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Today I've added a special post to my blog, "special" in this case meaning not part of my scheduled activity. It concerns the "Return of the Muse" Open in new Window., and may include helpful suggestions for those who have been struggling with the Craft of late. See you there? ... *Reading*
         Hey, gang. Just dropping by to tell you that I'm jazzed! For the first time in at least five years, I find myself consumed with a burning need to write. I have started a fantasy novella, and my mind is on fire with the possibilities. I envision ten chapters right now, and one is complete (first draft, of course), and can be read on request.
         On a sadder note, I went looking for a fantasy group this morning, and after wading through 13 pages filtered by the Most Active First, only found a few entries, most of which haven't been serviced for a year or more. This suggests that fantasy isn't much of a thing here. Are there any active groups? ... *Reading*
  •   9 comments
J. Tyler, Reviewer at Large Author Icon - Eh, a "goal" is sort of loose, nobody's requiring anybody to show receipts, it's more that that's how the advice is calibrated. I mostly recommend them because you seem to like my review style, and these are the folks who taught me to review that way. But I'm also able to host a forum, if dogpack saving 4premium+ Author IconMail Icon doesn't want to spend the forum slot, or if they've just got too much going on. (I seem to remember they've got family they travel to see a lot?)

Anyway, I've enjoyed interacting with all ya'll, so just let me know if you want me to put something together.
Raven Author Icon - Don't set up anything around me until we know I have a viable project. You know my history better than anybody, so just keep it cool for now. I'll get back to everyone if this takes off on me... *Reading*
J. Tyler, Reviewer at Large Author Icon - The piece I was going to put up is a stalled novel anyway. (Fantasy "Tremors" with shapeshifters, more or less. Good concept yeah? But! stalled out at 40k. Thought the forum could be something like Fantasy Clinic. :) ) I'll chat with Viv and see what she'd like to do but no pressure on anything. It's not like there's a deadline.
         Good morning, all. I've been prattling on here for days about how I've lost my mojo and can't write anymore. I've been up for about five hours now, and continue to be consumed by a burning need to write. I'm putting together a story simply called Hunter. It's a medieval-styled fantasy featuring a paladin and his very unusual companion who make it their business to right wrongs. I almost hesitate to say it, given my track record lately, but I have a chapter complete and am well into a second. Should anyone wish to sample to see whether it's to your liking, drop me a line, and I'll send the pertinent information.
         Raven Author Icon is excused from this invitation; I've disappointed you enough already! ... *Reading*
  •   3 comments
Go for it, no editor allowed until the first draft is completed. Capture the ideas first. After the editor has been on a long vacation invite the editor back and go for it!
dogpack saving 4premium+ Author Icon - Sounds like, well, sound advice! ... *Reading*
I would have to have, IDK, paid or something to be disappointed.

But I'm tickled you're writing and would be interested in peeking at it. When you're ready. (Unless you think I'm a jinx/pressure, in which case I will gladly wait until it's finished.)
I've added a new entry to my blog, the first entry of a new era for me. Come to enjoy a hearty dish as I discuss why "The Grass is Always Greener..." Open in new Window.

J. Tyler, Reviewer at Large Author Icon
         To whom it may concern: I have been blessed to have a good number of folks here on the site who talk to me frequently. I don't know how many might read me or what they may be reading, so I'm posting this information for my friends and followers to use as they see fit:
         Due to reasons outlined in my last blog post, "Facing the Music" Open in new Window., I anticipate allowing my membership here to revert to Free status on my Anniversary date, October 17th. This places a ticking clock on my longer items, specifically "The Akuma Files" Open in new Window., a supernatural detective series, and "Broken English" Open in new Window., a Cold War police procedural. Anyone with an interest in those items, as well as a few others mentioned in the blog post, has about five months to read them. I don't recommend investing time in reviews as they'll be gone come fall, but if they seem like the sort of read you'd enjoy, they'll be available for a bit longer.
         This obviously isn't the outcome I was hoping for when I came here, but it would be silly to continue my membership at a level I no longer have any use for. You guys are all the best, and I wish you all the best, and I hope to be here reading and reviewing your fantastic stories for a long time to come!

Stay inspired,
Taylor... *Ghost* *Glasses*
  •   2 comments
I read your Serpens last night, it was quite a ride *Cool* 🐍
Amethyst Angel 💐 Author Icon - Wow, thank you! I'm so very glad you enjoyed it... *Ghost* *Glasses*
         Good day, friends and followers, and I hope it finds you well. It finds me at a "Crossroads" Open in new Window. of sufficient gravitas that I've written a blog post to compose my thoughts and lay out the alternatives for my future here on the site. Drop by when you have the odd moment and see what you think ... *Ghost**Glasses*
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         Today on my blog, I invite you to join me to meet the fourth member of my personal Mount Rushmore, "The Agent" Open in new Window..

         In an unrelated matter, I declined to review a story this morning because the author listed her favorite link as ChatGPT. That almost seems to me like putting up a notice that says, "By the way, I don't write my own stories." Any opinions on this? Anyone...? ... *Ghost* *Magnify*
  •   2 comments
Egads, don't open that can of worms *FacePalm* the AI discussion gets pretty heated around here. I asked ChatGPT for advice on what fictional detectives do in certain situations, and now I'm wondering if I've broken my "No AI" promise even though I didn't use any of the suggestions because I was blasted with my own inspiration instead... *Pthb*
Amethyst Angel 💐 Author Icon - Yeah, I've gone diving in that can of worms with some of the rest of you. HUGE red flag... *Ghost* *Magnify*
         I have noticed that a few people (or one person a few times) have been reading my work in progress, "Serpens Alatus" Open in new Window.. Really isn't my best work, but as some few people have taken an interest, I just want to let them know that it is now complete and ready to read... *Magnify*
Five by Five: Come one, come all. This be your invitation to visit my Bio page... Not for my rather dull and uninspiring bio, but because this is where the site allows me to promote up to five works by other members. I review a lot, and have long used it to promote five 5-star stories I have encountered in my reviewing. Drop by when you need a good read, and choose from a curated selection given the seal of approval by a dedicated reviewer... *Magnify*
         Good morning, friends. I've added a new entry to my blog, the third face on my personal Mount Rushmore. Drop by when you have the time, and meet "The Bouncer" Open in new Window..

Taylor... *Magnify*
Good day, friends. I have a new thing I'm trying. Not sure how to describe it, but it will involve any parties who engage receiving one of my epic reviews. Here's the blurb:

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2339596 by Not Available.


Taylor... *Pencil*
Good evening, all! I find myself on the horns of a dilemma. It seems that tomorrow is May 1st, the day I traditionally award the "Phantom's Gold" Open in new Window. ribbon. But it's also Thursday, the day that I don't log in to avoid completing that pesky 7-day login cycle. What to do...?

Oh, I know, I'll make the award a couple of hours early! My most sincere congratulations to Allan Charles 🐾 2340534 Author Icon for delivering this most exceptional story about... Well, see for yourselves!

STATIC
A Love Beyond Pain Open in new Window. (13+)
Greg longs to hear the word, "Daddy," but he's given up hope.
#2333086 by Allan Charles 🐾 2340534 Author IconMail Icon

Taylor... *Magnify*
  •   2 comments
Thank you so much, that's awesome! What a nice surprise after a stressful night at work.

Can I ask, though, why do you not want the 7 day streak badge?
Allan Charles 🐾 2340534 Author Icon - You're very welcome, and thank you for a wonderful story!

I don't want the streak badge (I have two that I got by accident that are hidden) because I want my Merit Badges to be for something meaningful. As I used to stay logged on 24/7, that doesn't seem like something worthy of special recognition, not like excellence in writing, being a most active reviewer, or anything else like that. It feels like getting the Navy Cross for having the cleanest trash can in the galley, you know? Quirky, I know, but that describes me to a T... *Pencil*
Good morning, friends, and I hope it finds you writing! This is going to be long, and I apologize, but it's important to me, so here goes:

I promoted this story yesterday, and I'm doing it again today for reasons that will become apparent. I wrote this story about the denizens of an isolated watering hole over two years ago, chuffed with the notion of travelers bringing them stories, and to no small degree, the notion that I would soon be immersed in writing again. Alas, the muse returned to her coma, taking my grandiose plans with her.

Don't think less of me; I understand that the "muse" is merely a way of shifting my own shortcomings to an outside agency — "The muse has left me today." — and that there's really no such thing as a gilded lady, or in my case a crotchety old man, who lives in my head to think up stories and present them for completion. I'm glad there isn't. That would render all my creativity the work of an outside agent and relegate my writing to being a simple typist. But when you've been frustrated for as long as I have despite having these flashes of brilliance that come and go with no regard for your own wishes, the temptation is great to blame some supernatural demon for your problems.

I looked at making this a romance, but that would have negated the unusual setting and just meant that the principals had little to do for excitement beyond watching the cactus grow. Action? What action? Suspense is possible, I guess, with someone lost in the desert in every story. I looked at the supernatural, wendigos and such, and the door was open due to Christine's card reading, but I didn't see a future in that. Likewise with sci-fi. A UFO could float past the town and settle in the desert, but once the denizens explore that, where does it go from there?

But I love this concept, that of an isolated inn on a road to nowhere, and I plan to keep it at the forefront of my many hopeful projects. Perhaps my StoryMatic card deck can help. I'll certainly be trying it on for size. But a big hope that I have is that a few folks will read the story and comment on what paths might be exciting to explore; get me launched on a promising thread and there'll be an acknowledgement with link to your port in it for you. Lord knows my ideas haven't panned out. Maybe someone will drop one that I can run with. At least, I hope so. 5600 carefully curated words. Here's your invitation:

 
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The Breakdown Open in new Window. (18+)
She ran until she couldn't run anymore. Then she found her place
#2339459 by J. Tyler, Reviewer at Large Author IconMail Icon

Taylor... *Pencil*
  •   4 comments
Ichabod Crane Author Icon - Whoa, now here's one I hadn't thought of. This still leaves me with a concern about where to go after that. What I need is something that will continue; maybe I'm more talking genre. Fantasy, sci-fi, straightforward drama... Can't nail that down. But I thank you for your time and effort. I'll put it in the pressure cooker and see if it leads me to something big. Have a great week! ... *Pencil*
I thought the ex was going to turn out to have a gun and kill the cop--or even turn out to be connected, either to the mob or to something supernatural, and then the gang at the motel end up *besieged* at the motel and have to survive and defend each other.
Raven Author Icon - That would sort of be more my style, wouldn't it? I was trying to be low-key, and tell a quiet little story that had hidden depth... Well, we all have our fantasies! Thank you so much for stopping by. Hope your move is going well, and you get a chance to rest after... *Pencil*
         Good evening, friends. On my port's intro, I stated that "the muse emerges from her coma on occasion to spout a few lines of gibberish before retreating back into oblivion..." or words to that effect. I've decided to share a story that came from a few lines of said gibberish. This almost wrote itself and I had high hopes of it being the start of a glorious series, but like so many of my efforts over the last few years, it just died. But I'm going to put it out here, sharply in focus in the center of my radar, and see whether, with the help of some comments, I can define a direction and get it underway. Something has to work, it can't be over... can it?

 
STATIC
The Breakdown Open in new Window. (18+)
She ran until she couldn't run anymore. Then she found her place
#2339459 by J. Tyler, Reviewer at Large Author IconMail Icon


Taylor... *CarR*
         Good morning, friends. On the blog today, I've added the second entry in my series about the authors who most influenced my own writing. Stop by when you have a few moments and meet "The Misogynist" Open in new Window. ... *Pencil*
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