My name is Charlotte, and I'm a new member (who woulda thought?) I've been writing since I was six. I went from picture books, to mystery novellas, some sci-fi and fantasy, and then I took a break. For about four years, I didn't write. Now, I'm an English major, hoping to teach English someday (preferably at the college level, but I'll take what I can get) and I realized that creative writing would be a great thing to get back into. Honestly, I have no clue what I'm going to write now. I have plenty of ideas swirling around in my head, but nothing's really been sticking. I might start small with flash fiction and short stories to grow my portfolio, and then dive into a novel when the time and place is right. Of course, you can't always plan these things. I thought putting myself in a community of fellow writers would be a good way to keep myself accountable and involved in a community of people with similar goals. I'm really excited to be here. If you guys have any advice for me on where I should start (with this forum or writing in general) I'd love to hear it. Have a great one!
Glad to see you have a thing for magpies. “You know I would if my hands weren’t busy! I’m so sorry, Valerie. I don’t think anyone saw . . .” Rosemarie shut the doors behind her and entered the brightly lit apartment. An enormous oak table strewn with the instruments of the tailor’s trade took up the center of the room, on the far corner of which sat an elaborate birdcage, home to the second floor’s most thieving and untidy resident, an acquisitive black and white magpie that welcomed each visitor with the aplomb of a Bombay pickpocket. Rows of lavish fabrics and racks of costumes lined the facing walls. On the back wall, spanning the entire breadth of the room, was painted the most remarkable trompe l’oeil; it was of a sun-dappled forest clearing, where a sisterhood of muses frolicked amongst the ruins of a Roman temple. So absolute was the illusion that one might step into the mural and be inexplicably banished from the natural world. But all Rosemarie saw was her friend standing, statuesque and unashamed and returned to her so unexpectedly — as if one of the muses had broke free the bonds of pigment and brush strokes for a brief sojourn in the muck of flesh and bone.
As one brand-new member to another, I bid you welcome! So far, this community seems very friendly and passionate about writing. When it comes to harvesting all those ideas you have swirling around in your head... my advice is to just WRITE and let yourself make mistakes, be disorganized, etc... because eventually something will stand out, and then you will polish that idea until it gleams. At least that's how the process always seems to work for me.
You must find our topics, plots and character archs yourself. It might help if you ask yourself: 1. What you like? 2. What you love? 3. What is hard to leave behind? 4. What is on the top of your personal value hierarchy? 5. What hurts you? 6. Where you need to develop as a human being? 7. What you know? 8. What you hope? 9. What kind of interesting people you know and/or can imagine? 10. What shall we do with the drunken sailor?
