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I hate having unfinished business left on the table, and since I have a large amount of free time due to illness (free time which got me thinking about Sal's to begin with), I've decided to finish Demon Tide. Should be fun. :D

Hello all. I know that I posted quite a while ago saying that I would provide an explanation for my absence, so I feel obligated to do that know. First off, know that throughout much of my internet life, Sal's was my online home, and I feel that my sudden leave was inappropriate. When I left Sal's (almost two years ago now?), I was gearing up to enter the adult world. I had college applications, countless essays, and the (at the time) hardest schedule of my life in front of me. I thought I would been able to take it slow here on the forums, but as I started posting less and less, and I began feeling like my non-virtual life was more and more important. I began thinking that Sal's was more or less a waste of time for me and I needed to cut myself out of it. So in a way, I've come back to apologize. Sal's has actually enhanced me as an individual, so I'm very grateful for that. Everything, from the Debate Room to the Story Mat to the people I've met to the community at large, has contributed to my growth. Now, one year out of college, I'm finding that I can't really deny that to myself anymore. I've faced tougher schedules, harder classes, longer papers, tougher emotional and social situations than ever in the past two years. A lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same. Anyway, expect me to pop in some more this summer. I've got some writing I'd like to get done, as well (looking at you, Fake - and anyone else interested!). Soooooooooo, Sal's.........what's up? :D

Welcome to Sal's Library Reviewing Circle 2012! For the next year, this topic will be the home for all writers that wish to become better with their craft and who wish to aide others in doing so as well. This version will work a bit differently from in the years past. First, while the standard formula of Review the Poster's Story Above You will still exist, you are also invited to review ANY of the top 25 stories listed here at any time. [The list of stories complete with a link as well as Author's Sal's Realm name will be maintained by yours truly] That way, when this topic comes to a close, we can announce the top stories and writers of the year with a larger sampling of criticism and/or praise. Also, the topic will be ending, as stated above. At the end of the literal year, we will close this and begin a Reviewing Circle 2013. This gives everyone a clean slate to work from, making it easier for newcomers to become involved and established writers to move on from past successes. There will be no changes to the implied statutes, but I will point one of them out here. Because of the professionalism and decency that can be found amongst our writers here, we have no long set of rules to issue. Instead, we trust each and every one of you to treat these reviews as you would expect others to treat yours. Be honest, but be helpfully honest. Think of this as one massive collaboration. We are all working together to better ourselves and our work. There will be Stories of the Month awards given to stories with a collective rating higher than others for that period of time. Ties apply. The first Story of the Month award will be given at the end of March. Lastly, as before, use the template that follows. Review the story posted by the person above you and complete the following review template: Overall rating out of 100 How much of the story did you read Comments on: Language [15 possible points] Storyline [25 *] Characters [25 *] General [35 *] Link to topic you would like to have reviewed Since these ratings are inconsistent (being provided by different reviewers) - please do not take the ratings too seriously. Any stories within 10 points of one another are likely to be of similar quality. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- We also do poetry here at the Library, and it is quite good honestly. You can ask for a poem to be reviewed instead of a story, and Luna has provided us with two great templates for doing so. Overall rating: Out of 100 points Word choice: 30 possible points Tone: 30 possible points Structure: 30 possible points Symbolism: 10 possible points For verse: Overall rating: Out of 100 points Word choice: 20 possible points Rhyming (subset of word choice): 10 possible points Tone: 30 possible points Structure: 15 possible points Rhythm (subset of structure): 15 possible points Symbolism: 10 possible points Good luck! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips! Spellcheck is your friend! Many times, the simple act of correcting spelling mistakes can raise your score by as much as 10-15 points. For help with grammar see this site - http://www.english-g....com/index.html To help in avoiding the above two mistakes, don't write your story and then post the initial 'one pass prose' on the board. Instead, write your story, walk away from it, and then review it yourself to make sure there are no simple mistakes or errors that require revision or omission. A proper submission piece is defined as a Short Story, Story, or Forum Serial. > A Short Story has a beginning and an end. It is a complete thought that begins at point A and ends at point B. That ending might be a bit of a cliffhanger, or perhaps it hints at things to come, but nevertheless it completes a thought. A good rule of thumb is to make a sentence that describes your piece. For example: A knight learns of his inherited fortune and uses it to fell a demon. If all your piece does is introduce a knight, then it is not a complete work. A publishable short story maxes out at 25,000 words. Try to aim for 5,000 words as a minimum. That is a short short in the eyes of editors. 10-15,000 words should be a good sweet spot for forum story writing. > A Story is considerably longer than a Short Story. Posting entire books of work is discouraged, as you would stand better to go ahead and send to potential publishers and/or acquire an agent who can represent you towards that purpose. However, if you are wanting to practice writing pieces longer that 25,000 words, then feel free. Just do not plan on attempting to publish said piece as it stands on the forum. (Technical term: Novella) > Forum Serials have been popular here at Sal's in the past. They are a series of short stories that work together to form a complete story. Keep in mind that if you attempt to write one, each installment of the series must be a complete thought. Use the guidelines for Short Story above if you are uncertain. They can be fun to write and as you can criticism after each piece, you can improve as you go. They are a fascinating way to learn more about your abilities. If you don't necessarily understand or agree with your review, please, ask our writers to explain themselves or message me. Getting a second opinion is certainly an option, but before you do make sure you understand what you can do to improve your story and that you are equipped the knowledge necessary to do so. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2012 Top 25 Another Day at the Office by Master Neverdead 95.25 - 2 Reviews - Memories by Fake 93.5 - 2 Reviews - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good luck! ~Hex

I have a dilemma. The reason that you hardly see me these days is being I'm working every hour Guthix sends on trying to make a go of it as a freelance writer. I won't bore you with the utter mind-(whenMummyandDaddyLoveEachOtherVeryMuch) nature of all that. But the salient point here is that i need to generate visitors/hits and, hopefully, commission sales. Today, I wrote an article about buying baby clothes for gamers. Well, those gamers with babies, or else that would be very weird. I then had the idea of reproducing the exact same article, but in L33t. It's gamers who are going to read it and all that. My thoughts here is that the 1337 version is more likely to attract visitors, as a novelty thing. Then be tweeted, FB liked etc to all of their friends. Target audience well and truly targeted. But would that just look crap? Let me show you: Gift Ideas for a Gamer Baby <--- The Original and (underneath) how it would look in 1337 The picture disappeared. > : ( It's here; http://gyazo.com/b54fd1dd9a28457306416c5ffa4243b5 I used a Leet translator to do that, because frankly it would take forever to do the whole page otherwise. The feedback from people in Skype with me atm is that it's a good idea, but not using that L33t. I should use the variety more likely to be seen in Runescape. What are your thoughts? I've added a poll, but also feel free to comment. Doing this is going to take time to do, whichever 1337 I use. I don't want to do that, if it's a crap idea. Over to you, Sal's! And thanks in advance.

Writing Exercise #1 Writing with Creativity Welcome to the first Sal's Library Writing Exorcise! All who wish to fashion their writing skills are welcome and encouraged to participate. This exercise is simple, non-time consuming, and most importantly, helpful. There are no 'grades' given out, though I will offer whatever insights I can to build on what you accomplished in this exercise. How it Works Each writer will be expected to meet all 5 of the following Writing Goals using 'one pass prose' typed here, not in a word processor. The result will be raw creativity expressed in rough prose. After a good number of writers have posted, we will move on to Exercise #2, which will be working on the next step of 'the story' you are crafting. Set that thought aside for now however, and focus only on the given task. Here are your goals. Goal #1: Introduce a NEW, human character In the middle of his/her/its timeline. (Meaning, do not introduce the character with a broad lens introduction as is typical, but in the middle of something, be it a battle, a conversation, or some other small scope event) Goal #2: Accurately depict an historical location. (Research well, but don't spend a lot of time doing so. Pick something that is commonly known, relatively small, and has a small scope. As an example, I will use a portion of the Vatican in my exercise post.) Goal #3: Introduce at least 1 element of fantasy into the piece. (The character is human, the location is real, after that work to create elements that are surreal or fantastical that are as believable as your character and the location) Goal #4: Keep it short. (More than 4 paragraphs, but not longer than 20. Keep it short and sweet. You only get out of this what you put into it.) Goal #5: Write the piece as grammatically flawless and with as much mistake free spelling as is possible. However DO NOT EDIT. One Pass Prose means writing it and stopping. So write the piece as swiftly as you can and then post it. If you edit out any mistakes you see, then a large portion of the exercise is for naught. Notes and Tips: When reading other writers' pieces on here, ladies and gents, please do not critique it like you would a story on here. This is about each individual working their best to write one pass prose in order to hone their skills. Comments are welcome. Be honest, but be kind. We are only looking to help each other out. Try to post your piece before you read everyone else's. That will keep your prose not only unique to you, but a better example to yourself where you are at. Most importantly, have fun doing this. Don't stymie yourself with something immensely complex or varied. Work with a few small concepts and start writing. Let your creativity flow through you, rather than trying to force it to bend to your will. Good luck! PS: Title it, Yourname Piece #1, as I have. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neverdead's Piece #1 The Vatican Gardens around the hill of Saint Egido were particularly beautiful this morning as the waking sun gently caressed the sparkling drops of dew on the various flowers and decorative plants of the viridarium [the botanical garden]. Archpriest Aldobrandino di Bonaventura moved slowly up a stone pathway, enjoying this rare opportunity for relative solitude and visual pleasure. His feet moved in short steps as his hands folded in reverence to nature's tangible beauty. Though the scarred, mature face of the middle aged Archpriest held a look of serene calm, he felt uncomfortable. Out of place even. The splashes of color and the aesthetic vibrancy surrounding him seemed profaned somehow by his presence. It might have been his black tight-fitting robes, decorated only with the typical white collar and a small embroidered nine pointed star on one shoulder, or perhaps the muddled mess of thoughts tossing about his mind concerning what he was to do this day. Either way the beauty of garden didn't seem meant for him. For the remainder of the walk to the Palazetto del Belvedere on top of the hill, he silently petitioned God for clarity of purpose and the strength necessary to fulfill his duties. All too soon, the courtyards of the Vatican Museum and and the white stone walls and stained glass of the Palazetto were before him. Save for the rudimentary Swiss Guard officers standing fastidiously at the main entrance, not a soul was in sight. This made his first task all the more simple. Aldo forced himself out of his serenity and moved swiftly to a small stone wall just south of the Palazetto proper and ducked down behind it. His smooth fingers reached out to touch the rough wall, sliding gingerly over its surface until they located a small indentation. As if he'd done this many times before, Aldo reached for the silver crucifix hanging from his neck and placed it in the indentation. On cue, the crucifix sunk into the stone slightly and the wall opened to reveal a slender opening leading to a short staircase down into the hill. He removed his crucifix from the wall and entered. "Deus meus, ex toto corde poenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum, eaque detestor, quia peccando, non solum...," he began praying swiftly in Latin as he stepped down the rough stone stairs leading to the hidden complex beneath the Hill of Saint Egido. After a few moments, he bent his tall 6'4" frame down to fit through a haphazard tunnel entrance and navigate it to a broad iron door at its end. The door opened as if on cue and a plainly dressed and elderly Priest greeted him. "Buongiorno! I could here your Actus Contritionis from here, Aldo," he offered in a thick Italian accent, "Surely God heard it as well." With a similar Italian accent he replied, "I hope so, Father. I have the feeling that I will need as much of His favor as He is willing to grant." "Si, we have need of both your abilities and His blessing this morning." Aldo moved through the doorway into a grand antechamber, lighted well by candles as well as an ornate chandelier dangling from the vaulted ceiling. The aging Priest spoke again after quick embrace with Aldo, "I apologize, but one of those abilities is as an effective cane, per favore." "Si, Padre, no problem." "Grazie," he replied gratefully as he took Aldo's offered arm and walked with him down a wide and lengthy passageway. They walked in silence for quite some time before Aldo asked softly, "Can you provide me any details, Padre Ciriaco?" "There is not much to tell, dear Aldo. This will be likely be routine for one such as yourself," Father Ciriaco's eyes flashed a bit and he smiled ruefully, "Though, that is to say, it proved to be far too much for even an Exorcist of my capability and experience." Aldo did not return the smile and remained silent as they neared a plain wooden door. He opened it and they both moved inside the small room dotted with high definition monitors and screens as well as three other priests dressed similarly to Father Ciriaco seated in front of the various screens. None of them looked up from their tasks to offer any greetings and Aldo offered none himself. Father Ciriaco was the one to break the silence, "Archpriest Aldobrandino di Bonaventura has arrived. Bring him up to speed, per favore. I must take my leave, I have not slept since last night's events." "Buonanotte Padre," one of the seated Priests said as Ciriaco left the room. Aldo turned his attention to one of the monitors and was not surprised by the small girl sitting in the interrogation room on the other side of the wall-size pane of bulletproof, one-way glass. Often times, these possessions occurred in small children though not more so than with adults. The wicked care not how they achieve entrance to the mortal world. "Good morning Archpriest," one of the priests began with decidedly German inflection to his English, "we have a standard, garden variety Cutter it seems. The good Padre was up with the child all night trying to remove the foul presence but was unsuccessful. Apparently, this child has been possessed for some time and the presence has built up defenses." Aldo sighed and moved over to a small cabinet on the back wall of the slender room. Inside were various items of ritualistic pertinence and he selected two, a white unadorned sash to wear about his neck and a small silver bell. "A Cutter eh?" As he kissed the center of the sash and placed it around his neck, he looked through the glass at the little girl in a pale blue dress. "I see no scars on her skin, are you certain?" "Yes," the German priest declared definitively, "where she has been wounded cannot be seen without removing the dress. The Padre cleaned the wounds last night and gave her something clean to wear." "Very well." It took Aldo a few moments to prepare himself. There were a multitude of ritual prayers to go through, as well as blessings by all three Priests present. Finally, when the traditions had ended, he opened a fold of his robes to reveal a sheathed sword hanging from a gilded belt about his waist. Seconds later, he removed the outer robe entirely, revealing a black sleeveless shirt and heavily scarred arms. His torso's impressive build could be seen through the tight cotton shirt as he stretched out his muscles and limbered up for a seemingly inevitable conflict. Without any hesitation, he turned and left the room, muttering a prayer as he heard the magnetic lock on the interrogation room door release and stepped inside with nothing but the sash, the small bell, his clothing, and the sheathed blade. Once inside Aldo closed the door firmly and heard the magnetic lock reengage as he turned to face the small child. "Buongiorno," he greeted with a friendly smile as he approached the table in front of the girl. She looked up at him but did not respond, so he continued, "I am Archpriest Aldobrandino di Bonaventura, and I have come to return you back where you belong. Of course, you could always leave now and save me the trouble of coming in after you." The girl's face lit up in recognition, but spoke with a voice that belonged to someone else. Someone far more ancient and for more powerful. "We've met before, Aldobrandumbo." A sick cackle of laughter escaped the small lips of the child and her wrists began to fight against the restraints built into the chair behind the table. "Then you remember that I'm different from the rest. I don't play games with the likes of you."

"The only problem with I have dreams is that they come to an end. My nightmares come to an end as well though, so I guess it balances itself out, but I wish that just once I could stay in that dream a little longer. Just long enough to see her one more time." Charles said, leaning in from the black lounge chair that he was having trouble deciding whether it was truly a lounge chair or not, because it was smaller than most. Doctor Hanley was sitting across from him, and she responded in what seemed to be a genuine tone of interest. “What dream? Who’s face?” The way she spoke impressed him. She seemed like she actually cared, which he wasn’t used to. Most people listened in façade. “Oh right, sorry. It’s this dream I’ve been having for the past 3 years, 6 months and 11 days,” Charles stated in an assured manner. “That’s rather specific, what happened on…let’s see… “The Doctor walked over to a calendar on the wall behind where she was sitting. “October 10, 2007.” Interrupted Charles, as if he had been holding the date in and could no longer do so. “Right. And what happened on October 10th, 2007?” The doctor sat back down and crossed her legs. It was then that Charles noticed her being incredibly attractive. She was fairly short, he guessed around 5’3, and she was in exceptional shape. Her skin was well tanned, giving it an olive color. Her lips were soft and full, and her face was full of confidence. Her hair, which matched her eyes in color, was dark hazel, and sat just below her shoulders. Looking into her eyes he felt comfortable, a rarity for him, to say the least. He noticed her looking back into his eyes, and immediately swung his head away and stared off at the wall of her degrees and certifications to his right, pretending he was just looking around. He felt awkward and decided it was time to go. “Sorry doc, but this is our first date, I can’t go spilling all my secrets right away. You might fall in love with me or something. Charles regretted saying the last part. “Jesus Christ I’m cheesy” he thought to himself. “Please, if you must call me doc, at least say doctor Hanley. “What about your first name then?” the query came with a smile. “Sorry Charles, but this is our first date, I can’t go spilling all my secrets right away. You might fall in love with me or something." Charles smirked, and got up to shake the doctor’s hand. As he grabbed the silver handle, Doctor Hanley spoke from her chair. “Your next appointment is Thursday, the 28th, a week from today. I hope you will be more comfortable with me next time so we can make some real progress. I understand that it can be difficult to talk about things, but I am not here to judge you, only to help. If you need to reach me before Thursday, feel free to call. Just call the office, and my extension is 6214. I’m here until around seven usually. I’ll waive your fee for today since you weren’t here very long. Have a nice day Mr. Cameron, and keep it real. “Keep it real?” Charles asked, laughing at the phrase. “Keep it real. I could tell you to be happy, but I wouldn’t want to force anything on you. I think you should just be you, I believe that’s the best way to be happy. So keep it real. “Word.” Charles responded. He looked at the doctor, threw up a peace sign with his right hand, and exited the room. As the door closed behind him he could think but only one thing: “This is going to be a slow week.” “Word,” repeated the doctor almost inaudibly, smiling to herself.