JETFLAIR

Some of you have been following my fanfic The Losing Side. It's been quite a process for me, and I've in many ways been learning to write fiction as I go. The story has gotten a nice handful of positive commments along the way, along with some advice that has been very helpful. Lately, though, I've been getting a little insecure. My writing style has been changing, from more minimal and concise to longer and more detailed. More attention is being paid to smaller moments in the story, and I can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing. I also wonder from time to time if my characterizations are slipping. Now, I cherish those positive comments; they are the fuel that keep me writing this. But I also know folks often won't comment if they don't like something; they'll simply move on, and many of my former regular readers haven't commented for a while. So, what I'm asking for here is that you post any and all suggestions, input, constructive criticisim, etc. that you might have. I'd like to hear the other side - not just what you like about the story, but where you think it could be improved. Please? This whole fiction writing thing is so new to me that I'm really exploring what works and what doesn't, and, well, reading minds is tough!

ZZETTA13

Hiya fellow browncoats. The vote is still out but I think that I did pretty good this weekend. Since I've been spouting the SHINYNESS of the Verse for the past several months I really haven't had many takers among family and friends to sit down with me and watch the show. My sons have seen a few eps and they like the show but they are at the partying age and being with friends is always better than being with mom and dad. Now yesterday my sister who live only one mile away called and asked if I still wanted her to watch the show. Well what do you think I said :) ? Anyway I was over there in a flash with FF in hand. She had been watching the original Star Trek series and was looking for something new. I slapped in the dvd and we began watching the pilot eps. Her 16 year old daughter got up about 40 minutes later and began watching the series with us. Then my nieces b/f came over and he watched the eps SAFE all the way through JAYNESTOWN. I went home after that because it was dark but left the dvd set with them. I don't know if I've created any new browncoats but they all liked the show and were saying it was a ruttin shame that it was cancelled. My sis will finish the series this week then she wants to see the BDM. Like I said the vote is still out but I've tossed out some FF seeds. Hope they take root. Z

MARINA

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SMARTBUTDUMBBLONDE

I watched 'done the impossible' the other day, and I was almost in tears for a lot of it. I had no idea how loyal the browncoats are, and how much they had to do with the BDM. And even though I only became a browncoat after I saw Serenity, it still makes me very proud to be part of such an amazing fan base.

DESKTOPHIPPIE

The Irish Sci-Fi scene lost one of it's well known members late last week. Dave Stewart, an avid sci-fi fan and member involved with some of Ireland's best known conventions, lost his battle with cancer. Dave's death came just before Octocon, the National Irish Sci-Fi Convention, and cast something of a pall over the event. He will be deeply missed. On a brighter note - People have sent me messages over the last week and I've been terrible and haven't replied! I'm very, very, very, VERY sorry and I'm hoping to reply to all the messages by Wednesday at the very latest. Sorry!

ALCHEMIST

I already did one Firefly character personality test, but on a lark I took another two others from two other sites. One of the tests said I was Zoe. Which is kinda weird. My first test came back as my being Wash, which is fine, but interesting one test came back as wash and another as Zoe. Which in of itself is funny, cause the last test I did I came back as Mal. Does anyone have a suggestion as to which test I should listen to. I answered each one honestly, but got different results. Maybe if someone could recommend a site as to the "definitive character personality test" I would be much obliged so I can know who I am. I would be pleased to be which ever of the results I've come up with so far. But a bit more of a definitive answer would be great.

MINK

About having kids - everyone surely has some notion that they tend to destroy things, sometimes out of curiosity and exploration, sometimes out of sheer savagery, like puppies. What I did not consider until it happened is that they go through a phase where stuff just gets put somewhere else, and I mean somewhere no adult would think to put it or even look for it. Very often, this means the trash can, wich is OK once you figure it out, because you know where to look, but it gets messy. Sometimes things will be in pots inside kitchen cabinets, as another example. I have not watched all of Firefly yet. I had gotten through "Our Ms. Reynolds" when Disc Two disappeared off the face of the Earth. Being somewhat obsessed with FF currently, and working hard at converting my wife, I found this distressing to say the least. My youngest is in the random movement of items stage. My oldest is not, but she is in the playing with the DVD player and putting her favorite movies in all the time and opening and closing the door stage. But she does put them in the boxes. So, my disc having disappeared from the player but not into any DVD box (checked them all), I figured the one must have taken it out and the other must have grabbed it and run to some exotic location. I ransacked the house for hours. Luckily my stubborn/desperate ability to look in the same place over and over again saved me. The disc was in the DVD player. Not in the tray or anything so quaint, but in the guts. It's a DVD/VCR combo, so there's a fair amount of interior space. I thought of that early on, but it could not easily be seen. It was only when I looked underneath the player for the third time, that I lifted it to a sufficient angle to hear the disc slide around inside, and after some manipulation was able to retrieve it. Day saved. I am thankful because I would not have checked that space again and the player would probably have ended up in the landfill with my oh-so-precious FF #2 still inside.

EMBERS

I got to meet Terry Pratchett yesterday at a book signing: