DEMO

Yummy, isn't it? LOL. .

Hey y'all: Today I removed my story as well. I did it for a lot of reasons but the main one was the incredible time-suck that it is. I was spending as much time there as I had been running around The World Of Warcraft killing Horde. And I ~LOVED~ the WoW. I am so relieved about it too -- not having it looming over me. I learned a lot, had a lot of great feedback, the title of my story changed, I read a lot of really good writing, I read just as much really bad writing, and above all else, I made some real in-roads into my neurotic insecurity about my writing. So all in all a good thing. If I didn't have a job, a husband, or chores, I'd still be there . Or playing WoW. Dow.

So I haven't managed to totally figure out the deal . Can I post part of my story in a thread? If so where? Here? Maybe the first three or four pages? Should it be in another folder? Thanks for any info! Demo.

My favorite gay artist is Boy George (http://www.boygeorgelive.com/). I love him and always have .

Then there is melodrama: "Sister pissed me off! I am going to punch her in the neck. The Wh$%e." ~ My best friend, today (while driving). She was only mildly annoyed. I agree with Kit. Imagine how things happen between yourself and friends and then write that. It doesn't need to have an angry boil to be compelling. Just real.

Too true. Myself, perhaps, included . But a girl has to try. There are other options. I use and enjoy writing.com for example [see my signature]. I have 8 chapters there. The first three chapters are free and easy. Writing.Com encourages both readers and writers and rewards readers who also write. I think you will find the same sort of basic disinterest in long works there, but you will also be better able to protect your investment. Chapter 1, for me, has been 'viewed' 200 times. It was reviewed by 15 people. Chapter 2 has been 'viewed' 57 times. It was reviewed by 7 people. Chapter 3 has been 'viewed' 55 times. It was reviewed by 9 people. The rest -- 4 to 8 -- are behind a passkey and you must email me for the passkey. IT allows me to honestly say the work ~in its entirety~ has never been published. That group (behind the passkey) has been viewed at least 9 times and reviewed/rated at least twice. I say 'at least' because the WAY to review/rate changes and it becomes a more personal thing. I get private messages for those. I've developed a core, albeit small, readership there and those folks keep me honest (giggle) and NAG me to write more and to release more chapters. The bottom line is use what works for you and what makes you happy. If what you've been doing makes you happy then by all means continue. However, if you would like to publish one day, and are concerned about your first publication rights (and the all too many all to often vague interpretations of what those are), it might be worth looking into a place like writing.com. . DEMO P.S. May I just say that strangers on the internet are nice people. The reviews I get from folks who I've never met and who gain nothing for bothering are very nice. Even with a Gay hero I've been pleasantly surprised by the content of their emails. It is heartening, thrilling and, sometimes, quite emotional.

I think (and hope) there is a big giant middle ground between the extremes of Happy and Sad . I would settle for the middle ground ~anytime~ (I would happily take meds to live in the middle ground). I think the middle-ground is the base. .

Whether it is incomplete or complete, in the context of Authonomy, makes no difference. The point of Authonomy is to make the work of the junior editors -- the Slush Pile tenders -- easier. This is about peer review, being able to last and (sometimes) schmoozing. Everything we read (those of us who are still unpublished) tells us that the work is not the writing, the work is in getting it published. Which makes me feel a little nauseous . Presumably we are being asked to look at the work in the context of (a) is this work salable and ( is it publishable. Much of it isn't. And doesn't get watchlisted or bookshelved. Some work does and that should be about the about A & B ~and~ the writer's ability. Along the same lines Agents, in an effort to assess our standard, salability in general and specifically, ask for a query. Then a sample or a partial and then, maybe, a full. I think this is sort of the same thing. They want to see that we can DO it first. Then they may (though I understand that it hasn't happened yet) ask for a full. There does seem to be a difference of opinion relative to 'publishing' ones entire work to the web. One agent, via a comment stream, told me that it was a question of being able to sell to the public what the writer has already given away. Then, on Authonomy there was a post about someone's work being stolen and published as an E-book 'in the states'. The curious thing, to me, is that Authonomy in their too-brief-FAQs, seems to infer that uploading the full MS rather than a partial is preferable and makes your work more competitive in the field of other completed novels. But if no one is reading them through it doesn't seem to matter. Yet many agents, on their blogs, say that publishing it ALL makes the work worthless to them and to a publisher. It is a dichotomy. And it inspires all sorts of conspiracy theories (which I won't go into here because you guys still think I am a reasonable, sane person). I wish my novel was complete. I am glad that yours is (Are? Haven't I read that you've completed multiple novels?). I applaud you. I don't think that the folks at Authonomy are ~ever~ going to read a complete UNLESS the MS is finally selected for publication. But I am wrong all the time. Possibly in this very post . Finally, I think that the basic problem with Authonomy is that they have writers rating the work of other writers. Not that I don't value the peer-review (I certainly do), but I think that allowing readers to READ the work and then rate it would make more sense relative to the basic fairness and overall assessment. Maybe some sort of Reader review system with rewards for reviews where the rewards are books from the HC list (maybe those not doing as well?). That seems like a great idea for marketing if for no other reasons than to turn folks on to HC authors. That, at the very least, would free writers up to write. Dow.

I posted last night that I had removed my story. And I had. Today I had second thoughts. So I put the darn thing back up. ~rolling the dice~

Those are both very nice. The second is my favorite. I can't think of any. Blah. .

I feel like I sort of rushed in. I posted my 10,000 words and was pretty happy with it. Then I realized that maintaining two "live" versions of my work was going to be a real pain. So I removed my book for now. But I am still trying to be active in the forums in case I change my mind. They are a fun group. You can join and kick around for a while before uploading your book.

Thanks .

This is me and my partner of 9 years, Jae. He is in front.

Thanks Graeme!

Hi: I am new too . Just found you all today. Great to be here. DEMO.