Way back in 2000, I had a new baby, was working on my dissertation, and had just moved to Germany. For the first time in my adult life, at age 33, I wasn't working (beyond mommying). Maud was in kindergarten all morning, and baby Theo and I were at home. I had no friends and my German was lousy. Like Jane Austen, I became a "desperate walker"--I had all this energy, didn't feel like working on the diss, and needed something to do with myself beyond hiking the trails around Stuttgart for two hours every day.
While cruising the internet, I came across the OWW, and checked out some of the stories posted for critique. "I could do that," I thought. It was totally serendipity--I just stumbled on the Del Rey website and didn't even read all that much fantasy or SF, though I did like it lots. The whole OWW submitting and critiquing process looked daunting, plus there was "ho boy" blocking access (the OWW had a bug with that error message), so I didn't do anything with it for a while.
While on a hike one day, I got a story idea. I'd been reading Bridget Jones's Diary and a Terry Pratchett novel, and put them together in a story written as a crotchety old magic professor's journal. I posted it on the OWW and took it down quickly after receiving a few helpful crits. Then the OWW boss, Ellen Key Harris Braun, emailed and said, post it again, because we'd like to consider it for an Editor's Choice. Which, later that week, I won. I was totally surprised! Maybe I could do this writing thing after all! Then Chris Clarke, editor of Ideomancer, emailed and asked for the story, which he published. More shock. I'd never even considered publishing anything. My next story was total crap, but the one after that sold to Strange Horizons. I was hooked. I joined the OWW and made a bunch of new friends and felt immediately like part of the community, then attended a Strange Horizons writing workshop and felt even more connected, then went to WisCon and knew that writing and the writing community would be part of my life for the rest of my life.
See, I can't keep my chronology straight. But you're right: we met first at WisCon and then again at the SH workshop. I think you are my gateway person!
Okay, SarahP, it's people like you who drive people like me nutso!!! You make it all look so damn easy, you and your mad writing and storytelling skills. :)
I'm so glad you got connected with the writing community.
Way back in 2000, I had a new baby, was working on my dissertation, and had just moved to Germany. For the first time in my adult life, at age 33, I wasn't working (beyond mommying). Maud was in kindergarten all morning, and baby Theo and I were at home. I had no friends and my German was lousy. Like Jane Austen, I became a "desperate walker"--I had all this energy, didn't feel like working on the diss, and needed something to do with myself beyond hiking the trails around Stuttgart for two hours every day.
While cruising the internet, I came across the OWW, and checked out some of the stories posted for critique. "I could do that," I thought. It was totally serendipity--I just stumbled on the Del Rey website and didn't even read all that much fantasy or SF, though I did like it lots. The whole OWW submitting and critiquing process looked daunting, plus there was "ho boy" blocking access (the OWW had a bug with that error message), so I didn't do anything with it for a while.
While on a hike one day, I got a story idea. I'd been reading Bridget Jones's Diary and a Terry Pratchett novel, and put them together in a story written as a crotchety old magic professor's journal. I posted it on the OWW and took it down quickly after receiving a few helpful crits. Then the OWW boss, Ellen Key Harris Braun, emailed and said, post it again, because we'd like to consider it for an Editor's Choice. Which, later that week, I won. I was totally surprised! Maybe I could do this writing thing after all! Then Chris Clarke, editor of Ideomancer, emailed and asked for the story, which he published. More shock. I'd never even considered publishing anything. My next story was total crap, but the one after that sold to Strange Horizons. I was hooked. I joined the OWW and made a bunch of new friends and felt immediately like part of the community, then attended a Strange Horizons writing workshop and felt even more connected, then went to WisCon and knew that writing and the writing community would be part of my life for the rest of my life.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I'm so glad you got connected with the writing community.
Reply
Getting connected was absolutely crucial.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment