Babypants

The director may be considered an artist, if only because the director locates the cameras. But the cinematographer is also an artist, and likewise the film and sound editors, the costume and stage designers, and on and on. But without a script, they would all be out of work. For example, Quentin Tarantino turned Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch into Jackie Brown, but the screenplay sticks closely to the plot and dialogue in the book. So, let's not confuse literary (the topic of this thread) and artistic production.

Is this not clear enough for you?

Not quite. The forum exists to allow members to read the work written by other members. Note that we do not have stories written by guests, any more than we have comments written by guests. I'm sorry, but it should now be clear to you that the consensus here is that your contribution is "guest" written to a degree that requires its housing in a separate silo for AI stories.

Gentle waves crest along the shore, Moonlight caressing the lonely strand. Wandered here yet once more, Together we walk hand in hand, Cooling sands beneath our feet, Offering promise of bold relief. Hand in hand we stroll the beach, Promises made we seek to keep. Heart swelling with love for thee, Exiled far from wintry skies, We lingered 'neath the banyan tree, The hours too swiftly passing by. Whispered words your sole command, I fall to my knees at your feet. Shadows grace this foreign land, Stolen kisses that taste so sweet. With morning's sun we'll leave this place, Once more yield our precious space. Northward bound lest we fall, Love conquered by our duty's call.

I'm looking forward to reading how you work this out. For a writer, one of the nice things about locating a story in something like the Diaper Dimension is that you can escape not only the physical rules that govern our universe, but also the social and cultural ones. Contemporary fiction is more of a challenge because you have to work within these constraints. When you are on contract with a publishing house, you have an editor to question things like the separation anxiety episode, and the editor has experts on file that you can consult with on an as needs basis. This is what underlies all those acknowledgements that you see prefacing or at the end of a novel. Alas, here we are on our own. We have to do our own research, but however careful we might be, there will be times when we paint ourselves into a corner. Crafting a plausible escape is all part of the fun. I enjoyed this last chapter. Julia's introspective moments work well. One thing worth correcting is the paragraph that starts "biting my lip" (should not be in italics). Keep it coming!

In fact, your answer to my question is "no." Whether your final product is AI dependent because you lack the ability or the time to produce a story without use of these tools doesn't alter the outcome. By your own repeated admission, what you are offering clearly belongs in the AI stories silo.

Thank you for this. It takes us to the crux of the issue. My question for you is a simple "yes" or ""no." Can you write a literate story for this or any other site or outlet without use of these aids? If the answer to this question is "no," then you should voluntarily move your content to the AI stories silo. This is where it belongs.

Unfortunately, while the site administrators were prompt to put a silo in place for AI stories, and the definitions are sufficiently crisp, we seem to be relying on authors to police themselves. And clearly, it is not working.

Many thanks for these kind words. I was tempted to title scenes 80-82 "Game," "Set," and "Match" because as we shall see that's how Ian views this contest. Us married guys know how hard this game is to play because the odds are so stacked against us. I'll leave it to readers to decide whether we have a clear winner, or end up with a rain out.

Good pacing, and an intriguing final sentence. Interestingly, this no longer reads like role-playing. I'm wondering if Michael/Mikey not only has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) but has had it for years in a latent form that is now surging to the surface. Julia's behavior was therapeutic in nature, whether intended or not. Increasingly, however, I'm wondering if Sarah has any idea how this might all play out. The separation anxiety scene should be a huge red flag-- but is she color blind? Time will tell.

And B it is! Thank you both for playing.

In this area, there are actually no rules except the ones you impose on yourself. In my Homage to Vincent Vega, I sometimes cut the blocks inside scenes the same way that Quentin Tarantino does in his films. If you've seen Pulp Fiction, you might recall that the movie opens at the end, and actually begins in the second scene. I did an entire brace of scenes like this back around scene 20 and following. And as for repeating the same scene from two viewpoints, I'm doing that right now, using the same scene in Homage and Aardvark the way that QT does it near the end of Jackie Brown-- the scene where they do the money exchange inside the ladies dressing room in the department store at the Del Amo Fashion Center Mall. So, have fun, and don't let rules stifle your creativity.

Excellent. The different segments slide nicely from one to the next, and you are doing a great job using introspection for the moments when your characters are alone. Julia is especially well done. Congratulations.

Quickie historical quiz: One of baseball's all-time greats (a 15 time all-star), Yogi Berra is celebrated today for his enormous impact on the English language; in the US, he is now quoted more frequently than Shakespeare. Which of the following is NOT a "Yogi-ism," as these pearls of wisdom are called: A. It ain't over 'til it's over B. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings C. It's deja vu all over again D. The future ain't what it used to be E. When you come to a fork in the road, take it F. We made too many wrong mistakes G. You can observe a lot just by watching If you are a baseball fan and in the neighborhood, the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, on the campus of Montclair State University in New Jersey, is worth a visit.

Very well done. Now, he laughs, how do we go about finding Julia the right boyfriend?