WELCOME: Start here

[JeSais]

Hello fellow writers....

I hope you'll take a minute to introduce yourselves. We are now (as of March 1) 218 strong.

I'll get the ball rolling.

My "real" name is Jennifer. I am a member of San Diego Writers Ink, and a volunteer who set up this online community. Currently I am enrolled in the University of New Mexico's MFA program, specializing in creative non-fiction living in Albuquerque. San Diego is my home, however. I even still work there, telecommuting to work part time.

I got my start at a Judy Reeves workshop at the old San Diego Writing Center (when it was downtown on First St.) way back in the day.

The support of the San Diego Writing community helped me nurture my art and give me the confidence to go for an MFA...

When in San Diego I am a regular at the Dime Stories nee First Friday open mic hosted by the lovely Amy Wallen. In fact I'll be at the Open Mic in March... that's next weekend!

SO... who are you? what do you write? how did you get started and what are you looking for in an online community?

[Lee]

Hi folks! It's nice to meet you all. I'm excited about being a part of the community of writers in San Diego.

I enjoy reading Fantasy and Science Fiction novels. The most recent novels I've enjoyed are Greg Keyes's The Kingdom of Thorn and Bone and Brent Week's Night Angel trilogy. That info is bound to be out of date pretty fast - I read like crazy.

Being a voracious SF/F reader, I've always felt that I would do some writing in those genres, but it's only been during recent years that my situation has lent itself to writing. Now I'm working on my first novel - I'm maybe halfway through the draft. It's an urban fantasy set in San Diego. Vampires, werewolves, and wizards, oh my!

I am an electrical engineer - I work with GPS, and do a lot of electronics design, test and evaluation, and programming. I live in Mission Hills, I'm married and have a cat and too many computers. I enjoy taking on projects - whether programming, artistic, or writing - thats how I like to pass the time. I view my novel as a big project. With sequel projects to come. Hopefully.

From an online community I'd like to find some like minded souls who are interested in giving feedback on my work, discussing the craft, the ins and outs of getting published, and learn more about other folks who are treading this path. If the online community can key into a local group, that's a big plus.

I'm looking forward to talking with everybody!

[JeSais]

thanks Lew! kind words...

Regarding the publishing industry... hmm. well all I can say is that all of life is a game. Some games we like to play (especially if we're winning) and some we don't.

There's writing and then there is the business of writing. And like any business supply and demand rules... lots of supply of good writers, limited demand.

One important thing about a query letter is that it lets an agent/editor/publisher know if the rest is worth reading. Not to sound cruel, but the fact is that we're all busy and if we can use some barometer to quickly determine what is worthy, or if we can outsource some of our work... well, we're lazy animals and so we will. (I use we, because I will admit to some of this in my own job, making judgements based on what may not seem related)

Have you checked out the Writers Salon hosted by San Diego Writers Ink?
http://sandiegowriters.org/programs_writers_salon.htm

Else the only thing I can suggest is starting your own kind of group therapy for writers ;-)
or find some dive bar somewhere (I think there are a couple left in San Diego) and put out a call to gather some writers... if I were in San Diego I'd totally come!

--Jenn

[JeSais]

Hey Lee! thanks for chiming in here... not sure if you were aware or not but this online thing is sponsored by San Diego Writers Ink and they sponsor classes, workshops and salons and special events.... check it out. The folks involved are a great bunch to be associated with, in fact I credit the support I got in San Diego with nurturing in me writerly skills that got me into graduate school....

welcome!

[Zachary]

Hello!

I write soft science fiction. And basically, all that means is that it isn't about aliens and spaceships as much as it is about slight extensions of existing science. For example, my first novel is about a company that develops technology that allows dreams to be visualized and recorded and then uses it to prove some interesting theories about the purpose of dreams. Sci-fi meets psychological suspense I suppose....

I am also working on a project that I would love to bounce off some fellow writers. It is quirky literary fiction told with a narrator that speaks to the inner child of the reader. It is filled with an intriguing story and contains lots of morals and life lessons that I believe anyone could enjoy. But, since it is not really my usual style, at times I could use some feedback...

All in all, I guess we are all just looking for a support group. Writer's Anonymous anyone? I know I personally just want to connect with other writers, get their input on my work, and assist with theirs in any way that I can...

Wish everyone the best!

[Obadiah Rouse]

Howdy Y'all,
Well to get started I am no where near a professional writer. I like to write recreationally, when the opportunity affords it self. Over my short, lifetime I have written quite a few short stories but most have never been completed or lost in the shuffle of papers around the house. I have loved writing stories since I could put together a coherent paragraph. At times it seems as though I need to write to rid my mind of the demons. Some of the stories churn in my head until I am almost crazy with ideas spinning out like the designs on a tie dyed shirt. I like to take the experiences I have and embelish them to the point of fiction. I have been in a lot of exciting circumstances and like to use those as the base for my stories.

I grew up in Escondido and now live in Montana and get to see the Front Range of the Rockies everyday. Living in a town of 400 people gives you time to churn out a lot of plot lines, which is why I joined this group. I now need to take these ideas to completion and figure out what that process entails. I hope to get some good advice from people that might be able to help me along this trail.

[Obadiah Rouse]

Yep. I am the only Obadiah Rouse in the U.S. I was a student of yours in '88. I left a message on your home page for this site. If you get a chance my e-mail is [e-mail]

[Anne Wayman]

Hello all, I found this site because someone who lives in Fargo ND told me. She used to be in San Diego county... so you just never know.

I'm a native to the county, have lived on boats, even commercially fished out of San Francisco at one point, now live and work from my home in North Park. I ghostwrite and blog - my blog for writers is www.aboutfreelancewriting.com where I tell you all how to earn more money writing. Well, that's the goal anyway.

I fondly remember the Well, the original online community back before the web... yeah, I'm that old. I want simply a place to share about writing and the writing life, and life in general from time to time. Let's see where it goes.

[JeSais]

Welcome Anne! Say hello to Catherine :-)

Ah. the well... a little before my online time, but not so far back that I'm not familiar with it.

[Johanna Balkowski]

Hi everyone!

Let me introduce myself...my name is Johanna and I am originally from Philadelphia where I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing but put my writing on the back burner while starting a family. Recently I have finished my first novel and am busy submitting (and submitting and submitting...) to publishers and agents.

I have loads of started works from years past but am finally really in the groove and have started my second work.

Right now I am lucky to be a stay at home mom of a 9, 7 and 11 month old which keeps me busy but affords me time to write even if it is sometimes only in snippets of time here and there.

Currently I don't have a writers network to bounce ideas off of and to learn the ins and outs of the publishing world, so I'm eager to get to know all you and share and learn! I also recently started a blog about my experiences as a writer and would love to see that grow too...www.onceuponanovelist.blogspot.com

[Susanne Barrett]

My name is Susanne Barrett, and I live in Pine Valley, a town of 1200 people 50 miles east of downtown San Diego.

Three years ago I co-founded Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council (MECAC) with Judith Dupree. We've been offering summer art classes for local kids, drawing and painting classes for adults, and two theatre productions, plus monthly meetings of a fabric arts group and a writers' workshop. MECAC's site (blog) is here MECAC's Writers' Workshop is here -- I keep up both sites.

After receiving my MA in English from USD in 1991, I was graduate TA in the German department at USD, and the next year I was hired as an adjunct instructor in the Literature department at Point Loma Nazarene University. Teaching at PLNU was my dream job, and I am so grateful that I was able to work there for a few years. But as our family grew, I decided to home school our four children which we have been doing for the past eleven years. I started teaching junior high and high school writing at our homeschool co-op; currently I am teaching two high school expository writing classes I designed myself, one college prep and one honors level.

I have been writing poetry since high school and published poems in my high school yearbook and literary magazines in high school and college. My work has also been published in the local Mensa newsletter, and I've recently done two readings of my poems, one for MECAC as a Featured Artist and one at Ad Lib Christian Arts Retreat in Colorado. In 1993 I co-edited a selection of essays of the late Morton W. Bloomfield of Harvard University with Dr. Walsh of USD entitled _Light of Learning_. I have published poetry and reports of artistic goings-on in Pine Valley's monthly paper, _The Valley Views_. I currently facilitate the monthly writers' workshop meetings, and in February we hosted a successful all-day workshop with the founder of PLNU's Journalism Department, Dean Nelson.

Currently, I blog on a regular basis (http://meditativemeanderings.blogspot.com) and was successful with 2008 NaNoWri Mo, my first foray into fiction. I've been working on a rather academic book on liturgical worship for the past few years -- a real passion of mine but with homeschooling four kids, teaching two co-op classes, tutoring four students, facilitating the local writers' workshop, and leading a monthly book discussion group at my church. Plus I work for a homeschool language arts business, teaching online classes: Brave Writer. So I'm a bit busy, and writing doesn't happen nearly as often as I would like.

I'm very glad to have found this group and hope to participate on a regular basis.

[Roberta Cantow]

Hello Je Sais (Jennifer),
How intriguing that you gave yourself that name.
It has taken me this long to get around to replying to your invitation to say something about ourselves. I am in San Diego, know Judy Reeves from way back though only attended one brief workshop, as I recall, and I recently ran into her as well,
at the San Diego Writer's Conference. Among other things, we talked about the possibility of my giving a presentation at some point on book trailers. That, among other short video storytelling services, is what I am offering to authors with books to promote, (www.originaldigital.net/booktrailer) to see a sample and I do good work. I recently completed a film trilogy, Bloodtime Moontime Dreamtime. Dreamtime will play at the Brilliant Light Film Festival in April. At some point, I would like to find the right writer community for me to engage that way once again, but for now, I would find it hard to squeeze it into my schedule. You didn't say what kind of writing you do or what you like to write about. Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for getting this going,
Roberta

[JeSais]

Hi Roberta... welcome aboard! One of the great things about online community is that we don't have leave the comfort of our own homes.. and can participate at 2 am if that's when we have time :-)
Pretty cool site you got there by the way! Is there a way to embed the video trailers?

As to what kinds of writing I do.. I'm an MFA Candidate in creative non-fiction. I was working on a memoir, Reconstructing My Mother, which explores my journey to get to know my mother was as a person-- she died from cancer when I was 13. Set against the backdrop of turning 40, helping my only sister battle breast cancer and losing my father, ultimately the story is about me, getting to know myself...
it's not as depressing as it sounds... but I am working on some other pieces, experimenting with other forms of creative non-fiction, including a lyrical essay tracing my roots called The Grandfather Clause and a fun piece I've just started about Okra (the most vile disgusting vegetable on the planet).

--Jenn