http://maadmaax.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Len Maxwell en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:25:21 GMT 2010-01-01T20:25:21Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977967906 Sandy returned from her day at work and, after doing her dance explaining she hadn’t found any flowers, was surprised at being shuffled aside as countless workers left the hive, burdened with food. . . . Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:11:29 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977967906 Len Maxwell 2009-12-30T00:11:29Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977965773 It’s been nearly a month and a half since I posted my first discussion about dialogue and this seems to be a good time to add this one. Everyone is winding down from Christmas and not quite ready . . . Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:23:29 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977965773 Len Maxwell 2009-12-28T17:23:29Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977961053 Although many acquaintances refer to me as “Scrooge,” I really am a Christmas person. For years a lot of my friends thought I was crazy because I’d be humming or whistling Christmas . . . Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:41:16 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977961053 Len Maxwell 2009-12-24T00:41:16Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977959486 This is a weird freewrite for me because I’m going to actually try to tell a story in it; someting I haven’t done before. And I’m going to add some pictures. My son Greg and I went . . . Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:24:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977959486 Len Maxwell 2009-12-23T00:24:59Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977951914 The pure white expanse was broken by only a few dunes. A bitter wind swept across the frozen plain without interruption. Slowly one of the dunes seemed to open and from inside came a glow that was . . . Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:58:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977951914 Len Maxwell 2009-12-17T20:58:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977948783 Pirates with eye patches. Buried treasure. Maps where X marks the spot. Nearly every pirate was said to have a treasure map showing where he had hidden his plunder. You can pretend you have managed . . . Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:50:18 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977948783 Len Maxwell 2009-12-15T21:50:18Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977941569 It was 1955 when I learned to not take dares. I was one of those kids who would do anything... everything you wanted if you only prefaced it with, “I dare you.” “You’re . . . Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:20:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977941569 Len Maxwell 2009-12-10T23:20:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977937410 Prompts: Include an allusion, use the word delectation or some form of it, somehow include music or a musical sound, specify one of the five senses in an exaggerated way, and tag with wwe. . . . Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:12:49 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977937410 Len Maxwell 2009-12-08T19:12:49Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977932528 Saturday Freewrite My mind just can’t get goingon WWE’s prompts and I have to come up with something. delectation,the allusion, music, and exaggerated sense can be worked into nearly . . . Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:27:13 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977932528 Len Maxwell 2009-12-05T22:27:13Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977929185 Prompt: Create a holiday newsletter based on fact or fiction, but keep humor as your underlying theme. Hi everyone, Sammy and Tammy bringing you this year’s Christmas . . . Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:36:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977929185 Len Maxwell 2009-12-03T17:36:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977926158 What do I get Aunt Sue? And, Cousin Fred, nobody can buy anything for him. Sound familiar? Every family has a person that either has everything or doesn’t like any present given to . . . Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:22:55 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977926158 Len Maxwell 2009-12-01T23:22:55Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977922808 This has to be the dumbest human I’ve ever encountered -- and the most fun. Watch this... heh, heh, as soon as he pressed ENTER I shifted him over to the wrong program and he doesn’t even . . . Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:59:00 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977922808 Len Maxwell 2009-11-29T23:59:00Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977920675 I know! It’s early for Christmas stories, but if you decide to do what I’m describing, you’re going to need some time to plan. * * * The neighborhood was nearly silent as I watched . . . Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:36:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977920675 Len Maxwell 2009-11-27T22:36:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977920533 To explain what I did, I need to take you back about twenty years. My wife and I had separated and my friend Dave, having an empty bedroom, invited me to move in. I never noticed, prior to that, how . . . Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:59:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977920533 Len Maxwell 2009-11-27T19:59:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977914728 From where I stood, all I could think of was waves. Having spent most of my life in Southern California, I knew waves. I knew the ocean. I knew the roar as the green waves crashed on the . . . Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:09:35 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977914728 Len Maxwell 2009-11-24T01:09:35Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977911987 I have to get back on track and I’m going to waste a minute of my freewrite to explainthat. Compouter died - took two days to order a new one - tool a week and a halv to get it - a day to set . . . Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:42:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977911987 Len Maxwell 2009-11-21T22:42:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977907330 “I am dead serious, Rhonda,” her mother said, “you’re going and you’re going to enjoy it.” “No, I won’t,” answered Rhonda. . . . Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:59:00 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977907330 Len Maxwell 2009-11-18T22:59:00Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977903925 As an editor I read work from many different authors every day. Well over half of my work is fiction and the authors tend to follow the admonition to “show-don’t-tell”; meaning let . . . Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:17:16 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977903925 Len Maxwell 2009-11-17T01:17:16Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977901132 “Ralph, you’re going to have to take the cow to the market and sell her.” His mother was hunched over the kitchen table looking at what they had to eat. “We’re out of . . . Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:27:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977901132 Len Maxwell 2009-11-14T22:27:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977900160 Friday Focus: What's the worst thing that would happen to you if aliens landed on Earth and took away our computers? (Then they left, so nothing else happened.) * * * The . . . Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:40:08 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977900160 Len Maxwell 2009-11-14T00:40:08Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977898421 I don’t get around here very often, but I try to bring something with me when I do. These are really easy to make and, to me, scrumptious. I’ll tell you how to make one and you can extrapolate . . . Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:45:13 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977898421 Len Maxwell 2009-11-12T23:45:13Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977893232 I celebrate my birthday today, along with a few hundred-thousand close friends, both men and women. Today is the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. For this year’s toast, . . . Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:15:50 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977893232 Len Maxwell 2009-11-10T13:15:50Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977891766 I’m a Penn State fan and a month or so ago I found out that Ruthi is a fan of our enemies -- Ohio State. We traded a few barbs and then she offered a bet. Based on the outcome of the Penn State . . . Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:58:13 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977891766 Len Maxwell 2009-11-09T04:58:13Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977887462 I’m lost, I siad I ‘d do this, but I have no idea where to go. Guess it’s going to be blabbering. There’s something wrong, I ordered a new MC flag because my old one started ripping . . . Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:54:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977887462 Len Maxwell 2009-11-06T00:54:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977885492 Any boy can delightedly entertain family guests However it jades kids’ lifestyles. Maybe nobody organizes properly; Quaaludes restrict some tendencies; Unique, vital with xenophilic youthful . . . Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:47:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977885492 Len Maxwell 2009-11-04T22:47:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977882098 Prompts: Use a word that most readers will have to look up in their dictionary. Reference a religious holiday. Write as 3rd person omniscient. A telephone needs to ring. Tag with wwe.   . . . Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:34:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977882098 Len Maxwell 2009-11-02T22:34:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977879669 It’s going to be close to two weeks before I can recover the files from my old hard drive, so I have to try to recreate the stories on which I was working. I’m going to start with that . . . Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:03:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977879669 Len Maxwell 2009-11-01T01:03:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977877940 A nagging chore? As in one? I have so many that it’s not even funny. But, I guess I’ll take the one that is the most distasteful. -- cutting the grass. I’ve mentioned my feelings . . . Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:53:00 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977877940 Len Maxwell 2009-10-30T16:53:00Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977861851 Hi, Y'all,   As the title says, my computer died. I just ordered a new one and it isn't expected until 2 Nov. I'll let you know when I get back online. I have a couple things pending with some . . . Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:04:01 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977861851 Len Maxwell 2009-10-20T17:04:01Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977858033 I never really thought about change because my life has been filled with it. I didn’t have massive changes in my early life -- not like a lot of kids. We moved to a new house when I was about . . . Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:37:07 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977858033 Len Maxwell 2009-10-17T19:37:07Z