Timewaster's Guide Archive

Thanks for the info. Looks like a good way to get money, if you can get people coming to your site.

Okay, I know this is off topic, but how many people around here are adopted or know someone adopted? Because as I recall at least a couple people on here said they were adopted, plus I believe Fish said her mom was adopted, and my husband was adopted. I just think that is an high amount since in real life, I only know my husband. Maybe it's more common than I thought!

Part of why I think that rule of getting rid of parents exist is because children don't want to be preached to. Although in real life our parents helps us by giving us advice, teaching us right from wrong, and all that, and that's how we grow, children don't want to read a story about how a child got into danger and the parents or other adults came in and rescued them. They want to feel empowered by reading about children, for example, the Baudelaires, who are able to use their own brains and figure out a way to help themselves. I also think that children have fun reading about children who go on these adventures without parents, and sometimes without any adults, because although they themselves would be scared out of their wits without adult supervision, it's fun to escape into a book where children are able to do it and have an adventure. Children still learn lessons this way, but it comes out in a less preachy way than stories where an adult solves the problem.

I think that stories can work with adults and without, but I don't see anything wrong with taking adults out of the picture, especially if it makes the storyline more believable.

I don't think that the Lemony books are too dark. One reason for this is that kids can see straight through the "dreariness" of the books and see what LS is doing (of course I don't really know this since I know no kids of that age, but I think it just the same). I think they enjoy the humor and they like seeing the adults being so oblivious.

As for Harry Potter, I think that you have to judge it according to the kid: how old they are and how mature. I have been wondering whether when I have kids, I'll wait to let them read the later HP books till they're older because of how sad they are. And the series kind of grew up with the readers, so to speak. At the same time, they could probably handle it (more so than the movies because I think visual violence is worse than written). Overall I think it'd be fine.

Well, that's dumb. Rude.

It grabs my interest somewhat, but is sometimes hard to understand because of your spelling, fragmented sentences, and awkward English. It also jumps around a lot. First we think it's focusing on the man that moved from Russia, then his third wife, Vera, and finally Diana Parkinson. I think it needs a little more focus. If this is book-length, you can introduce other elements later. If your focus is Vera, it's a fine introduction until you reach the paragraph on Diana, but once you get to that paragraph, it becomes too much.

I agree with Chimera. Violet was like 14, was it when the fire happened? She wouldn't exactly forget what her mother looks like (let alone her brother who was also like 13). So I would think they would've been very excited to see her again.

Girls give sympathy.
Guys try to fix it.

I've realized that, although a girl, I fall into the category of trying to fix things too. I watch myself to make sure I'm not doing it when the person just needs sympathy, but it generally works with my husband, since he likes to also give advice rather than sympathy and likes having someone to talk the problem out with and try to think of a solution. Although, I have to tell him when I just want sympathy so he doesn't do the same back if I don't want it.