Hello everyone, my name is Nate and I have just joined this forum. I have an interest in creating an online presence and interacting with other aspiring writers. A little bit about myself: I just graduated from UCLA with a microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics degree. Although writing is not a very common hobby for those of us in this field (trust me, I know), I love creating posts, brainstorming story ideas, and just venting through writing whatever words crawl through those dark spaces in my mind. I love that feeling I get with a computer screen aglow, a carafe gurgling with hot, fresh coffee, and the endless possibilities of a blank white word document staring back at me. It is the best catharsis I could ask for. I look forward to meeting you guys.
Welcome to the forums, Nate! Please read the rules, poke around the site, and participate. Congrats on graduating!
Hi everyone! Thanks for the warm welcoming. As for the genre question, unfortunately (I think?), I can’t stake my claim in any one particular niche, but I do enjoy writing humorous things from time to time. But for every comedic line I write, I usually have some other distant document filled with existential angst or something of the like. I guess I don’t really have an identity with my writing and the only constant is that it always mirrors my own feelings at the moment. I have just imposed the goal on myself to create a few well-designed short fiction stories. I've written one and gotten some good feedback so I've submitted it into a literary publication, so I will see how that pans out for me. Now I can't wait to write more, whatever the genre so happens to turn into. For the most part I’ve noticed that I have difficulty outlining something before I write it, for instance drawing up a character tree or a plot structure. It seems that my method consists of a vague idea that I have zero idea where it is heading, or even just a naked image with no faces to put inside. And I take that vagueness and I just open up a word document and start writing and let the process take care of itself. Understandably, it isn't always the most coherent piece... That’s actually the biggest reason I’ve decided to join these forums, to help understand the actual outline process, to grasp the thoughts and questions that I should ask before beginning any story. I still find it very fun to read these sorts of things, even if it doesn’t seem to be how my brain works when I write. And I look forward to the opportunity to help any of you others in need of a second set of eyes.
You'll find threads here on outlining and structure and character development and everything else. Guess what? Everybody does things differently. Some swear by detailed outlines, while others (like me) don't really outline at all. Some make elaborate character sheets, while others (again, like me - who'd a thunk?) have no use for them. As I suggested, look around! You'll find plenty of bones to chew on in these forums!
