Get it off your chest!

[Niamh]

Weep not for me, Niamh, for I would not have your coutanence cast down or saddened. If I am anything, I am a survivor. The sailor rides out the storm without ever losing his love for the sea. I have been only wounded, and wounds may leave scars, but they heal. I am fortunate that I heal at a faster rate than most.

Many of my stories are completed, five sent to the publisher yesterday. Tis Saint Paddy's Day, and I sit in my green clothing, writing poetry and visiting the few forum threads I keep up with as I heal. In the words of Douglas McArthur: "I shall return!"

Thank you for your kindness.

Pen

Always the poet Pen . Happy to hear about the publishers! hope everything goes well for you and may the luck of the irish be with you on this our patron saints day!

This is a great thread, btw. Rant on everyone!

You know I try hard not to complain, even though I have so many things I can complain about, like not being able to find another job, not being able to pay the rent/bills, having no medical insurance, wondering if and when I'm going to be homeless (I just foresee myself as a homeless wretch wandering the streets writing her insanity on the back of used, empty McDonalds Big-Mac wraps - the kind that are difficult to write on because they're made of wax paper)...

...but I'm not here to complain about those, or that my child flunked Social Studies last interim, or about having no friends and not having had a date / been touched in almost two years, for all of these are common enough to man...

...I'd rather ask the unique question: why do I bother entering writing contests I know I'm going to lose? Firstly, the material I submitted is religiously and politically charged; secondly, stylistically it's poetic/written above the ordinary person's reading level preference; thirdly, it's literature, not pop fiction. Fourthly, it probably really sucks but I'm too close to realize it.

I'm consoling myself with the notion that I consider Online.Literature to be comprised of the most elite thinkers, philosophers, readers and writers (which is why I'm here and have been here for so long) while the competition is being judged by everday man who is a member of the general masses, and prefers steak and potatoes to British beef brisket, especially British beef fed to members of both sexes.

And then I have the second question: why bother writing at all if one has no audience? What is the purpose of writing in a vaccum? Why don't I go to technical school and take up carpentry or something more practical, something that will earn me income, instead of stirring in the imaginary worlds of my own design and trying to unravel them before others (when there are no others?)

Why do I breathe?

Why am I, period?

Rant Off. Thanks for reading.

FHW-WOMB-MB (Future Homeless Woman Writing On McDonalds Big Mac Bags)

I'm sure your work is really good. I suppose these people are probably the same type of people who think Cecilia Ahern is good and think she deserves an award. but yet Mia Gallaghers debut novel Hellfire which was an excellent read is over looked! Do these people even read? oh look i'm starting to rant.

[Countess]

Nicholas Sparks is the devil (I've said this before). The man writes kitschy stuff on a third grade level and has made millions of dollars doing it. Only Lucifer could accomplish so much with so little.

I have to confess I haven't read either author you listed but the second sounds much more interesting than the first. I am really stuck forever in the 18th and 19th centuries - perhaps because I like dead people better than the living (Oh, that was the Lovecraft coming out. (-.

Countess

Trolling the graveyards looking for inspiration in charnal headstones/sepulchres/mausoleum.

[Niamh]

Nicholas Sparks is the devil (I've said this before). The man writes kitschy stuff on a third grade level and has made millions of dollars doing it. Only Lucifer could accomplish so much with so little.

I have to confess I haven't read either author you listed but the second sounds much more interesting than the first. I am really stuck forever in the 18th and 19th centuries - perhaps because I like dead people better than the living (Oh, that was the Lovecraft coming out. (-.

Countess

Trolling the graveyards looking for inspiration in charnal headstones/sepulchres/mausoleum.

Cecilia Aheren and Mia Gallagher are both irish authors. Cecilia is the author of, dare i say it, irish chic-lit and her books are full of cliches, while Mia Gallaghers debut novel Hellfire was about a young fifteen year old girl growing up in innercity Dublin in the 70's and 80's, stuck in a world of gangs, and drug addiction, including her own addiction and downfall. theres a little sub-story based on the hellfire club in the dublin mountains. kind of a childish idol fantasy of what went on. It was very good. Probably the best book i read in 2006 and thats saying something seeing as i read around 100 books last year!

[Schokokeks]

... while Mia Gallaghers debut novel Hellfire was about a young fifteen year old girl growing up in innercity Dublin in the 70's and 80's, stuck in a world of gangs, and drug addiction, including her own addiction and downfall ... Probably the best book i read in 2006 and thats saying something seeing as i read around 100 books last year!

I've just added it to my reading list . I'm keen to read a bit on Dublin and life there, and since you recommend it so heartily... .

[Pendragon]

I have to confess I haven't read either author you listed but the second sounds much more interesting than the first. I am really stuck forever in the 18th and 19th centuries - perhaps because I like dead people better than the living (Oh, that was the Lovecraft coming out. (-.

Countess

Trolling the graveyards looking for inspiration in charnal headstones/sepulchres/mausoleum.

Like Lovecraft do you, m'lady Countess? As it happens I just purchased and finished reading a new book Arkham Tales: Legends of the Haunted City edited by William Jones, published by Chaosism Fiction, a Call of Cthulhu fiction book. Very good. I also finish the first of two volumes on Kolchak the Nightstalker, the one I finished being Chronicles (29 short stories by masters of short fiction) and I have The Casebook (17 new short stories) to go! Both books are from Moonstone, which is publishing a lot of macabre stuff these days. Try it, You might like it!

Pen

[B-Mental]

Like Lovecraft do you, m'lady Countess? As it happens I just purchased and finished reading a new book Arkham Tales: Legends of the Haunted City edited by William Jones, published by Chaosism Fiction, a Call of Cthulhu fiction book. Very good. I also finish the first of two volumes on Kolchak the Nightstalker, the one I finished being Chronicles (29 short stories by masters of short fiction) and I have The Casebook (17 new short stories) to go! Both books are from Moonstone, which is publishing a lot of macabre stuff these days. Try it, You might like it!

Ahh, Kolchak....I loved those Night Stalker TV shows...I think if I were to read them, Darin McGavin's voice would be running through my head. Pendragon, you've moved me to add 2 more to my list of must reads.

[Countess]

Like Lovecraft do you, m'lady Countess? As it happens I just purchased and finished reading a new book Arkham Tales: Legends of the Haunted City edited by William Jones, published by Chaosism Fiction, a Call of Cthulhu fiction book. Very good. I also finish the first of two volumes on Kolchak the Nightstalker, the one I finished being Chronicles (29 short stories by masters of short fiction) and I have The Casebook (17 new short stories) to go! Both books are from Moonstone, which is publishing a lot of macabre stuff these days. Try it, You might like it!

Ooooh, thanks for all the great recommends! Yes, I am in love with Lovecraft's writing. Do you think it's possible to fall in love with writing itself, because I have truly fallen for Wilde's wit and Lovecraft's beautiful, poetic expressionism.

I can actually experience an exhiliration while reading them.

Good luck on your publication, Pendragon, though I doubt you'll need luck when you've got talent.

C

[Countess]

PS: I loved the TV show "Forever Knight" and wish they still had transcripts from Lucian Lacroix' radio show "Nightcrawler". Oh, the philosophy he would weave in such a short period of time - gave me the same haunting feeling as Poe/Lovecraft. Bennett's voice is forever etched in my mind.
C

[Niamh]

I've just added it to my reading list . I'm keen to read a bit on Dublin and life there, and since you recommend it so heartily... .

Oh you should! it takes a bit to get into it as the beginning is kind of a backround story to the character Lucys family(mothers side) who have a touch of the gipst sight in them. There is some fowl language in it but it creates the feel of innercity dubliners, their attitudes and way of life. kind of a hardness to their poverty etc. but its good. would make a very good movie i think.

[Lioness_Heart]

Ok, before I start let me first apologise for the drivel that I'm about to write. In my defense, I am 16 years old, and have far too many hormones rushing around... curse oxytoxin!!!!!!!

right... There's this guy in the year above (he's just under 2 years older than me, because he's one of the oldest in his year, and I was put up a year, so...) the trouble with him being 18 is that he's a lot more experienced than me. But I've fancied him ever since I first met him, and when we were on a school science trip in America in Febuary, we got really close. But still he maintained that he was my FRIEND, nothing more. And the trouble was, I knew that he would make a really bad boyfriend because he flirts with everybody, so he'd probably not be that reliable. And he also had a problem understanding why I said that I want to wait until I'm at least engaged before I sleep with someone. So... I kind of gave up on him, and once we got home, he was acting really strangely around me, and there were all these rumours about him and my friend, so I just thought that I was better off out of it.

In the meantime, this guy in my year asked me out. I said yes, so we went out last week and it went really well, so we've arranged to go out again this Thursday. Now the first guy has decided that it's a good time to tell me that he likes me back, and that he's never felt like this about a girl before etc... so I don't know what to do. It would be really horrible of me to dump the guy I'm going out with, but then again I have really strong feelings for the first guy, even though he really annoys me sometimes. Argh!!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what I should do!!!!

And I'm also annoyed because the school has just announced who's going to be made prefects, and I'm not, even though I've done loads for the school ever since Year 7. Three of my best friends have been made prefects, and I'm really jealous of them. I don't like being jealous of my friends, but it just seems so unfair because I actually want to give something back to the school; my friends just complain about it and skive PE to go off and smoke on the Meadows. I don't do anything like that. I just feel really rejected.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Hey Lioness. I feel your pain about the hormones. I'm 17 myself. And don't worry, we all need some drivel once in a while, and at the very least, our teenage antics will prove amusing for our senior posters (not that you guys are old, just older than us ).

For your guy situation, I was in a similar one last year. Unfortunately, my only advice kinda sucks. My suggestion would be to back away from both of them for a while. Give yourself a chance to organize your feelings a little bit without any obligations to either of them. Once you've had some time away, it might become clear which you should be with if you realize that it's been more difficult being away from one of them more than the other. Does that make sense? Really, what I mean is, you mightt come to miss one more than the other. It might mean letting one or the other down, but you're 16!! You've gotta enjoy yourself, not worry so much. I know, easier said than done, though, right? Good luck!

And about your other matter, I can't help you there because I'm experienceing the same thing. That damn green-eyed monster. All my close friends have been accepted to university. One of my best friends has been accepted to the school I most want to attend, and it kills me because she doesn't even want to go there. I hate feeling jealous of them as well, but it's hard when the rest of my life is riding on this one acceptance and they've got it and don't care about it.

And while we're getting things off our chest...I HATE CALCULUS!!!!

[hockeychick8792]

Sleep issues (insomnia), Boy Issues...
What else is new
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHH

[Niamh]

gurrrrr!!!!! I cannot get sick again! this pain in my throat has got to be an illusion. Its not real.....
this is not fair! why oh why is it always when i'm drawing nearer to holidays? Am i cursed in a way that i'm not allowed to enjoy time off? Must i live on in stress and never again experience relaxation!

[Pendragon]

Pain is the Great Equalizer,
One form or the other,
That form draped in black
With a scythe on its back
Creeps out of the ether...

[Countess]

Lioness Heart, take it FWIW, but I think you'd be doing both yourself and the other guy a disservice if you ended the first relationship for the second, reason being the second guy might be playing with you (the kind of guy who likes to have control; by giving up on him and moving on you've shown he hasn't any control over you) and might leave you completely or leave you cuckolded in the end.
And btw, you're ONLY 17. Why do you have to choose? Can't you sorta date one and the other without committal or seriousness? Just make sure you don't lie to either.
Calculus does suck, and so does dyscalculia.

And being sick also sucks, but so does the monthly cycle. Damn stupid moon.