726

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

How about something like this: Have a list of all groups (single line for each) show up initially when you click on "Groups" from the home page. Then you click on any number of them you wish (or all) and get the full description of all those checked. You then have to scroll only through those you checked. Never give up. Take care. Vern

Trump and Flynn

728

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Okay, I envisioned that also, but then if you might be interested in more than one group you would have to click back to the list again and then click for that description and so on for any group you might  wish to explore more than a name; or alternatively you would scroll through the list with the descriptions. Seems a bit like six in one and 6.999999999... in the other. Works for me. Take care. Vern

Happy nachos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InRw8JtIgzU

730

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

You are probably entirely correct that it might help, but then I fully expect someone would be asking why we can't have more information about the groups listed (I'm assuming name only), which ironically is what the list does now. But to each their own. I'm not voting against it -- I probably would never even notice if it was implemented -- merely playing the devil's advocate wondering about the overall benefit as I'm prone to do; perhaps I'm the only one. Take care. Vern

731

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

You have four pages of groups listed when you click on the "Groups" banner at the top of your home page. From the looks of the names I'm not sure how much good an alphabetical list would be if you didn't know exactly what you were looking for when you have names such as Texas Authors, Close Friends, Eternal Enemies, and Mama, Trains and Pickup Trucks to name just a few. Of course if you were already acquainted enough to know the exact name, there is a good chance you could be invited by a current member of such group. Scrolling through the list might also be educational as to other intriguing groups we may have never envisioned. But then I suppose you could scroll through an alphabetical listing also, but doesn't seem nearly as much fun as the random sampling. Just random group thoughts. Take care. Vern

Hang down your head Tom Dooley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBSApzDTeRI

Nissan Rogue

abecedarian Trump

electric bill

Gestation

737

(73 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Charles_F_Bell wrote:
vern wrote:
Charles_F_Bell wrote:

I have already said that you have no quality of mind to read it, and that is one purpose for the prologue -- to weed out the feeble-minded.

You obviously missed the part about thinking "a sane person" is going to read such a thing; those are the ones you weed out.

No, I am weeding out people like you. Engage yourself in Catch-22 of whether you are sane or not, but you have no keen mind, sane or not.

Coming from one with your unique judgment which seldom melds with reality, I will take that as a compliment, thank you. Take care. Vern

738

(73 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Charles_F_Bell wrote:
vern wrote:
CFB wrote:

Absolutely, there is no determination of the value of the novella by the first three pages or first three chapters or all chapters until the very last word.

Anyone who thinks a sane person is going to read a 34,000 word (or thereabouts) novella with no merit until the very last word is obviously very proud of that last word. I suspect you should put that mindboggling word, whatever it is, a bit closer to the beginning. Take care. Vern

I have already said that you have no quality of mind to read it, and that is one purpose for the prologue -- to weed out the feeble-minded.

You obviously missed the part about thinking "a sane person" is going to read such a thing; those are the ones you weed out. Should you have reviewers to point to who have bravely gone where no man has gone before in a blind fog of irrelevance until the last word, I might suggest they have the incentive of the review process and possible reciprocation to lead them on to the promised land and possibly exempt them from the sanity clause -- maybe a pun there, who knows. Take care. Vern

739

(73 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

CFB wrote:

Absolutely, there is no determination of the value of the novella by the first three pages or first three chapters or all chapters until the very last word.

Anyone who thinks a sane person is going to read a 34,000 word (or thereabouts) novella with no merit until the very last word is obviously very proud of that last word. I suspect you should put that mindboggling word, whatever it is, a bit closer to the beginning. Take care. Vern

740

(73 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

CFB wrote:

Exactly the sort of thing that you would not understand: irony being both the purpose and method of farce - that the book is, as I announce in the tagline: a novel experience in serious farce.

DEFINITION:
farce
/färs/
noun
noun: farce; plural noun: farces

a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.

synonyms: slapstick comedy, slapstick, burlesque, vaudeville, buffoonery
"the stories approach farce"

antonyms: tragedy
•the genre of farce.

•an absurd event.
"the debate turned into a drunken farce"


synonyms: mockery, travesty, absurdity, sham, pretense, masquerade, charade, joke, waste of time; informal shambles 
___

So, which definition of "farce" are you using? I see nothing comedic within your verbiage. Additionally, to modify farce with "serious" as you do, seems to negate the purpose of farce, but then most of your arguments seem to negate either your current position or a prior one. I would concede that your literary depiction could be in the "absurd event" or "waste of time" category, but then it would be doubtful you would make that assertion about it, so please enlighten me. Take care. Vern

741

(73 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Charles_F_Bell wrote:

The fact of the matter, evidenced in my more recent fiction writing, is I find value in expressing more in fewer words, and, in fact, point to the folly of the naturalist detailing every single fact{*} while entirely missing the context and meaning of facts.

Funny for one claiming to express more in fewer words to invite us to evidence his recent fiction writing where he takes an entire prologue to tell us a truck and car didn't collide -- brilliant. Of course you are correct in stating "the folly of the naturalist detailing every single fact" to a god-like figure who needs no sources other than his own infallibility. The thing with gods or worshipers thereof is that the only truth is what the god-like figure says it is and nothing can be said or produced to counter such an entrenched faith. If the Earth, yeah the entire universe, was collapsing around you, it would mean nothing if you said otherwise. Your mind is just as set in concrete as the rules of language you insist are set in concrete. It is as pointless to debate/discuss with you as to try the same with a stump or other brain-washed religious fanatic. No proof is acceptable because you believe only in your godlike infallibility. Yet there are still times when charity and hope bring me back into the fruitless cause of trying. This is another of those moments when the possibility of a miracle slips into my thoughts though I know it too will soon join the pile of wasted effort strewn about the forums. Consider me a sucker for lost causes. Take care. Vern
.

742

(73 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

If movies, books, art, etc. were plucked off the market after the first week of less than fantastic sales, then the first week would be a clear indicator of success, but thankfully the market and business gurus don't measure that way so couch potato critics ascribing success to first week numbers is rather asinine to say the least. Take care. Vern

Don't see a problem here. You can place the story on "inactive" as soon as it is published should you desire to do so and continue editing until the cows come home before making it active again. I dare say it would be a million to one shot if anyone could sneak in a review in the time it takes to click the "inactive" button. And hey, if someone beats those odds congratulate them and then get them to buy you, no me, a lottery ticket. Take care. Vern

Zamboni

prenuptial

Only Jacques Cousteau knows for sure

Voyage-to-the-bottom-of-the-sea

Vermaxcular

lol, Dillerious

skinny pigs