NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

Hello Sarah! Glad to have you back in the competition.

Our motto around here seems to be "Never give up, never surrender!" So, you're in good company if you're looking for commiseration and encouragement.

Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm a little shy about BBs like this, so bear with me if I post something lame.

I've entered WotF once, in Q4 of Y26, and received a Semi-Finalist Award. Then I stopped writing--I had a baby, graduated from law school, took a bar exam, and dove headlong into an empty job market, all in the six months following announcement of that award. I guess I didn't think I had time for it anymore, or I felt like I needed to be practical and focus on my family and my dayjob, once I found one (I did, after several very long months).

Hi, Sarah! As a fellow lawyer/writer of the future, believe me that you need to practice something in addition to law to keep your sanity. I just hope writing works better for you than it has for me.

As a fellow lawyer/writer of the future, believe me that you need to practice something in addition to law to keep your sanity.

Heh, no joke. I figured that out in the first few weeks of practice, when they wouldn't let me take a baseball bat to opposing counsel's kneecaps. Writing is a much safer means of dealing with stress, for everyone.

And thanks so much for the welcome, everybody! It's wonderful to be greeted by so many friendly faces.

Welcome Sarah!! As to the stress of submitting in two simultaneous quarters, it almost makes it easier - more children to stress over, yes, but it becomes harder to pick favorites as you go on.

Like I've had a child, though...

</pretend to believe Dantzel knows what she's talking about>

Welcome, Sarah.
I started to study law in college, and quickly discovered it wasn't for me... I clearly don't have the right kind of mind. At university I went on to study political theory, and in my view the two subjects couldn't be further apart. In law, you refer to statute and precedent, and argue about the finer details with an opponent, are open to constant challenge. In political theory you make it all up as you go along and hold the monopoly on what is right. 

Welcome to you both, Sarah and Helen !!! It's a forum full of wonderments ... but it all starts with the people who come and share their (your) creativity and enthusiasms and energy, curiousity and insights with us all!

<refreshes the tea and cookies to welcome the new folks>

Welcome! For socializing interrupted only by results-moaning, head on over to the Jibber Jabber threads. Things are a bit quiet at present as we're both hunkered down for results season and too awestruck to talk by the impending gala.

A very belated welcome, Sarah! Author/lawyer seems to be working well for Ken Liu, so you're in good company.

Author/lawyer seems to be working well for Ken Liu, so you're in good company.

If I someday manage even a fraction of Ken's success, I'll instantly die of joy. It'll be right there on my death certificate. Cause of Death: massive squee poisoning.

His stories come through the Critters workshop, btw. You know, for those who might want to read them in draft vs. final form and maybe learn from that. 😉

Does he actively submit there? That's pretty awesome.

I know they bait pro writers with a lower required percentage, but it seems like a lot of folks bail for groups more exclusive groups like Codex when they hit that first pro sale. That's always bummed me out, since there's a lot to learn from watching a story evolve toward publication (and with someone like Ken, you know it'll end up published in some form).

Time to reset my Critters participation counter, methinks. I'm at 2% right now. It's been a while.

And if you hurry, You'll get to see my Q2, which goes out on Weds.
I am already wearing my flame-proof undies and my shred-proof parachute pants left over from the '80s. (Complemented, of course, with a Michael Jackson-inspired jacket.)

I'll definitely check it out! (The story. Not the parachute pant ensemble.)

P.S. Massive quantities of thanks for the OWW critiques. Just made the connection. I'm a little slow, apparently.

Hi Gang. Just found this forum when I went to watch the 2012 awards ceremony. I've entered the contest off and on over the years, have two honorable mentions from the contest on my wall, one with a helpful critique from KD in 2003, the other as semi-finalist 4Q 2000 with an encouraging letter from AJ, God rest his soul (I had the privilege of taking his workshop and found him kind and delightful). I was a member of WORDOS in Eugene, Oregon, until I moved to the San Juan Islands in 2000. I know a few of the judges for the WOTF contest, some are old friends, although I'm sure they wonder what has happened to me and, to plagiarize a scene from Dances With Wolves, I'm sure Dean and Kris would pluck an arrow from my carcass, shake their heads and say, "People back home be saying: Now why don't he write?"

Good question. Wish I could write the story.

I do have a story in Pocket Books' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds II anthology, titled "Seventh Heaven." A borg love story. What could be sweeter?

Welcome! and welcome back! It's never too late to get back on the writing horse!

Welcome aboard, Dustan! It's never too late to start writing again.

I've never visited the San Juan Islands, but I'm fascinated by them. I've always wanted to live on an island.

Greetings, Dustan.

Always nice to see another Washingtonian, although I'm just north of Seattle, nowhere near as cool as the San Juans.

Good luck to you!

Welcome aboard, Dustan! It's never too late to start writing again.

I've never visited the San Juan Islands, but I'm fascinated by them. I've always wanted to live on an island.

Martin, I live on an island - you're welcome to visit me. It's nice and dry where I am.

Welcome aboard, Dustan! It's never too late to start writing again.

I've never visited the San Juan Islands, but I'm fascinated by them. I've always wanted to live on an island.

Martin, I live on an island - you're welcome to visit me. It's nice and dry where I am.

I dunno, David. The other place I've always wanted to live is in Australia. If I ever visit you -- on an island, in Australia -- you may never get rid of me!

Hey Dustan, welcome (back)! I grew up on an island--nothing quite like it. Good luck this quarter.

[quote="Martin L. Shoemaker"I dunno, David. The other place I've always wanted to live is in Australia. If I ever visit you -- on an island, in Australia -- you may never get rid of me!

Don't worry - it's an awfully big island- someone told me its the biggest in the world, something about a continent. There's LOTS to write about though!

Don't worry - it's an awfully big island- someone told me its the biggest in the world, something about a continent. There's LOTS to write about though!

Ah, that island! Sorry, it doesn't count if I don't have to take a boat to work. (It's still cool, though, 'cuz it's still Australia.)

The time seems right for this quote:

"I'm the most wanted man on my island, except I'm not on my island, of course. More's the pity."

Yeah, I'm with Martin, continents don't count. Gotta draw the line somewhere.

It was always funny to have people come into the boutique and claim they too were from an island like Fidalgo Island, where the ferry landing at Anacortes perches. If your island is disconnected from the mainland by a waterway smaller than most rivers, and you cross to it on a bridge where you barely notice a change in the highway, it doesn't count, except by mapmakers.

I have taken my small fishing boat to work many times in lieu of the ferry, and many times have sheltered in a bay at Shaw Island getting up my courage to cross the swells in the channel that led to Friday Harbor. As the mechanic at the marina told me when I first came here, the water around the San Juan Islands (Salish Sea), is the most underestimated body of water in the world. He was right. It can be flat calm when you set out, and then you round a point into tidal shifts and rollers that will make an athiest cry out to God. And then you've got to ask yourself, I'm over halfway there, and the water behind now looks as bad as it does in front. Turn back or forge ahead? I hate those moments, because life or death has hung for many a boater at that very cusp.

And here I am. So far, I've made the right call.

Hello to fellow Washingtonian, from the ultra cool maritime city called Seattle (they had a nice WOTF ceremony at Seattle, which I had the privilege of attending and got to congratulate an old friend who was a winner that year, Stephen Stanley). And thanks to others for encouragement to keep writing, which I do. I have a story in the quarter ending Dec 31, 2011, which I believe you members would call Q1, V29. Still haven't heard yea or nay, and I'd prefer YAY. I assume results will come out soon, now that the gala event is over.

Not sure how you folks do the graphics and footers in your posts. Drop me a line if you know how I can pimp my ride. [email protected]

And to plagiarize a phrase from Moby Dick: Call me Moon.

You've just described all the reasons I would find island life cool!

And to plagiarize a phrase from Moby Dick: Call me Moon.

Oooh! You mean you were written and directed by Duncan Jones?

Welcome (back), Dustan!

Hello Sarah! Glad to have you back in the competition.

Our motto around here seems to be "Never give up, never surrender!" So, you're in good company if you're looking for commiseration and encouragement.

Wow, I never would have imagined seeing someone quote Galaxy Quest until now...

Wow, I never would have imagined seeing someone quote Galaxy Quest until now...

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. And by Grabthar's hammer, I swear I will quote Galaxy Quest wherever possible from now on. It's one of my favorite movies (and provides, as you can see, a nice counterpoint to one of my other favorite movies).

Wow, I never would have imagined seeing someone quote Galaxy Quest until now...

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. And by Grabthar's hammer, I swear I will quote Galaxy Quest wherever possible from now on. It's one of my favorite movies (and provides, as you can see, a nice counterpoint to one of my other favorite movies).

Yes! I have quoted both movies on this forum. As well as Monty Python.

I've been lurking here for a couple of months, so thought it was probably time I stopped being anonymous, even if that only means I'll go back to lurking - but with a board registration in my hand 😉

I don't really see myself as a writer, although sometimes it happens. Mostly not, at the moment, though, largely due to me being up to my neck in study. I've just started a Master of Teaching degree, and it wouldn't be entirely incorrect to assume that my sudden decision to de-cloak might be at least a little related to the fact that I have four lengthy chapters to read and take notes on by the end of today...

Speaking of which, I should probably get back to that. But hello, and perhaps I will de-lurk again in the future, now that I have my very own username to do it under 😀