BARomero's posted comments

  1. On Skinny Dipping :

    posted about 1 hour ago

    Lovely sweet story. Proof that the reward is worth the journey. Well done.

  2. On Laine's List (favorite book challenge):

    posted about 2 hours ago

    I love the Freudian nature of Peter Pan, and how depending on what age you read it, Petergoes from being a great adventure hero to a great tragic hero.

  3. On Sometimes a Fantasy:

    posted 1 day ago

    Return of the Billy Joel Posse!!!! Does she happen to be “Sleeping with the Television On?”

  4. On The Sound Of Defeat [Perfect Moment… Ruined Challenge]:

    posted 2 days ago

    This was simultaneously funny and sad… and just a little bit creepy, but I suppose that was the effect you were going for.

  5. On Hark! there's a pecker in the bush.:

    posted 4 days ago

    I’m quite partial to the double entendre at work here. This was great fun to read!

  6. On Jefferson Davis' Gettysburg Address (2) (Twisted History):

    posted 15 days ago

    Most of the changes to the original speech are in the first two paragraphs (in the prequel). Lincoln referred to the United States as one nation, whereas Davis, in my version, refers to them as a set of independent states. This piece was inspired by a line in National Treasure 2, where Nicholas Cage’s character says that before the Civil War, the U.S. was referred to as “are” plural, and afterward the U.S. was referred to as “is” singular…

  7. On Jefferson Davis' Gettysburg Address (2) (Twisted History):

    posted 15 days ago

    There are subtle differences here. The Davis version emphasizes more the need for States’ rights, over a strong central government. so it’s “governments,” rather than “government” of the people…

  8. On Re: Ficlets of Change:

    posted 21 days ago

    Addendum to 9: I’d also like to see different Ficleteers become guest editors and pick out the Featured Ficlet for the week…

  9. On That Vampire Poem Saved My Life:

    posted 29 days ago

    It’s encouraging to know that even though we’re losing Kevin the sysadmin, we may see more of Kevin the writer….

  10. On 24 (The Lost Episode): Intro:

    posted about 1 month ago

    Loving all things 24 (except season 6), I’m definitely going to be following this one. Have you read any of the 24 stuff I’ve been working on with TheBetweenSpace?

  11. On Pie [THX's Number Challenge]:

    posted about 1 month ago

    The math is WAY over my head on this one, but I enjoyed it as a Ficlet nonetheless. After going through this, my entry to the number challenge shouldn’t be too hard for you to decipher!

  12. On Dr. Timm's Challenge (Part 1):

    posted about 1 month ago

    There is actually an answer, and a logic to this. PM me if you want to hazard a guess, or if you want additional clues…

  13. On Revised Willy Wonka:

    posted about 1 month ago

    D’oh! That factory really is an insurance nightmare, isn’t it?

  14. On Jing-sei's Curse [Challenge by Numbers]:

    posted about 1 month ago

    I like the mythic tone you put in your writing here. Interesting that the father, rather than the mother is the one more accepting of the child, especially given that the child is a girl.

  15. On Jing-sei's Curse [Challenge by Numbers]:

    posted about 1 month ago

    I like the mythic tone you put in your writing here. Interesting that the father, rather than the mother is the one more accepting of the child, especially given that the child is a girl.

  16. On Dr. Timm's Challenge (Part 1):

    posted about 1 month ago

    And 1024 too!

  17. On This is Me, Then... Here I Am, Now... (1):

    posted about 1 month ago

    “Haber” must have some other meaning in Scottish, as the Proclaimers were (are?) a Scottish group…

  18. On www.Anti-Zombies.org:

    posted about 1 month ago

    You know, first thing I had to do as soon as I saw this segment was check out the website! Nicely done, both on the ficlet itself and the expanded universe…

  19. On This is Me, Then... Here I Am, Now... (2):

    posted about 1 month ago

    Okay, so apparently Robert Zemeckis is shooting my life story. And now the fun part. Here’s a link to all the songs on my soundtrack:
    http://www.playlist.com/node/34950307
    .
    WARNING: Some songs may have explicit content

  20. On This is Me, Then... Here I Am, Now... (1):

    posted about 1 month ago

    Actually, except for the Forrest Gump theme, which would go over the title sequence, these are all cover versions of 80’s songs, which were a big part of my formative years… more to come…

  21. On A Reading from the Book of Lucas (1:1-13) [thebetweenspace Make Me Laugh Challenge]:

    posted about 1 month ago

    Does it violate the fifth commandment if I used Fandango yesterday for my Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (wow, is that the longest title EVER?) tickets?

  22. On The Comprehensive (Compressed) Guide to Middle School Life, No. 2: Social Classes:

    posted about 1 month ago

    Saturday, March 24, 1984
    Shermer, IL 60062
    Dear Mr. Vernon,
    We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us. In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. That’s the way we saw each other at 7 o’clock this morning. We were brainwashed.

  23. On Island Life [When I Grow Up Challenge]:

    posted about 1 month ago

    I actually had a similar retirement dream, to open up a little sand bar on Orient Beach (a nude beach) in Sint Maarten/St. Martin (the French side). You open up every day, not caring if you make a profit or not, and watch the lovelies go by all day long…

  24. On Starry Starry Night:

    posted about 1 month ago

    Sweet memory. Happy Mom Day, and early happy B-Day.

  25. On Velvet's Story:

    posted about 1 month ago

    I heard a story once. In fact, I’ve heard a lot of stories in my time. They went along with the sound of a tinny piano in the parlor downstairs. “Mister, I met a man once when I was a kid,” they always began.
    .
    This segment just made me think of that line from Casablanca. But I definitely love the chemistry and the interplay between Paul and Velvet in this series.

  26. On The Following Takes Place Between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM:

    posted about 1 month ago

    Cha-chung… cha-chung… cha-chung… cha-chung… We now have a ticking clock! We have thirteen hours to save Jason (if we can), and three more to bring his captors to justice (again, if we can!)

  27. On 67, 68, 69 ...:

    posted about 1 month ago

    I don’t know who’s more ballsy, the protag or the mother! Great!

  28. On 8/6/45:

    posted about 1 month ago

    Great POV on here. The confused reactions to the first A-Bomb dropped are haunting. And the fact that you titled this piece with the date of the bombing evokes 9/11 for me.

  29. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM:

    posted about 1 month ago

    I wanted to put a Ka-chung… Ka-chung… in there, but ran out of space.

  30. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    I just realized I may have done something weird subconsciously as far as naming characters goes. Tony is being played by Randall in our storyline = Tony Randall? Wha—??

  31. On In A World Without:

    posted 2 months ago

    You know, for the longest time I avoided getting a cell, because I just didn’t want to be that reachable. Now, like a lot of other people, it’s practically my primary means of communication.

  32. On Cardboard Kingdom {Louise Madison's Hear Ye Challenge}:

    posted 2 months ago

    Cute play scene. Now was the herald originally the last king demoted?

  33. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 6:24 PM and 7:00PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    CHA-CHUNG… CHA-CHUNG… CHA-CHUNG… CHA-CHUNG… I was having trouble wrapping my head around how Randall acquired sodium pentathol last time, but this seems to work. Now let’s hope Frank doesn’t have a diabetic reaction…

  34. On Credits:

    posted 2 months ago

    Straightforward and fun to read story. Loved it when the Ficleteers joined the fray.

  35. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 5:30 PM and 6:11 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    Funny, I considered having Arnold say, “Screw you guys, I’m going home,” when he was quitting two prequels ago…

  36. On It's What's Inside That Counts [BARomero nameless challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    This challenge just keeps going, and going, and going, and going….

  37. On Daemonic Device [BARomero's nameless challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    I was totally off as well, thinking garbage disposal unit myself.

  38. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    I kinda think that maybe Arnold never was as invested in the fantasy as the others are because he didn’t really get a say on which character he would be…

  39. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    I was working on a sequel to this, in between doing my day job, but you beat me to it again! Oh well, consider my piece a sidequel (in THX-speak)

  40. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    Hmm. I was reading them as slightly younger. Tweens, or even South Park fourth-graders…

  41. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    What if O. Henry wrote 24? This is really fun to read.

  42. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 1:00 PM And 2:00 PM:

    posted 2 months ago

    Grrr! I_ wanted to do a _24 story, but you beat me to the punch! Anyway, this’ll get me through till season seven starts next January (or at least till the Season 7 prequel movie this fall)...

  43. On The Smell of Fear [BARomero's Nameless Challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    I’ve not experienced this particular brand of fear (yet), but you did do such a great job of describing it, that I felt myself tugging at my own collar…

  44. On Only Half a Pyramid (One More Word Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    Nice job, working on the shape of the text (more or less) for your One More Word Ficlet.

  45. On Jesus of the Electric:

    posted 2 months ago

    Wonderful description on a crisis of faith. Well done again!

  46. On Mmmmmm...:

    posted 2 months ago

    Haha! I had thought ice cream all the way, and then when you mentioned that you were considering mature tagging, I read it again. Brilliant (and totally hot)! Makes me think of this sneezing video (which also might not be suitable for minors)
    .
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E61_oa3kb2o
    .
    Describing an object or event in detail without saying what it is, and then letting your readers guess it, might be a good idea for a challenge.

  47. On Public Service Announcement:

    posted 2 months ago

    I did it in two clicks (one doubleclick). It’s been kinda iffy lately.

  48. On The Little Prince Challenge!!!:

    posted 2 months ago

    This and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein are the two books I love giving my nieces and nephews as presents. I had fun writing my bit on this one.

  49. On Le Maître des Jeux (Part Un):

    posted 2 months ago

    I wrote this in English, then translated it into French in tribute to Saint-Exupery using Babel Fish, which means there are bound to be mistranslations in the text. I tried to correct some of the most obvious ones, using my memory of high school French, which I have not used in about fifteen years. So if anyone notices anything off in the translation (Nouvelle!), please let me know and I’ll make the change. Merci!!

  50. On Le Maître des Jeux (Part Deux):

    posted 2 months ago

    I wrote this in English, then translated it into French in tribute to Saint-Exupery using Babel Fish, which means there are bound to be mistranslations in the text. I tried to correct some of the most obvious ones, using my memory of high school French, which I have not used in about fifteen years. So if anyone notices anything off in the translation (Nouvelle!), please let me know and I’ll make the change. Merci!!

  51. On All CherryPop's Fault:

    posted 2 months ago

    I’m starting to get a sneaking suspicion that there’s an ulterior motive for someone raising stupid zombies other than to disrupt these civil rights rallies…

  52. On The Hitler Suicides:

    posted 2 months ago

    This might be fun. So The Way It Had to Be and Eva Braun might actually be two separate incidents with a murder/suicide? Love to see where you go with this, though Murray’s immediate knowledge of Hitler’s birthday kinda puts him on my suspicious list…

  53. On Houston We Have a Problem (American Idol Style):

    posted 2 months ago

    Ah! That it was Whitney Houston slipped by me on the first read-through. A great sequel for this might be her exit interview and reaction in the confessionals….

  54. On Title as yet undertermined, if u want more, ill give it a name:

    posted 2 months ago

    Good flawed protagonist, finds an object (could be the McGuffin). I’d say you have the start of a story here…

  55. On The Meta Ficlet [One More Word Writing Challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    Ha ha! Is it possible that Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” is playing in the background while this conversation is going on?

  56. On Joey and Sparks, part 2:

    posted 2 months ago

    This is why there are no superheroes in their terrible twos, though I wonder how Franklin Richards got through that age! Love the absurdity of this story.

  57. On Letting it Out (One More Word Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    The really great thing about this one was that the growing size of the sentences (as per the challenge) actually matched up metaphorically with the build up of emotion within the scene. Masterfully done.

  58. On The Game (One More Word Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    I really think this could be a pretty fun drinking game.

  59. On How to Irritate Your Wife [One More Word Writing Challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    The sound of that word was something quite atrocious! Plus I missed it on my first reading, but great story!

  60. On One More Word Writing Challenge:

    posted 2 months ago

    Okay, so I cheated a little on this one, and reset my counter part of the way through, but it made sense to in the context of the story.

  61. On One More Word Writing Challenge - Ashavari's Sari:

    posted 2 months ago

    I like it! It’s very sentimental! Just take out the word counts at the end of each line (even though it’s there for the challenge) and let the story stand on its own.

  62. On Houston We Have a Problem (American Idol Style):

    posted 2 months ago

    Ouch, Simon! Is that what happened this year? I haven’t been watching.

  63. On Writer's Curse:

    posted 2 months ago

    Kudos for Xavier going back in to work, instead of punting the day and going off to Six Flags. And being that he’s from Valencia, I imagine that there’s a better than 50/50 chance that his first words will be “FADE IN:”?

  64. On Fyora's Orphanage 3 (My Babies):

    posted 2 months ago

    I know what you mean, Fyora! I’ve held off on putting up a few of my unfinished series for adoption. Okay, I’m off to read all of these so I can see which to contribute to…

  65. On BARomero's Orphanage of Ficlet Series (1):

    posted 2 months ago

    This isn’t a challenge per se, so apologies in advance for sticking a “newchallenge” tag on it. I just wanted to get some traffic here to create visibility for my orphans, as well as to encourage people to sequel this Ficlet with their orphans…

  66. On BARomero's Orphanage of Ficlet Series (2):

    posted 2 months ago

    I should also mention that if you do decide to sequel one (or more) of these, please send me a note. I’d love to know where my babies went off to college.

  67. On Fake-Crayon Words:

    posted 2 months ago

    Kindergarten really is just the sorting hat for the rest of our lives, isn’t it? We’re all in one room for a few months, and after that we become rebels and nerds, jocks and princesses, slytherins and gryffindors…

  68. On The Number 3, Dale Pays a Visit (Conversations With Dead People Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    For the record, I’m a little bit of a Danica Patrick fan myself, but she’s an INDY driver…

  69. On Steel and Flesh:

    posted 2 months ago

    Now I’m curious as to where you want to go with this.

  70. On rowing:

    posted 2 months ago

    Excellent description of the love for your sport. I gotta ask you about the terminology though, especially “catching crabs?”

  71. On New Rules:

    posted 2 months ago

    Nice turn! It subtly raises the stakes for Chuck/Todd. Can he stay out of trouble long enough to get through school? And how will these new rules affect his loyalty to the crew when the shit (pardon my French) goes down?

  72. On Anyone?:

    posted 2 months ago

    Wait. I thought the narrator’s name was Chuck?

  73. On Call Up:

    posted 2 months ago

    It’s starting to escalate. Are we talking a Jets vs. Sharks fight, Greasers vs. Socs, or Bloods vs. Crips?

  74. On Street Fight Love:

    posted 2 months ago

    Could still be an interesting spin, although there is a continuity error here as THX had established the narrator’s name as “Chuck” in the previous Ficlet. Perhaps changing the name from “Hayden” to “Charlene?”

  75. On Go Time:

    posted 2 months ago

    I like how Alex is able to read Chuck without being told anything, as well as his ability to communicate to Young with minimal dialogue. Great use of subtext that shows the nature and depth of their relationship.

  76. On I am Slut (Brit):

    posted 2 months ago

    Excellent! The masks are finally starting to (slowly) peel!

  77. On I am Anima (Invisable):

    posted 2 months ago

    Anima is quite the shapeshifter. I so want to do an in-depth Jungian analysis of all your characters (if only I had the time). I’m just waiting for them to shed their respective personae and let their animae become exposed. Fascinating!

  78. On I am Jock:

    posted 2 months ago

    A theme that I’m hoping you’ll explore in future Ficlets, is that the nerd archetype and the jock archetype is at its core the same. Both are driven to achieve (either scholastically or athletically), because arguably their futures depend on it.

  79. On An idea- and writers block.:

    posted 2 months ago

    I don’t usually like to pick up longer series when the writer is already deep into it, but this looks to be interesting. I’m hoping that we find in each of your characters a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal…

  80. On The Number 3, Dale Pays a Visit (Conversations With Dead People Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    Dale Sr. went out the way he was meant to: On the final turn of the final lap of the sport’s premier race, and blocking for his teammates no less! His legend is secure, and so is his advice.

  81. On The Mysterious Case of the Invisible Strawberries:

    posted 2 months ago

    For some reason, I see Ricky Gervais as the defendant here…

  82. On PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE FICLETEER BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!! (Flute Faerie's Nice Things Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    I’m not sure if he was wounded in that battle, Ridcully. ;-)

  83. On And So It Begins...:

    posted 2 months ago

    Great descriptions and a strong hook. Very noir. Although I don’t see anything here that really requires you to slap a mature label on the ficlet.

  84. On The Enterprising Starship:

    posted 2 months ago

    A good satire on the rate of technological progress. Well done!

  85. On PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE FICLETEER BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!! (Flute Faerie's Nice Things Challenge):

    posted 2 months ago

    I totally agree with what everybody else has mentioned in their responses to this challenge (and thank you if you’ve mentioned me), but these three I think may not have gotten as much recognition as they should have.

  86. On Condom Incognito:

    posted 2 months ago

    Uh oh! Talk about performance anxiety!! Haha!!

  87. On Stage two of five:

    posted 2 months ago

    I’m picturing a Giger painting, or something with Jeri Ryan in this scene (especially after the prequel!)

  88. On Three to get ready...:

    posted 2 months ago

    Hot and sexy, yet tastefully done.

  89. On Round-up Lollipop:

    posted 2 months ago

    This sounds like part of a song.

  90. On One Vampire, One Werewolf, One Forbidden Love:

    posted 2 months ago

    Great visuals!

  91. On Visitations of a Pointless Nature [Conversations with Dead People Challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    This is great Kevin Smith-y humor, minus the F-bombs! Loved it!!

  92. On The commute:

    posted 2 months ago

    Ooo… ominous! This looks promising…

  93. On The Princess Bride's Pursuers Clash:

    posted 2 months ago

    This is the first time you’re out of character with your story. Count Rugen would not fight Inigo on equal terms. That’s why he ran away in their encounter in the original version…

  94. On The Pitch:

    posted 2 months ago

    Having through a pitchfest or two myself, I can imagine how development execs and editors like yours might find option 3 appealing.

  95. On leslie:

    posted 2 months ago

    This still isn’t a story.

  96. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #1: Paragraph Spacing:

    posted 2 months ago

    One other thing I thought I’d mention about paragraphs is that the size of a paragraph has a subtle influence on the perception of a story’s pacing. Shorter paragraphs make the story seem to go at a quicker pace, while longer paragraphs (or short paragraphs where the end of the paragraph isn’t clear) make the moment seem longer. This is one reason why screenplays keep to the page-a-minute rule with one or two-line paragraphs. Size does matter.

  97. On Zoulag grabs a hold:

    posted 2 months ago

    I do like this version better, and I’ve added back a star for it. Hope atllta’s next sequel is based on this version of the story…

  98. On The Princess Bride's Kingly Confusion:

    posted 2 months ago

    Is espionagical a word? Either way, it fits with Vizzini. Great!

  99. On Putting Things Off in Mirror Land [Elsha's Mirror Challenge]:

    posted 2 months ago

    It’s really sad that too many of us have that kind of self-image, but great empathy in the writing here. What’s the box?

  100. On kayla:

    posted 2 months ago

    please use notes or email to private note each other, instead of posting Ficlets…

  101. On FFC0CB:

    posted 2 months ago

    Did he ask Mindi out, or did she ask him out?

  102. On Winning Point ((THX's defensive challenge)):

    posted 2 months ago

    This was cute, and I was thinking about doing a Ficlet on how opposing teams tend to overshift on pull hitters like Jason Giambi, so that they’d be completely caught off guard should he ever decide to bunt down the third base line…

  103. On Zoulag grabs a hold:

    posted 2 months ago

    I’m a little concerned that what started out as a good set between two great writers is starting to stagnate. The problem as I see it is that neither writer is willing to let their characters lose the upper hand to the other’s characters. As a result, this conflict stays at a perpetual stalemate and the action doesn’t rise. Advice: get together privately and work out between yourselves which one of you will drop some yardage on the field, so that the story can open up.

  104. On Survival of the Deadest:

    posted 2 months ago

    Oh no!!!

  105. On We're Going to Need a Bigger Axe:

    posted 2 months ago

    boat/axe, poe-tay-toe/poe-tah-toe… terrific story still… Where’s Simone?

  106. On Velvet:

    posted 2 months ago

    How you doin’?
    .
    (Actually, you don’t need to write the word bold, just put asterisks around the word you want in bold print)

  107. On Rocking on the Front Porch:

    posted 2 months ago

    This is such a vividly described tender memory. Thank you for it.

  108. On The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure - 35th Anniversary Unabridged and Annotated Edition (p.728):

    posted 2 months ago

    Being that Goldman was the screenwriter for Misery and actually came up with the sledgehammer scene (I haven’t read Stephen King’s book, but I understand that the Kathy Bates character actually saws off the writer’s feet), I just couldn’t resist making the connection.

  109. On Doomed Montague:

    posted 3 months ago

    This looks like the start of a good tennis match (back and forth between two Ficleteers) between atllta and Ridcully Calvert!

  110. On 008000:

    posted 3 months ago

    I like what you’re doing with this, even though I continually have to look up the hex codes to figure out your titles…

  111. On Intelligently Undead:

    posted 3 months ago

    I totally dig the POV on this. You may end up competing with Melia for my attention as far as zombie stories go…

  112. On 0000FF:

    posted 3 months ago

    This is creative, even if you are feeling 0000FF. Hopefully soon you’ll be in the FF1CAE!

  113. On The Time Capsule (2):

    posted 3 months ago

    Here is the inspiration for this Ficlet (I couldn’t find one on the Flickr images :-()
    .
    http://www.mondotees.com/ProductImages/bangonicons/45adapyell.jpg

  114. On [Challenge] Baby Names:

    posted 3 months ago

    Awesome, and thanks for the special mention, Ridcully. Now onto the important stuff… size and weight?

  115. On The Little Fag The Couldn't:

    posted 3 months ago

    Also it has no relevance to THX’s story, to which it’s linked.

  116. On Tasting Rainbows:

    posted 3 months ago

    I’m fascinated by this “affliction.” Tell me more.

  117. On To Rebuild A Man:

    posted 3 months ago

    Great start! Looking forward to reading more…

  118. On History In The Making:

    posted 3 months ago

    I do get a bit wistful when I realize my own brother, who’s only twelve years younger than me, has no idea what a 45 adapter is.
    .
    (Right now, Flute is also asking herself, “what is a 45 adapter?”)

  119. On By Their Fruit You Shall Know Them:

    posted 3 months ago

    This was pretty fun.

  120. On CherryPop Goes For Help:

    posted 3 months ago

    Some big action coming up. I want to see Simone get in on it too. (Have you introduced her here yet, or just in the blog?)

  121. On Make It Better:

    posted 3 months ago

    MyName Is, I don’t think that “gay idiot” is the author’s actual attitude, but rather the thoughts of a character in denial and still trying to figure out who she is, especially after being immersed in mainstream values and mores all of her life. YKYLM, this is interesting, but can be developed further. You’ve got a lot of space to use here. Why not use it?

  122. On The Accident. (PART TWO):

    posted 3 months ago

    There’s a big jump in the story that needs to be explained more, between the being done with guys to making out with Jenn. Did Jenn seduce Kaitlyn or did Kaitlyn go after Jenn. Also you have a POV shift in the middle of this Ficlet. It starts out third person, then becomes first person midway through the telling.

  123. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #1: Paragraph Spacing:

    posted 3 months ago

    Does indenting work on Ficlets? I’m not sure, having never tried. Something that shows where one paragraph ends and the next begins. Of course, indenting may cost you more characters than skipping a line.

  124. On A Comic Shop Owner Expecting His First Child...:

    posted 3 months ago

    Haha! The idea for this Ficlet, aside from Ridcully’s Challenge, was a discussion I was having with some friends about how Cage, by naming his kid Kal-El, was just asking for trouble.
    Also Kevin Smith, who named his kid Harley Quinn, after the Batman villain.

  125. On A Comic Shop Owner Expecting His First Child...:

    posted 3 months ago

    I may someday have this conversation myself. :-)

  126. On [Challenge] Baby Names:

    posted 3 months ago

    Congrats, Ridcully! I have a list of names for you (I was working on a theme), although one of the characters vetoed all of the other’s suggestions…

  127. On Stovohobo's Ficlets Best Practices: No More Nonsense:

    posted 3 months ago

    Nonsense Ficlets don’t really bother me, so long as they aren’t abusive, not tagged properly, or attack anybody. Lewis Carroll was a master of nonsense, as was Douglas Adams.

  128. On Previously on THE PULSE:

    posted 3 months ago

    Oh, and I eventually want to continue on this story… I just worry I’d painted myself into a corner for a while…

  129. On Previously on THE PULSE:

    posted 3 months ago

    I actually had Henry Wu from JP on the back of my mind when I first started writing the story, Stovo, but I changed the name to “Lu” after a family friend. I don’t know why I changed it back to “Wu” for this rundown, but I’ve fixed it again to “Lu.” Thanks for spotting that for me!

  130. On forever lost, forever gone:

    posted 3 months ago

    It really is tough to lose someone close. Well written.

  131. On Titles( Non-Fiction)- { More of a Rant than a Story}:

    posted 3 months ago

    The two mentioned have grossly flouted the Community Standards outlined at the bottom of the page time and again, both in their own Ficlets and in their comments to others. Although their appearances on the site have been sporadic, it has been going on for months. I believe that serious disciplinary action is in order here for these two, which may include deletion of offending material to monitoring of future postings to permanent banning from the site.

  132. On Second Life Buddha (2157 AD):

    posted 3 months ago

    Nice Ficlet, though it still spooks me how Second Life is only a handful of steps away from becoming The Matrix…

  133. On Out of Luck in Liberty Junction:

    posted 3 months ago

    D’oh! I totally liked the twist at the end as well. I wonder if Cole knew today was his day? He was so at peace with himself…

  134. On Pony Express, or I Wanna Be Like Him:

    posted 3 months ago

    I should mention that Buffalo Bill was about 14-15 when he worked for the Pony Express. But this is interesting. I’ll read on.

  135. On At what cost:

    posted 3 months ago

    REVENGE!! I like your writing style. Looking for to seeing where this leads.

  136. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #7: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation:

    posted 3 months ago

    Totally agree with you again, R_M! And I further agree with THX, that it takes me out of the story if spelling and grammar are incorrect (unless of course it was done intentionally for effect).
    One group I would add though to those who get a free pass, are those for whom English is not their native language. I know there are at least a handful here, and just because they don’t speak or write a lot of English, doesn’t mean they don’t have something to say.

  137. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #5: Edit Yourself:

    posted 3 months ago

    Also, on cutting and pasting from Word. I originally used to do this on other sites because back in the days of dialup (and now the younger Ficleteers are saying, “What’s dialup?” D’oh!) I would write long postings on boards, only to have my call drop before I could post it. So I’d lose what I wrote. So Word became my backup. But it’s still a good idea, because you can spellcheck and grammar check on Word before you post onto Ficlets.

  138. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It:

    posted 3 months ago

    Tags certainly make it easier to sift through 26,000+ (and climbing) Ficlets to find the one(s) you’re looking for.

  139. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #5: Edit Yourself:

    posted 3 months ago

    Yes, yes, and yes. Part of my process is that when I get about halfway through my Ficlet, I’ll write my endpoint and work towards that. Also I write it in MS Word, then cut and paste it onto here, because I HATE that when you write your Ficlet in DRAFT mode and then make it public, Ficlets records the original posting date/time and your story never shows up on the MOST RECENT list.

  140. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #4: Write Prequels & Sequels:

    posted 3 months ago

    I’ve been on every side of this. I’ve ignored some sequels of my stories and I’ve encouraged others. In turn, some of my sequels have been ignored and others encouraged to continue. But definitely the “wikifiction” aspect of this site should be used more.

  141. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #3: Ficlet Structure:

    posted 3 months ago

    Ending with a hook or a cliffhanger is good advice, even if you plan to sequel yourself. If you look at almost any TV show, it always ends on a cliffhanger right before a commercial break. This is to keep your interest piqued enough to sit through three minutes of ads (for those with TiVo this is a non-issue), rather than switch channels looking for something else. Same thing applies here. The rule goes, “Always leave them wanting more…”

  142. On R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #1: Paragraph Spacing:

    posted 3 months ago

    I’m on Robotech_Master’s and CMT,KOM’s side of the podium on this. Coming from a screenwriting background, I definitely appreciate more how white space makes things much easier to read.

  143. On The First Illusion:

    posted 3 months ago

    I really liked this! It was part Genesis, part The Matrix, part The Cage/The Menagerie. Blink once if you agree.

  144. On The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure - 35th Anniversary Unabridged and Annotated Edition (p.723):

    posted 3 months ago

    This is my stuff (one might say my fault), but I was trying to emulate William Goldman’s writing style from the original novel. The explanation is a little involved, so I’ll tell you about it in a private note. (And anyone else who wants the explanation as well, drop me a note)

  145. On I Can't Wait to be _Her Hero_:

    posted 3 months ago

    Terrific sentiments here, I like it a lot. Just watch the spelling and it’ll be flawless as well.

  146. On One Moment:

    posted 3 months ago

    I so want to go on a cruise again! Because I know all about the 4 AM peace, with nothing but warm air and cool mist…

  147. On The Princess Bride's Rescuer Trouble:

    posted 3 months ago

    You really did capture the voices of the characters! Well done! And I couldn’t resist sequeling this, though I tried to emulate the novel more than the movie…

  148. On Checkmate:

    posted 3 months ago

    Nice. You zinged him!

  149. On The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure - 35th Anniversary Unabridged and Annotated Edition (p.728):

    posted 3 months ago

    Admittedly, these are very short pages (no wonder the book is over 700 pages long!), and I let this set just get away from me. But it was so much fun to write!

  150. On The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure - 35th Anniversary Unabridged and Annotated Edition (p.723):

    posted 3 months ago

    I had a completely different plan for my 100th Ficlet, but when I read what Uselessness had done with TPB, well, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to try to emulate one of my heroes of page and screen, William Goldman…

  151. On True Zombies Don't Eat Brains:

    posted 3 months ago

    Time for CherryPop and Liam to start getting proactive and look for this necromancer-wannabe, so they can give him a stern talking to…

  152. On CherryPop Can't Save Them All:

    posted 3 months ago

    D’oh! I imagine there’s going to be a TON of fallout for this! I still want to know more about the bounty on Cherrys head…

  153. On In Heavy Traffic [1980s Arcade Game Challenge]:

    posted 3 months ago

    What about the tire slashers? Loved Spy Hunter!!

  154. On Philosophical Questions and Vampire Tomes:

    posted 3 months ago

    I’ve less of an issue with Celeste’s age, though having been around in the early 20th century I can see how it would be stretch for to be anything less than Sean’s great aunt. The main thing for me was that Ridcully’s prequel had him stealing a copy from her, while later sequels (which were written previously) have the book stolen from Howie’s vampire Sterling Wilson. Also, Celeste, as co-author of the book, should have multiple copies in her home to give out as gifts.

  155. On Script Doctoring (150th Ficlet Challenge):

    posted 3 months ago

    Hmmm… Ang Lee’s PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES

  156. On Terms of Endearment (SWEDED by MIKE and JERRY!):

    posted 3 months ago

    I wrote this basically in screenplay format, though not perfect, given the limitations of the site. If you haven’t yet seen BE KIND REWIND, I recommend it highly.
    And Kevin, as per your request. Enjoy!

  157. On Holy Saturday:

    posted 3 months ago

    Nicely done. Captures the confusion of the Disciples after Good Friday and before Easter Morning. Have a good holiday.

  158. On From the Case Files of Celeste Bellini, Vampire Psychiatrist: The Liam O'Connor Sessions (4):

    posted 3 months ago

    To be quite honest, I’m not quite sure where I’m going with this section, but I wanted to get it out before tomorrow. I was thinking of some sort of allusion to Lazarus, but wasn’t sure how to work it. Let me know what you think, if it works or if I need to make adjustments.

  159. On Philosophical Questions and Vampire Tomes:

    posted 3 months ago

    So the main thing I’m picking up here is that Sean’s Aunt Celeste might not be the same person who co-authored the Guide and provided psychotherapy to a certain Irish zombie bodyguard. Great job of straightening out the continuity on this storyline, THX! Thanks!

  160. On Evading the cat:

    posted 3 months ago

    I definitely want to read more along this line and find out what Sean and Dean do with the book…

  161. On Zombie Types [Stovo's Zombie Challenge]:

    posted 3 months ago

    And for those of you who want to read this Ficlet in its proper context (and haven’t checked out Melia’s profile to the right), the story starts here:
    http://ficlets.com/stories/22722

  162. On The Difference Between Zombies:

    posted 3 months ago

    You should link this section somehow to Stovohobo’s Zombie challenge…
    http://ficlets.com/stories/20442

  163. On Il n'est maintenant ou jamais.:

    posted 3 months ago

    Like it so far, though “near” in the city is anything three blocks away or less, rather than something you’d have to take a cab or a subway for…

  164. On Better Safe Than Sorry:

    posted 3 months ago

    I still like the story so far, but I do feel that some of the dialogue is overstated in this section. Emily’s relationship with her mother should be such that they should be able to communicate without spelling everything out for each other. Dial back a bit on the dialogue, and let the subtext pull your reader in. Example:
    “Just be careful.”
    I knew what that last euphemism meant. “Mom!”
    “Well, better safe than sorry.”

  165. On The Labyrinth Revisited:

    posted 3 months ago

    Bowie + Muppets = Awesome

  166. On Would Anyone Miss Me?:

    posted 3 months ago

    I’m hoping this didn’t actually happen on sunday. Belated happy b-day!

  167. On Cpl. Arthur Eisenstein: Viet Nam Vampire (2):

    posted 3 months ago

    There might be, W. But who will be ambushing whom?

  168. On Message:

    posted 3 months ago

    Minor time shift error here. NY is actually six hours behind Paris, not in front (actually because of DST, it’s five hours behind for the next two weeks). So 8 PM in Paris is 2 PM in NY. Emily should want to have a late lunch right now.

  169. On Asteroids (pt 1) - 1980s video game challenge:

    posted 3 months ago

    Of course you realize that the odds of actually successfully navigating an asteroid field are approximately three thousand seven hundred twenty to one…

  170. On Shop Talk (80's Arcade Challenge):

    posted 3 months ago

    I’m noticing a lotta love for Dig Dug here, but none for Mr. Do! What’s up wit dat??

  171. On New York to Paris:

    posted 3 months ago

    Funny, I picked up this story at the previous Ficlet because there is a terrific Filipino restaurant in the East Village (not far from NYU) called Cendrillon.

    Okay, tangent over. I’m enjoying this story, though I’m still waiting for the twist…

  172. On Enchanté:

    posted 3 months ago

    Pourquoi est-ce que je suspecte qu’il soit vraiment un bohémien et un voleur ?

  173. On Tapper (80's Arcade Challenge):

    posted 3 months ago

    Actually, there were two versions of the game. Tapper had Budweiser branding on the game (including on the tap lever), and was only available in bars. Root Beer Tapper, on the other hand, had a generic root beer logo in place of Budweiser. This version was identical to the Bud version in all other respects, but was available in arcades, and was the version that eventually got ported to home systems.

  174. On [CHALLENGE] 1980's Arcade Games:

    posted 3 months ago

    There was a game, whose title I’m trying to remember, that involved filmed stock footage of WWI biplanes dogfighting, and a push bar that triggered a machine gun sound effect…

  175. On [CHALLENGE] 1980's Arcade Games:

    posted 3 months ago

    You can almost tell the age of some people by the level of obscurity of their video game choices. I’m thinking of doing Rally X, Karate Champ, or Elevator Action…

  176. On Tempest (1980's Arcade Games Challenge):

    posted 3 months ago

    I wanted to do a Ficlet on this game, or Qix, but wasn’t sure just how to work it. Well done!

  177. On The Resurrection of Liam O'Connor, Part 4:

    posted 3 months ago

    POV is fine, Melia. It’s just that the reader needs to go back a few parts to where it’s established if they’re just picking up the story from here. If you keep re-establishing the POV in every part, it’ll slow down the story.

  178. On The Death of Liam O'Connor, Part 6:

    posted 3 months ago

    Terrific sequence! There’s a little bit of a Harry Potter element, which I would caution you against straying too close to, but I thoroughly enjoyed the conflict and your exploration of the characters and their relationships.

  179. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 3 months ago

    two weeks laTer, aNd only tarmaie and band baby have fIgured it out still. do i NeEd to use the code everyone else uses for more people to guess the secret message to bob?

  180. On Professional Consultation: Polish vs. Ghoulish:

    posted 3 months ago

    So it’s a side-equal to a side-equal, since mine is already an aside to Melia’s story, probably more than it is to PG2V. I may have to consult you more to keep my psych straight, since most of my knowledge comes from sources like Ordinary People and Frasier…

  181. On The Death of Liam O'Connor, Part 1:

    posted 3 months ago

    Good good scene! I’m gonna hold off on my stuff for a bit while you go through this.

  182. On Vampires vs. Zombies: The Liam O'Connor Sessions (3):

    posted 3 months ago

    I’m finding that the tone in these stories is a bit more serious than in PG2V (maybe Arthur was writing the funny parts?), but I’m really enjoying the fact that even though Melia and I are writing our stories independently of each other, we each seem to be feeding off of the other’s work, which is a reminder for me to be careful with what I do with Liam, because he is, after all, Melia’s character.

  183. On From the Case Files of Celeste Bellini, Vampire Psychiatrist: The Liam O'Connor Sessions (2):

    posted 4 months ago

    For me, just one core elective psych class in college, that I was not mature enough to really pay attention to at the time. Celeste, on the other hand, has studied under Freud, according to her author bio…

  184. On Keeping CherryPop Safe:

    posted 4 months ago

    This is developing along nicely. How old is Cherry anyway? Based on her blog, definitely older than eight. twelve? thirteen? Ooh, that’s a magic number…

  185. On The YodaOnCrack Rap Video:

    posted 4 months ago

    Yoda man now, dawg! Ron Paul and Jar Jar? No wonder he’s not getting the nom…

  186. On On Thin Ice:

    posted 4 months ago

    Awesome as always

  187. On The Judgement Game Show with Bill Cosby:

    posted 4 months ago

    I’m going to give this a shot. But if somewhere down the line I here Mic say, “Killian! Here’s Sub-Zero… now… plain zero!”, I’m going to be very disappointed…

  188. On Snaps:

    posted 4 months ago

    I have a feeling this one is out of my age range…

  189. On Prime Tractor?:

    posted 4 months ago

    Had to create an Excel spreadsheet to map it all out though…

  190. On Prime Tractor?:

    posted 4 months ago

    I liked this code, quite a bit!

  191. On A Round Tuit:

    posted 4 months ago

    Ah, what has she been putting off until she got a round tuit?

  192. On From the Case Files of Celeste Bellini, Vampire Psychiatrist: The Liam O'Connor Sessions (Crossover Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    Celeste Bellini is one of the “Co-Authors” of my “A Practical Guide to Vampirism” series…

    http://ficlets.com/stories/15334

    While Liam O’Connor is Cherrypop McGee’s zombie protector in Melia’s “The Bizarre Life of Cherrypop McGee” series…

    http://ficlets.com/stories/22722

    Enjoy!

  193. On Zombies Are People Too:

    posted 4 months ago

    Isn’t it such fun to take the generally accepted conventions of horror and monster genres, and just turn them on their ear? I think I might want to do a crossover with one of your characters and one of mine from my “Practical Guide to Vampirism” series. Or I’d love to see how you do the same…

  194. On Unique and Painful Solutions:

    posted 4 months ago

    Nice spin, turning an ending line into your starter!

  195. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    Okay, so only two people have sent me notes with the correct answer for the hidden message. So here’s my first hint: Consider how Bob received the message from his wife. And why would she place the word POUND all in caps?

  196. On Letters to Amberly: A bottle of scotch:

    posted 4 months ago

    I like how Kingsley and Amberly are no longer in the same place. One wants to escalate the relationship, while the other wants to continue the playful flirtation and maintain the status quo. Build on this conflict and see how far you can raise the stakes…

  197. On Letters to Amberly: The Truth is Revealed:

    posted 4 months ago

    MAJOR turning point here. Necessary, but it also makes me a little sad because all of the wonderful sexual tension that was bubbling under has now surfaced. My advice to Kingsley then (as a writer, not person to person), “Deny, deny, DENY!”

  198. On On Change:

    posted 4 months ago

    This is such a wonderful sentiment. You never fail to amaze me with your depth.

  199. On Letters to Amberly: Run.:

    posted 4 months ago

    The great thing about epistolary stories in general, and this series in particular, is that everything is in the subtext. And even though this takes place in the U.S., it’s so drily British! I hate this almost as much as Kingsley hates Amberly

  200. On Chrysanthemum:

    posted 4 months ago

    I’m picturing a beloved grandmother in this scene. It’s sad, but comforting. Well done!

  201. On Leetle Feesheeng Buee!:

    posted 4 months ago

    This is really hilarious, and a strong hook (no pun intended, don’t you hate it when people say “no pun intended” when they obviously intended the pun and want to make sure you noticed it?) to what sounds like the beginning of a really fun adventure. I’ll be looking to read more…

  202. On The Vengeance(hidden message challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    This one is really tough, but I’m working on it…

  203. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    I can confirm that Tarmaie has also figured out the message.

  204. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    And… Band Baby is now the first person to private note me with the correct answer…

  205. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    Band Baby is VERRY close to figuring it out…

  206. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    Send me a private note, Tarmaie, I’ll let you know if you got it right.

  207. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    Knowing NYC won’t help you decipher the hidden message, but you may get more recognition of its meaning if you know the city and are able to decipher the message…

  208. On The Seer and the cliff:

    posted 4 months ago

    This was a good scene about a suicide contemplated. Just a couple of spelling issues. Corpse is a dead body, while corps is a military unit, larger than a brigade. Also, serenity is spelled with two “e”’s. Other than that, nice job!

  209. On The Crash. The boom. The Sorrow.:

    posted 4 months ago

    Needs more. Who is Ted and what is his relationship to Sasha?

  210. On The Ransom (Hidden Message Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    Okay, I’m not going to give you the clue for my hidden message until next week. I want to see how many people can figure this out for themselves. Send me a private note if you think you’ve got it.

  211. On Thief of the King's Luscious Ranch Dressing (Snoopy Challenge):

    posted 4 months ago

    And seven lines used! The bar is set pretty high right off the bat!

  212. On It Was a Dark and Stormy Challenge... (The Lines):

    posted 4 months ago

    I believe, although I’m not 100% sure, that each line has seen itself in a Peanuts strip at one point or another over the years. They are all collected in the song, “Great Writer” from the musical, Snoopy. and here’s a link to those lyrics…

    http://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/snoopy/greatwriter.htm

  213. On Hot Mailman Haiku:

    posted 4 months ago

    You cheated with a
    few of the syllables, but
    funny nonetheless.

  214. On From 18 to 1:

    posted 4 months ago

    Terrific way to tell a story! I love the way you count down the words in each line, and still manage to tell a cohesive narrative! Well done!

  215. On Can You Spot the Hidden Message?:

    posted 4 months ago

    I want to comment on this Ficlet, but I’m not sure why…

  216. On Worst EVER!:

    posted 4 months ago

    Speaking on behalf of my half of the species, most of us are dopey 98% of the time, especially at that age. Don’t let them get to you. Eventually we all come around.

  217. On The Superhero Obituaries:

    posted 4 months ago

    Haha! I guess not every superhero gets to have the grand exit of getting shot on the steps of the Supreme Court (Captain America) while awaiting a trial to test his principles, or fighting a cosmic being much stronger than her to save her cousin and her universe (Supergirl)

  218. On