Yea, we did get the band back together, so to speak. Then, damn if we don't look up and the drummer is on a bender and we don't know if we'll find him in time for the show.
It's good to have everyone back, but a little nerve wracking that it only feels this good when we are all here. I don't want to be all geared up and left on an empty stage any more than you do. I thank you for your commitment.
I'm a deadline girl, myself. I need it. I need SM because deadlines are either set (i.e. projects) or a chapter needs mashing and the deadline is to beat someone else to the punch. I also like the valuation of other writers, readers etc. No one in my house or in my immediate circle has a clue what constitutes a good chapter, or a powerful antagonist or well-structured sentences. I've produced some seriously good **** on here, and it helps to validate me. It reminds me (and your praise reminds me) that the one thing that I have to do in life successfully, to be complete, is to write professionally. Then, of course, I produce craptastic garbage, and I get called out on it, and it reminds me that if I don't work on my skills, or write enough, the crap will begin to outweigh the gold and I'll be a has-been, wanna-be, shoulda-coulda-woulda. I love you all for that. Always call me out when it's necessary.
Moreover, I love that I found a group of talented folks who, with all their quirks and egos (ahem Becker), stand up and show up, mash me, smash me and make me work for it. The times when the mash is so good that I'm giggling at my monitor, or grinning at a cliff hanger because I know the rat bastard who just left me with a mess to clean up is only doing so because he knows I can do it, and he finds it amusing to no end that I have to do it, are the highlights of my SM experiences.

My commitment is to give a minimum of one evening a week to SM, to read/comment, mash, etc. One chapter a month, bare minimum, for a new story. Of course, whatever project I'm committed to, will of course be additional.
Becker, (our fearless, brazen leader)consider this a handshake. I hope the rest of the band materializes and stays on the wagon as well. It's just not the same without you all.

I'll take a slice of the action. Clarify or confirm pls: we are posting a starter chapter in new stories, and you will then pick the starter. The rest will be assigned a chapter, and you will wrap it up? Correct?

I'll shoot to have something posted late tonight. Prepare to wiggle those bare toes, my friend. I'm on it.

Eleven....glad you made it! I was beginning to wonder if you were just humoring me =)

I'm ready if you are...Becker has a really good stream going (Mornings Inglorious) and I did a chap 5. If you want to jump on that, it'd be much appreciated.

Long live Rocky Horror...my daughter is mortified that I can do the time warp. Better than GLEE. ha ha.

Great job, Agg. I like it, and it pushes the plot forward. It's hard not to create ridiculous characters to interact with the all-ready ridiculous characters. I know, I created two of them. Loved it.
Variable for the next bloke...

Dashboard.

Welcome. Write something and post it. You ramble, but I sort of like it and if you use it correctly, it could come out all 'stream-of-consciousness'. I'll keep my eyes open for you, so do what you came here to do. =)

well, well....you know how I love your bare toes, Becker. It's my goal to get those socks off.

Thank you. Now who has chap 6....anyone?

Wait. I have a p.s.

P.S. I liked my idea/topic thread (ahem) of posting recommendations in the forum of another authors starter chapters that are stand-outs. That handles the whole 'look at me' issue rather nicely. That's how I found Earl the Grey's little gem.

Well said. I support and heartily agree with all of it. Writing alone is how it gets done, in the end, but collaborating effectively with semi-talented (and in some cases, very talented) folks, under deadlines and some minimal pressures does wonders for any writer worth their salt.
I've also found the benefits of trying to write in the style of another (presumably the start chapter author) is fantastic skill building. I'm here for the haul, for sure, and I'm pleased that our old posse has come back for a while. It's nice to play with you guys again. We made some magic at times, and others...well we had fun screwing stuff up.

I wish there were a poetry section only. I think it's fine to post it but it's not mashable. At least not in my scope. I click on so many 'new' chapters to potentially mash and most of it's poetry. That's my big complaint for the day. Add it to the list, wouldja Becker?

I posted a chap 5 of Mornings Inglorious.

Neil became Neal, somewhere in a previous chapter, and I picked it up, I guess. Also, when I randomly picked the name Vince, I didn't remember that there was a Vince in the first chapter, first paragraph having an affair with someone. Those damn, home-wrecking Vinces....