Writer's & reader's civilised & serious conversation conference

[Horsa]

1. A book you wanted to read in 2017, but didn't get around to A Storm of Swords (George R Martin)
2. A favourite Childhood read Brer Rabbit's Adventures
3. A banned book L.A. Confidentiel (David Walsh on Lance Armstrong, only published in France originally)
4. A best seller Lord of the Rings
5. A book recommended by someone else How to win friends and influence people (Dale Carnegie)
6. A classic Great Expectations
7. A book that takes you out of your comfort zone None, Pass.
8. A book that was turned into a movie or TV show The Firm
9. A book wish a one-word title 1984 (Orwell)
10. A book set in the summer Tom Sawyer (not sure if it was set in summer, but it always *seemed* like summer)
11. A book with a blue cover. Pass
12. A highly anticipated book Pass
13. A book you judged by the cover Pass, never have
14. A book less than 300 pages Godfathers and Rogues: My Life in Liverpool Clubland
15. A book based on a true story All Played Out. The Full Story of Italia 90
16. Been on TbR list 'forever' The Secret (Rhonda Byrne)
17. Won an award Seven Deadly Sins (David Walsh on Lance Armstrong)
18. A book based on a myth/legend The Twelve Labours of Hercules

I'm reading Lady Chatterley's lover as my banned book as it was banned in the U.K. originally for being too explicit. I'm unsure whether to choose the Iliad, the Plumed serpent or Wolf Hall as my book that takes me out of my comfort zone. I'm stuck for book set in summer, highly anticipated book,book I judged by the cover or book that won an award. I'm going to read "All I ever wrote" by Ronnie Barker for my book with a blue cover.

 

[Horsa]

Oops! I made a mistake. I accepted a months writing challenge on facebook thinking I had to write a complete piece on each prompt giving me an example. It turned out I only had to finish a sentence. I guess I could share the prompt here & have a go at doing a complete piece. You know me, it'll probably end up rhyming. The example I was given was something I love.

 

[Horsa]

Something I love.

I love horses, ponies & donkeys too.
That's what I love. What about you?
I love cauliflower cheese.
I love steak & kidney pie & peas.
I love reading & singing songs as well.
I love listening to the bird-song & the chimes of a church-bell.
I love the colours yellow, silver & gold best.
I love to see Scotsmen in their full tartan dressed.
I love the elegance of rhyme.
I have done for a very long time.
I love to see people who are funny.
I love me & friends to be punny.

 

[Horsa]

Kindness & manners pay.
Though you could be forgiven for thinking differently in the world as it is today.
Etiquette seems to be forgotten about.
Some people always have to name-call & scream & shout.

 

[Horsa]

I just came across something in writer's group that made me think. They said writing poetry is making music. I don't completely agree. All the best songs are also poems but not all poems are songs. Unless they're being sung or you know them to be songs I wouldn't class them as music. I also think that some types of poem would not really make good songs, e.g. blank or free verse, limericks or sonnets.

 

[Horsa]

Is it just me or do a lot of books today have lots of spelling, punctuation & grammatical errors in them? They're supposed to be proof-read & I often end up thinking I could proof-read them better myself. I normally read antique books because they don't have as many in. Other than some Catherine Cookson, Danielle Steele, Maeve Binchy & Lyn Andrews I don't really read many modern books though I have got & enjoyed Andrew Marr's History of the World & Neil Oliver's books. I was recommended Hillary Mantell & Phillippa Gregory's books when I was working in the library but I find them too distressing.

 

[Horsa]

I went shopping today & saw a new wooden gramophone with a brass horn. I kid you not. It had a track display. I didn't believe it. I don't want a new wooden gramophone with a brass horn. I want an old wooden gramophone with a brass horn. I've got a gramophone like the 1 on "State Fair". I guess when you're wanting something that's been obsolete for decades "beggars can't be choosers" & you've got to get what you can lay your hands on though.

 

[Horsa]

Go steady before joining writer's groups on facebook especially those crying out for moderators saying it's a good way to get published as it's a good way of networking. with 3 rules & the right to block, mute & boot people who post criminal content, porn or non-writing spam. I joined 1. I was thinking about going in for a moderator. I stayed for 3 days. Some people were very rude & arrogant. They asked for constructive criticism but some of them had so many spelling, punctuation & grammatical errors, I just didn't have time to go through all the story (which was quite good) so I just told them I thought they needed a proof-reader or to proof-read it as it had a lot of spelling, punctuation & grammatical errors. Then 1 person wrote a story just about her excreting. Every single paragraph was about her defecating. I thought "Wow! You must have an ego as big as a house to actually think this is good or be delusional. Do you actually think people want to read this? Unbelievable." They asked stupid questions like "what rhymes with orange?" & "is it possible to write music?". It turned out all the writer's who were published there were published on vanity press which means they pay for the privilege. No wonder with their writing skills. I left because I thought I was just wasting my time trying to help rude, arrogant & ignorant people.

 

[Horsa]

I've finished book 1 for my reading challenge which was Maeve Binchy's Echoes. I didn't like it as it touched on very distressing subjects such as cancer & strokes & brought back bad memories. I'm starting on book 2. which is a favourite book from childhood. I've chosen Black Beauty. I'm really going to enjoy this.

 

[Horsa]

Writer's problems

You have 2 similar but differently phrased answers to any question in your head at the same time. A chattier 1 & a more technical 1. None of them are wrong so it's just a matter of which is best.

 

[Horsa]

Who's your favourite author & why?

 

[Horsa]

I found doing my 30 day writing challenge for today very helpful. The task for today was write about something you feel strongly about & I wrote about something that not only I felt strongly about but something that someone rudely gave me non-constructive criticism about & got abusive about.

I feel strongly about horses. I love them & have ever since I can remember. I think they're the most beautiful animals on earth. I think the attraction for me is the beautiful nose/mouth area. I think it looks lovely. I don't normally swear but if I hear of or read about horses (or any other animal or child for that matter) being cruelly treated I can't always control myself. I challenged someone who said all people who have horse-drawn carriages are cruel because in my experience they're not. You do get cruel ones but some people who have horse-drawn carriages are very good to their horses & look after them well. If these heavy, working horses weren't pulling carriages what else would they be doing? They're very big, powerful animals. They need the exercise. Some driver's need to be considerate of other road user's whether they're horse-drawn carriages, horses, pedestrians, etc. At 1 time most of the world would have been at a standstill without horses so why should they be driven off the road by motorists & people who don't respect them? The horse was here 1st so should have priority. Some motorists would disagree though saying they pay road tax & horse rider's & people driving horse-drawn transport don't so this gives them more priority but equestrians & people driving horse-drawn coaches don't cause as much damage to the roads as some motorists. As long as they shovel up any horse manure which the horse leaves behind & owner's ensure their shoes are fitted regularly so they don't come off it should be o.k.

Writing this helped me get rid of something that's really been holding me back & making me clam up instead of coming out with what I really think & feel.

 

[Horsa]

When you feel like wasting time just think how quickly all those things you don't want to do could get done.
In summer when you've got everything done you could be out enjoying the sun.
In winter you could have more time in front of the fire with a good book & a cup of coffee or tea.
The sooner you get things done the sooner your time is free.

 

[Horsa]

I'm reading my reading challenge book #3 a banned book now which in my case is Lady Chatterley's lover. It was banned because of all the copulation which was a taboo subject at the time. I've just read chapter 1 & if it came out today it would have been banned for a different reason. The reason being it uses the terms cripple, crippled & invalid to refer to disabled people which was acceptable at the time but isn't now in the same way as reading about fornication wasn't acceptable at that time but is now.

 

[Horsa]

Things I hate

I hate people who to animals & children are cruel.
I hate people who always instead of defusing an argument pile on more fuel.
I hate ignorant people & people who act like fools.
I hate people who are cruel to horses, ponies, donkeys, zebras, asses & mules.
I know I'm very articulate so hate it when capable people don't understand me although I've spoken well.
I'm sure for some others this feeling will ring a bell.
I hate people who kill others or steal.
I hate people who aren't real.
I hate people who lie.
I hate people who know you & just pass by.
I hate people who don't tell the truth.
I hate people who for the slightest reason go through the roof.
I hate people who no matter what you say don't know right from wrong.
I hate it when new singers spoil an old song.
I hate people who twist your words & not in fun.
The last 3 words in the last line are important because I like the odd pun.
I hate it when people don't consider other people's feelings.
I hate it when people aren't civilised in all their dealings.
I hate people who are rude.
I hate people who always talk crude.
I hate people who never show gratitude.

 

[Nekro]

I hate people who are cruel to horses, ponies, donkeys, zebras, asses & mules.

I particularly hate people who are cruel to ponies.... like fat kids who eat too much junk food then sit on the ponies with their big lardasses........

Mule haters also piss me off totally , i'm hunting for those people day and night :hunting:

 

[Horsa]

I particularly hate people who are cruel to ponies.... like fat kids who eat too much junk food then sit on the ponies with their big lardasses........

Mule haters also piss me off totally , i'm hunting for those people day and night :hunting:

Me too. Lol. Though I was thinking about a different type of cruelty to equines. How would you like us to call a truce? I'll apologise for all I've done wrong & respect your boundaries & you do the same.

 

[Nekro]

Me too. Lol. Though I was thinking about a different type of cruelty to equines. How would you like us to call a truce?

????? I wasn't really at war but ok... i mean let's call a truce

cool poem btw

 

[Horsa]

Sometimes I wish I could turn back time.
Sometimes I wish I was better at mime.
Sometimes I wish I could change a few choices I made in the past.
Sometimes I wish the consequences of those choices didn't last.
Sometimes I wish I could start all over again knowing what I know now.
Sometimes I wish I'd have diffused situations instead of having a row.
There are some bridges I wish I hadn't burnt.
There are some lessons I wish I hadn't learnt.
There are some things I wish I could forget.
There are some things I regret.

 

[Horsa]

It's Burns Night tonight. Scots normally have haggis, neeps (turnip) & tatties (potatoes) for supper washed down with whisky & they normally pipe the haggis & recite Burns poem "ode to the haggis" & Auld Lang Syne is normally played. This is to celebrate what would be Burns' Birthday because he is their national bard. I celebrate Burns night differently as I don't like haggis as it's too spicy & I don't like neeps as they're too bitter. I don't like whisky either. I celebrate Burns Night by eating shortbread & Highland toffee, drinking Iron Bru, listening to his songs & reading his poems & songs.