Storyshed

Hello Gabrielle, and everyone else. We managed to overcome the problems with Yahoo simply by switching over to group e-mails for a while. It seems to have wakened up from its coma today and a few things have come through, but it's only a technical problem and one we can cope with. We have picked up five new members for Storyshed, a result with which we are very pleased, and have decided to close the list again for a while. If you want to e-mail Ed Gabrielle I'm sure he won't tell youi to go away, but bassically we've got about as many as we can comfortably cope with. Many thanks to everyone who got in touch and especially the five who joined. If activity dies down again we'll be back to recruit, but for the moment we reckon we've got enough. All best regards, David Gardiner (sirat).

Have been trying to apply to join the storyshed group today, but couldn't get any joy out of Yahoo. Now I've read your last message, I understand why I was having no success. Could you put me on your waiting list, even through I am retired (some 10 years). I have been writing alone some time since I finished a SF novella by e-mail in collaboration with another pensioner(a grandmother) in the USA.

HI I was intrested in your group storyshed and was wondering if this all includes poems and essays? If you could give me more information about storyshed that'll help. Thanks

Hello Janeve. The group has been running for about six or eight months. It started as a spin-off from the Storymania site, but then went through a period when most of the members were ABC regulars. The people we've got at the moment (I think I can speak on their behalf on this one) wouldn't feel confident to critique poetry. Certainly I wouldn't. We have had one or two poems posted and a couple of song lyrics but I think it was just as part of general discussion or "inspirational material" and they didn't get critiqued or reviewed. That's another thing we do, come up with ideas to inspire writing. My own three stories about Angel, Muskie and The Elk (one of them a story of the day he adds mosestly) were inspired by the lyrics of the Olivia Newton Song "Sugar Me" which was an idea that came up in the group. What we really do is offer whatever kind of feedback the author wants, it might be a full word by word edit to weed out spelling and grammar problems, or just a quick overall impression of whether the thing has any merit whatever, or anything in between. Or it might be just an idea for a story that someone has got and would like to bounce off the others. All I can say is, the group suits me and I have found it extremely helpful and enjoyable. I know there are other kinds of groups, some of them very formal and rule governed, but I find I operate well in this very laid back kind of setting.

Hi Sirat. I like wht you say about your group, sounds like the kind of informal group of 'informed-gut-feeling-writers' I like talking with. I'd like to take a look at what you've been up to so far. However, after trying the link you give find the way barred. How does one get a sneak preview, please? Aaron PS. If you'd prefer to vet my credemtials first, my personal website can be found at www.hedgesco.com

Hello Aaron. Yahoo groups have always been a bit of a mystery to me too and I didn't start this one. I think that in order to read the archives you have to become a member. If you click on"join" on that page the group owner Ed will approve you and you're in. You can always leave again later if you don't like it. I'll give you Ed's e-mail address in case you run into trouble of any kind (I know it keeps asking me for confirmation codes and strange things like that when I try to join Yahoo groups). Ed's e-mail is: EBruceFUIMUS@aol.com That should be all you need. David Gardiner alias "sirat"

I just checked and I think Ed will need to invite since the group is still listed as members only. It takes Yaboo a while to change settings.

Hi Sirat, Have just been into your website as I liked the idea of the storyshed and like you I am retired, in the past I have only thought of writing to get plublished (it happened once) but can't be bothered with all that it entails any more. I feel I would like to join in but after reading some of what you have writen, without being modest I don't think I could compete but so much like the idea of the feed back whatever form it takes. I don't like insincerity but also have an inborn fear of being though uninteresting and stupid which I always attribute to being brought up in a very cruel childrens home in elite place ( well it was then) would you believe!! "Hampstead". Keep going with the good ideas Sirat its people like you that keep people like me going thanks. Just before I leave you this is the very first time I have ever got up the nerve to put words down to anyone so like when a baby takes its first steps mybe!!! more will follow. Jay

Hello Jay. Good to hear from you. Ed is retired, but I'm afraid I still have to work for my daily crust. If you read through the threads you'll find that Ed's life has been pretty colourful too (won't say too much here!). Hampstead is still pretty elite - unless you're talking Sloane Square or a mansion in the leafy shires I don't know how you could top it in elitism. Regarding joining us, you say "without being modest I don't think I could compete" but it isn't a competition. It's the exact opposite, a cooperative enterprise where each person is there to help the others to do something that they want to do, i.e. become better at story writing. And although inevitably we've had one or two little outbursts of bad feeling or wounded pride over the time we've been doing it, most of the criticism has been extremely gentlemanly (and for the purposes of this cliche man embraces woman) and EXTREMELY helpful. There isn't one of us who hasn't benefited. So I strongly urge you to e-mail Ed and tell him you'd like to come on board for a while at least and give it a try. I can't say fairer than that, can I?

I'm sending invites to Aaron and Janeve but I need confirmation of Jay's email address as it doesn't seem to be complete - Kath11.freeserve.uk I tried to get more details using the user name "Jay" but there was nothing on your page - only Jay! Look forward to hearing from you. Ed.

If you're still there Jay, I got your email but AOL couldn't deliver my reply for some reason. Could be an AOL thing. I'll keep trying. Ed.

It's becoming clear that some people are finding the Yahoo site difficult to navigate and cope with (including me) so if you've been trying to join Storyshed and keep getting weird messages from Yahoo about how you have to associate your identity with your e-mail address and similar waffle, please e-mail Ed the man for assistance. His e-mail addy once again is: EBruceFUIMUS@aol.com

The whole Yahoo groups section has completely shut down for maintenance until Sunday (tomorrow) and will be running slow for a while after that to clear up the backlog of mail. Don't worry about this, we can communicate within the group using ordinary group e-mails. Just get in touch with Ed as though nothing had happened if you want to join. We are still functioning, heads bloody but unbowed.

Read through the whole of this thread and was thinking ' now that sounds interesting...think i'll give it a go....and what happens? Closed down til Sunday.... Will go and look at the work of some of the contributors instead and then maybe e mail Ed?