The Introduction Thread

New member introductions, suggestions for the Forums, questions about posting, and important announcements.
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knight_tour
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by knight_tour » March 6th, 2010, 4:07 pm

dios4vida wrote:I'm actually from Tucson, Arizona
Hmm, I'm from Tucson also, though I've been living overseas since 1993 working as a diplomat. I miss the states, but it's been fun travelling to around forty countries, living in 6 (US, Russia, Croatia, China, Iceland, Azerbaijan). My name is Ted.

I had some stories (fantasy and sci-fi) kicking around in my head for around twenty years, but I didn't think I would ever actually get around to writing them. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I am still editing my first novel, though it is pretty much complete. I have a nice outline for the next and can't wait to finish editing the first so I can get started.

I'm dreading the query letter and synopsis though...

A.M.Kuska
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by A.M.Kuska » March 8th, 2010, 9:35 pm

Hello everyone. :)

Since we seem to be exposing our day lives here, I'll confess to being a dog groomer. I've written one novel made up entirely of garbage, and am currently editing my second one which I think will be publishable. I have four short stories published, and a successful noveling blog.

Yup, that's me.

bronwyn1
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by bronwyn1 » March 8th, 2010, 11:26 pm

Hi everyone!

I'm Bronwyn (obviously). I'm currently in high school, but I'm about to be done with all of that very, very soon (thank God). I'm still extremely early in the process of revising over and over again this novel I just finished. The first novel that I've completed that I actually think, dare I say, might have a chance (i.e. it isn't complete bollocks, in my opinion).

Nathan's blog is so informative and has been such a great resource for relative/definite newbies like me, so I'm really glad to be here!

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shadow
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by shadow » March 9th, 2010, 12:57 pm

bronwyn1 wrote:Hi everyone!

I'm Bronwyn (obviously). I'm currently in high school, but I'm about to be done with all of that very, very soon (thank God). I'm still extremely early in the process of revising over and over again this novel I just finished. The first novel that I've completed that I actually think, dare I say, might have a chance (i.e. it isn't complete bollocks, in my opinion).

Nathan's blog is so informative and has been such a great resource for relative/definite newbies like me, so I'm really glad to be here!
I am also finishing high school! What grade are you in??
All things writing, visit my blog http://arielemerald.blogspot.com/

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bronwyn1
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by bronwyn1 » March 9th, 2010, 6:18 pm

shadow wrote:
I am also finishing high school! What grade are you in??
I'm a senior and am officially checked out for the duration of the school year...like I have one of the worst cases of Senioritis ever (which really helps with writing)...haha

Nick
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Nick » March 9th, 2010, 7:16 pm

bronwyn1 wrote:
shadow wrote:
I am also finishing high school! What grade are you in??
I'm a senior and am officially checked out for the duration of the school year...like I have one of the worst cases of Senioritis ever (which really helps with writing)...haha
I've had Chronic Senioritis Inofficium since kindergarten, if that makes you feel any better. Ironically I'm trying harder in my second semester senior year than ever before...and yet it's still not very hard.

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Ishta
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Ishta » March 13th, 2010, 9:33 pm

Hi everybody,

abc, I think you and I must be kindred spirits. I'm from Cincinnati and have traveled quite a bit - my husband is from London, England, and we got married just before he started University in Edinburgh, so we lived in Edinburgh for 4 years (where I worked with Autistic kids) and then in London for three (where I immediately learned that we were expecting our first baby, so that was that as far as formal work for me). We live in the GTA now, and I'm a stay-at-home-mom of two boys who are polar opposites of each other in everything except for the demands that they put on my time (which are HIGH).

I majored in Dance and Theatre when I was in College (I had started with Lit and Theatre, but dropped Lit when I got tired of trying to eke out something original to say about Shakespeare, and when a modern poet whose work we had read and analyzed came to our class and told us we were dead wrong about everything), and a couple of years ago I started feeling antsy and like I wanted to get out there and DO something again, so I started taking Dance classes and Acting for Film classes again. I've also always wanted to try my hand at writing, so in January of last year I hammered out a few (awful) PB manuscripts, submitted them, got rejected (of course), and discovered the SCBWI and the wonderful community there, in that order. Last spring I performed in two plays locally, although I've had to take a small step back from performing since then just because there aren't enough hours in the day. (I would give my soul to not need sleep, I swear.) I am now part of a wonderful crit group, have written a handful of much better PB manuscripts which I'm preparing to submit, have subbed to a couple of magazines, and am improving every day. My goal is to make enough through my writing to afford the headshots and classes and babysitters I'll need to continue acting, which I LOVE. When I sell my first stories, you'll know, because I'll post my headshot as my photo. :-)

My name is Ishta (EESH-tuh); it's my real name - I didn't take it from Stargate or yoga, although I do enjoy some good Sci-Fi and I do practice yoga. My parents thought they made it up, then found out when I was a few months old that it's really a name. Serendipity! I blog on writing and acting at www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.com, (are we allowed to post links? If not, then sorry! I'll fix it if someone lets me know.), so stop by sometime.

Nice to meet you all, and I look forward to many great conversations and insightful exchanges with you!

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mmcdonald64
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by mmcdonald64 » March 14th, 2010, 10:25 pm

Hey everyone. My name's Mary. I've read the blog here many times, but for some reason, never noticed the forum link. Probably because I usually got to the blog by clicking a link someone would post. Anyway, I'm here now. I live just a bit north of Chicago, and work behind the cheddar curtain that separates Illinois from Wisconsin. It's bad enough I live with three Packer fans, but I have to work in Packer territory too. Go Bears!

I have three kids, two of whom are grown but are still home. Damn recession. lol. My baby is nine and she's my little shadow. I work full time as a respiratory therapist, write when I can and somewhere in there, try to get some time at the gym.

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aspiring_x
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by aspiring_x » March 14th, 2010, 11:54 pm

mmcdonald64 wrote:Hey everyone. My name's Mary. I've read the blog here many times, but for some reason, never noticed the forum link. Probably because I usually got to the blog by clicking a link someone would post. Anyway, I'm here now. I live just a bit north of Chicago, and work behind the cheddar curtain that separates Illinois from Wisconsin. It's bad enough I live with three Packer fans, but I have to work in Packer territory too. Go Bears!

I have three kids, two of whom are grown but are still home. Damn recession. lol. My baby is nine and she's my little shadow. I work full time as a respiratory therapist, write when I can and somewhere in there, try to get some time at the gym.
eek! my hubby's a CRT. i grew up in chicago suburbia and the rockford area (cheeseheads are crazy- but i think dickheads are crazy too) and i have three kids! funny world ain't it?

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mmcdonald64
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by mmcdonald64 » March 15th, 2010, 12:45 am

Wow! That's so wild! Are you still in the Rockford area? I actually know and RT from there. He comes and works with us sometime in Kenosha.

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ganstream1
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by ganstream1 » March 15th, 2010, 8:44 am

Wow...

I must be the only guy to come from a non-English speaking world!

anyway,

My name is Arief (pronounced: A-reef, but you can call me G1) and I'm from Malaysia (gosh this feels weird (- -;) ). I am not a writer (not yet), but I am aspiring to be one. I am currently on my 5th draft of my first novel and I've been a frequent visitor to the blog for the past, uh, 3-4 months I guess. I'm still learning about the craft and I hope I can learn something you guys the pros (^ ^). I read mostly fantasy novels but the genre that kicked start my reading habit was crime and mystery (a huge fan of Agatha Christie, thanks to my mom). I still read crime, thriller and sometimes mysteries but fantasy took the most of my time now.

That's all, I guess.

Nice to meet you all :D, and sorry if my English sounds weird (I hope not)
Read my blog novel at: Aku-Stories

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aspiring_x
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by aspiring_x » March 15th, 2010, 9:14 am

mmcdonald64 wrote:Wow! That's so wild! Are you still in the Rockford area? I actually know and RT from there. He comes and works with us sometime in Kenosha.
naw, we live in kansas now... almost moved to kenosha instead of rockford though when i was in jr. high... crazy world...

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Xakara
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Xakara » March 17th, 2010, 7:21 pm

Afternoon Everyone,

After the recent "redistribution of personnel and resources" my company went through two weeks ago I got to catch up with Nathan's blog and learned about the forums from his post. I'm happy to find another forum where I can talk about edits, revisions, submissions and the dreaded query/synopsis process and everyone understands what I'm going through. :)

I write Erotic Paranormal Fiction, specifically Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance with bisexual/pansexual and polyamorous themes. I have a paranormal romance novella out with Samhain Publishing and a second one that should come out later this year with another digital-first publisher, hopefully two, (still hammering that out). Right now I'm polishing the world-building novel connected with the novellas for an agent that requested it. This polish comes after a major revision I finished two days before she requested the full, so I'm a little stressed trying to make sure the polish is as perfect as I can make it and that I haven't lost any of the things she loved in the partial.

Once this is submitted I have three Works in Progress, (WsIP? WiPs?), to tackle while I'm able to write full time right now, so I'm excited about doing the most with the time I have. Happy to meet everyone.

~X
~Xakara
Xakara.com
SHIFTING PASSIONS with Samhain Publishing

Erica75
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Erica75 » March 21st, 2010, 4:24 pm

Cheeseheads are not crazy. Pay no attention to their freezers full of deer, cow, pig, rabbit, and squirrel. They also eat lettuce and stuff - and the freezer just proves their resourcefulness. Just because their bedside tables contain a turkey call and binoculars does not make them odd. Toyboxes full of footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, and bowling balls mean nothing other than they like to send their little-ones outside a lot (which is brave, because, after all, this is Wisconsin). Plus, most of them have been to Illinois and Kansas and quickly retreated back north. BTW: Kenosha isn't accepted by the rest of the state as being in Wisconsin, so according to many, you're still a full-blooded Illini, Mary. And congrats on your current March Madness status. The Badgers are killing me right now - KILLING ME!
we blog - erica and christy - http://lynneawest.blogspot.com/

Kaylabirdy
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Re: The Introduction Thread

Post by Kaylabirdy » March 25th, 2010, 8:58 am

Ok...so seeing as I'm new to the forums, I figured I'd tell you a story to help break the ice.

There once was a young woman from California who had found Nathan Bransford's site as she was searching online for book publishing questions. Her name was Kayla and she was still very green around the gills when it came to this writing thing. She found the new blog fascinating and signed up to have it sent to her email address.

After about two days, she started clicking links to more than just the blogs and found a wonderful, lively community brimming with kindness, teamwork, and encouragement. She had never been a part of a writing community like this before and instantly wanted to dive into the wisdom and knowledge of more experienced writers than herself.

EXCEPT!!!! *duh duh duh...dramatic pause for effect*

Nathan Bransford attempted to keep spammers and bots of his website by having visual checks for identity (they're called 'captchas' in the computer world). Most little boxes filled with fuzzy numbers and letters were quite easy for our girl, Kayla, to understand. However, little did she know that Nathan's little boxes contained miniature ninjas that would prevent her from being able to read. It took her SEVEN TIMES before she could enter the numbers and letters correctly.

As I'm sure you all know though, practice makes perfect. Just as she stuck to writing her book, so too did she stick to filling in the captcha correctly. Though she was met with failure time and again, she kept at it until finally she beat the little ninjas back. She stands before you today as a strong example that hard work and perseverance can make a success of the most incapable of people!

*you may now laugh at my stupidity and general blindness! :D*

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