response 1 of 27:

Dec 13 15:34 UTC 1994

I can't wait to see what's going to happen. It can't be only me,
can it?

response 3 of 27:

Dec 13 19:30 UTC 1994

Hmmmm....actually, I was suggesting entering an Item for each new *work*.
Then that work, and just that work, can be discussed in that Item (until
it drifts into, say, the weather...). But, there are no rules here, so
CREATIVE WRITERS - CREATE!

response 5 of 27:

Dec 14 16:57 UTC 1994

Kim nods in agreement with Rick.
My parents never took my writing seriously.  I'd be downstairs taping 
away at the keyboard creating stories, and they'd yell at me to go do 
my homework or study for a test next week.  *sigh*
I'm so glad I'm in college now.
And I'm so glad I've found people who DO take my work seriously.

response 7 of 27:

Dec 14 22:10 UTC 1994

Damn!
Well, since the d*** computer won't let me just copy and paste from microsoft
word (lines get too long) I'll have to type my story in later

response 9 of 27:

Dec 15 07:00 UTC 1994

Is that possible?

response 11 of 27:

Dec 15 18:30 UTC 1994

Do it in small chunks though, or the editor may choke.

Another way is to save the wordprocessor document as an ascii text
file and upload it using a transfer protocol such as kermit, xmodem,
or zmodem.

But we don't want this item to get too techie; want it to be
creative instead.  So I'll enter a poem that I made up in the
last two nanoseconds:

        I think that I shall never spy
        A poem lovely as an I-
           tem.

response 13 of 27:

Dec 16 07:16 UTC 1994

THat's what I would like to know too.
Typing is fun.
I've made up a X-mas story.

response 15 of 27:

Dec 17 21:09 UTC 1994

xmodem attempt #1
                        daniel b velleman


He was 17.  He rolled the thought around in his head, and 
reached for the snooze button.  It took him a few minutes to 
realize it.  He was 17.  He was 17.  17 years old.
Which meant he could drive.  RAs soon as you pass driverUs ed,S they had said. 
 RAs soon as we think your readyS   RWhen we get a new car.S   Well, he was
through driverUs ed, they thought he was ready,
  and they were getting a new car.  Never mind that their old
 car was clunky, and falling apart.  Never mind that they 
would have his head if he wrecked it.  He was 17.

By the end of the week, he had his new car, his parentUs old
 car.  The first thing he did was install a new sound system
.  Well, the first thing he did was drive across the 
neighborUs lawn, but once he got down the driveway 
successfully, he got a new sound system with a tape player
 that worked and decent speakers and a high price tag.  And,
 after learning how not to back into the neighborUs lawn, he
 was ready to roll.
That weekend, a few of his friends and he rode in his car
 down to the carnival for a day of fun.  The three of them
 stopped at the fortune-tellers booth,  and pretended that
 the old lady in the gypsy costume really could see into the
 future.  His friends got the six of diamonds--unhappy 
romance--and the two of hearts--good fortune.  He got the Ace
 of spades.  Death.  
None of them belived a word of it, of course, and they joked 
about it on their way home.  And after he dropped his friend 
off, he set off, alone, for a drive in the country.

He didnUt see the truck.  It didnUt have itUs lights on, as 
it roared on through the night, and he didnUt see it until it 
was too late.  He screamed, it swerved, and he crashed into
 itUs side, and he flew forward as it tossed his car to the
 side.  His windsheild shattered, and he smashed into the
 dashboard, and heard a click as he struck the tape player,
 and he flew backwards, as his car acellerated towards the
 truck.  He ricoched backwards off itUs side, his windsheild
 rushing back together.  His car backed away from the truck,
 and a scream flew back through his open lips.  He looked
 down at the tape deck--the rewind button was pressed.  He
 looked at his watch--midnight.

As soon as he got over the initial shock, he was very
 excited.  Nothing bad could ever happen to him--if it did,
 he would just rewind.  If he ran out of money, he could
 rewind until before he had spent it.  As long as...  
As long as he never went before last week, before he got the
 car, or after midnight, he would be safe.  But that meant he
 could only keep on reliving the past week over and over. He
 would take that over death any day, though.  And so, he
 spent the next few weeks going to the carnival with his
 friends, eating too much candy, and drawing the ace of
 spades in the old gypsyUs booth, over and over and over.
For a while it was fun, spending every day with his pals.
  And he discovered that he didnUt have to do things the same
 way the second time around.  He could do anything that he
 wanted!  And then it happened.  After all of the weeks of
 fun, he lost track of the time.
It happened late one night.  He was driving along the same
 country road he had driven along every night since the
 crash.  He looked down at his watch; the second hand
 staggered drunkenly across the face.  He looked at the clock
 on his dashboard.  00:00               00:00       00:00       it
 blinked at him.  Calm down he said to himself.  YouUll
 recognize the spot where it happened, and rewind there.
  ItUs ok.  He didnUt belive a word he was saying.
He never saw the truck.
They both swerved, this time, and skidded towards each other.
  The back of the truck swung around, and flicked his car
 sideways, as he flew forwards and struck the dashboard.
  There was a click, and everything stopped.
Time passed.
He just hung in midair, with the side of his arm against the
 stop button.  He had stopped.  He was stopped for good.  The
 police found him that way, hanging in the air, with his face
 staring, unseeing, at the ground.


Meanwhile, the carnival prepared to close up.  The Rold gypsy
 womanS removed her costume, and walked to the parking lot,
 casually shuffling her cards.  Once in her car, she casually
 drew a card--the ace of spades.  She laughed, as she turned
 the key in the ignition, and drove off into the night.




Those capital R's and U's before and after words are quotes, the U's and S's
are apostophes

response 17 of 27:

Dec 19 07:15 UTC 1994

Good show, ole' chum.
This is what this item is about!
More?
Rick.

response 19 of 27:

Dec 19 16:20 UTC 1994

Much obliged (since Penniwyse and me are the same person)

response 21 of 27:

Dec 21 07:21 UTC 1994

By the way, folks.
Is there someone that speaks two lingos?
My translating into English isn't a thing I can do just
like that.
<from Dutch, that is>

response 23 of 27:

Dec 22 13:19 UTC 1994

Since it is the purpose that I should keep things going on, here
is a proposition:
I am fully aware that there is difficulty in sending complete
stories to Grex. In fact, a friend had done for me once.
So, maybe I could keep this item rolling by suggesting that
I'll be somekind of referee. I'll ask him how he has done it
(it can be read in Autumn Agora 1 (somewhere around 571 or so))
after that I'll write somekind of manual here.

Chin up and be proud of your creative drive!