I'm an outcast! How do I know if I belong?

Don't forget the juleps! If you win the contest, you get a nifty button like mine.

miafedup said:

Not that you wouldn't be but, well, I'm 38 years old. Officially bitter and all that.

Click to expand...

Bitter? 38? HA! I'm 38 and not... wait... nevermind.

wyntermoon said:

Bitter? 38? HA! I'm 38 and not... wait... nevermind.

Click to expand...

Don't mind Wynter, dear. She's just bitter because she has to lug that HUGE, TACKY, GARISH winner button around in her sig line everywhere she goes JUST BECAUSE her essay was better than anybody else's (including mine) that month.

See, I'm 48 and you don't catch ME being bitter.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled welcoming party. Make yourself right at home. By the way, she was right about the julep thing.

hee hee! I don't have the other buttons up, I wouldn't want to get too sassy...

Second is nice too, Amy. No. Really.

Welcome to the forums. And good luck with your writing. I'm fairly new here myself. I've been writing articles for cars magazines for quite a while now, but just last year I got the notion to try and write a book, and that's when I found this community.

There are many good ideas to be found here and most of the people are nice.

wyntermoon said:

hee hee! I don't have the other buttons up, I wouldn't want to get too sassy...

Second is nice too, Amy. No. Really.

Click to expand...

Sheesh, you get one good zombie and it goes to your head!

Don't forget to join us, Patty. We're this warm and welcoming ALL THE TIME!

Hiya Patty! Miafedup too but with what/who would take weeks to list. Oh yeah, bitter too. I am trying to channel that into my opus to give it a little more, well, something.

Welcome!!!

Welcoem to the Cooler, Patty!


Nickie

Perhaps, like me, the longer you spend around people with a "fire in their belly," the more contagious that fire will be.

There was a time when I said I wanted to improve as a writer, I wanted to write my stories for me, and I didn't care if anyone saw them... but over time, as I did get better and recognized it, I started wanting to share it. After all, if my story made me laugh and cry, it would be nice if I could do that for someone else. (And my regular personality isn't any prize, so I'd have to use fiction. Haha!)

And even if you never want to be published, this site sure is a good place for improving your craft. I've learned so much and I've only been looking at it for a week!

Chocolates? Did someone say chocolates?

Welcome Mia - great to see you here.

Welcome to the Cooler, Patty. You'll find every kind in here... as you've seen from the replies to your intro. You're gonna like it here.

Welcome to the forum. This is a wonderfully supportive place with gobs of people just like you - all who love to write. It's what unites us.

Welcome, Patty--nice name you have there. I've enjoyed reading your posts, and look forward to seeing you around these threads. You don't have to have that 'publishing' fire in your belly to fit in around here--just a love for people and writing works fine for most of us.

BTW, I was like you about 3 years ago--never ever thought to have anything published, though I'd been encouraged by others. But now I am published, because of that same encouragement, and learning all about the ins and outs of this new field has greatly enriched my life. Just to say, you might give it a try, and see what comes of it! From your posts, it's obvious you know how to write. There is a wealth of info in this forum to help you get the process going, too, if you decide to give it a try. I think you'll enjoy exploring around here.

all outsiders welcomed here!

.
wurm say: hey, mia, from one newbie to another, welcome to the cooler. i think you'll
find a lot of outcasts, loners, and outsiders here. writers are a strange breed. not like
other people at all. writers tend not to look at the world the same way that "normal-
people" do, and this tends to set them apart somewhat from the crowd. of course,
there are good writers, and then there are bad writers. i can tell from your first post
that you are not of the latter category. you have, as they say, "a way with words".
.
What is it, you ask? think of it this way: most writers know how to write-up various
things in text; and some of this is even literature (as such), but that's all that they know.
actually communicating your thoughts, feelings, and ideas through text takes a little
something more. i call it talking-by-pure-text. it's a subtle distinction, i known, but i think
that maybe you can appreciate it. why? because your writing (if this post is typical) clearly
excells in talking-by-pure-text; as opposed to simply 'expressing yourself in words' (as
indeed all writers do, of course). in fact, i dare say that your writing almost smacks of
... hmmm, what's the word? dare i say it? ... poetry? yes, poetry; almost.
.
The only thing that really concerns me at this point is what you are going to do with your
talent. what say you to that, eh mia? are you perchance going to waste it on subject
matter that falls into the realm of "trivial-pursuits" (as happens to so many other writers),
or are you going to do something original? something that maybe even matters? there
are no shortages of serious problems to tackle. which ones do you fancy? pick one and
run with it. u-go-girl!
.

, Mia.

This is the best place to be, though I'm myself am new and old here. I seem to be doing the disappearing act when I have to juggle to many things.

.
] Shwebb say: [snip] You have to have at least 10 rep points--which is how much you
] start with, anyway. You can view them in your "User CP" area [snip]
.
wurm say: i don't see any rep points on my user-cp page . . . ? ! ?
.
and how come mia's avatar is twice as big as mine?!
.
yes, i too suffer from avatar-envy ... i'm so ashamed.
.

Patty, and to the cooler.

It's possible you haven't got any yet.

You start with ten points. But you'll see a list of points and comments when other people give you rep points - and not before.

Hello Patty! Welcome to the Water Cooler.

Patty! Welcome to AW.

Welcome to AW! The folks are very nice around here.

cybrwurm said:

.
The only thing that really concerns me at this point is what you are going to do with your talent. what say you to that, eh mia? are you perchance going to waste it on subject matter that falls into the realm of "trivial-pursuits" (as happens to so many other writers)....

Click to expand...

I hope that Cybrwurm isn't referring to your blog. (Or, by extension, mine!)

Occasionally I see it said that "Writers write to write," but I don't believe that's true. Writers write to be read. Not neccessarily to make a fortune as writers, but to know their words have reached a wider audience than, say, a rant in the kitchen would garner. To know that their words may outlive them, and that, someday, long after they're gone, they may yet have a voice.

When I took a Creative Writing class in junior college (a long time ago!), we were encouraged to keep a journal, simply to maintain the practice of writing. What is a blog but a journal? Yet, by its nature, a journal is private. If you don't make daily contributions to it, no one but you will know. (And, perhaps, your Creative Writing instructor if keeping the journal was an assignment.) But you'll find that, with time, your blog will collect a fan base; and if you omit posting for a few days, they'll actually email you to make sure you're all right! I once let two weeks go by without posting to mine, and man was I shocked--and embarrassed--when that happened to me! I now don't let a week pass without posting at least once, and usually two or three times.

When I was writing When Falls The Sky (under its working title "Avatar") I actually posted each chapter as I completed it, and got helpful criticism as well as a couple of sales of older books because of it. Like the world, all your writing comprises a web; and any strand can affect any other strand, sometimes the one you least expected.