I am Ophiucha (which derives from Ophiuchus, the constellation, before you ask). I have been writing since I was a young teenager, so perhaps 6 years now (I'll be nineteen at summer's end). I've published a handful of poems in some anthologies around the states, but I am far more interested in novels when it comes to writing. My basic shtick is using literary fiction techniques and guidelines and applying them to speculative fiction (mostly fantasy). I am a student at UBC in Medieval Studies, with a focus on Art History and Italian Studies. I also take a number of culinary courses. My main interest is the history of speculative fiction, tracing all the way back to the mythological texts in ancient times to the numerous Victorian scientific romances. Basically, anything that came before Tolkien falls into my area of study, although there are a few noteworthy subjects that came after. My current WIP, to give you an idea of the sorts of things I write, is a pseudo-scientific analysis of a revolution in *Æthos, a world of dragons and elves and the like. I use the world to present a completely strange political system unlike anything implemented on Earth, for the sake of presenting the benefits and downsides to this system, which takes bits and pieces from democratic socialism, free market capitalism, anarchy, and a few other political ideologies. The main story focuses on the leader of this world and his quest to further the reach of his kingdom, both extending out further into his world (which is mostly untapped due to the impassible seas) as well as into ours. It's got a lot of social commentary, but it blends into the world and the issues it is facing, and it is told through the lens of an Earth woman who was trapped in Æthos for an extended part of her life. Oh, and the title of this thread is Irish (Gaelic), which I know a fair bit of. I'm a bit of a linguistics nerd, so I take elementary classes in as many languages as I can afford to. Anyway, I'll be lurking about until I get settled in, but feel free to ask me anything.
Hello Opphiucha, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
