The Writing Thread

[StreetAngel95]

Well, we just started the poetry unit in LA Honors - YAY!

and our homework tonight was to write two free verse, short poems::

what i got::

A melodic enchantment
Fills her soul
As hope, magic
Fill her heart
“Dreams unwind, love’s a state of mind”
The Gypsy Woman sings to her,
And then that simple harmony is all she wants –
a luminescent sparkle in a crystalline night.


AND....


Death, the cruelest of plagues,
a blanket fading into the dawn, for days and days.
I cried alone, a time ago
and of the terror, silent bodies would not know



as i said, they were supposed to be short and sweet. they're not my best, but whatever

[chelluversu]

I try to write something whenever i can..or whenever something pops in my head
I wrote this one yesterday morning at 2am because i was sad mixed with a few other emotions..

My head's above ground
there's rocks all around.
grab one
make it count...
I wont scream
and i wont shout.
just take me out..

[Zombie]

Well done, all of you. It's hard to write, but for those that can, you kinda must. And poetry is such a dying art. Please keep it up!

I write for a living, which doesn't leave as much time for my own creative stuff as I'd like.

I am working on an essay right now about my mother's death that I think is turning out well. I can post it here when it's done, but only if y'all want to read it, since it's not a poem or a song.

[David]

I'm writing a book. I'm the ghostwriter. It's the true story of a woman who was married to a serial rapist. She didn't know this until after their divorce. It's a fascinating story, filled with shocking elements, vengeance, fear, psychopathology, & stupidity.

I hope she & I can get most if not all of the book written by the end of this summer.

[daniellaaarisen]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I am working on an essay right now about my mother's death that I think is turning out well. I can post it here when it's done, but only if y'all want to read it, since it's not a poem or a song.

You better post it.

Originally Posted by David

I'm writing a book. I'm the ghostwriter. It's the true story of a woman who was married to a serial rapist. She didn't know this until after their divorce. It's a fascinating story, filled with shocking elements, vengeance, fear, psychopathology, & stupidity.

I hope she & I can get most if not all of the book written by the end of this summer.

I love how 11,000 posts later, you still pull **** like this out of your sleeve...

[iamnotafraid]

Originally Posted by David

I'm writing a book. It's the true story of a woman who was married to a serial rapist. It's a fascinating story, filled with shocking elements, vengeance, fear, psychopathology, & stupidity.

What about international intrigue, is that in the book?

Don't get too close to this project brother.

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by daniellaaarisen

You better post it.

I may do, I may do. We'll see how feel about it when it's done. I've rewritten it way too many times already, haha.

[SapphireSister]

Feeling kind of sad
But is it all really that bad?
Someone told me to smile more today
I wish the pain would go away
It's hard for me to hide
You can see it in my eyes
My face says it all
I feel so small
Thank God Stevie can make me smile
Tho I haven't seen her live in a while
She'll never leave me or go away
In my heart she'll always stay

Just now made that up...

[David]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

What about international intrigue, is that in the book?

Don't get too close to this project brother.

No seriously!!! I am going to be working on this project. We hope it's a tawdry best-seller!

[Meowi]

I am writing a haunting short story.
It's about this young, workaholic woman who acquires a house from her millionaire father's will. It turns out, that the house was for the young womans mother, whose husband was an unfaithful scammer (the millionaire). Only in the end - she realises that it is the ghost of her mother.

[David]

Originally Posted by Meowi

I am writing a haunting short story.
It's about this young, workaholic woman who acquires a house from her millionaire father's will. It turns out, that the house was for the young womans mother, whose husband was an unfaithful scammer (the millionaire). Only in the end - she realises that it is the ghost of her mother.

That sounds eerie & haunting, like Saki's "The Open Window" or Hoffmann's "The Sandman."

[Zombie]

An Open Letter to All Potential Clients from Hades

Dear Potential Client from Hades,

Hi! I'm Zombie. I am a writer, Internet marketing consultant, sometime web designer and sometime programmer. I have nigh on a decade of experience in doing this, first for an established marketing firm and now as a freelancer. And yes, I do actually make a decent living off of the writing and the consulting, which means that I do, in fact, actually know what I'm doing. After all, that is what people pay me for.

Now, let's you and me have a chat. You have work that needs doing. I know how to do that work. It's a potential match made in heaven just as long as you can avoid turning into the client from Hades. Luckily for you, I am here to tell you how to do just that before we get embroiled in a long struggle that inevitably results in me looking around for something sharp to shove in my ear.

So with that in mind and now that you know a little about what I am, here is a little about what I am NOT:

1.) From India/Russia/any of the various 'stan countries/the Phillipines. I am a native English speaker. When you hire me to write, you get grammatically-correct, high-quality content. Since I am also a marketing consultant, your content will be crafted with that in mind - content that also makes use of SEO and other marketing fundamentals without resorting to keyword stuffing or other stupid Black Hat tricks that get you Google Slapped. That's why they pay me the big bucks - I'm a writer that understands the unique needs of web content and how to make it work for your website.

2.) Free. Yeah, I know. But "freelancer?" I don't think that word means what you apparently think it means.

2.) Super cheap. Yes, I know the "writer" you found on Craigslist that lives in India/Russia/any of the various 'stan countries/the Phillipines only wanted $100 for a 40,000 word ebook on AdSense strategy. Yes, I will redo the work you only paid that guy $100 for, but it's going to cost you MY regular rate. No, I don't care that you think that's unfair because you have to pay for the same work twice, but you're the one that tried to get something good for nearly nothing. If $100 actually bought you quality work, you wouldn't be here talking to me now, would you?

3.) Going to lower my fees for you just because you think I charge too much. If you plan on becoming a regular, we'll talk price breaks later after I've determined that you're actually going to pay the first time around. I don't give a damn if you don't see why you should have to pay me so much for the work because you figure you could do just as good a job on your own if only you weren't so busy all the time. If you're such an expert, then do it yourself. Good luck with that.

4.) Your podiatrist's cousin's 16 year old nephew that took AP English and a semester of Visual Basic in 1997. I don't care if he thinks I'm doing it wrong. I don't care if he has helpful advice, like how the site needs more animated flaming torch .gifs and one of those cute little animated mailboxes with the eyeballs that peek out of the slot for a contact button, y'know, to REALLY make it pop. If he's such an expert, then go hire him instead. PS - Geocities called. They want their fancy-dancy innovations back.

5.) Your dog. I'm a professional. Work will be done by deadline and I will take reasonable suggestions and direction. I will also make reasonable changes for you. I will not, however, jump at your every whim, answer the phone at 4 AM because you got a wild hair up your ass after a night of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and bowling alley revelry, or redo an entire project for no reason without proper additional compensation.

6.) A mind reader. This is your project. You tell me what you want me to do and I will do it exactly as you ask. If what you ask for is completely pants-on-head retarded (and let's face it: it probably is) or just not possible anywhere outside of your imagination, I will make friendly and helpful suggestions, but in the end, I can only work with what you give me. You have to tell me what you want.

7.) An idiot. I learned early on in my illustrious career that when a client says, "Do what you think is best, you're the expert," said client will invariably go bugf*ck crazy over the finished project and proclaim it not at all what he/she really wanted. Oh yeah, clownboat? I seem to remember you telling me to do what I thought was best, because, after all, I am the expert here, right? Riiiiight.

Again, I can (and will) only work with what you give me, so if you want something specific, tell me. If you don't know what you want, GTFO and come back later once you've quit wearing your ass as an attractive and fashion-forward chapeau. Then we'll talk. I promise.

8.) Interested in your awesome business model that's going to take the world by storm on account of it's an awesome business model which clearly means I should be willing to work for free because it's such an awesome business model that will totes make you a TON of money like 18 months from now if you can just get me to put the website up for free NOW and then pay me when you're TOTES making a ton of money from your awesome business model. Oh, and by the by, did you mention it was an awesome business model already, because it TOTES IS AN AWESOME BUSINESS MODEL OMG?

Yes. Yes, you did. And no. No, I won't.

9.) Your pushover mama that will give you 20 bucks for ramen when you blew your entire paycheck on Doritos and hookers (again). You didn't budget enough money for that elaborate brand identity revamp you had me do, even though I gave you a quote up front and you said it was acceptable? And, wait... you want it anyway? Well, you can't have it. Also? You're grounded.

And finally on this little list of Ten Things I Am Not, I am not...

10.) Zeus. Websites are not children that instantly spring full-blown from my forehead. Nor is content. I will work quickly to get your stuff to you by your deadline - sometimes even if it's a short deadline, because I am a great humanitarian like that - but these things do take time. I don't care if you don't think it looks complicated or not. It is and it takes time.

There! I think we're mostly on the same page here.

After all of that, though, you might be wondering, "What's MY role here, then, as the client? What should I be doing in order to make sure my project is completed on time and just the way I want it?"

I am SO glad you asked. It's really simple. Look:

1.) Pay on time.

2.) Don't ask for the sun and the moon when you can only afford Pop Rocks.

3.) Know what you want. I don't expect you to be a genius or know absolutely everything, but you should have a good idea of what you want and be able to express it clearly.

4.) Don't use that awesome jargony jargon you learned at that weekend seminar at the Motel 6 last week on how to become a millionaire on the Interwebs in 5 easy steps. The first time you spout off something about how we need to "make it more Web 2.0!" or "think outside the box!" or "make it go viral!" I am so going to kick you in a punch-fight just as soon as I finish building this here machine that lets me do that through the monitor and/or phone line.

And that brings us to...

5.) Use your words. No, I mean real words that have a real meaning. "Can you make it more wow?" does not mean anything to me. "Can you make it, I dunno, more...ooooo?" doesn't, either.

Whew. I don't know about you, but I certainly feel better. I think we've all learned something here today. Please feel free to contact me to discuss your project!

Unless, y'know, you fail at reading and are planning on pulling any stunts. If this is the case, I will give you a No. 6 for your list of things to do, you special snowflake, you:

6.) STFU.

You're welcome,
Zombie

[BrokenHearted]

^^^ Zombie that is the most hilarious thing I've read in a looooooong time!!

And wow, there's a lot of talented poeple on here






An Innocent

You found me when I was innocent
Things have changed since
You saved me from my innocence
But things have even changed since then

They tell me it is summer now
But it was summer long ago
They tell me to go underground
But I'll be too far below

The sleek concrete streets
The heat beneath my feet
And the young need to run
While I reclude the love
That I thought I'd never have again
That I never thought I'd have again

They say that it is over now
They say that we're not strong
But over time I've found
That they are always wrong

And when I call you,
Would you come for me
And when I call you,
Would you come to me
And when I call you,
Would you believe

You found me
When I was innocent
Things have changed since then...
Things have changed since then...

The sleek concrete streets
The heat beneath my feet
And the young need to run
While I reclude the love
That I thought I'd never have again
That I never thought I'd have again

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by BrokenHearted

^^^ Zombie that is the most hilarious thing I've read in a looooooong time!!

First, lovely poem. You have a great sense of rhythm.

Also, thank you. Oh, the stories I could tell about the dumb crap clients have tried to pull on me.

I'm also thinking about making this video required watching before any potential client even THINKS about emailing me about a job:



I have heard - word for freaking word - each and every one of those lines. The mind boggles.

There's also a lot of fun stuff here: http://clientsfromhell.tumblr.com/

[Meowi]

Originally Posted by David

That sounds eerie & haunting, like Saki's "The Open Window" or Hoffmann's "The Sandman."

Well as a kid I wrote Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but now that I am getting older - I have been writing more physcological themed stories.

Here it is, in a very raw, unedited version:

The Previous Owner

Vermont, New York State -1977

Mindy looked out the frost covered window, her hand pressing against the glass. She was a lonely soul, living in a world that was far too fast to yield friends or love. At least she had a new home, a home of somewhat grand character. It was a classic country home, one that was built for laughter and love. But there was to be no laughter or love in the ‘Big Blue House on the Hill’ for she was a woman of spitefulness.
The blue house was the latest acquisition from her father’s death. It seemed like a perfectly normal house, which was situated on a huge hill covered in fine maple trees.
Mindy’s brown hair and dark brown eyes could tell many a story, and it was these stories of sadness that molded the young woman’s entirety. She seemed so very bitter, but she only a woman of young age. You could it through her stressed smile, or her daunting presence. Mindy never had a childhood, to any extent. She was a pawn in an endless world of typewriters and cold coffee. Her father, the towering businessman - was lost in a world of mistresses and scams. There was no time for a little girl, or even a wife. Mindy’s mother was long gone, and so Mindy brought herself up – in a very cruel world. There was no kiss goodnight, no home cooked meal.
At the window sill, she looked at the children playing. As she looked on to what she never hand she felt a chill inside the house. The chill tingled down her spine, aching slightly.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” She asked in an autonomous voice.
All that replied was the nectar of pure, virgin silence. However, it was a silence of cold fear – a symptom created by unknown factors.
After cursing and cussing the children wordlessly, she left and turned around. There was nothing, only boxed furniture - in an old musty room. Mindy was sure there was someone inside the house, or at least a presence.
“Do you still love me too?” cried a soft, somber sound. She cried in such a sad tone, in such a poignant mood.
Mindy faced silence again, who was in the house?
“Frightened Mindy?” the sweet voice asked. “What fears do you harbor?”
Mindy picked up the crowbar, from a pile of boxes. However, this was no robbery - or even a crime at all. In fact, Mindy hadn’t realized there was actually no intruder at all. But she was wrong.
“I’ve got the Sheriff on my telephone, intruder” shrieked Mindy.
There was no reply, nothing. In fright Mindy ran up creaky, wooden stairs in haste. Could it have been a phantom? That could not be possible; Mindy was a woman of knowledge and logic. There was no room for phobias or fear in her childhood.
Mindy was sure it was gone, and ran into an idle bedroom. She shut the door tight, and collapsed in fright and exhaustion. It was the damn kids!, Mindy thought to herself. She swiftly let go of the knob and turned around to find a woman sitting in a chair. She sat so quietly, her hair so perfect – a mirror image of something Mindy could not put her finger on. She was so beautiful though, but it was not the beauty of a siren – but something so different.
“You never came, not once to visit me” she swiftly with the wind, winding wildly out of her mouth.
Mindy stared at the woman in confusion.
“Visit you?” Mindy said out clear uncertainty. “Who are you?”
The woman stood up, prancing around the room in such a strange way. Was the woman a dancer?
“Oh, Mindy how I wished I could’ve have danced with you!” said the woman, her magical brunette hair curdling as she took another step.
“Who are you?” asked Mindy – certainly now it was no prank, but something of a supernatural event.
“I am the previous owner of the property” answered the woman. “Where else would I have gone, this was my place”
Mindy stared right back at the dancing ghost, “I still love you Ma”
FIN