Writers and Readers discussion

Anne-Mhairi wrote: "I felt exactly the same way. "Hi, my name's Anne-Mhairi and I'm a writer." "Hi, Anne-Mhairi!" :S"

Hi Anne-Mhairi - hope you are taking something for it!

Hello goodreads folks. Im Ali (or Alisha). Im new to the forums here and just looking for guidance and support for getting my first novel published. I am also looking forward to reading so many others work.

Ali wrote: "Hello goodreads folks. Im Ali (or Alisha). Im new to the forums here and just looking for guidance and support for getting my first novel published. I am also looking forward to reading so many oth..."

Hi, Ali, and welcome.

Peter wrote: "Anne-Mhairi wrote: "I felt exactly the same way. "Hi, my name's Anne-Mhairi and I'm a writer." "Hi, Anne-Mhairi!" :S"

Hi Anne-Mhairi - hope you are taking something for it!"

Nah, much more fun to stay an addict!

Especially since I'm not hurting anyone. Yet. Oops. TMI?

Hi all! My name is Ashley and I am a "yet unpublished" author who also happens to be a ravenous reader--so this group is pretty much the best of both worlds for me. I live in Chicago, IL and am working my fingers to the bone trying to publish my first novel.

Feel free to check out my blog ashmp.wordpress.com, a live journal as I stumble, head first, into the publishing world.

Ashley wrote: "Hi all! My name is Ashley and I am a "yet unpublished" author who also happens to be a ravenous reader--so this group is pretty much the best of both worlds for me. I live in Chicago, IL and am w..."

Welcome to the group, Ashley.

Hi Ashley! What kind of books do you write?

Hi Mhairi, I write women's fiction. And A.F., thank you!

That's probably as far away from my genre (young adult fantasy) as you can get and still be in the same "fiction" denomination :D Good luck with the writing :)

Cambria sent me from Creative Reviews... before I manage to read everybody else's introductions, I guess I'll say something about myself. I'm a writer, but I also read. I write adult fantasy and some sci-fi, I read almost everything but I'm not too fond of YA - I'm old! :-D I'm a Goodreads Author and was directed here because apparently you do lots of those Q&A thingies available to us authors on this site... and I was thinking of doing one in November. So any suggestions welcome! :-)
*hops off to study the rest of the forum*

Hi Barbara! Nice to meet you :) I love fantasy! Looking forward to seeing you around :)

Barbara wrote: "Cambria sent me from Creative Reviews... before I manage to read everybody else's introductions, I guess I'll say something about myself. I'm a writer, but I also read. I write adult fantasy and so..."

Hi, Barbara, nice to meet another non-YA fantasy writer and reader. The November Q&A's haven't been filled yet, so you can have your pick of dates. You can see the Q&A schedule here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...

Hi, I'm Holly and I'm a reader (practically grew up in a library!), but I am married to a writer, and I help out a lot with editing, drafts, sounding board, muse, cheerleader, promoter, etc. My husband Stefan Bourque recently published My Name Is Joe. He used to write horror in his earlier days, but found his true calling a couple of years ago in literary fiction. "My Name Is Joe" is his first published work in literary fiction.

Hello everyone! My name is Elizabeth Lang. I'm a science fiction writer who dabbles in a bit of mystery, humor and poetry. Some call me a sci-fi romance writer but I swear, the romance part of it is just incidental :)

I have one published book so far, The Empire, with two more scheduled for next year. Looking forward to getting to know people here.

Hi, I'm Emma and - like Barbara ^^ - I heard about this group through Creative Reviews (Cambria's doing a good promo job over there). I've just published my first novel which is women's fiction but I am working on a variety of writing projects: YA/thriller/dystopia. I also love to read across lots of different genres. :)

Holly wrote: "Hi, I'm Holly and I'm a reader (practically grew up in a library!), but I am married to a writer, and I help out a lot with editing, drafts, sounding board, muse, cheerleader, promoter, etc. My hus..."

Welcome to the group, Holly.

Elizabeth wrote: "Hello everyone! My name is Elizabeth Lang. I'm a science fiction writer who dabbles in a bit of mystery, humor and poetry. Some call me a sci-fi romance writer but I swear, the romance part of it i..."

Nice to see you here, Elizabeth.

Emma wrote: "Hi, I'm Emma and - like Barbara ^^ - I heard about this group through Creative Reviews (Cambria's doing a good promo job over there). I've just published my first novel which is women's fiction but..."

Welcome, Emma. I guess I owe Cambria a virual thank note for all the promos.

Hey, writers and readers. Just joined the group and I am looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts as time allows.

I am a writer and reader. Came out with my first novel,Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel, last February, a story of mystery/suspense, as an ebook. New novel, OFF THE GRID, a thriller, comes out in December. Both will be in print ... eventually. Love to read.

Mark wrote: "Hey, writers and readers. Just joined the group and I am looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts as time allows.

I am a writer and reader. Came out with my first novel,[book:Revenge: A Tra..."

Hi, Mark, and welcome to the group.

A.F. wrote: "Mark wrote: "Hey, writers and readers. Just joined the group and I am looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts as time allows.

I am a writer and reader. Came out with my first novel,[book..."

A.F. Thanks for the invitation.

Hi all,

My name is Lisa and I'm both a reader and writer. I've written several really terrible novels, although the one I'm revising now is looking pretty good to me. I'll be querying it at the end of the year. I write genre fiction - science fiction, urban fantasy and mystery.

Looking forward to meeting you all!

Lisa

Hi Lisa! I love urban fantasy - good luck with the novel :D

Lisa wrote: "Hi all,

My name is Lisa and I'm both a reader and writer. I've written several really terrible novels, although the one I'm revising now is looking pretty good to me. I'll be querying it at the e..."

Welcome, Lisa.

Hello. My name is Anna Wadlow. I am glad to have been accepted to this group, although, I am really confused now. I just realized everyone here is already published and I am just starting on a novel.
I am enjoying reading alot of the information that I hope to need in the near future.

Anna wrote: "Hello. My name is Anna Wadlow. I am glad to have been accepted to this group, although, I am really confused now. I just realized everyone here is already published and I am just starting on a nove..."

Hey, it's for writers and readers and everything in between! ;-) And I'm sure you'll make friends who can help you whenever you're ready to jump into publication... instead of jumping in and have to network after like some of us might be doing! :-D

Anna wrote: "Hello. My name is Anna Wadlow. I am glad to have been accepted to this group, although, I am really confused now. I just realized everyone here is already published and I am just starting on a nove..."

Hi, Anna. I'm not sure everyone here is published, but it may seem like that because we're probably more pushy than the rest.

Anna wrote: "Hello. My name is Anna Wadlow. I am glad to have been accepted to this group, although, I am really confused now. I just realized everyone here is already published and I am just starting on a nove..."
Hi Anna and I'd like for you to know that I am not published. I am in the midst of trying to get published and hard at work with query letters and the like. I feel daunted by it, but many people here are incredibly helpful and full of grand advice.

A.F. wrote: "Anna wrote: "Hello. My name is Anna Wadlow. I am glad to have been accepted to this group, although, I am really confused now. I just realized everyone here is already published and I am just start..."

While I'm published I don't think that is a requirement. This group is for Writers (published and not) as well as readers - so welcome.

Anna, How better to learn to do what you want to do than to listen to people who do it? How better to find support for your endeavor than to talk to people who have been where you are?

Welcome.

If you want to go the "total immersion route" wander over to the sections on seeking reviews and review some books. Thinking about other books while you write your own is a great exercise, and fun, too.

Bob Cherny
An Author at Club Lighthouse Publishing

Thanks to A.F. for inviting me to this group.

Looks like a really worthwhile group to be part of.

I am a writer - I do funny, silly, odd sort of stories. I have a couple of ebook novellas out which I won't plug here.

All the best to all.

Jonathan wrote: "Thanks to A.F. for inviting me to this group.

Looks like a really worthwhile group to be part of.

I am a writer - I do funny, silly, odd sort of stories. I have a couple of ebook novellas out whi..."

I'll plug for you, as I've read one (the other is still on the TBR list)! Recommended, check him out! ;-)

Jonathan wrote: "Thanks to A.F. for inviting me to this group.

Looks like a really worthwhile group to be part of.

I am a writer - I do funny, silly, odd sort of stories. I have a couple of ebook novellas out whi..."

Welcome to the group Jonathan, and I can second Barbara's recommedation of your books.

Welcome back bookieWormie - and yes editing can get very old very fast - but is also very necessary.

Ugh. Funny you should mention editing... I'm about ready to throw the book in the bin. I've stopped believing it's any good. Might set fire to it instead.

Knowing when "enough is enough" is the trick in editing. You can overedit a piece and destroy as well. Writing is one of those things were you are never "finished" as you can always do more editing but at some point you are just rearranging words and not necessarily making the work better...just different.

Yes, that has occurred to me. I'm kind of harbouring a vague hope that the pantheistic religion will inspire burning (ahem) zeal and hatred among hard-core Christians and it will get loads of publicity from all the bonfires it'll be thrown on. As long as at least one cover is facing the cameras and the right way up, preferably before the flames obscure the title, I'll be happy.

BookieWormie wrote: "Hi! I think I was part of this group a little while ago and then dropped off to finish my book... I'm baaaaaack....

And I'm happy to be doing ANYTHING other than editing text right now! Looking..."

Welcome to the group and I'm glad to see you're right at home already.

Mhairi wrote: "Ugh. Funny you should mention editing... I'm about ready to throw the book in the bin. I've stopped believing it's any good. Might set fire to it instead."

please please please get out of Rewriting Hell right now! (you might call it "editing", but that's what it is, endless rewriting until you forget your original idea. I hope you have different drafts saved - so you can go back to the original and fall in love with the story again!)
Best wishes!

Hahahaha!! Actually this is proper editing. Got a couple of new critiquers just about on the exact date I had intended to send the book out to reviewers. They've come back with somewhat harsh but spot-on comments, so I'm editing away furiously!

Classic case of a self-publishing author thinking she was ready to publish and then finding out that the book could do with various improvements! Which I actually already knew - most of what has been said hasn't come as a surprise. I knew the book could be stronger, but I couldn't see how to make it so. I can't afford an editor and I was too close to the story to see it objectively.

I'm now starting to love it again, mainly because I can see that it is a good story and for the most part well-written, it just needs quite a bit of tweaking and a few sections have needed re-writing. But they're definitely better for it :D

Just killed off a few more unicorns, as it happens... *ducks*

Hello again, nice to see so many new people! I just want to let you know I'm doing a Question and Answer session in the Goodreads Q&A area this weekend on my novel The Blue Suitcase. I'd love to hear from you, whether it's a question to do with self publishing or editing, or the writing of the novel:o) btw the novel is based on my mum's life and takes place in Nazi Germany - it's the undertold story of an ordinary German Christian girl growing up under Hitler. It's had rave reviews andboth paperback and kindle doing really well – "It's unputdownable." Look forward to meeting you there :o)
The Blue Suitcase

Mhairi wrote: "Hahahaha!! Actually this is proper editing. Got a couple of new critiquers just about on the exact date I had intended to send the book out to reviewers. They've come back with somewhat harsh but s..."

you what????
*gasp*
The Lady of the Unicorn
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Bad, bad author!!!

Mhairi wrote: "Hahahaha!! Actually this is proper editing. Got a couple of new critiquers just about on the exact date I had intended to send the book out to reviewers. They've come back with somewhat harsh but s..."

Sometimes the worst thing, turns out to be the best thing :) Good luck with the revisions!

Marianne wrote: "Mhairi wrote: "Hahahaha!! Actually this is proper editing. Got a couple of new critiquers just about on the exact date I had intended to send the book out to reviewers. They've come back with somew..."

Thank you :) It's going well so far :D

Barbara wrote: "you what????
*gasp*
The Lady of the Unicorn
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Bad, bad author!!!"

Tee hee hee!!! Sorry. They were sacrificed to a greater cause. So were some werewolves, and rather a lot of vampires. But it's okay. The Loch Ness Monster is absolutely fine.

Mhairi wrote: "Barbara wrote: "you what????
*gasp*
The Lady of the Unicorn
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Bad, bad author!!!"

Tee hee hee!!! Sorry. They were sacrificed to a greater cause. So were some werewolves, and ra..."

I've never killed off unicorns, werewolves and vampires, but not unicorns. Sounds fun.

Mhairi,
kill all the vampires and werewolves you want but leave the unicorns alone, sniff!!!
OK, I guess I'll have to check that book, eventually...:-)

I don't kill all the unicorns. Just, you know... some of them :S

Hello. My name is Mark Stephens. I am one of the unpubliahed authors on this site. Well, I have published a few things through Smashwords, but I have one manuscript set aside for print consideration. I am deep into editing and rewriting so my goal is to start agent hunting in January. I'm looking forward to spending my spring reading rejection letters (heavy sarcasm touched with realism).
Im hoping my highly creative and productive writing will kind of give me an online portfolio when I start talking to agents and publishers.
Has anyone else gone this route?