Hello all! Just wanted to quickly introduce myself and, at the same time, welcome other new users. Here's an abridged version of me: I lived for a 2-year stint in Argentina and my family has since circulated the United States, yet I call Florida home. I am happily married and have a son who is nearing the terrible teen years. I work in the railroad signaling business as a project manager, and I'm guessing that my writing experience is much like many of your own: in six years of active writing, I've managed to shed three full books and dozens of partials - none of which has yielded publication of any fashion. Yet here I am, still plucking away and looking forward to another written page. I'm hoping that this forum will be a place where I can comfortably exchange ideas and both give and receive constructive feedback. Look forward to iMeeting many of you!
Every time I talk to Americans on the subject, they always tell me Floridians are crazy. I hope you don't let me down, Mike!
Thanks! Two of my (completed) books are middle-grade fantasy/historical fantasy. The third is a middle-grade mystery. I'm currently working on a young adult dystopian. What about you? Just browsing some of your posts, it looks like you're a world-builder. What's your target audience? As far as self-publishing goes, after tons of research, I'm not sure if it's for me. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that one of my works will pique the interest of some naive listing agent.
That all depends on how you define crazy. We've got our share of issues - which creates a perfect environment for a fiction writer!
Hi Mikelindo, and welcome to the forum. I am one of the forum moderators, and want you to know that if you experience any problems getting settled in, please feel free to contact me (via a 'conversation') and I'll do my best to help. I see you're already a writer with a few books under your belt. I'd like to echo @Madman's questions ...what are your books about? Or, rather, what kind of books do you write? And, yes, ...have you been published yet? Either self or traditionally? (Never mind ...I see you've already answered that question at the same time I was asking it. We crossed in the ether....) Anyway, you sound as if you've led an interesting life thus far, and I really look forward to your participation on the forum. Just the basics here. Please do take the time, if you haven't already, to read through our New Member Quick Start and our Forum Rules. These will give you an idea of how we operate, and what kinds of things you can do here on the forum. One of the best things we offer is the ability to have your work ...or portions of it ...critiqued by fellow members in our Workshop area. There are a few requirements you must meet before you can do this, which are detailed in the New Member Start guide. These are in place to encourage participation in the community. As you are an experienced writer yourself, your own critiques of other people's work will be particularly welcome. We also have monthly contests for short stories, poetry and flash fiction, so feel free to enter any of the current ones, and certainly feel free to read and vote on the entries. The people who enter these contests really appreciate votes. I would also recommend that you take a look here: https://www.writingforums.org/faq/ Despite its title, this is not a Frequently Asked Question section. It actually functions as a site map, and can get you quickly connected to parts of the forum that might not be obvious just from looking at the Community Page. Anyway, take your time to settle in, let us get to know you by participating in the various threads, and get to know us at the same time. Cheers for now, Jan
Thanks for the welcome! Historically, my writing focus has been middle-grade fiction (other than a few unfinished - and quite pathetic attempts at adult thriller spurs), but I'm currently straying from my comfort zone into the young adult genre. It's honestly been a daunting endeavor, but it has been a ton of fun! I will take your advice and read through the quick start and forum rules. I look forward to a great experience here!
Alright, fantasy and mystery, neat! Correct, I'm a world-builder right now, writing at the same time on a sci-fi novel for that world. Going to be a series, hopefully. Don't know what audience I will end up with, think it might lean towards adults. I'm just focused on writing the first draft right now. One can always make edits, edits, and edits... Hope you find your way! Good luck to you!
