Yes, I'm still alive, barely. Grumble, stupid flu! tat2u, who has been featured in the Mod's Picks in the past, came up with a brilliant vingette filled with lavish descriptions that catch the reader's attention without overshadowing the story. If you haven't checked out "Of E'dahn and Her Firstborn" then I highly recommend you run over and do so. Cheers! Cres

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=513991&Sectionid=35

Congratulations tat2u and welcome back Crescent. You've been missed. :)

Congratulations tat2u, I'm off to check out your story ps get well soon Crescent Shanna :-)

I somehow think I came from another planet for when I have to struggle through line after line of adjectives I get bored. I don't feel fit to critic other work. I only state my feeling that I felt no desire to finish the ' brilliant vingette' as recommended. I don't know who talks like this, reads this or writes like this. But since this is the featured gallery submission I guess I am alone in my thinking here.

The featured pick is done by me, the Mod, so I get all the blame. (I do call it "The (thorough biased) Mod's Picks" for a reason.) It's a balance to the Hot 20 which is strictly member driven. I try to pick a variety of styles, prose and poetry, that I think show good writing. Sometimes I'll pick something that is very floral in style, other times I'll pick a work that is very terse and minimalistic. The writing style is different from a lot of current writing, but I still think it's quite well done. Check out some of the other picks from previous weeks and you may find other selections that are more to your liking. My picks aren't meant as "Thou must like this for a Mod has decreed it so." It's just my opinion on works that I think are good - to give people encouragement to write more. Cheers!

I think my message was well answered and I agree that we all have different tastes. Thank you Mr. Moderator. I have been part of many groups and found that in most cases the group belongs to a few and the rest does not stand a chance. In the end it is about a name and not what is done. This is obviously seen by many and in the end they stop contributing. This is to the disadvantage of the idea behind the gallery. I have said what I want to say and accepted the explanation.

Well, we've always had complaints about the Hot 20 being dominated by cliques who all vote for each other (or by "Naked Vicki in a Temple with Sword" if you look at Poser), so some of the Mods have created their own pick lists as well, to try to show a range of talents that might be overlooked. If you look at my pick list, I hope you'll agree it isn't the same 2 or 3 people over and over again. Please feel free to submit stuff here. I won't promise that it'll automatically end up on my list, but I will guarantee that I don't go by how well known you are, nor if you're a "Mod's pet." Some of the writers I've picked I've never seen in this forum. (Some I've never seen anywhere on this site except in the Gallery.) And please call me Cres, or Ms. Mod. if you insist on being formal. ;-) Cheers! Cres

The writer section is a great ad to Renderosity and I submit to extend my own gallery and to share some thoughts. Some serious, others less. I see here 3 or less comments seem to be the norm. One point you like and one you dislike would help a lot of writers especially on poetry. You said: ... but I will guarantee that I don't go by how well known you are, nor if you're a "Mod's pet." That is good enough for me and everybody who posts here Cres. My note was not a vote of rejection. Merely an opinion as I like to express them so lets move on and discuss other issues. Take care.