Are there any other (amateur) writers here?

The reason for the brackets is that on this site, we have one of the best Sci-fi writers deigning to speak with us lowly mortals.
Yup, the Mad Wizard Weber (aka Runsforcelery) himself.
My query is this.
Are there any other writers here?
I myself tend to dabble mainly in fanfic and have my own page but I have written and posted one original story, although it does rather brutally highlight my literary limitations.

So, are there any others here who have entered the realms of literature (fanfic or other)?
And are they willing to let us see their works (with the risk of laughter)?

Somehow I doubt that anyone here would be interested in my 40 years of writing non-fiction articles and product reviews for magazines.
Cheers
John

Michael Everett wrote:The reason for the brackets is that on this site, we have one of the best Sci-fi writers deigning to speak with us lowly mortals.
Yup, the Mad Wizard Weber (aka Runsforcelery) himself.
My query is this.
Are there any other writers here?
I myself tend to dabble mainly in fanfic and have my own page but I have written and posted one original story, although it does rather brutally highlight my literary limitations.

So, are there any others here who have entered the realms of literature (fanfic or other)?
And are they willing to let us see their works (with the risk of laughter)?

I've got a 105,000 word sci-fi novel written that I'll get around at some point to submitting to a few agents. Probably when I'm solidly into the sequel. Plus I'm working on something very different that'll probable come out in the 150k size.

At the moment, though, a new attempt at a web business start-up is drawing in almost all my time. We'll see how it goes.

I did some writing/editing for the Blue Planet: War in Heaven mod for FreeSpace 2.

I used to do a good amount of writing for a PBeM for Star Trek called Bravo Fleet, as well as writing a lot of fanfiction for Total Annihilation as well as Star Trek back in the day. I've not written anything recently except essays for college and such, though I did want to write some for Honorverse on the early history of Grayson. But it's an official frownie face much to my (understandable) disappointment.

I've also been involved in a couple online RPG groups for Neverwinter Nights, though again, not for at least a year.

Sure, over fifty years of writing for myself. Since, oh, 1970, mainly long weird novels that I like but don't think are commercial at all. Am ok with that. How many? 60-ish? Maybe more, haven't counted in years. Something like that. ye gods. Scribble scribble. All in long hand on notebook paper. A few actually typed. None available in digital form. Some people paint watercolors as a hobby. I scribble weird novels. Back in the mid 90s I turned three of them into movie scripts, following the rules for same. That was a very interesting and educational and challenging exercise.

In 2001 I got on a kick of writing songs, both lyrics and music. Pagan gathering/holidays type not rock or anything like that. Loved it and still love them. Also not digital. I twiddled them out on the piano, scored them on music score paper, all that. Fun. That... was actually an answered prayer. I was writing down my faith trad - it was not written before - and wanted music for things, music not in anyone else's copyright. Only one way to get that. So I asked and... got dozens of lovely tunes and words over that summer. Still one of the loveliest experiences of my life.

Some while ago there was a haiku challenge on the Honorverse forum. I wrote some for that, which I suppose could be searched up.

All you folks, write! It is fun and cheap and ...addicting.

OK, since no-one else has stepped up with a story I'll risk the laughter. I won a short story competition with this a few years ago, only published on the web:

It was the harsh calling of the ravens that roused him. That, and the sharp pain as a pointed beak tore at his outstretched leg.

He rolled over and sat up. Scattered battle debris – swords, shields, torn cloaks, and bodies – littered the field. “Did we win?” he wondered aloud. Then “what hit me?”, followed by a cry of “Oh, my head!” as the pain rushed in.

He staggered to his feet, clutching his head, and looked around. Where were his comrades, his brothers in arms? Surely the Vikings had not driven them from the field? Alfred's Huscarls would never have left him to suffer the Blood Eagle when found by the Vikings!

He turned at the swish of footsteps through the long grass. A figure wavered into view – his eyes were watering with pain and he could not see clearly. Was it Edgar? He squinted to see better.

“Where is everyone?” he asked “All I see are the slain, but surely we are not the only survivors.”

A quiet voice replied “The Vikings are defeated, fleeing with the Huscarls in hot pursuit. Only you remain on the field out of all the Saxon array.” “We won?” he cried, wincing as the pain hit him again. “Winchester is safe?”

“Yes,” the voice replied, “Winchester is safe. There will be no Viking slaughter in the town, your wife and children are safe. But there was great slaughter here.”

He still could not see the speaker clearly, and the voice was unfamiliar. “I cannot see you properly and I do not know your voice,” he said “Are you from another town?”

“I am not from around here,” the voice replied, “but you can meet me anywhere. Now you must come with me.” Suddenly his vision cleared and he saw the bony hand beckoning.

Cheers

John

John Prigent wrote:OK, since no-one else has stepped up with a story I'll risk the laughter. I won a short story competition with this a few years ago, only published on the web:

It was the harsh calling of the ravens that roused him. That, and the sharp pain as a pointed beak tore at his outstretched leg.

He rolled over and sat up. Scattered battle debris – swords, shields, torn cloaks, and bodies – littered the field. “Did we win?” he wondered aloud. Then “what hit me?”, followed by a cry of “Oh, my head!” as the pain rushed in.

He staggered to his feet, clutching his head, and looked around. Where were his comrades, his brothers in arms? Surely the Vikings had not driven them from the field? Alfred's Huscarls would never have left him to suffer the Blood Eagle when found by the Vikings!

He turned at the swish of footsteps through the long grass. A figure wavered into view – his eyes were watering with pain and he could not see clearly. Was it Edgar? He squinted to see better.

“Where is everyone?” he asked “All I see are the slain, but surely we are not the only survivors.”

A quiet voice replied “The Vikings are defeated, fleeing with the Huscarls in hot pursuit. Only you remain on the field out of all the Saxon array.” “We won?” he cried, wincing as the pain hit him again. “Winchester is safe?”

“Yes,” the voice replied, “Winchester is safe. There will be no Viking slaughter in the town, your wife and children are safe. But there was great slaughter here.”

He still could not see the speaker clearly, and the voice was unfamiliar. “I cannot see you properly and I do not know your voice,” he said “Are you from another town?”

“I am not from around here,” the voice replied, “but you can meet me anywhere. Now you must come with me.” Suddenly his vision cleared and he saw the bony hand beckoning.

Cheers

John

Well done and nice twist at the end. Short is harder to write, imo, than long.

I have written a scifi novel which I am not really content with and a scifi-drama novella which I like a lot better.

Also I have brought a lot of Dark Champions role-play sessions (which I had played with friends) into novel-style form and handed out to them.

Michael Everett wrote:The reason for the brackets is that on this site, we have one of the best Sci-fi writers deigning to speak with us lowly mortals.
Yup, the Mad Wizard Weber (aka Runsforcelery) himself.
My query is this.
Are there any other writers here?
I myself tend to dabble mainly in fanfic and have my own page but I have written and posted one original story, although it does rather brutally highlight my literary limitations.

So, are there any others here who have entered the realms of literature (fanfic or other)?
And are they willing to let us see their works (with the risk of laughter)?

I've got lots of unfinished fanfic and a few barely-started original stories, but I did just finish one in our humble host's universe that could probably use some reviews. If anyone wants to take a look, it's here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10209025/1/Bridge-Building