Val Strate

Sorry, I couldn't find any socks.

Hey, you just happened to catch me on laundry day!

To Brian: To the man who knows how to have a good time. Happy Valentine's Day. Val

*sniffle, sniffle* Oh that's just beautiful! Now if only I didn't see my shadow!

Hey, you're right! MM did give you the official title! I didn't see it before but now I do... Wow... *laughs* All hail Alex the Scary Fairy!

True, true... But at least you ain't the Hazzardnet's Resident Gobbler who has an affinity for paintball and bowling .

Ah Hahahahaha! Cute Doc! How very fitting! You got my vote for the 'Honey Bunny'! Someone has to give those guys some goodies in their baskets! *chuckles*

Yes the HazzardNet Scary Fairy! Who steals your teeth and gives you quarters. *sigh, chuckle* You're twisted Alex, but we still love you.

I'd fear for the Hazzardnet citizens on that one! Again same issue MM, Alex would probably get over zealous and start tying people to stakes and make 4th of July into the Salem witch trials! I agree with Brian, have Alex discover something, like Canada! Worst that could happen is he brings home a Canadian as a pet and starts sayin' 'Eh?' in every post! As far as the Easter Varmint, are they doing it by a nomination process?

Ooooo! Does she bring presents too?

She's a lover She's a hugger A root beer chugger...

*waves hand over MM's face* Commander!? Ya alright? I think you sent MM into sugar shock, Brian!

Hi Harry, I can't even to begin to guess what hardships you are facing but from what I hear you are strong. I've heard of a saying, 'God only gives us what he thinks we can handle'. Even though things maybe seem overwhelming just know that there are people and angels there looking over you. I pray that you can lick this and pray for you to have the strength in your hour of need. Take care friend and know there are many that are with you, guiding you. Once a Duke fan, always a Duke cousin. Val Strate P.S. That's a cool truck outside of Wright Patterson.

'I have 20/20/20/20 vision!'

greens

*answers in hushed whisper to Roger* Sorry... I didn't realize there was no method to this madness. Or maybe the fact that there is no method, is the method... That's obtuse! I'm still looking for the garden party! If you see it let me know! Strate's have really bad sense of directions.

A nematode! A tiny worm that is sometimes microscopic with a sylindrical unsegmented body protected by a tough outer skin cuticle. How this relates to squash I have no clue. What Brian and MM are going for is beyond me, but they must be workin' on the same wave length this week. They're talking about worms, squash and shovels in another thread. I'm tellin' it sounds like they're trying to start a garden club or something. If so, where do I sign up!

I say ya start at the beginning of the alphabet and go with the letter 'A'. Hhhmmm, what member has a name with the letter 'A'? How about Alex Jackson? *Prints a list of names that says nothing but 'Alex Jackson' on it.* Heh hehe!

You're welcome. Writing really is about style and technique but it's also about reading, which some people fail to realize. If you desire to go into writing more, don't be afraid to find books at the library about how to write short stories or English composition books. I know that sounds like school work but actually if you look through them you can find some new skills that will help improve writing and make the process easier. Also reading other people's work and learning how they write is a way to develop your skill and make it sharper. Also talking to fellow writers is another way to develop your skills, and if you get into fanfic writing or wanting to polish your RR into a story when it's finished, getting a beta reader to look it over isn't a bad thing either. Honestly, I have to come clean. When I first started I thought I didn't need a beta reader or that looking over my work was a waste of time. I found that not to be true. It makes your story better, fresher and more enjoyable for the reader if you use those things. I'm not an expert by far but I do know that even the experts use those things. Which really, I'm kind of glad now you bring all of this up dukefan. It's a real good way for people to understand the technical details of writing, RPing, and brought out some really good discussion on the subject. This was a nice thread to read. I love talking with people about the techniques of writing. It enriches all parties involved and allows the creation of new ideas.

That's understandable. Many RP's do go for pages and pages on end. I respect that you don't just jump in without wanting to read what has already been posted. That tells me you are very respectful of others work and styles. That's a noble trait to have dukefan and I respect you for it. Yes, when a person joins an RP they should read everything from start to finish of the posts. It's a story and needs to be treated like a story. You can't read a book properly by starting in the middle and going forward then reading the begining after you've finished can you? I've seen people who try to join an rp in the middle and end up failing miseribly because they didn't read from the begining. However don't let that discourage you. I know folks, myself included, who have started in the middle of an rp and done well but the only reason why we did well was because we read from the begining to the last post before joining the RP. Sometimes RP's are great that way. Believe me, that's how I got my main muse's start was joining an RP in the middle. However I researched before I joined and thought about what I was going to say before I stepped into the 'chaos'. RP posts are best when you stop and think about how it relates to the story and how you can contribute to the story line. So enjoy and have fun... That's really what RP's are about.

*laughs* Oh Garrett don't feel bad. I have only 332 and have been here since March of 2004 according to the stats. Seriously, I wonder who has the least amount of posts and has been here the longest. I do believe Confucius or one of those dead famous thinker guys has a saying, 'It is better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.' Maybe that's just the philosophy that I'm going with, that or maybe I'm just lazy. *Chuckles* I think the latter is the answer.

I would have to disagree with you on this issue. I feel that the Role Plays are fine. RPing is an art that is supposed to give mainly the RP players pleasure, not really the audience, although if an RP is written right it can be very enjoyable for the audience. As for old RP's, the reason why some have stopped is because of life changes in individuals, lack of ideas, or the cast of players has just gotten tired of the RP. At one time I was an avid RP player. Now, I only RP in private. The reason I give for this is because I enjoy private RP or writing fanfiction. Sure forum RP is fun but I would like to be able to RP or RR with those muses/authors that I know and I know their styles. See every writer has a certain style and how they like to conduct things. Just because styles don't match don't take offense. It's nothing personable, just the way it is. You can determine if your style fits their own by RPing in a chat room. If things go smooth and you can tell that this person you're working with picks up on some of the little things that you do then you may have an RP partner. If they don't, well at least you tried and had fun trying. The reasons that there are so many RP's and they go untouched are numerous. It's hard to say why a RP writer doesn't RP on the forum board anymore. So don't take offense to it, if someone no longer RP's. They may have their reasons, and those reasons are personal. I see many new comers come in here wanting to RP, which it's great that they do. However just because they want to RP doesn't mean everyone else wants to or is interested. Older writers have their reasons for quitting and they are allowed to quit when they want to. It maybe that the writer just doesn't feel like it anymore and misses the partners they had too much that to write RP or RR again in public is painful. Yes, a relationship forms between writers when you RP or RR. So if you see a lot of old RP's laying around that are unfinished, either ask the cast if they want to pick it up, or let them lay. Some stories just are never meant to be finished...