Three New Shorts (PJ LYON)

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i can completely understand your discouragement, but i really think it's a shame that you should let it stop you. i've given up things i loved for lack of time and regretted it, but i do understand that. but giving up something you love because the world is populated by philistines is no good reason. please keep writing, even if it's not as much as before (for time...).

I'm not particularly sad about my decision. I'll have written everything I think I'm capable of by the end of this year, and that's going to be quite a lot (inclusive of everything I have still waiting to be edited). The writing is on the wall, pardon the pun, for the whole industry. It's going to be more and more of the same, sequels, serial killers and vampires with a heart, jingoistic quasi-military pablum and rehashed romance. I'm even finding myself reading less and less lately because there's less and less that interests me being published either in the mainstream or outside. Every so often you find something beautiful, something that doesn't repeat everything you've ever heard before, and then you realise its a fluke, not the norm.

I'm rambling, in any case I'll have accomplished everything I set out to do come New Year's. I can relax knowing that my ambition of touching a few people with what I wrote, came true. That's enough

[Verencat]

Originally Posted by Moe The Cat

If you continue to write, Verencat will give you the keys to the mods' hover-car ... right, Verencat?

Hover-car, jet boots, keys to my home, whatever, take it, it's yours to keep! Just don't stop writing!!
But I don't want to pressure you nor be harassing...

But don't stop writing because of main stream crap!

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I'm not particularly sad about my decision. I'll have written everything I think I'm capable of by the end of this year, and that's going to be quite a lot (inclusive of everything I have still waiting to be edited). The writing is on the wall, pardon the pun, for the whole industry. It's going to be more and more of the same, sequels, serial killers and vampires with a heart, jingoistic quasi-military pablum and rehashed romance. I'm even finding myself reading less and less lately because there's less and less that interests me being published either in the mainstream or outside. Every so often you find something beautiful, something that doesn't repeat everything you've ever heard before, and then you realise its a fluke, not the norm.

I'm rambling, in any case I'll have accomplished everything I set out to do come New Year's. I can relax knowing that my ambition of touching a few people with what I wrote, came true. That's enough

i really do understand what you mean, but 1. that's the beauty of feedbooks : you don't have to write sequals, serial killers and vampires with a heart (etc.) to be read there. 2. you can't know you'll have nothing left to say ; from what i know of you, that will never be true. just don't stop because you decided you should, when a new story comes into your head.

you have touched more than a few people with what you wrote, and i think we all will be grateful to you for that forever. but just because the industry is going down a road you don't want to follow (and i support you in that) doesn't mean you should let that dictate whether you write or not.

like verencat said, i don't want to pressure you (well... actually, i kind of do... but i'm trying to keep it in check ) but at the least don't close the door completely. just... write if you have something to say, and don't force yourself if for a time you don't, but don't make it into a question of principle. please ?

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Time, mainly, and of course Dan Brown. I always believed that writing was the noble art of communication, much more than just entertainment, more than something to pass time or deaden the nerves against our realities. But I fear that I'm in the minority with that belief when writers such as Dan Brown exist in the eco-system, so I'm not going to waste mine, or anybody else's time with my stories (apart from those who want to read them in the interim).

I really wish I hadn't seen that women, laden with Dan Brown novels in the book shop now. I'm so easily influenced by everything

Let it influence you the other way then! Prove that not everyone is writing opium for the masses, to borrow a phrase You're certainly not wasting anyone else's time by putting good stories out to read (only you can decide if you're wasting your own time)

Some people will always want something to take their mind off the day to day realities. But some people want more. And maybe, just maybe, one of the people buying Dan Brown will be tempted to read something a little harder and more esoteric such as Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum. Or go on to research some of the mangled background to his books (no, I'm not a fan. Yes, I have read some of his books.).

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Let it influence you the other way then! Prove that not everyone is writing opium for the masses, to borrow a phrase You're certainly not wasting anyone else's time by putting good stories out to read (only you can decide if you're wasting your own time)

yes !!!

[Moe The Cat]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

... I'll have accomplished everything I set out to do come New Year's. I can relax knowing that my ambition of touching a few people with what I wrote, came true. That's enough

It sounds like your mind is made up, so I guess we'll all have to learn to live with it. So, we'll look forward to the remaining stories and enjoy them while we may.

But, you'll still be around MR, right? Maybe posting links to your techno music or pics of your latest weaved basket.

And, like Zelda says, if, after New Year's, an idea pops into your head, maybe you'll give it one more go. We'd all appreciate it.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moe The Cat

It sounds like your mind is made up, so I guess we'll all have to learn to live with it. So, we'll look forward to the remaining stories and enjoy them while we may.

But, you'll still be around MR, right? Maybe posting links to your techno music or pics of your latest weaved basket.

And, like Zelda says, if, after New Year's, an idea pops into your head, maybe you'll give it one more go. We'd all appreciate it.

moe is doing a much better job than i am of not pressuring you. i do agree with him, i just have much more trouble remaining calm.

but yes, please do share the fruits of your basket-weaving labours (or whatever) with us. i am sure those will be some crazy baskets. and just to make me happy, at least say you'll keep your mind open for new stories, even if you don't necessarily seek them out...

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i really do understand what you mean, but 1. that's the beauty of feedbooks : you don't have to write sequals, serial killers and vampires with a heart (etc.) to be read there. 2. you can't know you'll have nothing left to say ; from what i know of you, that will never be true. just don't stop because you decided you should, when a new story comes into your head.

you have touched more than a few people with what you wrote, and i think we all will be grateful to you for that forever. but just because the industry is going down a road you don't want to follow (and i support you in that) doesn't mean you should let that dictate whether you write or not.

like verencat said, i don't want to pressure you (well... actually, i kind of do... but i'm trying to keep it in check ) but at the least don't close the door completely. just... write if you have something to say, and don't force yourself if for a time you don't, but don't make it into a question of principle. please ?

I can't not act on principle, it's impossible for me (as I suspect it would be for you too) Never fear I still want to do Atlas Hugged and The Wish of Music before the end of this year, which should be a hell of a lot of fun for everyone . And I still have The Song of Insects / Mortgage of Ghosts / The Murder of Shadows to come as novels, plus about two hundred other shorts. When I do stop I'll have written a fair bit of fiction, so I can be happy with that. But life must move on, there must be times when you make a decision and stick by it.

I've made the decision to stop and must stick by that decision. I'm not sure I can sum up how I feel at the moment over all this, only, maybe the Marx Brothers quote comes close:

I wouldn't want to be part of any kind of club that would have someone like me as a member

even that isn't really what I'm thinking. Up until this point in my life I always imagined my future sat in front of keyboard writing stories, but that's a future I just don't see any more. I think it will be the same for a lot of writers, published and unpublished as we transition over to digital. Self-culling I think it's called

[Moe The Cat]

(Psst! Guys! We've got six months to show Moejoe how much we appreciate his stories and maybe change his mind!)

What? Me? No, I didn't say anything ...

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Moe The Cat

(Psst! Guys! We've got six months to show Moejoe how much we appreciate his stories and maybe change his mind!)

What? Me? No, I didn't say anything ...

Here is a macrami owl (I'll make this first). Now isn't this much better than stories?

[Moe The Cat]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Never fear I still want to do Atlas Hugged and The Wish of Music before the end of this year, which should be a hell of a lot of fun for everyone . And I still have The Song of Insects / Mortgage of Ghosts / The Murder of Shadows to come as novels, plus about two hundred other shorts.

Three novels and two hundred shorts! That'll keep us busy for a while. Looking forward to them.

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I wouldn't want to be part of any kind of club that would have someone like me as a member.

Woody Allen also used this in Annie Hall. Note that he's still making movies ... hint, hint ...

[Moe The Cat]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Here is a macrami owl (I'll make this first). Now isn't this much better than stories?

Where do we go to download your macramé owl? Can you send it to me as an attachment? Will it be available in epub?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I can't not act on principle, it's impossible for me (as I suspect it would be for you too) Never fear I still want to do Atlas Hugged and The Wish of Music before the end of this year, which should be a hell of a lot of fun for everyone . And I still have The Song of Insects / Mortgage of Ghosts / The Murder of Shadows to come as novels, plus about two hundred other shorts.

you know we'll all hold you to that. and you don't have to act on a principle which doesn't exist, that's all i'm saying.

When I do stop I'll have written a fair bit of fiction, so I can be happy with that. But life must move on, there must be times when you make a decision and stick by it.

I've made the decision to stop and must stick by that decision. I'm not sure I can sum up how I feel at the moment over all this, only, maybe the Marx Brothers quote comes close:

I wouldn't want to be part of any kind of club that would have someone like me as a member

so be the romantic loner.

even that isn't really what I'm thinking. Up until this point in my life I always imagined my future sat in front of keyboard writing stories, but that's a future I just don't see any more. I think it will be the same for a lot of writers, published and unpublished as we transition over to digital. Self-culling I think it's called

except usually the culling is supposed to remove the *weakest* elements...

but, i won't argue (much more) about it, i don't want to drive you crazy.

Originally Posted by Moe The Cat

(Psst! Guys! We've got six months to show Moejoe how much we appreciate his stories and maybe change his mind!)

What? Me? No, I didn't say anything ...

excellent plan. i'm in.

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Here is a macrami owl (I'll make this first). Now isn't this much better than stories?

so what's up with that owl ? it looks startled, or perhaps high. what has happened to it to make it look that way ? did it have one too many zcds at one of marc's parties ? or something completely different ?



(psst, everybody, just act casually, maybe we can tempt him back... )

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moe The Cat

Where do we go to download your macramé owl? Can you send it to me as an attachment? Will it be available in epub?

you'll submit it to feedbirds, right ???

[dreams]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Here is a macrami owl (I'll make this first). Now isn't this much better than stories?

Well...um....well.. um.. Nope... just can't think of any time that it WOULD be better