Do you remember being new?

[Lilin Penn]

I've been watching the boards for three weeks, not a long amount of time, but they intimidated me at first. With good reason, at least in my opinion.

After some of the responses I've seen I began to wonder...Does anybody remember what it felt like when they first began writing? Do you remember the nervousness and fear of putting your work out there for the public to rip apart? Do you remember coming to the forums to meet other people who had some of the same thoughts and feelings you did?

 

[cantdog]

No, I assumed the people in the AH forum were all blasé sophistos. I felt quite alone in my newness, and expected little sympathy.

All I had to show then was that first story of mine. Three volunteer editors were sent the thing ahead of time, and none of them did a thing but send me to the How-To section. Not even the remotest guidance. One of them, up for editor of the year in the nominations this time around, sent a Word file I couldn't read. May have been an edit job? I'll never know. I told all of them I had no MSWord. So after five weeks of that malarkey, back and forth to editors who were unresponsive and unhelpful, I posted it, and became an editor. Nowadays, I rank it low. I do better work now.

But I clearly remember the trepidation, putting it up.

 

[maggot420]

I've been watching the boards for three weeks, not a long amount of time, but they intimidated me at first. With good reason, at least in my opinion.

After some of the responses I've seen I began to wonder...Does anybody remember what it felt like when they first began writing? Do you remember the nervousness and fear of putting your work out there for the public to rip apart? Do you remember coming to the forums to meet other people who had some of the same thoughts and feelings you did?

i was intimidated at first too. still am some days
but i think you'll find that your fears are unfounded. its intimidating to post with authors that have been around a long time and are very talented and prolific and in some cases very outspoken. but ive found that they are all some of the most compassionate and supportive people you will meet in a literary sense and if you just dive in, you will be surprised and how generous they can truly be.
i could be way off base but it seems as though its the ones that have been around the longest or are the most talented that get the most ill willed feedback. deserves got nothin to do with it.
its true you may post and get ripped apart by someone that doesnt like your work but you can delete them and i can almost guarantee that you will find at least a few fans which will make it all worthwhile.

welcome to the AH and enjoy.

p.s. the ones that share the same thoughts and feelings as me are the ones that make me the most nervous

 

[Lilin Penn]

i was intimidated at first too. still am some days
but i think you'll find that your fears are unfounded. its intimidating to post with authors that have been around a long time and are very talented and prolific and in some cases very outspoken. but ive found that they are all some of the most compassionate and supportive people you will meet in a literary sense and if you just dive in, you will be surprised and how generous they can truly be.
i could be way off base but it seems as though its the ones that have been around the longest or are the most talented that get the most ill willed feedback.
its true you may post and get ripped apart by someone that doesnt like your work but you can delete them and i can almost guarentee that you will find at least a few fans which will make it all worthwhile.

welcome to the AH and enjoy.

p.s. the ones that share the same thoughts and feelings as me are the ones that make me the most nervous

I've been ripped a new one by an editor and was totally shocked by the response. For someone who was suppose to be helpful what they had to say was anything but.

The intimidation does come from seeing all the authors who have been around for a long time. There's more to it I'm sure...but that's the beginning.

From what I've noticed though it just seems that some of the "older" voices around here may have forgotton what it is like to be the little fish in the big pond.

 

[maggot420]

I've been ripped a new one by an editor and was totally shocked by the response. For someone who was suppose to be helpful what they had to say was anything but.

The intimidation does come from seeing all the authors who have been around for a long time. There's more to it I'm sure...but that's the beginning.

From what I've noticed though it just seems that some of the "older" voices around here may have forgotton what it is like to be the little fish in the big pond.

you dont need an editor.

it may seem that the "older" voices have forgotton but it takes time to make your presense felt. dont expect a response to everything you post. sometimes it feels like youre being ignored but believe me thats not the case.
im still a little fish myself...just remember the bigger a fish you are, the bigger a meal youre gonna make

 

[cloudy]

From what I've noticed though it just seems that some of the "older" voices around here may have forgotton what it is like to be the little fish in the big pond.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you here.

We're all little fish in a big pond here....just some of us are louder fish than others.

Sure, there's jokes that some of the new folks won't get, but hang around awhile, and you'll be in on the new ones.

 

[cantdog]

Lilin, you have 19 submissions! Good God, that's a lot, you know.

How long before you stop being new? I only have 19 submissions, and I don't feel so very new any more.

I agree about editors, though, as you see from the post above. I did find one, finally, who would proofread and then make serious suggestions about specific weaknesses in the story. It took months, though, pluggin away looking.

What did we do, here in the AH? The editors is one thing, but have we been bad?

 

[moonlight elf]

Yes, I remember. It was just 3 months back that I'd joined Lit. Being shy I never though I'd fit in but I love writing so I decided to give it a try.

The first week I simply lurked around the AH but wasn't brave enough to post. I did find myself a quite little thread on one of the other boards to call home. There I meet Fairysong, she introduced me to the AH.

That second week I met Abs and Nikki. The 3 of them were so welcoming. By the end of the week I had not only made new friends but I'd made a 100 posts and got my AV.

I remember how nervous I was that I wasn't a good enough writer and how excited I was when I had my very first work posted(hehe that was just 2 months ago).

Since then I've posted more often, and meet some wonderful people here. I love the guys at the AH

I hope to see you more often....stick around and you'll meet the crazy wonderful gang. Welcome To the AH!!!!!!

Moonlight

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I'd been showing my non-erotic stuff for a long time before I ever came to Lit and I'm a pretty good judge of writing. I can't always do it myself, but I can tell the good from the bad. When I first came to Lit, I read about 4 or 5 stories picked at random and so I had a pretty good idea of where I stood.

I take a lot more chances now than I did then, and so, if anything, I'm more nervous about what I publish now. But like Maggott said, I've never found the people on the Author's Hangout to be anything less than kind and considerate. The flaming comes from anonymous comments, and everyone gets those.

--Zoot

 

[Lilin Penn]

Lilin, you have 19 submissions! Good God, that's a lot, you know.

How long before you stop being new? I only have 19 submissions, and I don't feel so very new any more.

I agree about editors, though, as you see from the post above. I did find one, finally, who would proofread and then make serious suggestions about specific weaknesses in the story. It took months, though, pluggin away looking.

What did we do, here in the AH? The editors is one thing, but have we been bad?

I only feel new to the forum, I didn't try the forum until about 3 weeks ago. I just wrote and kept to myself. It's not anything anyone did it was just an observation.

I didn't expect everything I said to be responded to, god I hope you didn't think that's what I was out for.

Most people here have been friendly and helpful, I was just wondering for my own curiousity.

 

[cantdog]

That's a relief. I thought we'd been callous, as we sometimes can be, certainly. Old cranky people like me can rant just to hear our own voices.

 

[sophia jane]

I'm still pretty new, so I remember very well (almost like it was yesterday )

It was very hard for me to submit my first poems and stories; I was an absolute disaster. Hell, I still am when I first put something up. But the board has been great. Everyone here has been wonderful to me, and I've made several friends that I feel like I've known for years.

SJ

 

[Dar~]

That's a relief. I thought we'd been callous, as we sometimes can be, certainly. Old cranky people like me can rant just to hear our own voices.

Speak for yourself old man. Us young people can be pretty cantakerous.

 

[cantdog]

I love you when you're testy, dar.

 

[cantdog]

Even better when you're spunky

 

[English Lady]

Lilin love,I know how you feel as I felt very similar for a long time here. I was looking throughmy old subscribed threads the other day and I reember seeing a post where I say "And I was just beginning to feel like i fit in here too" you know how many posts I had? Over 12000 and it was a good year into me hanging around the hangout.

I was very much in awe of these Author guys,these folks who hold so much knowledge and who write so beatifully and take it all so seriously, I felt as if I were masquerading as an author and I'd be discovered at any moment and kicked out. I think taking part in the competitions and the competition related threads really helped me feel a part of things here. You've just got to jump in and give it a go.


Don't skulk around the outskirts dive into the midst of it all and you'll soon feel ike an AH regular. I sure as hell wish I'd been less hesitant about it...

 

[LadyJeanne]

Wading into the midst of a bunch of strangers can feel intimidating until the people are no longer strangers.

One thing that helped me was to start reading through stories written by people on the board who caught my attention through their posts or a reference to an interesting plot or way of handling a plot twist. Reading their work helped me to see everyone as individuals with their own tastes and styles and ways of expressing themselves instead of "The AH".

Their stuff is pretty hot too, so the reading is fun as well.

 

[Lilin Penn]

Lilin love,I know how you feel as I felt very similar for a long time here. I was looking throughmy old subscribed threads the other day and I reember seeing a post where I say "And I was just beginning to feel like i fit in here too" you know how many posts I had? Over 12000 and it was a good year into me hanging around the hangout.

I was very much in awe of these Author guys,these folks who hold so much knowledge and who write so beatifully and take it all so seriously, I felt as if I were masquerading as an author and I'd be discovered at any moment and kicked out. I think taking part in the competitions and the competition related threads really helped me feel a part of things here. You've just got to jump in and give it a go.


Don't skulk around the outskirts dive into the midst of it all and you'll soon feel ike an AH regular. I sure as hell wish I'd been less hesitant about it...

I about fell out of my chair! That is perfectly put! As I said I asked out of sheer curiousity. I thank all of you for being so kind with your answers.

*smoochies*
Lilin

 

[English Lady]

Lilin...a pleasure

 

[moonlight elf]

I about fell out of my chair! That is perfectly put! As I said I asked out of sheer curiousity. I thank all of you for being so kind with your answers.

*smoochies*
Lilin

Not a problem. Just stick around and get to know the gang. You've already meet some of them here. You'll get along just fine give it a try, and time

Btw, if u ever need help there is a newbie support thread.....I bumped it.

 

[Guest]

Welcome lilin penn, to the fold.
i know just how you feel/felt. i submitted a story after lurking here for a while... hell, i didnt even sign on with a nick and floated around as anon for a while before deciding to take the plunge.
the people on the AH made me very nervous. and while it has changed somewhat since the first day i actually posted, with my palms sweating, i did wonder if someone would shun me.
everyone here was nice...even the meanieheads. go figah! in any case...long story short, *too late* im very glad you are here.
just sit right down and youll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...
it started from this tropic port aboard a fateful ship

*grin*

 

[impressive]

I'm not as old as I look.

Seriously. I wrote and submitted stories to Lit for a year before discovering the forums. Then I was like, "Whoa! There's a place where the writers congregate. Hey! I'm a writer, too. I'll take a dip in the pool." That was about six months ago.

Before that time, I was totally oblivious to this little Lit microcosm.

So, to answer your question -- Yes. I do remember what it felt like to be "new." It felt like coming home.

Welcome -- if I haven't said it already -- to the AH.

 

[Guest]

 

[Alex De Kok]

Lilin,

look how long I've been around here, and understand that this lot still sometimes scare me! Rarely, though . . .

Alex

 

[cantdog]

Booga booga