The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 02: A Comma (is a Restful Pause)

[ChloeTzang]

My younger son is in middle school. He has been walking home each day, about 1 mile. He crosses over a busy freeway on a bridge. He gets dropped off in the morning.

And yet a few years ago, he wanted to walk home about two miles from our house. We let him. Someone saw him walking alone and followed him to our house and scolded us for letting him walk a mile.

It is a different world today.

It is. My neighbor's girl catches the school bus. No designated adult to meet her, she's not allowed of the bus and the calls start. Same with drop offs and pickups at her school if you're to close for the bus. Elementary school, they have to be dropped off in the designated window and picked up. The teacher doesn't release them unless the designated person is there for them. Not there in the window, of they go to the school office and the calls start. I fill in as a designated adult so I know all this. The only ones that walk are the ones whose parents have the time.

Reason - we've had a couple of attempted abductions of girls on their way to the local High School plus coyotes wild locally. Had a coyote running around in the park behind us recently. I wouldn't let little kids go to school alone, sad to say.

 

[Handley_Page]

.
Has some bloody fool been doing a rain dance ? 'Cos He/She is a little late.
We needed the rain in the spring (damn near killed my roses) not now !

I feel the need for coffee.

Here's some guidance on writing.
http://www.grammarcheck.net/bad-writing-habits/

Some of these are a bit controversial.
Discuss!

 

[daremo68]

Had a coyote running around in the park behind us recently. I wouldn't let little kids go to school alone, sad to say.

Yeah, in my neck of the woods, we have some danger of coyotes. A friend of mine has lost a cat to them. We also have rattlesnakes. But most of the time when I've seen a coyote, they're moving away from the people, skulking around looking for easy food, not looking for kids.

I am betting a part of the fear culture around kids has to do with news traveling all around the world so quickly. So you hear about someone in another state who had something bad happen to them. This then puts some fear into you the next time you are in a situation that seems similar (but most likely isn't) and you post how you narrowly avoided such and such a problem... And then it feeds from there as others see your posting and apply what is described to their situation. It becomes a giant telephone game with the dangers blown out of proportion.

Yes, there are bad people out there. But there are simple and safe ways of dealing with them. These days, kids younger and younger are getting cell phones. That can go a long way to helping with safety. Technology has been a double-edged sword, making us safer and yet making us more fearful.

 

[litfan10]

I grew up in a very rural area five miles from my school. I took a bus until I was a teenager then I biked.
I moved to a much more urban area after I graduated. My daughter was two blocks from her high school so she walked. By the time my son was in high school I divorced so we drove him to school as we both lived further out once we each had our own place.

Fuzzy morning. I need tea with extra caffeine or my head is hitting my desk.

 

[daremo68]

I grew up in a very rural area five miles from my school. I took a bus until I was a teenager then I biked.
I moved to a much more urban area after I graduated. My daughter was two blocks from her high school so she walked. By the time my son was in high school I divorced so we drove him to school as we both lived further out once we each had our own place.

Fuzzy morning. I need tea with extra caffeine or my head is hitting my desk.

I lived in a residential neighborhood of a large town/small city. I walked to the lower elementary school, bussed to the upper elementary school, walked to junior high and high school. The furthest I walked was about a mile. (And in high school, I would sometimes get a ride with the neighbor girl who was given an MG convertible as a present. When she would drive with the top down on the highway, I often wondered how she saw through her long blond hair being blown forward... But I digress.)

The elementary school my sons went to don't allow kids to bike to school until 4th grade. They also had a problem with my younger son in 1st or 2nd grade walking a block away from school to be picked up there so my wife would have to park and walk to get him or drive and wait in a long line of other parents picking up kids.

I wonder if a big part of the school's attitudes are driven by scared parents and real or potential lawsuits...

Here's some tea. I steeped the leaves a bit extra. I hope it isn't too strong for you.

 

[litfan10]

I lived in a residential neighborhood of a large town/small city. I walked to the lower elementary school, bussed to the upper elementary school, walked to junior high and high school. The furthest I walked was about a mile. (And in high school, I would sometimes get a ride with the neighbor girl who was given an MG convertible as a present. When she would drive with the top down on the highway, I often wondered how she saw through her long blond hair being blown forward... But I digress.)

The elementary school my sons went to don't allow kids to bike to school until 4th grade. They also had a problem with my younger son in 1st or 2nd grade walking a block away from school to be picked up there so my wife would have to park and walk to get him or drive and wait in a long line of other parents picking up kids.

I wonder if a big part of the school's attitudes are driven by scared parents and real or potential lawsuits...

Here's some tea. I steeped the leaves a bit extra. I hope it isn't too strong for you.

Thanks! Never too strong.

Both my kids went to Catholic schools. The administration was too afraid to piss off parents (translation lose money) so other than dress code they let parents do what they wanted. My poor daughter is tiny, so we were always overprotective of her until she became a feisty teenager. My son was an incredible track athlete, so we never worried, no body could catch him including us.

 

[NotWise]

Here's some guidance on writing.
http://www.grammarcheck.net/bad-writing-habits/

Some of these are a bit controversial.
Discuss!

I don't think I'd apply those rules to dialog.

 

[TxRad]

I don't think I'd apply those rules to dialog.

I agree. People don't speak and use grammar at the same time. It is a hodge podge of broken sentences for the most part. Perfect grammar may work for other types of writing but for fiction, no.

Afternooner all. Had a full morning conversing with my mainstream editor on the latest book. Looks like I have a minor rewrite. One of those oops, what the fuck was i thinking things. swapped some names on a couple of characters. Duh! Nothing major, just glad for the extra eyes and brain cells.

Fresh coffee and kettle for the afternoon crowd.

 

[litfan10]

I agree. People don't speak and use grammar at the same time. It is a hodge podge of broken sentences for the most part. Perfect grammar may work for other types of writing but for fiction, no.

Afternooner all. Had a full morning conversing with my mainstream editor on the latest book. Looks like I have a minor rewrite. One of those oops, what the fuck was i thinking things. swapped some names on a couple of characters. Duh! Nothing major, just glad for the extra eyes and brain cells.

Fresh coffee and kettle for the afternoon crowd.

Tea please!

Happy rewriting!

 

[TxRad]

Tea please!

Happy rewriting!

One cuppa tea coming up.

Changing the names isn't a problem but having to go back and redo characteristics and such is a pain in the ass. It won't change the story much as i swapped the names back after approximately one and a half chapters. Brain farts are a pain in the, uh, ass.

 

[litfan10]

One cuppa tea coming up.

Changing the names isn't a problem but having to go back and redo characteristics and such is a pain in the ass. It won't change the story much as i swapped the names back after approximately one and a half chapters. Brain farts are a pain in the, uh, ass.

Absolutely, after getting burned plenty of times by my lack of memory, when writing a bigger piece, like a book, index cards - one per character- are my best friends if I'm not using Scriveners.

Glad it was only one and a half chapters for you.

Good luck.

 

[MagicaPractica]

It is. My neighbor's girl catches the school bus. No designated adult to meet her, she's not allowed of the bus and the calls start. Same with drop offs and pickups at her school if you're to close for the bus. Elementary school, they have to be dropped off in the designated window and picked up. The teacher doesn't release them unless the designated person is there for them. Not there in the window, of they go to the school office and the calls start. I fill in as a designated adult so I know all this. The only ones that walk are the ones whose parents have the time.

Reason - we've had a couple of attempted abductions of girls on their way to the local High School plus coyotes wild locally. Had a coyote running around in the park behind us recently. I wouldn't let little kids go to school alone, sad to say.

I hadn't even really thought about the wild animals. We've got more than coyotes around here and a nature preserve between home and the school. But it's no extra trip for me to take munchkin in since I'm headed to work anyway.



Escaped to write - getting a latte and into the blanket fort!

 

[TxRad]

Absolutely, after getting burned plenty of times by my lack of memory, when writing a bigger piece, like a book, index cards - one per character- are my best friends if I'm not using Scriveners.

Glad it was only one and a half chapters for you.

Good luck.

I do something similar but I place my notes, plot points and overall arc in section about a half page down from where I'm writing. It's a quick reference and easily updated with changes as i go. It stays with the chapter when it goes to the editor. When we have each chapter finalized, these notes go in a separate file and are use to write the synopsis. Not only does it help me stay straight but it helps her with keeping up with what i have in mind.

MP, the blanket is under the counter. This is your first time using the fort since we changed threads. One latte coming up. Enjoy.

 

[NotWise]

I hadn't even really thought about the wild animals. We've got more than coyotes around here and a nature preserve between home and the school.

Coyote attacks on humans are rare. We coexist with them--even in urban settings--all over North America. They are a threat to cats, dogs and small livestock and if you try to get between them and their prey than you could be attacked. The threat that you will injure your child in a car accident going to and from school seems to me to be a lot more serious than the threat of a coyote attack--or any other wild animal attack for that matter.

They're trying to reintroduce the Mexican Gray Wolf here and the introduced animals have been spotted near (very) rural school bus stops. That seems like a bit of a danger.

 

[Handley_Page]

For only the second time this year, I spent a couple of hours fishing on the local canal.
I managed a decent-size Bream and a small Roach.
Big smiles; my mate caught nothing!

And now a cup of tea, I think.
Anyone else ?

 

[Hypoxia]

My sibs and I walked, skateboarded, or biked to school from 2nd grade onwards. By 12 grade I finally had a motorbike, needed because then school was eight miles away and school bus kids treated me badly. Mom or dad driving us kids to school? Never happened.

Mighty hot around Sacratomato today. The car thermo-meter maxed at 105f. That's still better than Portland OR which hit 108f. We were there a couple years ago when it was 98f and we thought it incendiary. Portlanders ain't used to such. Oh well, just wait till the Cascadia fault slips and everything west of Interstate Five disappears.

Coffee? It's too late for coffee. Line up the Hadacol. On the rocks, if you please.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Good morning bright and early. Okay, maybe not bright but the weekend's almoooost here. Finish up work early this afternoon and then I have three short stories to finish off. My project for today - get them done and out of the way.

And I'm really excited - there's a reader on LIT who just loves my stuff so much they went through and gave me a one star on every single story. So excited to know I'm collecting REAL troll's now, like some of you old-timers. My credentials are firming up - seriously, it made my morning when I saw. I actually feel quite flattered that somebody was that inspired by my writing. I just wish they'd tell me which story it was that kicked it off. Oh well, can't have everything....

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/98/a5/af/98a5afafb5f5a56d316ae5d928d9da6e.jpg

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Yeah, it's amazing the sort of pitiful things some sad souls will do for attention.

 

[TxRad]

Morning all,

Yes, the coffee is fresh and so am I. Had my morning shower already.

Ah yes, the pesky trolls. Once you get enough stories, you make one bombing all of them a lifetime job. Only the top dozen or so get one bombed regularly. Remember that when titling stories.

Chloe, your next goal is to get trio of trolls or a troll with a trio of alts.

Now to get some extras rest as my house guests should be showing up shortly.

 

[_Lynn_]

Good morning. Last night's storms brought cooler temperatures (70 instead of closer to 90). Yesterday I made two batches of jam. Now I'm thinking about making banana bread . . . well, after the laundry is done.

 

[sr71plt]

So far I thinking about getting fully awake.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Coyote attacks on humans are rare. We coexist with them--even in urban settings--all over North America. They are a threat to cats, dogs and small livestock and if you try to get between them and their prey than you could be attacked. The threat that you will injure your child in a car accident going to and from school seems to me to be a lot more serious than the threat of a coyote attack--or any other wild animal attack for that matter.

They're trying to reintroduce the Mexican Gray Wolf here and the introduced animals have been spotted near (very) rural school bus stops. That seems like a bit of a danger.

No, I'm not particularly worried about coyotes, or my driving.

But there was a horse attacked by a mountain lion, we have trail cam footage of bobcats, I've seen a wolf near the nature preserve between here and the school, and a bear recently. Yes, lions and wolves and bears, oh my!

 

[Handley_Page]

So far I thinking about getting fully awake.

They do say that it helps, most of the time.

 

[MagicaPractica]

I do something similar but I place my notes, plot points and overall arc in section about a half page down from where I'm writing. It's a quick reference and easily updated with changes as i go. It stays with the chapter when it goes to the editor. When we have each chapter finalized, these notes go in a separate file and are use to write the synopsis. Not only does it help me stay straight but it helps her with keeping up with what i have in mind.

MP, the blanket is under the counter. This is your first time using the fort since we changed threads. One latte coming up. Enjoy.

Thanks. Back in the fort today. Massive headache but still editing.

 

[sr71plt]

They do say that it helps, most of the time.

I'm going for my second cup of coffee. I'm told that will help.