Men are so brave.

[zirconia]

The snake was pretty chilled out. I guess because my dad and brother were all the way across the room and hadn't gotten near it. It got a little spazed out when I picked it up but not too bad. My dad and brother were much more freaked out than the little snake. Lol.

Nice! They're pretty calm if they sense you're OK—humans tend to be much more flustered. I try to remember to warn anyone who does work around the house to not be scared or hurt them if they come out to watch what's going on.

[Paige]

Hi Julia,  you always have great posts.  You should be an author.

Paige

[Julia1996]

Hi Julia,  you always have great posts.  You should be an author.

Paige

Thank you. I would love to be able to write but unfortunately I don't have a good enough imagination to write stories. I had a creative writing class in school and the teacher would tell us to describe different experiences we had. He would return mine and make me do them over. He would tell me he had read more interesting instruction manuals and to make him feel like he was there. So I got pretty good at it and thought I could be a writer. So I wrote a few short stories for him and finally he told me I had very good writing skills but that I wasn't imaginative enough to write fiction and that imagination was something no one could really teach. Ann Rice I'm not.lol

[JillianC]

Hi Julia,  you always have great posts.  You should be an author.

Paige

I agree.  I absolutely love reading your posts Julia.  You have a great writing style and how you tell stories.

[Artesia]

At least you can write.  I have a vivid imagination, but can barely convey my meaning through words.


At least my wife understands me.

[sarah1972]

Literature is so much more than fiction! You do have great writing style and I am sure you could make something out of it. One example would be to find an alias and start a blog about your life. Or just keep posting on Susan's and keep us entertained - we have so many complicated an dark moments that some light reading is a welcome distraction! Don;t let this one negative remark distract you from your personal goals. If you want to write, write! Write how you feel, what you experience, how your day went or just whatever comes to your mind. Put it in words and share it!

You certainly have an audience on this site :-)

Hugs

Thank you. I would love to be able to write but unfortunately I don't have a good enough imagination to write stories. I had a creative writing class in school and the teacher would tell us to describe different experiences we had. He would return mine and make me do them over. He would tell me he had read more interesting instruction manuals and to make him feel like he was there. So I got pretty good at it and thought I could be a writer. So I wrote a few short stories for him and finally he told me I had very good writing skills but that I wasn't imaginative enough to write fiction and that imagination was something no one could really teach. Ann Rice I'm not.lol

[Paige]

Thank you. I would love to be able to write but unfortunately I don't have a good enough imagination to write stories. I had a creative writing class in school and the teacher would tell us to describe different experiences we had. He would return mine and make me do them over. He would tell me he had read more interesting instruction manuals and to make him feel like he was there. So I got pretty good at it and thought I could be a writer. So I wrote a few short stories for him and finally he told me I had very good writing skills but that I wasn't imaginative enough to write fiction and that imagination was something no one could really teach. Ann Rice I'm not.lol

Hey Julia,

My daughter had a few teachers like this.  One was in creative writing and the other was in visual arts.  Neither were complimentary of her work.   She went on to take English at university.  She did quite well in her creative writing course there.  She switched to Illustration and her instructors at the college are amazed at her work.  I told her at the time it was just one person's opinion.  Even the greatest writers and artists had critics.

It's also a little like taking financial advise from a bank employee.  If they were really good with money would they be working for low pay at a bank.  Likewise, if the your teacher really understood how to create great fiction would the teacher really be teaching?

You have a very interesting view of reality.  To me, that's imagination.

Take care,
Paige

[MaryT]

I had a creative writing class in school and the teacher would tell us to describe different experiences we had. He would return mine and make me do them over. He would tell me he had read more interesting instruction manuals ...

I wouldn't set much store on that teacher's opinion.  A teacher who would say that, instead of something encouraging and constructive, sounds like a troll to me.  They existed long before the Internet and having classrooms in their power is a perfect outlet for their own "creativity".  He was probably bitter that he was teaching creative writing in a Colorado classroom instead of being lauded as a great writer in his own right.

I'm not suggesting that having a creative writing career would necessarily be easy or quick.  The prolific British crime and sci-fi writer John Creasey, who had over 600 of his books published under various pseudonyms, received 743 rejection letters before his first success.  Besides, as Sarah1972 pointed out, there is more than just fiction.  Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson make their living from their powers of observation and their wry style. 

If you want to write, you could read "how to" books to avoid making common mistakes.  Then, if you dread rejection letters, you could experiment by publishing an e-book on Amazon.  You have an advantage in that you know that there are people who like what you write.  Your teacher has been outvoted.

[Dena]

You don't have to write fiction and I am not sure that is your style. I see you as more of an Erma Bombeck and she had millions reading about her life as a ordinary house wife who could see the humor in just about everything she encountered. Some of the things you have posted on this site could have been written by Erma Bombeck.

[rose]

[emoji46] wow

I'm very typical stereotype kind of girl I would scream and go hide lol

I have phobia from snakes , lizards
And large insect specially the ones who fly

I love feeling protection from men around me unfortunately this don't happens

[AnonyMs]

Julia, I've been noticing this for a while and was thinking of saying something so this is the perfect opportunity. You're posts always get a huge response, way above almost anyone else on these forums. I find it very interesting and I've been trying to work out why for a while now. You're definitely very good at something, so I'd suggest finding out what it is and working on it.

[KathyLauren]

Ha ha!  Great story, Julia!

Don't be too hard on your dad and brother, though.  They seem to be pretty handy at dealing with snakes of the human variety.

[AnneK]

Swoon.. My Heroine!

  Good job Julia. Yes  even a non venomous snake will bite you if it is threatened. And you do need to know how to handle a snake. Know which are dangerous helps a lot too.

"In my career, and I've been doing this for about 35 years or so, I've only seen one illegitimate snake bite in a woman," he said, meaning a bite in which the victim saw the snake and didn't try to escape.

"We find they are far too intelligent to go messing around."

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/09/19/arizona-man-nearly-dies-after-showing-off-wrestling-rattlesnake.html

[TonyaW]

Julia, I've been noticing this for a while and was thinking of saying something so this is the perfect opportunity. You're posts always get a huge response, way above almost anyone else on these forums. I find it very interesting and I've been trying to work out why for a while now. You're definitely very good at something, so I'd suggest finding out what it is and working on it.

Ha ha!  Great story, Julia!

Don't be too hard on your dad and brother, though.  They seem to be pretty handy at dealing with snakes of the human variety.

I had both of these thoughts also.

You set up this story beautifully.  Based on the title and beginning, I thought it was going to be another episode of your dad and/or brother standing up for you. Had a great twist and you wrote it out well.

The story about your brother handling his friend that had claimed to sleep with you is another good example.  It was so well written I thought it could have been fiction. 

You've definitely at least learned how to write.  If writing interests you give it a try again.  They say to write what you know and you've shared some great stories here that you could try expanding on.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Kylo]

As someone who used to keep reptiles (and all sorts of other animals), I'd have a good laugh at them too. Most actually harmful snakes are easy to get to know the shape, patterns and habits of. There are a few wild types near where I live but they're hardly deadly. Unless you're a child or a dog, perhaps.

My male housemate isn't exactly hysterical when there's a spider in the place, but he won't tolerate sharing a room with one. I could care less unless it's trying to get on my face.

I think snakes and spiders tend to bring out freakout responses in both sexes in about the same ratio. My sister, who used to hang around with me, is unafraid of reps and bugs. Maybe it goes back to childhood experience or interest. People with no interest in these things tend to be more scared. 

[Lady Sarah]

As someone who used to keep reptiles (and all sorts of other animals), I'd have a good laugh at them too. Most actually harmful snakes are easy to get to know the shape, patterns and habits of. There are a few wild types near where I live but they're hardly deadly. Unless you're a child or a dog, perhaps.

My male housemate isn't exactly hysterical when there's a spider in the place, but he won't tolerate sharing a room with one. I could care less unless it's trying to get on my face.

I think snakes and spiders tend to bring out freakout responses in both sexes in about the same ratio. My sister, who used to hang around with me, is unafraid of reps and bugs. Maybe it goes back to childhood experience or interest. People with no interest in these things tend to be more scared.

That may be true. My ex used to catch black widow spiders with his bare hands, and never got bit. Then, he'd put them in a jar and watch them kill each other. He also caught rattlesnakes with his bare hands. I freaked him out when I started catching scorpions and feeding them bugs. My favorite insect of all time has to be the praying mantis. I even kept one as a pet until after she laid her egg sac. That's when I released her, and placed the egg sac outside when spring arrived.

[Julia1996]

As someone who used to keep reptiles (and all sorts of other animals), I'd have a good laugh at them too. Most actually harmful snakes are easy to get to know the shape, patterns and habits of. There are a few wild types near where I live but they're hardly deadly. Unless you're a child or a dog, perhaps.

My male housemate isn't exactly hysterical when there's a spider in the place, but he won't tolerate sharing a room with one. I could care less unless it's trying to get on my face.

I think snakes and spiders tend to bring out freakout responses in both sexes in about the same ratio. My sister, who used to hang around with me, is unafraid of reps and bugs. Maybe it goes back to childhood experience or interest. People with no interest in these things tend to be more scared.

I'm not afraid of spiders either. But I kill them because I have no idea which ones are poisonous.  My brother totally freaks over spiders. I got a big hairy fake spider and then very gently placed it on his leg while he was engrossed in a stupid football game.  What a riot! He was off the couch and across the room in like a split second beating the hell out of his jeans. I had no idea someone with such a deep voice could let out such a high pitched scream.  Lol

[V M]

I think we all have our various fears but knowledge and compassion take their own form of empowerment

I was bitten by a dangerous spider and the bite began to turn necrotic nearly costing me the loss of my right arm but luckily I made it into the Dr. soon enough to get treated

I studied up on it and now I know what species to look out for

I had a terrible fear of snakes for years but after being placed in a situation where I'd wake up with various creatures including snakes and other wild animals sleeping near or even right next to me I kinda got over it

I think the number of dangerous species in the world are a small minority in comparison to the whole of all creatures

[AnonyMs]

I'm not afraid of spiders either. But I kill them because I have no idea which ones are poisonous.  My brother totally freaks over spiders. I got a big hairy fake spider and then very gently placed it on his leg while he was engrossed in a stupid football game.  What a riot! He was off the couch and across the room in like a split second beating the hell out of his jeans. I had no idea someone with such a deep voice could let out such a high pitched scream.  Lol

Do it again and video it! I got to see that.

[Julia1996]

Do it again and video it! I got to see that.

Since it's October and I can easily find one I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those mechanical spiders that crawl and using it to scare the crap out of him. If I do, I will be sure to get it on video. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too mean to him.   Nhaaaa.