NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

Just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm new to the contest this quarter, and I'm excited to finish the story I'm writing so I can submit it! I've been interested in writing since I was a kid, but I only recently got serious about it. The past year or so I've been doing a lot of “practice” writing, trying to figure out the best way to get the stories in my head out in a manner that would make sense to others. I think I'm getting there, but sometimes I'm chicken about submissions. My goal for this year is to submit something somewhere every month (and finish my novel)!

Welcome aboard, Riley! You've set great goals. Good luck in the contest!

Welcome, Riley Hatchett! Glad to have you join us!

And it sounds to me like you've set excellent goals. Good luck!

Hi, Riley! Welcome! =)

Wouldnt it be awesome if we both made publication together?

That would be pretty cool, maybe more than one. WOTF would be a good start!

Just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm new to the contest this quarter, and I'm excited to finish the story I'm writing so I can submit it! I've been interested in writing since I was a kid, but I only recently got serious about it. The past year or so I've been doing a lot of “practice” writing, trying to figure out the best way to get the stories in my head out in a manner that would make sense to others. I think I'm getting there, but sometimes I'm chicken about submissions. My goal for this year is to submit something somewhere every month (and finish my novel)!

Welcome Riley! The key to not being chicken about submissions is to just submit a bunch and then you'll feel your skin gettin' thicker with each response from an editor. They have some special glue that comes back on rejections that reacts this way on some people. I don't know if it is considered an allergy or or a sensitivity...but either way it works, I guess.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the warm welcom Tina, I look forward to getting more of that special glue-I have a feeling there's a lot to get through before I get where I want to be It's an exciting journey.

Hi ya'll! It's me, Fiona! I'm a Q3 2011 illustrator winner who just decided to join the board. I look forward to chatting with you all!

Hi ya'll! It's me, Fiona! I'm a Q3 2011 illustrator winner who just decided to join the board. I look forward to chatting with you all!

Welcome aboard, Fiona! And thanks for bucking the trend. It's common for winners to drop off the board once they win, as they get busier with their careers. To join AFTER winning is a nice change. I hope it means you'll have time to hang around and share lessons learned.

Nice. Avatar.

Hi ya'll! It's me, Fiona! I'm a Q3 2011 illustrator winner who just decided to join the board. I look forward to chatting with you all!

Hey Fiona!! Welcome and congrats on your win. You'll have to let us know all about the workshop in a few months.

Hi ya'll! It's me, Fiona! I'm a Q3 2011 illustrator winner who just decided to join the board. I look forward to chatting with you all!

Welcome, Fiona, and congratulations!

Hello, first post, first real look at the forums. I used to frequent previous WOTF boards a few years ago, but took some time off. I'm Stephanie P. I live in Florida and have probably met some folks here either at conferences or online. I know I've met Brad before...somewhere (I'm thinking it was through Dean's writing board.) Anyway, I'm looking forward to delving back into the science fiction genre...and I look forward to the discussions here.

I also have two cats.

Welcome aboard, Stephanie! But beware: your cats could make you crazy! (Not that that's a drawback for an SF/fantasy writer...)

That would explain a few things. I'll keep the kitty's anyway, though they show me little respect unless I have a full food dish in my hands.

That would explain a few things. I'll keep the kitty's anyway, though they show me little respect unless I have a full food dish in my hands.

Hi Step(anie), welcome aboard!

I have three cats. Uh... unless you're my landlord. Then I only have two. Legally speaking.

Catzzz. I don't like em much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_29k6dJ6DA
I've seen quite a few videos like this on Youtube.

But welcome Steph, despite bringing cats!

Welcome, Stephanie!

Hello All. New to the forums, new to writing somewhat. I've tried before, but every time I seem to get maybe 2 pages in and stop. Currently about 2 days and 5 pages in on a story, hoping to actually get this one finished and submitted. I've actually got backing and help for this one though, so it shouldn't be too hard. We'll see how it goes

Welcome, Beez, and good luck!

And, my unsolicited advice: Finish! Good, bad, or ugly, get it finished.

Welcome aboard Stephanie and Beez!

Welcome aboard, Beez!

My unsolicited advice is that you follow Kyle's unsolicited advice. Finishing motivates you to write more. Not finishing demotivates (but we've all been there).

Hi,
I'm a former computer programmer turned pharmacist, but that's just how I pay the mortgage. My true love is writing. It's what gives me joy. My one week of empty nest syndrome turned into writing time (sorry, kids).
BUT I'm having a devil of a time marketing book one of my completed trilogy. How does one write a one page
synopsis of a 130,000 word book? So I'm starting with short stories. My first attempt is V29Q1. I'm not sure I'll
have any fingernails left by the time the results are posted. Naive, aren't I?! Thanks for having me.

Welcome, Isto, and good luck!

Hi, Isto!

Synopses, pitches, and queries are beasts entirely of their own. Have you taken a gander at http://queryshark.blogspot.com/ ? Best place on the web for marketing-to-publisher-or-agent advice, hands down.

Welcome aboard, Isto! But I take exception to one thing: there are no former computer programmers. Once you're one of us, you're marked for life...

Welcome aboard, Isto! But I take exception to one thing: there are no former computer programmers. Once you're one of us, you're marked for life...

I know a couple of old COBOL guys who will be happy to hear that...

If-then-else! Oh, Cobol.. if it weren't for Y2k.
I took a long look at QueryShark. Thanks. I have a few new ideas.

IF - THEN - ELSE

Ahh, so that's who the Lords of Cobol are! I thought it was gonna be Zeus, Athena and their ilk.

IF - THEN - ELSE

Ahh, so that's who the Lords of Cobol are! I thought it was gonna be Zeus, Athena and their ilk.

Yes, but it turned out after years of worship that the Lords of COBOL did not actually exist...

The Lords can have COBOL, for all I care. As my best college instructor once said, "They offered me a job writing COBOL, and I said "I don't do toilets.'"

Hello everybody. My user name is Thomassharkey, you can call me Thomas if you want.

I'm ex-RAF, and like thousands of ex-servicemen I decided to stay here in Germany -- a wise move too. I still love my country, I have respect for the Queen, but the political climate is not to my taste, not that it is all that different here, but things cost less and the weather is better.

I am lucky, I have three obedient, grown-up children M, F, M, (and I'm a granddad) and a wife who has endless patience- oh, and a loony dog.

I'm approaching my 68th birthday (13 march) and I'm fighting a flu virus; the virus is going to lose.

I have entered the contest and (I know you're going to laugh) I can't remember the title, yes, call me stupid, I have so many short stories etc. I did inquire and a young lady told me she couldn't help, so as it has been accepted (!!?!!?!!?) and I shall have to wait and see.

I laugh when I read about the discovery of a "new" planet, and at Einstein's comment about not being able to travel faster than the speed of light - did he try to?

The only way you or I are going to visit strange worlds and discover new civilisations is not to boldly go and search them out, but to use our vivid imagination and write as much sci-fi stories as we can.

Tom.