# do I need to reintroduce myself?



## MzSnowleopard (Mar 23, 2018)

It's been a while since I've posted here. Do I need to reintroduce myself?


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## PiP (Mar 23, 2018)

MzSnowleopard said:


> It's been a while since I've posted here. Do I need to reintroduce myself?



We have a lot of new members so a recap would be useful, Snow.  Welcome back!


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## MzSnowleopard (Mar 23, 2018)

All right, soon as I figure out ( again) how to update my contact info. I'm not on yahoo anymore.


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## MzSnowleopard (Mar 23, 2018)

This is a reintroduction. I'm the elusive and enduring Snow Leopard, folks call me Snow so feel free to. Like many, I discovered my writing talent in my youth. It was my 7th grade English teacher Mrs. Kearney and Language Arts teacher Mr. Hall who suggested I take it serious. Mrs. Kearney thought I had the talent to make it as a writer. So, I gave it a shot, much to the disapproval of my family. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's dealt with this. And yet, oh so many years later, decades even, I am still writing.

I came to this place by recommendation of another member T.S.Bowman. He's been a long time friend from another forum community. He thought this place might be good for me and helpful with my writing. He wasn't wrong. LOL

About my writing-

I'm a student with Institute for Writers (Formerly Long Ridge Writers Group). Even all these years later I'm still stuck on Lesson 9 of 12.

I've also been the admin and an active member of The RPG Organization since 2005, before this it was an x-men site. I think that got started back in 2003. Anyway, it's been rolling along with various venues over the years. These days we still have our X-men like game Psionics Millennium. We also have the venues of Psionics Beginnings (1700s France), Eternal's realm (myths and dragons etc), The Metal Wars (Captain Power), and the newest venue is Stargate Alpha- where SG-1 meets Battlestar Galactica. Yes, it works!

With my novel projects- I have a number of them in various stages of the process. My current focus is on two series. The first is The Zodiac Chronicles-a story of Psionics battling against demon possessed humans ( or in service to). The other is a companion YA series titled The Centurion Series.

My ultimate goal, as a writer, is a collection focused on the lives of characters connected to the same corporation. There are a few, some large series, and a trilogy or two. We'll see how it all works out. John Saul did this with his Blackstone Chronicles, I don't see what other writers can't do this as well.

I'm also an addict to this virtual reality site secondlife. It's an interesting experience, lots of fun, and a serious time sucker. I love it, it's an absolute blast. Not that I'm encouraging people, recruiting them- but hey, it's part of my life why not share.

Have fun y'all and remember- never let anyone tell you to give it up. If you have the drive, the persistence, the talent and the imagination- KEEP WRITING!


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## SueC (Mar 24, 2018)

Good to see you here, Snow. I have been on this site since July 2017, so pretty new still. I love coming here and seeing all the new faces, so thank you for your intro. Looking forward to reading some of your work and welcome back!


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## MzSnowleopard (Mar 24, 2018)

I created a quick link post on my blog especially for my works with Institute for writers (formerly Long Ridge Writers Group). The rest of my stuff that's online is over at The Org - no critiques there, it's all for fun. 

On Site Blog Post - Quick Links


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## Patsy (Mar 26, 2018)

Hi!


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## H.Brown (Mar 26, 2018)

Welcome back Snow, good to see an old name return again. Looks like you have been keeping busy, it's nice to have ya back.


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## MzSnowleopard (Mar 26, 2018)

HI Patsy and thanks Brown, things have been so scatter brained for me these last few months. It hasn't been easy reorganizing was needed and I'm just now, this week starting to think about getting another kitten. Maybe, we'll see. Athena has been happy as all get out but last night, she was acting like she might be lonely- in terms of cat companions. Sunshine passed on August 1, then Nieca on August 29. Then Mao pounced hard on Athena- and I wasn't up for that, (neither was Athena) so Mao had to go. It's hard to believe the time that's passed.


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## H.Brown (Mar 26, 2018)

Sorry to hear about sunshine and Nieca. Naughty Mao. I love cats and can not wait to get my own someday when I move out of my flat and can have pets. I'd also like a Tortoise too. Life can get pretty crazy at times and passes us by in a blink. I've been in my job for almost a year now, which I find mental and has flown by.  What type of kitten would you get?


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## MzSnowleopard (Mar 26, 2018)

I like cats that are affectionate and social. They're hard to find but I've been lucky in that most of my cats are like this. Must be the way they're raised.


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## Anita M Shaw (Mar 27, 2018)

I love Tortoiseshell cats! I've had 3 or 4 in the past. All named Thomasyna - for the cat from the Disney movie Thomasina. I know that kitty was yellow, but I just have to be different. No kitties at the moment, but we do take care of my son's yellow kitty, Sinatra from time to time. Next time will be for the month of July while they visit Cost Rica. Always sad to lose part of your pet family. Really killed us when our beloved half Himalayan had to be put down. He was awesome! I hope you find the kitten of your dreams!

I've taken some home study courses in the past myself. About four of 'em, I think. I only finished one. First one was from the Newspaper Institute of America, no longer around. I finished the first half of the course, which was about journalism, naturally. And I did pretty well with that. The second half was a fiction course, and I did not finish that. I think I had three lessons to go, but the lesson where we had to read 30 short stories and pick out the theme of each, just bored me to tears. I considered Long Ridge for a time, partly because it's located in Connecticut, where I'm from. I even took the aptitude test, but at the time, didn't have the cash. The next was affordable, but for some reason I didn't finish that one either. 

Finally, in '91, I enrolled in the, also now defunct, National Radio Institute's short fiction course, partly to learn how to better write short stories and partly because they offered a computer at an added cost which I could pay for in installments. That's how I acquired my first PC, and left the hated typewriter behind. That course I did finish. Did my lessons on the PC with floppies. WordPerfect for DOS.  I have to say, that final year was an eye opener. The first two years were easy for me. Except for one lesson where they gave us a scenario along with already named characters - which threw me off big time. Took me a year to decide to finish it, and I had to ask for an extension of time to complete the course. Third year, I had an instructor I couldn't please for anything! He'd even phone me to tell me he wasn't going to accept a lesson submission because he felt I could do better. Seemed like the first year, I could do nothing wrong. Got 90s and 100s all the time - even for that lesson I stalled on. Second year, got someone who I could please most of the time. 80s and high 90s there. Last year . . . seemed I couldn't do anything to please this guy! Each lesson scored only a 75 to 79 with the occasional 80. If this guy ever gave anyone a mark higher, I'd faint with astonishment! 

At first I was ticked off. But then I started looking at it as if I were writing for a demanding editor of a magazine I wanted to write for. So I reworked every lesson he wasn't happy with to get that 79 or maybe 80. Because of him, I pushed myself harder and took chances I would never have done before trying to please him. It was like each year got us ready for a little harsher criticism. First year built confidence, and then after that, they taught you how to develop a thicker skin. I still have all my course materials and the lessons, and I look them over from time to time. Two of the stories I did for that course are now on Amazon. One of them being the one I balked at doing. Did change names, and lengthened the story, but the scenario they gave us to work with stayed the same.

So, what's got you stumped on lesson 9? 

I want to check out your site after I take the dog out. Welcome back! I too was gone for a spell and am happy to have wandered back in. Got my cot set up in the corner there. Don't think I'll be leaving any time soon!


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## MzSnowleopard (Mar 28, 2018)

Hey Anita,

Wow, that's quite the experience you've had. Glad it worked out for you.

One of the things I like about Long Ridge- I suppose I should start calling them by their new name- Institute for Writers. Anyway, what I like is that they have a monthly payment plan. Back when I first started it was $ 45 roughly.. I think it's up to $55 now. It's worth every penny. The papers I have written with them aren't graded- they're critiqued by a pro. I feel like I’m dealing with an editor not an instructor. It's practical experience for dealing with editors out there.

What's stumping me about Lesson # 9. I chose a subject that's personal to me. I'm thinking that I might be too close to the subject though. I wanted to depict kids going through the experience of deciding on college- with the emphasis on community college not being taboo. To do this, I borrowed some characters from my YA series.

The sour note is that it's turned preachy, forcing the statement. I've read the reviews and critiques here but, for the life of me, the damn piece… it feels like a fight much like the one I had with Truth is Stranger Than Fiction; which I gave up on. I'm not ready to give up on this one. Not just yet.

I was originally planning for it to be an Experimental story then started thinking- maybe I should make it Contemporary. I have tried this piece in both 1st and 3rd person. Both come with their issues. Then I thought, maybe a story that's like a comparative essay. 2 parts in contrast with each other. The two in this story being Jen and Debbie.

I need to fix this story, I need to finish it, getting as close to 3,000 words as I can without going over. I was hoping for something like the short Mrs. Comfrey Wins by Patricia Windsor. I am so far off the mark, it's not even funny.

I need help with this piece. I thought by sharing it hear, it might work. Yeah, that didn't work. It just added to my frustrations.

I revisit the piece every now and then but it's like negotiating with a cat.

Debbie is the character who wants what she wants. She dismisses CC/ JCs as schools for losers. I deliberately depicted her as childish in this for emphasis on how some people think so little of these schools.

In contrast, Jen, her best-friend, the POV character is looking at attending a fancy military college thanks to her Grandfather funding her. The experience in the story makes her think and reconsider for herself.

Maybe I'm trying to squeeze too much into 3,000 words. I hate word limits. THIS is the biggest problem. I could certainly pull this off with a greater word count. But, 3,000 is the limit set by the program.


These days I'm thinking I should shift the focus to Jen. It is her POV and in this story,  she's a calmer character compared to Debbie.

Sigh

Any help would be appreciated. The reviews are fairly spot on with the problems.
What I don't get is why this piece is so much harder than Choices- another piece about a subject I am very close to adoption vs. abortion. That piece came with little problems. This piece, I can say has been the hardest.

The piece is here: Fiction - Untitled Story


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## Anita M Shaw (Mar 28, 2018)

I hear you! Some pieces just come easier to us. I have a short story I swear I finished, but can't find it. I find versions that end midway, and I can't for the life of me remember what happened at that point. And I'm blocked right there. I remember some of the ending scenes, but what came between - blank canvas.

I've gone to read your story and left some feedback. Hopefully something will trigger your creative juices and you'll finish the story in a day!


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## MzSnowleopard (Apr 9, 2018)

Thank you Anita, much appreciated. It's hard to believe that I started this course in 1997. High time I finished it. Only 4 papers to go.


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