# Hello



## Miseo (May 6, 2016)

Hi. I'm new to this forum. I'm 25 and a PhD student studying cognition. I never really got into writing and totally lack any and all experience (aside from academic essays and reports). But there is a story I've been working on and off for the last 8 years, and recently decided to put it to paper. The actual writing process is much more difficult than I ever imagined though... Hope you don't mind if I ask for pointers and things of that nature now and then. Nice to meet you.


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## Phil Istine (May 6, 2016)

Please ask away - as often as you wish.  Once you reach 10 posts you will find that other parts of the site become accessible.  This is an anti-spam device.


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## Harper J. Cole (May 6, 2016)

Welcome, *Miseo*. :welcome:

You're very welcome to ask questions, offer critiques and post stories!

HC


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## Miseo (May 6, 2016)

Thanks guys. I'll definitely look around and check out the place. Is there a limit to how many stories I can post? Like, could I post successive chapters of my story?


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## Phil Istine (May 6, 2016)

Miseo said:


> Thanks guys. I'll definitely look around and check out the place. Is there a limit to how many stories I can post? Like, could I post successive chapters of my story?



It's probably a good idea to not post too much of a piece in one go, because you are more likely to receive better quality feedback if you don't overwhelm the readers.
When you have a minute (or twenty !), take a look under the FAQ header at the top of the page.


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## Deleted member 56686 (May 6, 2016)

Hi, Miseo.

Basically you are allowed to post two creative pieces within a twenty-four hour period. Because of the different time zones ( we have people from all over the world) I would advise limiting it to one creative piece a day so you don't post three in the twenty-four hour period accidentally. If you simply want to post your entire story I would advise posting the chapters (same rule) in the Multi Chapter and Collected Works sub-forum under general fiction.

And welcome to Writing Forums


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## Miseo (May 6, 2016)

Thanks guys. That's very helpful to know. Luckily (or unluckily) I only have the prologue actually written and the rest of it is just notes and outlines. My school work keeps me busy so I doubt I'll even be able to post more than 1 or 2 stories a month.


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## Aquilo (May 7, 2016)

Good to have you here, Miseo. :hi: Are you a psych thriller author? Literary? 

Miseo... Such a curious choice! *Eyes up cognition dude* Okay, gotta ask... why Miseo?   Greek verb, as in... computermisias?


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## Miseo (May 8, 2016)

Aquilo said:


> Good to have you here, Miseo. :hi: Are you a psych thriller author? Literary?
> 
> Miseo... Such a curious choice! *Eyes up cognition dude* Okay, gotta ask... why Miseo?   Greek verb, as in... computermisias?



Thanks for the welcome. I wouldn't call myself an "author" as I have yet to actually write anything other than a prologue. But my novel series is a dark fantasy/horror/tragedy. 

As for the name Miseo... One day I decided to use that name while playing a game and it just stuck. Considering the dark nature of my novel, the meaning seems somewhat appropriate.


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## Folcro (May 8, 2016)

PhD studying cognition? I speak for most writers around here when I say Miseo glad to meet you! Seriously, you've chosen a fantastic topic of study to be a good writer. There are a myriad of topics on which I'm sure writers around here would love to pick your brain; I would also love to have a look at how your studies influence your storytelling.

Welcome.


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## Miseo (May 8, 2016)

Thank you. If you or anyone else wants to pick my brain, then go ahead by all means. Although I feel it would be more appropriate for me to pick your brains... Not in a hungry zombie sort of way, mind you.


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## Joe_Bassett (May 8, 2016)

Welcome to the Forum!


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## JustRob (May 8, 2016)

Hi there. Just call me Rob, by the way. I agree with Folcro in that cognition is central to the writing experience. It was a very peculiar cognitive experience that started my writing activities several years ago, so peculiar that I devoted an entire website to it. (See below.) If you have the time (That's a pertinent joke actually.) take a look at it. My writing tends to focus on what the characters think rather than the amount of action going on, but it is a difficult balance to get right. I try to make my writing enjoyable on more than one level in the hope that it will keep more readers interested, but I personally gravitate towards the deeper significances, which is how I noticed just how strange what I wrote was. 

I look forward to seeing examples of your writing.


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## Miseo (May 8, 2016)

Thank you. It is important to balance a character's thinking. I hope I can live up to your expectations. Due to the nature of the MC in my story (virtually immortal), I plan to do all sorts of things to his psyche over his prolonged existence.


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## Aquilo (May 8, 2016)

Miseo said:


> Thanks for the welcome. I wouldn't call myself an "author" as I have yet to actually write anything other than a prologue. But my novel series is a dark fantasy/horror/tragedy.
> 
> As for the name Miseo... One day I decided to use that name while playing a game and it just stuck. Considering the dark nature of my novel, the meaning seems somewhat appropriate.



Ah, then doubly welcome. I love dark fiction.


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## JustRob (May 8, 2016)

Miseo said:


> Thank you. It is important to balance a character's thinking. I hope I can live up to your expectations. Due to the nature of the MC in my story (virtually immortal), I plan to do all sorts of things to his psyche over his prolonged existence.



We appear to be working along the same lines. My story, potentially a trilogy of novels, starts out as being described as a fairy tale because it appears that everyone will live "happily ever after", but in the later stages the psychological problems of doing just that appear. For example, how permanent a commitment can marriage be if one is potentially immortal? Would being immortal give one a greater understanding of what life is really about or simply result in increasing confusion? Would one lose ambition, the will to live even? Would life then become a living hell? In that case why do religions promise eternal life as a reward? My MC makes a choice not to drink the waters of Lethe at the end of his natural life and the rest of the long story is about how things work out for him as a consequence. That's why calling it science fiction may be inaccurate. Obviously with this context some of the science is bound to appear to be fiction, but that's by the way. How much remains fiction depends on how fast scientific research progresses, I suspect.

I will definitely be interested to compare our approaches to our parallel themes. My story line has been drafted out for many years but I haven't been motivated to write any more of it for some time.


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## TheRedSharpie (May 8, 2016)

Welcome  and you must be really busy so that's awesome you're making time for writing


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