Writer In Fayetteville

[Tellsoftly]

Hello everyone, I was referred to this site as a place to go to continue on with my quest, that quest being to interview people working in this particular profession.

I am an amateur writer and I feel that there are compelling stories to be told. I will keep anything sensitive to myself, and anything you ask me not to use I will not. If you would be interesting in speaking with me, or know anyone who might, please hit me up here or email me.

Thank you very much and have a nice day.

[Guest032112]

You gotta be kidding me! In the Northwest part of the state, you have to be aware of the heat. And you want to interview people with the intent of memorializing their story?

Best get some references and a stack of Benjamins together and begin garnering some trust among the natives before sharpening your pencil with a promise of "keep anything sensitive to myself".

You're right, there are a myriad of stories to be told by male and female alike in this hobby, but I'm guessing the tightest lips around here won't be the ones between a provider's legs!

[urhuckleberry]

These requests are made from time to time, but I have never seen a member of this community be willing to sit down with a stranger and discuss anything...

Good luck, but I don't think it's going to happen.

Huck

[Tellsoftly]

Heh. I'm not worried about trouble passing any sort of screening, and I'm actually fairly certain that there are laws against officers posing as authors or journalists, but I'll have to double check. That said I'm happy to earn trust as needed.

[Tellsoftly]

Nevermind, just looked it up, and apparently they have no respect whatsoever for my profession... screening it is then!

That said, I'm a very persistent fellow, and I will find an in if it kills me.

[Tellsoftly]

Well, while I'm waiting on the inevitable windfall of information, does anyone have preferences regarding related literature?

I like Mrs. Warren's Profession quite a bit, and this idea was probably seeded into my head by Studs Terkel's "Working"... thinking about it there isn't much on the subject that I can recall off the top of my head. Huh.

[Lily Blair]

Those of us with stories to tell are busy writing our own books

[Tellsoftly]

Ooh, I see, I see. If you need an editor or someone to do some sort of legwork I'd be happy to throw in with you.

[Guest032112]

Originally Posted by Tellsoftly

. . .someone to do some sort of legwork . . .

I'm assuming no pun was intended?

[Tellsoftly]

Originally Posted by arklookn4lovn

I'm assuming no pun was intended?

Mild pun, very mild. I write for a reason you know.

[Tellsoftly]

Let me put it to you folks a different way, and at the very least maybe I'll amuse you a bit with a stump speech.

The world follows mentalities. If enough people think a certain way, inevitably some will act, some will follow, and sometimes things snowball here and there. It's like water spreading over a surface: pour enough for long enough and it will keep spreading out. The current problem that needs addressing seems to a kind of militarization of society: I've lived in this area for a large portion of my life and I don't recall off the top of my head any situations that would have required full swat teams everywhere to resolve, but every city in the area wants one.

I think someone I know phrased it pretty well once, and it went something like "You have these guys going into the police force who are looking for some action. They aren't there to defuse conflict or keep the peace, they are charging in seeking excitement". I would definitely agree with this, and when you have people with that sort of mentality certain things become easier. For instance, when you have a zero tolerance mentality and are going out seeking to go after people for any reason, it becomes very easy to go after non-violent offenders who definitely aren't hurting anybody and are doing something that should probably be legal in the first place. It becomes just so easy to try and pad your arrest record or make big, showy public arrests so you can stand on a soapbox and try and look tough for an election.

I can't be the only one who finds this mentality and the actions that it leads to disturbing. I ask you to place your faith in me for the purpose that I wish to fight for: rational and right thinking people have to have something to respond with in the face of crazy. People who respond with threats and recriminations in the face of truth and reason must be made to face more truth than they can cover up. The only people who can hand me the truth are those of you who know it and live it every day. I will spin it into a form that someone else will then distribute, and perhaps some impact will be made upon the mentality that leads to the problems I seek to address, perhaps alleviating what assails you on a daily basis. This is something that has never been done before to my knowledge, and I'm hoping that we can make this happen.

See, I knew you'd get a kick out of my naive and idealistic plea, yeah?

[Guest032112]

Originally Posted by Tellsoftly

. . .See, I knew you'd get a kick out of my naive and idealistic plea, yeah?

Noble cause, Tell, but Don Quixote has you beat!

[Tellsoftly]

Originally Posted by arklookn4lovn

Noble cause, Tell, but Don Quixote has you beat!

Well yes, but I'd be a damn fool to try and beat Don Quixote.

[Sydney Pure]

Originally Posted by Lily Blair

Those of us with stories to tell are busy writing our own books

DITTO!!!

[Guest020112]

to the list of people pissed off at, the very minimum, a request to expolit us