Hi Everyone

malcrypt · Dec 17, 2019

I'm Jeff and I live north of Pittsburgh. Serious health problems and my 50th birthday have helped me decide to finally pursue writing. Picasso said, "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." I have a few stories that I don't want to leave undone, so here I am.

I consider myself a newbie, as I haven't written anything of substance in many years. I enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy and hope that my decades of experience as a Gamemaster of role-playing games will help me create interesting stories.

Procrastination and grammar anxiety are my mortal enemies.

Those of you who struggle with grammar anxiety, how do you deal with it?

Thanks, and I hope to get to know you all in time.

CameronJohnston · Dec 18, 2019

Hi Jeff, and welcome to AW! :welcome:

Sorry to hear about the health problems, but I'm glad to hear it's spurred you on to finally get writing those stories kicking about your head. It's always good to see more scifi and fantasy writers on here, and I can assure you that GM'ing rpgs really does help to create characters (with all their idiosyncrasies), plots and settings.

With regards to grammar, I wasn't too great either so I did a few years of short stories with a writing group and learned to self-edit before starting a new novel, which got published. It really helps to critique other people's work - you see errors far more clearly than in your own, and learn a lot from it. At 50 posts here you can post some of your own writing in the Share Your Work forum and get feedback on it from other writers. All of that aside, at some stage you just need to go for it and do your best!

regdog · Dec 18, 2019

Take some time and read the Newbie Guide and the Stickies found
at the top of Forum pages. They are your best guide to learning about
Absolute Write.

Stop by the Weekend Progress Report each week to brag about your weekly writing accomplishments.
Awesome smilies and awards are given out.

Please read the FAQ about posting photos.

In fact we have lots of brilliant FAQs check them out.

Members who want to start a thread in Share Your Work to have work critiqued need
50 posts. Don’t make a mad dash to reach your 50 posts. That is frowned upon and can lead to your posts being deleted.
Take some time to greet fellow newbies, critique other members’ works, or join a discussion.

Announcements, Events and Self Promotion is for active members only. All obvious spam will be deleted on sight!
Here’s how to Promote With Aplomb.

Try stopping by Writing Exercises, Prompts & Whimsical Pursuits and give the Flash Fiction Challenge a try.

Telvetta · Dec 18, 2019

Greetings and be welcome.

Oh Non · Dec 22, 2019

Hello to you. I like your Picasso quote. That's similar to the reason I write. Something I always wanted to do...and I have a friend that told me...what else are we supposed to do, now that we don't work? We can sit on our butts and write. I thought that was good advice. Besides, we're good at it.

AbigailBrennen · Dec 24, 2019

Welcome Jeff! Sorry to hear about your health issues but glad to hear you are finally getting started with writing. I loved the Picasso quote. I will have to print that out and put it by my desk for inspiration when I am having down days.

I am also writing in the Sci-Fi & Fantasy genres. Can't wait to see what you create and hope to be able to read some of it someday.

Hi Everyone

malcrypt

CameronJohnston

Great Old One

regdog

The Scavengers

Telvetta

Pathfinder

Oh Non

AbigailBrennen