Seems friendly around here :D

[PhillB]

Hi all, I'm Phill - yeah, so not a very imaginative username, my first name and initial, but what they hey? - and I'm a complete newbie on these here boards I hail from the small "city" of Leicester for the last 20 years, before that all over the place as my dad was in the forces.

I'm in my middle 30s (that sounds so weird, I still think I'm only 18 (old enough to drink in the UK )) and I've been into sci-fi/fantasy since my english teacher introduced me to The Hobbit when I was 12. I found I had a voracious appetite for reading fantasy more than sci-fi, but watching sci-fi films more than fantasy, odd...

Anyway, started jotting stuff down as I became a teen and then decided when I was 14 to attempt to write a novel. Boy, was that crazy. 1986, me, a pencil, a sharpener, a rubber and a ruled, margined A4 notepad. Admittedly I do wish I still had some of that early stuff just so I could shudder at the banality of it now lol.

Wasted my A-Level years, used the free periods to actually write my first stand-alone novel length piece of fiction, around 160000 words. Took me the entire 2 years to write. Of course, I knew nothing then, and was so inexperienced in life, that when I go back and read it now (it could really do with a complete re-write) I actually cringe at some of it. I still like the story, even now, but I look at my prose and wonder if it was really me

Now, I struggle to find the time I need to create, but I'm currently working on a re-write of 2 novel length pieces - both from the same series - whilst planning to write the 3rd and 4th to complete the set.

Authors I've been reading - lots - but Robert Jordan, Greg Keyes, David Eddings, George R R Martin, Terry Goodkind, Sean Russell, Terry Brooks, Tad Williams, Raymond E Fiest, J.V. Jones, Kate Elliott, Terry Pratchett, Chris Bunch and so many more all have a place on my bookshelves at home.

Music, I'm an eclectic sort, I'll listen to whatever moves me, especially when I'm writing. I have rap, rnb, heavy metal, pop, classical, all sorts really. Only thing I've never really "got" was Jazz. Just not me.

Sport, big rugby fan (what did you expect, I'm from the home of the Leicester Tigers) so things are getting good with the start up of the rugby world cup. Come on England!

Hmm, what else? I'm hooked on far too many TV shows. My preferred style of writing for fictional prose is fantasy, however it tends to be more sci-fi for scripts. I'm currently fleshing out a complete "Future Earth" universe and writing the pilot script for a bit of fun.

All in all, just looking forward to hanging out, trading tips, and enjoying sharing my writing.

Later!

[scalem X]

heyhey welcome on board.

Seemsfriendly indeed, that's our plan, now you've joined you're ours moeahahahaha.

Anyway have fun and have a *turnsyouintooneofmyminions* peanut.

[SpaceShip]

Originally Posted by PhillB

I'm in my middle 30s (that sounds so weird, I still think I'm only 18)

You and me both PhillB - and I'm getting my state pension!!!!!

Welcome to the Chrons - enjoy - as you seem to be doing already!

[The Ace]

Hi and welcome aboard.

[gully_foyle]

Welcome PhillB, have fun at the Chrons.

[Aes]

Originally Posted by PhillB

Wasted my A-Level years, used the free periods to actually write my first stand-alone novel length piece of fiction, around 160000 words. Took me the entire 2 years to write. Of course, I knew nothing then, and was so inexperienced in life, that when I go back and read it now (it could really do with a complete re-write) I actually cringe at some of it. I still like the story, even now, but I look at my prose and wonder if it was really me

This is something I can definitely relate to, as I'm currently doing a complete overhaul and rewrite of something I did about 10 years ago. What malformed brainwaves surged through my brain at the time will always confound me, because when I read anything from that time period, I have to fight off the urge to shred/delete it on the spot. The dialog was especially vomitous, as it felt like watching slow children work on a class project together. I should've written for mutes back then.

Anyway, welcome aboard.

[Talysia]

Hello and welcome! Always good to see new faces around here!

[Giovanna Clairval]

Anyway, started jotting stuff down as I became a teen and then decided when I was 14 to attempt to write a novel. Boy, was that crazy. 1986, me, a pencil, a sharpener, a rubber and a ruled, margined A4 notepad. Admittedly I do wish I still had some of that early stuff just so I could shudder at the banality of it now lol.

Funny. Most of my early works were scattered and lost during various removals, but whenever I come across my juvenile prose, I really have to admit that my writing did nothing but get worse since I was fourteen. At the time I wrote for the school magazine, lots and lots of articles. It’s unbelievable how witty and mature I was back then. All my efforts go into recovering that perfect level of thinking and scribbling, but it’s hard.

Well, PhillB. You sound like a serious person. Are you sure this place is the right one for blokes like you?

[Eidurson]

Originally Posted by Aes

This is something I can definitely relate to, as I'm currently doing a complete overhaul and rewrite of something I did about 10 years ago. What malformed brainwaves surged through my brain at the time will always confound me, because when I read anything from that time period, I have to fight off the urge to shred/delete it on the spot. The dialog was especially vomitous, as it felt like watching slow children work on a class project together. I should've written for mutes back then.

Anyway, welcome aboard.

Brilliant Aes! I just spat my coffee all over my keyboard laughing at that!!!

[Joel007]

The friendliness is a lure, once you're stuck you will become one with the forum.

They don't call us "chronics" for nothing

[Serin]

Hello Phil. It's good to have you with us.
(enjoy reading Feist and Jordan myself.)

[Aniri]

Welcome, Phill

Ahhh...the wonderful 30's...don't even go there....

[Marky Lazer]

Friendly? You haven't met the Shaggots I can tell!

[Curt Chiarelli]

Well, I see that Scalem got to you first before anyone could warn you about his tainted bag of peanuts. Nasty work, that! Well, don't feel too bad - you won't be the first (nor the last) one to find himself dragooned into his legion of zombie minions.

Oh, and welcome aboard! Feel free to indulge your fancy as we're a fairly friendly bunch. We just had a recent housecleaning here at the Chronic. We tossed all the resident jerks into the shoggoth pit where they can expect to be digested agonizingly slowly over the course of the next three hundred years. Did I mention we were a friendly lot?

[Rosemary]

Greetings and Welcome to The Chronicles...