Fatchance

I was concerned about your thoughts of the changes to ff. My first feeling was... The world keeps turning. We can't stop that. I have the crank phone that came out of of my great grand parent's farm. (If you don't know what a crank phone is, Google it.) But that was replaced by the rotary phone. Recently, my nephew looked at an old rotary phone and said, "What is that?"

My point being... We can't stop progress or change. Then, I think about the other fat/chubby sites that are gone or trying to make a comeback and I'm thankful that hiccupx and cOOkie and all the others work so hard to maintain this site.
This is why I contribute articles on how to improve writing. That reminds me... I'm about due, again.

Oh! And by the way, I read your chapter "as wonderful as her mother." Terrific!!! Don't stop!!! I'll be waiting (& drooling) for the next chapter.

Be well.
JM

Thanks for your info, fanedfox. Greatly appreciated. Personally, I find it hard to describe anything in a sentence.
I love the detailed descriptions of Author James Lee Burke. Often they're a little out in left field but quite pleasant.
For a while, I tried to copy his writing style and bombed miserably. I think it was then that I learned to stick with my own personal writing style. But all the same, I personally am unable to stick with the short description method.
Therefore, my feeling is write the way you 'damn well' please. As time passed I watched my style surface. As much as I had wished to have a Burke style, I've ended up with my own JM style.
New Subject....
Two weeks ago I had promised to give my best secret for creating cover pages and here it is...
XP
I know... I know...
That Microsoft system is as old as dirt. But, here's the thing. It includes Microsoft 'Works'.
Virtually all of my covers are ultimately laid out in "Works.'
Ya... Ya... There's better systems. But the learning curve can be immense. Of course, I use other systems for some parts of creating a cover page. But in the end, It all goes through 'Works.'
But the other truth is (I can't afford the fancy stuff.)
So if you want to have a respectable cover page, go down in the basement and dig out that 20 year old Dell and whala, you're in business.
In a week or so, I'll try to write about how to make skinny people fat... And for free.
Be well.
JM

lydsville:
I don't think you need to resolve everything in your stories.
Readers want a good story. That doesn't mean everything is resolved.
Think about Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty and their continuing battles.
Or... Murders in the Rue Morgue.
If you've developed a truly good antagonist, keep him/her around. Maybe he/she slips into the shadows and isn't caught. Whatever.
Good luck with your evil charactors.
JM

Stevita...
I have a complaint...
Your suggestion of Jenna Moreci on UTube is too darn good.
I didn't know about her.
Dozens of good writing suggestions and loads of ideas.
It'll take me a long time to peruse through all her videos. (But I will.)
Ultimately, I believe that we need to develop our own style of writing. I'm always open to new ideas but in the end, must defer to where my fingers want to take me and proper punctuation be damned.
I've always envied the imagination and descriptions of James Lee Burke. At one point, I tried to emulate him and bombed, miserably. It wasn't me.
So Stevita, I will be spending considerable time with your Jenna and then I'll let her suggestions filter into my own personal style.
Your suggestion is greatly appreciated.
Best wishes.
JM

Very true stevita.
thanks.
I'm always fearful of crossing the racist line.
But you're right about other countries and fattening. There is of course, the force feeding in Mauritania and then there's an island in the Indian Ocean where women voluntarily go into a cage and must eat everything given to them. I saw a video of this but have never found it again.
I explored some of this in my story "Island Woman."
Other writers have written about cultures or an island where people end up being fattened.
Always a good starting off point.
Thanks again.

Thanks stevita...
A lot of very useful material. I've read your comments twice so far.
Too much to absorb in one time.
TY
JM

Thanks Rmd2.
There are some very talented people on ff. Sometimes, I get so envious.
But thanks for the compliment.
JM

Everything costs... Money, time... or both.
To create this fantastic website Hiccupx has had to put hours upon hours into assembling and managing ff. And there is also considerable expense involved in maintaining a site like this. Thank you Hiccupx and crew for your hard work.
This is also true in creating a story. First, it's the time and sweat in writing something that people may consent to read. Then, you've got to have a cover that will (hopefully) draw your reader's interest and persuade him/her to look further at your baby; this product of time and sweat.
But, covers can cost also.
My first cover was a white on black outline of a lady's shapely backside. It's still around. I created this by tracing over a picture of a woman by hand (and I'm a lousy artist) and then running it through a word processing program to invert it from white to black and then repairing it and repairing it and on and on.
But you really need your book cover. Having a professional design a cover can run between $200 and $500 each. And who the heck has that kind of money. (Not me.)
So... I do my own. Good, bad, or indifferent, that's all I can afford to do. (In one form or another, that is what all these hard working writers have to do... Want to do.)
So tonight, look down at your belly and imagine fattening it until it's so huge you can't walk.
Write two paragraphs about how you now feel and set it aside.
Good, bad, or lousy, write it.
In a few days, come back to it and start to proof it. Now, you're on your way. It'll be exciting to watch where it goes.
Next week, I'll give you my best secret for creating a book cover.
Be well.
Love
JM

I'm like the scarecrow in the "wizard of oz." If only, I had a brain.
I'm not that good at writing. I see so many good stories here on ff. They make me want to drool.
You can recognize many by their number of likes.

Under this topic, I hope to write about the basics of writing that so many future authors have asked me about.

Also, I hope that if you are a writer, you will consider contributing helpful hints.

Essentially, I just want to say, "Jump in the puddle and let the mud splash where it will." It's so much fun.

JM