My 100 Comments On 100 Stories By 100 Writers. Part 9- 81 To 90.

What I said about what everyone wrote (often while being on the wrong side of a gallon of Belgian lager). Including links to all the stories.

#81 - Lee David Tyrrell. The Destination

“I am, of course, contractually bound to say nice things about this piece. Normally I would be looking for a comedy hook, but even if this wasn’t written by my son I would struggle to do so.

Ostensibly this is poetry and, as such, I have to admit to not being qualified to comment on the technical nature of the structure, or the origin of whatever subgenre this represents.

For what it’s worth, I loved the imagery and the overall cadence. I might just recognise some of the thoughts and be able to associate them with real-life events and times. I can see the offload (purge) and am tuned to the emotive expression of that, knowing Lee as I should. I hope to see much more of this kind of work.

Anyway, enough of all that bollocks. I’ll print it off, and put it on the fridge door, next to the fingerpainting of a bloke with a massive head he did for me last week.”

#82 - Taressa Watson. The Beast of 2020 Redux

“Pleasant enough, mild, fantasy take on topical issues. Rather predictable and too twee for my liking, but I guess it isn’t aimed at me, This was written for children wasn’t it? Please don’t say it was written for the child in all of us.

Cheers.”

#83 - Zatanna Dark. My Blind Date With Lilly

“This is a tough one for me to critique for two main reasons.

First, I’m not qualified to have an opinion that can, in any way, be considered valid,

Second, BDSM erotica is not, to say the least, my cup of tea so, for the best part, I was both bored and unable to care.

Third, the scattergun nature of the imagery had my head spinning, to the point of no longer having a handle on what was going on and, bearing in mind my second point, gave up by the end.

Yeah I know that’s three reasons. At my age, I find I’m struggling with basic maths problems.

Anyway, you’re a skilled enough writer and you’ve got loads of followers, so you’re fairly successful, but I wonder how much of that success is down to the photos on your home page and the images you use in the stories.

Cheers.”

#84 - Lisa S. Gerard. I Am Racist: Beware, Never Mouth This One Word or She’ll Hand Slap You, Too

“I don’t agree with what Your NativeFriend said but there is, occasionally, good reason for not eating a particular kind of food based on who or where it comes from.

In my case, I can’t eat anything American. I mean, if you’ve met any Americans, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. They’re, well, just awful are they not? Their food is disgusting and you would never know what kind of shit they put in it.

Look it’s not that I want to have a go at American culture, as such, mainly because they don’t have any. Fuck knows what’s going on with their taste buds. I wonder if it’s down to being a mixture of so many different cultures that it has emulsified into one big pile of shit.

I got into so much trouble when I had an argument with one particular Yank who said he made “popovers”. I told him that they were shit and that we call them Yorkshire puddings here and they’re what separates us from the apes.

Well there was a load of fuss and I was accused of all sorts of things and he blocked me.

Some people hey?”

#85 - Craig Hellier. Fuel Your Passion — Develop Your Career

“If you have to quote lyrics from a song by The Eagles, I suggest you leave it to the end. Having that at the top just made it much more difficult to get through this turgid essay.

Fuck me business people are dull.”

#86 - Amy K. Williams. Bring Back the Joy: This Insane Holiday Tradition Has to Go

“Hi, Amy.

I normally wouldn’t read this kind of article so I am not qualified to critique its quality. Also, the sending of annual updates to family members is not something we do here, yet. Mind you we have succumbed to more than enough mind-numbing American traditions already (Halloween, Prom Night, chocolate milk on cereal, those sort of things) it won’t be long before I have to feel your pain.

Mainly, I have noticed that you are frustrated with family members, inflating the standard of their lifestyles and airbrushing out the reality of their awfulness.

My question is, therefore, why you would include a picture of a woman, obviously giving her fella the finger, but the hand needed to be pixelated? Is that what people call “subtlety”, I tend not to notice it unless I am really concentrating.

Cheers”

#87 - Fox Kerry. The Real Picture

“Hi, Fox.

Do you find it easy to write like this, because it seems like really hard work?

Whilst not being a fan of prose poetry like this, I stayed with this to the end and enjoyed a lot of the phrasing and verbosity, but it was too morose and dreary. Is that what you were going for?

I freely admit that I am not qualified to critique a piece like this, which is probably why I got tired towards the end.

It would be funny if you talked like this in real life.”

#88 - Karen L. Sullivan. Living By The Wind

“Wow, I loved this. Your prose really brought this experience re-telling into sharp focus. For the best part memoir/journal stuff is boring in an “I did this and I did that” kind of way. This was the opposite of that.

I am incredibly jealous of your experience.”

#89 - Steve Vernon. What Do You Say To Somebody Who Has Fallen In Love With a Medium Author?

“Have you ever been on a train or a bus and you’re reading a book, or listening to something on the radio? Then you close the book for a few moments or turn down the radio and a stream of thought goes through your mind for a fleeting period of time. Then the bloke sitting next to you gives you a nudge and says, “Did you know that you just said that out loud?”, and then you feel like a fucking idiot.

That’s this article that is.”

#90 - Philip Ogley. Mister Insomnia

“It’s good to see a writer of Philip’s standard contributing to this 100 writers compendium concept. The 100 writers compendium is, mostly, very good stuff and it could only ever be improved by having Philip on board.

Philip was amongst the first dozen, or so, writers that I started following when I first joined Medium, back in April of this year.

Most of his articles are very well-written and, occasionally inspirational. He is from Yorkshire though, therefore there are things about him that are repellent.

This story is a poor effort, a kind of twee, happy-ever-after tale and, as such, a stain on his previous portfolio. One gets the feeling that he wrote this ages ago and it’s been in his drafts since he finished it, such was his embarrassment with it.

Shame.

Merry Christmas Philip.”