Introduce Yourselves [ Edited ]

[john1981]

My name is Johnathan and I am 25 growing up in school I hated to read just about anything and some of my grades showed that LOL. I went to college in 01 for 2 years and still did'nt read alot then earther. It was not untill after college that I stated to look here on BN.com and found Star trek books and have been reading them plus other books since. I have a idea of a Science Fiction story that is a space exploration star trek feel to but hopefully its not to close to star trek. I have alot of the ideas for the story in my head but dont know how to start to write it. I hope to get to know people on here as well.

Message Edited by john1981 on 01-27-200701:19 PM

[Lyeshea]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Melissa, I'm 22 and I love writing. I've written for as long as I can remember (I have stories saved from as far back as third grade), and I'm an avid reader of SFF. I tend to write more Fantasy than SciFi, but have some soft SF ideas bouncing around in my head and one that's a bit harder SF. I have discovered that I am in love with the world of WriMos, that they're just the kick in the pants that I need to get my stories written, but that leaves me stuck at editing what I've written. I tend to write by the seat of my pants and just go with the flow until I reach the end of the story. I would very much like to make my novels that I've written and haven't edited potentially marketable.

I'm a big fan of Anne McCaffrey, Tanya Huff, JK Rowling, Laurell K Hamilton, Steven King (I love the Dark Tower series). I also like early Anne Rice. I've been going through a YA phase and have been checking out Madeline L'engle and well, I think I've just got too many favorites. I read whenever I get the chance.

Melissa

Message Edited by Lyeshea on 01-27-200702:06 PM

[annie-6]

Hi I am Ann. I am a 40 year old mom of three boys. I just recently got remarried and now actually have time for myself. In college I majored in Biology and minored in English with the goal of eventually becoming a science fiction writer. Prior to having kids I spent a great deal of time reading and writing. Presently I have just had knee surgery so this would be great to keep me busy. I look forward getting back to my dream and trying to write an actual book! At least I will enjoy the process.

[andkarena]

Hi,

I am Karena. I have been writing for years and actually got paid for a lot of it. I have been a technical writer and taught writing at elementary level and adults in China and Hong Kong where I also taught other subjects at large companies and universities, including western culture, business writing, Java and regular and EFL English. One day I woke up and realized that I was too busy to write, so I packed up at the end of my contract and came home to face possible poverty.

The first 18 months was a real struggle, as I could not find a job in Vancouver BC. However, after a year working I have moved to Edmonton and am only writing now. My writing is mostly contract and includes ghost writing, research assistance and coaching for dissertations, technical writing, marketing collateral and on line articles for web filler and SEO. While I am now making a living with writing it is not my writing. So I hope within a year to change that. I allocate half of my work time now to my own writing. I belong to two crit forums and I hope to get some valuable guidance here.

I am still relatively poor (technically living below the poverty line), but I eat well, live in a nice apt with a an old friend and have all the gadgets I like. Most of all, I have time to write and lots to say. When I finished my degree in creative writing at Concordia University I applied for the masters program and propose a science fiction trilogy. It was a mistake, since Scifi is still not considered to be literature in some quarters. I should have used my poetry, because my daughter got into the program partly on the portfolio I helped her select and partly on my name. She is making her own name now I am considering going back for an MFA just so I can just because I want one.

Hope to enjoy this forum and contribute to it.

Karena

[thewonderelf]

Hey guys!

My name's Kelly. I'm currently an undergrad at the University of Pittsburgh as a duel journalism/fiction major. I work at the school paper as a copy editor, but haven't actually written anything for it. Fiction is my first love, and I hope to eventually get an MFA in creative writing, but that's still a few years down the road.

The Chronicles of Narnia and pretty much anything by Neil Gaimen is what keeps me writing, along with a few others. I'm an avid Star Wars fan, and I love comics too (especially Catwoman, Fables, and well... a bunch). My goal is to get a short story published somehwere by the end of the year.

I write more than just SF and fantasy, but SF is definitely my favorite genre, especially military SF like the Honor Harrington series. Unfortunately, teachers discourage us from writing genre pieces of any kind (not that it always stops me), prefering that we focus on "literary" stories. But anyway. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you better!

[mavery81230]

Hi, I'm Mike, I'm 56 years old (WHERE did the years go?), and live in the mountains of Western Colorado. I've been a reader of science fiction and fantasy since I was in the 7th grade. Heinlein, Asimov, and Ellison got me started, and remain favorites.

I've been a writer for a decade, but it has been technical writing for computer magazines. I went to a few writers clubs and found we didn't share a common language. They fretted about selling their work, all my work was sold before it was written. And most of them were, it seemed to me, frustrated housewives writing romances. The story of the life I didn't live and wished I had isn't in that mold.

Like a number of people here I have a few half, or less, completed novels in my word processor that I'd like to complete or exorcise.

Well, my books are on order, and I'm rarin' to go - see you on the 5th!
Mike

[dude]

I'm aj and I have strted lots of books but can't get anywhere.

[DaveLo]

Hello - I'm Dave, from Rhode Island. I'm 42 and I've done some writing, mostly back in college, but also some short stories that I've worked on since then. I like SF and to a lesser degree Fantasy. When I was in college I took a creative writing course, and I loved it. I got some pretty good critiques on my writing, and that experience really helped give me the desire to keep writing. Currently I'm working on two short stories; One is a more hard SF story, and the other is a much less serious zombie tale.

My interests in literature range all over the place, from Cormac McCarthy to Tad Williams to Arturo Perez Reverte. Besides writing, I am an artist, primarily a painter working with oils. I look forward to getting to know you all and to much interesting discussion of our work.

[RaysDog]

Hi. My name is Karen, and I'm addicted to the written word...mine and others. I've been writing for years, but I have not published any of the millions of words of crap I've written. I have published poetry back in the day. I've always been drawn to Science Fiction and Fantasy, but read across all genres if the story interests me. I've completed several novel length works but I've not queried them. Those are attempts to shove under the bed to cringe over when I need a dose of humility and a boost to remind me I'm getting better. Recently I've completed a paranormal novel; I'm in the first rewrite stage. I've also completed the first draft of a space fantasy. It's marinating. I love the craft of writing. I'm always looking for ways to hone that skill.

Favorite authors: Tolkien, Lois McMaster Bujold, James D. Macdonald, SL Viehl, Holly Lisle, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King...oh, the list goes on.

Favorite books on Writing: 'Writing the Breakout Novel' by Donald Maass, 'If You Want to Write' by Brenda Ueland, 'On Writing' by Stephen King, 'The 38 Most Common Mistakes in Writing' by Jack M. Bickman, 'Bird by Bird' by Anne Lamont, 'Making a Literary Life' by Carolyn See, 'The Courage to Write' by Ralph Keyes, 'Finding Your Voice' by Les Edgerton. Another long list with many unmentioned books I've liked on my shelf.

Grammar books: 'Woe is I' by Patricia O'Connor, 'The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier' by Bonnie Trenga, 'Chicago Manual of Style'. And my best resource is a good friend who is an English professor. Lord love her because I love commas.

Blogs I've found helpful: 'Absolute Write', 'Miss Snark', 'Paperback Writer', SL Viehl's blog, 'Holly Lisle', 'Pub Rants'. And others, but I'm sure everyone is snoozing by now.

[Avrild]

Hi,

I'm Avril and live in NYC. Call me a Marta groupie since I've been her student at Gotham Workshop, and hung out at the B&N University when it still existed. I've published a couple of stories, combinations of SF, Fantasy and Horror, and I have a dark fantasy novel that I'm trying to get published.

Sometimes it's easier to keep to my writing schedule than other times and I always find participating in a writing discussion group helps me keep the creative juices flowing.

So, here I am.

[Yzzil]

Hello my name is Elizabeth, I live in Arizona. I think I am the youngest so far here (I'm 13 years old). I have written my whole life, and am currently working on a book with a friend that we hope to publish.

I love science fiction and fiction!!!! I read as many books in that genre that I can get my hands on.

Any way I can't write anything but science fiction and fiction (sadly). But atleast I enjoy writing in the genre. I love talking to people who love to write, you can really get alot of good ideas when you talk to other people about what your writing.

What I plan to get from this book club is writing science fiction and fiction alot better then I do now. It also will help with a book me and a friend are writing.

FAVORITE BOOKS: Lord of the Rings, Got Fangs?, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, Harry Potter (all the books)

FAVORITE AUTHERS: J.K. Rowling, Katie Maxwell, Meg Cabot, Eoin Colfer, and a few others which I have forgotten their names

Message Edited by Yzzil on 01-28-200703:39 PM

Message Edited by Yzzil on 01-28-200703:39 PM

Message Edited by Yzzil on 01-28-200703:41 PM

[fordprefecthg2g]

Hello, my name is Tommy. I have been reading SciFi for as long as I can remember and fantasy since I was 15. I started writing my first book at 12, though I've never finished a book. I have always wanted to write and while I tell a great story, I have always been horrible at spelling, grammar and actually taking the time to put it down on paper.

A few months ago I got determined and started studying hard to learn what I missed in school. I think I have improved considerably and I have gotten two chapters knocked out on a fantasy short story. When I finish that I want to move onto a SciFi novel. I've set myself the goal of being published within five years.

[ken_n]

My name is Ken. I am a retired officer with over 20 years in the submarine service. Then after a short time working as a manager for the YMCA and a few years as a fulltime RVer with my wife traveling throughout the US, I am now working as a commercial aviation inspector for the Department of Homeland Security in Central Oregon as I put my wife through nursing school.

I have been writing in the fantasy genre for over 20 years. I have four unpolished "elves, mages and magic" manuscripts that have been hiding undiscovered under my bed. I'm working on the rough draft of my 5th novel in which the main characters are all from the same family. I will be retiring in the next few years and plan to occupy my days writing full time as my wife takes over as bread winner.

I began writing fantasy when my sons were trying to get active in Dungeons and Dragons in the mid-80s. I began writing a scenario for one of our games and that scenario grew into the start of my first novel. I love the process of writing and would actually be satisfied to continue on as it has been--productive yet unpublished. But I feel that my stories could bring some entertainment to readers, so I am hoping for feedback to help me hone my skills and prepare my manuscripts for submission.

Message Edited by ken_n on 01-28-200707:37 PM

[angelfly72]

Hello, everyone!

My name is Angela Shortt, and I'm a writer living in Sacramento, California. I will be 49 years old on March 27, and I had to write that so I could get used the concept that I will be five decades old pretty soon! Okay, have I written in this genre before? No. I'm a former journalist, and I've written three plays (two have been successfully produced locally), many short stories, and one non-fiction book that I am currently editing in anticipation of getting a literary agent. I usually love to read literary fiction (yes, the boring stuff your English teacher assigned, along with many of the selections on Oprah's list), but my love for all things Star Wars led me recently to indulge in my secret sci-fi passion. Even though I love George Lucas's saga, "The Lord of the Rings", the Harry Potters and many comic books, I never tried to write anything in the genre. But I've had a lot of experiences in what could be called "paranormal", and I began thinking about taking some of those first hand accounts and stretching them out a bit. Actually, I want to stretch them out a lot because what seems paranormal to many people is just an everyday occurrence to me. As for favorite authors, I love Octavia Butler and Neil Gaimon. Some of the Star Wars Expanded Universe writers ain't too bad, either. Anyway, I'm here, and I would love to learn more about writing in this genre from the rest of you, especially, Ms. Randall!

[drlaura]

My name is Laura, sometimes Dr Laura to my friends probably because they know if I listened to the real Dr Laura she would annoy me no end. On my bookshelves you will find a little bit of everything (literary fiction, biographies, mysteries, classics, professional textbooks) and a lot of science fiction and fantasy. My interests within this genre are diverse as well. I read cyberpunk, military science fiction, alternative history and epic fantasy. In short, just about anything. I write as part of my job (university professor and audiologist) and some fiction for fun. However, I feel I need guidance and interaction if the fiction is to become than a hidden pass time. I stopped by this site out of curiosity. What kind of people would a B and N writer's group attract? I decided to stay after seeing the diverse group that seems to be gathering. I live in a small town without a writer's group and see this as a great opportunity to interact with people of all ages and experiences. A group with shared passion. I also have an ulterior motive. I am curious to see how an experienced instructor like Marta uses this format for teaching. Hmm, perhaps I can use something like this to improve my student's professional writing skills.

[Thanatos]

Hello.
I have an everyday name that my friends and family call me, but for reasons of my own I shall introduce myself as Thanatos. I suppose this will work as a pen name for now.
I currently am interested in reading all sorts of literature. This includes the classics, plays, poetry, scifi, fantasy, scifantasy, horror, fairy tales, fiction, historical fiction, and historical articles. I pretty much read almost anything.
I write stories in many of these genres of literature as well.
I am just starting out as a writer, and often times I find myself not knowing what to in certain situations when writing. Basically, I think that I could greatly benefit from a writing group so I can gather the knowledge to write better stories.
~Thanatos

[mark21607]

Greetings and salutations. My name’s Mark, age 32, and I readily admit that I’m not as well-read as one would expect for a novelist. That’s because when I sat down in seventh grade to be a writer, I wanted to do comic books and graphic novels. Then screenplays. I wrote some of both, but got tired of being dependent on other people to flesh out my work (oh that pesky artwork!). I became a novelist about eight months ago. Now the only person who can slow me down is me. And I’m on full steam ahead.

I’m working in the urban fantasy genre, trying to pull the Laurell Hamiltons and Joss Whedons together with the Ian Flemings and Eric Lustbaders. The Underworld/ Blade/ James Bond kinda thing. Concept appears to be strong from audience reactions – I just have the grammar skills of Microsoft Word 2002.

I’m hoping to broaden my writing horizons and sharpen my skills within the confines of the club. Feedback on stuff from people who understand the writer’s lament sounds darned nice, too.

[Bibliomike]

Hi, I am (it would appear) one of many Mikes in the club... I live in the metro Philadelphia, PA area and am a rare books cataloguer by day, aspiring writer by night! Right now, my freelance work is non-fiction -- I write religious education curriculum on a regular basis -- but I have had one science fiction short story professionally published (alas, many moons ago now), and would like to repeat that success some day. Of course, that requires actually writing, so I am hoping this club will provide the motivation to carve some time out of my non-fiction work to get back into fiction. I don't want to give up the non-fiction freelancing -- it is easy to write to various formulas and know that a paycheck will be coming -- but the fiction is satisfying an entirely different way (even when the money doesn't follow!).

Nice to "meet" everyone and am looking forward to getting started!

[LadyNyteLyte]

Hi,

I am Rosemarie. I have been trying to complete a Young Adult novel since I took a writing course from the Institute of Children's Literature waaaaaaay back in the 80's.

I have the chapter outlines and 5 or 6 chapters done .... on the typewriter. Every time I start to put it on my computer (the typewriter no longer exists), I find myself rewriting Chapter One. I am hoping to finish it some day.

Ooops. Did not remember doing this earlier, sorry about the redo.

Message Edited by LadyNyteLyte on 01-29-200712:17 AM

[Josh_Crowe]

Hi my name is Josh. I am 30 years old and live in Dracut, Massachusetts, where I work as an Electronics Technician. I’ve been an avid reader of fantasy and Sci-Fi since I was a little kid

Over the years I've read hundreds of books and have been obsessed with science (fiction or otherwise), but I have never written anything myself. I've have had many ideas and I'd really like to turn those ideas into real stories.

My favorite Sci-Fi authors are Jerry Pournelle (Mote in Gods Eye), Frank Herbert (Dune), and Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan).