# Are you writing something?



## Serenity (Oct 26, 2017)

*So, are you writing something?*

I wanted a writing space at ShadowSpear.  I looked around a while ago and didn't find something that fit my purpose.  I wanted a thread on how writing fits into people's life.   I'd like this to be a *shared writing journal* for anyone who wishes to contribute their thoughts and experiences.  

I'm genuinely curious how many people on SS write or are interested in writing.  What are people's motivation and what inspires them?  This could be any form of writing.  I don't pursue creative writing in the hope of writing a bestseller.  I see it as a way to improve my communication, to organize my thoughts, and as a form of creative problem solving; it gives me a reason take an interest in people.  I already feel rewarded by how it's expanded my scope of interests.  After all, I'm here.  

Some things to consider since this is SS.  It would be best to avoid:

Spoon-feeding of research
Crowdsourcing of ideas
Self Promotion
I'll add my thoughts at some point, but I'm hoping there are others who want to share.

(Admin - please delete and edit as appropriate.)


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## SaintKP (Oct 26, 2017)

I've been interested in writing for a while now, my main issue is having the ability to get it on paper. For example, I have a ton of ideas floating around in my head but I don't know how to formulate them into words to form a book or poem.


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## Andoni (Oct 26, 2017)

SaintKP said:


> , my main issue is having the ability to get it on paper.



I come from a family of writers (on one side). I remember being told that this (getting it on paper) is the biggest obstacle for everyone and why all people aren't authors. I was young, it could be very biased, advice. I don't know. 


Also, I don't understand the purpose of the thread. I'm not trying to be a dick. It might just be over my head. I don't get it. What's a shared journal? I have so many questions.


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## SaintKP (Oct 26, 2017)

Andoni said:


> I come from a family of writers (on one side). I remember being told that this (getting it on paper) is the biggest obstacle for everyone and why all people aren't authors. I was young, it could be very biased, advice. I don't know.
> 
> 
> Also, I don't understand the purpose of the thread. I'm not trying to be a dick. It might just be over my head. I don't get it. What's a shared journal? I have so many questions.




I can believe it, when I have a strong idea of how or what I want a story to be or feel I hit a wall when it comes to starting it. I remember back in English class our teacher would tell us to try writing something and it could be about anything. Just to get the juices flowing. I don't know maybe it was easier back then or maybe I've become self aware on the difference between what I feel is good and bad writing and I don't want to fall into the latter. Who knows.


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## Andoni (Oct 26, 2017)

SaintKP said:


> I remember back in English class our teacher would tell us to try writing something and it could be about anything.



When I was a young private, I received corrective training in the form of an essay that was assigned. So, the intention was not to write about anything, but I vaguely remember feeling like it was a free-writing assignment. I wrote quite the 3rd person viginnette, that started with something like,  "SFC Whimpernickle strode briskly across the parade field." 

I got the dog shit smoked out of me. I want to say it was worth it, but, I think time is just making me forget the true misery of corrective-corrective training. It was so effective. Really good training.


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## Serenity (Oct 26, 2017)

Andoni said:


> Also, I don't understand the purpose of the thread. I'm not trying to be a dick. It might just be over my head. I don't get it. What's a shared journal? I have so many questions.



I can't edit my original post so I'll further clarify Shared Writing Journal here.

*It's Shared...*

Because I'm inviting/encouraging everyone who might have constructive input on writing to contribute.

_*It's Writing...*_

And not a specified form of writing, because I want the subject matter open.  As indicated by SaintKP, there's poetry, but also there are many other writing formats.  One thing I've explored in the last two years has been roleplaying, and even with that, there are different styles.   My most recent 'research' experience was getting involved in a D&D online campaign that included military and a LEO. It was actually through these gentlemen that I really began to appreciate the different reasons people were drawn to writing.  Even writing and navigating a D&D campaign is its own writing specialty and story-telling skill.  I just don't want to limit the scope of what writing topics are covered.   It's not about getting into the usual debates on writing styles and rules.  There are writing forums that dwell on repetitive threads like that.  That's not to say people shouldn't post about the writing craft if there's something that interests them.  A casual but supportive thread that encourages people to explore the potential of writing would be lovely.

_*It's a Journal...*_

Because I don't feel people posting or reading should feel they need to generate discussion.  It could be that they are just broadcasting some thoughts.  People are welcomed to respond if they wish, but I don't see this as a question/answer thread.  It's a place to capture how people might relate to writing.  I'm also hoping by calling it a journal, people might feel welcomed to return and provide updates as follow-ups on previous thoughts.   It could just be me, but following one person's writing journal isn't so interesting to me.  I'm more interested in a shared thread where multiple views are expressed and cover a range of planned, future or in-progress projects.

I don't know if I made things any clearer to you, but that's my definition of a Shared Writing Journal.  To be honest, I just made it up on the spot.   It might mean something else to others.  That doesn't bother me.  It'll be whatever people choose to use it for (in relation to writing) or it gets abandoned.   I thought I'd give it a go and see what happens in the world of ShadowSpear.


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## Polar Bear (Oct 26, 2017)

I don’t know where this thread is going, with that being said we will leave it open for now.  It seems more suited for FB or a writers forum. As I said we will let this play out.


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## EasyDay (Oct 26, 2017)

I have been writing my own medieval fiction novel for the past 40+ days. Set a goal of roughly 100k words as the final length, currently around 33k and writing the 8th chapter. It's extremely fun to expand and build your own fictional world with its own unique creation, gods, characters, and kingdoms that are at war with each other. 

Love it, and it is something I could think about during a run or long swim.


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## Dienekes (Oct 26, 2017)

I've always liked writing. I'm not much for creative writing despite a class in college which was a lot of fun, but getting your thoughts on paper, whether it's an essay, article, research paper, or even journal to get some shit off your chest, is a great way to clarify your own line of thinking and develop more cogent ideas. I think more people should do it and do it often.


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## Gunz (Oct 26, 2017)

I'm writing a novel about a dude who wears beaver pelts and lives in a refrigerator box.


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## Marauder06 (Oct 26, 2017)

Well, I'm writing a case study.  Sort of.


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## SpitfireV (Oct 26, 2017)

Marauder06 said:


> Well, I'm writing a case study.  Sort of.



Even that's a big stretch. 

"And Lt Faith died of old age having never checked in with his company commander. The end."


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## CDG (Oct 26, 2017)

SpitfireV said:


> Even that's a big stretch.
> 
> "And Lt Faith died of old age having never checked in with his company commander. The end."



I wish I could like this post multiple times.  Well done.


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## digrar (Oct 26, 2017)

Come now, we're only about 5 weeks into this case study. The surface has barely been scratched. We have months and months and months to go before this plays out.


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## x SF med (Oct 26, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> I'm writing a novel about a dude who wears beaver pelts and lives in a refrigerator box.



An autobiography, is it?  Written in crayon, on discarded tomato stained box tops, I'll bet.


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## Gunz (Oct 27, 2017)

x SF med said:


> An autobiography, is it?  Written in crayon, on discarded tomato stained box tops, I'll bet.




Of course!


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## Serenity (Oct 28, 2017)

SaintKP said:


> I can believe it, when I have a strong idea of how or what I want a story to be or feel I hit a wall when it comes to starting it. I remember back in English class our teacher would tell us to try writing something and it could be about anything. Just to get the juices flowing. I don't know maybe it was easier back then or maybe I've become self aware on the difference between what I feel is good and bad writing and I don't want to fall into the latter. Who knows.


As far as creative writing, I feel there are stages any beginning writer needs to work through as they discover what works for them.  You may as well just get on with it.  In fact, see it as a way to unclutter your thoughts by writing them down.  So often people I chat to tell me they're not ready yet.  IMO, you can only be ready when you sit down and write, then you have material to assess what you need to work on.   You have to experience all the cringe-worthy moments of reading your initial attempts.  It will get easier if you push through the initial roadblocks.  Try to see it as 'brain exercise'.  I love that cathartic moment when you compose a piece that reads so beautifully, that you read over and over to admire your own brilliance.  Of course, 6 months down the track, you read it again and think: "OMG - Ewww!  What was I thinking?!" Cringe, cringe, CRINGE!!!! 

Poetry is something I've only grown an appreciation for in the last 12 months.   Before that, poetry were just lines of text I skimmed.  This interest sparked when I encountered a fellow who sent me a romantic piece he wrote.  Apparently, the lady it was intended for cried over his poem.  I didn't cry, and the poetically-deficient me was unmoved.  But I did wonder what I was missing.  So I kicked off a poetry thread to explore the possibilities. This opened my eyes to what felt like another realm of creativity.  My interest in poetry is the descriptive language that I feel would enhance my novel writing.  Although, every time I get poetically inclined in a passage, my husband edits it out.  He complains that I make no sense!  You probably already know this, but it's worth exploring the different forms and reading famous examples.  This might give you a starting point.  For example, the Haiku was a fun one to learn.

No one wants to think they're a bad writer and you'll never be able to impress everyone.  Someone will always try to tell you how to write better according to their opinion.  I've had people get very angry with me on writing forums when I've not taken on board their way of thinking.  But you really have to be careful taking on advice too.  I think you just need to know who you are, what you like, and what you want to achieve.  Then you need to appreciate the fact that you're progressing and improving.


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## Serenity (Oct 28, 2017)

EasyDay said:


> I have been writing my own medieval fiction novel for the past 40+ days. Set a goal of roughly 100k words as the final length, currently around 33k and writing the 8th chapter. It's extremely fun to expand and build your own fictional world with its own unique creation, gods, characters, and kingdoms that are at war with each other.
> 
> Love it, and it is something I could think about during a run or long swim.


Fabulous.   I think I'm about the same word count.  Although, this is a project started early this year and I took a break from it for months.  I've decided this November I'm going to take this nanowrimo thing seriously and try to hit my 80k target.  But I say this every year and then forget to participate.  Still, this might be the year I finally get there....  

Anyway, I love the world building but I'm character-driven.  The current project was based on a Goddess I wrote and became exceptionally fond of.  So besides the research on the military mindset, I look into ancient history and mythology.  But really, it's just an excuse to read that stuff.  As my world starts to take shape, the rules get harder to track and I have a spreadsheet I need or I'm just lost.  I have to keep reminding me to pull back from going overboard with the world building, and that the story must take priority.   For now, I'm only allowing myself to prototype weaponry to get a better appreciation of their features.  The visual cues help.  For the first time, I did concept art for the Goddess' swords.  That was fun and helped me take out some of my more stupid features. It made me consider things like how she would even sheath her swords without stabbing herself.  Next up is my Marine's spear.  It's so tempting to spend hours on a graphics app, to do everything but the actual writing...

While I love thinking about my story while riding and running, I'm not so sure I get any benefits.  Here is one I looped over and over occasionally as I try to work though a climatic scene.  I'm actually jumping ahead and wanting to write it out, so I have a clear goal to work to.  But all I ever get is a headache as I imagined my guy running and running and running...for I don't know what....






Anyway, good luck, I hope you get to your goal and have fun doing so!


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## Serenity (Oct 28, 2017)

Dienekes said:


> I've always liked writing. I'm not much for creative writing despite a class in college which was a lot of fun, but getting your thoughts on paper, whether it's an essay, article, research paper, or even journal to get some shit off your chest, is a great way to clarify your own line of thinking and develop more cogent ideas. I think more people should do it and do it often.


This is exactly why I didn't want to make this only about creative writing.  I see creative writing as a fun way to improve communication overall, it encourages me to love words, consider their usage and how to better structure my sentences.  Creative writing directly benefits my professional writing.  Conversely, I know my professional writing has helped my creative writing.  

My actual profession is that of an IT Consultant.  Despite my colleagues complaining how clients don't want to pay for documentation, I've never had an issue selling that idea to my own clients.  They were always willing to pay as long as long as they knew they'd be getting value from the documentation.  So this was something I always took pride in doing to the best of my abilities and was before my creative writing days.  And during that period, I decided to move to a new role that gave me more exposure to 'business people' rather that just IT departments.   The new role was still technical, but they were so vague as to what I needed to do to assist the client in promoting the system, I came up with the whole marketing campaign.  I thought that's what everyone wanted, do whatever you needed to do to keep the client happy so they renewed their subscription.  I showed up to the client meeting, nervously presented my idea (I only have a Comp Sci degree) and she loved it.  We went with it and when we were finished with the campaign, she gave me a big bunch of flowers.  So that was lovely to be appreciated for going the extra mile.  As far as I'm concerned, writing and all things relating to communication is harder than playing around with software.  But good writing skills is always handy and a basic life skill everyone should continually work on.


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## Serenity (Oct 28, 2017)

Marauder06 said:


> Well, I'm writing a case study.  Sort of.





SpitfireV said:


> Even that's a big stretch.
> 
> "And Lt Faith died of old age having never checked in with his company commander. The end."


Ummm.... I know you're joking around, but Maurauder's case study was why I was inspired to finally start this thread.  I've been dazzled by his purposeful fictional writing.  This forum is so fortunate to have this.  I've been on a few writing forums now, and I've never encountered anything like it.  It's actually influenced me to take a closer look at case studies in general when I research companies I'm interested in.  And through them, I've learnt some good things.  Although they're not fictional case studies, I'm actually keen to try my hand at a business case study one day and to add it to my list of things I can say I've done.  I was actually talking about case studies in the job interview last Friday.


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## Serenity (Oct 28, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> I'm writing a novel about a dude who wears beaver pelts and lives in a refrigerator box.


When you finish it, please post link.  This is clearly not self promotion and falls under the category of 'research'.


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## Gunz (Oct 28, 2017)

Serenity said:


> When you finish it, please post link.  This is clearly not self promotion and falls under the category of 'research'.



It's an unauthorized biography of @RackMaster . 

You either didn't know I was joking, or you did and you're being a wise guy.

In any case I wrote for a living.


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## Red Flag 1 (Oct 28, 2017)

?


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## RackMaster (Oct 28, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> It's an unauthorized biography of @RackMaster .
> 
> You either didn't know I was joking, or you did and you're being a wise guy.
> 
> In any case I wrote for a living. PM me if you want specifics.



If you want to do an authorized biography...    I take payment in pork product's, maple syrup, beer, rye whiskey and images of quality titties.


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## Ooh-Rah (Oct 28, 2017)

The ghayness of this thread is causing me great angst.


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## Frank S. (Oct 28, 2017)

Ooh-Rah said:


> The ghayness of this thread is causing me great angst.



This may sound strange, but I have a folder in my Google photos app of street debris including shit and puke entitled "the remains of the day", I usually get to add to it on Friday and Saturday nights. Once in a while it makes me wonder about the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words", which depends I guess on both message and intended audience. I still don't get Banksy yet, though...


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## Serenity (Oct 29, 2017)

Ooh-Rah said:


> ghayness


Now I'm completely lost.  'Ghayness'?  Is that a typo?  As in a Grayness or something else?  A Marine word?!


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## Gunz (Oct 29, 2017)

RackMaster said:


> If you want to do an authorized biography...    I take payment in pork product's, maple syrup, beer, rye whiskey and images of quality titties.



 I'll drink to that, and so will my faithful companion, Yukon King. What say ye, King old boy?

      "Ruf! Ruf!"


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## Serenity (Oct 29, 2017)

Red Flag 1 said:


> I am trying to define this thread in my head a little better.





Ooh-Rah said:


> The ghayness of this thread is causing me great angst.


*Attempt #3 and if this doesn't work, I'm going into hiding...*


*Orientation.*  You are currently at www.shadowspear.com.  A forum that focuses on all things special forces where careful lane navigation is paramount.  But relax!  You are in the General Discussion area, a place where lanes are replaced by lounges, or uncomfortable chairs that one might find in an interrogation room—it depends on who you are...

*1.  Situation.* 

A civilian has decided to make her home at SS and created a generic writing thread to capture the thoughts and experience of a niche community.  It’s intent is to be a thread that fosters an interest in writing, because everyone can do with improving their writing for professional, creative or therapeutic reasons.  

This thread cannot reside in a writing forum or FaceBook.  This thread is uniquely what the SS community choose to make of it.  It can be nurtured, ignored or killed!

*2.  Mission.* 

Regardless of rank, experience or background, contribute to the thread about ANYTHING relating to writing.  Or better yet, go write something and report back on the experience.  Do what you can to shape the thread according to your own writing interests.  People should feel welcomed to comment on posts.

*3.  Execution.* 

This is primarily an information broadcast, but people are encouraged to interact.  It’s a shared journal, a shared blog, a shared pit of word vomit relating to WRITING. This is another opportunity to participate and learn about forum members.  You can pass on information or seek information on writing.  Where possible, try to keep this relevant and beneficial to SoF community.  

Suggested topics could include, but are not limited to:  

Your writing experiences
Your writing projects
Your writing goals
How you find time?
How writing has helped you?
What type of writing interests you?
Useful writing resources
Things that inspire you to write

*4.  Administration & Logistics.* 

Refer to SS forum rules.

*5.  Command & Signal*.

a. Signal.  Well structured posts written in comprehensible English.  Images, videos and external links to support posts are acceptable.

b. Command. The red-tagged guardians of SS.  But failing that, anyone but the original poster!  She cannot—and does not want to—dictate or further define the purpose of this thread.


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## Ooh-Rah (Oct 29, 2017)

Serenity said:


> Now I'm completely lost.  'Ghayness'?  Is that a typo?  As in a Grayness or something else?  A Marine word?!



Urban Dictionary: gHay"

gHay
(adj.) a non-homosexual reference used to describe something that is *lame*, *boring* or just plain *stupid*.
_"This thread is ghay._


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## Serenity (Oct 29, 2017)

Red Flag 1 said:


> Out of curiosity. Have you completed a literary work that has been published?


Gosh no!  I am trying to write my first novel.  Earlier this year I posted parts of it online to get public beta reads from the target audience.  It turned out really stressful writing on the fly and dealing with feedback.  I had to take it offline and work on it privately.  But then got distracted and did other stuff.  I got back into working on it a few months ago and found this place.  To summarize, if I don't finish it, I'd feel like a failure, especially since I have a few beta readers who have been waiting for months for me to get back to them on the later chapters.  So guilt is the single motivator to just get this done. 


Red Flag 1 said:


> Have you graduated from any schools of Journalism?


Also no.  I don't even enjoy reading the news with all its horrors, so no journalism degree.  I'm curious, why would you mention journalism?  Fwiw, I'm in Software and if anything, it's more a generic post grad degree in communication that I'd be interested in.


Red Flag 1 said:


> Is this thread one for seeking information, or passing along information about writing?


See above.  In my mind it's more posting thoughts.  I find people's thoughts on writing interesting.  The first few responses were exactly what I'd expect.  It goes back to the original question, 'Are you writing something?' If you are and want to share, go ahead!  I for one want to know.   

Personally, I prefer not make people feel pressured to answer people's questions.  It's why I word my posts in a way that doesn't request responses.  People can show an interest or not.   But I'm really feeling this might not work if everyone is confused.   To me this is no different from the movie, tv or even the open mic thread.  It's meant to invite people post about writing without feeling weird.  But maybe it is weird to want to post about writing on this forum?


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## Serenity (Oct 29, 2017)

Ooh-Rah said:


> Urban Dictionary: gHay"
> 
> gHay
> (adj.) a non-homosexual reference used to describe something that is *lame*, *boring* or just plain *stupid*.
> _"This thread is ghay._


Well okay, that is your opinion and it would seem to be the opinion of many others.  If it's not something that fits with the culture of this place then please feel free to close the thread.  I'm not here to upset the balance of this place.


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## Ooh-Rah (Oct 29, 2017)

Serenity said:


> Well okay, that is your opinion and it would seem to be the opinion of many others.  If it's not something that fits with the culture of this place then please feel free to close the thread.  I'm not here to upset the balance of this place.



If you were an established writer, maybe had some published works, and wanted to have a thread dedicated to the craft, that would be pretty cool.  Hell just about every military guy I know things they have a book in them; there are a handful of guys here (and one gal I can think of) who I would be first in line to buy their books.

But you offer none of that, and have no real expertise on the subject.  That makes this thread ghay.


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## Serenity (Oct 29, 2017)

RackMaster said:


> It's a joke, not a dick; don't take it so hard.


I'm just disappointed that this isn't working out as expected and I'm a little exhausted.


Ooh-Rah said:


> If you were an established writer, maybe had some published works, and wanted to have a thread dedicated to the craft, that would be pretty cool.  Hell just about every military guy I know things they have a book in them; there are a handful of guys here (and one gal I can think of) who I would be first in line to buy their books.
> 
> But you offer none of that, and have no real expertise on the subject.  That makes this thread ghay.


Well, I've never prescribed to elitism with respect to writing.  It's ugly and _ghay_ to me.  I'm not so interested in the famous or established writers - whatever that means to you.  There are books that can be bought for that experience, I don't need a forum for that.  I don't judge writers by whether they're published or not, I read what's in front of me and decide if I've gotten some sort of value from it.  I just wanted a place I can read and write about writing without the negativity that is often connected with writing forums, or the spamming that is connected to FaceBook.  And really, I'd love for these guys and gal you speak of to reveal themselves.  That is the point of this thread!  But also, I'd love to hear more from those who are tentatively thinking of writing.  I'm not a snob.  I love this place for its depth of life experience and professionalism, but there seems to be a gap I'm unable to cross and just be me, so I'll back off.  I'd be best getting back to my writing and chilling out.  I write for fun and learning, and not stressing!  I probably sound impolite, it's difficult to disengage from this gracefully.


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## amlove21 (Oct 29, 2017)

Welp, this little experiment is working out swimmingly. 

Let's go forward with a, "try to keep with the intent of the thread and if you don't understand or want to be a part of the thread, just ignore the thread" sort of vibe.

Mmmmmkay? Mmmmmmkay.


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## Kakashi66223 (Oct 30, 2017)

I'm tracking. I've been hastily throwing this together.

I wrote a journal during my deployment, most of it was for myself as something extra to do and for self enlightenment in my later years, so I thought. I'm sure I've mentioned this before.

To this day I haven't opened that journal, most of what I wrote was just things that stood out to me, ergo: something that made me laugh, something odd, training, or something that was a serious.

Lately I'd thought that I'd hand it down to the kids. For what it's worth, my Grandfather was a B24 pilot in the USAF and left behind zero stories for his grand kids about WW2 Europe-Korea. Kids just want to hear stories, until just recently, I've forgotten what it was to be a kid and listen to stories people told (among family.) I just wish my Grandfather would have shared. Even now, I think of him as a hero in my eyes, it would have been great if he told us something, anything to tell my kids.

I'm gonna break it out and tell my kid before a time comes and I can't.

I never really liked writing in middle school or anytime before though. I did it because I had to which took all the fun out of it. I was in a Creative Writing 1&2  as a sophomore. Creative writing was a different experience, and allowed the students to write, not laborious papers that followed rails set by the teacher. More like painting in written form. Most of the students in this class were eccentric and to include myself somewhat. Found a good use for my witty humor, the junior smart hottie in my class. Which was the reason I stuck with the class in the first place.

Universal truth in any circumstance: the hottie made me do it.

Writing to me is pen and paper, lines, and expressing thoughts, which 15 years ago had morphed into typed thoughts stored on in word processor. Laptops made the pen and paper irrelevant and antiquated. The medium evolves with technology.

Am I writing? Well sorta, not really going for a published work. 





> An audience of one is all any writer really needs.


 Therefore a forum is a conduit for humble writers and those that don't need a NYTimes bestseller Achievement.




By the way I've read some of the archives and current posts here and some of the writing skills you guys have are noteworthy, don't be surprised people like Serenity come here and commend you guys on writing.


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## Red Flag 1 (Oct 30, 2017)

.


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## Serenity (Nov 6, 2017)

Kakashi66223 said:


> I wrote a journal during my deployment, most of it was for myself as something extra to do and for self enlightenment in my later years, so I thought. I'm sure I've mentioned this before.
> 
> To this day I haven't opened that journal, most of what I wrote was just things that stood out to me, ergo: something that made me laugh, something odd, training, or something that was a serious.
> 
> ...


I wished more people thought this way.  I remember last year I was chatting to a young man who was in the Army.  He had been deployed and suffered some injuries.  I never wanted to intrude and ask about the specifics because he clearly did not want to talk about specifics.  But I remember telling him he should write about his experiences for his own personal records.  At the time he was complaining how he started hundreds of fictional stories but could never focus or finish them.  His reasons for not writing his personal experiences was that he wanted to be older? More mature?  I can't remember what wording it was but that was his meaning.  I think back to my 20-ish self and I simply cannot relate anymore, she's so foreign to me.   It's scary how you forget details too.   I think back to my IVF days now because I decided that I wanted to write about it recently, but for the life of me, I cannot remember how it was! That's pretty terrible, it was only 8 years ago and was possibly one of the saddest time in my life.  

I've got similar thoughts regarding my own parents.  I come from a family that emigrated from Saigon during the Vietnam war.  My dad and his brothers were fishermen.  For this reason, they had the skills and also the knowledge in monitoring the activity on the beaches and ocean to be well prepared when they knew it was time to leave.  I only learnt about this recently, and oddly, this conversation only came up with my mother when I mentioned to her I was chatting to a US Marine whose parents were also Vietnamese emigrants.  So weird that this stuff comes up because of where my writing leads me.  Sometimes I wonder if I thought very much at all before I decided to pick up creative writing.    But the point is, I've come to realize my parents had some fascinating stories of their time during the war and how they escaped.  It niggles me now that all their hardships and victories might be forgotten when they're gone.



Kakashi66223 said:


> I never really liked writing in middle school or anytime before though. I did it because I had to which took all the fun out of it. I was in a Creative Writing 1&2  as a sophomore. Creative writing was a different experience, and allowed the students to write, not laborious papers that followed rails set by the teacher. More like painting in written form. Most of the students in this class were eccentric and to include myself somewhat. Found a good use for my witty humor, the junior smart hottie in my class. Which was the reason I stuck with the class in the first place.
> 
> Universal truth in any circumstance: the hottie made me do it.


No hottie for me.  It was actually my history teacher, Mr Harold, that first gave me some confidence in writing.  I only took his class for an easy grade to get into University.  I was not so studious at school.   I remember the topic was the Russian Revolution and the man gave me A's, which motivated me to keep working harder.  He kept waving my essays around saying I wrote well.  I wished I'd paid attention to Mr Harold more.  I remember I was too self-conscious of the fact I was the only girl in the class of boys.   I just wanted to fade into the background because I thought the boys were extremely annoying.  All I cared about was getting the grades I needed.   I'd be a much more rounded person today if I'd thought to write my own stories earlier.  In the last two years I've encountered some young writers.  I've been impressed by their maturity and talent.  It's never too late to start but I'm envious of those who had the mind to start young.  I make a point of instilling an appreciation of story-telling in my children. 



Kakashi66223 said:


> By the way I've read some of the archives and current posts here and some of the writing skills you guys have are noteworthy, don't be surprised people like Serenity come here and commend you guys on writing.


Yes.  I've gotten more in my short time here than I have on writing forums over years.  There are thousands of writing forums and groups online filled with people telling you how to write, focused on every nuance on writing.  Again, I'm not so studious and I write based on instinct; these sites only hold my interest so much.  What keeps my interest here is more about professional communication and critical thinking.   But there are many reasons I like this place, writing is just one aspect.


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