An exercise in communal behavior...

[Commonmind]

Hey guys and gals. I know we have ourselves an introduction forum for general site members, but I'm really interesting in the aspiring writers bunch and would like to start a thread to get some general info on some of my fellow starving (or not) artists. I'll start it off and if anyone would like to expand upon the format please feel free.

Name: Joey
Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): A Game of Thrones, Servant of the Shard, Ender's Game, The Hobbit, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Wizard's First Rule, The Blood of Amber, The Dragonbone Chair, The Sword of Shannara, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): The Wheel of Time, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and Dragonlance.
When did you start writing: I was in grade school when I first began writing. I started writing seriously in high-school, when I began working on the book that would be my greatest lesson: sometimes the thing you love to do can be the both rewarding and painful all at the same time.
What started your love for the craft of writing: I grew up in the projects of South Boston, in a very violent, drug-ridden, impoverished neighborhood. My home was about as broken as a home could be; parents divorced young, abusive stepfather, family drama wherever I turned my head. Writing was the outlet that kept my head above the water and off the streets. As cliche as it might sound, if it weren't for the written word I might have ended up a statistic.
Do you have anything published: Unless you count the school paper and a few awards that landed me in a couple anthologies throughout junior high and high-school, no.
The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: I am no expert, but my advice really doesn't involve writing so much as it is advice for life itself: never flip to the last page too soon.
Where do you read and write, and for how long: I have a nice patio surrounded by a privacy fence. I remade an old chair, threw some comfy cushions on it and placed a patio fireplace right beside me for those cold Florida nights (sarcasm). I keep a pile of about 10 books beside me and I tend to read or write from anywhere between 2 to 10 hours a day, depending on however long my son feels it necessary to give dad quiet time.
What is your favorite writing beverage: Tea in the mornings, wine in the evenings; Tazo Earl Gray and Toasted Head Merlot.
In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Worthwhile.

 

[Daniel Hetberg]

I'll just have to join that thread. I'm not at home right now, so I can't take a glance at my book shelves. My favourites are thus slightly restricted to stuff I read more recently, and the true favourites.

Name: Daniel

Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order):
The Hobbit, Otherland: City of golden Shadows, Dune, Night Watch, A good Omen, American Gods, Colour of Magic, Small Gods, The Deus Machine, Glennkill

Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order):
Discworld (or Pratchett in general), Lord of the Rings, Dune series, Otherland series, Dozori series (Lukianenko)

When did you start writing:
I haven't really started yet. Started the outline I'm currently working on not quite a year ago. Also, I never found quite the books I'd love to read, so I figured I might as well start writing myself.

What started your love for the craft of writing:
GMing role playing games, of all things. This also dictates my current modus operandi: you can't plan exactly what the main characters will be doing, so you set up a well-planned series of "world events" or metaplot that will occur regardless of the actions of protagonists and then let them interact with it. Probably explains my world builder tendencies.

Do you have anything published:
Nope. Well, soon I'll hopefully get my first scientific paper published, but that's not really what we're talking about here.

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author:
I'm not really in the position to give advice, but maybe it wold be "Take your time".

Where do you read and write, and for how long:
I recently got myself a comfy Ikea (Poäng) chair for reading, which now has a place of honor in my living room. When I'm writing, I'm in front of my computer at my desk. I usually don't read or write for more than 3 hours max at a time, since I'm restricted to the evenings and weekends, and my GF has a slight tendency of monopolizing my time on those occasions.

What is your favorite writing beverage:
Water, Absinth (in the evening)

In one word describe how writing makes you feel:
Elsewhere

 

[Chrystelia]

My turn...

Name: Chrystelia
Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order):
Soul Flame - a historical novel by Barbara Wood which pointed me towards modern scifi and fantasy, before that I was reading a lot of H. Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Wow this is hard since I love to read series and love all the books in a serie as a whole. The Stand by Steven King, Desperation by Steven King. The Lord of Chaos book 6 of WOT, The Stone of Farewell book 2 of MST, book 7 of the Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott, A Storm of Swords, That's all I can think about right now.
Top 5 series: The song of
Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Wheel of Time, Night's Dawn Trilogy.

When did you start writing: About 13 or 14 years old. Started writing my thoughts etc. Not like a diary, just a way of releasing frustrations, anger, confusion. Then experimented with a short story, and finally poems.
Seriously began writing something resembling a book in my university days 4 years ago. Had several unfinished works, River of Dreams Oceans of Love, A bunch of Mangoes, Half a Grade Deduction, The Mongijal Tribe. Only finished one - Rainbows in Your Eyes.

What started your love for the craft of writing:
I've always found it easier to express myself in writing. When I was growing up, I didn't have anyone to talk with. I was the second youngest in the family. Mother died when I was four and my aunt took care of my younger brother so I was left with father. The rest of my brothers and sisters were either already grown up working in different cities or in boarding schools. The house was located far from everyone else, I was the only kid miles around. Father got to work so I befriended the trees, the river, the chickens, cats and dogs, the sun, the clouds. We had no TV then and at nights, father would tell me stories. It was a happy childhood though some may call it lonely. When it was my turn to go away to school, I couldn't really adjust to having so many people around, and never felt comfortable confiding etc, so writing became my friend, always has been, my one true love in life. Writing will always come first.

Do you have anything published:
Just some essays and poems in high school.

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author:
I don't think I am in a position to give advice ... maybe... take it one step at a time? I hope that helps.
Where do you read and write, and for how long:
I can read or write anywhere as long as it's quiet, but usually, in the computer room, surrounded by books. On days when the weather is fine, I like sitting on the balcony. I usually write in the early hours between 2 to 6. Yes, my sleeping hours are unusual, and I only need 3 to 4 hours sleep.

What is your favorite writing beverage:
Tea! I have different kinds here, ginger tea, green tea, chinese tea, japanese tea, appricott tea, apple tea, mango tea, but my favourite is mint tea! and I'm still trying to find pineapple tea.

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: alive.

 

[Lenny]

Ooooh! Oooh! Me now!

Name: Lenny

Top Ten Favourite Fiction Novels (not in order): Rumo, The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, City of Dreaming Books, Assassin's Apprentice, Wintersmith, Thud!, Voyage of the Shadowmoon, Shamans Crossing, Wyrd Sisters, Sabriel

Top Five Favourite Series (again, not in order): Discworld, Abhorsen Trilogoy, Key to the Kingdom, Farseer Trilogy, Second Sons Trilogy

When did you start writing: About Yr. 5ish - 7 or 8 years ago. I began to do it seriously about 4 or 5 years ago (start of Secondary school).

What started your love for the craft of writing: I've always loved reading, ever since I learnt to read. Since then I've nearly never gone a day without being some way into a book. Also my Yr. 5 and Yr. 6 teacher was trying to get things published, and he used to give us lessons where he'd sit and read his stories to us, and then, after an hour or so, we'd go off and do our own pieces of "Creative Writing".

Do you have anything published: Not a sausage.

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: I can't really say much, apart from "Keep writing!!".

Where do you read and write, and for how long: I will quite literally read whenever and wherever I can - as long as I've got a book, and somewhere to lean or sit down, or even squat, then I'll read. If possible I'll read a book in one sitting, and as books I get seem to be getting bigger, this means I'll be sat reading for 6 or 7 hours at a time.

As for writing, I sit at my desk, curtains drawn, lights on, and any notes pinned to me corkboard or scattered around me. I'll write until I can't think straight any more.

What is your favorite writing beverage: Cans of coke... my bin is full of crushed cans. Though I am quite partial to the odd Dr. Pepper, Cherry Coke, or Fanta.

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Proud.

 

[Stormpirate]

Name: Nikki

Top Ten Favourite Fiction Novels (not in order): Swan Song, False Memory, Strangers, Odd Thomas, Summer Knight, Ill Wind, A Storm of Swords, American Gods, Good Omens
Top Five Favourite Series (again, not in order): A Song of Ice and Fire, The Dresden Files, Weather Warden, The Obsidian Trilogy

When did you start writing: Elementary school. Basically as soon as learned how to write.

What started your love for the craft of writing: I've always loved reading, and would always make up stories and act them out. I started writing them down.

Do you have anything published: Not yet!

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Even if it's frustrating, don't give up!

Where do you read and write, and for how long: I carry a book with me everywhere, and will read any chance I get. Writing I tend to do when I get a chance.

What is your favorite writing beverage: In the winter, a mug of hot tea. In the summer, gallons of sweet / unsweet tea.

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Frustrated, until someone reads my work, and then proud (if they make comments).

 

[dustinzgirl]

Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): Memnoch the Devil, The Highwayman, The Regulators, Twighlight Eyes, Cyric The Mad (I'm not in love with the whole series, but that book cracks me up). The Giving Tree (this is a kids book with a powerful message, everyone should read it), Treasure Island, Sir Walter Scott's The Lady in The Lake (also, Rob Roy), Bram Stoker's Lair of the White Worm----

These are all on my favorite list right now. That will probably change next week.

Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): Wheel of Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dragonlance (Wiess and Hickman's set), Forgotten Realms, The Drow Series by RA Salvatore (the name escapes me right now and Im not walking to my book case) The Dark Tower, Conan, Jane Yolen's Dragon Blood Series, and I can't think of any others.....

When did you start writing: When my mom bought me a commodore 64 in gradeschool.

What started your love for the craft of writing: I grew up poor and it let me escape the fact that most of my childhood was spent in a camper.

Do you have anything published: Some articles not fiction. Eternia.com.

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Just Do It!

Where do you read and write, and for how long: At my computer desk which I moved to the bedroom so that the kids wouldn't bug me but since they just walk into the bedroom anyways or SCREAM FROM ACROSS THE HOUSE---I am moving it back to the living room.

What is your favorite writing beverage: Tea and coffee, coffee, coffee, and water...

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Like that Calgon Take Me Away commercial.

 

[jackokent]

OK I'll have a go

Name: I answer to most things
Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): Cannary Row, erm.. I don't know I love every book I am reading at the time
Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): Janny Wurts' War of Light and Shadows, Farseer, Tanith Lee's Death Master, Delusions Master etc etc um... don't know again
When did you start writing: At school, don't know when I really started
What started your love for the craft of writing: Wanting to write better stuff than I read, and one very vivid dream
Do you have anything published: Regular non fiction - very boring
The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Finish what you start
Where do you read and write, and for how long: I read everywhere but mostly in the bath and I write in the evennings after work
In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Excited

 

[Sapheron]

Name: Kodoku
Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): Hmmm... hard. The Fellowship of the Ring, Sabriel, The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy, Artemis Fowl, Necropolis, Fire Warrior (though I'm not sure why...), and I can't think of any others.
Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): The Lord of the Rings, The Grail Quest, The Old Kingdom, Gaunts Ghosts, Emperor, Hitchhikers Guide Trilogy of Four.
When did you start writing: School, when I was forced to by teachers. Voluntarily I started a couple of years ago at 13 or 14 or something.
What started your love for the craft of writing: The love of expressing myself in a form I can manage well. Music, dance, whatever else I can't do. All I can do is read and write. It's my only hope. I love it because I'm desperate and it's all I have.
Do you have anything published: Nope. But then schoolwork does tend to get in the way of a career. Also I'm not a good enough writer (let alone excuse maker ), and that doesn't help.
The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Don't expect to get any money. Ever.
Where do you read and write, and for how long: Not enough, and wherever and whenever I get the chance really.
In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Generally tired, but with strange moments of frustration as well. Dammit why did I choose this for a living?

 

[Green]

Name: Phil
Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): Memories of Ice, Deadhouse Gates, American Gods, It, Strange and Norrel, Excession, Player of Games, Great Apes, Quantity Theory of Insanity (I saw Will Self in Christchurch, Spitalfields once, which leads me on to...), From Hell (it's a novel if I say it is).
Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): The Prince of Nothing, Malazan Book of the etc., Discworld, the Culture books, WoT. Plus Sandman. They count, and I'm allowed six.
When did you start writing: School, again. A few of us in my class (around 12 or 13 years old) used to write stories for each other to read. Normally it was stuff that was the most horrific of horror, the most violent of violence, just to outdo each other. Mostly it was crap. There was a guy who was the best writer I'd ever read, but later I realised he was just copying stuff out of obscure short story collections. Still, he drove me on. After that, I gave it up for years, until... read the next question.
What started your love for the craft of writing: I had this idea about three years ago, that I thought would make a good SF story. I started writing up some notes and realised I can't write SF to save my life, so I wrote a fantasy prologue instead, always telling myself I was just messing around. Now I'm trying to finish the damn thing, and making it as cool as I can. It should have been finished ages ago, but I'm lazy.
Do you have anything published: Ye Olde Science Papers. Nothing interesting.
The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Don't ask my advice, it's the blind leading the blind
Where do you read and write, and for how long: Read, wherever I can find the time or the energy. Usually in bed. My girlfriend is so lucky. Write? Sometimes on the train, sometimes on the couch. I'm an afternoon writer, which is annoying these days cos I'm not a student any more and my boss probably wouldn't like me writing my novel at work. I find it hard to concentrate if there's other people in the house, so it's a slow process, but I do plan everything in my head before I go to sleep. Almost every scene is placed, now
In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Satisfied.

 

[Coolhand]

Name: Coolhand


Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): Altered Carbon. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Clear and Present Danger, Catch-22, Broken Angels, Sahara, Terry Pratchett generally but if I had to pick one then Reaper-Man, Market Forces, The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, Any Calvin and Hobbes collection (yes I know it’s a comic strip. I don’t care).

Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): The Takashi Kovach series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide Trilogy (in 5 parts don’t you know), the Discworld series, The Jack Reacher series, The Calvin and Hobbes series (Like I said. Yes it’s a comic strip. And no, I don’t care).

When did you start writing: I honestly can’t remember. Been writing all my life. I think was 8 when I wrote my first complete book, a seventeen page epic about time traveling space commandoes battling evil skeletons armed with laser guns. That pretty much sums up my writing style, actually…

What started your love for the craft of writing: I just love telling stories, I love creating little worlds and seeing them come alive on paper, I love living the adventure with my characters. Plus I get to write some really cool gunfights.

Do you have anything published: Ummm...(shuffles feet) no. But I will.

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Write what you love, because at least that way you’ll have fun.

Where do you read and write, and for how long: Anywhere I can, for as often as I can. I write on a laptop and a palmtop so I can be quite a mobile writer. And books are pretty portable as well, though I don’t get to read nearly as much as I’d like.

What is your favorite writing beverage: Mostly coffee or a good single malt.

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Intense

 

[Culhwch]

Name: That would be telling...

Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): The Winter King, Bernard Cornwell; To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee; All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque; A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin; Stardust, Neil Gaiman. Half the list requested list, but I'm still young so hopefully I have a lot of reading in front of me.

Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): Discworld, Pratchett; A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin; The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell; The Lord of The Rings, Tolkien. Only four. See above.

When did you start writing: At age eight or nine, maybe. I recall writing little stories in primary school. They usually involved dinosaurs. I started taking writing seriously in my late teens, and have barely stopped since.

What started your love for the craft of writing: My love of reading. As simple as that. I loved books so much it was inevitable I would start trying to write my own at some point.

Do you have anything published: Only a hypertext in a university publication.

The best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: No matter what it is you're writing, make it as good as you can. A letter, an email, a post on these forums, whatever it is, take care and write it as if you were writing the final page of your novel. It is amazes me how many aspirings on these forums make posts with no punctuation, no capitalisation, poor grammar. Bad habits are going to bleed into your writing. But so are good ones...

Where do you read and write, and for how long: I read whenever and wherever I can, which is usually on the bus to and from work, or in bed. I work mornings, so I write mostly in the afternoon or at night, on my laptop in the loungeroom. If inspiration happens to strike me out and about, I'll jot it down in a notebook.

What is your favorite writing beverage: Water, tea, sometimes coffee.

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Exasperated, for the most part. But when it actually works... pretty good. (Imagine, asking a writer to use just one word...)

 

[HoopyFrood]

Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): Flowers for Algernon, Decline and Fall, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the first one, I mean), Cell, Metamorphoses, The Life of Pi, one of the Rincewind Discworld books, possibly The Light Fantastic, The Shining, um...

Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): The Dark Tower, Discworld, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a trilogy in five parts, um...

When did you start writing: I've been writing for as long as I can remember. When I was...ah...I can't remember whether it was 7 and 3/4 or 9 and 3/4 (you know how important those fractions are!) but I wrote my own 24 page version of Snow White, but with only one dwarf, an angel, and a huge monster called James who was sad because the dragons wouldn't play with him.

What started your love for the craft of writing: I don't quite know, to be honest. I guess because I loved to read so much, the natural thing to do was start writing my own stories.

Do you have anything published:Only a very strange poem about pollution and global warming in a random book. It was a competition for schools, and all the others had entered as classes, so there are sections for different schools, whereas I just saw the poster in my school library and sent it off...so I'm by myself, but also my poem is the first one in the book!

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Pssh, who am I to give advice? But I guess something a long the lines of...write for yourself, no one else. Don't try and please other people with your writing. I hate when people criticise books because it misses out something that they wanted to see. I always think, Well, if I were writing the book for you, I would've knocked on your door and asked you "So, what would you like me to write about?"

Where do you read and write, and for how long: Everywhere and anywhere; I love to read! But writing, (I only write at home, I don't really have time at university) I like to sit at my desk, which has a nice view from the window, and just lose myself in my writing. I usually have some music playing, which is why certain songs remind me of my story. I usually write for a couple of hours, depending on how well it's going.

What is your favorite writing beverage: Tea...tea..tea, all the way. Tea all the time!

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Frustrated (when it's not going so well) and when it is, Free, because it feels like I'm escaping to new and fantastic places.

 

[jackokent]

Do you have anything published:Only a very strange poem about pollution and global warming in a random book. It was a competition for schools, and all the others had entered as classes, so there are sections for different schools, whereas I just saw the poster in my school library and sent it off...so I'm by myself, but also my poem is the first one in the book!

Ohhhh can we see it please?????

 

[HoopyFrood]

Um...well the book is at home, (yeah I bought a copy...the cheeky competition people didn't even give us a free copy ) so I won't be able to dig it out for another four weeks! And it's not anything special, I assure you! Just something I wrote in about 10 minutes and sent off!

 

[jackokent]

Um...well the book is at home, (yeah I bought a copy...the cheeky competition people didn't even give us a free copy ) so I won't be able to dig it out for another four weeks! And it's not anything special, I assure you! Just something I wrote in about 10 minutes and sent off!

We'll remind you in 4 weeks

 

[Culhwch]

Um...well the book is at home, (yeah I bought a copy...the cheeky competition people didn't even give us a free copy ) so I won't be able to dig it out for another four weeks! And it's not anything special, I assure you! Just something I wrote in about 10 minutes and sent off!

All the more impressive for it being published, then...

 

[ice.monkey]

Name: Ice Monkey Smith – my parents were cruel!

Top Ten Favorite Fiction Novels (not in order): A Wizard of Earthsea, The Sunbird, Interview With The Vampire, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. These are the only novels I’d reread. I haven’t got up to 10 yet!! But I’d also reread:

Top Five Favorite Series (again, not in order): The Warlord Chronicles, The Lord of the Rings.

When did you start writing: I honestly can’t remember as it was so long ago.

What started your love for the craft of writing: I’ve got a very vivid imagination. I used to be the one to make up all the games at school – almost like LRPG. Later on, I began to write all these stories down.

Do you have anything published: Ha! Ha! Ha! You guys crack me up!

The Best advice you can give an up-and-coming author: Get your basics in – grammar and punctuation. When these are second nature you can then just concentrate on story telling. It'll save you a lot of time. Oh, and write loads!

Where do you read and write, and for how long: I read in bed just before going to sleep. Sometimes I’ll take a day out and just read all day – wherever. I write in my front room on the computer.

What is your favorite writing beverage: Didn’t know there was a writing beverage!

In one word describe how writing makes you feel: Happy!

 

[Talysia]

Name Talysia

Top ten fiction novels (not in order) The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman/Yoshitaka Amano, Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings, The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams, Ring by Koji Suzuki, Spiral by Koji Suzuki, Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka, Fish of the Seto Inland Sea by Ruri Pilgrim, All She was Worth by Miyuki Miyabe, and The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

Top five series (not in order) The Belgariad, The Malloreon and The Elenium, all by David Eddings, The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, and Koji Suzuki's Ring trilogy.

When did you start writing? I've always written stories, so I couldn't say exactly when I started. The first attempt at a protracted story came when I left school, though.

What started your love of writing? I've always loved writing. English was one of my favourite lessons when I was at school, and after I'd read quite a few books I decided I wanted to try my hand.

Do you have anything published? When I was at school, one English project was started in conjunction with the local paper. It was for articles about wildlife and conservation at a local reservoir, and the whole class worked on it. It was published the next week.

The best advice you could give an up-and-coming author Well, aside from the basics, your story doesn't have to be right first time. Get the ideas down on paper, and then go through it to see what you can add/take away/change.

Where do you read/write, and for how long? I read whenever I can, and the same for writing, usually for however long I can. I'm lucky, in that I can read/write just about anywhere, but it's usually in some quiet place.

What is you favourite writing beverage Cola. It's got caffeine in it, and you don't have to worry about it going cold.

In one word, describe how writing makes you feel Content/satisfied. (and yes, I know that's two words)

 

[Commonmind]

They're synonyms so it's ok

 

[Talysia]

That's good to hear, Commonmind! Maybe I should've used just one, but I couldn't decide which. (One of my failings sometimes)