After reading some of the introductions here I find myself rather disappointed that so many would be writers would have so few words on a topic they should know thoroughly, themselves. Unfortunately, often it is much more difficult then it would seem. I would think people who work within artistic fields like acting, painting and writing have to be able to draw from a reservoir of experience and emotion that allows their art to live. If you’re afraid to expose yourself openly and honestly then when you write how much are you going to hold back? Now, who am I to criticize? Absolutely nobody I assure you. However I have found if want to achieve great things, you have to take a chance and be willing to fail. I’m I a writer? Yes, but only because I choose to write. That of course doesn’t mean I’m a good writer so some may disagree that I should call myself one. I’ve had courses in creative writing and journalism many years ago. I was told more then once I should become a writer based on a number of short stories I did at the time for my English and writing classes. I do remember being told by my English teacher the fist three rules of writing. 1) It’s about the story. 2) It’s about the story. 3) It’s about the story. I assume what she was trying to get across was if it didn’t further or add to the story line then why include it. The other thing I remember was her saying that a good part of any story was the readers own imagination. To tell the truth I was never sure of her motivations or the reliability of her advice since at the time I was dating her daughter. As it turned out, fortunately or unfortunate depending on you perspective, I had other interests and became an engineer. Being an engineer didn’t mean I didn't do a lot of writing. It just meant I was doing a lot of non-fiction in the form of engineering and technical documentation. Do I regret not trying to make a profession of writing? Absolutely not, for I’ve done things and seen things that few people ever get a chance to. I’ve traveled all over the world, both in the military and as a civilian. I’ve met countless people, including more then a few well known names. Of course though it may sound clamorous or that I’m bragging, neither would be accurate. Yes, I’ve met a few people but the most interesting weren’t famous and those that were, were rather mundane experiences. You bump into people as you go through life. The people you bump into, often has a lot to do with where you live. It doesn’t mean you’re bosom buddies with someone or even run in the same circles. If you mow the lawn of a famous singer’s Aunt and you nod hello once in a while, it sure doesn’t seem like you’d have reason to claim some accomplishment. No more then if you just went to a concert and saw them on stage. Nor do I consider something like spending 20 minutes on a helicopter pad with Ann Margaret and a couple of the Golddiggers to be a major social event, especially since you couldn’t get within ten feet of them with all the officers crowding around. On the surface, if you knew it, my life may seem like it was exciting and interesting until you get to the details. To me it was interesting but it’d be very boring to most people. Let me give you an example. It sounds exciting when I say I worked on the Apollo project until I explain I was a summer intern working for a company called North America Aviation (now Rockwell International). I was all of seventeen and spent each day with a huge curing oven at my back as I bonded gaskets to various devices. The fact the room was heavily air conditioned meant with the ovens at my back I had a constant cold as I sweated and froze simultaneously. Of course it wasn’t without a couple perks. We did get to watch a launch on NASA’s closed circuit TV system and the fact I worked in a double vault gave me a high security clearance at a young age but it was still just a 9 to 5 job like any other. The fact that my life has been so varied, though rather mundane, at least provides some level of experience, and yes emotion, that I may draw upon to tell a story or two. Stories if done well enough just might tug a heart string, lighten a mood, or even bring a tear. To do that does require that I share some part of me with others. It would seem logical the more I’m willing to put out of myself the greater the potential impact of the work. It would also seem logical that taking every opportunity to exercise ones writing skills can only help to improve them, even if it’s just an introduction post. Am I doing any writing right now? The truth is I’m just playing at it. I recently started a story I’m just letting unfold for the fun of it, rather then laying it out ahead of time. I haven’t done an outline or a story board. The character outlines are created as I go. I’m retired and I have a steady income so I have no pressure to make something happen, I’m just having fun and to be honest I’m enjoying the story and want to see how it turns out just as if I was just reading it. I don’t get to work on it as much as I’d like because I have a degenerative nerve disorder. For now it mostly affects my hands, fingers and feet, limiting my range of motion and feeling. It also generates a certain amount of discomfort and often out right pain. I don’t let it stop me and I try to use my hands has much as I can to help maintain flexibility. It certainly is a pain in the ass but it’s not the beginning or end of my world. After all I’ve known many others who have had to deal with much worse and they’ve done it with a level dignity I only wish I could match. I’ve got kids and grand kids all in pretty good shape, so I consider myself well into the plus side of things and don’t feel I have much to bitch about. Of course that doesn’t stop me since bitching is a privilege of those who have gotten along in years. I will ask for a little patience when it comes to posting. Since I can’t really feel the keys that well, I do have a tendency to make a lot of typos. Of course I try to check and double check my work but often make as many mistakes as I correct. So that’s about it. Not that I couldn’t continue to pontificate for a few more paragraphs but my hands are getting a bit sore and I’m sure most of you have better things to do with your time then read the ramblings of a crazy old man. So I’ll end this introduction with a simple “Hello.”
Welcome to Writing Forums, superpsycho! I hope you find what you're looking for here, whatever your interests in writing. This forum aims to provide the best workshopping resources on the internet, and to that end we have a few rules which you should familiarise yourself with before you get stuck in. The main section of the site is the Writing Workshop, where members can post their writing in order to receive critique of their work. However, before we allow members to post their work, they must have met some basic requirments. Firstly, you must have been a member for fourteen days, and have made twenty posts on the forum overall (please note, posts in Word Games do not count towards this). This is so that members, when they post their work, have familiarised themselves with the forums and contributed to them (as well as hopefully learned something for themselves). Secondly, members must provide two constructive reviews of other people's work for each piece of their own that they wish to post. This is because we believe that the focus of workshopping should be equally upon giving reviews as receiving them, as they allow a writer to practice and improve their editing skills, which they can then apply to their own writing. Beyond the Writing Workshop, you will find that we have extensive forums for discussion of aspects of writing, as well as a community area for general discussion. We also run periodic short story and poetry contests, which are good for challenging yourself and expanding your skills. If you have any questions or problems, then the moderators (myself and Cogito) should be your first port of call. Any technical problems with the site itself should be directed to Daniel, the site administrator and owner. I would recommend you have a look over the rules so that you know what to expect, and what is expected. But aside from that, I hope you enjoy your time here. Banzai
Welcome! Engineering has always sounded like a really cool profession. My brain just isn't wired for it but I've always admired it a lot. You can use it to do so much cool stuff!!
Yes you can do some cool stuff. And I have. I've designed computers, chips, hard drives, controllers for rail guns, and a lot of other very cool things.
