The Introduction Thread

[Rough Draft Writer]

Hi everyone! I just stumbled across these forums yesterday, but I've spent enough time wandering through them since then that I figured I should say hello. Clearly, I've found a good place to spend time on the interwebz.

About me: I've just started to put written words to an idea I've been toying with for some time, so I'm the newest of the new to the adventure of novel writing. I'm having a fantastic summer that helps make up for a rotten spring. My roommates and I just finished our annual field day games wherein we invite our friends, mostly ranging from mid-twenties to mid-thirties, to a nearby park and pretend that we're all ten years old again - egg on a spoon races, water balloon toss, tug of war, etc. My team was victorious for the second year in a row, which is one of the reasons that this is such a fantastic summer. As might be suspected of a 29 year old woman who puts together field day games for her friends, I'm more than a bit of a dork at heart. ;)

Hope to make your acquaintance in the forums!

[Tonia]

Hi Nathan and all

I'm an Australian writer, languishing down here in unpublished limbo. It's very difficult to get published in Australia so I'm hoping to crack the American market before too long, not that I expect that to be easy!

I have been writing for xyz years, but actually finished my first full-length novel, plus the second of a murderous trilogy late last year. Now working on book three and two other less grisly murders. My fiction/literary influences tend to be amongst the mystery/thriller/suspense authors with a goodly seasoning of SciFi. Think Agatha Christie, Michael Connolly, PD James, Paul Johnston, J.D. Robb (kiss, kiss), Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, plus Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Mark Twain to thoroughly mix the pot. I own and read walls of books.

I'm also writing light-hearted fluffy romances, but always with a dark edge, if that's not too much a contradiction in terms. Easy to write and good fun, a sort of palate refresher after a mouthful of murder.
(See "First page...." for my 250 word entry.)

And I've just spent a fantastic week at a residential intensive manuscript development course run by RWA here in Australia, with a one-on-one mentor. Nothing to do but write and revise and write, what bliss. From now on my maxim to write by is EVERY WORD COUNTS.
Cheers
Tonia

[johndavid]

My name is John. I live in the middle of nowhere in southwest Michigan. I finished my first novel this year (I posted some on the page critique if anyone cares). I am up to seven rejections so far (Nathan was my first!).

I was lucky enough to get some feedback from a real-live published author with my first book. Someone short-listed for the booker prize. It was an interesting process and I am already well into my second.

I have been following the blog for a couple weeks. One of the best sites on writing I have seen on the www.

I do have one question. Does the 'boss' post often on the threads? It would be nice to have an expert talking to us 'common folks'.

[Bryan Russell/Ink]

I do have one question. Does the 'boss' post often on the threads? It would be nice to have an expert talking to us 'common folks'.

He does indeed.

[Matthew MacNish]

I do have one question. Does the 'boss' post often on the threads? It would be nice to have an expert talking to us 'common folks'.

He does indeed.

The boss and his sheriff are two of the coolest people you will EVER (virtually) meet. Check the forum thread called "ask Nathan" and you'll see that he will reply to most any question, almost always within a day or two at most.

Speaking of which Bryan when are we going to start an "ask Bryan" thread? We could limit it to sports, punctuation and diction, and it would still be totally awesome. Seriously.

[adamg73]

Hi, my name's Adam and I live in Corvallis, OR with my beautiful wife and my dog. I used to hate writing but now, if I'm not reading or hiking, my off-time is usually spent doing that very thing. I'm currently a graduate student at Oregon State University going for my Masters in Wildlife and I love being outdoors. For me, writing is a hobby. If it every becomes a job I'm pretty sure I'll stop liking it. I've written a few short stories and a couple children's stories (none of which were very good) and one manuscript for a fantasy novel that I think is good enough to publish. I have ideas for ton's more so I hope to keep writing for a long time.

Oh, one more thing: I'm a terrible speller. My the god's of grammer and spelling forgive me.

Cheers!

[Livi Wells]

Hello All,

Been reading but not participating. But will be more active now that I took my first step of signing up.
I have recently completed my novel (YA paranormal Historical/Urban/Romance) and going through 3rd edit. Just beginning to query too.
I have completed two full screenplays. I have always been in love with words, but at times I do believe that complete silence of the mind is noble.

[Booger Kitty]

Hiyas! My name is Cassie and books have always played a big part in my life. It wasn't until a year ago that I actually found that I wanted to make writing a career. Now that I have decided it I am trying to figure out how. I have plenty of great ideas I am looking forward to sharing with the world. I am not going to let anything get in the way not even my bad spelling (spellcheck ftw!) and habit of flipping letters around when typing. I love video games, anything sweet, kittehs and of course books. Since I moved to Denver from Kentucky I am currently unemployed and looking for work. There is a story in why I came out here that maybe I will write about one day as well. I am better at writing stories then writing about myself. Although I put much of myself into the stories so you could figure out about me from those. I am shy for the most part, but I will push myself to post often. I don't want my fears and shyness to get in the way of my dreams. Nice to meet you all and I am looking forward to getting to know all of you! =^.^=

[Down the well]

Since I moved to Denver from Kentucky I am currently unemployed and looking for work. There is a story in why I came out here that maybe I will write about one day as well.

This sentence reminded me of The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. You might want to give it a read if you ever seriously consider writing that story. It's about a girl from Kentucky who moves to a new town in Arizona. And it's Barbara Kingsolver so you can't go wrong.

[Booger Kitty]

I will certainly do that. Ty! =^.^=

[lscacc01]

Hi, I'm Lindsay, and I'm 20 years old. I've been writing for 11 years now; unfortunately I rarely finish a thing. My current projects are y/a literary fantasy, science fiction/mystery, and historical/paranormal fiction, though I've written general y/a fiction and horror and probably a few other things too. Otherwise I'm an undergrad at Marshall University in West Virginia, USA, with some publications in poetry and an eye on a minor in creative writing. I work at our campus radio station and umm... I like tea parties. :)

Yep.

So, hello! I'm sure it will be nice meeting you, even if you find you can't say the same for me. :D

[Leonidas]

Hi, everyone!

My name's Hannah, I'm a teenager who lives in the middle of Ohio, and I hope to someday become a novelist. My first true foray into the world of noveling was last November, when I competed in NaNoWriMo for the first time. Now I'm working on revamping my novel and plan to completely rewrite the first two drafts over the next year. When I'm not writing, I'm generally working at my barn or procrastinating my writing.

I hope to get to know most of you soon!

[Down the well]

Leonidas/Hannah,

I wholeheartedly approve of your avatar pic. :)

[Livi Wells]

I am shy for the most part, but I will push myself to post often. I don't want my fears and shyness to get in the way of my dreams.

Fear, shyness, seems to be a running theme for people who write. But congratulations for signing up, took me a year to do so.

[Classic Camp]

Hi I'm Classic Camp and I'm an alcoholic (oops, wrong MB). I like to write horror, although I occasionally dabble in other genres. I've a few small successes in getting published, but none big enough to brag about. I have a bachelor's in English writing and a master's in English education, and I teach composition at the local community college. My faovite author is H.P. Lovecraft and my favorite book is Bram Stoker's Dracula. I have a completed manuscript that I've sent out to a few agents so far, and am working on two other books right now. I hope to get to know everyone.