AW's Super-Dooper Newbie Pub Where Newbies Can Chat With Golden Oldies

newbie(puffing his fake gray mustache and tipping his hat just a bit): and hullo to you sir. do you happen to know where I can get the freshest nitroglycerin shake?

Not sure about a nitro shake, but if you're interested, we've got a nice bottle of Ol' Panther Sweat (made from the sweat of real panthers). The Hoka* I bought it off of swears it can't be more than 290 proof alcohol. That ought to be the equivalent of nitro in the right hands.

* Re: Earthman's Burden by Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson

Hello!

My name is Levi, and I am new to the forums. I have been writing on-and-off since I was a kid, and have worked on both prose and comic book scripts. I joined the forum because I wish to connect to a wider group of fellow writers and creatives in my spare time. I hope to become a valued member of this online community and to help and be helped hereabouts.

I am glad to be here!

Cheers,

Levi

Hey guys,

Name's Ricardo. I also just started on these forums.
I love writing and have been writing on and off for...well since I can remember.
I wanted to join a community of like-minded individuals to share my thoughts and help with providing clarity on things if at all possible as well.

I look forward to being part of the group!

Oh yeah, since I'm new all this seems to be quite overwhelming and I'm not too sure where I should start first. I've already introduced myself in a different thread on here.
Any idea where I can go to get more engaged?

Thanks again!

Hey all, could I get a Cuba Libre, because that sounds way fancier than a rum and coke with lime?

I’ve been writing short stories and bits and pieces of novels for as long as I can remember. I’m not a writer by trade, so I’m hoping to learn what I can and improve.

LeviSweeney said:

Hello!

My name is Levi, and I am new to the forums.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the Pub, Levi.

Ricardo Salepas said:

Hey guys,

Name's Ricardo.

Oh yeah, since I'm new all this seems to be quite overwhelming and I'm not too sure where I should start first. I've already introduced myself in a different thread on here.
Any idea where I can go to get more engaged?

Thanks again!

Click to expand...

Hello Ricardo.

There are a number of places you could start. There are some interesting discussions in Basic Writing Questions and AW Roundtable. You can check out the different genres here. Office Party is a nice place to socialize and get to know other writers on a less formal basis. And if you're interested in helping fellow members with a critique, then Share Your Work (password: vista) in the AW Writing Lab is the place for you. Make sure to read the stickies and get a feel of each room.

Other than that, take you time to get to know the place. Have fun.

Patrice1599 said:

Hey all, could I get a Cuba Libre, because that sounds way fancier than a rum and coke with lime?

I’ve been writing short stories and bits and pieces of novels for as long as I can remember. I’m not a writer by trade, so I’m hoping to learn what I can and improve.

Click to expand...

*slides over a Cuba Libre*

Welcome, Patrice. Nice to meet you.

Hello and welcome, newbies! Hello golden oldies!

I'm back from a much needed holiday away from computers. Can I get a coffee, please? I need my eyes wide open to go through all the things I've missed in here

Hello. I am a Tequila sunrise man myself. Had a few tonight. Sitting in Warburton in Australia in a tiny cottage in mid-winter.

I just joined up and hope I am not violating ettiquette.

I am a mathematics academic who always had a love of language. Algebra only gets you do far – actually a long way it turns out for some things. But approaching retirement, I want to understand more about myself, which is the main reason I write. Not a good pitch to an agent!

I read lots of genres. My favourite writers are Ray Bradbury, David Malouf and Graham Greene. It is the sound and pace of their sentences that really get me as well as the fact that I feel better after I ave read their books. Well, maybe GG not so much!

I have written a 120,000 word novel on the afterlife which I began 30 years ago and completed in 2017. I have been revising it since and getting it assessed by various people professional and non-professional. I have written a bunch of short stories that you would classify as sci-fi. More recently, I wrote half a dozen short stories about characters in my afterlife novel without mentioning that we get to know them much better after they are dead. These are not sci-fi at all. They are just regular stories which I am submitting to various competitions on the off chance that they are any good.

Anyway, I am excited to be casting off onto the uncharted waters of AbsoluteWrite to see what it has to offer. I hope to be able to contribute as well. because of the time difference my responses will not be timely. To whit: I am going to bed very soon.

This place is really cool. I'm sitting in the middle of knowhere. I've been into literary magazines forever. I love short stores. I'm drunk, but I'm glad I've found people that actually like writing. Ya!

Hi everyone! My drink of choice always changes depending on my mood, but I think it's a cabernet kind of day. I'm from the U.S. (midwest region) and have been obsessed with the written word for as long as I can remember. I studied linguistics in school (I know French and some Spanish, both of which I desperately to practice, so if you know one of those languages PLEASE start a convo with me! ).
As far as genres that I'm interested in...yes...? I like a little bit of everything (not so much western or romance, and I can have a hard time with epic anything). What draws me to read a story is a). interesting/unique writing style b). flawed characters c). any type of dysfunctional power dynamic.
Since I'm all over the place with my reading, my writing follows suit. I have a contemporary novel that I'm hoping to send off to agents pretty soon, a rough draft for an urban fantasy novel, and an idea for a horror novel.

Looking forward to chatting with you all (and maybe making a critique partner or two?).

Hail and well met new forumites (and Hey, welcome back Mina!).

Please get out and check out the rest of the fourms. You should definitely find something of interest around her, both in the writing vein as well as the just hanging out and visiting with like(ish)-minded people.

It's also a great place to get introduced to the business-side of publishing, which every author should know.

So, bartender, the next round of drinks is on . . . (moves large and heavy box atop a barely-concealed trap door) . . . Tiddlywinks!

MinaJane said:

Hello and welcome, newbies! Hello golden oldies!

I'm back from a much needed holiday away from computers. Can I get a coffee, please? I need my eyes wide open to go through all the things I've missed in here

Click to expand...

*brings over a cup of *

Welcome back.

Chris Lloyd said:

Hello. I am a Tequila sunrise man myself. Had a few tonight. Sitting in Warburton in Australia in a tiny cottage in mid-winter.

Click to expand...

*slides over a tequila sunrise*

ManuscriptinMSpaint said:

This place is really cool. I'm sitting in the middle of knowhere. I've been into literary magazines forever. I love short stores. I'm drunk, but I'm glad I've found people that actually like writing. Ya!

Click to expand...

*brings over a glass of water*

bequiqui said:

Hi everyone! My drink of choice always changes depending on my mood, but I think it's a cabernet kind of day.

Click to expand...

*pours a glass of cabernet*

Welcome to the Pub, everyone.



*adds the drinks to tiddlywinks tab*

bequiqui said:

(I know French and some Spanish, both of which I desperately to practice, so if you know one of those languages PLEASE start a convo with me! ).

Click to expand...

Bonjour bequiqui!
Je suis Française, et je serais ravie de t'aider à t'entrainer ou répondre à tes questions si besoin. A ton service

Hello! Newbie here. I'd like a hot chocolate, please I hope to connect with more writers here, improve my writing skills and contribute wherever I can.

MinaJane said:

Bonjour bequiqui!
Je suis Française, et je serais ravie de t'aider à t'entrainer ou répondre à tes questions si besoin. A ton service

Click to expand...

Bonjour! Il y quatre ou cinq ans depuis je parle (ou écris) le français, je m'éxcuse pour des fautes. Écrivez-vous en le français ou l’anglais (ou les duex)?

To all the new members of the Water Cooler, you've definitely come to a good spot. We have new authors, old authors, trade published authors, self-published authors, non-published authors, editors, agents, publishers, cover artists, graphic novelists, bloggers, . . . . <channeling my inner Yul Brenner>etc., etc., etc.</Yul Brenner>. You can find horribly serious conversations and horribly silly conversations (sometimes in the same thread), and so forth.

Now, does the Cooler have a few cantankerous people . . . sure. You have to remember, for you it may be a fresh question, but for some, it might be the sixtieth time they're reading it . . . that's why we seriously recommend reading the stickies and the FAQs when they're available. However, I think everyone here means well and obviously this forum doesn't survive without new blood. I've found assuming someone's cranky rather than being malicious helps smooth over a lot of bumps when you get started.

Also, get to know the Bewares, Recommendations, and Background Checks sub-forum and peruse the Index when you get the chance. Along with a lot of good publishers, agents, etc., you'll also see a lot of grayed-out links. Those are businesses that have gone belly-up for one reason or another. Some of those stories are great cautionary tales and are as true today as they were when they happened (or are happening currently).

And when it doubt, blame Dawno.

I’m cranky today. Can I blame Dawno?

Blaming Dawno is a time-honored tradition here at AWWC.

Richard White said:

Blaming Dawno is a time-honored tradition here at AWWC.

Click to expand...

I blame Dawno for the fact that I am still too much of a newb to know who Dawno is.

Coddiwomple said:

I blame Dawno for the fact that I am still too much of a newb to know who Dawno is.

Click to expand...

I offer up the infamous Blame Dawno thread

Hello, Everyone...I am brand new here and to being published (just had my first novel published by ReAd Lips), but I am not new to writing. I have been working at it for some time and was happy to have my novel THE LONE ESCAPIST reach the semi-finals of the Chanticleer International Book Review 'Clue Awards' earlier this year before being published. While I like to write, for a writer I haven't read all that much, mainly because I never have the time. TO anyone who cares to respond, I am interested in hearing what made you want to write and what it does for you. If you are interested, you can find me on Facebook, and I have a separate author page, 'Dan Rhys- Author.' Thank you.

Ah, time for a lovely spot of vacation writing, but before I get into things, let's check on the good ole pub of --

*bangs into trapdoor*

What the hey? LY? Somebody? Hello, did a newbie move a table onto my access point by accident (though how they could have missed the sparkly placard proclaiming "grim reaper enters here" I don't know)?

Hrm.

*runs downstairs*
*asks sub-basement troll for favor*
*emerges in a cloud of glitter from newly troll-opened door*

Now just what was blocking my sparkly entrance...
*sees box full of copies of Chasing Danger*

RICHARD.

Richard White said:

So, bartender, the next round of drinks is on . . . (moves large and heavy box atop a barely-concealed trap door) . . . Tiddlywinks!

Click to expand...

L. Y. said:

*adds the drinks to tiddlywinks tab*

Click to expand...

I SAW THAT.

Don't think you can pull shenanigans just because I was frantically prepping for and now on blessed vacation where wifi is scarce unless I come into town for a tea and to charge my electronics. I'll get you, my fellow writers! And your little plot bunnies, too!

*sees stares of newbies*

Um, hi? Also, um, drinks, while ever flowing, are NOT on my tab, no matter what the crime noir mastermind or the traitorous bartender try to tell you. Hrmph.

Here is my newbie question...

I try to write something I'd enjoy reading, but after a certain point in the editing process, it becomes pretty hard to look at your own draft objectively anymore. How many different beta readers should be responding well before I even consider submitting?

What? No sausage and peppers? I'm going over to Joey's.

I'm new to the forum. I'll take coffee and anything chocolate.