@Denvaldron

 To shower the writers of the classic series with contempt is both unbecoming and misguided.

Then it is as well nobody has done that.

I’m a hack – I write for money and I do research for money. I answer the question my client set me, and although I (or my work partners) may pich ideas we are, in the end, hired guns. That is what a ha…[Read more]

@DenValdron  I think I am acquainted with that particular black dog of rage, as are so many people who struggle with their chosen art and their circumstances (or the art and circumstances that have chosen them).  Which Greek philosopher was the one who said this: “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”?  Words to live by, but so mu…[Read more]

@DenValdron  Re “hack”, I take your point.  It’s a well reasoned position.

Congratulations on the acceptance of your novel.

@DenValdron

Hack is not a polite word, and it should be used sparingly, if it all.

I don’t particularly use it myself, but I should point out that, on this side of the pond anyway, it didn’t always have such negative connotations. It was just used to describe writers who write as a job rather than for “the art”.Fancy that. It’s quite common to…[Read more]

@DenValdron  I am a professional writer, and I thank you for the kind words about my ilk.  I will, though, point out that you can be highly talented and still be a hack, when hackery pays better and the table needs food on it.  Many of my colleagues have written SF and fantasy that’s made the Nebula and the Hugo ballots while also turning out se…[Read more]

@DenValdron

From In The Forest of The Night:

DANNY: I just want to know the truth. I don’t care what it is. I just want to know it. Like Maebh said. Like the forest. Fear a little bit less, trust a bit more.
CLARA: Okay. Well
DANNY: No, not now. Go home and do your marking. Think about it, then tell me. I saved you from a tiger today. I…

[Read more]

@DenValdron

I seem to have offended you by having an opinion you didn’t like, and then having the temerity to explain that opinion.

And I seem to have had the temerity to explain why I disagreed with you. Life, eh? 😀

Okay, let’s explain further: this is what you said.

The Eccleston Doctor is a terrible character. He’s poorly con…[Read more]

@DenValdron

Well, I was hoping you’d say ‘It’s a personal thing’. I’m an optimist. 🙂

More seriously – Clara Oswald is a terrible character. She’s poorly constructed, uninteresting and shallow, inconsistent and essentially a roving plot device. Clara is not anchored or rounded in the way that Dona Noble, of Rose or even the Ponds were. The…

[Read more]

@DenValdron  We’ve already had many interesting discussions of Clara; they just didn’t happen to include people serving up Clara-hater talking points, until now (lucky us!).

An observation: *all* TV characters are “collections of traits”, and Clara’s original “traits” were assigned to her per her function in the story, just as the Doctor’s…[Read more]

@DenValdron

Any particular reason you don’t like Clara Oswald, or is it just a personal thing?

@DenValdron — New topic functionality is not available to all members. Best thing to do is PM your copy to one of the Mods or our esteemed leader and they’ll put it up for you….

@denvaldron — yeah, I’d like to read that. Definitely worth doing….

<<<shaking leftover streamers and confetti and *someone’s glitter* off my roof>>>

Hello, one and all.

Happy New Year!

And Happy Birthday, dear wonderful forum!

And jelly babies, celery, and Jammie Dodgers all around for reaching, nay, *exceeding* the 1000 member mark.

Should be some sort of prize for our emperor @Craig — another regeneration…[Read more]

@purofilion

Nothing in my post would suggest you haven’t found a home here. When moving into a new home, you may be unaware of wider issues in your neighbourhood and it can be wise to tread carefully.

From my point of view, @DenValdron was the subject of some unfortunate attitudes when first joining, which are directly “clique” related. Howev…[Read more]

@Rob

I completely agree. Regarding long theories, I’m assuming you’re referring to the posts by @DenValdron that caused a bit of an issue recently?

I made DenValdron a blog author several months ago, but I can’t force him to post a blog. I guess there may be something seemingly more transient about a forum post? A blog may seem more permanent…[Read more]

@DenValdron – I have wasted far too much time on TVTropes. It’s bad when you realise that tropes from the site, like “Crapsack World” and “Narm” have entered your day to day vocab, and nobody else has a clue what you’re talking about.

@all

Thanks for your ideas on the posts idea. I’ll give it some thought today, and get in touch with you tomorrow @denvaldron, if you don’t mind. We are interested in ideas like this, but it’s a case of giving them the right exposure.

Two things;

Firstly, I just wanted to echo the plea to move all of @DenValdron‘s posts to a blog.

It is obvious some people are interested in following this particular flavour of bonkers but I can see why, like me, @pedant is getting frustrated by it filling up the sofa. I love seeing all the fan creativity stuff but these posts in question read…[Read more]

However (@Craig also here), this seems perfect for the blogs, if only so it can be seen all together. Any easy way to transfer?

Seconding @WhoHar‘s suggestion.

I don’t have the time ATM to read and follow the analysis in the posts which @DenValdron, @ScaryB, and @JimTheFish have made in the last day or so. I’d find it helpful to have this entire…[Read more]