In search of unbiased, opinionated people not scared to tell the truth

jvc

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Greetings and welcome to the watercooler :welcome:

Take a wander around the various forums, there's lots to see and lots to learn, and even some fun threads too. Come along and pop on over to the Traditional Irish Pub (at the top of the Newbie forum) and say hi, there's plenty of friendly faces that you can chat with and lots of banter. There's also the Question of the Day threads at the top of the Newbie forum where you can answer random questions.

Don't forget to read the newbie guide, and if you want to know what all the buttons mean check out this thread.
 

Paul

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Greetings and welcome to the watercooler :welcome:

Take a wander around the various forums, there's lots to see and lots to learn, and even some fun threads too. Come along and pop on over to the Traditional Irish Pub (at the top of the Newbie forum) and say hi, there's plenty of friendly faces that you can chat with and lots of banter. There's also the Question of the Day threads at the top of the Newbie forum where you can answer random questions.

Don't forget to read the newbie guide, and if you want to know what all the buttons mean check out this thread.

do beware of the occassssina - of the occcssi - of the drunks.
 

McCarroll

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Glad to have you!

Your lack of a formal education won't mean jack if you have the desire and the will to put your butt in your chair and study the craft of writing.

I agree that you should read through Uncle Jim's thread on writing--an education in itself--and then go to the Share Your Work section (password: vista) and put yourself through a mini-workshop. Read the samples and the comments on them, make a few comments yourself (being a reader is the only credential you need), and then, when you have a sense of the sort of criticism that's given in Share Your Work and you have your rhino-hide suit on, post your stuff.

Wait until you have several responses and then respond to all of them, no matter how much you might disagree, with a polite, "Thank you." Then, when some time has passed and the inevitable sting is gone (no piece of writing is universally loved), take another look at the work. Chances are, you'll learn a lot.

Sadly, it's a rare thing for someone's first book--or even their second, or fourth, if they start with a trilogy--to be the one that makes it big. Most of us have to write several books before one makes it, and it's not all about pure writing ability. You also have to know your market, and you have to learn to represent your project in the right way to the right people. You have to write a book that is the correct length, and that is satisfying to read.

So study up, and then write another book. Even if your first trilogy snags an agent, it'll be a while (years, likely) before you see the money. You're going to want to have another book already in the pipeline, and another after that.

But DON'T say, "I can't". If you're wondering if you're a writer, just listen to Anis Mojgani. "Already am. Always was. And I still have time to be."

Thanks for the advice! More than anything I want people to rip my words to shreds because I feel I can't learn if I continue to make the same mistakes. Well of course I could learn but I feel I will learn faster by the criticism that fellow readers can give me.

I actually do have other books in the works right now. Most are YA with the exception of one in which is childrens book.
 

McCarroll

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Judging from your posts in this thread, McCarroll, you write far better than you give yourself credit. I especially like your introductory post, which held my attention throughout and shows signs of the strong creative skills you possess.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with the different forums here that interest you. It's a big site and can seem overwhelming at first, but don't be shy or afraid to ask questions, and always feel free to share your thoughts. Before you know it, you'll acquire the knowledge you seek to add substance to your writing dreams.

Welcome to AW, and best of luck to you.

Advice easily taken :)

After searching through the many mini forums in this forum I can say I have never been to one this large. I am fortunate not to feel intimidated though because I have been a forum junky for a long time. It's just unbelievable that so many people took the time to share all this information with people. I would like to extend kudos to anyone who took the time adding substance to this site. Very impressive.