NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

Welcome aboard, Scott! I agree: your legal writing will help you here. If nothing else, you know how to make a point with words.

Are you saying you set aside your novel until you have improved your craft?

I say go ahead and use it to improve your craft. Writing your favorite piece will keep you excited. You can always put it away and rewrite later on. (I'm a big fan of the rewrite, while others, not so much.)

I'm talking about setting aside your magnum opus, the work you've been planning in your head for 15 years (in my case) until you're better equipped to write it, more able to 'kill your darlings', and also, to an extent, have a more established name so when your editor asks you to kill a darling you don't really want to kill, you have more pull

You can listen to Brandon Sanderson talk about it here (about 8:35 in):
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/02/24/writing-excuses-episode-4-killing-your-darlings/

Now that I've started a couple of threads, I guess it's long past due to get over here and introduce myself.

My immediate predecessor in introductions and I have an alarming similarity. I also graduated from college with an English/creative writing degree (in '92) and I also went to law school thereafter. I also have a sort of 'magnum opus' rolling around in my head that I am not currently working on directly--my choice was to begin to place various short stories in the setting, for all the advantages that brings.

I started writing back in the 90's--all literary fiction, never even submitted for publication--but it wasn't until 2000 that I had a little epiphany: 'write what you know' also means 'write what you spend your dream-time thinking about.' I spend a lot of my dream-time thinking about fantasy and science fiction. So that's what I need to write.

For ten years I piddled here and there, until I turned 40. I didn't have one of those light-shining-down-from-heaven-moments, but I did have a rededication that if I actually wanted to to something--whatever it might be--in my life, I had better get on with doing it. And actually, the only thing I wanted to do that I hadn't done (well, other than spaceflight, discovering the unified field theory, disproving Newton and Einstein--you know, the dreams all little girls and boys have)(I still consider myself as having a toe in the door on PotUS and rewriting history)(techinically, I still consider myself as having my toe in the door on all those things) is to be a professional writer, hopefully with the chance to become a full-time one.

So here I am.

I teach legal studies full-time and work as an attorney part-time. I don't find legal work all that soul-crushing, but it is often draining, stressful, and will at times leave you muttering to yourself like an drunken homeless person.

Then again, so will writing.

While I admire and respect the likes of Card (he is one fine wordsmith, a compelling plotter, and an impressive character builder) I am much more drawn to what Le Guin, Dick, Farmer, Sturgeon, etc., were doing or attempting to do. I acknowledge that Tolkien wrote the grandaddy of them all, but that doesn't stop me from writing about a dwarf if I feel like (everyone writing in the fantasy genre can be put into one of two categories: they have a dwarf novel they want to write, or a vampire novel. You can be in both caterogies if you want). I believe that Bladerunner is still the best Scifi movie ever made, and I am lucky enough to be old enough to say that I have believed that since long before it was in vogue.

I have three children from 11 to 1 year old (girl-boy-girl), a wife, am pursuing my masters degree in english literature (for the fun of it), and live in Texas.

I look forward to the forum, and reading and writing with you all.

Welcome to all the newcomers! It's great to have you here.

So I'm going to stand out on a limb here and say WELCOME to our newest new user who needs no introduction. Yes, the Bwana himself: Mike Resnick, has for some unexplained reason, joined us

How awesome is that

I dare anyone to say that it isn't THE Mike Resnick! Dare you!

Wow! Goes off and deletes some posts ... joking

Welcome, Joseph! What part of Texas are you currently baking in? I'm in College Station for another year.

Hi, dear all,

Been lurking. Yes. Not ashamed. Not a tiny bit. Wanted to lurk forever to keep a safe distance from you crazy, crazy people. Got infected though. So here I am. Blast.

I used to be the Italian woman who lived in France and wrote in English, but I moved from Paris to proud Scotland in May. Writing from my lake, now, at the foot of the Alps, and wondering why I came here in summer (it's hot!), but I suppose my star steered me away from the floods in Edinburgh.

*waves to crazy, crazy people*

Welcome! And we're not all mad here...well, no, that's a lie. We're pretty much nuts.

Welcome, Gio!

Welcome! And don't listen to them: we're not nearly as think as you crazy we all are
*To clarify: "And don't listen to them," should probably not be applied to everyone else on the forum... they are prone to giving good advice The they to be cautious of listening to is the one in my head... but the others in there are okay

Welcome, Gio -- good to see another Edinburgher on here. The city's not quite flooded out (and it isn't even raining today, although there are ominous storm clouds gathering) so you're safe to come home if the heat gets too much!

And, welcome to the earlier newcomers I missed. Good luck with your writing, all.

Welcome aboard, Scott! I agree: your legal writing will help you here. If nothing else, you know how to make a point with words.

Another series of late welcomes.

So be welcome Scott. Sounds like you're ready to learn.

Now that I've started a couple of threads, I guess it's long past due to get over here and introduce myself.

My immediate predecessor in introductions and I have an alarming similarity. .

And be welcome here too. I think you will find a few people alarming similar to you here including some who waited 'till later in life to get serious about writing.

Hi, dear all,

Been lurking. Yes. Not ashamed. Not a tiny bit. Wanted to lurk forever to keep a safe distance from you crazy, crazy people. Got infected though. So here I am. Blast.

I used to be the Italian woman who lived in France and wrote in English, but I moved from Paris to proud Scotland in May. Writing from my lake, now, at the foot of the Alps, and wondering why I came here in summer (it's hot!), but I suppose my star steered me away from the floods in Edinburgh.

*waves to crazy, crazy people*

Hey, you are welcome here. As you know already since I'm late.

But as to "crazy, crazy people"....speak for thyself.

We aren't all nuts here.

(Tries to hide comments about imaginary friends and stick people)

A belated welcome aboard, Gio! And things are a little crazier than usual right now. We all get a little anxious when results hit. And "hit" can be the operative word.

Thank you, guys!

Clearly someone must have been badmouthing this honourable message board!

*chases away tendrils of madness*

Hello,

I've been lurking for a few weeks. I've been submitting to the contest a few years longer than that, on and (mostly) off. I love reading the anthology each year and seeing what fresh ideas have reached the hallowed pages. If any work of mine ever shows up in the anthology, it will most likely be about either dinosaurs or diseases, as those seem to be the topics I revisit most.

I'm currently living in Alaska, where I grew up, but have meandered down and up the American West Coast the last few years and probably will again at some point.

Cheers,
Matt

Welcome aboard, Matt.

And to any one else I've missed.

cheers

Steve

Welcome aboard, Matt! I was going to make a joke about combining all of the above -- an Alaskan dinosaur who fights diseases -- but ya know, I've seen stranger ideas win.

But do watch out for the gator. 😉 (private joke here) I just fed her a very large halibut, though, so you should have awhile before she gets chompy.

Burp.
Oh dear, it looks like it's still repeating on me.

Hi Matt, welcome aboard!
Hooray for dinosaurs, too.

Thanks for all the welcomes. I probably won't be posting much until I get my next story finished but I'll still be doing the whole lurker thing.

Welcome, Matt!

I haven't seen many dinosaur stories recently (in print fiction at least). If handled properly, that might be just the fresh perspective you need to break in.

I totally vote for dinosaurs.

I am just now exploring the various forums, sorry! So here is my belated introduction . . .

This is my first time submitting to the contest. I wrote for a while under another name, didn't get very far, and put it aside for several years; I started up again about a year and a half ago, older but hopefully a little wiser. In past lives I have also taught and edited, and I now work in publishing (the production end), so there's really no escaping the word thing for me.

I've got a massive first draft novel I'm overhauling, and I'm trying to write shorts and do some pinch-hit proofing and critting around that. Exhausting, but I must say more rewarding this time around.

Good luck to everyone in Q2 and beyond.

Cheers,

L.S.

Hello,

I've been lurking for a few weeks. I've been submitting to the contest a few years longer than that, on and (mostly) off. I love reading the anthology each year and seeing what fresh ideas have reached the hallowed pages. If any work of mine ever shows up in the anthology, it will most likely be about either dinosaurs or diseases, as those seem to be the topics I revisit most.

I'm currently living in Alaska, where I grew up, but have meandered down and up the American West Coast the last few years and probably will again at some point.

Cheers,
Matt

Hey I get to say hi early this time

So Be welcome and enjoy yourself.

I am just now exploring the various forums, sorry! So here is my belated introduction . . .

This is my first time submitting to the contest. I wrote for a while under another name, didn't get very far, and put it aside for several years; I started up again about a year and a half ago, older but hopefully a little wiser. In past lives I have also taught and edited, and I now work in publishing (the production end), so there's really no escaping the word thing for me.

I've got a massive first draft novel I'm overhauling, and I'm trying to write shorts and do some pinch-hit proofing and critting around that. Exhausting, but I must say more rewarding this time around.

Good luck to everyone in Q2 and beyond.

Cheers,

L.S.

Be welcome here too.

Fun place to be (Looks around to see who is about and clears throat)

if you don't mind a little crAzy that pops up from all of us now and again. We are all writers after all.

Lurker extraordinaire for about a year, I finally decided to take the plunge and submitted something (way back) for Q2 29. I guess I'm now playing the waiting game for a response, though I imagine it is forthcoming.

Work committments since April killed any hopes for a Q3 or Q4 submission (for anyone counting, that's a three month April Fool's joke). Now that my life is back to normal, I may actually be able to start thinking about creative writing again.

Welcome aboard, Francois! You have 5 months for Q1. You can do it!

Welcome to François, Matt, Scott, Gio and anyone I've missed! Nice to have you aboard.