Howdy LitReactor folks,
So, clearly, I'm new. I'm looking to take my writing in a new direction. I'm a speechwriter. As my job, I do a lot of writing that's very focused on public policy and communicating clearly with the public. But truthfully I've always loved Fantasy and SciFi - that's what I wanted to be writing. And for years I did dabble, but never did anything with it or really committed to finishing out and polishing stories.
Well I'm finally ready to take the plunge. My goals are to start prepping short stories and the novel I've been working on sporadically for the last 9 years for something more, like open calls or competitions, with the eventual goal of getting something published.
Coming from always writing words for other people to use, I'm trying to get comfortable using my own voice again. Looking for all kinds of feedback. I'm about to post my first short story for feedback, so, you know, help a girl out?
-Maria
Nine is a lot of years...
Welcome to the pit.
Nine is a lot of years - that's why I'd actually like to finish it. It's weird that I never really thought of author or writer as a career and then end up in communications. I bounced around, pretty much doing whatever seemed interesting that still came with the lable of "REAL JOB". Writing for myself always got back-burnered. And then I had this moment of - well, if I can write everyone else's stuff and it's good enough for a paycheck, why not at least TRY actually writing my own.
Hi Maria!
Glad you finally made the plunge and went for taking care of SELF and your own inner needs.
I hear you loud and clear!! I'm new to LitReactor as well and have enjoyed the writing community very much. I was a part of another online writing community many years ago so I was hoping to duplicate that positive experience. This group has surpassed my previous experience.
From one newbie to another, I think you are in excellent writerly hands!
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
All the best,
Rochelle
Welcome!
You're in good company. I spent almost a decade writing financial/investment research before committing to my fiction. I'm still new to this experiment but the thing I have to remind myself over and over again is to focus on the project that excites you and not worry about what is/isn't "publishable". Oh, and critiquing other people's work here has been hugely helpful identifying my own writing weak spots.
Hope you're enjoying The Girl in the Road. I couldn't put it down!
Jenkap - I tore through it. It was one of those stories that I found unsettling but enthralling. My only quarrel was that the ending was a bit abrupt for me and the epilogue seemed like an afterthought. I did like how different it was from everything I normally read - there was something about it that was very foriegn to me, but it seemed so deeply personal that I still connected with it.
