guilty - have stayed up late enough to get very little sleep
Have had sex on a vacation with someone you would never be with again.
Sophisticate
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principessa
Over 90 days ago
Straight Female
Canada
Forum
Sophisticate
I have a few pens but all take cartridges. A couple are very expensive and some more ordinary. You can get turquoise ink in cartridges but it is not opalescent like Liz's ink. I probably would make a mess with a pot of ink.
I love writing with a fountain pen. It encourages you to be mindful of your writing. I save the broader nib for something like a special card or note and use a medium nib otherwise. It takes a little getting used to, but is worth the effort.
The looks you get from other people when you pull out and write with a fountain pen are interesting. It invariably brings a lot of questions.
How do you clean them properly?
Do you like filling the ink better than using cartridges?
I love writing with a fountain pen. It encourages you to be mindful of your writing. I save the broader nib for something like a special card or note and use a medium nib otherwise. It takes a little getting used to, but is worth the effort.
The looks you get from other people when you pull out and write with a fountain pen are interesting. It invariably brings a lot of questions.
How do you clean them properly?
Do you like filling the ink better than using cartridges?
Sophisticate
Quote by trndytruck
I wear one that sez..I like coffee and maybe two other people.
That made me laugh. I should have it for grumpy days when I like coffee more than people.
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I have had struggles because of things in my past that I choose not to disclose here, but they were shattering. There have been periods of depression. What I have learned is that I have strength that I was not aware of and that I can overcome almost anything. I decided to put that part of my life away and live my life as richly and with as much joy as I can. I will not give anyone the power to carry on hurting me with a place in my life. I think it was F. Scott Fitzgerald who said that living well is the best revenge.
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A few good looking men and women can be self-absorbed and shallow, but certainly not the majority of them. It may be that their looks have opened doors for them and they have not developed other aspects of themselves. Most of us get past the surface and are interested in people for the content of their minds and hearts, not what they are wrapped in, handsome/pretty or not. I am attracted to intelligence, kindness and humour rather than looks.
I agree with MiaCroft above.
I agree with MiaCroft above.
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I would live either in Provence or Tuscany, close to but not in a larger town to be away from tourist hordes. I would write, read, perhaps learn to paint in watercolours, and learn to cook authentic Mediterranean food. My intention would be to learn to speak French/Italian fluently and live like a local. My other half is an architect so our house would probably be a work in progress renovating an old property.
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Condolences to all. This is horrific and too much like the attack in Paris. What kind of world are we living in?
If you live in the area, please go and donate blood. They need it badly considering all of those who have been shot.
If you live in the area, please go and donate blood. They need it badly considering all of those who have been shot.
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Olivia Coleman was wonderful. I probably saw her in other things but remember her first in "Broadchurch". She gave a stunning performance in that. The US version of it had the same male lead actor but was nowhere near as well done as the UK production, largely because she was not in it. She really was pregnant during the production of "Night Manager".
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Special someone
Friends
Fresh flowers
A real giggle
Unexpected good news
Kindness
Friends
Fresh flowers
A real giggle
Unexpected good news
Kindness
Sophisticate
Woody Harrelson
Tom Cruise
Mel Gibson
Brad Pitt
Jennifer Aniston
Angelina Jolie
Kristen Stewart
and I am old enough that there are a host of young twenties actors that are outside my consciousness of popular culture.
Tom Cruise
Mel Gibson
Brad Pitt
Jennifer Aniston
Angelina Jolie
Kristen Stewart
and I am old enough that there are a host of young twenties actors that are outside my consciousness of popular culture.
Sophisticate
Before my first solo story I wrote a long series of stories with another Lushie. This first effort was called "Stacey's Choice". The idea for the story came to me thinking about being out and about after a long winter. June days are beautiful in my city, lovelier than the humid heat that comes later in the summer. The days are warm and clear, the sky blue, the parks lush and there are flowers on lampposts and lining sidewalk cafes. I also thought about the vibrancy of the south of France and its colours as reflected in its art. The main character was (I hope) an interesting woman who, like me, had many contradictions. She meets someone by chance and the story unfolds.
I was happy with the story then and would not change it now. It was a debut with some expectations as I was a story moderator then and fairly demanding with others'work. I was relieved that it was well received because it is in the "Love Stories" category, not the most popular one here. It was written two years ago and has earned a "Famous Story" badge for exceeding 30,000 views.
I was happy with the story then and would not change it now. It was a debut with some expectations as I was a story moderator then and fairly demanding with others'work. I was relieved that it was well received because it is in the "Love Stories" category, not the most popular one here. It was written two years ago and has earned a "Famous Story" badge for exceeding 30,000 views.
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Quote by Varrick
With her being so obsessed with materialism, and particularly designer goods, it’s making me think of Patrick Bateman. It seems the author is drawing on all sorts of influences, but with some of the negative reviews I’ve read, this seems to be lacking the satirical bite of something like American Psycho.
I think I’ll wait until the paperback comes out. I haven’t read Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels for a few years, and I’ve only read the first of the Millennium trilogy so, at the moment, I think I’d prefer to jump into those before trying this. Even so, it’s one I’ll keep an eye out for.
Had it not been given to me, I would not have bought it. As I said, it is a departure from what I usually read. I was surprised that I did want to find out what happened next and kept reading, but it was strangely compelling.
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Reggie, you never fail to move me. As one who loves words, your writing always delights me. You shine. It is even more admirable because of your humility about your obvious talent, which is flawless whether expressed in prose or poetry.
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Quote by Simmerdownchick
LOL! This might be why the OP has never(?) received an RR..
Why are we still talking about this? (as this post gets buried in the thread as it grows longer and longer.)
That was the subtext of my post. You got it.
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Quote by Dani
*clutches pearls*
A lowly forum moderator such as myself is not worthy to correct the mistakes of someone who gets paid to put pen to paper.
You're so audacious, my goodness.
Ooh, Dani. Just dripping with irony.
Thanks in advance. 
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Could someone please remove the apostrophe from the title of this thread. Glaring spelling mistakes drive me crazy.
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Quote by Dani
I know my opinion won't be worth much as I'm not a story mod, but I'll comment on what I've observed on this as a topic in the forum.
People want RR's. RR=recognition. Although the RR system as it stands is mostly a perk for moderators, it's not viewed that way. You get a badge. You get that blue check mark. It reads as 'my story stands out from the rest', but that's exactly what it means.
From what I've observed, those who want to overhaul the RR system are those who don't have (m)any RR's or other accolades. "I'm being overlooked, so clearly the system is flawed."
I am in no way saying the system is perfect. No system is. But trying to make it more inclusive when it exists to highlight something that stands apart kind of defeats the purpose, no?
A Recommended Read means a site moderator recommends your story to others. They click an option, and it's done. And on to the next story. If the process were less simple, site productivity would take a huge hit. Then we'd see the 'It's been x amount of hours and my story hasn't been approved' threads pop up all over the place.
I suppose a happy medium could be a separate system where members can recommend the stories of their peers. We could just call it something else.
A clear and cogent analysis of the issue, Dani. Thank you.
RRs are by definition choices of the moderators, a matter of personal taste. Writing is not math. There is no correct answer. Choices made are subjective. If you understand that you will understand that moderators should not have to justify their picks. They choose what they think is superior work. You may disagree. You may wonder why no one chooses your work or that of your favourite writer. I am sure that moderators would welcome a PM about a gem of a story that has been overlooked. What they do not need is an attack on their integrity or accusations of being power hungry. There is a team of people doing the work. The person they answer to is Nicola. She would not countenance favouritism in the awarding of RRs, EPs, or anything else.
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Quote by Varrick
Being a fan of Patricia Highsmith, and especially the Ripley novels, seeing your post sent me straight to Amazon. However, the reviews there are pretty scathing. Elsewhere, the majority seem to range from negative to mediocre. With that in mind, I’d be really interested to know what you think of this one.
I did not read "Fifty Shades" but had hoped that this book would be better and am told that it is. That said, there is a kind of fascination watching this character, how she insinuates herself into situations and with people and the violence that ensues. She is completely amoral. A clothes horse. It takes about twenty different designer products for her to shower and dress. We feel she is more in love with things, especially clothes and shoes, than people. People are a means to an end, and sometimes killed for the same reason with no struggle of conscience. Apparently this is the first of a triology. The NY Times described it as a pornographic shopoholic travelogue. Add some art history and murder and you have the story's elements. And yet there is a confounding appeal of a woman taking charge to pursue what she wants despite the bodies left in her wake. This is certainly not what I usually read, but I did. If there is more to this book, I am not hip enough to understand it. This is not serious literature but at least as good a read as all those Grisham, Clancy, and Brown books that people read in the summertime.
This is why I wondered why what others who read the book thought about it.
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Quote by Tricky_Dicky
This is a problem for me. I'm quite observant, and I can't help but notice that most members are remarkably sensitive on this site. I have a story to upload, yet I'm kind of reluctant to upload it on the grounds that people might think it's "sick" or complete "dross".
My story abides to site rules, but it's not your usual, humdrum, run-of -the-mill erotica that you see day in, day out, 99% of the time. I think the erotica genre has became stagnant, and people are losing interest. I'm trying to inject a bit of personality and intrigue into erotica scene.
Let's not forget: "One person's rubbish, is another person's treasure".
I was talking about stories that clearly do not comply with the TOS here, not those that push the envelope away from vanilla. Snuff stories, , and scatology are examples of content not posted on this site. If that is a problem, you are on the wrong site. If you are merely adding personality and intrigue as you say, your work will pass.
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Quote by DarkSide
I have a handful of RRs and I have to say that I am extremely proud of them.
Can there be a policy for moderators that, if asked why a story fails to get an RR, they respond truthfully. For me, that would not hurt my feelings at all. I would start to understand what is required.
As mentioned before, story moderators volunteer their time. There are dozens of stories submitted each day and Lush members have become accustomed to a short turn around time for a response or their story being posted. Your suggestion could conceivably more than double their work if each member asked for an explanation as to why their posted story did not get a "Recommended Read". Surely it is onerous enough that some stories are resubmitted several times and therefore reviewed several times before they can be posted. An RR is the exception, not the rule. Most stories will not be awarded one. You will have to accept that and persevere with your writing not just in technical terms of grammar, punctuation, spelling, but also with your story's plot, depth of characters, description, use of language, and that spark that sets it apart. Continue to edit and polish your work so that it has the quality of RR and EP stories. It will happen then.
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I was a senior story moderator for more than two years and burned out. I think that many of you have no idea of how difficult the work is, even when stories are good. There are stories submitted that seem to be random thoughts poorly spelled with no punctuation at all, just a mass of words. It makes your eyes hurt to try to read that even if you know you will reject it. You have to provide the writer with a list of things to do to improve it. Another thing that we do not talk about much is the number of stories that cannot see the light of day because the content is so far over the line - violence, , sex with underage participants, and/or other noxious elements. You feel like taking a shower or being sick after reading something like that and have to take steps to deal with the person who submitted such dross to the site.
So, finding a story that shines is worthy of an RR if you are a moderator. It stands to reason that those capable of quality writing should continue to receive them, just like someone with a high batting average continues to hit in baseball. The only caveat is an obvious one. Choices are subject to the personal taste of the moderator. That is the world of writing. Not everyone likes everything.
To say that the system is corrupt and subject to cronyism is offensive and an insult to story moderators and the hours of work they do gratis. As Buz said, if you want an RR, submit quality writing, and to do that you have to work at it and learn. This is not like children's sports where you get a trophy for showing up.
So, finding a story that shines is worthy of an RR if you are a moderator. It stands to reason that those capable of quality writing should continue to receive them, just like someone with a high batting average continues to hit in baseball. The only caveat is an obvious one. Choices are subject to the personal taste of the moderator. That is the world of writing. Not everyone likes everything.
To say that the system is corrupt and subject to cronyism is offensive and an insult to story moderators and the hours of work they do gratis. As Buz said, if you want an RR, submit quality writing, and to do that you have to work at it and learn. This is not like children's sports where you get a trophy for showing up.