Calling all writers

[aggieamy]

We've had a few threads on writing/writers lately. It would be fun to see how many published and aspiring writers we have on this board.

 

So let's have a writers roll call:

 

Amy

 

Genre - historical fiction, mostly set during WWII

 

I haven't been published yet but I've got a story I've been working on for years that I hope to get published. I had a computer issue and lost the whole thing and had to start over about a year and a half ago. It's okay though because I think this version is better.

 

Anyone else?

[elegantlion]

I'm a hopeful writer. I do mostly character driven fiction, with a few novels in various stages of production. A group of writing friends are starting a short story project, so I'm honing my short story skills.

 

I inevitably end up working on newsletters when I do volunteer work. I co-wrote lyrics for a song at our previous church, and I had one of my stories from junior high put into the school library.

[Ginevra]

I am another "pre-published" writer. ;) I have a youth fantasy book in the works, though I'm not actively working on it right now. I like to write essays and slice-of-life short work. My blog is a good outlet for that type of thing. :001_smile:

[NanceXToo]

I've had a few homeschooling articles published in "Secular Homeschooling Magazine," does that count? LOL- it doesn't pay much at all, but I LOVE that publication, and it was fun seeing something I wrote in print.

 

I've enjoyed writing since I was a little kid. Stories, essays, poems, etc. But I never tried to submit anything for publication until I started homeschooling and decided, just for fun, to submit something to SHM. It was accepted, so I submitted a few more things. I think I have had 3 articles already published and 1 that will appear in an upcoming issue.

[LauraGB]

No publication. But, when everyone leaves me alone to think a lengthy thought, I write YA fiction with what I hope is a literary twist. :)

[4kiddies]

I have written for dailies, weeklies and wrote glossy publications/press releases for a state agency.

[Classical Country Mama]

Oh, I'm so glad you started this thread! I'm a writer too, though mostly in my head (I'm a literary contortionist), and OH the torture of not having published in ages. An article here and there, but nothing to write home about.

 

I've just started a blog (lower your expectations; it's my first year of homeschooling and I don't know anything), mostly to reassure my parents that Yes, Homeschool Does Mean A Real Education, but also to force myself to get back in the habit of writing regularly.

 

If only there were a WTM-style forum for writers, both Once and Future.

 

P.S. Is there?

Edited August 25, 2010 by Classical Country Mama

[Gooblink]

I am another "pre-published" writer. ;) I have a youth fantasy book in the works, though I'm not actively working on it right now. I like to write essays and slice-of-life short work. My blog is a good outlet for that type of thing. :001_smile:

 

Hey, Danielle! I didn't recognize your handle, Quill! I actually have your blog linked on my sidebar from way back when. I "met" you through the WD forum, right? Good to see you here.

 

I've been writing for a long time and have had a couple pieces published for pay - lots published for free.

 

Last November I completed the NaNoWriMo challenge and plan to participate again this year.

 

When my kids are out of the house and I have some quiet, I'll dig out my reams of journal notes and half-finished manuscripts and pull together a Pulitzer piece.

 

Or, more likely, I'll die in obscurity. :001_smile:

[aggieamy]

Wow. There's already more of us here than I expected. That's awesome. So nice to meet kindred hearts. Hopefully soon we can all be getting each others books from the library.

[Ester Maria]

:seeya:

Highly specialized (academic) non-fiction, read by maybe a few dozen people, that you'll never read or even if you do, won't recognize as mine because it almost sounds intelligent. :lol:

[cathmom]

I write as well. Currently I am working on what will hopefully be a Harlequin romance. I have about 2/3 of another romance, and I've written little articles here and there.

[Guest]

Academic articles on print culture in the 18th century and on a collection of 18th-century "fasting women," plus a chapter in a book about early modern Spanish literature. Two articles in Home Education magazine.

 

At the moment I'm stuck part way into a book about homeschooling my Aspie daughter. It can't decide what kind of book it wants to be: homeschooling, or "different kids." The problem is that they are so entertwined, but for marketing purposes you have to be able to promote it as one or the other and I have no clue...

 

The historical fiction and fantasy people are dreaming up and writing sound so interesting! I'd love to hear further if anyone has the time to write more about what sorts of things they're working on.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

Another non-published writer... but I don't write anything except research papers right now!

 

I have a half finished novel about WWII, a love story started, and the beginnings of a story based on my life. (Lol, yes, I'm big-headed enough to think my life is interesting enough for someone to read, or I'll eventually be well-known enough that someone wants to read it. Besides, it's cathartic.)

 

My dream has always been to be a published author. In the meantime.. I'll settle for being a history professor. :D

[tiredbuthappy]

non-published, but aspiring...I have a children's book written, but it's in need of some adjective-tweaking. Someday, when I don't have kids to teach, toddlers to entertain, mom's taxi to drive, etc, etc, etc, I might get to work on it and submit it. I am also anxious to start a blog one of these days.

[Farrar]

YA novels... Still unpublished. I have a particular manuscript that keeps going really far at various publishing houses only to be finally rejected. In the last case it was rejected a full year of back and forth with the editor. Alas. The writing life can be tough.

[Tree House Academy]

I am a writer. My college degree is in English with a focus in technical communications. Most of my work was "published" in the form of a user manual. LOL I have done bank lending policies and metallurgical reports too, though.

 

I aspire to one day write a mostly personal narrative/fiction novel about my grandpa...but that very well may never come to fruition. Time will tell. Writing is in my heart, though, even if I only ever write for myself the rest of my life.

[Ravin]

Non-published here. Writing is a fun hobby for me. I might try and get published someday, but I think my work needs, well, work. I have rough drafts of six or seven novels, more unfinished.

 

Genre: Science fiction and fantasy

[Aubrey]

Published: articles for Heart of the Matter Online, Molly's Digest, TOS

 

Unpublished (but finished): 1 picture book, 2 short biographies (Einstein & Monet), 1 YA lit fict, 1 adult Oprah-style novel, a handful of short stories, poetry, music, lit guide for Little House (Lulu), creative writing textbook

 

In the works: Native Am unit study, 1 sci-fi novel, 1 fairy tale rewrite novel, 1 movie, 1 adult lit (modern Austen-ish), 1 Bible study, & a series of hist unit studies that will probably never see light

[eaglei]

A basically unpublished future hopeful. While I would love to write exciting page-turners, I lean more towards research writing. However, I do have a children's story finished, a couple non-fiction book ideas in-progress, have previously written published news releases, lengthier job-related reports and I have previously had several poems published for pay. When life settles down a bit (HA!) I will hopefully have more time to concentrate on the works-in-progress as well as a few other ideas that have been rolling around in my mind for a few years now.

[cathmom]

I forgot to say that I plan to (once the children are grown) write a historical novel about my 8x great-grandmother. She was born in 1629 in Massachusetts, married under some cloud of suspicion of "fornication", had 11 children and outlived at least 7 of them, lost her father, a ship captain whose ship was lost at sea and was commemorated in a poem by Longfellow, and lived to be at least 100. But that's going to require a whole bunch of research that I don't currently have time for!

[Classical Country Mama]

Hey, Danielle! I didn't recognize your handle, Quill! I actually have your blog linked on my sidebar from way back when. I "met" you through the WD forum, right? Good to see you here.

 

I've been writing for a long time and have had a couple pieces published for pay - lots published for free.

 

Last November I completed the NaNoWriMo challenge and plan to participate again this year.

 

When my kids are out of the house and I have some quiet, I'll dig out my reams of journal notes and half-finished manuscripts and pull together a Pulitzer piece.

 

Or, more likely, I'll die in obscurity. :001_smile:

 

What was NaNoWriMo like?? How do you survive that beast of a challenge AND homeschool AND maintain your part of the house AND the rest of it without losing your mind??? I've wanted to attempt it but find it terrifying. Would love to know your experience. (Don't mean to hijack. Please PM if that's better protocol.)

 

It struck me, reading over everyone's responses so far, how so many of us dream of authoring books which are now doing little more than collecting dust in our imaginations. Maybe somebody should invent a Couch to 5K program for writers.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Wow, I didn't realize how many of us are here :001_smile:

 

I have one novel published (with White Rose Publishing, so you won't find it on the shelf at B&N but it's available online so it still counts :D)

 

Sadly, I started writing when the chick lit craze went the way of the dodo bird, and that's my true voice. Sigh. Waiting for "funny" to come back in.

 

My 6th novel is a contemporary romance that is currently sitting in an agent's hardrive. I plan to pitch it to an editor at a writers' conference next month.

 

Just started my 7th novel and am 3 chapters in.

 

All I can say is......rejection stinks.

[cathmom]

What was NaNoWriMo like?? How do you survive that beast of a challenge AND homeschool AND maintain your part of the house AND the rest of it without losing your mind??? I've wanted to attempt it but find it terrifying. Would love to know your experience. (Don't mean to hijack. Please PM if that's better protocol.)

 

It struck me, reading over everyone's responses so far, how so many of us dream of authoring books which are now doing little more than collecting dust in our imaginations. Maybe somebody should invent a Couch to 5K program for writers.

 

DO NANOWRIMO!

 

I've done it twice now and haven't finished either time. BUT I wrote a heck of a lot more than I would have otherwise!!! The novel I'm working on now I began last year for the contest, and I hope to finish it by October so I can start another one for NaNoWriMo this year.

[Wildiris]

A sometime writer here.

 

Back in the day I wrote for a CA weekly. Nothing special-- just reviews of local happenings. Did a stint on the college newspaper and currently dabbled in online writing. To be honest, the online writing for e-zines leaves me not wanting to contribute to the growing amount of CR** I read on the internet. I've been on a writing hiatus for weeks now. Instead I've been reading The New Yorker and watching Alfred Hitchcock movies

[Stacia]

Tons of published technical writing here (mainly in telecom for 10+ years), everything from highly technical manuals for engineers to online help files to user manuals for things like cellphones & pagers.

 

You people *DO* read your user manuals, don't you?! ;):lol:

 

(I have zero desire to be a fiction writer. I do love editing & the publishing process.)

 

I also wrote for & edited the university newspaper, but that's ancient history. I think we chiseled on stone back then.... :tongue_smilie:

[aggieamy]

What was NaNoWriMo like?? How do you survive that beast of a challenge AND homeschool AND maintain your part of the house AND the rest of it without losing your mind??? I've wanted to attempt it but find it terrifying. Would love to know your experience. (Don't mean to hijack. Please PM if that's better protocol.)

 

It struck me, reading over everyone's responses so far, how so many of us dream of authoring books which are now doing little more than collecting dust in our imaginations. Maybe somebody should invent a Couch to 5K program for writers.

 

I'm interested in NaNoWriMo too but know almost nothing about it. Maybe all of us soon-to-be published writers can encourage each other to do NaNoWriMo this year?

[Classical Country Mama]

I'm interested in NaNoWriMo too but know almost nothing about it. Maybe all of us soon-to-be published writers can encourage each other to do NaNoWriMo this year?

 

Ooo! Ooo! Count me in! Scared to death but would love attempting it, knowing I am not alone. Maybe this would be just the impetus I need.

 

We could start a WTM NaNoWriMo group... :willy_nilly: I think a lot of people hit November with outlines and character sketches already in place, so that would give us something to work on for the next two months.

 

?

[Gooblink]

What was NaNoWriMo like?? How do you survive that beast of a challenge AND homeschool AND maintain your part of the house AND the rest of it without losing your mind??? I've wanted to attempt it but find it terrifying. Would love to know your experience. (Don't mean to hijack. Please PM if that's better protocol.)

 

It struck me, reading over everyone's responses so far, how so many of us dream of authoring books which are now doing little more than collecting dust in our imaginations. Maybe somebody should invent a Couch to 5K program for writers.

 

Bahahaha! You assume too much! :)

 

Honestly, my house has never been Better Homes and Gardens, so not much to give up there.

 

I found that, once I got on a roll, hitting 2000-2500 words a day was not a big deal. A couple wee hours of the morning and I had it done for the day. I actually got ahead before the week of Thanksgiving so I could take a few days off.

 

The result of my effort is far from publishable and I haven't cracked open the file since I typed "The End." Still, I plan to do it again. I think parts of it are salvageable.

 

We'll have to start a support group/thread when the time comes.

[amyrjoy]

That is pretty cool!

 

I forgot to say that I plan to (once the children are grown) write a historical novel about my 8x great-grandmother. She was born in 1629 in Massachusetts, married under some cloud of suspicion of "fornication", had 11 children and outlived at least 7 of them, lost her father, a ship captain whose ship was lost at sea and was commemorated in a poem by Longfellow, and lived to be at least 100. But that's going to require a whole bunch of research that I don't currently have time for!

[LibraryLover]

Neato!

Edited August 28, 2010 by LibraryLover

[orangearrow]

Another aspiring author here. I've written a couple newspaper articles and a magazine article - but that's the extent of my success. :tongue_smilie:

 

My older 2 kids are doing the jr. nanowrimo this November, and I'm diving in and doing it myself. I haven't completed a story since before having children and am feeling rather anxious to get back to it! Looking forward to it immensely and have already pretty much blocked off our November calendar so that we're mostly able to write whenever the mood/inspiration strikes us! :D

[amydavis]

Count me in the tally! I've always loved writing, and finally finished up a degree in Mass Communications...6 years ago! Since then, I've toyed with the idea of trying the freelance market, but have not sat down and actually written anything...

My "area" is journalistic and PR writing, but I have some ideas floating around in my head for a novel. One of these years...

The only published things I've done have been opinion letters in the local paper and Op-eds in the college paper. So, nothing really...but one day...

Edited August 25, 2010 by amydavis
typo

[hornblower]

I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, working on single title romance/women's fiction & category romantic suspense. Not published in fiction - yet :D

[Tutor]

I've written the first two of a five book science series. Trust me, I'll tell you when they finally go to print. ;)

 

I also have about 3 novels, a couple short stories, and a poetry collection in the works. And my dh and I decided that it would be fun to write a screenplay together this year. Not sure what I am going to do with any of these things when I'm done with them, but there's a joy in the doing.

[Rhea]

Another writer here. I haven't written in about 8 months and was telling myself just today that I have to make the time for it. It doesn't happen otherwise. My dd15 and I attended a writers conference this summer. It was instructional and inspiring, and yet here I am months later and I still haven't gotten back to writing.

 

I've two YA started, one of which I think I'm going to write as a screen play and then go back and finish the novel, and an adult science fiction piece that I like to think is humorous.

 

Today we celebrated the 3rd birthday of dd15's novel. She gets up early every day to work on it before her siblings wake up, and oftentimes works on it again later in the day. Based on her plot outline she's about 3/4 of the way done.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Rhea
typo and it was bugging me

[Food4Thought]

Okay, I'll bite. :) I did NaNoWriMo last November. It is possible. Not only that, but it is FUN! I lived in my novel (which was terrible, BTW) for the full month. Then I went back and wrote a 100-page script for Script Frenzy in April. Great fun. I'd encourage everyone to do it - you really learn how to let the words fly.

 

I write a monthly newsletter for my church, and I've had articles (mostly concert reviews) in various unknown publications. I love writing though, and hope to keep practicing until I write something good enough for public consumption. Mostly I just write to entertain myself.

[gaillardia]

A writer here, and daughter too. Unpublished, unknown, but daughter has a wild tale spinning that I think should be published.

I think I'd better take some classes before I start to daydream too much.:tongue_smilie:

[Rosie_0801]

:seeya:

Highly specialized (academic) non-fiction, read by maybe a few dozen people, that you'll never read or even if you do, won't recognize as mine

 

Do you publish articles about the teaching and learning of classical languages? I think I'd recognise your style there.:tongue_smilie::Angel_anim:<-- Me pretending I'm not being cheeky.

 

The only thing I've had published was a historical fiction, short story in the uni magazine, and it wasn't me who submitted it. A batch of us from my pre-honours class nearly got a bunch of historical fic, short stories published, but the publisher pulled out. It's a bit miserable having to hack your essay to pieces, rewrite some bits exactly the same as they'd been, then not get published after. But I suppose it was character building or something. It's funny, but I like writing historical fic, short stories, but 99% of the time I hate reading short stories.

 

I wrote a picture book too. I was looking for something specific, but it didn't exist, so I got cross and wrote and illustrated one. Perhaps I'll print it out for my boy one day. :)

 

I think you guys writing fantasy are cool. I just don't have that kind of imagination. Though, just coz I feel like blowing my own trumpet, I must have something going for me to be able to get a story published (even if it was only in the uni magazine) when it was based on possibly the most boring little pin head of history I've ever encountered.

 

All the writer threads I've been reading on here lately have reminded me how much I miss my uni days (in some ways.) I like to write the occasional essay on an interesting topic. Or even better, historical fic, short stories.

 

:)

Rosie

Edited August 25, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[Wee Pip]

Published a book of poetry about 15 years ago.

I write fiction (fantasy, sci-fi) and non-fiction. Since motherhood, my writing has mostly been blogging and the occasional attempt at NaNoWriMo. I wrote the 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo 2 years ago - after that, had a baby, so writing is on back burner. Would like to do NaNoWriMo again this year, but not sure how successfully while chasing a 1yo. I miss all the novel writing I did in my teens and early twenties. Those days will return again....someday.

[elegantlion]

Ooo! Ooo! Count me in! Scared to death but would love attempting it, knowing I am not alone. Maybe this would be just the impetus I need.

 

We could start a WTM NaNoWriMo group... :willy_nilly: I think a lot of people hit November with outlines and character sketches already in place, so that would give us something to work on for the next two months.

 

?

 

I've completed Nano for 3 years and a similar writing challenge in June for 2 years. It is a blast. My biggest prep work for a month of writing is reminding my family I love them, but that they'll be on their own more for the month. Plus those are the months I welcome my insomnia, as it's 4am now. :lol:

 

The biggest thing with Nano is to NOT edit while you write. I also become a fan of the run-on sentence and many adjectives. If you finish Nano will you have a novel ready for publication on December 1. No. But you will find out a lot about yourself, your writing style, and where you need some training.

 

We have a social group for Nano, which we'll start back up as we get closer to November.

 

If you can get involved with your local writers during November it can be a big help. The group I met a few years ago I now consider good friends and they get the quirky things that writers do, things my family doesn't quite understand. We work together throughout the year.

[Ginevra]

Hey, Danielle! I didn't recognize your handle, Quill! I actually have your blog linked on my sidebar from way back when. I "met" you through the WD forum, right? Good to see you here.

:001_smile: That's me. I haven't been to WD for a while. I was just thinking about missing talking writing with folks there. I'm going to college this fall, so my days will be about as full as Uncle Vic after Thanksgiving dinner.

[Carrie12345]

 

At the moment I'm stuck part way into a book about homeschooling my Aspie daughter. It can't decide what kind of book it wants to be: homeschooling, or "different kids." The problem is that they are so entertwined, but for marketing purposes you have to be able to promote it as one or the other and I have no clue...

 

 

That's a topic I've been wanting to tackle, but I swore of any "big" writing until #4 could make his own sandwich... and now I have to start over with #5, lol.

 

If you're ever interested in interviewing another aspie homeschool parent, feel free to PM me!

[Carrie12345]

I've had a few homeschooling articles published in "Secular Homeschooling Magazine," does that count? LOL- it doesn't pay much at all, but I LOVE that publication, and it was fun seeing something I wrote in print.

 

I've done 2 or 3 for SHM, too!

Other than that, I pretty much stick to writing/proofreading/editing for various committees in our development right now. I do not consider myself a *terrific* writer, but I sure feel like a genius when I go over some of those reports and letters! :001_huh:

 

Eventually, I want to write a book about secular parenting. Or several. I'd also like to write a logic level World Religions curriculum, but I'm a bit too busy trying to TEACH my kids about religion!

[mommaduck]

I've been a manuscript typist and editor for an author and some other manuscript typing on the side as well as writing poetry in the past. My aunt works for a newspaper and I have a published cousin. The obsession runs in the family. I'm not published, but plan to be one day. I'm still in the continuing research stage (maybe I should start another project in the meantime?). I'm hoping to write a non-fiction biographical on my family history or perhaps turn parts of it into historical fiction with a biograpraphical base. I have a love of history and genealogy as there are so many interesting people and their stories.

 

So count me as a writer-wanna be if you wish LOL!

[NanceXToo]

I've done 2 or 3 for SHM, too!

Other than that, I pretty much stick to writing/proofreading/editing for various committees in our development right now. I do not consider myself a *terrific* writer, but I sure feel like a genius when I go over some of those reports and letters! :001_huh:

 

Eventually, I want to write a book about secular parenting. Or several. I'd also like to write a logic level World Religions curriculum, but I'm a bit too busy trying to TEACH my kids about religion!

 

Cool! Which ones were yours?? I'll go back and re-read them! lol

[Carrie12345]

Cool! Which ones were yours?? I'll go back and re-read them! lol

 

Lol. I'd have to dig through to tell you. They were in the first few issues.

[justamouse]

Yes. Published in a few genres.

Edited August 25, 2010 by justamouse

[Classical Country Mama]

We have a social group for Nano, which we'll start back up as we get closer to November.

 

If you can get involved with your local writers during November it can be a big help. The group I met a few years ago I now consider good friends and they get the quirky things that writers do, things my family doesn't quite understand. We work together throughout the year.

 

OK, I just joined the NaNoWriMo social group. Even that was a little bit scary, but part of that might be the rising tension that faithfully appears the last few minutes of freedom--oops, I mean my baby's nap.

 

How did you go about finding local writers? I've done web searches but no dice so far.

 

Of course, Nov 20 is my first-ever 5k, so I'm training for that. And this is my first year homeschooling, and I have an infant, and my husband is gone months out of the year. I also work from home and am on call 24/7. Clearly I am insane. However, I am sick of not writing, so even if I only write 5,000 words instead of 50,000, I'm going to do it. I am. (heeeeeeeeeeeelp..............!)

 

:party:

[cathmom]

Of course, Nov 20 is my first-ever 5k, so I'm training for that. And this is my first year homeschooling, and I have an infant, and my husband is gone months out of the year. I also work from home and am on call 24/7. Clearly I am insane. However, I am sick of not writing, so even if I only write 5,000 words instead of 50,000, I'm going to do it. I am. (heeeeeeeeeeeelp..............!)

 

:party:

 

Insanity is a good quality in a writer. The first year I did NaNo, I had a 3 month old, 4 year old twins, and 3 other dc at home that I was homeschooling. I still wrote 30K words, which was much more than the big fat 0 I had written before that!

[Ester Maria]

Do you publish articles about the teaching and learning of classical languages? I think I'd recognise your style there.:tongue_smilie::Angel_anim:<-- Me pretending I'm not being cheeky.

No. :tongue_smilie:

Glottodidactics, particularly that of classical languages, is merely a hobby, most of what I wrote about it I probably wrote on these boards; what I did write about in scholarly publications, though, are some rather obscure notions on Latin and Italian linguistics, as well as literature. I actually never professionaly dealt with the second language acquisition, though I have some experience in the field.

 

BUT. Some day, in distant future, when I will have raised and educated all those children, I might write a Latin curriculum. Which probably two or three people will use anyway :lol:, but seeing the market flooded with quite low quality materials, I sometimes really wish to offer a more hardcore alternative and yet accessible to upper elementary and middle grades. Not sure that will ever happen, but it's a desire.