To write, or not to write. That is the question.

Tell Me A Story

Incestuous relationships

Hi AJ, I’m looking for a bit of advice. I want to write a book. I know incestuous relationships are wrong, but will it be acceptable to write a story about it? I love creative writing. I want to write about a girl being in love with someone in the close family, but would the issue be too contentious - too emotive? I have an idea and wonder whether to continue and write it through, or should I just drop the whole thing before I get too far.
No such thing as normal

Hello André, glad you stopped by. Of course it'll be okay. It sounds as if it might be a good story line …. and there’s no such thing as 'normal'.
What I will say though, is that with this sort of issue make sure your creative writing is poignant. Be really emotive, wrench a few heartstrings and you'll be just fine. Go for it.
What you mustn't do is include the incestuous relationships just for the sake of shock. As long as it's sensitive then there's no problem. Make it natural, bring in the 'ah' factor, and your story could just be a winner.

• Next post on Tell Me a Story - A Wasted Day.

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End of post - To write, or not to write. That is the question.
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A wasted day - the blight of Internet websites....

I wasted hours yesterday.

Digital voice recorder

I'm on the lookout for a camera - I'm probably the last person in the Western World to have a digital camera, so I started looking for one on the internet. I also want a digital voice recorder to help with writing - thought it was a good idea to look for one at the same time.

Website

I found a Sony camera and an Olympus recorder that would suit just fine - so far, so good. The next step was to order - always a bit dodgy - I wish websites were user-friendly. It annoys me when I have to prat about finding what I'm after. Why aren't they easy to navigate???

In my past life I designed digital control systems for a cement manufacturer, and it didn't matter how complex the underlying system was - if it wasn't absolutely simple to operate, I had a bollocking from the lads on the control desk....

I think someone should give website designers a bollocking.... Why are most of them so complicated?

At any rate, this was where I hit a MASSIVE stumbling block. After negotiating through the spiral of websites, not ONE of the British or American sites would mail the stuff to Spain - WHY NOT?

In the the past, I've had all sorts of goodies delivered from several different sites both in Britain and America, so why not these? I was absolutely pissed off in the end... Just what is it with these sites that stops them mailing a simple little camera and recorder to Spain? Does ANYONE know?

Emphasis on customer

One site in particular, angered me. It has outlets in numerous countries all over Europe, so you'd think this would be the one.... Not so. When it came time to press the accept button, it threw a wobbly and came up what was fast becoming a familiar sign - 'cannot deliver to this geographical location' .... WHY?

When I clicked on a little flag at the bottom of the page it sent me to their Spanish outlet site - with the same goodies - but it was written in Spanish - no translation - my Spanish is shit. WHY couldn't they have simply transferred the order, why put the emphasis on the customer.

They piss me off. What's happened to 'The customer is King', bit? Shouldn't they be trying to help customers, not put them off....

• Next post on Tell Me a Story - A disappointing day.
  
  
  End of post - A wasted day - the blight of Internet websites

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