How Long Have You Been a Creative Writer?

[Ther]

How long have you been a creative writer? When did you first know you wanted to be a creative writer or author of some sort? Do you think you'll get a degree in it?

[thorn aldsmith]

i have always wanted to be a writer, but never considered myself good, at all. but i do consider myself a good roleplayer so i thought i'd give it a shot, and here i am, what does anyone think?

[Elijah_Morendale]

I've been writing short skits and full-length radio dramas for about 4 years now... I've always thought that I had a decent amount of skill at it, but I never thought I'd actually be doing something along the lines of this (i.e.: MORE than just dialogue and SFX cues) until Christoph asked that the group we're a part of (along with Raziel) turn one of his RP's here into a radio drama. After reading a page or two of what I'd be adapting, and I became interested in writing like this.


But my metaphors and descriptions need some work, that's fo' sho'.

[The Valkyrie]

I started writing when I was a preschooler according to my mom --- quite literally writing poetry and stories when I was 4 years old and had a good grip on reading. In kindergarten I was entered into the Young Writers Convention in my state and took my first book there: Princess Cottontail's Bad Dream. It was a great story for a 5 year old in my opinion, and even had illustrations. That put me on the long road to where I am today literally 20 years later. I haven't gotten far, although my writing has improved a lot since kindergarten!

[Letho]

I think it was around... 7th grade that I started to put some of the stories on paper. And I do mean paper. I remember the first story that I ever finished. I wrote it in this small notepad and it was very, VERY lame. It was pretty damn long, though, so I felt pretty damn proud about it. Ever since then, I've been writing stuff on and off, taking a crack at writing an actual novel and failing about half-a-dozen times. Then I paused for a long period of time and stumbled upon Althanas and my desire to do some creative writing awakened.

So yeah, technically, I'd have to say +10 years. Wow. I'm so old.

[Karuka]

I...umm...wow. Heh.

I started a book when I was eight. No, third grade. Nine. So, ten years.

The idea was so lame, lol. But come to think of it, I'm actually coming back to it in a more mature form for the overall theme of Karuka's story, after ten years. O.O

[Saxon]

I actually published a book for a school project in the 5th grade, its in the library of that school. Has the plot-range of a 5th grader so.. :rolleyes:. I actually liked writing about the time I got into art, its weird. I began writing heavily when I got introduced to roleplaying at the age of 13, and found a well of inspiration that keeps me going to this day. I'm pretty sure I'll try to become a sci-fi/horror author later in my life, but I'm not too sure I need any more formal training on it other then what I get here. ;)

[Amaril Torrun]

Lol, my first book ever written was back in elementary school. I think my mom sent me to some sort of writing camp, or asked me if I wanted to go. I wrote a book about some sort of war, but it was in my cat's perspective. I'd say it was an alright idea for an elementary schooler. I didn't actually start thinking about being a writer until middle school though, so I put 7-9 years.

[Atzar]

I was writing in first and second grade. Didn't get into it with gusto until 10th or so. I had always believed that I would be an Engineer, but after taking college courses in said major and absolutely hating it, I'm switching to English.

[orphans]

I uhm... don't know. I said 1 - 2 years but I don't really think that's right either. Probably less actually. Sadly I don't get a lot of support from my family for my love of writing and books :x

[Scars]

I only really started writing when I joined the ranks of the IV, and even then that can't be considered true creative writing since it was... shit. I just voted 5-6 years before remembering my awesome short story about two shoes arguing when I was 6. I tried to write a comedy fantasy thing that flopped when I was about 10, and wrote a few Suikoden fanfic things that I'd happily spit on now. I lied to the poll. I'm sorry. :(

I've actually just finished my first year of an English Lit./Creative Writing degree, so I do hope to go somewhere with it. Maybe to the moon.


... but I'm not too sure I need any more formal training on it other then what I get here.

Other than being repeatedly corrected on the usage of 'then' and 'than'...?

[Laurea Aeglos]

I've been writing since first or second grade. My mom has this huge sealed tub full of poems and stories from when I was little. Most have some form of a horrible drawing on the side of it. I stopped for a time when my parents split but started up again about a year later. To date I've had two poems published. Both I consider absolutely vile now but that just goes to show you that tastes change and refine as you age.^^

[Kaylith]

I've been writing since I was very little, I used to write short stories for my parents, but they have been lost over the years with moving. I have always enjoyed writing so this type of RPing was a logical step. I live in England, and it's not easy to get into creative writing courses as I have to work, so I probably won't get a degree, but I am working on a book at the moment so who knows. Maybe one day I'll get published.

[AdventWings]

Whoo, lotsa long-time writers about the place. :)

I "sorta" remembered starting my own original novel back in 7th grade after being absolutely hooked on the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Looking back on it now (the original pages still in my bedroom back home) it just seems so... cliche.

Now I'm working on one novel that I plan on publishing and one manga I intend to finish before the year is up. Asides from Mod duty, of course. :p

So that'll put me... *counts fingers* ...eight years? Wow.

But I haven't really gotten serious until last year's NaNoWriMo. That I'll confess. :p

[Slayer of the Rot]

I've been writing for quite some time, though thanks to my family urging me to read books far before my time, I developed an impressive little vocabulary and spelling ability as a child. While I'd always possessed the imagination, I never really considered writing a skill of mine, and rarely exercised it. It took a backseat to my art, which turned out to suck so I stopped after two years on Althanas, when I realized I preferred written word to drawn line.

Technically, it's only been about seven years since I started up, with the intention to actually carry on and improve myself.

[Empyrean]

I started writing when I was six, just little stories and things, so 10+ years. I had poems published when I was nine or ten, and I tried to write a book when I was eleven. Not only did I fail miserably, but I remember all my previous and following attempts to be exceedingly lame. :)

Thank God for Althanas, though, I swear this place has improved my writing hugely. I finally started writing a book again two years ago, and amazingly enough, its endured. I'm hoping to publish it in a couple years, once I finish it and polish it off. That and I'm going to minor in Creative Writing.

[Tranquil]

I can date my love of writing back to the third grade. I was about eight if I can remember correctly. So that's going on nine years. It all started with the one terrible haunted House story that I would continually evolve on in the back of my copybook in class when I would get bored of doing my classwork. I do believe at the end of the year, it was left scratchy and unfinished, but that was what sparked my love for writing. Over time with the mass distribution of computers and the Internet, my writing skill slowly improved over time and I wandered upon the /magical/ site of NeoPets. How disgusting the site is today, thought it did teach me the bare bottom basics of Roleplay. That was about four years ago, and my art is still improving. No I am going to College to major in English/Communication and my love of Writing will flourish even more.

[Samoa]

I wrote my first story on a piece of pink construction paper when I was five ish. It was about a bank robbery. Reading had a tight grip on my childhood too and just stuck with me. Ah, the rich West.

My goal for a long time was to be an inventor, or an artist. Then it was a chef. The creative impulse was basically always there, but I made a first serious attempt in middle school. I got to about two hundred pages, re-read it, and threw it out along with an unholy amount of planning material.

I'm currently taking a degree in Semiotics & Communication, which essentially results in writing, teaching the subject, or poverty.

[Falcon Darkflight]

I started my writing proper after ALLRPG (my material there doesn't really count, it was mostly incoherent and utterly awful...what's changed then, I hear you all say ^_^). After that, me and my friend Jon (who was Althanas's FIRST ever member, Fallen Angel. Some history for you there!) and Dave (aka Raslin) and Martin (aka Kaiser) carried on through school and took it through various boards before I winded up here full time.

I think I've been writing Canen's story for about seven years before it came to a sad end. Now i'm taking on a task in developing Bane Flaresto. I tell you, it's not easy.

[Kai]

Meh ... just add on a few weeks compared to falcy here ... then take off about a years worth of inactivity and that should be about how long i have been a creative writer

... in short

i don't have an Ef-in clue

and in all that time Kai has been my main character ... any other characters were sadly not up to par ... meh who cares

been doing this for too long

[Wyfind]

I started on Althanas three to four years ago. I started writing creatively and role-playing then and the suggestion of my friend who said that I would be quite decent at it. I was in middle school then so I believe my writing was a lot shabby and not too decent. I hope I improved now that I'm going to be a senior in high school come fall and that I've matured as an author and as a person.

[Evangeline Rastain]

It's been a little over four years for me, though, admittedly, most of that was off and on. (More off than on, in fact. -_-)

[Varia]

This is going to be pitiful..

The first story I ever wrote was in sixth or seventh grade. It was required, and was some horror story about being locked in a mall. It was terribly boring, and though I loved writing it, hated that we had to let others actually read it. That's part of what made my story so boring.. I didn't want the others reading the interesting bits because I found it embarrassing, and cut them out. >.>

After that.. I did a lot of poetry when I was in high school, but avoided creative writing all together. I loathed the thought of kids in my class reading my stuff. After awhile, I even gave up poetry because a friend read some of my poems and laughed. I was still in high school and thought I'd die from humiliation when she teased me about it. I can be very melodramatic. x.x

I still avoided actual story writing, and up until I was 19-20, I'd only ever written that one story that I remember. Then I met Brad (Darkstorm) and he was a frequent RPer on GUA (where I wandered the graphic art forum, but ignored the rest of the world). Anywho.. I stumbled across one of his stories (I think it was Memories?) and I ate it up and looked through his old posts for more. Read them, and asked him about it. I think he called me a stalker for reading all of his posts. >.>

Aaaanywho.. I whined to him that I'd never be able to do what he does because I'm to embarrassed.. I couldn't possibly write and show others let alone write with others. He somehow (through the powers of his manly attraction?) convinced me to write. I coughed up a short story and after an argument in which Brad accused me of not trusting him (EMBARRASSED! I WAS EMBARRASSED!) I ended up forwarding it to him. He read it, I think made someone else read it, and then I tucked the story away for-ev-er. Embarrassing!

After that, Brad kept urging me to RP with him. Finally, I made a character (Alaina) and posted her on Tal'Vorn. After that I posted Vane and Andralyn (a brother and sister group on the run!), and then Brad lost net and I was all alone in this RP forum and being urged to write. I'd only made a few posts in threads that died out (Brad's streamline, for one) and another meet-and-greet with a character of his friend's creation. Then I wrote Lost. It sucked, and I believe it's still on Tal'Vorn if anyone wants to actually read the monstrosity.

After that, Josh (admin of Tal'Vorn) somehow, I think after a bit of torture.. allowed Brad and I to create an expansion for the world he'd created. We spit out this huge expansion introducing three or four new races, a cluster of islands and some of the most powerful creatures in the setting. In other words, we took over. Lawl. Since then I've come to Althanas, and have completed a whopping two threads here. I can count all of my creative writing works on one hand (discounting the expansion). Brad says I'm a natural, I think he's a natural mental patient. (But a lovable one, of course)

(Okay, that was really long.. I think I'll add that to my list of three whole short stories I've ever written.)

[brickshoemaster]

Technically, I've been a creative writer for two and a halve years. But I've been R.P.ing for a year. I haven't exceled much because I haven't writen much. Of course I would really like to get to know you guys as writers and hope to learn things.

[The Writing Writer]

As someone who loathes reading books, I think I do pretty well as a writer. I was introduced to Althanas when I was 12 by my life long friend Kyle. (Ranger, Dirge, Osato, etc.) and was hooked. That was back in the days of ol' Tanthanas. After that I started writing poetry, which after I picked up the guitar, became song writing. I managed to record a few half decent songs with my buddy Justin when I was 15. (Found here (http://www.myspace.com/shesatlizzys)) This led me to my current major (music) and my hopes of being a professional music entertainer some day. And I owe it all to good old Althanas. Thanks althy! You quite literally changed my life. =P

[Herald]

I've been writing stories and poetry since the fourth grade, and have been in the advanced English classes (and remedial math classes) ever since.

Which leads me to my current situation: I'm a sophomore at Rider University pursuing a Creative Writing major and a Psychology minor.

In short, 10+ years. I've been on-and-off Althanas for four or five of them, ever since the summer between freshman and sophomore year. So, four and a half of them, just about.

[Bloodrose]

I've been writing short stories ever since I had way to much fun writing for 4th Grade English. I believe my first story was about a sentient teddy-bear with an army of minions pulled directly from the original Diablo game.

Not my proudest moment, but hey, we all have to start somewhere.

I've been writing on and off ever since, and have been RPing on and off here at Althanas since my freshman year of high school.

[The Barbarian]

I've been at it since I was about ten years old. Crappy craptacular crap....but that's when I first gave it a shot.

It was a spoof on the book Ender's Game and about two pages long lol....very short and very crappy.

[Edward Judorne]

I've been writing poetry and whatnot for over 15 years myself