Well, I have finally taken the plunge and registered with a writers' community. Look which one I chose. From my quick research into a few of these communities, your is the one that seemed to offer what I was looking for; friendly, professional, and not American-centric, and not condescending.

I look forward to having a look around for the next month, and hope that I will still be as impressed as I am now and be dead keen on paying the minuscule fee to be a full member!

I am a beginning author (seems presumptuous to use that word just yet) that has no previous experience, but a head full of ideas. Although I have a degree in other non-creative areas, I am of the mind that if I want to write and persevere, then I can learn and be successful. I am by no means aiming at being a literary genius, rather, I am writing commercial fiction (action-adventure).

So, this is me. Call me Declan (or Dec as my friends and even occasionally enemies do) and shower me with lots of those great answers, which you are all so good at, when I start writing stupid questions in the next few hours.

I look forward to getting to know some of your virtual selves over the next weeks.

Declan

Hello Declan and welcome. What a lovely, warm first post! Hope you enjoy it here. Can be daunting at first but there's lots to learn.

Cherys

Hi Declan, welcome. Hope you will like it here.

From my experience there is an absolute wealth of knowledge and advice to tap into which is fantastic. Also,the discussions often provide hideously compelling ways to waste time when one is supposed to be working. This is possibly not such a good thing, but maybe you have more self-discipline than I have!

Self-discipline is definitely one of my weaknesses too...

And yes, some of the threads are very diverting, and I love that fact. I like that you acknowledge it too, but am very pleased to not found stern reprimands from community members here preaching that reading the forum is an excuse for not writing and that I must write, write, write! No holidays, no children, no life, just write!

If my failing to give up my entire life for a possible published work means I will fail as a writer, then I am ready to accept it. But I don't believe for a second that famous successful authors who we read all the time have shunned their family or life's little pleasures (diverting conversations in forums) in the process.

Anyhow... I better stop replying. Maybe I should write? Probably I should get back to my 9-5, where i am typing from though. Whoops.

<Added>

Hopefully my spelling (found - find) in my novel will better...

Hi Declan! Make youself at home

Hi, Declan, and welcome to WriteWords

The Site can be confusing (I'm still finding the occassinal unexplored nook and cranny), so if you need any help just give us a shout.


- NaomiM

Hello, Declan - welcome! You have chosen wisely - WW is just The Best!

Rosy

Welcome, Dec

Welcome - hope you find WW a useful resource and outlet, just as most of us do...

Hi Declan,

Welcome to WW. Look forward to hearing from you re your writing endeavours.

Hi Declan, and welcome to WW.

Yes, a fab place to procrastinate, in a virtuous-seeming way, but the tradeoff is how much you learn while you're here. Plus being among like-minded obsessive-compulsives...

Emma

Hi Declan

Hope that WW gives you whatever support, feedback and sense of community that you're looking for.

I'm thinking of starting a group called PA - procrastinators anonymous - as its so easy to waste hours dipping in and out of threads when I should be writing. Like now.

However, if all we should be doing is writing, and writers write from personal experieice, in a very short period of time all we would be able to write about is writing!

Mmmm very complicated sentence with lots of word repetition, however, I hope my point is understood.

Nicci

Haha... it might be a complex sentence NicciF, but it is a darn good one.

To everyone else, thanks for the warm welcome. I know I have made the right choice.

Hi Declan

Glad you've decided to join our mottley crew - sorry inspiration support group (which seriously everyone is). Have you any ideas about this group(s) you might join?

Re procrsatination. It's obviously inspired me because I now have the idea for another article. Just got to finish making plum, grape and cardamon jam, then I can put en to paper (actually fingers to "qwerty"), that's after I've checked my emails, cut my husband's hair, helped plumb in two radiators and got some pictures out of storage to hang up in my new, and too sterile, office. You see - I'm an expert already!

Nicci