Writers, oh ye sad brethren of mine...

[Umael]

I just got caught up with my writing schedule, after being unable to write four days worth.

That's 4000 words put into the history of the world I'm currently building.

(And here I am, writing more.)

So... any other writers out here want to admit to your addiction or profession to the written word?

[Ravyn]

I am a writer.

With writer's block for the last three years. I'm trying to get it back; I guess I need an idea that isn't immediately going to siphon into a game. Got one from my librarywork, though...

But I'm still a writer, and I've been working hard on my ability to keep dramatic tension up and to show= rather than telling. I think that when I can get my NPCs' emotions across to my players over the internet without explicitly saying them, I'll be ready to try again...

[AtVaR]

I'm also a writer.. building a world as well. More for myself than for a game though.

[Muffin_Mage]

I'm a temporary writer. From November 1, I take a year's worth of silly in-jokes and bizarre connections and weave them together with a random theme to come up with some huge chunk of gibberish that vaguely resembles a novel.

Any other NaNoWriMo (nanowrimo.org) folks here?

[BelkarsDagger]

I love creative writing, but all of my stuff turns out horrible, I never finish it, or no one likes it. I tend to re-use things from pervious things I've written.

[Lucky]

I do occasionly write as a hooby, I'm not intense, but I'm currently writing a fantasy story with a friend, we only have one chapter, but I don't think it's that bad. If anyone wants to rip it to pieces for me, I can post it here. ;D

[PhoeKun]

Ooh, pick me! I'll rip it to pieces!

I write... constantly. I write up gaming stuff, I write essays, fiction, poetry... message board posts... almost everything.

Maybe some day, I'll be paid for it.

[Lucky]

Ooh, pick me! I'll rip it to pieces!



Would you be so kind? :P

[PhoeKun]

Well, I would critique it, yes. Wouldn't actually rip it apart unless it was bad...

[Lucky]

Cheers! Alright, I think I will post it then... Hope you guys like it, or at least don't hate it... :'(

...

Isendel turned and sprinted down the grim alleyway. The shouting of the guards grew fainter, and then louder as they rounded the corner. Stray wisps of long black hair were stuck to the elf’s face as he ducked into a shop, pushing a curtain out of his way. As the guards ran past, running at full tilt, Isendel started to breathe a little easier. Pulling out a small, glistening ring from his pocket, he contemplated the stolen object that was the reason he had attracted the guards’ ire.
Isendel stared deeply into the depths of the blood ruby that was mounted on the gold ring, its deep red hue making his eyes glow a similar tinge. Yes… he thought, this, this was worth it… the duke would miss this little treasure.
His thoughts were interrupted as the faint sounds of the hollering guards grew slowly more audible, a clear sign that he was not safe just yet.
“Here we go again,” he whispered to himself, as he crept deeper into the gloomy recesses of the cluttered shop, tucking himself in behind an old, dust-coated wardrobe. Peeking around one edge of the wardrobe, Isendel settled himself back on his haunches and leaned against it, watching the curtain covering the doorway leading to the alley.
Suddenly, a shadow passed over the curtain, blocking the weak rays of the morning pouring in around the edge. Isendel held his breath and drew his slim, basket-hilted rapier out slowly so as not to make the ringing noise that comes all too commonly with drawing a sword. He quickly put the gold ring back into his black leather doublet. As the curtain was wrenched aside, Isendel readied himself, calming his breathing and holding his rapier low in order to prevent any tell-tale glints of sunlight off the polished blade.
Isendel could now see the man who was stepping into the cluttered shop, and by the way he held his sword, Isendel quickly noticed that he was an amateur swordsman; this fight would be easy….
As the guard walked moved cautiously deeper into the shop, drawing his sword as he came, Isendel ducked back behind the wardrobe, relying now on only his keen elven hearing. Listening, Isendel waited with baited breath as the guard drew closer to his hiding spot. The footsteps stopped, and Isendel could here the man’s heavy breathing, the man was nervous. This was his chance.
Isendel lunged out of his hiding place and with a lightning-quick thrust of his piercing blade, drove his rapier into the man’s chest, right into the heart. The man dropped quickly after Isendel pulled his rapier out, and died within seconds. Isendel took care to hide the man in the back of the shop and cleaning up the blood with the guard’s cloak. It would be awhile before anyone found the watchman.
Isendel crept to the front of the shop, his light steps not making a sound. He slowly pulled back the curtain and peered down the alleyway. There was only one guard left in his path, and he appeared to be unaware of Isendel’s location, standing at the end of the alley with his back turned to the shop. This man was much bigger, and much more armoured than the guard who was now lying at the back of the shop. Isendel sheathed his rapier, reached into his sleeve, and pulled out Life Reaper, a glistening black-bladed kris, a dark green emerald embedded in the bottom of the black obsidian hilt. This was a treasure from a past heist, but Isendel was unable to part with it when it came time to sell it; there was just something about it that wouldn’t let him.
He looked back at the guard at the end of the alley; the guard would never see him coming. He snuck up slowly behind the armoured guard, and in one swift motion, slipped the wavy blade between the neck and shoulder, right where the helmet ended, and the body armour began, leaving less than a half-inch of space to slide the dagger into.
The guard fell with a crash, and Isendel wiped the bloody blade on the guard’s armour, before placing Life Reaper back into its black leather scabbard hidden in the sleeve of his jacket. The emerald in the kris’ hilt seemed to shine a little brighter for a fleeting moment.
Isendel walked into the street, blending in with the now scrambling crowd. He was now nearly invisible. He raised his hood over his head a let a sly grin slip out of his normally emotionless face; yet again, Isendel had gotten away.

End

Well, that's what I have, so rip critique honestly if you would.

[PhoeKun]

It's a risky venture, opening a story in the thick of an action sequence. It also seems a tad short for a chapter, but that's not really a problem, especially if its meant to be a short story.

The action itself is engaging, and fast paced. Sometimes, the writing gets a little loose, but it doesn't hurt the story all that much.

There's probably a lot more I can say about this, but my brain seems to have shut off. Perhaps another time. Do keep writing...

[Lucky]

Well, you can get back to me when it turns back on, it is a short chapter, but it will likely be the shortest if I am to continue it, I just wanted to introduce the character the most engaging way how: action.
Yeah, I have noticed it got a little loose in places, I do intend to fix it, just wanted to see if it was noticeable first. So thanks for the critique! This is actually the first time I've had the guts to show off anything I had or helped written... (Other than character backgrounds of course!)


Do keep writing...

Thanks! That actually means a lot to me to hear, makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

[BelkarsDagger]

...I've made little mininovels where the opening line is "Open fire, damnit!" Nothin' wrong with starting in the heat of an epic battle.

[Ravyn]

So, we've got a pretty effective thief, a cursed blade, and a nice short sketch.... it's a pretty good start. The thing, though, is to bring something new to the table. Where's the difference?

And I agree with Phoe. One of the people I ran into at one point was so convinced of things he couldn't do that he never bothered to do things.... don't go down that path. No good. (I know from personal experience.)

[The_Librarian]

I started writing a lot in my second year of secondary school, but couldn't get any of my stuff noticed without an agent so I decided to do stories purely for pleasure. There's a lot of fanfics out there :D I've got the plans and notes (including maps) for two original stories, but they're somewhere... in a plastic bag, maybe, in a cardboard box somwhere, hopefully at my parents' place.

I tell myself that the town is one big collaborative story. Maybe that way I can justify the amount of time I spend on it!

[Jibar]

I sense a move to Arts and Crafts...

But I'm a writer, hoping to do be a professional author. It's a nice little escape from reality. Though I also love writing stuff for graphic novels. Alan Moore is my hero. ;D
But I've had writers block for ages now, and I've got rid of a lot of what I've already done. I'm my own worst critic, I bash everything I do. Plus I keep it all to myself, so nobody ever gets to read what I've done.

[The Prince of Cats]

I am a writer, though I have to admit to being ashamed of my published work. I am currently about 30,000 words into a story that may well rival Wheel of Time for its length if I am not careful. I have a plan, I just have a lot to fit into it. [Link (http://tinyurl.com/frh6o)]

My first published work was an epistolary novel, such damning evidence of my pretentious nature. It was technically bluebook for a V:tM game but it kind of got out of hand and became a tale of its own; tragic romance and all those things goths love. A friend in Texas showed it to her friend who worked in publishing and the rest is history. I hate it... I hate most of my previously-written works.

[Zaggab]

I wrote my first story when I was about 6 years old. It is a pain to read (though funny). The next year, I wrote another story that never got finished that was MUCH better than the first. The teachers loved it.
Then I wrote some things that never finished. None of them are good, but they are still good for a 7-10 year old.
When I was about ten, I started writing a story. I got to page 108. Everything written by hand. Then I realized that it sucked, so I stopped.

After that I have never been pleased with anything I write. I cannot write anything creative if I don't have to, and then I sleep poorly at night and get all anxious for everything and depressed.

Though I almost always get top grade on what I write.

[Eldred]

I am a writer too.

Ever since, well, about 11, I started writing stories and got completely obsessed: big time. Ever since 11 I've wanted to become a professional author and now I'm getting nearer and nearer.

Since about December '05, I've been working on a new novel: The Last Sorcerer. Thanks to a friend in our village, he's persuaded me to get through and finish it. And, it should be finished by the end of this month! Woohoo!

Once it has finished, it will go through editing and my editor predicts it will be published and ready to be sold in January '07.

I could give everyone a teaser of Chapter I, just to see what everyone thinks; good or bad. It would be really appreciated - no one but me and my editor has read it so I could really use some other opinions. Thanks!

[Dhavaer]

I write. I can't finish anything, mostly because I can't pace for short stories and don't have the attention span for novels. I'm hoping that the one I'm working on now should change that, but that's what I've hoped every time...

The driver squinted through his bug-flecked windscreen, looking down on the road ahead of him from the height of his truck’s cabin. It was hard to be sure, but he thought he could see a dark figure on the road, a few hundred yards ahead on the road. Thinking it was better to be safe than sorry, he eased on his brakes, slowing enough to stop in time if there was indeed someone in front of him. He was nervous enough about drawing police attention, even with his employers’ assurances, without risking hitting someone, even if they were stupid enough to stand out on the road in the snow.

[Deckmaster]

I'm a writer. Kind of. I've written a lot of short stories, none of them very good. I've got a great idea for a novel, but I'm having a great deal of trouble trying to get myself to start writing.

[Alarra]

I sense a move to Arts and Crafts...
How right you are....this does belong over here.

Now then, I also write, somewhat....or rather am in the process of writing one book and collaborating on another. I actually haven't worked on either since about February....I should really do that again.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Oooh! ME! I write Stories! I have a Gundam Wing fanfic going at Fanfiction.net. And at the same time, I'm writing an Epic Fantasy Novel... :P. But anyway. One of the characters is the guy I'm named after, and its big, epic, and unfinished. I've got a prologue and three chapters so far, if anyone's interested.

Oh yeah, and I'm creating a campaign setting based on my novel.

[Daedrous Avari]

A writer. Not a drawer. Am I.

[Fri]

I still consider myself as a writer. I always introduce myself to others as adventurer/freelance writer/journalist/random quoting bard. I work at my college's magazine. And I guess I still want to be a novelist/journalist after I finished my college. But I've been in a massive writer's block for almost a year. Especially in the last couple of month. I can't even write to save my neck.

My girlfriend dumped me, and I can't write anything else since then. Yeah, I'm a loser. But I used to write random articles and sci fi/fantasy stories, and there's one or two that I really want to publish.

[BelkarsDagger]

"OPEN FIRE, DAMNIT!" screamed Weapons Coordinator Ryorthi as the warship shook. One by one, the plasma cannons fired their barrage of energy capsules at the opposing spacecraft. The attacking ship's Heat Shield took them all by surprise. "What the 'ell? No ship dat small 'as shielding," said Private Aggru. "I don't care, blow them out of the atmosphere!"

Opening paragraph for a Sci Fi novel I was writing a while ago.

[SacredStorm]

Well, my family and friends believe I am a very special artist. I guess drawing and coloring stuff came to me so naturally. Sooner or later once I get back this drawing that my high school stole from me, I mean, is showcasing I’ll present it to this board.

Anyways, one of my favorite fantasies is actually becoming an author full-time sooner or later in my life. I guess it began when I was seven, at that time I had to stay over my cousins’ house. Since there was nothing to do there we always walked towards their old school which had a playground. They were five years older than me so their mom let them watch me. At the playground we would roleplay ourselves being super heroes and what have you. (At the time I probably didn’t even know what the word meant.)

The heroes we created were stuck in my mind throughout the next nine years of my life. One day I hope to write a series about them. So far I have come up with eight plots that all fit together perfectly (to me of course.) However I truly hope one day these characters are put on paper. As long as one person says that my ideas are good I’ll be happy heh.

Right now I write short stories and sometimes I only think them up. I believe I have a wild imagination sometimes, and it can be shown through some of my artwork. There was one short story that I did last year that I thought was really good. It seemed a little bit cliché, but it was such a simple short story that a lot of people really said it was good. Maybe one day I’ll muster up the courage to post it haha!

[Alarra]

I did NaNoWriMo last year....didn't finish, but it was a blast.

[ZeldaEmblemFighter]

Meh. I write, I just don't write as fast as I think, which often causes me to become stuck in a rut and not be able to continue writing. So now, for example, I have a story I've been working on for a year and a half and I've yet to finalize my first chapter, but I've already got the whole plot figured out. Even got three sequels started in me head. Then I figured it would be forever before I wrote so I started a new story on an entirely different world.

I write fantasy. How about you guys?

[Dhavaer]

I write modern fantasy. At the moment I'm averaging about a page a day, but I started last weekend, so that's not too much.

[Vaynor]

I like to write, and have started a book, and am about 1,000 words into it so far, about to finish my first chapter... If you pester me enough I may post it... :P

EDIT: Fantasy... yeah...

[The Prince of Cats]

Perhaps what we need is a writer's community, to help each other out. Of course, how do you define 'writer'? Professional? Published? Or is it simply enough to aspire to having your current work published?

(if anyone wants to criticise my work, the link is in my signature and I have a thick skin; I used to be an actor and I doubt any of you can beat the newspapers for harsh criticism...)

[Vaynor]

Perhaps what we need is a writer's community, to help each other out. Of course, how do you define 'writer'? Professional? Published? Or is it simply enough to aspire to having your current work published?

(if anyone wants to criticise my work, the link is in my signature and I have a thick skin; I used to be an actor and I doubt any of you can beat the newspapers for harsh criticism...)
Hmm, that's a good idea, should we make a new thread, or just do it here?

EDIT: I'll make one... ;D

EDIT DEUX: Here (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=arts;action=display;num=1155156328;s tart=0#0) we go!