The Introduction Thread

New member introductions, suggestions for the Forums, questions about posting, and important announcements.
Post Reply
craig
Posts: 118
Joined: February 13th, 2010, 11:33 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Contact:

The Introduction Thread

Post by craig » February 14th, 2010, 11:42 pm

Hey all -- I'm new here and don't know anybody, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I did a quick search and couldn't find a pre-existing intro thread, so I'm starting one! *cackles madly with power*

My name's craig and I come from Canada -- one of the colder parts of Canada and no it's not the frozen north. I write sci-fi, particularly stuff with darker themes and dystopian elements, but without descending into true dystopia... hope that made sense. I wrote one novel a few years ago and couldn't sell it, so I stuck it in a drawer, got busy with work for a year or two, and then started on my second novel. I'm nearing completion of my first draft now -- but with work and university (I'm a part-time masters student), who knows how long it will take me to get around to it, even though there's only about 13,000 words to go.

Anybody else want to introduce themselves? I'd like to know more about who y'all are! I'm a long-time reader of Nathan's blog, but this is my first foray into the forums...

User avatar
marilyn peake
Posts: 304
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 4:29 pm
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by marilyn peake » February 15th, 2010, 3:31 pm

Hi, Craig – Nice to meet you!

I write in various genres – so far, science fiction and fantasy, most of it with a literary edge, and some stories with a political thriller component. I’ve had a trilogy of novels published by small press, and numerous short stories published in small press anthologies. I’ve also compiled and edited two nonfiction books about writing, also published by small press – both books won awards in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards against some formidable competitors.

All my published works, reviews and awards are on my website, along with some of my photography: http://www.marilynpeake.com .

I’m currently revising my science fiction novel, GODS IN THE MACHINE, and am working with Editor Alan Rinzler on the revisions.
Marilyn Peake

Novels: THE FISHERMAN’S SON TRILOGY and GODS IN THE MACHINE. Numerous short stories. Contributor to BOOK: THE SEQUEL. Editor of several additional books. Awards include Silver Award, 2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards.

User avatar
aspiring_x
Posts: 210
Joined: January 15th, 2010, 9:44 am
Location: Marysville, Kansas
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by aspiring_x » February 15th, 2010, 3:45 pm

Hey Craig!
Welcome to the Forums! I'm editing (again... and with more direction now that I have found wonderful critique partners... check out the thread in all things feedback if your looking for one) the first book that I've ever completed. It's YA Paranormal fiction. Over the years, I've had a ton of story ideas, and I'd write a few ideas down, make up some character developements, draw maps, write backstory... you know, all the things that go along with writing a book, without actually sitting down and writing the thing. I'd finally stopped lolly-gagging and started hard work on a different story. When I was thirty pages into the thing, we had a house fire. We lost everything (except the things that really matter... the people!) All the ideas that I had started, but was waiting for a time when life was less hectic to write, were gone. Just like that.
So, when we got back into our house after reconstruction, I got to work on this story. It's totally different from what I was writing, because that one dealt with some really heavy stuff, and I wasn't ready to spend so much time there, if you know what I mean. Anyway... that's who I am as a writer. Just a newbie.
-Vic

User avatar
Seamus
Posts: 67
Joined: January 5th, 2010, 12:56 pm
Location: Rockville, MD
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Seamus » February 15th, 2010, 4:19 pm

Hi, Craig,
I am still new and still aspiring. No point in linking to my published things or my awards -- I have Marilyn envy. (Marilyn is one of the more affirming presences here.) One manuscript was in the can a year ago, but no takers yet. I'm not sure when I'm allowed to say it's literary fiction, but it's sort of close. I have another novel in the works, but I've started a major re-write of that, after having read advice about stories like mine. This is a great forum, but one thing I hear frequently is that we all tend to spend too much time here. I'm in suburban Washington, DC on the Maryland side in the town called Rockville. Welcome.
J. Seamus Welsh
welsh.john.seamus@gmail.com
Blog (a playful place to experiment with character voices): http://oh-thereyouare.blogspot.com/
Website (shameless self-promotion): http://www.inwrittenform.com

Nick
Posts: 236
Joined: December 10th, 2009, 5:59 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Nick » February 15th, 2010, 4:31 pm

Hullo, Craig, and welcome aboard the good ship Insanity. Seriously. We are all insane for ever wanting to get into this business. Myself, I'm from suburban Philadelphia and write crime fiction, mostly, but I have a couple of short stories and things presently shelved that are throwbacks to 19th/20th century style mysteries. Polish those up and send them off to places...eventually. Focusing more on my manuscript right now. And like Seamus said, we spend way too much time here. Careful or you just might get sucked down the sinkhole, too. That's in interesting image, actually. Brigantine sloop-of-war going down a sinkhole. Yeah, fair warning, I ramble a lot and a lot of those rambles tend to be non-sequiturs. Everything but my manuscripts tends to be just like my brain: All over the map and then some. Oh, and, not published yet, but hoping my current WIP will take me there, when I finally finish it. Once again welcome aboard and hope you have fun here, mate. I'd offer you a drink but the liquor cabinet disappeared at some point between Christmas and New Year's.

User avatar
marilyn peake
Posts: 304
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 4:29 pm
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by marilyn peake » February 15th, 2010, 7:37 pm

Hi, Seamus,

Wow – I was really surprised to find your wonderful comment about me. Thank you so much! I struggle constantly to find the time and energy to write, I hope so much to sign with an agent someday, and I’m struggling to complete an outline for revisions to my latest novel. Your comment actually helped me find the motivation to work harder on the outline. Thank you!
Marilyn Peake

Novels: THE FISHERMAN’S SON TRILOGY and GODS IN THE MACHINE. Numerous short stories. Contributor to BOOK: THE SEQUEL. Editor of several additional books. Awards include Silver Award, 2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards.

User avatar
JustineDell
Posts: 293
Joined: January 15th, 2010, 11:38 am
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by JustineDell » February 15th, 2010, 9:38 pm

Welcome Craig!

Like someone else mentioned, you may quickly become addicted to the illustrious forums and never be able to find your way out. I like it though! I am just as obessed with Nathan's blog as I am his forum's, it didn't take me long to get sucked into it either.

I live in the midwest, Indiana to be more specific, where it hasn't stop snowing for the past twenty-four hours...grrrrrrrrr. I write mainstream romance and only start writing last year. Hmmm....does that make me a newbie? :-) I have two books finished and a third on the way. I haven't done much with the querying thing yet, because:
1. I'm scared
and
2. Everytime I pick up my completed ms's I find something else wrong. *Big Sigh*

I'll figure it out all someday though ;-) In the mean time when I don't have my nose pressed into the forums or my current wip, I'm trotting my daughter around to see her greatest obbession: her horses, and trying to squeeze in my MBA program (which I have almost failed miserably on recently - shame on me). My life is one big ball of hustle and bustle, but that's the way I like it.

~JD

http://www.justine-dell.blogspot.com/

"Three things in life that, once gone, never return; Time, Words, & Opportunity"

User avatar
charlotte49ers
Posts: 281
Joined: January 14th, 2010, 7:35 pm
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by charlotte49ers » February 16th, 2010, 5:15 pm

Hi!

I'm Amanda and when I'm not writing, I'm a teacher, photographer, grad student, mother, and wife. So, very busy. :-) I write YA/MG, though I do have an adult idea brewing (I guess it would be considered women's fiction). I'm a total n00b.

User avatar
E McD
Posts: 92
Joined: February 6th, 2010, 10:52 pm
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by E McD » February 16th, 2010, 6:52 pm

I'm a Virginia girl - although I use the 'girl' part loosely. I'm in my early thirties with kids of my own. I teach 8th grade English, and I'm working on my first YA paranormal novel. Welcome! :)

Hugs, Emily

p.s. GO HOKIES!!!
Last edited by E McD on May 1st, 2010, 4:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.
-Emily McDaniel

miahayson
Posts: 18
Joined: February 14th, 2010, 8:49 pm
Location: In the depths of INSANITY (but occasionally present in Scotland)
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by miahayson » February 16th, 2010, 7:09 pm

Ahoy there!

After considering not introducing myself here at all (because it’s hard to come up with descriptions for myself other than “totally bonkers” and “writer” which I think, for the most part, we all might be…?) I’m introducing myself to the worldwide web all *official* like.

My name is Mia and I’m from across the big ol’ Atlantic. Like the true Brit I am, I enjoy frequent doses of tea and bursting out with spontaneous Shakespeare quotes (no kidding, I actually do that, although I’m reasonably certain the rest of the UK doesn’t follow suit). I mainly seem to write YA Sci-Fi Fantasy (I suppose paranormal fiction might cover it?) although I did once accidentally start a turn-of-the-century war novel. Yep, you heard me, it happened unintentionally.... So, over the course of a few weeks I have somehow managed to get totally sucked into this forum, although my posts are few, and it’s been a blast so far even though I am, truly, a complete beginner.... I think Nathan and all you devoted members deserve no small thanks from me, and perhaps the offer of my undying servitude (well, for now --->a few weeks of writers block and I might re-consider) for getting me back into my passion. Certainly, my support network had some hand in it but, if it wasn’t for this forum, I would be under the continuing belief that I was the only one out there struggling against the craziness… And that’s me done I think - I’m am, as yet , unpublished person from across the way. :~)

Haha, I bet that once I mentioned I was British you started reading this with an accent… No? Because I’ve been enjoying reading everyone else’s in my best American…(not out loud of course, we don’t want people thinking I’m totally mad). I mean, please feel free to read my posts in a British accent, it could make them into a whole new level of fun..

craig
Posts: 118
Joined: February 13th, 2010, 11:33 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by craig » February 16th, 2010, 7:47 pm

miahayson --

If it helps, I'll make my posts sound more Canadian -- you know, throw in some "eh"s and some "no doot aboot it"s and stuff like that.

r louis scott
Posts: 118
Joined: December 14th, 2009, 7:36 pm
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by r louis scott » February 16th, 2010, 8:17 pm

Hi Craig,

I'm not the most prolific of posters here, but I have come to know one or two people and found that, overall, this is a great resource for aspiring writers, of which I am one.

I spent 20 years in the US Navy and transferred to the Fleet Reserve with the rank of Chief Petty Officer. I now work in some fairly high-tech R&D engineering, but at night I prefer to spend time in the past. My current WIP is set in fifth century Britain and I enjoy the research I must do almost as much as writing the stories. I detest the editing, the development of an effective query letter and synopsis, but have slogged through to the point where I am just now beginning to send queries out. I am an utter failure as a blogger but I'm told that no one shmoozes a writer's conference like I do. If you ever see a post from me here and wonder if I'm serious or joking, it's usually joking.

Good luck with your book.

User avatar
E McD
Posts: 92
Joined: February 6th, 2010, 10:52 pm
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by E McD » February 16th, 2010, 8:46 pm

R Louis Scott,

You're awesome, dude. Always friendly, always helpful.

Hugs, Em
-Emily McDaniel

User avatar
abc
Posts: 168
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 10:15 pm
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by abc » February 16th, 2010, 9:40 pm

OOOOH, intros are fun.

And I love Canadians! And all the HGTV shows they make.

I am Alison. ABC are my actual initials. Other nicknames: Ali, Coffey (last name) and Scooter (husband's pet name). Midwesterner by birth. Tried to be a Texan for 10 years but that didn't take so I'm back in the midwest (Iowa City, IA--a very literary town). I have always loved writing but for most of my life I wanted to be a filmmaker. When that didn't pan out (I'm not the type to get people to work for me for free or give me lots of money and I didn't want to live in LA or NY) and I got bummed by one too many life sucking day jobs, I decided to work on becoming a psychotherapist.

That writing ghost kept tapping on my window, though, so I figured I could be a psychotherapist/YA novelist. LIke Stephen White is a clinical psychologist/mystery writer.

I think YA is where my voice works best.

I've also been blogging for 8 years because I'm crazy!

Born in the 70's, grew up in the 80's, got lost in the 90's, and went into way too much debt in the naughts. I'm hoping these 10's (or whatever they might be called) will be most excellent!

And my kid is calling me for tucking in time.

Welcome Craig!

miahayson
Posts: 18
Joined: February 14th, 2010, 8:49 pm
Location: In the depths of INSANITY (but occasionally present in Scotland)
Contact:

Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by miahayson » February 16th, 2010, 10:24 pm

Fair Craig,

You're certainly welcome to if you feel so inclined...That is, as long as I'm allowed to say things like "bob's your uncle" and "Codswallop"?

To be honest, I wasn't aware that "no doot aboot it" was a Canadian thing? I'm fairly ignorant I guess, but, around my neck of the woods a lot of people say that too (just in a broad scottish accent). Funnily enough, nobody ever says "Auch aye the noo" though.

:~)

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests