1 month ago: Darn it! I was hoping more people would have participated so no one would notice that I didn't. I'm suffering from a severe case of writer's block precipitated by a lack of time. I like the prompt though... If something comes to me by the end of Friday, I'll submit it. :D

1 month ago: I don't know about you but Namaste here any longer than I have too. Marshall is just too adorable. :D

I liked the episode, the only thing I had a problem with is the end where they show flashbacks to Stella talking about Robin and her ex. I thought it was more than obvious that Stella had been referring to her own feelings about her ex the whole time, especially seeing the two of them on the boat together. The flashback thing was just overkill. But that's my personal opinion. Either way, I'm glad the whole Ted/Stella thing is over and we can move on to a whole new area of speculation...

1 month ago: That end was amazing, but I would have changed one tiny little thing. After Pam hung up her phone and the camera held on her, I wanted to hear her phone chime, indicating she had a voicemail. I was waiting for it, but no such luck. That would have made it perfect, knowing that she was about to listen to her voicemail from Jim.

Have any of you seen 'Love Actually'? Jim and Pam's phone conversation reminded me of Jamie and Aurelia's conversation when they are speaking different languages but yet they are still so in tune with each other, the conversation makes sense.

Also, how cute is it that Jim helped Pam do her laundry! *sighs*

1 month ago: Compared to the first two episodes, I found this one quite enjoyable. I loved the interaction between Ted and Lucy. However, I still don't see his relationship with Stella lasting long and it's going to be the hardest on Lucy. :(

My favorite part was the Marshall freak-out. I just knew it was going to happen after seeing him in the Costco (or whatever it was). Marshall is a small-town boy at heart. Him in the store deciding between puppy t-shirts...too funny!

On the downside, I'm totally liking Robin less and less. Putting the phone down to do a victory dance (a BAD victory dance too) so she didn't hear it was only an audition was odd, plus her complete 180 on deciding to get her old job back was so spineless.

2 months ago: I wasn't impressed with this episode either. I think the only time I laughed was when Barney would say "Member F.D.I.C." really fast. I'm just grateful that Marshall will be wearing pants from now on. Walking around in boxers only emphasizes the fact that he's gotten a little chunky since last season. And Robin eating out of the trash...gross.

2 months ago: I liked how Angela and Dwight have stopped trying to hide from the cameras. They even called Angela on it. "That's how I sleep at night!" LOL!

Loved the premiere!! Micheal falling down the stairs, his long poem that ended with "seagulls", Dwight spraying everything with bug spray (so thrilled the normal Dwight is back!), Phyllis now head of the party planning committee, Ryan back as a temp...perfection!

2 months ago: This is my week's entry. It's shorter than usual and based off the prompt: You bump into a genie and she offers to grant you three wishes. What are your wishes and what happens after you get them?

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“What do you wish of me?”

I started, spilling the lukewarm remnants of my coffee onto my white blouse. The liquid soaked in quickly and the dark brown stains stared back at me in taunting disapproval.

“Will you please stop doing that?”

I walked over to my kitchen sink and placed the now empty coffee cup in the sink. The genie stood in the middle of my kitchen, her arms crossed in front of her. Since I had had the great misfortune to stumble across a rusted old lamp in my grandmother’s attic, the genie had stood just like that, like some comical version of the genie from ‘I Dream of Jeannie.’ If only this was a TV show.

“Would you like a clean shirt?”

Yes, I thought. However, my lips formed some other, more colorful words. From the look on the genie’s face, that particular phrase didn’t make sense to her. I walked in a wide circle around her and headed for my bedroom. I had already pulled my stained shirt off and was in the process of putting on a new one before I noticed she was standing in my bedroom.

“Would you please go away?” I begged, my words slightly muffled by the shirt I had over my head. “I don’t want any wishes.”

The genie smiled with false sweetness. “Everyone wants wishes.”

“Not me. I’m happy with what I have and fine with what I don’t have.”

With a new shirt on, I walked back into the living room, my eyes searching the room for my keys. Even before the genie could open her mouth to ask “would you like your keys?” I spotted them under the couch.

“I’ve never had a master who kept their keys in that particular spot.”

“I’m not your master!”

Keys in hand, I headed for the door. It was the reflection of the genie in the mirror that hung next to my front door that caused me to turn around. The genie looked apprehensive, waiting to see if I would cave in and wish for time to stop or a million dollars or the keys to a brand new Porsche.

“I know what I want know. I’m ready to make my first wish.”

It was time to put an end to this. The genie gave me a knowing smile, as if she had heard this many times before.

“Of course you are. What do you wish of me?”

“I wish you would go away and leave me alone.”

Poof! The genie disappeared in a quite literal puff of black smoke. I felt a rush of relief spread over me. Finally, after two weeks of that woman following me around trying to get me to mess up and make a wish which she could twist around and use against me…she was gone. I opened my front door and walked outside.

Something’s wrong. My head reverberated with that thought as I looked around a completely deserted street. There wasn’t a single person in sight. My heart stopped.

“I wish you would go away and leave me alone…”

I was alone. The genie had won.

2 months ago: Session 7 is up!!

Cheers to Chel for posting late!! :D

2 months ago: It's the latest session of our writer's group. This is my first time posting and because I get easily distracted and forget things, we are starting late this week. I'm blaming it on the first day of Fall...

A reminder of the principles:
1) Please read and comment on others' writing.
2) If you have something you've been writing, feel free to post it here before the end of the day on Friday, 26 September 2008.
3) If you aren't writing something or want to take a break and write something else, write a piece following one of the writing prompts. Post that in the next 24 hours (before 05:08 GMT Wednesday, 24 September 2008).

*****************
The Prompt:

You bump into a genie and she offers to grant you three wishes. What are your wishes and what happens after you get them?

Alternative Prompt:

If you prefer, try starting a piece with the sentence "He/She tried to remember who had given him/her the key..."

Again, you may post your response to the prompt(s) in the next twenty-four hours, and then provide your feedback to what others post during the rest of the week. As an alternative (or in addition), you may post something you're working on writing sometime in the next five days. Remember the Three Fs, and get writing, writers!

* Follow (that is, read the material posted each week)
* Feedback (provide feedback)
* Fairness (try to be fair with your subjective feedback, and don't be attacking)

2 months ago: mrs-mindfreak:

Good story. I was pulled into the emotion and really felt for Alex. I do have a few critiques.

-“Good job, Andrew! It is green!” Alex cooed. She lifted him under his armpits
The insignificant detail of where she lifted him isn't really necessary. It kind of took me out of the flow of the story. I also don't think you necessarily needed to put Alex's last name at the beginning. You don't reference it again and it doesn't appear to be necessary the story.

Alex heard her father’s heavy footsteps come in through the front door
I would have put stepfather instead of father. Alex obviously doesn't consider him her father, even if she calls him "Dad."

I would suggest you more clearly define that No doubt about to watch TV is coming from Alex's mind. Had you put something like Alex sighed before that line, it would have been more apparent that this was coming from her and not just the rhetoric of the story.

Great story for one your age...I hope you'll keep writing more stories. :D