Friends

It sits on my tiled floor,
the same replicated in the next room, the next, and the next.
Beige fiberglass monolith,
thrill me with your timeless ring.
Landline, come alive now
as the one who lines my mind and my heart
calls to share his own.

I've gone and lost my cellular,
thank god.
Talking heads all around me regain the color of real flesh
to communicate souls
full of longing and vision.

It's nice losing your phone.
Empty of plastic vibrations,
my pocket cradles my right hand.
Now. Now.
Now.
Now I am here. I am here now.
I am not wasting time.

taste_buds
Holidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.

naturesbeauty
Always on the lookout for compelling images, we were delighted to discover this flourishing community of artists who share a love of nature. Honoring the subject with photographs, paintings, sketches, prose, poetry, and other creative works, you'll be simultaneously riveted to your monitor and inspired to run helter skelter towards the nearest wooded dale.

So NaNo is over for 2009 and I've been revising and editing what I wrote for it. I was hoping to get some critique on what I've written so far. I have no illusions about my writing (as far as I'm concerned, it sucks), and would like help on sentence structure and dialogue. Please don't be afraid to be harsh in your criticism.

Title: Welcome to Hell
Author: takatohedgehog
Rating: PG-15
Warnings: none
Posted at: cupcake_writer
Word Count: 2,071
Synopsis/summary: Every God and Goddess has to go to school. Hades is no exception. For third years at Olympia Academy it's 'that year' - the year they discover what they'll be presiding over for the rest of eternity. For some it will be a year they will never forget, and for others it will be a year they would rather not remember...

When Hades and subsequently the school learn that he will be presiding over Hell, he is shunned. Soon it seems that even his brother Poseidon has abandoned him. The only ones who don't do this are Loki - Hades' roommate, a mischievous exchange student from Scandinavia - and Bastet, a level headed cat Goddess attending the Academy from Egypt. Both whom eventually become the future ruler of the dead's best, and only, friends.

A ski trip to Mount Vesuvius during the winter holidays soon uncovers a much more sinister plot. Persephone is being targeted by an unknown force; completely unaware of the danger she's in. With the help of his friends, can Hades prove his innocence in the downfall of Pompeii and warn the school in time to rescue Persephone from the unknown threat? Or does he have to dive in headfirst with only Loki and Bastet keeping him afloat and hope for the best?

( preface and excerpt under here )

backpacking
Want to embrace your wanderlust on the cheap? If you're tall on adventurous spirit, but short on funds, this community can help you plan a trip to anywhere. Offering plentiful tips on how to travel light, you can post about bargain hotels and hostels if you're into urban exploration or discuss camping gear and mosquito netting for the great outdoors. Hitch your backpack, pitch your tent, and carpe diem!

**FINAL EDIT Thu Dec 10 02:15:47 UTC 2009**

So there is the final update... Over the past day we have processed around 11 million jobs out of the 12 million that were in queue at that time. Please bear in mind that over this past day, more jobs for notifications are also created. So while the queue has been dropping, we are still not fully caught up at this point, due to backlog and new jobs. We have roughly 3 million jobs still pending that involve the notification system in some manner. We had hoped we could have fully cleared the queue in a day, but unfortunately we can't clear it too quickly, since we need the rest of the site to operate normally. From our current perspective on the amount of jobs that are left in queue, and how many it has processed thus far, we believe it will take around another 8 - 12 hours to process everything.

And finally some answers to some questions:

( Read More and Get Some Answers... )

freeskiers
While some of us long to escape the cold, dark stretch of winter for hot tropical beaches, for others, there's nothing quite like whoooooshing down those shimmering sugar alps. If you're fond of freestyle skiing, get ready to slide down the slippery slopes in good company. This passionate, international community shares travel/gear tips, anecdotes, photos, and videos for those who can't get enough of the sweet stuff.

seasonal_icons
Need some extra twinkle to decorate your place? Check out these dazzling holiday-themed icons. If you're an artist, you can post your own creations, provided you abide by the simple rules (which is to say, all cheer and no politicking). Be sure to comment and give credit if you wish to borrow a little spirit (no direct links, please). If you're feeling a touch of humbug this season, this is an instant shot of festivity.

handmade_gifts
High on creativity, but low on cash? You'll find tons of brilliant suggestions for do-it-yourself crafts sure to please everyone on your holiday gift list. Offering detailed instructions, photos, budgets, timelines, and active support, you'll soon turn spare remnants of fabric and time into cherished keepsakes. Be sure to search entries and read user guidelines before you post for help!

This is a piece I wrote for a creative writing class that I'm planning on expanding -- adding some more unrequited loves and turning it into a collection of essays called Unrequited Love: A History in Seven Parts. This is just a jumping off point, the raw material that I want to flesh out from the assignment's two-page limit.

( I want what I can't have )

Would love some feedback! Thanks in advance.

This is my first post and I'd like to get feedback on a story I've detoured onto to try and defeat my writers block
( Read more... )
So I thought up two characters basically:

Jack Daniel Davenport/ Jack- He's a middle class teenager who just moved to the fictional California town of Carver with his family. His father was fired from his previous job so they relocated.
He has two identical twin infant sisters and a loving mother; his father is a bit detached.
He's artistic and a little reckless.

Carmichael Vander Wootsen/ Mike-Only teenage son of very wealthy parents; moved from Sacramento. He's very funny and laid back; open-minded and sweet.

General Plot: The two boys befriend each other since they're both new and develope an interesting relationship while going about their senior year in highschool and dealing with other life problems.

I might change the basic plot to be a bit more interesting and I know the characters sound very under developed right now but I created them at 3 in the morning D;

I'd like your thoughts and critiques <3