Lack of skill and inspiration

[Scarlet Lady]

Chocolate sounds like a better idea. Alcohol just puts me to sleep - I'm boring when I'm drunk!

[Intensity Angel]

Alcohol affects people in different ways, it actually improves my concentration a lot.

[Scarlet Lady]

Chocolate does help me - it comforts, relaxes, perks me up... Tea is my other best friend, when I need something to revive me. Normal teas are too hard on my stomach (not sure why) but Earl Grey actually settles my stomach and clears my head. It's better than medicines!

[captain canary]

I've never tried the fancy teas. Give me PG Tips any day! I love chocolate, especially the nutty sorts. I don't like Toblerone, though, I don't like honey.

I do like a quiet glass of port, though.

[Scarlet Lady]

Port is a nice drink, yes. I like wines and cider. I'm not keen on beer, but I have found that I like a beer called Badger Golden Glory - it's a real ale, flavoured with apricot; which takes the edge off the bitterness.

[captain canary]

I don't like beers much either but cider's all right when there's nothing else on offer. I definitely prefer port though.

Anyway, the thread's gone pretty off topic...

I have decided to knock my writing career on the head and move on, which I'm sure will hardly come as a shock to any of you.

I've found it increasingly difficult to come up with my own original idea and every time that I've thought I have, I've found that the same idea has occurred to somebody else and they've already done it better than I would have.

The stories that I have written hardly compare to anything else on this site, despite all my best efforts and an English A level, which just goes to show that qualifications don't mean much in the real world, and I just feel that this is for the best. I'll still be around, I'm sure, but very much behind the scenes.

I haven't read any of your stories yet, but that does sound a bit drastic. Why don't you just team up with someone, if you're no good on your own?

[chrisbishop]

Oops! You might like to re-word that a bit. I would rather think you mean "...think you're not good enough on your own?"

Scarlet Lady, despite her claims to the contrary, is a good writer. I can testify of that. There are 18 stories of hers stored on Spectrum HQ, which you can find at this address:

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/Sc ... yLinks.htm

She was one of the first authors - if not THE first author! - to submit a story (The Giant Emerald) on Spectrum HQ, and it's still there for people to read. Granted, you can see, when you read it, that it comes from a very young author at the time, and the truth might be say from the few others that followed, but you can see that there was definitely talent there.

The "Lieutenant Lake" series that came after might be refering to what many describes as a "Mary-suesque" character, and while not everybody likes that 'genre' of fan fiction writing, the stories are not devoid of interest at all, and you certainly can see the evolution in style from the ealier stories to these.

My two favourite from SL are "All in a Night's Work", which is an entertaining and funny Christmas story, and "Ghost of a Chance", a clever crossover with "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)". I recommend them highly. Perhaps waiting Christmas to be in the spirit of things for "All in a Night's Work".

I can certainly understand that sometimes comes a moment when a writer will doubt of his/her own abilities, Scarlet Lady. I've seen that happening with other writers - some of whom are even members of this forum. As I can understand that for a person would want to stop, take some time to think, and re-evaluate whether it's worth doing it again or not. So as I told you on Messenger, I respect your decision to "retire", so to speak, and to turn your attention to other things, which might require more of your attention.

However, as you're an excellent writer, you might find yourself attracted back into the fold at one time or another. You said you lacked inspiration... At the moment it would seem like it, but who knows what the future may hold? It only takes after all, one moment of divine inspiration to get you going...

So whenever, if ever, you come back to writing, you know you'll always be welcomed here!

[captain canary]

You're right, I didn't mean it to sound like that. I'm not very good at getting my point across on forums. I'll have a read of your favourites Chris, and then I'll try to say what I think without sounding horrible. Scarlet Lady, I just reread the thread and I think I can understand why you've stopped. It sounds like you've got a lot of support though, so hopefully your retirement won't last any more than Bruce Forsyth's.

[Scarlet Lady]

Chris is very kind. Personally, I think my stories have gone from bad to worse and I really should have called it a day a long time ago. It was only thanks to Chris that I kept it up this long.

[captain canary]

Your Randall and Hopkirk story isn't bad. I liked that program when they repeated it. Marty's funny!

[Intensity Angel]

Scarlet Lady is a great writer and I like her style a lot. Her stories are some of my favourites.

And as for alcohol, cider is my uni poison and shots are the norm of the night.

[Scarlet Lady]

You're too kind, Intensity.

I live in the West Country, so cider is the stuff to drink here. My brother swears that drinking it keeps blood sucking insects off, but I've not put that to the test.

[Intensity Angel]

I've heard beer is a good antiseptic and it is actually, tried it once on a bad cut. I've grown up in the West Midlands so beer ir normal drink but Banks's Brewery don't sell their beer down in the south of the UK.

[Scarlet Lady]

Yes, every region has its own breweries - that's what I love about holidaying here in Britain! ...well, that and how much the scenery changes and how quickly. For such a small place, there's a lot to look at.

[Intensity Angel]

Yeah, head out of a busy city and literally three miles away you're in the countryside.