Colin, I think Adam (Silverelli) has already initiated a fatwa against me, and coupled with the baseball bat wielder who are upset about my book, that meansd my days are probably laready numbered

Too much hostility here, so I'm off out to see my friends and eat cake - Marie Antoinette, move over

Adele.

<Added>

hope you can decode that, I seem to have been struck down with dyslexia - eek!

Andrea,

Big deep breath, count to ten...........and relax.

Now that was patronising! Why oh why are you so wound up?

I will explain this for the third and final time. I can take criticism. What I cannot tolerate are people, who have chosen to give their comments - of their own free will - and who then moan when others fail to appreciate them to the max. As if they are some kind of unpaid lecturers, who bravely and humbly donate their precious time and vast, vast knowledge to us little charity cases.

And comparing Dee to Swiss Tony is funny. Are only literary references tolerated on this site? Can I only wittily refer to Keats or Wilde or Kafka? Get over yourself.

It's all too easy to get drawn into this nonsense. How do people ever get any writing done? Here's a suggestion Andrea - if you dont like what I say.....wait for it......strap yourself in........IGNORE IT!

Hey Andrea, give us a wee smile.....come on!

(Patronising) Marj.

I think this is all quite hysterical! Last night I was rather sloshed on some delicious red wine that I was hoping would help me get to the nitty gritty of a story I was writing. I posted my initial comment to Marj about "trawling through people's comments" and thought nothing more of it until this morning when I came across it in. I instantly thought "hmm, you could have re-worded that Lois, but never mind" and now I find the community has gone mad!

Marj, thanks for defending me and yes, I agree Dee perhaps needs to think before she writes. What she said initially wasn't exactly fit for a be-heading by any means but her bluntness was perhaps a little cutting. While I DO have a thick skin I also get quite hurt by people who get me totally wrong. I don't really think there was any need to be quite so rude, Dee. I'm certainly not going to hold it against you, I don't know you and I will never meet you but nevertheless, Marj and I (& countless others on here) ARE new to here and a little empathy would not go amiss.

While Dee may be a very experienced writer with a wealth of advice for others, call me hyper-sensitive, but I get the impression she's sitting just a little too tall on that pedastool of hers. One day she may fall off and have to mix with us lowly folk.

Marj, you're hysterical! keep at it girl. You've got me on your side!

Yup, Marj, that was patronising. And clearly meant to be. Clearly meant to wind me up, as was the rest of your post. Develop a little subtlety, then it might work

I didn't at any point say - so please pay attention (oh, we can all patronise, it's soooooo easy) - you could not tolerate criticism. On that, I've kept my thoughts to myself. What I have said is that you have no right to convert your sense of being patronised into an attack on other members of this site. Specifically Dee.

"And comparing Dee to Swiss Tony is funny." I had already realised you thought so because you laughed at your own joke (always the sign of a cracking sense of humour). Make an unfunny joke about Keats or Wilde or Kafka, it still wouldn't be funny. Especially not when it's also plain nasty.

"Here's a suggestion Andrea - if you dont like what I say.....wait for it......strap yourself in........IGNORE IT!" Now, that actually is funny (finally, you made me laugh! And not a Kafka witticism in sight) - funny because it comes from the woman who started all this because she didn't like what someone said to her and couldn't IGNORE IT!

"Hey Andrea, give us a wee smile.....come on!" See Marj, I'm getting the feeling that you enjoy winding people up, getting a bit controversial, cos it gets you attention. But attacks like yours on Dee - still just cheap.

Anyway, I've said what I had to say about your comments to Dee. I'm not prepared to invest any more energy in stoking your ego. So I'm off. Enjoy.

Andrea

Oh please, I wasn't saying take it up with Dee on WW mail 'cos I'm 'freaked out' (oh, if only you knew me). Actually I quite enjoy reading a bloody good WW ruck. It's just it was taking things in the direction of personal, petty and childish (as opposed to getting to the nitty gritty of important issues) and if it goes too much that way, you'll probably find the thread gets pulled, anyway.

And I agree with a lot of Anj's comments.

Lois, you say you'd had a few glasses of red wine and put up a comment you later thought might be better re-phrased. That's kind of what I suspected (as I said earlier). You've explained, so fine. But if that's the case, then surely you don't need to be defended by Marj??

Also, there's an massive variety of people who go on this site, so to make out WW is the preserve of prudish high-cultured types who need to be rebelled against is frankly bollocks.

Cath

Andrea,

Hmmmmmmmm, are you and Dee related? Because you seem hell bent on defending her. What you fail to grasp is that I could ignore Dees comments on my work. I replied to her and thanked her for her time and attention - and then I moved on.

But when I saw her attacking Lois for simply using the word 'trawling', I thought hold on, what is this womans problem? She either wants to comment on a persons work or she doesn't. She shouldn't get all uppity because people aren't overcome with gratitude. And besides that wasn't really the point. Lois was empathising, not attacking. So much fuss over one wee word! Ridiculous!

You don't seem to be getting this, and I couldn't care less if you think I am being patronising when I say this:

Criticism is welcome. Tell us that the story doesn't work. Tell us that the characters are unbelievable or the plot is weak. But tell us with the view towards helping us to right these wrongs. Not to prove your literary prowess. And don't respond in a way that makes us feel that you were torn away from your own masterpiece while you waded through our trash.

Is that such a bad comment to make Andrea? (You're probably off tweaking your own masterpiece - and no, that's not a thinly disguised insult)

Like I said several site experts commented on my work and I really felt encouraged. Why do you want to wade into a discussion that doesn't involve you anyway? And don't reprimand me for saying crap when you say wanker - what are you - the language police?

Well anyway, hi Lois. I made my comments last night whilst having a glass of wine or two. What a couple of winos! Hope your writing is going well.

Take care. Marj

Hey Skippy,

You seem to be another one who thinks he polices this site. You said to Lois that you suspected she had had a glass or two of wine but that she had explained herself so that was fine!

So you accept her apology for her drunken behaviour and will take no further action. Phew, thank God eh Lois? Thought I was gonna have to bail you out - and I'm skint.

Marj.

Anyway, I'm off out.

I'm taking a vegetable moussaka to Shettleston. See you all later.

Marj.

I'm taking a vegetable moussaka to Shettleston

Wow! Don't they have busses where you live?

Beadle (smily face thing)

This is hysterical! What a great story this could make. Has anyone thought of that[b/]??