RETROtales.com

I made writer of the week!

http://web.archive.org/web/20020125091333/http://www.abctales.com/

Ooh congrats!

Seriously now, what was the deal with that horse?

The horse represented pureness and fidelity.

http://web.archive.org/web/20020601123711/www.abctales.com/abcplex/viewf...

The people that I can see that are still around are Tom, Mark, Jude, David, Ralph, Liana, Chant, Fish and Andrew P. Interesting that they still represent a high proportion of the site's best writers.

oooh look I was story of the day...

http://web.archive.org/web/20020125091333/http://www.abctales.com/

when it was story of the day and not just once a week and children respected their elders!

jude

"Cacoethes scribendi"
http://www.judesworld.net

http://web.archive.org/web/20020601123711/www.abctales.com/abcplex/viewf...

all the writers of the week. God knows how I made it since I spewed reams of angst ridden shite all over the site back then!

thegirlwhowantedtobegod was Emily Hamblin who at 17 yrs old was an enormous talent...I wonder where she is now.

jude

"Cacoethes scribendi"
http://www.judesworld.net

I do miss some of the old timers. We have had some fantastic writers over the years and we still have a huge reservoir of talent. Now if all of that skill came together here at one time, what a wonderful world that would be.

Ha - thanks for the cherry, Foster!

i mean, if it won a contest and all...

plus i'm partial to vvg.

nice little trip down memory lane there ... i miss hovis ...

and i recall how agog i always was when sooz put up a diary piece ... they were the most amazing compelling car crash pieces ever ... i would read with my mouth open ...

i'd love to know what sooz is doing now ...

yeah, Hovis was cool. It was nice to have another jude around and she was a gooner! Top girl!

jude

"Cacoethes scribendi"
http://www.judesworld.net

I liked the horse.

mind you there were some i am glad to see the back of .... mentioning no names ...

Is Andrew P still around?

~
www.fabulousmother.com

i think there's wind of him occasionally ...

The horse is still around-in my heart.

Did the horse have a name?

EQUUS

Prince begat Prance.

And Prance begat Prankus.

And Prankus begat Flankus.

And Flankus begat Spankus.

And Spankus begat Spunkus the Great,
who lived threescore years.

And Leckwus begat Neckwus.

And Neckwus begat Fleckwus,
the King of Spit.

And Fleckwus spoke
out of his chinkle-chankle.

And he said, ''Behold, I give you Equus,
my only begotten son.''

jude

"Cacoethes scribendi"
http://www.judesworld.net

The horse was called Gary.

Gary's a strange name for a horse.
I think he looks more like an Andrew.

Andrew's his evil twin.

Gary now prefers to spell his name Gari since his holiday in Ibiza.

Seriously... there used to be a different piccy on the front page every week. And members could submit their pics for consideration. I'd love to see this brought back.

Here is my first offering!

http://www.judesworld.net/sunset.html

jude

"Cacoethes scribendi"
http://www.judesworld.net

*rubs eyes ... blinks*

look ... it's hovis ... in the who's online ...

see you only have to ask and the universe provides ...

*does a little dance of joy*

That's a cool sunset Jude. It would be nice if there were user pics on the homepage again.

Not very interesting, just an observation, but this from ages ago:

http://web.archive.org/web/20041224224938/www.abctales.com/magazine/info

is way better than this from right now, which opens with something about my paypal not being accepted:

http://www.abctales.com/about

Could the Inspiration Point be improved if it included pictures too?

Inspiration Point would be better if it was a bit more... Inspirational. I'm into setting tasks for inspiration. Pictures do work, if they're the right pictures for the right person...

Was pleasantly surprised to see this:

http://web.archive.org/web/20040722085435/http://www.abctales.com/

'With Goth On Our Side'.

He he he.

Cheers,

Mark

That's a good one, Mark - very inspirational. Let's revive the ABC Subcultural Challenge!

Perhaps what the archives show, is that ABC was a more interesting, inspiring and funkier place when some effort went into the site. Now when I look around, I find myself singing 'all the clubs are being closed down...'

Long live booktribes, eh?

BBF - I can't get that song out of my head now! I suppose it's symptomatic of a web site run by volunteers - there's a lot of work involved in running one of these things; I know because I've done it. And nobody thanks you for it.

Thanks 4G!

Aw shucks! It was nothing!

I do not believe that it is workload that is the issue, rather than a lack of direction. When was the last time ABC had a competition? Last ABC event? Last original idea other than the tried and tested?

God, I know I'm moaning, it just frustrates me.

Blimey - aren't there a few health hazards in searching abc archives?

Didn't missi archive all the scandal too?

Where is George these days?

I was around for the winter's tale comp and the Bloomsbury comp - a good one.

I have to say that, having explored much of what the web has to offer in terms of 'writing' sites this has always been the best...I may be biased. You do have to ride the rough with the smooth, and some folks don't.

Being a regular part of an online forum is a unique and mixed experience...but a good one overall. I think we shall all look fondly back at being part of the early cyber communities some time when electricity has run out or you have to pedal to stay online or something.

Fact:

If I had to pedal to stay online, I'd never be online.

I pedal drugs to stay online.

I petrol tugs to stay online.

I piddle in jugs to stay online.

I realise that this site is populated by peddlars and piddlers...but you don't often confess to it.

I jiggle jugs but not to stay online especially.

"I have to say that, having explored much of what the web has to offer in terms of 'writing' sites this has always been the best...I may be biased. You do have to ride the rough with the smooth, and some folks don't.

Being a regular part of an online forum is a unique and mixed experience...but a good one overall."

Well, I think the biggest achievement of ABCtales.com has been the creation of an interesting space for people to come to.

Smunt.

'Well, I think the biggest achievement of ABCtales.com has been the creation of an interesting space for people to come to.'

Yup, yup - I'd second that. And, for all the supposed acrimony, at least there's very little of that wanky self-mythologising that goes on in most artistic 'scenes'. It's just a bunch of people who write, and almost every day I find something new and interesting to read. Not too shabby.

Ok, ok, I'll quit moaning and leave you all to enjoy your lovely piece of cyberspace.

I love ABC Tales! :)))

pe
ps
oid

... What is "The Art of Tea"? ...
(www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

Foooooooking yaaaaaaaaaay :-o)

I *think* that Flash does, too.

Nahh, he just stepped on a giant earwig.

pe
ps
oid

... What is "The Art of Tea"? ...
(www.pepsoid.wordpress.com)

Yep, I agree with Emma (and others). There was a time when I was reading and posting stories a lot on abc. I don't anymore (for various reasons - right now I'm writing a book and not short stories, the year before I didn't have a computer) but I still check out the forums every day, read a story, and I like the sense of community - seeing on the faces (is that the right word) that I recognise.

Now, on with the book.........

Drew.

It's a fine balance, coming to the forum and keeping up with the writing. If you get it right, it works really well. You can come here for some inspiration and exchange of ideas, keeping your word docs open and dipping in and out. Sometimes the writing process becomes really intense and you will be in a world of your own for some time, other times you just chip away at things, revising your work or writing short passages.

I remember Karl Wiggins saying he couldn't write while he was participating on the forums. I'm not like that. If I'm coming to the forums, it acts as a reminder that I value the written word and want to get back to my writing.

I am a very slow writer, painstakingly so. I have written a few pages over the last couple of days while I have been poorly. I believe, given the chance, I could pick up some speed if only I had more opportunity to practice the craft.

I'm working on the next part of 'Kissing Games' - it was story of the week some time ago, - I'm really enjoying developing it, as I have substantial parts of the plot mapped out in my head and I am hoping it can turn into my first 'practise' novel-length piece. It really is about time I wrote something longer that a short story.

To bring two threads together - I need to substitute my day job for a wonderful income from 'book runnning' so that I can manage my own time and write! It's the eternal dilemma - I have a good, steady job, which is gold dust. Perhaps I could work part-time if I can implement Jude's top tips and make a go of the selling!

I like the format of this new site - I've been browsing by clicking on people's usernames and reading some cherried pieces. The pictures used to be interesting on the old site though - the long scroll of mug shots.

It's amazing how writing styles vary. In the old days there used to be some guessing games where people would upload a piece of work under another username - but we always worked it out. Andrew Pack was always unmistakable. Spack and Rokkit too. I wish I could remember the names of some of the writers whose work sticks in my memory. There was a piece about being a coin - 'On Being Tender'? - a dull sounding subject that someone turned into an outstanding short. I often wonder what happened to that gifted writer.

*stumbles about rubbing eyes like small child woken from afternoon nap*

HELLO! I have nothing constructive to say as brain turned to sudocreme and spagetti hoops a while ago but I'm very happy to see you all!

rachey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how are things?????

xxxxxxxxxxx

Wow - everyone's coming out of the woodwork.

I *think* On being Tender was Sheepshank. Google seems to have no memory of it.

Sheepshank! That sounds right.

Rachel - hello!

Sudocrem is the best - cures everything. The best freebie I ever got from the health service.

x

rach - how wonderful to have you back amongst if only for a fleeting instant. How are things? How is you lovely little girl? and Daisy? And everything?

Hello Rachel! How's it going?

The free tub of sudocrem I got in my Bounty Bag lasted for two whole kids... it's a bugger to get out of carpets though ('how to get sudocrem out of carpet' is the most frequent search string pointing people to my site - poor things, I have no idea how to get sudocrem out of a carpet).

Isn't this nice though, everybody turning up...

*waits hopefully for Ely Whitley*

What was Ely's real name, btw - I want to look out for it on rolling credits.

~
www.fabulousmother.com

*Remembers Rachel's frontage fondly ...sighs dreamily* :-o)

Dunno what Ely's real name was, but he's probably running a highly successful colonic irrigation clinic.

He was quite elusive about his real identity but did let it slip once or twice. His name is Ian Watson.

http://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=1457&articlei...

jude

"Cacoethes scribendi"
http://www.judesworld.net

hahahah emma! i'd forgotten the bum clearance story ... when i read it i laughed until i nearly did a little wee ...

Well I wouldn't have recognised him from that pic! But then, no one would recognise me now either. Going to a (wet) wedding today...my hair long now,...had it 'sleeked' last night for an extortionate price...that's what you get for going to your mum's hairdresser.

The piccy I saw of you fish, on Drew's website, looks as though you've had the 'sleeking treatment'?

Feels great to have all the kinkyness under control..;-)

wow .. long and sleeked! send us a pic emma ... ely didn't look how i imagined either ...

and yes i've been sleeked alright ... the invention of the hair 'straights' as we call them is a brilliant thing ...

tho can still be wildly woolly if caught in the rain ...

Very glad that emma has her kinkiness finally under control. Is so nice to pop in once in a while but with a mental 2 (YES 2 on Friday) year old about the feet it's a bit hectic. Congrats grandpa cook! Fishy has always been long and sleek to me! Think often and fondly about colonic irrigation threat (although friend who gave herself an enema while waterskiing in a bikini has yet to see the funny side).

two ... lawks ...

time to pop out another one soon then ...

Why not have one of mine on loan instead?

Either: the one who lost his mobile phone today after I bought it for his birthday last month.

Or: the one who left his packed lunch in the kitchen when he went to school this morning.

Or: the one who is addicted to Spongebob Squarepants.

Same price any. Loan one get one free.

It is very good to have you all back here once more - now come on down to Brighton this Saturday for a great evening of fun and frolicing - oh, and some fine reads as well.

I remember this site was a big part in changing my major from chemical engineering to print journalism. I graduated now, and I can't find a job!!!

(OK, just kidding. I'm going to graduate school now to be a science teacher!)