paint_it_presto

....as well as other "non-natural" fertility treatments? Is it morally wrong to create a test tube embryo? Is it wrong to take fertility treatments? Since the Bible says that humans are made in God's image, and that he alone creates life, does it mean that it is God's will for those embryos to be fertilized and to therefore become humans? Is discarding an unused embryo as morally objectionable as abortion?

What do you think?

Throughout history, books have been banned on the basis of "obscenity," a word whose definition is at best completely variable and at work completely subjective.

What do YOU think is "obscene?" And we're not talking pornography here, this is strictly limited to the written word.

Have you ever "co-written" a story with someone? How did it work? Did one person do most of the writing while the other sort of guided and observed? Did you switch off, e.g. you wrote a chapter, and your collaborator wrote the next one?

Just curious. I'm currently collaborating with someone and it's a little weird trying to adjust.

My fiance and I are not very religious, but his family is EXTREMELY religious and they, like, follow the letter of the law to a T. I'm getting married at the beach and I'm a little worried about the menu. I want to serve shrimp cocktail, but Leviticus 11:9-12 says:

9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you

Am I crazy, or does that mean that eating shrimp is an abomination? I mean, I thought the Bible called homosexuality an "abomination," (in the same book... Leviticus 18:12) I didn't realize that it threw the term at lobster, too. ???

...That hasn't been made into a movie yet? So that excludes Harry Potter, Series of Unfortunate Events, etc. If a book has already been made into a movie (but was made 20-30+ years ago) then feel free to suggest it.

Who would you cast in it?

I don't want a response with ANY of the characters from Twilight. I'm SERIOUS. I cannot stand that terrible series and I'm frakking sick of hearing about it these boards... So, other than characters from Twilight, who are some of your favorite characters in literature (another qualifier which should weed out the cardboard cutouts that comprise the Twilight roster).

What three books are the ones that you would be happy with reading over and over for the rest of your lives?

If it's a series (or a complete works), that can count as one, e.g. I would bring Shakespeare's complete works, The Lord of the Rings, and Stephen King's complete works.

What would you bring? Why?

Everyone these days seems to want books to end happily ever after. Are there any endings to novels that are completely tragic but you love them anyway? Are there any endings that you love because of the tragedy? I personally think that an ending you might not expect, something outside the conventional "and they got married and had babies!" is a great deal more emotionally engaging. Even bittersweet endings are more emotionally investing, like with Arwen and Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. Yes, they get together, but Arwen gives up everything and dies alone, with no hope of seeing any of her loved ones ever again.

What do you think? Which kind of story do you prefer to read or write?

One of the most famous first lines is the following, from Pride and Prejudice:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of goof fortune, must be in want of a wife."

What are some other good opening sentences? What are your favorites? What are some really BAD opening lines?

I get that some of you like it. I get that some of you don't. But can we talk about SOMETHING ELSE for like, ten minutes? Does every other question on the most recent page have to be about Twilight?

I've only ever seen the film. Are there big differences? I saw the book in the bookstore the other day and thought about picking it up.