# Hello from Canada!



## xeenyth (Sep 11, 2014)

Wow... this place is so active! I'm very excited to be here. :hi:

I've been writing for about 20 years - mostly poetry, essays, memoir, comedy sketches, and creative non-fiction, and I am foraying into writing short stories, and *gasp* possibly even a novel or five someday... Writing is, at least for me, a lonely job, so I thought I'd join up here and take part in conversations/contests/just hanging out with fellow writer types. I'm 30-something, of the female variety, and I love cats, photography (just got myself a new DSLR recently), traveling, jazz, dancing, relaxing at home with my family, and of course, reading, reading, reading. 

The internet seems to have re-wired my brain and given me a bit of ADD or something though, as I can't seem to be able to focus on my writing as much as I did when I was younger. I'm looking for ways, ideas, and tips to focus my brain (and learn time management tools) so that I can write down the volumes of material that's built up in my mind/imagination.

Looking forward to getting to know folks around here and being part of this writing community.


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## Fivetide (Sep 11, 2014)

Hello xeenyth Welcome to the forums, hope you enjoy your stay and like me learn a lot of valuable information.
Of the female variety? That made me laugh now I think about it I must be a subcategory of the male variety lol.
After a similar period like you I decided to try and get all those notebooks and scribbles I have made over time down into something readable. The way I've done it is started a blog and a book and added the chapters as I write them. When I get a bit bored or some writers block I then look in my books and right a short story about something completely different and add that to the site. The reason I did this was to force myself to continually add more content in case anyone was reading it and therefore might like to see the rest of the book. I suggest you do the same it's almost like having a publishers deadline. Another thing it does is advertise your work and build up content searchable and indexed by Google and other similar search engines. It may be in the future you have the finished article and by that time with some look you will have built up a following. Others might say only blog a finished article, but I see it like this if I get feedback from the short stories or chapters it may influence how I continue to write the book, but not if I will write it. Put it this way if people don't like what you have written at least you have written it and I can't see the Internet disappearing very soon so like a great artist in may be judged worthy far in the future but at least it's there for them to judge.
Good luck and hope you enjoy yourself


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## Pandora (Sep 11, 2014)

Hi xeenyth, glad you decided to join our community. Sharing with other writers here will be very helpful to you and also inspiring. A required ten posts made allows you to share work for critique if you like, add an avatar and signature. Very nice to meet you, welcome!


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## Elvenswordsman (Sep 11, 2014)

Welcome to a fellow Canadian! We'll need your support against the overwhelming number of Brits and Americans I come across on here, should it ever come to a fight.

Welcome to WF!


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## Nickleby (Sep 11, 2014)

That's a good assortment of formats. We'll be happy to give you all the advice and support you need. We'll also help you waste all the time you want.

Welcome to Writing Forums. Contact a staff member if you have questions or concerns.


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## xeenyth (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks for the welcomes all! 

Pandora, yeah, I finally got around to reading the newbie FAQs and realized the 10-post requirement. Thanks.


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## xeenyth (Sep 11, 2014)

Fivetide said:


> Hello xeenyth Welcome to the forums, hope you enjoy your stay and like me learn a lot of valuable information.
> Of the female variety? That made me laugh now I think about it I must be a subcategory of the male variety lol.
> After a similar period like you I decided to try and get all those notebooks and scribbles I have made over time down into something readable. The way I've done it is started a blog and a book and added the chapters as I write them. When I get a bit bored or some writers block I then look in my books and right a short story about something completely different and add that to the site. The reason I did this was to force myself to continually add more content in case anyone was reading it and therefore might like to see the rest of the book. I suggest you do the same it's almost like having a publishers deadline. Another thing it does is advertise your work and build up content searchable and indexed by Google and other similar search engines. It may be in the future you have the finished article and by that time with some look you will have built up a following. Others might say only blog a finished article, but I see it like this if I get feedback from the short stories or chapters it may influence how I continue to write the book, but not if I will write it. Put it this way if people don't like what you have written at least you have written it and I can't see the Internet disappearing very soon so like a great artist in may be judged worthy far in the future but at least it's there for them to judge.
> Good luck and hope you enjoy yourself



Thanks for the advice, Fivetide. I can't post unfinished works on blogs... not just because I'm a perfectionist, but mostly because my goal is to enter contests and get published in various writers' markets, and most of them don't take content that has been published anywhere. But maybe I can run ideas off of people here, as well as give advice in whatever ways I can to help others too, whenever possible.


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## xeenyth (Sep 11, 2014)

Elvenswordsman said:


> Welcome to a fellow Canadian! We'll need your support against the overwhelming number of Brits and Americans I come across on here, should it ever come to a fight.
> 
> Welcome to WF!




Thanks! Do call on me anytime you need another Canadian 'round here for backup. *Although, I did grow up in the States - lived in various cities for about 15 of my most formative years. But am happily a Canadian now.


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## xeenyth (Sep 11, 2014)

Nickleby said:


> That's a good assortment of formats. We'll be happy to give you all the advice and support you need. We'll also help you waste all the time you want.
> 
> Welcome to Writing Forums. Contact a staff member if you have questions or concerns.



Oh good! I really need help with that (wasting time)...  

Seriously, though, thanks for the welcome.


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## aj47 (Sep 12, 2014)

xeenyth said:


> Thanks for the advice, Fivetide. I can't post unfinished works on blogs... not just because I'm a perfectionist, but mostly because my goal is to enter contests and get published in various writers' markets, and most of them don't take content that has been published anywhere. But maybe I can run ideas off of people here, as well as give advice in whatever ways I can to help others too, whenever possible.



Once you do your ten posts and level up, you'll have access to the Workshops.  These are members-only in the strictest sense; search engines cannot see in and you maintain first rights to what you post there.  Welcome to the WF community.


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## Blade (Sep 12, 2014)

:hi:Welcome to the forums.



> The internet seems to have re-wired my brain and given me a bit of ADD or something though, as I can't seem to be able to focus on my writing as much as I did when I was younger. I'm looking for ways, ideas, and tips to focus my brain (and learn time management tools) so that I can write down the volumes of material that's built up in my mind/imagination.



I think the problem is that you have yourself involved in such a variety of activities.nthego: In order to get much done you really have to set up priority time for writing and not allow impulses for alternate action to prevail. In any case have a look around the forums and ask someone if you have a question. Good luck.


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## thepancreas11 (Sep 12, 2014)

Hey, I've been to Canada before! I could even point it out on the map! Not to toot my own horn, of course.

Seems as though you've run into an age old problem here for new writers. You've got so many ideas that completing them seems like a monumental task. Not easy, I assure you. Try the competitions. In fact, try short stories in general. I find them a useful way to get me writing, and I find that once I'm writing, I tend to complete things. Sketches, of course, can be just as useful.

Well, let's just say that the solution here is to immerse yourself in the world of poetry and literature. Read, write, critique, repeat. You'll find that the more time you spend in our world, those of us that write on a constant basis, you'll be churning things out in no time. I promise: nothing can be better for you than to sit at your keyboard and hammer away with the juices flowing, even if that means you have to switch from one to the next to the next.

Questions? Ask.

Toodles!
thepancreas


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## xeenyth (Nov 10, 2014)

Thanks everyone for your welcomes, and your advice. I have been traveling for the last few weeks and am back now, ready to jump in more into the forum here. I'll be seeing you around here, I'm sure.


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## Firemajic (Nov 10, 2014)

Welcome back, hope you had a wonderful trip. I am looking forward to reading your work. I write poetry, so I am hoping to see you post in the poetry thread.  Hope you enjoy the forum ! If I can help in any way, please let me know.  Peace...Jul


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## TKent (Nov 10, 2014)

Welcome to WF!!


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## IvyRuth (Dec 6, 2014)

Hi xeenyth, 

I used to live in Southern Canada, most people called it Texas.  

Advice, tips, cool stuff...  this is not mine, but I'll pass it on.  Never, ever, not for any reason or excuse allow yourself to go on Facebook before 11:00 PM.  If you do publish and use FB for publicity - only allow 30 minutes a day and only for your author page.  Then again, never ever, not ever allow yourself to take a peak at what is happening on your personal page.  

That is easy advice for me because I don't use Facebook, but all the published authors that I have read who do use Facebook say it is a time sink for independent authors.  Oh, yeah, do the same with YouTube and all of your surfing.  

Really, and probably much more reasonable, pick the time you are most productive.  Set that time aside for writing and make the hard rule - no surfing, no FB, no twitter, no nada during that time.  Throwing away the TV was helpful to me about 30 years ago.  I still don't miss it.

Wishing you the best of success with your writing.


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## LadyGrumps (Dec 13, 2014)

Whoo, another Canadian! We'll be taking over soon enough on our own!


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