NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

Good morning from the sunny UK!

My name is Zena (a pen name but also my grandma's name, so there is a reason behind it) and I'm a fantasy/horror writer. I also occasionally dabble in sci-fi, but fantasy is my true passion. I haven't been on a writer's forum since Authonomy shut down in 2015, so I feel very out of practice!

A bit about me - I live in the UK with my husband, the Little Terror (2.5 years old who's energy knows no bounds) and the Big Terror (3 year old GSD who's as mad as a bag of badgers). We recently moved from East Anglia back to Cumbria (where I'm originally from). I'm currently making a real effort to write more and connect with more writers, as this side of me has kinda fallen by the wayside since having my son and it's something I really miss.

No official writing credits as of yet, but I did self-publish a YA sci-fi novel way back in 2015. Lately I've been entering more writing competitions and I've been shortlisted a few times on voice.club's flash fiction contests. I'm also currently writing my first fantasy novel.

I also love baking and gardening...basically, anything solitary where I can be wrapped up in my own head and dream!

Looking forward to chatting with you all more

@reuben Esparanto? No. French, Italian, Russian. Might noodle with Japanese from time to time. 

Posted by: @phantomhill

@reuben Esparanto? No. French, Italian, Russian. Might noodle with Japanese from time to time

Wow, impressive. You'd probably know esperanto anyway, since it's a conglomeration of different languages, french and italian included.

Posted by: @zenawilde

Good morning from the sunny UK!

My name is Zena (a pen name but also my grandma's name, so there is a reason behind it) and I'm a fantasy/horror writer. I also occasionally dabble in sci-fi, but fantasy is my true passion. I haven't been on a writer's forum since Authonomy shut down in 2015, so I feel very out of practice!

Welcome aboard, Zena! Seems you've had a lot of practice writing. You'll fit perfectly here!

Posted by: @zenawilde

Good morning from the sunny UK!

My name is Zena (a pen name but also my grandma's name, so there is a reason behind it) and I'm a fantasy/horror writer. I also occasionally dabble in sci-fi, but fantasy is my true passion. I haven't been on a writer's forum since Authonomy shut down in 2015, so I feel very out of practice!

A bit about me - I live in the UK with my husband, the Little Terror (2.5 years old who's energy knows no bounds) and the Big Terror (3 year old GSD who's as mad as a bag of badgers). We recently moved from East Anglia back to Cumbria (where I'm originally from). I'm currently making a real effort to write more and connect with more writers, as this side of me has kinda fallen by the wayside since having my son and it's something I really miss.

No official writing credits as of yet, but I did self-publish a YA sci-fi novel way back in 2015. Lately I've been entering more writing competitions and I've been shortlisted a few times on voice.club's flash fiction contests. I'm also currently writing my first fantasy novel.

I also love baking and gardening...basically, anything solitary where I can be wrapped up in my own head and dream!

Looking forward to chatting with you all more

Welcome aboard, Zena!

If your name had an X, I’d call you a warrior princess. You’ll just have to settle for Writer Princess. ?

Life gets in the way, but writing finds a way. When it’s a part of your nature, you’ll never feel truly fulfilled unless you can find time to write. You’ll find a family of writers here with the same passion, ready to help you on your writer journey. And all that life experience you gained while you didn’t have time to write? Put it in your writing! It creates awesome realism in a story.

Dont be afraid to ask questions in the appropriate topics. We’re all here to help. And don’t miss Tim Powers this Saturday! He’s an incredible writer.

All the best!

Wulf Moon

Forum moderator

@reuben True. It's probably close to them. 

Hi, I'm Amy Wethington aka Guthington aka Physa. Looks like in the process of the new changes made to the forum my account was changed to Physa which is what I used for the online workshop by Card, Powers, and Farland which I found to be truly excellent and enjoyed. 

Posted by: @physa

Hi, I'm Amy Wethington aka Guthington aka Physa. Looks like in the process of the new changes made to the forum my account was changed to Physa which is what I used for the online workshop by Card, Powers, and Farland which I found to be truly excellent and enjoyed. 

Welcome to the new Forum, Amy! Now you know why I haven't written. We've been BUSY with the transfer over, the Contest quarterly results, and the AMA yesterday with TIM POWERS. Happy you found your way back, and sorry you lost your other account. You've made it clear with your new name as to who you are. Thanks!

I should mention to all you are a biology professor, and co-president of the Southeastern Writers Organization. You don't have to be in the Southeast to join, and they do have a writing contest coming up for members. And a great newsletter, I might say, with SUPER articles on writing. I'm over the MOON about it!

Welcome back and since you're kinda sorta brand new again, YOU have to bring the kettle corn. For EVERYONE. I can see by your hat you probably have a kettle ...

Cheers!

Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator

Posted by: @wulfmoon

Posted by: @physa

Hi, I'm Amy Wethington aka Guthington aka Physa. Looks like in the process of the new changes made to the forum my account was changed to Physa which is what I used for the online workshop by Card, Powers, and Farland which I found to be truly excellent and enjoyed. 

Welcome to the new Forum, Amy! Now you know why I haven't written. We've been BUSY with the transfer over, the Contest quarterly results, and the AMA yesterday with TIM POWERS. Happy you found your way back, and sorry you lost your other account. You've made it clear with your new name as to who you are. Thanks!

I should mention to all you are a biology professor, and co-president of the Southeastern Writers Organization. You don't have to be in the Southeast to join, and they do have a writing contest coming up for members. And a great newsletter, I might say, with SUPER articles on writing. I'm over the MOON about it!

Welcome back and since you're kinda sorta brand new again, YOU have to bring the kettle corn. For EVERYONE. I can see by your hat you probably have a kettle ...

Cheers!

Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator

Thanks Moon! I'll see about that kettle corn! Thanks for the plug for Southeastern Writers here and on Facebook. We do have 10 contests that includes one for scifi/fantasy/speculative (Vega) and another one looking for YA/midgrade. Plus 2 novel contests to compete for. Just costs membership fee of $35 to enter. Cash prizes are on the small size and the competition is much less intense than WOTF, but if you could use an ego boost... Also with membership comes the newsletter. Moon has agreed to supply an article for our first "how to write" series which will be included in our May newsletter on Heart's Desire. All you have to do is a search on southeastern writers and the link should be on the first page of results.

Hey writers, I'm Paddy. 33 years old, from Sydney, Australia, and I've been writing seriously for about 18 months now (so certainly a newbie compared to most here).

(I also have an active question in the 'contest' subforum regarding 'past publication' of an entry, if anyone would care to chime in on that - https://writersofthefuture.com/forum/the-contest-quarterly-topics-and-other-items/regarding-past-publication-of-a-work/)

I look forward to chatting you guys!

Hi everyone

I'm Joel and I'm from Wales (UK). I had been dabbling in writing short stories for a little while but had always made excuses for not committing more time to learn and practice (work being the main one!). But after my daughter was born in Feb last year, I made a decision to commit and try my hardest to get a few stories published and - dare to dream - a novel one day.

I'm still very much learning the craft but found the WotF online workshop incredibly helpful. I received a Silver Honourable Mention in V37: Q4, which boosted my self-confidence no-end after what had felt like an avalanche of rejections from magazines. I'm editing another story now for entry in V38: Q2 and hope to have put what I learned to good effect.

I look forward to being part of the community!

Cheers

Joel

Hello! My name is Ted Cross. While I'm from the US, I've been living overseas since 1993. Currently living in Rome, Italy. Short stories don't come naturally to me--I feel at home writing novels. When I decided to try my hand at sword and sorcery, I wrote a novelette, since most of my favorite S&S have been collections of novelettes. I submitted to the contest for the first time in December, and my novelette just got a silver honorable mention. Though I love the story, I hadn't been expecting much, since after submitting it I revised it considerably and feel it is much better now. Still, it's nice for the old version to do that well. I just stumbled across this forum and thought I'd introduce myself.

Silver is great! Especially on S&S.

BTW, are you winning or losing that chess match?

Posted by: @axeminister

Silver is great! Especially on S&S.

BTW, are you winning or losing that chess match?

Does S&S generally not do well here?

Not sure about that specific game, but I was living in the Bahamas for three years, and they had one really big invitational tournament each year, and I won it all three years I was there. Sadly, the sponsor passed away, so I was the last to get to win that event.

I do like that shot, and how we can just see the king peeking above the frame.

Re: S&S, if you write a winning story it will win. As I/we understand it, Dave chooses 8 finalists from among the genres. I'm sure it's not an exact science, but he wouldn't put through 8 S&S stories as finalists. I believe, from my own collection of evidence, which is only partial, that fantasy is a highly represented genre. Thus, if you sent a fantasy (S&S) and you placed silver, then you had a damn good story. Quite nearly the top for the quarter (subjectively).

Posted by: @axeminister

I do like that shot, and how we can just see the king peeking above the frame.

 

Re: S&S, if you write a winning story it will win. As I/we understand it, Dave chooses 8 finalists from among the genres. I'm sure it's not an exact science, but he wouldn't put through 8 S&S stories as finalists. I believe, from my own collection of evidence, which is only partial, that fantasy is a highly represented genre. Thus, if you sent a fantasy (S&S) and you placed silver, then you had a damn good story. Quite nearly the top for the quarter (subjectively).

Ah, so then sci-fi stories might have a slightly better chance, all things considered? I write both, so I can certainly look at writing more sci-fi shorts.

Personally, I wouldn't try to game it. Don't not write a winning S&S story because, space.

Go with your passion. I imagine that will always produce a better result.

Hi, everyone.

I'm G. L. Dearman, and I just joined the forum this week. Q1 38 was the first time (only time, so far) that I've submitted to WotF. Two of my critique partners had submitted in the past, so I figured I'd give it a try, and sent a story I already had. I'll probably submit again in future rounds—maybe even the current one.

I live in a dilapidated trailer in the woods of rural North Florida. I was formerly an environmental chemist, though that rarely impacts my stories, because environmental chemistry is honestly pretty boring. I'm an insect enthusiast, and bugs pop up in my stories quite a bit. If you need bug info to polish a story, feel free to hit me up.

My short and inglorious publication history is
*     A short story, "The Space Between Words," in The Space Between Words anthology, which was published to benefit an arts nonprofit in the Florida Panhandle
*     A flash piece, "Fishing Lures," in Every Day Fiction
*     A flash piece, "Spring Thaw," in Flash Fiction Online (my sole pro sale)
*     A novelette, "Big Tom," that won runner-up in the Faulkner-Wisdom creative writing competition and should be one day forthcoming in the Double Dealer as a result (though publication of the Double Dealer has always been lackadaisical at best, and the nonprofit that publishes it has just changed directors, so who knows if it will ever come out)

It's nice to meet y'all.

Posted by: @paddy_boylan

Hey writers, I'm Paddy. 33 years old, from Sydney, Australia, and I've been writing seriously for about 18 months now (so certainly a newbie compared to most here).

(I also have an active question in the 'contest' subforum regarding 'past publication' of an entry, if anyone would care to chime in on that - https://writersofthefuture.com/forum/the-contest-quarterly-topics-and-other-items/regarding-past-publication-of-a-work/)

I look forward to chatting you guys!

Welcome, Paddy from down under! 

I saw your question was answered. Do read the contest guidelines, it spells out what is considered a pro sale. Read it close. When your Fourth pro publication happens, you are no longer considered an amateur writer and can no longer submit to this contest. Sounds like you wave a ways to go yet.

Have fun and welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator

Posted by: @joel-c-scoberg

Hi everyone

I'm Joel and I'm from Wales (UK). I had been dabbling in writing short stories for a little while but had always made excuses for not committing more time to learn and practice (work being the main one!). But after my daughter was born in Feb last year, I made a decision to commit and try my hardest to get a few stories published and - dare to dream - a novel one day.

I'm still very much learning the craft but found the WotF online workshop incredibly helpful. I received a Silver Honourable Mention in V37: Q4, which boosted my self-confidence no-end after what had felt like an avalanche of rejections from magazines. I'm editing another story now for entry in V38: Q2 and hope to have put what I learned to good effect.

I look forward to being part of the community!

Cheers

Joel

Welcome aboard, Joel!

Glad you took the WotF Online Workshop, glad you got an SHM! That’s a really big deal. Some of those were actually in Dave’s finalist stack down to the very end, and he made it a Silver not because it was less than a Semifinalist, but because he hopes the writer will submit it again. FYI.

Thanks for introducing yourself and welcome to the family!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator

Posted by: @ted-cross

Hello! My name is Ted Cross. While I'm from the US, I've been living overseas since 1993. Currently living in Rome, Italy. Short stories don't come naturally to me--I feel at home writing novels. When I decided to try my hand at sword and sorcery, I wrote a novelette, since most of my favorite S&S have been collections of novelettes. I submitted to the contest for the first time in December, and my novelette just got a silver honorable mention. Though I love the story, I hadn't been expecting much, since after submitting it I revised it considerably and feel it is much better now. Still, it's nice for the old version to do that well. I just stumbled across this forum and thought I'd introduce myself.

Great to have you with us, Ted!

What an excellent first result! SHM! As to that, read what I wrote above to another about SHMs. It’s possible Dave wants to see it again.

Lots of good advice here to help you out. May you make good friends and allies to help you on your journey!

All the best!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator

Posted by: @gldearman

Hi, everyone.

I'm G. L. Dearman, and I just joined the forum this week. Q1 38 was the first time (only time, so far) that I've submitted to WotF. Two of my critique partners had submitted in the past, so I figured I'd give it a try, and sent a story I already had. I'll probably submit again in future rounds—maybe even the current one.

I live in a dilapidated trailer in the woods of rural North Florida. I was formerly an environmental chemist, though that rarely impacts my stories, because environmental chemistry is honestly pretty boring. I'm an insect enthusiast, and bugs pop up in my stories quite a bit. If you need bug info to polish a story, feel free to hit me up.

My short and inglorious publication history is
*     A short story, "The Space Between Words," in The Space Between Words anthology, which was published to benefit an arts nonprofit in the Florida Panhandle
*     A flash piece, "Fishing Lures," in Every Day Fiction
*     A flash piece, "Spring Thaw," in Flash Fiction Online (my sole pro sale)
*     A novelette, "Big Tom," that won runner-up in the Faulkner-Wisdom creative writing competition and should be one day forthcoming in the Double Dealer as a result (though publication of the Double Dealer has always been lackadaisical at best, and the nonprofit that publishes it has just changed directors, so who knows if it will ever come out)

It's nice to meet y'all.

Welcome aboard, GL!

Flash Fiction Online is a respectable sale! Congrats! You’ve already proven you can write a pro story. Tap into all the knowledge here. Don't be afraid to ask questions—it won’t *bug* us. And do hunt for good writers to swap stories with, it can really help.

Happy to have you with us!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator

Hello everyone!
I will go to investigate this forum)

Posted by: @liamevans

Hello everyone!
I will go to investigate this forum)

Welcome aboard, Liam!

Contest info, Secret tips, powerful allies, dark espionage—it's all here, at your fingertips!

Write your winner, there’s nothing stopping you now!

Cheers!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator

Really enjoying this forum, have posted just a few times, but not done the intro-thing here yet. Two years ago, at 60 yrs old, I decided I wanted to be a writer (why couldn't I have chosen something easier... like a Formula 1 driver). I've always loved reading, especially classic literature, and have had hundreds of stories in my head just waiting to come out. So, I decided to listen to the voices in my head.

Thirty years ago, I did a stint doing some unsolicited artwork for two music magazines (Relix and Unbroken Chain) that were primarily Grateful Dead/hard rock publications. Have worked for forty years in engineering for mining and construction. I've two kids, two grandchildren, and been married for nearly forty years.

And so, now, I have three self-published books and am working on a fourth. I love writing. I hate marketing and sales.

Thanks to those who have responded to my questions on the few posts I've made. Everyone seems really helpful here. I'll be seeing you.

Posted by: @jdw4lrhwriters

Really enjoying this forum, have posted just a few times, but not done the intro-thing here yet. Two years ago, at 60 yrs old, I decided I wanted to be a writer (why couldn't I have chosen something easier... like a Formula 1 driver). I've always loved reading, especially classic literature, and have had hundreds of stories in my head just waiting to come out. So, I decided to listen to the voices in my head.

Thirty years ago, I did a stint doing some unsolicited artwork for two music magazines (Relix and Unbroken Chain) that were primarily Grateful Dead/hard rock publications. Have worked for forty years in engineering for mining and construction. I've two kids, two grandchildren, and been married for nearly forty years.

And so, now, I have three self-published books and am working on a fourth. I love writing. I hate marketing and sales.

Thanks to those who have responded to my questions on the few posts I've made. Everyone seems really helpful here. I'll be seeing you.

Hey, JD. Welcome!

I've seen your posts. Glad we could get a few questions answered for you. It's good you’re listening to the voices in your head--they need to come out, and writing is the way to exorcise them. Glad you're working on sharing your stories with others, which is what the publishing side is all about. 

Sounds like you've had a full life, with more adventures to come. Dead Head artist, eh? I lived in Eugene, Oregon. There were many there. Many great writers, too. How I got called up for active duty.

As always, I recommend entering every quarter, and believe the more you write fresh stories, the more your writing will grow. Keep pushing those limits and show those judges something they've never seen before, served up with grace and style. That's where your winner will be. 

Welcome to the Forum!

Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator

Hiya

My name is Connie

I have recently started my adventure as a writer by night, school counsellor by day by joining the workshop and now joining this community. Very excited and nervous to be here, but looking forward to a helluva ride!

Hi Connie, welcome. In golf when we hit a great shot it's because we hit the sweet spot on the club. You can ditch the nerves because you've found the sweet spot for forums. Explore and enjoy the many levels of communal cooperation through the many threads available. We're all working together to attain the highest award, winning.

Posted by: @connie-colin

Hiya

My name is Connie

I have recently started my adventure as a writer by night, school counsellor by day by joining the workshop and now joining this community. Very excited and nervous to be here, but looking forward to a helluva ride!

Welcome, Connie!

Glad you found us, glad to have you here! We're happy you're writing, and hope you're ready to send those stories into the Contest!

You'll find lots of great people with knowledge about writing, the ins and outs of this contest, and the ability to help you sharpen your work through critiques. 

Enjoy wandering through all the posts and asking questions. Members are ready to help!

Welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator

Posted by: @wulfmoon

Posted by: @joel-c-scoberg

Hi everyone

I'm Joel and I'm from Wales (UK). I had been dabbling in writing short stories for a little while but had always made excuses for not committing more time to learn and practice (work being the main one!). But after my daughter was born in Feb last year, I made a decision to commit and try my hardest to get a few stories published and - dare to dream - a novel one day.

I'm still very much learning the craft but found the WotF online workshop incredibly helpful. I received a Silver Honourable Mention in V37: Q4, which boosted my self-confidence no-end after what had felt like an avalanche of rejections from magazines. I'm editing another story now for entry in V38: Q2 and hope to have put what I learned to good effect.

I look forward to being part of the community!

Cheers

Joel

Welcome aboard, Joel!

Glad you took the WotF Online Workshop, glad you got an SHM! That’s a really big deal. Some of those were actually in Dave’s finalist stack down to the very end, and he made it a Silver not because it was less than a Semifinalist, but because he hopes the writer will submit it again. FYI.

Thanks for introducing yourself and welcome to the family!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator

Thanks, Moon! And hello!

I didn't realise a SHM (could) suggest that Dave wants to see it again - just a bigger, faster, stronger, gold plated version 2. That's really good to know and really encouraging. I submitted it before completing the online workshop, so I'll give it an edit pass (or dozen!) and submit it again. I currently have a story lined up this quarter, so I will aim to have it (space)ship-shape next quarter.

Best wishes, and happy writing

Joel

Hi, I'm Kipp from Ohio. I have decided to give the contest a checking out. I'm an Indie filmmaker and have written a few short stories. I have known of the contest for years, being a big fan of  L. Ron Hubbard and his pulps. 

Besides working full time in a print shop, I also run a used bookstore specializing in Science Fiction, Horror, and Crime books. I also have a large section of pulps and Science Fiction Digest from the 1950s.