NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

[LDWriter2]

So welcome.

I haven't been so good lately at hello to new people but I have a bit of extra time so Howdy nice to have you here.

[DoctorJest]

And nice to be here! Thanks for the welcome. :-)

[Elen Tel'Ithil]

Yes! Hello to all the lovely new people! (I'm still a newcomer as well, so I tend to forget to say hi.)

[DoctorJest]

I'm the same when I'm on new forums. It feels a bit like trying to welcome someone to a stranger's house.

[Elen Tel'Ithil]

I'm the same when I'm on new forums. It feels a bit like trying to welcome someone to a stranger's house.

[Stryker]

Hi Brad, I am an old surly newspaper editor who is tired of writing news, and has ambitions of writing science fiction to allow me the luxury of hiding in my cave, and avoiding the rat race.

[Kary English]

Hi, Stryker, and welcome!

[Benjamin Tyler Smith]

Greetings, all! Been a long time lurker on this forum as well as a few other Writers' boards, but I can lurk no longer!

I write fantasy with a mix of science fiction, steampunk, and whatever other speculative fiction suits my fancy. I can't say I write any of the "suits my fancy" genres all that well, but I do like to expand my horizons by dabbling in different things. My focus for writing is mostly on epic fantasy, as that tends to be the genre I love to read the most.

Writers that I love, in no particular order: Raymond Feist, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, Kate Elliot, Jim Butcher, and Brandon Sanderson, just to name a few. I'm also a nerd when it comes to anime and manga, both old and new.

I've reached a point where I want to improve my craft as much as possible, and have taken to reading books on writing and delving into writerly forums. I hope I can help others, as well. I don't know that I'm the best one to approach about technique or style at the moment, but I have more than a passing interest in firearms and military history, so feel free to ask me anything on that. If I don't know the answer right away, I'll be happy to research it. It'll be a learning experience for us both.

Anyway, good to be here!

[george nik.]

Welcome, Dr.Jest, Stryker and Ben!

PS and let's try not to confuse Stryker with Strycher, unless it's all happening at a parallel universe...

[Muri McCage]

Hi all,

I'm Muri McCage, a somewhat successful writer with an alarmingly eccentric trajectory. I've been entering the Writers of the Future Contest for ages, over which I've accumulated twelve Honorable Mentions, plus two Quarter Finals from the age of lore. My big thing is being a three time Strange New Worlds published Honorable Mention, which makes me as happy as that picture of a smiling Spock floating around Twitter looks. Since then I've been stuck in the land of almost. I come close in what seems like all markets great and small, from science fiction to fantasy to literary to multiple screenwriting competitions, while I keep learning as a writer and trying to tip myself over any one of those edges. I've had terrible Internet service until recently, and lurked here, using the forum as a great resource. Now that I have a more reliable connection, I decided to register and jump in. The level of talent and camaraderie here is an inspiration. Oh, and please bear with me technically. If there's a glitch to be had it will find me!

Blog: www.murimccage.wordpress.com

[Benjamin Tyler Smith]

Good to meet you, Muri! Quite the impressive resume you have. Hopefully we can learn a lot from each other here!

[george nik.]

Welcome aboard, Muri!

[Elen Tel'Ithil]

Welcome, Stryker, Ben, and Muri!

And wow, Strycher and Stryker... I foresee all sorts of confusing fun here. But still, how to remember...

::starts chanting to self:: "Stryker with a K! Wants to hide in a cave! Stryker with a K! Wants to hide in a cave!"

Of course, it rhymes (somewhat), but it still may not help me. Lots of writers would love to hide in a cave...possibly including Strycher with a CH?

I think I've had too much coffee this morning. Or maybe too little. At any rate, welcome!

[tmaulhardt]

Welcome to the forum Stryker, Ben and Muri!

[Muri McCage]

Thanks for the welcome. It's good to be here.

[Muri McCage]

Thanks, Ben. It would feel quite a bit more impressive with the almosts replaced by absolutes. (Haven't figured out the smilies yet. Imagine smile here.)

I'm always happy to learn. Good to know someone with your area of expertise!

[Stryker]

Thanks for encouraging 'welcome messages'. I hope to be a regular contributor to the forums. Lurking is always tempting, but not very conducive to getting to know others, and besides, the editor hat I have been wearing does not do lurking very well.
Oh, sorry about the name similarity with another forum user. It's pure coincidence, I promise.
Thanks again!

[Nicholas Stillman]

Hello everyone!

Been lurking this last quarter and thought I'd stop by and let myself be known!

My name is Nick and I am a recent college graduate. So recent that it's technically in the future. But in two weeks I will be a recent college graduate. Which is terrifying. Because jobs.

I love SF and F and prefer mine with a bit of a literary bent. Clarkesworld and Lightspeed (and WotF goes without saying) is where I most often get my short sf and f fix.

Most of my stories fall somewhere between "big idea" and "character driven" and finding that perfect balance is what I've been working on lately. I love science but have always been terrible at it, so very little actual science finds its way into my work. Lets just say I like hard sf more than it likes me.

Phillip K. Dick is my favorite author (which is, like, the opposite of literary sf, I know) followed closely by Paolo Bacigalupi.

Anyway, I'm happy to be here with fellow aspiring writers! Aspiring is great, I think. It means you're hopeful and imagining possibilities. You can't be beaten down when you're aspiring, because aspiring carries no ego. Your head is still tilted to the stars and your feet still in the dust. It's an exhilarating state to be in.

I think even if one day I spire, I still want to aspire.

Hope to talk to you all soon!
-Nick S.

[Kary English]

Welcome, Nicholas! Back to back HMs, eh? Nicely done!

[george nik.]

Welcome, Nicholas!

[thewritescott]

I think I've introduced myself before. But, I've finally taken the time to include an avatar. Hi. It's me.

[Elen Tel'Ithil]

I think I've introduced myself before. But, I've finally taken the time to include an avatar. Hi. It's me.

::waves at new avatar:: Hi, Scott!

[bobsandiego]

I've busy with OT at the day job and more twitches than a bad Katherine Hepburn impersonator contest, so let me give a big welcome to ALL the new faces here.

[Kary English]

Welcome to honupueo and anyone else I missed. And Grats on the HM, honu!

[Aidan Meyer]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking around for a while, but as I get ready to send my first submission I thought I'd enter the public eye. I'm from Romania and I've started writing SFF around 6th grade when I wrote about my childhood crush fighting aliens and saving the earth. She wasn't particularly impressed.

Puberty distracted me after that, but about 5 years ago I started writing again and I was surprised. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

I'm trying not to be so anxious about my first submission, but I've had little success.

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

Welcome aboard, Aidan! The anxiety is normal. Joking about it helps!

[Elen Tel'Ithil]

I wrote about my childhood crush fighting aliens and saving the earth.

That's awesome!

Welcome aboard!

[Holly Heisey]

Welcome Muri, Stryker, Nicholas, new avatar Scott, and Aidan!

Butterflies in the stomach is part of the awesomeness of the writing game.

[tmaulhardt]

So many cool new writers to get to know! Welcome all!

[Purellian]

Hi everyone!

I lurked here all last quarter, and having just submitted my story for this quarter (Whew! Just in time!), have decided to get involved this quarter.

I've got three HMs under my belt so far, as well as one R. Here's hoping this quarter will see me move up to at least semi-finalist!

I write mostly fantasy. I've indie published two novels, which are toddling along at a snail's pace as far as sales go. I'm not marketing well enough . I've also sold a few short stories, including one to KJA! I'm very proud of that one. If I sell one more story at pro rates, I'll become ineligible, so I'm really hoping to make some progress here before that happens.

I'm looking forward to twitching with all of you when judging comes around!