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So I wanted something up there to brag about how annoyingly smart I am.

Isn't that the only reason anyone has a blog?

True.

So I wanted something up there to brag about how annoyingly smart I am.

Isn't that the only reason anyone has a blog?

No. The comedy blogs are based on bragging about how screwed up we are.

Wix.com has some very nice, very inexpensive (though many are FREE) Flash-based website templates and page formats ...

http://www.wix.com/

Don't let the Latin freak you out ... it's fairly straight-forward (it was TOTALLY straight-forward, until they screwed around and 'improved' it)

But some of their stuff is easy plug-in and visually lovely.

Speaking from an accessibility point (and maybe all this webby discussion ought to be moved off the welcome thread?), flash-only websites are a terrible idea. For instance, due to an humorous anecdote involving 64-bit Microsoft Vista, Firefox, and eighty-six brightly-coloured rubber bands, my default browser does not support flash.

What this means is that if I visit a flash-only website, all I see is a white screen. Unless there is something I absolutely need from the site, I'm not going to bother putting its URL into another browser which does support flash. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressiv ... principles

I love flash-based websites. But I do half my Internet accessing nowadays with an I-pad (on it right now), and apple and adobe obviously aren't friends. I've been considering putting up dual versions of my website (once it's up and running) and letting visitors choose if they want to access its content via flash or HTML.

I agree about the luv/hate thing when it comes to flash-driven websites (actually, I thought I had included a snarky aside previously, but guess it crossed the mind but not the keyboard) ...

I used to hate Flash sites before we got a faster connection because it took a blood sacrifice investment of time watching them half-load and then freeze up. grrr

But now I like them, they're VISUAL ... but possibly of less usefulness to Writers than Viz Arts types.

And I myself have one Flash site that would, y'know, cause some folks who loathe font- and colour-mutations and play to ... toss they cookies like a dozen kindergarteners at a birthday party of tainted sweets and headcheese piñatas (ironically enuf, it's called "Tainted Sweets and Headcheese Piñatas")

But some were commenting on retro-looking websites, and Flash is less retro (though can be annoying in futuristic ways, yes indeed)

Hello, I'm David (from the Antipodes): took up some excellent advise and joined, and I have to say that after reading some of the posts in the Information Alley, they have been quite valuable already.

There is a lot of collective knowledge here, so don't mind me if I just sit and soak it all up.

Welcome aboard, David! We get a lot of Australians here. The contest must be pretty big down under.

Hey, has the workshop ever been held in Australia? I know sometimes it has been in different cities. With as many Australians as participate, it would seem appropriate to have the workshop there sometime. (Preferably a year where I somehow manage to win!)

Hello, I'm David (from the Antipodes): took up some excellent advise and joined, and I have to say that after reading some of the posts in the Information Alley, they have been quite valuable already.

There is a lot of collective knowledge here, so don't mind me if I just sit and soak it all up.

Welcome, David.
It's pretty quiet around here at the mo, I think all the Americans are at Worldcon.
But I'm sure folks'll be back and as noisy as ever soon!

It's pretty quiet around here at the mo, I think all the Americans are at Worldcon.

Not all the Americans. Some of us are sitting home writing.

Well, OK, procrastinating, but I'll start writing soon. The Mother Anthony just got rejected by F&SF, so I'm trying to decide between the last two markets for it: Grantville Gazette Universe Annex and Tor.com.

Hello, David! Glad to have you here!

Hi David!

Hey David,

Welcome aboard. Always good to have a fellow Aussie on board. There are a few of us here.

Steve

It's pretty quiet around here at the mo, I think all the Americans are at Worldcon.

Not all the Americans. Some of us are sitting home writing.

And there goes Martin, on his way to a Hugo in a few years, while everyone else is still partying...

Well, OK, procrastinating, but I'll start writing soon. The Mother Anthony just got rejected by F&SF, so I'm trying to decide between the last two markets for it: Grantville Gazette Universe Annex and Tor.com.

Doesn't Tor take three centuries to reply and only likely to accept you if you are, say, Mike Resnick?? I've never considered sending a story to them.

I'm still waiting for Digital SF to get back to me about my HM winner. I reckon their reader is at Worldcon too. It's the only thing I have out so I guess we'll see.

I'm plotting the next one. I HATE plotting. I can't dooo it. Seriously.

Doesn't Tor take three centuries to reply and only likely to accept you if you are, say, Mike Resnick?? I've never considered sending a story to them.

Tor.com guarantees at least a six month wait, and likely eight months. Longer is possible: they have a few stories out for 16 months or longer. They also pay 3 to 5 times what other pro markets pay, which is a big part of why they take so long. They get a lot of submissions, and have only two part-time readers. But they do accept new authors, though their standards are pretty high.

Grantville Gazette Universe Annex is a chance to get feedback from the bar members; but it's a rather loose submission process. You never really get a "rejection" per se, you just assume your story is rejected after 3 months.

I'm still waiting for Digital SF to get back to me about my HM winner. I reckon their reader is at Worldcon too. It's the only thing I have out so I guess we'll see.

They're also overloaded. They promised a three week turnaround, but have recently apologized that they're not hitting their target.

I'm plotting the next one. I HATE plotting. I can't dooo it. Seriously.

I wish I could recommend a good approach to plotting, but I'm still more of a pantser.

I'm still waiting for Digital SF to get back to me about my HM winner. I reckon their reader is at Worldcon too. It's the only thing I have out so I guess we'll see.

They're also overloaded. They promised a three week turnaround, but have recently apologized that they're not hitting their target.

Such are the perils of gaining a reputation! 😉

I'm plotting the next one. I HATE plotting. I can't dooo it. Seriously.

I wish I could recommend a good approach to plotting, but I'm still more of a pantser.

My advice for painless plotting is:
1) Plot loosely. An outline doesn't mean you need to know every single thing that happens in advance, and the order in which it happens. If, as you're writing, something else suggests itself, switch to that. And then outline that instead. 😉
2) Plot short and concise. Jot down general ideas and the general order they need to go in. I usually outline really broad for the full story, hitting major plot points that need to happen, and then sort of fill in each section as I'm writing it, based on what I've already decided elsewhere.

An outline works best when it's a rough guide, not an inflexible plan.

I'm still waiting for Digital SF to get back to me about my HM winner. I reckon their reader is at Worldcon too. It's the only thing I have out so I guess we'll see.

They're also overloaded. They promised a three week turnaround, but have recently apologized that they're not hitting their target.

Such are the perils of gaining a reputation! 😉

Indeed. I think I might be too late to the party somehow. Not only are they clearly getting flooded with more submissions, but they've reduced their publishing schedule so they'll be buying far fewer stories per year. My measley HM winner might not be good enough anymore, if it ever was. But I guess we'll see.
What I really need to do is write more, and better stories!

I'm plotting the next one. I HATE plotting. I can't dooo it. Seriously.

I wish I could recommend a good approach to plotting, but I'm still more of a pantser.

My advice for painless plotting is:
1) Plot loosely. An outline doesn't mean you need to know every single thing that happens in advance, and the order in which it happens. If, as you're writing, something else suggests itself, switch to that. And then outline that instead. 😉
2) Plot short and concise. Jot down general ideas and the general order they need to go in. I usually outline really broad for the full story, hitting major plot points that need to happen, and then sort of fill in each section as I'm writing it, based on what I've already decided elsewhere.

An outline works best when it's a rough guide, not an inflexible plan.

I think this is roughly what I try to do. It's a question of coming up with the ideas, and fitting them together into a coherent whole that's the problem.
Still, I had an idea in bed last night. I'm just off to look into the science of it now, to see how off the wall it is. It's pretty bizarre, but I like the bizarre....

SF x 1 (Extreeemely happy snappy gator)
HM x 9 (Happy snappy gator)
"Europa Spring" - buy from Amazon
The Happy Snappy Gator Bog! Er, Blog...

 

What I really need to do is write more, and better stories!

Concentrate on the first part. The second you only need to deal with if you find yourself in a rut.

Hello!

I've been lurking here for a few weeks so thought it was time to introduce myself. I'm a thirty-two-year-old disabled man and I've loved both reading and telling stories as far back as I can remember.

I was always afraid to try writing professionally, though. I was always worried the amount I read I'd end up recycling stories I'd forgotten I read or something similar. Sometimes I'd start a story but I'd get worried it was too cliche or too close to something else that I'd scrap it before even finishing.

So I went to college for something else, studying television production and I've never used any of it. After college, a friend and I opened a tabletop gaming store, but after a couple years it closed.

Since then, I've mostly been playing online text-based roleplaying games, often running plotlines so I could tell the stories I wanted to tell. When I haven't been telling stories in some form or another, I've been unhappy.

Recently I decided that I should go for the dream, to try to make something of myself rather than sitting doing nothing but play games all the time. So, upon discovering this contest, I decided to start giving it a shot. I expect it'll be years before my writing is good enough to sell, but this time I decided not to let that stop me. I'm happy when I'm writing.

I submitted my first entry a few weeks back, but I plan to make sure I have something to enter every quarter until either I win or I'm disqualified by getting published.

Welcome aboard, Fobok1!

Your story is familiar. I know those doubts! And I've read about them from writer after writer. It's a great feeling to grow past them, isn't it?

I'm happy when I'm writing.

I submitted my first entry a few weeks back, but I plan to make sure I have something to enter every quarter until either I win or I'm disqualified by getting published.

Welcome, Fobok1 !!!

And above I think you've just announced you already have a very vital key to success: enjoyment and discipline.

Welcome, Fobok1!

I wish you every success, it sounds like you're starting out in the right place, with the right ideas, so go for it!

Welcome, Fobok1! It sounds like you've got the right attitude to succeed. Good luck, and keep at it!

Welcome! Sounds like you have that go-get-em attitude that's essential for writing success (ETA: also known as "what Kyle said," lol). Just keep learning and keep trying and eventually you'll make it.

Welcome!

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Need help with avatar. Again, tried to upload an avatar, double checked the pixels, but no luck. Is the 'how' listed somewhere I'm missing? I have it in my facebook page, after seeing someone managed to upload it from their facebook, but still invalid.

You might want to ask over in the "Problems and Troubleshooting" sub forum. I uploaded mine before all the new changes and haven't looked at it since. There should be someone who can point you in the right direction, though.

Need help with avatar. Again, tried to upload an avatar, double checked the pixels, but no luck. Is the 'how' listed somewhere I'm missing? I have it in my facebook page, after seeing someone managed to upload it from their facebook, but still invalid.

Is the file size greater than 6kb? (you can right-click the image and select "properties" if you're not sure.) You may have to reduce image quality to get the size lower, if it's too large. Facebook doesn't really care how large the filesize is, or the pixel sizes, so probably isn't a good indication of whether or not it will work on this site.

Hello, I'm David (from the Antipodes): took up some excellent advise and joined, and I have to say that after reading some of the posts in the Information Alley, they have been quite valuable already.

There is a lot of collective knowledge here, so don't mind me if I just sit and soak it all up.

Welcome, welcome. Antipodes, eh? The Down Under writers are doing rather smashingly with the Contest lately. Three winners last year alone, including the Gold winner.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum!