Hello everyone, My name is Fiona Ingram. I'm a children's author. My book is posted in my info details. Looking forward to some fruitful discussions in this group.

tell me what you think of my story. the link is on post 247

I read way more than I write but I like writing. I rarely have time. They are always for my friends. Right now I'm working on a story that I love and just want to get onto paper. 11000 words in and I'm not even close to done. Reading is my true passion but I seem to have a knack for thinking up wicked plots so to the paper I go. Each time I present a new idea, my friends give feed back and then I let the characters loose. I love it best when they run away on me. As far as talent goes, I don't know. I only write in third person which can be a challenge. So, yep, that's me.

i haev one.. tell me what you think a story
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/5404...

Elliot wrote: "teri wrote: "Hello all. I'm from New York City and enjoy writing fiction, blogging, and (less enjoyable but more necessary) do lots of copy writing. I belong to a ning site www.onthewing.ning.com ..."

I have posted a short story I wrote over the past couple months. Enjoy.

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/5354...

Hey my name is Justyn, but my screen name is Xion. I love to write but can never figure out good begginings. Also, I never have good topics! Can anyone help me?

Elliot wrote: "teri wrote: "Hello all. I'm from New York City and enjoy writing fiction, blogging, and (less enjoyable but more necessary) do lots of copy writing. I belong to a ning site www.onthewing.ning.com ..."

Thanks Eliot. I do well with instruction, so I appreciated the link to the open learn site. (I bookmarked it to go back to.) I like to use what I know and refine it by learning from and sharing with others. There's always so much more to learn...

Hi,I'm Susan! I found bookread 'and' this group today!
I teach children and have a great love of children's literature.
I also teach Yoga and have been approached by a wonderful artist re; doing an illustrated book for Children's Yoga.
I do a lot of storytelling in my work and so many people have asked me to write my stories.
I ran a bookstore for 3 years and have a good deal of knowledge about many kinds of literature..and many subjects.
I would like to get to know other artists/ writers and be a part of a network of information, support, encouragement and uplift!

teri wrote: "Hello all. I'm from New York City and enjoy writing fiction, blogging, and (less enjoyable but more necessary) do lots of copy writing. I belong to a ning site www.onthewing.ning.com with a small ..."

Teri. I am a writer living in Richmond, VA. The Ning writers group sounds great. I am not too familiar with "nings" but have heard of them. One of my favorite authors John Green has one called Nerd Fighters. He writes YA fiction. Propmts are a great way to develop writing skills. I've also found a few free writing carriculums available online. I've found reading the assigned readings and doing the exercises to help me grow as a writer. Here's a link to one I;ve been working through for the past couple weeks.

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view....

Hello all. I'm from New York City and enjoy writing fiction, blogging, and (less enjoyable but more necessary) do lots of copy writing. I belong to a ning site www.onthewing.ning.com with a small group of writers called word salad that I've been having lots of fun with, practicing various prompts. I'm wondering what kinds of things you do here to develop your writing skills? Looking forward to fun!

Hello :)

I've enjoyed writing since back in the day when I studied it at St. Philomene's school. I'm 50 and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I've been blogging for about five years now.

I'll be participating in this year's NaNoWriMo. I enjoy reading across the genres and my favorite writing form is the essay.

I appreciate anyone who shares my passion for words, language, and the art of story.

I'm releasing my story out into the world, and I'd love to share it with you all. It's a memoir entitled Musical Chairs, and people seem to either love it or hate it. As I begin to dig in to my next project, a novel, I look forward to any feedback on my first published book.

Best,
Jen

Hi, I am Brett R. Williams, Author of You Can Be Right or You Can Be Married. My book is available at my website Relationship Coaching Over the Phone I would love to have you visit my website and leave a comment. You Can Be Right or You Can Be Married Love-Based Solutions for Couples I am excited to join this group and here what every one else is doing with their books, etc. I read a lot of non-fiction and some fiction..including young adult fantasy. I read a lot of books on marriage, which relates to my business
Online Marriage and Phone Counseling
I am looking for new friends on Good Reads and people who might want to add my book to their shelf, love to get some feedback.

M.L. wrote: "Most writers feel as if their work is not good enough, but there's a big danger in returning repeatedly to a work already published to "fix" it. The danger here is that you can get so hung up on fi..."

This is true, I've seen it happen in many auto-biographies and so, and with myself too. I get so hung up on making my piece "perfect" that I only end up making it worse, so I try to keep neutral on that feeling, I try not to exaggerate. I've had it where I have something amazing, and then I try to make it "better" and people who read the aftermath are like "It was so much better before" and that's when I get angry at myself!

dears,



Here are some comments send by a great scholar on my book. Have a look on, and write to me about my book, "The Unfathomable Vastness of God"".regards, yours, khan.waiting!!!!!!!!!!!


The Appreciation of a book “Al-Waseo” written by Prof.Mohd.Khan


The Book Name : “Al-Waseo”


The writer,s name : Professor Mohammad Khan Hastal


The Critic,s name : Syed Raza Ali Shah



Date : 15-04-2009.



My, the most respected Professor Chaudry Mohammad Khan Hastal, I have gone through your

Book entitled “Al-Waseo”. The name of the book which have suggested and adopted has given

an impetus and vastness to it.


Verse :-

“Colour speaks and perfume oozes out of words and pains flourishes as you come”

My heart felt freshness and ease.It gave moral happiness and satisfaction. My brain

achieved fragrance and relief. Almighty God,the creator of earth and skies, who is the

Light of earth and universe showered his blessings on worlds. His greatest blessing is that

He sent , the king of universe, the pride of existence, the prime reason for creation of universe,

The worthy master, the leader of prophets and the beloved of God Mohammad PBUH for the

Guidance of humanity and universe. He laid stress that if you love God, follow me and in return God

will love you. These are the orders of the king of all kings, no one else is worthy of worship other than

Him, Who is one and lonely, Has got all the powers, merciful, forgiving and forgiver of all the bounties, He

Is who

Verse :-

“You are transparent in laks of hidings

You are the shining star amongst hundreds of stars.”

Lord is himself vast and unfathomable and His creation is also in abundance. He is known and

Cognizant of all things. It is not possible for any enlightened, worthy of fine beings dwellers of earth,

Creation living in oceans and heavenly bodies to encompass any attribute of Almighty God.

Professor Mohammad Khan has embraced the Momins with real moral joice. My prayer is that may

God raise the status of Professor Sahib in this world and here after and enhance his faith.

Verse:-

“It is not an easy affair, after many years elapse a man emerges from the earth.””

“ God ,s umbrella of blessings may cover you .May God fill your nights and days

With pleasure.


waiting for them who love God and His powers.regards, yours, khan.waiting!!!!!!


" The Al-Waseo"" (Arabic) "The Unfathomable Vastness of God."" (English)

I think Da Vinci said "A work of art is never completed, merely abandoned."

If that principle was good enough for him...

Most writers feel as if their work is not good enough, but there's a big danger in returning repeatedly to a work already published to "fix" it. The danger here is that you can get so hung up on fixing something that's already published, or very nearly so, that you fail to move on. I've seen this happen time and again. Being a perfectionist, I've almost fallen prey to this. But you cannot keep returning to a book to "fix" it as your knowledge of the craft of writing grows. If you keep returning, you do not progress. However, if you think of each book you write and revise and publish as a milestone in your career, then you tend to obsess less over what you could've done better and actually do it better in your next book(s). At some point you have to let go of the old and embrace the new. You must do this. Or you will simply become another author who wrote one book and revised it to death. There are plenty of those types of one-book authors out there. Let go and climb the next rung.

From my first book to my last somewhere in the far future, it's going to be a constant effort to improve. I accept this. That's why they say there are no masters of writing, only journeymen. Even Stephen King is only a journeyman. He would tell you that himself. Now, he could've stayed hung up on Carrie, his first novel, or he could move on. Obviously, he moved on. But if you read Carrie and compare it to his later works, you see the progress. That's what being a writer is all about. If you obsess over one book, you will waste too much time you could've been writing the next one. You won't get far if you don't get a grip and move on. Obsessing over one book, usually your first, is not the sign of a great writer--it's the sign of someone who simply could not let go and failed to move on.

Every author sees the flaws in his or her own work like no other ever will. The truly great ones do the best they can with each one and simply move on.


Mari

dears,




All members are very good and excellent. they all are very much cool and peace loving. i hope that all good members will feel free to give me good idea about my great book , "The Unfathomable Vastness of God"".

This book is my life and every thing. May God bless you all.


regards and love,

yours,

KHAN. a PEACE LOVER.""

Beata wrote: "Phillip wrote: "Blanca,

the perception that one's writing is never good enough is very common, and it should not stop you from trying. I am always dissatisfied with my work, yet I keep trying, as ..."

I agree so too!

dear Jen,



Hello every one there,


Here is Professor Mohammad Khan hastal who wrote a great and a fantastic book named , "The Unfathomable Vastness of God"" on God and His powers.


All those who love God, they all are welcomed here.


I shall ask from you that my English version is ready for sale. I am waiting for all good members to submit their good ideas.


Please this is a great book on God and I told the world that God is here , there, every where and any where in this universe.


"" With new challenges and new ideas with Western scholars and from the Holy Quran.""



Read and read it again and again, and come near to God who do not believe in God.


It is almost for the atheists of the world who is the half of the population of the world.



we must think about them that why they are wasting their lives on the wrong way and path.



May God bless all of them. Peace to all.""


I am waiting from all good members to take notice of it.


regards, and love,


yours,


Prof;khna.Chakwla.


www.freewebs.com/hastal


A new web site willstart working in a very near future, inshahullah !!!!!!!!!


Regards to every one here and there !!!!!!!!!

It's not about money; it's about craft.

Only writers worth their salt are devoted enough to return to published work. I admire you, Rick.

I took my first book off the market, told other people not to read it, and revised it, even giving the book a new title. Paranoid, perhaps; but I put out a much better version. Even now I tell myself it could have been better.

I want to piggy back off what Phil said earlier. Writers need to read, it's the type of education you can't buy. Read everything (good) you can get your hands on. So, being here is a good start :)

You tell yourself it's not "good enough" soas not to become lazy or presumptuous.

Phillip wrote: "Blanca,

the perception that one's writing is never good enough is very common, and it should not stop you from trying. I am always dissatisfied with my work, yet I keep trying, as I know that ther..."

Absolutely! Philip's right, you know. I think it might have been Kurt Vonnegut who would take his published novels and re-write them, because they weren't "good enough."

Blanca,

the perception that one's writing is never good enough is very common, and it should not stop you from trying. I am always dissatisfied with my work, yet I keep trying, as I know that there is always room for improvement, and that, even if my work does not totally satify myself, it can, and it has, made others happy.

yrs

Phillip

It's just that I am my worst critic, and I'm constantly working on making my writings better, always finding something wrong with them, but thank you! Passion is most important, especially in English.

Blanca wrote: "Hello. I'm Blanca, and I'm currently drinking coffee while sitting in a class room. I absolutely love reading, but my absolute passion is writing. I keep my SK08 filled with a bunch of nonesense, a..."

I Blanca! How can you say your writing will never be good enough....? Passion is most important, I think. And if you have it, you're half way there! :)

Hello. I'm Blanca, and I'm currently drinking coffee while sitting in a class room. I absolutely love reading, but my absolute passion is writing. I keep my SK08 filled with a bunch of nonesense, and my writings will never be good enough. Anyway, I'm open to any topic discussion, of course, I stay liberal and respectful about it. :-)

I am Sue. I replied a bit ago about learning the memoir an autobiography distinction. If you want to do a lot of research, write the memoir. If you are into the creation process...write an autobiography. As long as you are the subject, and you are free w/ the ideas on "you", or else this could be risky.

Jamie,

"But right now my passion is greater than my ability, causing frustration."

That is the very essence of being a writer. It's that overwhelming passion that leads the writer to forever strive for improvement, to write better, and to continue to write.

Writing is a learning curve. The more you do it, the more you learn and become comfortable with it, and the more your writing will improve. With that comes to confidence to let yourself out, develop your voice, and let your writing truly come alive.

So just write. Write, review, edit, revise, and write. It's ok to hate your first draft. The first draft isn't about getting it right, it's about letting the story flow. It's the final product after revisions and editing that counts.

As they say, writing was meant to be rewritten.

M.L. wrote: "Here's a short story that might explain some of why you get frustrated as a writer. In any case, it might give you a good laugh, too. The greatest story in the world starts with the first w..."

I've got two stories like that. I guess the author gig is a very self-referential one. 'Chasing His Own Tale' was released as an Echelon Short last month, and I wrote the sequel to it at about the same time. They're both very silly.

Paul wrote: "Hehe. Nice one M.L."

Thanks, Paul! Only a writer can appreciate such stuff...LOL

Hehe. Nice one M.L.

Jamie,

Here's a short story that might explain some of why you get frustrated as a writer. In any case, it might give you a good laugh, too. The greatest story in the world starts with the first word.

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/5181...

I agree with Phillip. Chisel a chunk of free time out of your crowded day and use it just for writing. Not for editing, or social networking, or creating a treatment, or plot development. Just for writing.

Having said that, it won't be possible to guarantee your e.g. three hours free every day. Sometimes there are interruptions or committments you can't escape.

Also, if you're a creative person with a fertile imagination, you will generate more ideas for stories than you can ever write. It's the same for everyone else. Get used to it. When you die, you'll have notebooks filled with unused but viable ideas.

So choose one idea and stick with it till it's finished. Don't try to write two things over the same time span. You can develop a plot for book A, write book B and edit book C over the same span, 'cos they're different activities. But don't try and write book A for an hour in the morning and book B for a couple of hours in the evening. I don't think it'll work.

Your passion is greater than your ability?

Good. Cherish the passion. Nurture it. Feed it. Just be sure to grow your ability as well. The first writing attempts by anyone suck. They get better with time, experience and learning more about the craft.

And as Phillip also said, first drafts are messy and full of mistakes. That's why we edit, have people review them, revise, write another (better) draft, and possibly repeat the process a few more times.

Just keep going as best you can. No one can do more than that.

One of the best pieces of advice about writing that I have read, Jamie, was to set aside time to write, and use that time only for writing. I'm able to set aside 3 hours a day, and I have been racing through my work like nothing else. (With Nanowrimo coming up, that will mean an average of 3000 words on my novel's first draft a day, 90 000 words projected!)

And don't worry about messy first drafts, either: revise, revise, revise, and those drafts get better and better every time.

Greetings. My name is Jamie.

I'm struggle to not lose my cool as I face a crisis. I want to be a writer. I want this more than anything. It's like I woke up one morning and I was someone different, someone who had to write. Interstitial fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror; long, short, or short short, I don't care; they are all my obsessions. I love to read them and I really want to write them. But right now my passion is greater than my ability, causing frustration.

This is me today.

I am Lori (L.V. Gaudet) and I write fiction. Why do I always feel like I'm at an AA (Authors Anonymous) meeting with these introductions?

I have been writing a variety of fiction genres and am still working towards having a book published. I also can be found haunting the halls of such places as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.

You can check out my blog http://lvgwriting.wordpress.com/

Hi, I'm Roxanne. I notice quite a few teen writers on this forum. I'm not a teenager, but I write for young adults. My latest sci fi series, The Colonial Scouts Adventures, is about an elite group of teenagers who search the galaxy for habitable planets. Each book takes place on a different world and has a different theme, limited only by my imagination.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Brighid, or Britney. (Whichever) - I nineteen years old, turning twenty in November. I am much like everyone else here in that I love reading and writing. Currently I am writing my first fantasy fiction novel.

Next year I plan to start college and work my way toward a Bachelors in English: Emphasis on Creative Writing. I hope, in the future, to be both an English Teacher and a Fiction Writer.

My other passions are Irish and Japanese history, mythology, ancient cultures, animals/wildlife/nature, instrumental music, and even video games! =) I'm a diverse person with diverse interests so feel free to message me or add me if you feel we have things in common!

I feel so blessed to find this group on goodreads.

Hi, my name is Beata and although I'm not about to mention my age, let's just say I am OLD. I've been writing since I was 8 years old. Originally in Polish, because that's where I'm from. Then, reluctantly, in English. I have lost count of all the stories (mostly first drafts and unfinished) I've written over the years and to this day find things I apparently wrote at one time or another, but shamefully never bothered to do anything with them. Now, I'm thinking I really should shape up and at least keep in touch with people who are serious about writing...

Hey everyone! Great site; even better people. Thanks for the invitation! My name's Dwayne. There's not enough time in the day, to read everything on my list...I make sure to get my writing in though! A schedule, I don't dare neglect. My first book, A Child's Wound hit Amazon last month and hits the retail stores next month. I look forward to meeting everyone (online) and I'm open to any questions and of course I'll have a few myself...

Cheers,
Dwayne
www.dwaynekavanagh.com

Hello to All!!! I'm new to the board and very interested in what you have to say. I'm trying to become an author but can never find the guts to have any of my works published. I'm sure that I will pick up a great number of pointers here! Thanks!

Paul wrote: "Greg - a fact, which may or may not help you.

Of all writers who are published (by others, not themselves). less than 1% can afford to pay their bills and eat solely by writing.

When you are une..."

I get it.
Sometimes I have to catch myself when I hear someone say that (write because you like it)and remember that I'm trying to get paid for it so I can have more time to do it.
Don't get me wrong. I do like to write, honestly. I just hate having to stop because I'd have go to do some job I really don't want to do; which would be any that doesn't require me to write a novel.
Thanks for the reply though. GW.

Greg - a fact, which may or may not help you.

Of all writers who are published (by others, not themselves). less than 1% can afford to pay their bills and eat solely by writing.

When you are unemployed, you should devote the best part of your efforts to finding another job which will pay the bills.

But that only takes up part of your time. The rest, why not enjoy the leisure? Write, write, and then write some more!

When you get a job again, value your spare time. Use it to write. Write as much as you can.

That only applies if you actually like writing.

It doesn't really matter whether you're good enough or not, the chances are that, no matter how good you are, you will never make a full time living from writing. You can make some money, and have a damn good time, and have something which takes you away from the normal humdrum. But to expect it to pay your bills any time soon?

I think you get what I'm saying.

Hi guys. I've been a new member for a few weeks, but this is the first time I've had a chance to comment. I've read the comments here and like what I see; therefore, I felt compelled to add to them.
Time is something I've struggled with for a few years. I would love to do nothing but write; however, from what I read (from authors and publishers), it's advisable to have a job, even if you've been published. (I'm unpublished and laid off.) What I need to know is, am I good enough to warrant focusing all my time on writing instead of job hunting? That's the big question. How do you know? I've asked some authors (Lisa Scottoline and Lisa Gardner)this question but have yet to receive a reply.