633 lines
38 KiB
Plaintext
633 lines
38 KiB
Plaintext
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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
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2 ************************* INSTALLED: 4 OCT 85 **********************
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3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator
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4 ************************************************************
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5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
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6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
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7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
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8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
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9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
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10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
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11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
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12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
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13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
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14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
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15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
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16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
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17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
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18 ************************************************************
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19
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20 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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21 Everybody: well, ecuuuuse me! I'm not exactly a NEW writer, actually I've
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22 been here several months. I thought I knew this place but maybe not. Nobody
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23 has ever stated any rules about the inn and I have seen very few stories
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24 taking place in there so I pretty much thought that I had a free reign whe it
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25 came to my story. My mistake. Not to worry, though, because as of the next
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26 entry I shall be leaving and will no longer be such a pain in the ass.
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27 You know, it's strange... I got almost exactly the same reception on
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28 Tanis when I started my story there. Maybe everybody's trying to tell me
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29 something. Oh, well, I shall return soon with my next entry and the Destroyer
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30 and the inn shall be quits. By the way, does anybody acually LIKE my stuff
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31 or am I just wasting space?
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32 By the way (Part II): AT THE TOP!
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33 (A pointless but nearly mandatory ritual. At least I got that right.)
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34 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\marker\time\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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35 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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36 The stars winked down at them, cold, uncaring. The drunks dragged Tariya towards the woods, where they could party
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37 in private. They were stoped for a second by the sound of a loud muffled BOOM from the direction of the inn. There was
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38 another, then a blast much louder than the first two. Then silence.
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39 Deciding it had nothing to do with them, the drunks continued about their business. When they finally got out of
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40 sight of the public, one clapped a filthy hand over Tariya's mouth. A long, nasty stilletto was in his other hand.
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41 "You be quiet or I'll cut your throat and we'll still do it to you, anyway. Then you won't never see your boyfriend
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42 again."
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43 After letting his hand up, she snarled, "He's not my boyfriend, he's a bastard just like YOU!" and she suddenly
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44 jabbed two stiffened fingers into the thugs eyes.
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45 The drunk dropped his knife and howled, clawing at the bloddy sockets. He stumbled into his buddies, screaming for
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46 somebody to turn the lights back on. Another one managed to grab both her arms from in front and yell, "All right
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47 bitch, you're dead meat!"
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48 His mistake was grabbing her from the front. Her knee shot up and landed squarely in his crotch. He turned slightly
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49 green and landed on the ground, moaning. Rape suddenly became the last thing on his mind. In fact, a life of celibacy
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50 looked real good right now.
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51 Unfortunately, the last two drunks were alert now. They stayed on each side, circling just beyond her reach. The
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52 element of surprise was lost now, and she was really scared. There was slow murder in their eyes. She knew half a
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53 hundred spells for just such occasions but for the life of her she couldn't remember one of them. One of the drunks
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54 said, "Let's rush her. And don't be gentle!"
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55 Before anybody could move, though, the whole area was suddenly lit up like a strobe. An unbelievable clap of
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56 thunder hammered their ears and something struck one of the drunks full in the chest hard enough to knock him clean
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57 out of his shoes. He landed ten feet behind them and didn't move again.
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58 "What the hell kind of witchcraft be this-" The last drunk was suddenly cut off as Tariya's boot slammed into his
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59 chin hard enough to shatter his jaw. The pain was so intense that he was unconcious before he hit the ground.
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60 Though her ears were still ringing she could here the blind drunk crashing around in the woods somewhere. She went
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61 over towards the thug that had been mysteriously knocked down. She thougt that maybe lightning had gotten
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62 him.
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63 Suddenly a familar voice said, "I dunno if you wanna look at that." James stepped out from the shadows. In his hand
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64 was a large smoking gun. She'd seen guns before, but nothing like this one. It looked like a 1896 Broomhandle Mauser,
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65 but it had been heavily modified and had a huge bore. "A .454 Casull pushing a 210 grain Hydroshok slug leaves an
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66 ENORMOUS hole. Prob'ly cut him damn near in half."
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67 The adrenaline rush was wearing off and she began to shiver violently. Her thoat began to ache and tears stung her
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68 eyes. James holstered his pistol and went over to her. "Y'did good, though. So tell me, How did'ja like your first
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69 taste of danger."
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70 He shouldn't have been surprised by her reply, but was anyway. Therefore, when the roundhouse left she threw
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71 connected with his jaw, he dropped like a stone.
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72 The Destroyer still had a lot to learn about people.
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73
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74 (Just a thought: Maybe this isn't THE inn. I went over previous chapters and saw nothing that absolutely says it has
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75 to be. Maybe Trainor hit a couple of other places also looking for adventurers. If it makes you feel better, then say
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76 that this is some other inn. Doesn't bother me.)
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77 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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78
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79 ( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )
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80 Actually, Destroyer, your story is better than many here. As has already been pointed
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81 out to you, there are certain (unfortunately unspoken) rules about the Inn itself.
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82 The oldtimers know them, but relative novices don't, until they unwittingly cross
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83 them. Then, of course, they are unmercifully jumped on by the outraged oldsters,
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84 and most then depart 'in tears', and/or in disgust.
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85 To keep the conservatives happy, the Inn is essentially a place for story telling.
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86 You might think of it as the beginning of every story. "The calm of the Inn was
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87 broken by the crashing open of the scarred oaken doors. A large, worse-for-wear
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88 stranger paused in the doorway, then made his way to the long, stained counter.
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89 Receiving his requested drink, he approached the table near the fire, and at a
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90 friendly gesture from one of the patrons, seated himself near the flames.
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91 As he nursed his drink and absorbed the heat from the fire, his ragged appearance
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92 invoked curious questions from his table-mates. After gathering his thoughts,
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93 he launched into his tale....."
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94 The general idea of the Inn is a safe place to relax while between adventures,
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95 or, when BackWater is into discussions, that might be the site for the debaters.
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96 Once upon a time, some over-zealous beginner caused and invasion of the Inn itself
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97 by overgrown (man-sized) ants, which were then fought by high-tech weapons.
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98 The CISTOP put his foot down at that one, as he didn't like his tavern so destroyed.
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99 So, feel free to continue your story at AN inn, not THE Inn. I, for one,
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100 am interested to see more of it.
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101 +Dante-
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102
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103 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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104 +Dante-: Thank you. I saw the inn as a place to start my adventure, not as a place to rest (This same stunt got me no
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105 end of grief over at Tanis). I had no idea I was being so unoriginal, though. I guess I better start working towards
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106 something better. Point taken, though. I am leaving the GENERIC inn so hopefully the whole argument is rendered moot,
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107 though. Thank you for the kind words, though. After reading drive B I needed them.
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108 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\justamarker\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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109
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110 ?/\?
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111 ?\/?
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112 To Destroyer:
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113
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114 Main problems: token violence. Too long. Writing is pretty good, but more unpredictability helps.
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115 A fierce warrioress breaking up a rape scene is common fare...
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116
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117 ******************************************************
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118 JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
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119 To other new writer (horse story)
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120
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121 You mentioned that you wanted constructive critism. As I am a professional writer (which doesn't mean better, it just
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122 means someone pays more for it), I felt inclined to give you the following suggestions:
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123 Remember that you're writing for other people, not just yourself (that is if you publish it; i.e. this board). Horse stories
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124 like you started out are nice, but there was no "hook," no reason to compel the readers to continue on. In a short short
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125 story (which is all they should be on a computer board) you have to plunge in immediately and create an interesting
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126 character or situation. Neither was in your story.
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127 Also, don't be too sensitive about your writings. The prankster was making a point, comic relief was needed. There isn't a
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128 writer in the world who doesn't rewrite his material perhaps dozens of times. And there are jillions of stories that start
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129 out with a fine idea, but need to be shelved because they just don't work, or aren't interesting enough.
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130 Also, don't try and speak above yourself. Stay within your realm. In other words, if you're going to use words that SOUND
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131 big, but you don't have command of them (i.e. becon call should have been "beck and call"), your writing will seem much
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132 more amateurish. Stay natural, simple, conversation, interesting. Put in a HOOK.Be funny, exciting, novel, whatever.
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133 But most of all, remember that you're writing to be READ, not just for yourself. Keep it up! It can be fun... but to be
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134 really good, it's 2% inspiration, 98% perspiriation....
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135
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136 Just yell if you'd like more help!
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137 Mikey:
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138 Controversy is raging... you are the GOD of this board... give your opinion on the use of it? Too many stories? Not enough
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139 controversy?
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140 The stories are too long and boring in my book, perhaps some guidelines (Not RULES God forbid, just your idea) would be app-
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141 reciated by all.
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142 Hello hello????
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143
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144 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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145 MACF --- UNITE !!!!!
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146 :-)(-:
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147 Destroyer: I apoligize for the drunks, but I hadn't realized they were part
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148 of your story.
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149 Critics, rule-quoters & other low-lifes: Piper took the proper approach. He
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150 took the writer aside and explained about the 'rules' which had been
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151 *unintentionally* broken. The three or four UNSIGNED critics who jumped in
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152 with both feet are trying to drive away any 'new' (read 'unknown to them')
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153 writers. That may not be their intent, but it is certainly the effect!
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154 This is a PUBLIC board. Don't treat it like your own private property. Be
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155 polite. This is even MORE necessary if you are 'correcting' someone.
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156 As I recall, "hi-tech" weapons are not forbidden, their USE is heavily
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157 frowned upon. Everyone who has here at the time has painful memories of
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158 both the giant ant incident and even more painful ones of the Bolo incident
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159 (Nuclear weapons!!??)
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160 ...............................the apprentice..............................
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161 ps. we have had fights at the Inn, but we try to keep the weaponry down
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162 to chairs, knives, etc. (ie a barroom brawl, not a gang war)
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163 ...........................................................................
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164 But gang wars are fun? In reality, DESTROYER simply entered a domain withou
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165 t checking behind all the doors for hidden traps and ambushes. Can you blam
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166 e people for wanting to protect this last bastion of creative fiction? When
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167 a new person enters the Inn, they will always be suspect. It is not the fau
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168 lt of anyone, it is just the way things are. DESTROYER: Don't fly off the
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169 handle and start attacking those around you. To slash out at unsigned criti
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170 cs lowers yourself to their level. You are above such activities, aren't yo
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171 u? Another point: Everyone has an ego, and when some omnipotent warrior nam
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172 ed DESTROYER walks in like Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter, one can exp
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173 ect a certain degree of resentment. I imagine that some of the unsigned att
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174 acks on you were as much against your DESTROYER as they were against your
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175 use or misuse of the Inn. The best advice you can take is to cool down, cat
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176 ch your breath, continue your story, and try to find Trainor. You have all
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177 the elements of an interesting story. It may not be original, but there is
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178 not much new under the sun in the world of fantasy writing. Keep up the
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179 good work, and don't let the critics get you down. Critics never stopped
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180 Chuck Norris and they should not stop you either. Carry on!
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181 A French Toast
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182 ___________________________________________________________________________
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183 (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
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184 Your beauty sends me swimming,
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185 Your cheer ignites my day.
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186 You make me feel good all over,
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187 With every word you say.
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188 The laughter and the smile,
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189 you share with all around,
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190 Your eyes, your wit do sparkle.
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191 And my love, it knows no bound.
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192 But can I tell my feelings,
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193 directly to your face?
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194 Or will I with my poems,
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195 forever backwater embrace.
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196 It comes a time when my stand is near,
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197 This waiting is not right.
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198 I wait beside you for the moment when,
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199 my loves outweighs my fright.
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200 (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
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201
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202 ??????????????????/////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\???????????????
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203 proffessional writer : Thank you for your comments and suggestions
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204 they are well taken. I will indeed call apon
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205 /upon you for more pointers. Thank you again
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206 ??????????????????\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////????????????????
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207 Experience breeds contempt. A new person to any group is rarely greeted
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208 with open arms. But everyone has been new at one time or another
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209 except the inventor. Assuming none of you has invented the INN, perhaps
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210 second thoughts should be taken. And a word of thanks to those cooler
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211 and smarter heads who welcome newness with open arms and understand
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212 the travails that can occur.
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213
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214 IN THAT REGARD, I have been following some of the adventures of the Inn
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215 as well as the controversy in relative silence now. As someone who enjoys
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216 writing, but knows not some of the hidden doors, quasi-rules and senstive
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217 areas of the inn, I would be most appreciative of having one of the old-
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218 timer experts fill me (us?) in on some of the GUIDELINES.
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219
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220 Unless of course there are too many of you already, and some of the
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221 bitterness comes from overcrowding, which is certainly understandable.
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222 But if not, I for one would certainly enjoy hearing what DESTROYER
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223 obviously was not privy to.
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224
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225 Help anyone?
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226
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227 THE BEAR+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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228 To New Writer
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229
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230 Glad to help anytime! I'd get as much a kick out of offering small hints
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231 as you would writing in the first place! Good luck, work hard (but don't
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232 expect to make any money!)
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233
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234 Bye
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235
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236 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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237 One more note: For anyone who doesn't know, explain even the basics of
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238 the INN, who the adventurer's are, etc. A refresher course would be
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239 appreciated!
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240 :::::=====:::::=====
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241 Yeow! The sound of a gunshot made me jumpa about 6 feet. Scampering
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242 beneath a table, I curled up and hopedfor salvation.
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243 Silence.....
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244 Getting up, carefully, slowly, I made my way back up to the table. A
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245 small snap of the wood made me shiver. LWHat WAS that all about?
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246 :::::=====:::::=====
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247 Destroyer: Did you get my truffle? It was on your table, and I hope you
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248 took it.
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249 All: Burrow-managing time, bye!
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250 :::::=====:::::=====
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251 ***************************************************************
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252 The current crop of writers on Backwater is great. It's these
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253 periods creativity that makes if worth reading through the junk.
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254 One suggestion though. You might try experimenting with a
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255 broader variety of styles. Remember the diversity of writing
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256 styles that emerged from the battles of LeRoy McKane and the
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257 world?
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258
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259 The Grand Dragon Master really knew how to write. He created
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260 a writing style that can still be seen reflected in the work of
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261 some of the older writers.
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262
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263 I'd suggest you follow the Grand Dragon Masters example and
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264 experiment. Don't get trapped in the narrative format. There
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265 are other styles and formats that can express your intentions
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266 more effectively.
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267
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268 Experiment. Stretch your creativity. Isn't that what it's all
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269 about anyway?
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270
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271 Long Time Lurker
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272
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273 *****************************************************************
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274 havent tried to start a fight in some ttime, but here goes
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275 The last man on Earth sat a a table in the inn.He nursed his drin
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276 k and stared glumily at the door. There was a
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277 lock on it.
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278 off
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279
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280
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281
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282
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283 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
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284 DESTROYER: Don't be discouraged...
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285 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.EmuLurk
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286 ???????????????////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\??????????????
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287 Professional writer: I never planned on making money just trying
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288 to learn what I can and hope to get good enough to be able to be
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289 included in some of the other stories going on.
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290 ???????????????\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////??????????????
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291 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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292 psu-cs!nelsons: A lot of EXPL xxxx was done when I first logged on, and one
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293 of the things I did do was C JOIN. I'll give you my USERID in the mail.
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294 L'homme: Great! I *hate* black-box programs, such as 'PAS' that we're using.
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295 It goes through all the trouble of compiling/executing via JCL- all you do is
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296 supply the source file name and the data file name, and out comes your SNUMB
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297 number. After a few hours lurking about such places as PSU bookstore and
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298 the Millar Library, I turned up nil on JCL, except a mention of the IEEE
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299 Bookstore. No location given. Can you help on that one?
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300 As for location downtown, I'm going to PorSFiS tomorrow. During the week,
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301 I am lurking about the campus from 8a-2:30p, depending upon the day of the
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302 week. My least busy day is Thursday.
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303 ++++++++++++
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304 Someone please define: Old-Timer.
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305 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar +++++++++++ 04 Oct 85, 8:55pm ++++++++++++++
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306 h
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307 help
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308 quit
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309
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310 :-I Hey, Leonard! It works! Why I should have to clear the accumulator for
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311 :-I a kernal subsystem that doesn't use it is not clear, but what the heck, it
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312 :-I works...
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313 :-IMaxI-:
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314 When the fox rides high above the hill,
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315 And the deer and the antelope play,
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316 Then you'll know what's going on,
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317 So don't you join in the fray.
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318
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319 When the frying pan is sizzling in hot fdelight,
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320 And the toast warms the butter soft,
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321 And the deer gets mad and gives the antelope a bite,
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322 Then you better have gotten sick and coughed.
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323
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324 What? Well, it had to rhyme....
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325
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326 THE BEAR]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
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327
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328 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
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329 Milchar: You're using PAS to run programs? Are you on the HoneyWell for
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330 an EE class, or did you get it from a generous friend? Anyway, I don't
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331 have a copy of that immedietly available, but I believe that once it
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332 gets the program and data names from you, it edits a standard JCL, inserting
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333 the names, and submits it, returning you the infamous SNUMB. There are
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334 good and bad points to using PAS. If you have a program that you're
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335 still debugging, it's nice to see whether it died in the compile
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336 stage or the run stage. PAS doesn't let you see this, unless you
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337 specifically ask for it (ie "JOUT snumb"). PAS also takes a certain
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338 amount of time to edit the file each time, whereas if you set up a
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339 specific JCL for that job, it is sent directly to the interpreter.
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340 Have you learned to use TEX or EDIT yet? If not, there is a fair
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341 tutor file hidden away. Try "LIST RMTH-LIB/SZAFRON/TUTOR/PART". This
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342 should get you started, at least. Another idea is to explore the manuals
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343
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344 <oops...> for GCOS, TEX, etc that are usually at one end of the terminal
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345 room in Shattuck Hall. Good Luck...
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346 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><> ...!psu-cs!nelsons
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347 ps There should be some info on JCL in those manuals. I do have an
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348 *old* copy of some mimeographed explainations, but they're too faded
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349 to copy. If you don't find anything, let me know, and I could give
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350 you some explainations myself...
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351
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352 <><><><> ...!psu-cs!nelsons
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353 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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354 It has been a long time since I have entered anything here. I won't
|
||
355 even try creativity. Might as well jump into the discussion... pretending
|
||
356 I know it all.
|
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357 Destroyer: Just because you are writing your stories here at the Inn
|
||
358 doesn't mean they have to take place here. I have been around a little under
|
||
359 a year and I don't know anything about this "way to write on Backwater".
|
||
360 If you were to create your own setting you would not have to worry about
|
||
361 terrible blunders. Sure, you might not want to put in extensive sex, violence,
|
||
362 and all that boring stuff. Giving suggestions on-line is sort of difficult.
|
||
363 If you are serious about wanting to improve your writing ability you might
|
||
364 have someone you trust look over it and give you suggestions. (This is
|
||
365 provided they knew something about writing, or were a critical reader).
|
||
366 The motive for doing this would not be so you could put only "perfect"
|
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367 stories here on the board, but to learn about what some of your flaws may
|
||
368 be. Once identified, they are easy to correct if you work on it.
|
||
369 Anyway, I liked you entries. They have their problems, true, but doesn't
|
||
370 everybody's? (Even Piper)
|
||
371 Darbon: Wishing for poems...
|
||
372 Piper: :-) Hope you didn't take that wrong. -Tanya
|
||
373 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
||
374 (Instead of telling you about all my typos, please ignore them).
|
||
375 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
||
376 [/] [/] [/] sigh..... muddy waters indeed. [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/]
|
||
377 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
|
||
378 once in the great darkness at the inn there came a man of dubious intent.
|
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379 he only had one thing in mind, and that was to find another by the name of
|
||
380 Salazar. when this man had come to the inn and had seemimngly cornered this
|
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381 man Salazar, he and his band of followers were stricke with fear when it
|
||
382 became obvious that no violence would be allowed within the great walls
|
||
383 founded by our dear innkeep and well defined upon construction by the wise
|
||
384 Dragon Lady.
|
||
385 the name of the man that had learned his lesson of non-violence the dif-
|
||
386 ficult way was Mohammed Wassir. he learned these ways graciously, as did
|
||
387 the rest of us -- neophyte and old-timer alike.
|
||
388 it has never been known if these two men have ever run into each other
|
||
389 again, or what would happen if they may. we may only guess.
|
||
390 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
|
||
391 now, as to the current situation... i'm still stuck. well informed,
|
||
392 but still stuck. why is it that the present seems to crawl by so slowly
|
||
393 at times? i can only hope to reach the silver lining i guess...
|
||
394 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& the scarlet lion &&&&&&&
|
||
395
|
||
396 ..."open mouth, insert keyboard." looking back i see that i implicated
|
||
397 Salazar as a dubious character as well. that was not my intent.
|
||
398 my command of this languge is rapidly decaying.....
|
||
399 immer mehr sheiss.....
|
||
400 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& the scarlet lion &&&&&&&
|
||
401
|
||
402 up 6
|
||
403 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
404 scarlet lion -- I know what you mean. I feel that I may have bitten off
|
||
405 more than my mental capacity can deal with when I tried to tackle this
|
||
406 particular story line. (You darn betcha my writing gots flaws! The biggest
|
||
407 one seems to be the (presumed) intellectual capacity of the author.)
|
||
408 Oh, well -- was it Thomas Jefferson or Emerson who said something to the
|
||
409 effect that "Consistency is the bugaboo of a small mind"? I refuse to
|
||
410 be small-minded about it, so here goes.
|
||
411 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
|
||
412 The lady Tayree moved back from the innocent question asked by the wounded
|
||
413 woman. "How long has it been since you died?" the question seemed to ring
|
||
414 in her brain. Her questioners frank, open look denied any malice in the
|
||
415 question; rather it was said with the innocence of a child in a play-yard.
|
||
416 Unseen with physical eyes, whorls of energy had accompanied the lady Tayree
|
||
417 into the chamber. Stirred by her agitation, one sensitive to these forces
|
||
418 would have hesitated before stepping into an area pregnant with so many
|
||
419 potentials -- slid quietly away without disturbing the deceptive calm.
|
||
420 Perhaps the greatest risk of developing mental powers is to the sanity of
|
||
421 the person developing them. Often, the budding mental adept tries to
|
||
422 reject the power and new life that is developing and tries desparately
|
||
423 to cling to the commonplace that had been before. Like trying to dam
|
||
424 a raging mountain stream with a bank of earth, it has been done; altho
|
||
425 h the situation is inherently unstable. Should a trickle of water make
|
||
426 its way through the tighly packed earth of a high mountain dam, disaster
|
||
427 soon follows.
|
||
428 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
|
||
429 tsl -- we're a long way from on a roll, but maybe we can get going. I need
|
||
430 your reactions, feelings, the inner stuff of your character in this situation.
|
||
431 Just try to react naturally, I'll try to keep at least semi-consistent
|
||
432 (and clean). I would guess that if Tayree tried a mental probe at this
|
||
433 point the extra energy would move these two into a different mental universe
|
||
434 that could add to both characters.
|
||
435 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
436 ###########################################################################
|
||
437
|
||
438 Long Time Lurker:
|
||
439
|
||
440 I agree that the Grand Dragon Master was one of the great Backwater
|
||
441 writers. On a board that seems to consider good spelling as a mark of
|
||
442 great writing he did so much more.
|
||
443 I guess what made him great was that he was a master of plot development.
|
||
444 In a few short paragraphs he could introduce plot twists that would revive
|
||
445 dying adventures.
|
||
446 This, of course, was an inspiration to the really creative writers.
|
||
447 Those who did their plot development by committee found it frustrating.
|
||
448 Character development was another strength of the Grand Dragon
|
||
449 Master. He fully developed the LeRoy McKane character without even directly
|
||
450 using him. He did it almost entirely by indirect reference. Now that takes
|
||
451 talent.
|
||
452 I think you're right to suggest writers emulate the contributions
|
||
453 of the Grand Dragon Master. He was truly one of the Backwater greats. It's
|
||
454 too bad that he's gone. Whatever happened to him anyway?
|
||
455
|
||
456 Mark Hill
|
||
457
|
||
458 ############################################################################
|
||
459 Backwater's a great board! I've been boardwalking aroung, parking my place from
|
||
460 Illinois to Michigan Ave., and this is one of the funner ones, since everyone
|
||
461 contributes, scumbags are few, and intelligence is high.
|
||
462 One suggestion to sysop: can't you delete only the oldest entries at a time,
|
||
463 rather than the whole board? These poor saps at the bottom have much less time
|
||
464 to get their messages read...
|
||
465
|
||
466 Anyway, keep it up!!!
|
||
467 *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
|
||
468 Rose are Red
|
||
469 Violets are Blue,
|
||
470 I like peanut butter,
|
||
471 Do you like toast?
|
||
472
|
||
473 \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*
|
||
474 :-]Max[-:
|
||
475 What the hell is that? See above.
|
||
476 ###########################################################
|
||
477 Roses are Red
|
||
478 Violets are Blue,
|
||
479 I'm schizophrenic,
|
||
480 And so am I!
|
||
481 `,`,`,`,`ha,`,`,`,`,`,`,`Mark.
|
||
482 To: person at lines 462-469
|
||
483 Type "help". Note the DB command... The entries are NOT deleted all at once
|
||
484 this disk will go to DB and a fresh disk goes in DA (here).
|
||
485 ___________________________Leonard_________________________________________
|
||
486 @%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%
|
||
487 Why? Why are they chasing me! An old man! Damn, they're so close! I must
|
||
488 hide. There, The Inn. They must not find me. Through the door. My body cannot
|
||
489 fail me now. Why do they all stare? I must not draw attention. A drink. Yes,
|
||
490 I need a drink. No, I must sit. Yes, sit and rest my old bones.
|
||
491 Why do I shiver so? No!! They're here! Fire. Fire everywhere. I must hide.
|
||
492 Under the table. Why cannot I stop shivering. The heat. Where is the heat?
|
||
493 Where is the fire? Why do they stare?
|
||
494 What? Who is this man? Why does he help my from under the table? What is
|
||
495 he saying? Where is he taking me? Why do I shiver so? A room, with a bed. Yes,
|
||
496 rest. I need rest. No!! They're everywhere! Arrows, a rain of arrows, and fire.
|
||
497 I must hide. I cannot move! I am bound! No escape! But wait. Where are the
|
||
498 arrows? Where is the fire? The room. Yes, the room is here, and the bed. Why
|
||
499 does this man hold me fast? Where is he taking me? The bed. Yes, sleep.
|
||
500 I need sleep. Let the Darkness come. Let me sleep, at last.
|
||
501 @%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@ Kapeli %@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%
|
||
502 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|
||
503 Oh, my head. I tried to sit up in my darkened surroundings. Slowly I
|
||
504 managed it. Somehow I'd been waylaid, which didn't particularly surprise me.
|
||
505 You see, I'm a DS. I take care of the major extradimensional routes from
|
||
506 Terra to Sirius. That also includes making sure none of the routes are being
|
||
507 used for such things as smuggling. My last assignment dealt with a few
|
||
508 smugglers. They probably put me here.
|
||
509 Wherever here was.
|
||
510 I got up and brushed myself off. I noted the dirt floor. Exceedingly
|
||
511 primitive. I hoped that my Passkey was still around. It would bee tough
|
||
512 getting home without it.
|
||
513 I groped around, found a door. I swung it open, and moonlight streamed into
|
||
514 the hut. Yes, it was a crude hut of some sort, made from earth and woven
|
||
515 vegetation. I scanned the dirt for my Key.
|
||
516 A glint caught my eye. Yes, they'd left it with me. I picked it up and
|
||
517 examined it. Damn, they'd crushed part of it. Until I could repair it I was
|
||
518 stuck here.
|
||
519 Again, wherever here was.
|
||
520 I left the hut, proposing to find out.
|
||
521 %%%% rebalsa %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 10/5/85
|
||
522 ############################################################
|
||
523 It is spelled privilege
|
||
524 privilege privilege privilege privilege
|
||
525 privelege is spelled privelege.
|
||
526 It seems like on every board I go on to the word privilege is spelled
|
||
527 privelege or priveledge or privelage.
|
||
528 For the last time,
|
||
529 privilege
|
||
530 privilege
|
||
531 privilege
|
||
532 privilege
|
||
533 I am tolerable of human and machine err, but if we let something this
|
||
534 widespread go, it will never again be spelled correctly.
|
||
535 Don't forget
|
||
536 privilege
|
||
537 privilege
|
||
538 privilege
|
||
539 privilege
|
||
540 #########################################################################
|
||
541 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
||
542 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
||
543
|
||
544 Er... did I hear someone mention my name? No matter. As for Leroy,
|
||
545 the last I heard he was operating a sheep dip supply store on Fire Island.
|
||
546 Perhaps if we call loud enough, he'll come out of retirement.
|
||
547
|
||
548 Mohammed Wassir
|
||
549 <The Lurking Albanian>
|
||
550 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
||
551
|
||
552 Salazar come home, Mother says all is forgiven.
|
||
553 Serena
|
||
554 !~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
|
||
555
|
||
556
|
||
557 help
|
||
558
|
||
559
|
||
560 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
|
||
561 To: All
|
||
562 From: RHD inc.
|
||
563
|
||
564 Can anyone start a story from THE INN?
|
||
565 Is a list of characters that one might be able to meet at THE INN available?
|
||
566 Is there a map of THE LAND around THE INN, or is it mostly open to writers
|
||
567 choice. Do other dimensional doors exist into THE INN? What is the basic
|
||
568 time frame in which THE INN exists? I would greatly apprieciate any info
|
||
569 that can be given.
|
||
570 My Thanks,
|
||
571
|
||
572 RHD inc.
|
||
573
|
||
574 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
|
||
575 x
|
||
576 ---------------------------&&&&&&&&&&&&--------------------------------------
|
||
577 Betwixt realities am I.
|
||
578 Between light and dark.
|
||
579 ------------------------------------------- Jazzman ------------------------
|
||
580 ...........................................................................
|
||
581 Back to Backwater...>>sniff<<...the musty scent of truffles? Ahhhh!!!
|
||
582 Then my friend Zephyr has been here! The busy paths of cat and rabbit
|
||
583 seem to cross only distantly--hey, Zephyr: let's do lunch sometime.
|
||
584 Next time I'm INNbound I'll have my girl call your service...truffles
|
||
585 a la mode for you, and a catnip salad, thank you very much, for me.
|
||
586 I'll be a-waiting on the hearth by the fire--a fine place for a small
|
||
587 black cat.
|
||
588 ..........................................Entropy.........................
|
||
589 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
590 To RHD inc: Can anybody start a story at the inn? Sure. Will others
|
||
591 accept the story, or even *like* it, or **PRAISE** it. No gaurantees.
|
||
592 Generally when you start at the inn, you are asking others to join you.
|
||
593 Who is there? Nobody knows. The inn seems full of shadows, vague presences
|
||
594 lurk just outside the revealing light, and only occasionally do we glimpse
|
||
595 a face or hear a voice. The conventions are actually few -- this is a
|
||
596 public area and you should use public manners. It's very impolite to
|
||
597 manipulate another person's character, or put words in their mouths.
|
||
598 (That earned a certain poor rabbit a few rather harsh words.) This reality
|
||
599 was developed by consensus, and changes also by consensus.
|
||
600 The inn has at least two floors (the piper sleeps there when he's around)
|
||
601 and a stable with the innkeeper's steed in the rear. In an empty stall in
|
||
602 the stable lie a few very large white feathers on the mouldering straw.
|
||
603 (Mikey -- who cleans the stables around here anyway?) Near the front door
|
||
604 stands a Rowan tree, planted by Pam, who used to be barmaid. A stream runs
|
||
605 nearby, crossed by a footbridge, and a path runs downstream to a nearby
|
||
606 seaport. That's about it... oops, I forgot to mention the rest rooms at
|
||
607 the Inn. In a historical incident, the original crude facilities were
|
||
608 replaced by a complete Roman bath -- sunken tub the size of a swimming pool,
|
||
609 steam room, couches on which to recline, as well as the sanitary facilities.
|
||
610 If you want to start a story in which you control the entire thing, just
|
||
611 make the setting elswhere and have at it. You probably won't get much
|
||
612 comment if it's ok, but be prepared to weather some acid comments from
|
||
613 the sharper-tounged among us. Blessed be.
|
||
614 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
615 :-> Well, all I can say is... "At The Bottom!" Max... <-:
|
||
616 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
617 And hardly can you say that, Max.
|
||
618 For I am at the bottom.
|
||
619 Why is the bottom worse than the top? True, English is read left
|
||
620 to right, top to bottom. The last line read conventionally remains
|
||
621 fresher than the first though. I would rather not be restrained by
|
||
622 social customs. I am free to judge the bottom better than the top.
|
||
623 Mais oui'
|
||
624 And yet truer, the bottom is met with more anguish. This is only true
|
||
625 though, because it is the end.
|
||
626 And with all things an end must come, even to that of a good disk.
|
||
627 Do you recall the first line more vividly than this, the very last,
|
||
628 you are reading?
|
||
629 I think not.
|
||
|
||
TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629
|