Hi, I've just joined. I live in Australia. I'm a long time hobbyist writer and recently felt a desire to communicate with others who also write, so here I am. I'm not after massive book sales but I'd quite like to publish something that I'm proud of. I'm a mortician and funeral worker. That probably comes as no surprise to anyone, half the morticians I know are prospective or published authors.
Using regdog's suggestions:
• What genres do you write?
I love to experiment and try something new. I've had a go at almost everything and I'm really bad at keeping a piece of work inside one genre. Or maybe I can't identify my genre. I'm currently focusing on something that I thought was scifi until I read some definitions of scifi. Now I'm not sure. It might be psychological drama set in space? Possibly space opera but not quite. I've also written Westerns, Regency romance, fantasy, historical fiction and animal stories at novel length. Oh, and boarding school stories. Plus I have a spasmodic but well received family history/local history blog. In the long distant past I had five short stories published in magazines. Then I had children and stopped doing that.
I have a preference for novel length. My current story world is so much fun that I stayed with it and I'm now writing the fourth book. The first three are not a trilogy, it's just an ongoing series. I never intended this one for publication, it's pure escapism. But I've now tidied it up and a few friends plus their friends are reading it and giving me good feedback. So maybe I'll self publish the series just to get it out there, down the track.
• What do you like to read?
My favourite author is Emile Zola and I've got his complete works. Translated works since I don't speak French. I like Jane Austen's work, all Georgette Heyer. Anything by Douglas Adams. Lord of the Rings. I loved the 'Crying of Lot 49' by Thomas Pynchon. Also loved 'H is for Hawk' by Helen MacDonald. Hmm. 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' (Hunter S Thompson). Anything by Elyne Mitchell. Anything by Anne McCaffrey. George Orwell's '1984'. There are too many to mention. I really, really like reading.
• How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first proper story when I was seven and I still remember the incredible feeling of freedom I experienced when a whole world was mine to form as I wished. I grew up in a family that placed no value on writing (or voracious reading) so it was a surreptitious hobby until I left home. I'm fifty now.
• Do you beta read?
I never have. I'd like to but the nature of my work means that I can't commit within a week by week schedule so I've been reluctant to start. If I have a month to beta read, that's different. I've noticed that different sites have different required schedules.
• Do you have any particular hobbies? Are you expert in any particular field or craft?
Not really? I love history and I'm quite proficient at family history. I like to bring different perspectives to light, to move away from the 'great man' histories that used to predominate. I turned out to be very good at close reading when studying English at university. I enjoy singing. I like walking and hiking. I love chatting to people. I have an extensive library of physical books, many of them antiquarian. My oldest book was printed in 1701. I love road trips and I collect moods by photographing anything that evokes a mood. I can then use the photos while I write if I need to. I live very quietly and most of my friends are scattered across the country.
It's nice to be here. I hope this wasn't too long.
Using regdog's suggestions:
• What genres do you write?
I love to experiment and try something new. I've had a go at almost everything and I'm really bad at keeping a piece of work inside one genre. Or maybe I can't identify my genre. I'm currently focusing on something that I thought was scifi until I read some definitions of scifi. Now I'm not sure. It might be psychological drama set in space? Possibly space opera but not quite. I've also written Westerns, Regency romance, fantasy, historical fiction and animal stories at novel length. Oh, and boarding school stories. Plus I have a spasmodic but well received family history/local history blog. In the long distant past I had five short stories published in magazines. Then I had children and stopped doing that.
I have a preference for novel length. My current story world is so much fun that I stayed with it and I'm now writing the fourth book. The first three are not a trilogy, it's just an ongoing series. I never intended this one for publication, it's pure escapism. But I've now tidied it up and a few friends plus their friends are reading it and giving me good feedback. So maybe I'll self publish the series just to get it out there, down the track.
• What do you like to read?
My favourite author is Emile Zola and I've got his complete works. Translated works since I don't speak French. I like Jane Austen's work, all Georgette Heyer. Anything by Douglas Adams. Lord of the Rings. I loved the 'Crying of Lot 49' by Thomas Pynchon. Also loved 'H is for Hawk' by Helen MacDonald. Hmm. 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' (Hunter S Thompson). Anything by Elyne Mitchell. Anything by Anne McCaffrey. George Orwell's '1984'. There are too many to mention. I really, really like reading.
• How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first proper story when I was seven and I still remember the incredible feeling of freedom I experienced when a whole world was mine to form as I wished. I grew up in a family that placed no value on writing (or voracious reading) so it was a surreptitious hobby until I left home. I'm fifty now.
• Do you beta read?
I never have. I'd like to but the nature of my work means that I can't commit within a week by week schedule so I've been reluctant to start. If I have a month to beta read, that's different. I've noticed that different sites have different required schedules.
• Do you have any particular hobbies? Are you expert in any particular field or craft?
Not really? I love history and I'm quite proficient at family history. I like to bring different perspectives to light, to move away from the 'great man' histories that used to predominate. I turned out to be very good at close reading when studying English at university. I enjoy singing. I like walking and hiking. I love chatting to people. I have an extensive library of physical books, many of them antiquarian. My oldest book was printed in 1701. I love road trips and I collect moods by photographing anything that evokes a mood. I can then use the photos while I write if I need to. I live very quietly and most of my friends are scattered across the country.
It's nice to be here. I hope this wasn't too long.