And how do you define a real writer?  (A *few* people?  Wanna see if I 
can get over a hundred people on this list to say they like your stuff?)

Quite a number of ways.

Such as having a strong idea of language.

Concise form of writing ideas

No oversplurging.

Writing things they know about, and not hearing second hand.

Those that do a lot of research.

Hitomi

If this is what u think, than ur more of a baka than I thought.  In AP English
last year, we read so many pieces of "literature" that i haven't even thouched
a non-sci-fi book since.  I would say that very few of the authors (and 90% of
the stuff we read was classical) could have matched even half of the criteria
u established there.  R u saying that all of them have no importance?
<LOL at the thought of the massive coronary that my former English teacher
would have if somebody ever said that to him ;) >  The limits that u place 
there r much too restrictive.  Lets go over each point shell we:

Strong idea of language:  That's a laugh.  Most had language that was almost
as bad as what is seen on this ml.

No oversplurging: <ROFLMAO> I've seen authors take ten pages to explain what
could have been said better in a single paragraph.

Writing things they know about, and not hearing second hand:  This isn't 
necessarily true.  How many sci-fi writers do u think have actually met
an alien?  Or traveled between star systems.  How many people on this list
have actually met the characters they write about?  This can help with
writing, but this is also why we have what is known as an imagination.

Those that do a lot of research:  How do u do research for a poem? Or for
most stories that arn't based on something else?  Now, don't get me wrong,
a lot of authors actually do research to make sure that they've got their
facts straight, but not everything needs it.  and isn't this what u have 
been doing to make your story go with the other's <sorry i don't remember
the other names> don't try to deny it, u've already admited it.

-- 
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|Wayne Pillion                 |Quote to come....                             |
|pillion@elmail.cc.purdue.edu  |                                              |
|Purdue University             |                                              |
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