Writer In Fayetteville

[Tellsoftly]

Originally Posted by katexxx

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

You know, in life I find that cynical people tend to con themselves more often than they are conned by others.

If you view a request to attempt to portray you to the public in your own words and in a sympathetic life as inherently exploitative, then there really isn't much of a conversation we can have. I'm quite sorry that you feel that way though.

[Mr.Chan]

Ah so...please allow dishonorable self unartistic license to rephrase request. Ladies and gentlemen of board dedicated to immoral, illegal pastime tell secrets to amateur writer, so diligent scribe may record same, so that in future voters may legalize pursuit which would be not as much fun and far less profitable if legal.
Number of amateur writers thinking world can be changed only exceeded by number of persons thinking they have story worth telling.
Good Luck.

[Mr.Chan]

Originally Posted by Tellsoftly

You know, in life I find that cynical people tend to con themselves more often than they are conned by others.

If you view a request to attempt to portray you to the public in your own words and in a sympathetic life as inherently exploitative, then there really isn't much of a conversation we can have. I'm quite sorry that you feel that way though.

Sympathy much appreciated. Does Creatve Writing class know how weekends are being spent?

[Tellsoftly]

Actually you'd be looking for Cold War politics class, but same difference I suppose.

Nonetheless, I find everyone's cynicism refreshing and humanizing.

[Guest020112]

Anyone who has met me will tell you I'm far from cynical. I am calling you a parasite. You paying anyone, or here to make a buck. I don't like people being taken advantage of, and you are doing so. A provider writing her own story is a completely different matter. Her work, her body, her money, her story, not yours. Why are you even here if you are not a hobbiest?

[Tellsoftly]

Miss Kate, you seem to have the wrong idea entirely. Would you like it in writing and notarized that I will happily cut in anyone who shares their story for a percentage of any sort of income the book makes? Or if you prefer, perhaps you'd like it in writing that I will be donating all of the proceeds on my end to charity? Because if this ever seriously gets going and you wanted to see me do so, I would without a doubt.

Pick a charity, do you like the Enough! project, perhaps Amensty, should I build a women's shelter, or perhaps even give it to the Red Cross?

I say that you are cynical, and your response without even knowing me or having taken the time to question me thoroughly is to call me a parasite. I find your frankness refreshing though, so I'm going to be upfront with you: I could care less about making money from writing. I have a pretty good degree I'm working on in an unrelated field, and I'm in the process of putting my fingers into a number of different pies in the business world. As long as I can eat and occasionally do fun things I'm just fine.

Also you seem to be making the erroneous assumption that my including testimony from someone in the profession precludes their writing their own story: in fact you could consider what I'm doing to be a form of advertisement if anyone ever wanted to do that.

As to why I'm even here... that's hard to explain. My worldview is fundamentally out of step with the world view of most everyone I've ever met, and I seek to use whatever tools are available to bring the world I envisage into being. One of those skills is my abilities as a wordsmith and the capacity to listen to people and get to the root of what they are trying to tell me.

If you choose to doubt me without bothering to get to know me that's just fine, and if you want to think that it doesn't make you a cynic that's fine too as your world view is your business, but regardless of what anyone tells you this is an idealists' world, and history will bear me out.

[Mr.Chan]

Recall old days on homicide squad. Most difficult part of beating confession from writer was getting writer to stop talking.

[Guest032112]

Originally Posted by arklookn4lovn

. . . .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". . .

I stand by my original words if you intend on writing anything other than here on the board. You seem to have pissed off the natives.

[Revive]

Pissed us off! No that could not happen. Miss Katexxx can talk to you like dirt and spit in your face and until you build some credibility you can't say jack! Don't call her cynical ... Don't tell her not to make assumptions ... You are a stranger talking to our prize possessions (not saying I own you Kate! Just glad your here!) like you deserve some getting to know you time! .... Now for those of you providers that are writing a book hmmm .... Let me know if you are keeping notes about me before our visit please! Lol

[MrGiz]

Our writer friend must* have some of his own* pre-conceived notions of our shared topic experience, before his attempt at stringing together chapters!

Perhaps, a prologue shared, would soothe some of his perceived cynicism?

BTW - I have to say, I am interested in the Braille version of Ms Kate's chapter!!

[Lily Blair]

This is a closed and secretive community that happens to be very sensitive about the subject of men profiting from our business. Men who do so are seen as blood sucking leeches, scum, and too lazy to make their own money. You believe you have a higher purpose in all of this, I get it. But it's just not gonna happen. You might be able to pay a lady for her time and get a couple of funny stories out of her, but nobody is simply going to sit down with you to "tell her story" and memorialize her illegal business in writing.

And that's just the way things are.

[Tellsoftly]

@Chan

Yep. Savage and arbitrary beatings are why I didn't join a fraternity.

@Ark

Meh. Cynicism and outrage are healthy reactions, and they indicate that people care. Now it's just a matter of turning that seeming outrage to something else.

@Rev

I find your lack of faith intriguing.

@MrGiz

My prologue is currently in flux, but I'd be happy to post it and maybe a few other things I've written, if only to give everyone the opportunity to mock me with some ammunition

@Lily

Perhaps, perhaps not. But I view myself as an optimist and a go getter living in a world of pessimistic naysayers: Doing this sort of thing is just who I am.

I'll be back with something modestly entertaining.

[Guest080613]

Originally Posted by katexxx

Anyone who has met me will tell you I'm far from cynical. I am calling you a parasite. You paying anyone, or here to make a buck. I don't like people being taken advantage of, and you are doing so. A provider writing her own story is a completely different matter. Her work, her body, her money, her story, not yours. Why are you even here if you are not a hobbiest?

Except that less than one in a thousand people actually have the ability to write a coherent, salable book (and I'm being generous in my estimate there).

Oh, you can write one and get it published as an e-book on Amazon, or Createspace, or any one of the other vanity publishing houses, but you're going to sell copies numbering in the hundreds, if that, in most cases. Rarely you hear of someone going the self-publishing route and later making it big (Joseph Flynn as an example) but the reality is that a self-published book rarely sells in numbers to be profitable.

There IS a reason that even well known people with a gripping story to tell (read that people like former presidents, first ladies, etc.) hire GHOST WRITERS to tell their story. Not everyone, in fact damn few, have the skills and talent to write a book, and that's a fact whether you believe it or not.

Jack

[Tellsoftly]

Originally Posted by ksjack

Except that less than one in a thousand people actually have the ability to write a coherent, salable book (and I'm being generous in my estimate there).

Oh, you can write one and get it published as an e-book on Amazon, or Createspace, or any one of the other vanity publishing houses, but you're going to sell copies numbering in the hundreds, if that, in most cases. Rarely you hear of someone going the self-publishing route and later making it big (Joseph Flynn as an example) but the reality is that a self-published book rarely sells in numbers to be profitable.

There IS a reason that even well known people with a gripping story to tell (read that people like former presidents, first ladies, etc.) hire GHOST WRITERS to tell their story. Not everyone, in fact damn few, have the skills and talent to write a book, and that's a fact whether you believe it or not.

Jack

Heh. I was going to be a bit less upfront about it, but writing is hard.

That said if anyone wants a ghost writer hit me up.

As to my intro... I have three different intros in mind: one that starts with my own background in underground markets, one that starts off historically, and one that starts with my exceedingly clumsy initial investigation. I like the Investigation one best, but I think I'll combine it with the background intro.

My personal experience with underground markets began in high school whenever the state of Arkansas under Governor Huckabee outlawed the sale of certain categories of drinks, especially soft drinks, on school grounds. Annoyed that the vending machines at school only carried diet or non-caffeinated beverages I picked up a drink every morning from a gas station on my way to school. After about a week of this it dawned on me that I had an opportunity: I immediately purchased two twelve packs and just strolled into the school carrying them. I sold them for a dollar each and by the end of the day I had made $24 bucks off of something that cost me somewhere between $6 and $7, which was a ridiculous profit. A few weeks of selling, and paying off teachers with free drinks during lunch for the use of their mini-fridges, and I knew I was in business. I got my friends together, got them working for me, and we dubbed ourselves the Triad Smuggling Cartel.

At the time I tended to mock the guys I knew in school who were into selling drugs: most of them were working minimum wage jobs while using their dealing to support a habit or for supplemental income, while I was making almost twice the weekly pay at a minimum wage job doing virtually nothing outside of class with no risk other than a temporary suspension. I was 18, I had the market cornered, and nothing could stop me.

Flash forward three years, one failed relationship, and a series of bumps and bruises courtesy of life later and here I sit, a starving author investigating underground communities, living on boxed ramen but fairly happy with the situation.

Cont'd (don't want one giant post)

[Tellsoftly]

I first began my investigation when I was starting on a fictional piece about small town living: one of the characters I was focusing on was working in the sex industry, so I decided to do a little research on the matter. Of course the stereotypes I had absorbed from various media on the subject suggested a particular narrative to me, but I find that the media is usually lazy, sloppy, wrong, and outdated where it is right, so I went to do my own research.

It began with a simple google search: I located a website that will likely be defunct by the time this is published. I was astounded to see a series of ads brazenly listing prices, phone numbers, and photos along with exceedingly contradictory disclaimers. I was intrigued: rather than calling anyone right off the bat I googled names, ad information, and phone numbers and area codes, and as I compiled this information my imagination took off and paranoia set in.

Just so that the conclusion I came to doesn't sound too crazy, let me explain that my training is in international relations: I am taught to spot organizations, analyze policy, interests, needs, and judge rationality. All very handy for a political drama, but I have a nasty habit of seeing conspiracies where there are none, and boy did I fool myself that night.

The area codes all seemed to be from an area ranging from parts of southern Florida, down to Texas, and up into Oklahoma. I immediately assumed that this couldn't possibly be a naturally occurring phenomena, some organization had to be responsible. My mind immediately leapt to the mysterious Combine mentioned in the trial of Lucky Luciano, and I immediately assumed that there must have been some sort of payoff or coercion going on to establish safe zones from both local and federal authorities. The whole notion boggled my mind.

Then sanity kicked in, and I realized that I was just jumping at shadows. I resolved to call one of the ads to ask the "provider" about her business. I naively dialed the number, only hesitating once I pushed the call button. The girl was listed as eighteen so I assumed approaching her would not be particularly intimidating, however it seemed I had lost considerably machismo since high school.

"Um hi," I stammered, uncertain of myself, "is this Abbie?"

"Hi," came an enthusiastic reply.

A pause then, as I had no idea what to say to this person.

"Incall or outcall?" She replied helpfully, sensing my sudden loss of nerve.

"Um, uh, actually it's a wrong number. Sorry to waste your time."

"Okay, well good night then."

"Good night!"

Click.

That was how I fumbled my first lead. It became apparent that to continue my investigation I was going to have to (re)grow a pair, but I figured it couldn't be nearly as hard as anything else I had done in life, right?