albert Einstein and his 'E=mc2' story, and the history of each element of his famous formula (except that I do not know how to write the formula with the 'index' correctly from a keyboard; clearly, I'm no Einstein!).
Last night our eldest son and his lovely wife came to stay with us overnight, they had been to the Conwy Valley, LLanrwst, and called on their way home (a bit of a diversion as it happens, but it is always nice to see them both). So we chatted and played CDs well into the night! (yawns!). Oh! and yes, we had a little dwinkie or two as well. Can't blme us can you(?) None of us were going to drive anywhere at that time anyway, so there!
I think a lot of people are away on holiday now, after all it is the mid-season; Midsummer night's madness takes hold of one you know!
So I'm not too disappointed at the dearth of responses to my Front Page appearance; I'm too long in the tooth for such emotions...I..think...

Ron

Good afternoon,
I've heard that Conwy Valley is very beautiful. I'm not too familiar with that part of the world. Sounds like you had a lovely family evening as well. I must say I looked at a bottle of red wine last night, it looked very tempting. But I'm preparing a bedroom to have it plastered out on Saturday. (no more wallpaer) I was busy stripping wallpaper - I was doing quite well too, the electric steamers you can buy these days are brilliant. But just when I was really getting into it one of my friends rang, and you know us women, we can talk for England. So by the time the call had ended it was far too late to continue. Hopefully, I'll motivate myself to finish it later.

I think I might have mentioned I planned to join a creative writing class in September. It's being run by a local guy who has just had a book of short stories published. Anyway, he mailed me a couple of days ago and asked to see some samples of my work. I sent him a couple of short stories. I expect I'll get some feedback - hopefully it will be useful.

Still plodding on with my latest, it's coming together.

Hi

I've just posted the first part of my latest story. Would be really pleased if you would take a look when you have a free moment, and look forward to your comments.

Hi Flame,

Only just got your message. Will certainly take a look sometime today.
Human8471 has made the same request. At the moment I'm preoccupied with installing some new software and hardware. But you two are always my priority when time is free of toil!

Read and speak to you both quite soon.

Keep getting 'Server too busy' messages when I try to enter. Also:
'An unknown error has occurred' keeps showing up on my machine.

Ron

f.

Hi Ron,

I think we are all getting the same messages. Been like it all day. The site has been up and down more times than a blushing bride's nightie.

Hope you get your software installed, and thanks in advance for reading.

Speak soon.

Flame