Just how old are we?

I first joined in 2006, but the original site was established (I think) in 2005

I think John Hamler was already here, or hereabouts.

I'm very new.  I just joined about 2 months ago after being on another site for many years. I just wasn't getting my writing reviewed, so I'm glad to be at a place where my work gets noticed.

Thanks,
Sherry

I've just checked and I joined back in March 2012! Wow!!!! That was ages ago! I remember I was still in college and had just decided I wanted to get serious writing a story I had in mind. I tried other sites, but found some of them had a list of requirements to join, like already being a published writer, and in others I didn't felt exactly welcomed.

Then I tried this one. I must admit it was difficult at first, because I was a kinda bad writer back then (not that I'm a very good one nowadays, but I have improved with the help of everybody around here), so I got a bunch of reviews I didn't like. I mean... I felt quite disappointed. Not that people were mean, they only pointed at my flaws and, because they were many, it hurt. It really hurt.

One day, John Hamler, The Dear John Hamler, reviewed my first chapter, rewrote the first para, and was kinda harsh. He pissed me off so I wrote him back a long reply. To my surprise, when he reviewed chapter two, he added the following note:

"Well, well... I must admit, with some shame, that I do a lot of drive-by reviews. Not because I need the points (although that's part of it) but because I relish reading new (to me) authors and see if they engage me. 90% of the time they brush me off. Especially when I disdain more than applaud. Not a big deal --we're all busy people, of course-- but I do get interested when an author is so involved with the idea of a "lit" community that they feel the need to be effusive in defense of their work. And you, Mariana, were not only effusive. You were eloquent, too.

"So there's that... And that's why I'm back for chapter two"

Eloquent.

Can you believe??? I had written a first chapter he'd catalogued as pre-shit but then my answer had been eloquent. It meant: despite I'd written a first chapter full of opportunity areas (to put it gently), I could write well enough to be considered eloquent when defending my work. More than any other polite encouragement so far received ("you have a story to tell"; "you have a really good story here, you just need to polish it up a bit"; "I remember this story; you've cleaned it up a lot from the last time I saw it", etc.) John's words, that my reply had been eloquent, empowered me. So, I was not such a crappy writer at all, but one who could be eloquent if I put my mind to it.

I then decided no new criticism would ever hurt me again. I would learn from anything any reviewer mentioned, and will write, and rewrite, and rewrite until I produced a decent, publishable story, or the end of the world, whatever came first.

The rest is history, because I finished that story (Amber Eyes) and self-published it in Amazon two year ago. As of today, I've almost reach 800 copies sold, which I recognise is no biggie, but it means 800 people have read my story. What else could a writer ask for? Become rich? Well, yes, but I'm in no hurry. Besides, if I keep working hard, writing a lot, endeavouring to improve, with the help of my fellow writers at TNBW, as our Lord uses to say: "all these thing shall be added on to you".

Kiss,

Gacela

Very interesting to see when everyone joined. I joined in March of 2010. Have made some great friends and have received wonderful insight and reviews from so many of the talented writers on this site. As a result my writing has improved and I am quite close to my dream of publication.

Corra,

I am totally embarrassed! yes, I should have included your name. We had many, many exchanges, both on and off the site. if you recall, I had a dear friend who lived near you. He passed away three years ago. The sheer embarrassment od that omission is punishing enough; yet you may feel free to pummel me at will with every wet noodle at your disposal. I'm truly sorry!

Alan

Nobody, and I mean No. Body. could come up with a title like that and get by with it!  ROFL!  You're a hoot!!

I talked with Flo and she said she was gonna stop back by since you were back, Alan!  (Mind you, she would not come back just for ME, but as soon as I mentioned YOUR name, she was up for it!!). 

Hugs,
MJ

Awwwwe! I feel special now! I sure do miss her. And thank you for contacting her. I sure di miss her ... she's so full of sh ... er, I mean wit! I'm looking forward to hearing from her. She's a sweetie ... like you!

So, you like that title, eh? It's the perfect title for the story! Sometimes ya just gotta get creative!

Big hugs, my friend.

Alan

Hugs!!

Good for you, Mariana for selling 800 copies! I am impressed!

I think we all have our John Hamler reviewing story. The first sentence of his first review of the first chapter of Ronan Island was: I won't buy your book.

Then he proceeded to tear everything I wrote apart, rewriting some of it, and making fun of everything, including the names of my characters. My reply, if I remember right, was that I hadn't asked him to buy my book, I had confidence in what I had written and wouldn't be changing anything and that I LOVED the names of my characters.

To my surprise he reviewed the second chapter and then the third and finally the whole book. The last review he actually wrote that he hated to see the end of the story, he'd become emotionally involved....lol...

Like you, in the beginning I had a hard time, but I found out who to avoid and who to trust. This site is the best online for getting your stuff read and reviewed quickly and as for editing, you can not find any editing anywhere for free as good as the editing by reviewers on this site.

dags

Brosna was big. Big time in the beginning. Seriously.
Sherman Law and Flowing Pencil were sources of great encouragement.
Jeni Decker and Kat Nove were a pair to be reckoned with.
GPyrenees of course.
Dagnee, oh, Dagnee. She's a killer queen. Nothing less than instrumental in my origin story and yet... We seem to have fallen outta favor with one another lately. As lovers often do.
And, lest we forget Dagnee's mortal enemy...
Well, I won't mention her by name but it started with Sharon. As my own nemesis's name started with Sonny. God rest and bless his hyper-critical soul.

It's actually kinda sad that I don't remember EVERYBODY who touched me one way or another. There were so many. Especially this one dude, early on, that for the life of me I can't recall his name but he was a badass enabler. Laughing out loud at everything I wrote.  I remember SIDEMAN (amongst many others) from way back, but we never really connected for whatever reason. What I must acknowledge is that MOST of the memorable members I interacted with were female. Period.

Now is that because I happen to be a cocksure and sure-footed literary pimp? Or is it because it's just a fact of writing life that the majority of fictioneers working today happen to belong to the "weaker" gender persuasion?

I dunno. Whatever and either way, nothing gave me more pleasure back in those early days than engaging in sexist battles. Disingenuous and inane as they were. Just for the sake of argument. To put it simply, women are funner to talk to and bounce ideas off of. Or, in layman's terms... Tease.

In the end, I think this thread is (or oughta be) a bit of a love letter to TNBW. Even if nary one of us has actually become THE NEXT BIG WRITER yet. I'm reminded of The Beatles song: IN MY LIFE.  Check and reckon the lyrics for yourself and see if you can relate them to your experience on TNBW. And then let's give Sol a great big digital hug and a sloppy kiss for providing us all a place to gain perspective.

Cheers

John

John,
I learn so much from this site! Like right here in this forum I learned I had a mortal enemy and a lover!
Don't remember Sharon, and as for falling out with you...no, I just felt I had nothing more to add to the latest draft of your current WIP; then life happened and I left the site for a while.

You helped me a lot with no tag dialogue and I owe you a huge debt of gratitude for that. As I said before, this site and writers like you helped me write something I was proud to put my name on.

Cheers, dags

I think the site started in 2005. I joined in 2008. But I was much younger then.