Hello my dears, thought I'd pop in and see how you all are. 

Big squishy hugs to you all.

Da bear has been looking after BB I see. What a kind and helpful bear he is.

The verifier isn't your enemy, they're not out to crush you or make you feel like crud. They're genuinely interested in  nurturing new talent to achieve their potential. I've had work rejected and it wasn't a pleasant experience but instead of letting it make me quit I reached out to the verifier and asked questions.

Yes some things are a matter of opinion but I found having serious critique helped me improve enormously. If you're finding it hard to find a way through,  then send it to me and I will do my best to help you to tweak it a little.

I'm proud to support and to be a new writer on Lush,  I'm willing to help if you're willing to let me.

I must say I'm starting to get my head round this platform,  yes I'm blonde so I'm slow. Our swinging neighbours are lovely folks but not big chatters,  they know this platform incredibly well though as it's their home base.

Vouch seems to be meant for you've met this person and confirm they're either who they claim to be or are fun to be with. Opinions differ on this one.

The invite options are meant for inviting people to either a physical hook up or a swinging party. Not something I'm going to do but good to know all the same.

I also spotted we now have LS flags to show where we came from. Wonderful solution and it helps the swingers know who we are.

I assume if we catch one of these pesky blighters floating round in chat we do what we used to do to to forum based ones.

I do love potting a few of them on my travels.

Standard process of reporting them to the mod squad for blocking or is there a different one you'd prefer us to use?

Ahem, shame they never made any sequels. Ahem.

As you were.

Good morning my darlings, hope you're all having super fun. I hear talk of flicking going on, if someone mentions beans next to that I'm going to hex them with itchy feet.

I've started making a tiny henge in the back. Right now it looks like a collection of beer cans and whiskey bottles. No they're not trash and you can't use them for target shooting. If you meddle with them the spirit that guards it will haunt you and whisper how much weight you've put on since the lock downs started.

Oooh that made my blood run cold just thinking about it. So be warned.

As for me, I'm going to be working on a new mirror for the ladies, that makes you look like you were 25. Hides the bags under the eyes, the wrinkles and the grey hair. If you look at it just right and say some magic words you will walk out feeling like you're that gorgeous.

I can only do basic glamour so it only effects your perception of yourself,
Alas it doesn't change how others see you.

That's beyond my talents.

Many kisses and big squishy hugs to you all.

I'd suggest finding someone who writes poetry and sending your work to them. Yes they may be brutal but you need that kind of feedback if you're going to improve your skills.

I had a poem rejected for not being right, I hadn't added enough of a sense of loss or pining for something that once was. So I could rework it, send it to blue or put it back in the drawer.

I reworked it and added about 60 extra words and that was enough to make it work much better.

Separate your ego from the work and look at what you're trying to convey. Sometimes we don't pick the right words or don't include enough of them to carry the reader along.

Poetry is much harder than it looks and it feels much more personal,  well at least to this rookie poet it is.

Writing can be hard work, frustrating, painful,  Emotionally exhausting and very difficult to explain to someone who doesn't do it why you do it.

Don't give up,  Keep writing and be prepared to admit,  even if only to yourself, that a piece isn't working out and needs to be put back in the drawer. Sometimes the bones of that work can be recycled and sometimes it's enough to know you reached for the stars and touched a light  bulb instead. Such is life and such is art.

Best advice is don't tell a story, describe emotions and thoughts.

Prose is better for actual plot,  verse is better for conveying how something makes you feel.

I find taking a single moment in time and putting down the bare bones of the situation before showing how that makes me feel. The swirling emotions after an argument,  the joyful burn of being blissfully happy together.

If a piece doesn't work without serious rewrites leave it as it is and make a new piece. It's saved me a whole lot of hassle being able to walk away.

Goodness you have been a chatty bunch.

I'm still learning how to navigate this new version,  so do bear with me if I do something daft.

Missed you all when I was away and will hopefully be back behind the bar next week.

A dryad tells me that Angel has joined Boom in earning Stripes. Well they're  lovely people and it's always good to have more mods now there's a whole lot more places to patrol.

Though I wonder what rooms they cover as there's far too many to cover them all.

Anyhow, kisses and squishy hugs to you all.

Her new look is jaw dropping and she's keeping her pencil busy with wonderful stories.

I'm not an expert but I'd advise thinking about what exactly you want and what you're prepared to trade or offer for that.

Specifically what are you asking your wife to agree to?

Is it just permission to fuck a specific other woman as in have a girlfriend, to semi swing in that both women are aware of the other and know what they're getting in to, a don't ask don't tell about affairs or do you want permission to pick up a stranger in a bar and fuck them?

The more specific you are about what you want and what you're prepared to offer in return the more emotionally honest you're being with your wife.

A friend of mine has a don't ask don't tell policy on affairs. They're both not allowed to do it in the family home or the car and never with someone their other half will meet in public. Get yourself tested,  get them tested and don't spawn a sprog.

Works for them.

If your wife is willing to discuss it,  have something to offer in return. If someone else is going to handle your sexual needs what are you going to give your wife that's above what you give now?

Less jewels and fancy dinners , more emotional care of her. Doing more together things so you're better able to support her emotionally.

For me I'd want to feel you were less angry and resentful,  more loving with me, maybe we go to events together or get dressed up to take in a show. That I'm allowing you to have your physical needs met so you're able to provide me with more love and empathy.

That's just me though.

I would say that if your wife is absolutely against the idea you may have to ask yourself how much deception you're prepared to engage in to get what you want. Some people get a kick out of the the secret nature of it all and others find the deception curdles the pleasure of the deed. They get a burst of release and then the self loathing kicks in and spoils the after glow.

You need to do what's right for you and what you're prepared to essentially live with.

Hope that helps.

Quote by LILLY76

Hi today is 20 years……. I wasn’t there but my life has changed deeply. 

Not fear, never, on the contrary the full knowledge that living every day OUT of fear is the only way to honor them.

Welcome to Rumps bar. James is much better with the introductions than I am. I'm Michelle if you need a drink,  Miss if you need a Domme and Skald if you need a Witch.

This is one of the friendliest places on Lush so don't be afraid to contribute we love to meet new people,  have a laugh together and encourage each other to achieve our goals.

There's a lot of writers in here so there's a lot of shop talk about that. Don't let it over whelm you though,  new writers are very well supported here.

Enjoy your visit to us, do return again and don't be shy. Everyone starts out not sure of how to say hi or if they belong here. Within a week they're already chatting with the regulars and within a month it's like they were always here.

So welcome and don't be shy.

Good morning my dears. I hope you're all doing well. I'm safely home from a gorgeous relaxing break. Will be back behind the bar again next week. I hope you're all feeling a little less stressed and are starting to make the  new Rumps as much of a home from home as the old Rumps.

Since it's a memorial day today please be extra kind to each other, be quicker to forgive than to blame, give hugs not punches and always be patient with each other. There's a lot of stuff going on for us all, the Lush migration, the pandemic, personal issues. We will all get through it and be laughing together all too soon. Let's just help each other through it and forget the times we were not our best.

That could be a really good flash or micro story.

Mine will let me see the chat bar but if I leave the window for any reason I have to reload to get it back. I figure it's a power saving feature kicking in somewhere.

Also desktop mode on a mobile will make the chat bar stay put but it does make the text smaller so YMMV.

Quote by MindsEye

How do I change my flag?  My flag does not match my location

Ahh for now you can't but that's going to be taken care of. The national flag seems to be linked to the Swingers Heaven database but the admins will look after it.

It may have a similar setting to the old chat system that if you make a room, enter it and leave it assumes it's not needed and closes it. If someone else was in the room and you left it kept it open after you left. But not sure on this one as there seems to be a lot of user rooms just floating around.

Well writing by its nature is subjective,  one person's classic is another's tedious tome. There are rules and guidelines the verifiers use to mark your work. If it doesn't fit within the parameters of a category it's going to be sent back for alterations.

The first thing you submit is always the hardest because you don't know the guidelines. Read the response from the verifier,  if you get stuck to contact them. I've found them to be consistently helpful and more than willing to show you their line of thinking. Some things are absolutes and others are personal opinion.

I've found if I can explain my intention with something they always come back with suggestions on how to get the key element I needed in without breaking any guidelines.

It's unfortunate that you're submitting material during a huge site migration so they might be a little less available than they would otherwise be.

Don't take your first rejection to heart ,  every one of us has had at least one rejection usually our first attempt but it doesn't have to be.  Go slow, read through the verifiers notes and rework the text.

In time what they ask for becomes part of how you write and the number of corrections becomes a whole lot smaller.

Do keep at it though,  it's always a good thing to have new faces and new ideas being published.

Jen you're a little Ray of sunshine. Thank you

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

Here we go again - I'm up when I should be asleep - but it doesn't matter as much today cause I don't have to get up so early later.

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by pixie72

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

One LARGE glass of red for you, milady. I'm James, but you can call me, James, and yes, I really am a polar bear – but a nice one. I'm the junior assistant beartender, plus I cook the books (but not the food). Welcome to the New, Improved Rumps! And would you like the 10¢ tour, or just sit and drink deeply and quietly? Welcome, either way!

Hi James and thank you! 

A 10c tour would be greatly appreciated!

Okey-dokey, then. This here is Rumps, the world's greatest bar within these four walls! It is the beating heart of LushLand, and all the finest writers hang out here – now that you're here.

Our peerless, fearless leader is Rumpleforeskin himself, better known as Rumps, or Rump, or Hey You!, or Sir William, or Bill. He normally resides in the broken lounger in the back corner over there, or the dumpster hot tub out back.

CurvyGalore, a.k.a. Madam Curvy, or Her Curviness, is the assistant bartender, and perhaps the only lady present. As well, we have a resident witch, Michelle (twisted_skald), who is the junior assistant bartender, then there's this weird, polar bear that keeps wandering around. That's me. I'm also a junior assistant bartender.

And welcome, Pixie lady! Fly in any time. If you have any questions, ask anyone. If they don't know, ask me. I can always make up an answer for you!

Um James did I hear you right, Junior Assistant Bartender?? I must have been a good girl, I remember being the part time deputy assistant trainee bartender on the third shift. Oh to the lofty heights of Junior Assistant Bartender.

I think that deserves a drink.

Welcome Pixie.

I'm Michelle of you want a drink, Miss if you need a Domme and Skald if you need a Witch. Don't worry about tidying up I have some talented helpers to look after that. Well squirrels or dryads and they do a fabulous job cleaning up the place.

Oh and James forgot to add that there's a Jameson appreciation society that holds very regular meetings here. James and the ever handsome Carl (fuzzy1954) are always willing to discuss, debate and write lyrical odes to the Amber nectar. Do remember to buy your own bottle as being mauled by a polar bear for stealing his Jameson can put a dampner on your evening.

Oh and Kistin has the most amazing menu of exciting treatments. Always book in advance, always pay promptly and she probably won't complain if you give her a kiss on the cheek. You can choose which one.. giggles.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

I just figured out what the little different colored people beside our names stand for. 😊 Yay! Go meeee! And when I go into my profile, a green dot appears right in the middle of my ass. 😳

Kimmi my dear, if we didn't have you in this Den of Vice we'd have to invent you.

You made me smile this morning. So thank you for that.

Pretty much what Donna said. I dated men, thought I might be bi and then found my true identity. Life is a journey.

Congratulation my dear.

Have a wonderful day and get properly spoiled. You more than deserve it.

One of our neighbours informs me that those are regional rooms for swingers to arrange to meet. Explains why we can't use them,  perhaps in time there will be lush versions too.

Well I'm no expert but here's a little advice.

There's 2 different styles of poetry out here, erotic and love poetry.

Erotic poems are purely sexual,  lots of details about physical contact, expressions of desire and well body fluids. It's the more hard core version of poetry.

Love poetry is more about the emotional aspect. The nervous tension of meeting someone early in a relationship, the heady days of a mature relationship or the wistful pain of a relationship that ended.

While erotic poetry celebrates and delights in descriptions of the physical act of love making, love poetry should suggest or hint but not blatantly describe it.

So with that in mind look over your verse.

If its Love make the physical descriptions more vague, and bump up the emotional angle a lot.

If its erotic emotions are nice but bring lots of  bump and grind. I want to smell the sweat,  hear the bed springs protest and soft whispers of affection in each others arms at the end.

For more practical guidance look for Fluttered or Fuzzy1954. Both of them write a lot of poetry in both styles so you can see how an expert does it.

When I write poetry I find it helps to think about a moment. Anything that isn't part of that moment is either chopped or really pared down. Then only put in what conveys the physical or emotional intent of that moment.

Hope that helps.

Quote by WiseGinger

I created a room and now I can't see it. How does it work?

Depends where you opened it. It can be opened as a Global or a Regional room and either Public, Private or Invitational.

Global rooms are found under Global, Regional ones under Regional.

I haven't made a Private or  Invitational room yet.

I know we can't put it in an actual region just the Regional section.

Hope that helps.

Oh you can also search for the room name and it pops right up.

Goddess help me. I must have missed an explosion of rage  in here. Chat is full of people complaining about the changes. Still I figure this is the out of the box version and later ones get extra stuff added. Once we get to learn our way through this new layout we will be singing songs, posting stories and chatting each other up like the old days.

Now this silly Witch needs a pot of rooibos tea, who wants one?

I'm finding it tricky to work out if something is me not knowing how the new system works,  something that isn't there but will be or is a total bug.

It seems I can see regions for UK,  Ireland, New Zealand and what have you but all of them have a 0 with  a line through them. If I click one I get "you need to be a member before you can join".

Now I have a profile and I can access the Regional rooms that aren't in a specific location. I can even open a chatroom in public regional which works.

Anyone else seeing this?