Your Funniest Moment When Distracted by a Hard Problem

[Danger]

Wasn't it Dirty Harry who said, "A man's just got to know his limitations." :rofl:

Quite right.
I can read when I'm drunk, as evidenced by the fact that I was posting last night, but it wouldn't do the piece justice.

 

[twisting_edge]

The main text is very well written and polished, IMO, and I enjoyed reading it.

Thanks. The passage you picked isn't even really part of the "story", yet. It needs to go into the middle somewhere, but I can't think where. As it stands, there's a stream of consciousness continuity that is the only thing holding the rest of it together (and not very well at that).

Nicely done! Keep working on your writing, and I'll bet you get published.

I'm not trying to get published. It'd be nice, but it's a lot of work. Plus, that particular piece is too short.

Out of curiousity (and this should probably be deferred to the comments section of that journal entry), did you get the point? As I mentioned in the intro, if it seemed a little passe', you probably didn't get it.

 

[berkeman]

Out of curiousity (and this should probably be deferred to the comments section of that journal entry), did you get the point? As I mentioned in the intro, if it seemed a little passe', you probably didn't get it.

To be honest, I was just enjoying the read and the isolated imagery and metaphors. I was reading fast, and not trying to connect the thoughts (hey, rhymes with dots).

To quote William Hurt in the movie The Big Chill, "Sometimes you just have to let art *flow* over you."

 

[Danger]

Out of curiousity (and this should probably be deferred to the comments section of that journal entry), did you get the point?

I think so. Just read it now, and liked it very much. If you consider it too short, try just approaching a few SF monthly magazines such as Analogue (if any still exist). What is actually entitled "The Shortest Science Fiction Story Ever Told" consists of 3 words, and was included in an anthology of the year's best SF.

 

[Evo]

I got the point, but that's because I've read so much science fiction in my life.

I thought it might contain too many financial references for the average person.

Sorry Berkeman, we've hijacked your thread, I should split these posts into a separate thread.

We've had a number of writers start threads asking about stories and help for stories.

 

[berkeman]

Sorry Berkeman, we've hijacked your thread, I should split these posts into a separate thread.

No worries. It was an enjoyable hijack, and the original theme of the thread had mostly run its course.

 

[twisting_edge]

Here's a few cheaters, BTW (I'm assuming you know how to read this):

1. The last line could be, "She named me Matilda";
2. The uncertainty is half the point; and
3. The narrator doesn't know themselves (and doesn't think it's relevant).

I skipped the obvious one. Anyone who didn't get that far wouldn't get the hints in any case.