Chris A

EMERGENCE

You stand alone, in the northwest corner of the cellar deck, gloved hands resting on the handrail and face tilted to the sun.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.

Above you, clouds rag-roll an azure sky, while beneath you, an aging platform sways to the rhythm of the North Sea.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.

Solitude. It catches you unawares,…[Read more]

Why do you say you’re a terrible beta reader?

It’s a bit like when I had to read books for exams at school. It was no reflection on the work itself and I’ve read many of the books since with great pleasure. Something about picking up a book for a purpose (a meta-purpose if you like) that isn’t simply pleasure, idle curiosity, whatever, and my…[Read more]

Thanks for the topic. May I add that I’m a terrible beta reader. I would like to be more useful and hope to pick up some tips if this discussion develops and hopefully turns into something more.

Hi – that was a reply to Sandra, just for avoidance of confusion. Yes, there are several very appealing forums available, including Discourse (and I must say as a longtime repairer, I like your forum and the topic). That said, with Discourse, we would need a VPS or similar non-shared server arrangement*, unlike a traditional web-host, so the…[Read more]

Sand

Mum was a good woman. I say was; I mean is. She’s still alive. But since the diagnosis of dementia, well, for a long while before that, I knew she was slipping away.

She sits with me as I work.

I have a phone to repair. A capacitor has failed, a tiny surface-mount component. It is fiddly and the manufacturer won’t replace it. But I wil…[Read more]

Well, there’s a lot to think about. And to get started on.

I certainly agree with the point about idle chat.

I have belonged to one or two sites that have been invaded and effectively ruined by the invaders, after which they failed. How is a site murdered?

As for contributers…well, that’s tricky. When it comes down to it, it’s people’s leisure time. If they feel compelled to contribute then I’d sort of hope it was some sort of internal compulsion…[Read more]

Ta ever so, Gail. My little story is about real people I knew a long time ago, and a real bar, so it was easy in a way. I liked your theme and I liked Sandra’s entry too. Pity about the numbers but that’s the way things are right now.