On the Subject of 'Other Writing' ...

Jane · January 23, 2007, 09:18:21 AM

What do club members do in the way of 'other writing'? Writing for publication? Hoping for publication in the future? Wanting to make a living from writing? Writing for other fandoms or other Pern clubs? How long have you been writing and what part does it play in your life?

***

Though I've had friends who are undertaking huge projects and hoping for publication and while I admire them, this has never been something that interested me. I've written 'stories' since I was first able to write at about 6 years old (thanks Mum for keeping the evidence!) and I can substitute reading for writing if I have to, but prefer to do both because writing is my only creative skill.

Obviously I used to write long before I met Pern fandom but once I did I found this form of writing and club membership suited me best. I now regard writing as a social activity. :D

Cali · January 23, 2007, 09:21:49 AM

I used to write fanfic for Stargate Atlantis. Unfortunately, since I joined the Stargate Fan Awards team last year, between that and Triad, I don't have much time for fanfic anymore. Everyonce in awhile I'll write something short, but if I do much of anything Stargate related, it will be in the form of music vids, or icons.

Yvonne · January 23, 2007, 04:44:51 PM

I write short stories for publication because my ego enjoys it. ;) Plus an extra $30 here and there never hurts.

My latest story is a sci-fi story in Tesseracts Ten (http://www.amazon.ca/Tesseracts-Ten-Celebration-Canadian-Speculative/dp/1894063368. It's about tomatos used in heart transplants and a woman trying to define her boundaries. Why yes, I am pretentious! *g*

I've also got a short coming up in Surreal Botany about a screaming weed, and a few stories in various magazines. Like, three magazines. I sound more impressive than I actually am, which isn't very.

Bree · January 23, 2007, 08:08:57 PM

Oh, I love your Tomato-Heart-Transplant story! :D

Paula · January 23, 2007, 10:09:01 PM

I used to be a voracious desk-drawer writer on my teens. I had plenty of ideas, hunders of starts and I never got single story finished. (I still have some of those saved. I created a whole fantasy world for me to play, with gods, maps, cultures, kingdoms etc. (I also love mapmaking even if I'm not much of a drawer)).
Now-a-days, between work and children, I don't have time to write. Short stuff, like this pbem is only thing I have time for. *sigh*
I have a vivid imagination and writing is way to express it.

Mikel · January 24, 2007, 06:05:19 AM

I'm with Paula. When I was younger I had scores of notebooks filled with story-starts. Not so strong on finishes.

Then I had floppies filled with the same.

Now it is a flash drive.

I tend to get bogged down in background stuff. I enjoy that part of it. Which is why I am here. I can not get big in the background because it is already there.

Ahh, but backgrounds: Histories, dynasties, maps. I love it. In my RPG group back home, that was my job. I was quite possibly the worst GM in the known universe (as well as a few you may not be familiar with), but my buddies were constantly pulling me asside to let me know what they needed for their worlds.

But one day I will finish and maybe even get published.

Clancey · January 24, 2007, 09:14:03 AM

I dream of being published. My short story "Silence of Midnight" that I wrote about Kalla is the best I have EVER written. Everyone who reads it say I should publish it... I suppose one day if I could go over the fear of rejections, I would try. (you know, the whole "legend in my own mind" thing LOL )

i continually write beginnings and endings and middles, then put them all together with a theme.

I write poetry occasionally, though not nearly as much as I write about Kalla, and I make up stories on the spot for my nieces and nephews.

Devin · January 24, 2007, 09:17:41 PM

I had my first story published last April, and if I write any more good ones, I'll see if I can get them published too. I'm working on my third novel right now and sloooooowly editing the second. Occasionally I write poetry and song lyrics. Some of my songs are Triad inspired. ;)

If I could make enough money at it, I would love to write full time.

Rochelle · January 25, 2007, 07:33:23 PM

I've been writing stories since first grade when I was inspired by a dream with Donald Duck -still not sure why Donald but it got the job done...

I'm the very definition of a writer -I always have paper and pen on me somewhere! But I'm also fairly methodical about how I write. When I first noticed I wasn't finishing my stuff ever, I taught myself to write short stories of five pages, then longer, until I finally broke through and finished my first novel two years ago. I've since done three, and right now my goal is to clean up my plotting and revision skills.

I love background. World-building is my full-time job even when I'm working on something else. I'm always researching something, and have even been known to write guidebooks to my own fantasy worlds just so I can have a convenient reference while writing. I have several universes created in varying levels of detail, and I'm always fiddling with something in one of them.

I have every intention of publishing a novel one day, but have yet to publish on purpose. I've had several essays submitted my my teachers to newspapers and a journal published, and one short story, but none of this was for pay. I've been offered the chance to present some research at conferences before, but I've never been able to afford the travel fees.

PastMember · January 25, 2007, 10:09:11 PM

Me, well I want to make writing my life.

I've written a few poems and gotten them published online, won awards and never have been able to recieve them due to travel or shipping fees.

I started a Romance novel when I was like 13, it wasn't good, but my grandfather, don't ask me how he got a hold of the story, wanted me to finish and get it published. The idea terrified me. He said he had a friend who worked for a publishing company, my grandfather has friends in every sort of job there is, and thought she would publish it for me. I freake dand never finished.

I started up a Si-Fi/Fantasy novel a little bit later, it was inspired by a dream. I didn't have a plan, I just wrote. Then I hit a dead end, my dad decided to give me ideas for teh basic outline of the plot and now I have the first of the trilogy finished, mostly. The main character is Kirranna, I love that name, but she's a princess and lives very differently than my 'sona here does. I'm gonna get it published at some point.

But overall I plan on writing for my income. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I really want to do it. My perfect life is sitting at home writing my books while the kids are at school and my husband works a real job. That way something that I love doing can help support the family I definatly want to have. So I'm going to UC Santa Cruz where they have a really exclusive creative writing program and a great performing arts program as well. It should be fun. I hope it works.

Yvonne · January 26, 2007, 08:53:12 AM

Wow - two of you writing novels! That's really, really impressive. The idea of a novel scares me spitless. Kudos to you both!

One day I'll write a novel... hopefully a half-decent one at that.

But unlike Anna, while I love to write, I wouldn't love it as my job, I don't think. But it did cross my mind to get a fire tower posting this summer so I could live up in the hills by myself and just... well, write!

Wow. Novels. Very cool.

Jane · January 26, 2007, 08:58:33 AM

Quote from: "Yvonne"But it did cross my mind to get a fire tower posting this summer so I could live up in the hills by myself and just... well, write!

We don't have fire towers, so correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't you have to look out the window from time to time, too? As well as writing?

Vix · February 13, 2007, 02:48:07 AM

I actually do intend to edit this past year's NaNoWriMo and submit it for publication. It has definite possibilities and was well-received at the TGIO of the group I ML'd, with several suggestions of where to send it.

I've also a list of professional articles underway, with reserach half-done (will now have to subscribe to an article database on my own since I'll soon lose online uni library privileges). Most of these will also have accompanying workshop presentations.

Bree · February 13, 2007, 06:03:55 AM

I'm with Jane! May I never, ever be published! :D

Nah, writing is therapy for me. Free therapy! Soothing, fun, good for getting stuff out and often a great social activity!

I started writing a Nano Novel this year, but even that was more for me. I was going through that hard time with my mother-in-law's death, and I needed something to occupy myself.