I've just recently joined so I don't know anyone "personally" (if one can say that about an online forum..?) but this sort of thread supports my first impression of the forum being very friendly. I've never seen a thread like this on any other forum and I think it's great. It's also easy to see, from what I've read here on the forum so far, that there are a lot of people with great knowledge, like @Lemex for instance and several others I've read comments from over the last few days. It's actually a bit intimidating to be honest and I think it'll be awhile before I'm man enough to post something I've written myself I'll just soak up the knowledge for now!
Oh don't worry, feel free and confident to contribute all you like. All I really know is Virgil and 90s pop culture references after all.
@Masked Mole @EmptySoul Those two guys are great! Masked mole is the nicest person, plus he is silly! Empty is fun, haven't talk in a while! Both help with writing though.
*INHALE* @Aaron DC is a crack up, innit? @BrianIff is extremely smart and hilarious, and also a quite brilliant writer, though he'll never show it off. @Lewdog is a hundred times fun, and has an enormous amount of tenacity. ETA: He was also the first person who made me feel comfortable in this forum. Had it not been for him, I don't know that I would have felt comfortable enough to discuss my "misadventures" so openly with you all. @Mckk is one of the kindest people ever, and going to have the cutest baby. @RachHP gives fantastic advice, and has cool shades. @Hubardo's drunken antics are always a barrel of laughs @The Mad Regent is one of the coolest Brits I know, despite his need to consume beans for breakfast, which I'll never understand @matwoolf is purely next-level. I feel like he's WF's omniscient narrator, and the only one of us who fully gets it, despite his relatively quiet presence. Every time he pops into a thread my mind is blown by his writing, which I completely sink my teeth into, even in the most casual of conversations. *EXHALE*
Oh damn, I don't want to leave anyone out. I've been tagged, obligated to reply. I don't know, we all screw up, I've seen everyone make an apology at one level or another, everyting cool, bredrin.
@Wreybies: Our senior moderator, one of the most intelligent and sensible people I've ever met online, and the one who teaches all the rest of us mods how to be mods. O Captain, my Captain! And my fellow mods, @KaTrian and @T.Trian: Also intelligent, friendly, and they present me a completely different perspective from the one I usually have. Their input is always valuable to me. My fellow mod @Mckk: A Christian who enhances my respect for Christians. A level-headed, modern thinker with an amazingly cross-cultural background - a very valuable voice in our little mod squad. My fellow mod @Komposten: Our youngest mod, and one who has a large degree of technical expertise. Smart, strong, and eager, with a really good heart. Okay, on to people who aren't mods: @jannert: My wonderful friend in Scotland, who is, like me, a huge fan of Celtic folk music! She's so gentle and wise and wonderful. She's such a good influence on this forum, and I always appreciate her posts. @EdFromNY: One of the wisest and sanest voices we have on this forum. His posts are always welcome, never mean-spirited, and always helpful. A very valuable contributor to our forum. Thanks, Ed! @Lemex: Sometimes a bit touchy, but so hugely well-read and educated in literature I almost can't believe it in a man as young as he is. (I wish he were gay. ) There are others, but I'm short on time right now - roomie wants dinner. I'll try to add to the list after I come back. I like this thread.
I just love everyone here. Every single one. @Lemex - You've gotten me intrigued in Norse runes. Now it's just a matter of where I begin with the runes and general translation. I'd love to make that a hobby of mine. @jannert ,@BayView ,@GingerCoffee - Reading your posts are always a pleasure. I love reading your opinions, especially in the debate section. @minstrel - Though I have to disagree on LA as a whole, I still like reading your posts and your squirrel theme. Almost makes me want to write a short story about a detective squirrel... @Lewdog - You are a blessing on the forums. We may butt heads here and there, but the forum will not be the same without you. @EdFromNY and @Mckk - You seem like a pretty cool guy. Keep on being cool. @Komposten , @KaTrian , @T.Trian - You all are just....awesome. Need I say more? I just frickin you all!
Cheers for that @Jack Asher. I've been more off than on the forum of late, mainly due to having to get my head round being medicated again due to really oppressive bouts of insomnia which have temporarily robbed me of the ability to read or write more than a paragraph of fiction at a time. I've been dropping past mainly so I can see what I've been missing more than anything else. I honestly feel a bit guilty that I haven't been able to contribute as much as I would like, especially when it comes to reading and critiquing the offerings of other members. Hopefully once I stabilise, I'll be able to get back to it again. I'm going to go the Jannert route and not name names. I just want to say how much I appreciate all our members and their varying perspectives. I've been here long enough to know that those who appear to be less than desirable contributors are given the benefit of the doubt until their position becomes untenable and a detriment to the forum. These folks are few and far between and generally don't last long. As barrels go, we have few rotten apples but we've got loads of rosy red ones.
This thread's such a lovely idea Love you all too! This forum's been a large part in how I grew as a writer. Much of my knowledge came from reading all the various insights members here have contributed, so thank you all! Love you all really, but there're a few that stands out for me especially... @jannert - who got me to revive my first love of a novel and who always believed in me as a writer when I was down in the dumps. Wonderful woman with lots of insights and stories to share, who's always looking out for people. @KaTrian - don't remember now how she got my attention but there came a point when I kept thinking to myself, "I've gotta talk to this girl some time, she seems awesome!" Now I have, and she is as awesome as I thought she would be @BayView and @TWErvin2 - guys with valuable insights into publishing who always try to help. @EdFromNY and @ChickenFreak - insightful, level-headed and knowledgeable, who never puts anyone down and always tries to help. Chicken with her ready critiques to people's writing, always in a friendly and constructive manner, yet detailed, is especially valuable. @Kingtype - always ready to jump in with a silly joke to lighten things up and make people laugh, esp in some of the most heated discussions @Link the Writer and @Lemex - both with a good sense of humour and whose posts are always cool to read
Great idea, and I begin with an apology to anyone I leave out whom I should have included. @jannert - no one has been more of a help to me in my writing. And to me, she embodies what this forum is about. Also, we historical fiction folks have to stick together! @Wreybies - the soul of patience. If he gets severe with you, you've earned it, probably many times over. @TWErvin2 - dispenses terrific advice, never talks down to people, never argues with anyone, always helpful. @GingerCoffee - passionate about...pretty much everything. @KaTrian and @T.Trian - excellent mods who will not only keep discussions in bounds, but also not afraid to share frank opinions. @obsidian_cicatrix - another friend from across the sea. Her photography is a wonder! @Mckk - one of the sweetest people on the forum. @Lewdog - sometimes just completely fractures me. @Selbbin - one of those people who, when I find myself disagreeing, I have to ask myself "are you sure about that?" @Lemex, @Cogito and @minstrel - I feel like I've known them forever, and glad of the fact. @Link the Writer and @Jack Asher - always great to read your posts. @Daniel - thank you.
As a person who is not having a particularly great time at the moment (non-writing issues—my husband's health) I am truly thankful the forum is around to take my mind off things I can't do anything about. Always something interesting going on, and there are so many people on here whom I've learned from and whom I've come to think of as 'friends.' I also wanted to add to @EdFromNY 's thanks for @Daniel, who is the Wizard of Oz of this forum ...in a good way. Daniel's the guy pulling the levers and doing the sound effects. Thanks.
@Mckk Well THANK YOU MISSY!!! You've gone and made me smile Glad I could make you smile to! Its a good thing to try and make people happy if they are getting heated or down about an argument even if they lost or anything. Just fun to be silly and try and cheer folk up
I like everyone in the forums, but I have to give a special shout out to @Wreybies and @Lemex, whose interactions here always draw me back after the occasional hiatus.
Far too many to mention, and I don't want to slight anyone not mentioned. That includes many of those folks I've argued with; you've made me re-examine my opinions. I'm less active here than I used to be, but I still hang around and occasionally contribute because of the great respect I have for this diverse bunch of curmudgeons, poets, raconteurs, and visionaries. But because the thread title demands naming names, I'll give kudos to someone who no longer frequents the site: @mammamaia, who never sugar-coated her advice, but was nearly always worth listening to.
I like @Jack Asher for all the spewing out of books that I will probably have to use or at least learn about while I'm getting my minor in psychology.
Good grief, yes... Gallowglass. Our membership is sizeable, and I have a fondness for so many, I can't believe I didn't even notice he's not been around for quite some time.
I really hate leaving people out, so i'll just say everyone who has helped me with writing and the people i ignorantly argued with in the past lol. I still feel bad about that Kindle argument i had with Steerpike awhile back to be honest. I kinda sucked as a Member when i started here, it makes me cringe at the thought of it.
