Thou I havn´t participated that much in the discussions, I´ve instead followed the threads every now and then and it has been giving and interesting to read them.

I´m 33 years old writerwannabe and live in Sweden. I´ve allways liked to write but it wasn´t untill for a couple of years ago i finally decided to aim for one day become a full time writer.

I'm also participating in a writing course since September which has given me a tremendous boost in my writing.

Outherwise I´m single and I've no children. That means I'm free as a bird, but sometimes freedom is indeed just another expression for nothing left to lose.

Well, that was a little bit of myself. While I´m prusuiting my goals I also hope that you folks succed with yours.

My name is Christine, just like my handle. The other handle I usually use is not_a_witch, but if I ever get published I rather wanted the people I talked to about writing to know my real name. I write under my maiden name of Amsden, but i get paid under my married name, Morgan. (Remember that name..one day... )

So far in terms of publication, I have a craft writing piece coming out next month at T-Zero and an article on how to give critiques on Kathleen's SciFi & Fantasy workshop.

As of this moment, I have 12 completd short stories in la-la land waiting for rejection slips. (Er, I mean, waiting to be sold. I mean, who wouldn't want *my* stuff? It's pure poetry, full of wisdom and intrigue.) I am a hair over 50K into the second draft of a novel that I am hoping (knock on wood) to have finished by the end of October. Looks like I can have the draft done by the end of this month if I keep shooting for the moon like I have the last couple of weeks, then amonth to nitpick what I wrote, then off to the wolves to have it ripped to shreds! I'm hoping that early next year I will be circulating it to agents and publishers.

I am 27, live in the Kansas City area with my husband and two orange tabby cats, Kosh and Delenn, named after characters on my favorite scifi series, Babylong 5.

Writing is my job. I don't have another one. I graduated from college a few years ago with two bachelor's degrees, one in Computer Science and one in Psychology, but I'm not using either of them and haven't for almost a year now. When I got married, my husband agreed to support my full time efforts to become a writer and I nervously decided to take the chance, despite the backhanded comments from family and friends who think I should get a "real job." My mom is mostly afraid that something going to happen to my husband and I'll be SOL with no skills and no experience. I think my friends think I laze around all day. I long for the day when I sell my first novel as a sort of vindication and justification for all that I'm sacrificing now.

I spend a lot of time on hatrack and a couple other writer's forums because I enjoy the community of writers. I tend to offer my wisdom (cough) in the form of feedback a couple of times per week as part of the business of writing (you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours) and because I often get a sense for the weaknesses in my own work by studying the weaknesses in others.

I attended OSC's boot camp in 2003 and have spent a great deal of time studying the craft of writing. Now, if only I spent half that much time on research I'd be really good.

As for publications I was in an anthology type thing back when I was very young. (and stunk compared to the others.) I also have a story that a teacher stole from me to put in a memory type binder.

I have been personally influenced by: Bradbury, Tolkein, OSC, Hickman(who most recently really helped me get out of a perfectionist streak.)

As hurricane after hurricane bears down on Florida, it's sunny and 80 degrees here in Cleveland.

I just turned 40. None of you came to my birthday party, but I'm not bitter.

Husband came home from the hospital yesterday with a stent in his heart. He is weak and tired, but home. He will be going back into the hospital in a few weeks for more stents in his legs.

Thanks, one and all, for keeping us in your prayers. My husband/lover/partner/best friend was sicker than he's ever been in his life, and I more frightened than I'd ever been. I needed all the help I could get!

For a week I would rise every morning before dawn to feed and take care of animals, driving about 85 miles, spending the day worrying about, and helping nurses take care of, my husband, then driving the same 85 miles back home just in time to take care of animals again, then personal business for an hour or so before collapsing and sleeping, though not resting well, until time to do it all over again. [Don't even *think* of telling me everything that's wrong with the previous sentence. *weak grin*]

So that's my official excuse for not writing every day, and not writing still, yet. Okay, okay, it was more that I was too worried sick to be able to write. At this point, though, I need to rest and recoup my senses before I'll be fit to do anything.

Again, thank you all for keeping us in your prayers.

I hope you can get your life back into some form of normalcy soon. Trauma like this doesn't go away quickly, but I would bet it feels great to at least have him back home.

As far as his hospital experience goes, I would also bet that he is VERY glad to be out of there. I spent 2 months in the hospital after a very bad motorcycle accident, and I was never so glad to breathe fresh air and see the world again. The trauma of that experience is still with me today, I try to forget that part of it. But I will never forget the joy of coming. home.

Oh, what a relief! I'm so glad things are looking up for your sweetheart! I have been praying for you both.

I'm a 28 year old lover of just about any type of speculative fiction (well, maybe horror isn't quite my cup of tea). I have always wanted to be a writer and have put together several beginnings of short stories and novels, but have allowed the inner critic too much sway for too long. I mainly tend towards fantasy, but I can't help having sci-fi flavor some of my writing as well.

My goal is to complete anything before the year is out. Then my next goal is to overcome the inner critic again to actually submit something to a publisher.

My influences - gosh there are so many - Jane Austin, Anne McCaffrey, Shakespeare, Terry Pratchett, Tolkein, Madeline L'Engle, The Brothers Grimm, Charles De Lint, Rod Serling, Frank Herbert, Terry Brooks, and Orson Scott Card.

[letting huge breath out] I am SO glad to hear this - hated every day that went by with no clue - thank goodness things are looking up. Big wishes for your dh's continued improvement.

You said

quote:

---

Glad to be in the club and hope everyone has lots of critiques for me because I'm here to learn and for me, making mistakes is usually the only way I learn to do it the right way.

---

One of the best ways to learn in a writing workshop is to give critiques. The feedback you receive on one of your stories may only help you with that particular story, but if you give feedback to someone else on their story, you learn things that you may be able to apply to all of your work.

a great relief to hear from you and to hear that he is home. we'll keep thinking of you both and here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

Influences include, are not limited to and in no particular order:Robert Heinlein, Terry Brooks, JRR Tolkien, Steven King, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card (his writing books) and Max Lucado.

Rux