Is everyone at the FORT a writer? Otherwise known as: Secret ambitions

Is everyone at the FORT a writer? Otherwise known as: Secret ambitions

I’ve noticed a highly unusual amount of witty, engaging, clever, and even acerbic posts on this website, more so than other websites, and have also noticed a general trend in the writing staff/recappers at the FORT, i.e. anyone can step in and their words smack of brilliance, if not outright comedy gold. :rofl I'm so impressed all the time. I don’t always post comments, but I always think so. (Truth be told, I enjoy some of the recaps far more than the show that’s being recapped. Ditto for all the FORT posters who comment on the various shows/topics.)

How many of you out there have ambitions to be writers, besides those already bravely out of the writer’s closet?

I’m just honestly curious to see how many of you out there write “on the side” (or in secret), or pretend not to want to write or just never talk about it, but secretly have the burning desire hidden deep in your bosom. The recappers have varying occupations having almost nothing to do with writing, and yet, they’re utterly publishable.

And it’s not just the recappers. I’d say that the average FORT poster is the same: i.e. highly astute, witty, with well-formed ideas, yada yada. I frequently just enjoy reading the posts.

So, how many of you out there have the secret desire to write (or do so secretly)?

I'm just wondering, is it the FORT, or are there just that many brilliant writers in the world? Does like attract like, or did I just stumble into an acccidental gaggle of witty people suddenly?

This could also be a thread about your secret ambitions. Besides all you closeted writers, what other secret ambitions and/or sidelined occupations are the FORT peeps harboring? Please share them with us.

I love writing. I'm very good when it comes to poetry, especially poetry with a certain number of syllables (i.e. haikus, tankas, senryus, etc). I also write articles for a newsletter I write in secret, but I have little time to work on it.

Many people tell me that they enjoy my writing, so that's a plus. I've put my foot outside the closet of writing, as I've told just about everyone in my travelling class at my school that I'm a writer/like to write.

But never, ever tell me to write something funny. I'm usually funny when I don't try to be, and when reading some of my "funny" pieces, I've realized I sound extremely sarcastic and even somewhat psychotic. Not very funny at all.

Well, ever since I was about 6 years old, being a writer was at the top of my list of what I wanted to be 'when I grew up'. I got kind of discoiuraged at about 12, though, when I decided I had no talent. (I hadn't written anything at all worth publishing! :) )
So I've kind of given up since then. I love to read, though. If only I could write as well!
*wistful sigh*

Shazzer, the reason the writers words all smack of brillance is because we're all the same person. Yep, there's no staff of writers, no mods other than John. He just has a serious case of multiple personality disorder. Or should I say "I" just have a serious case of multipler personality disorder? ;)

Actually, before I started writing for the site, I hadn't written anything other than a line of code in the last 15 or 20 years. And now that I do it, I wouldn't mind devoting a little more energy to it. :nod

I wrote a short story one time. Only about two pages long. I like to consider that my first draft and go back and expound on it someday. Its a short sci-fi one that I had banging around the inside of my skull for a while.

Shazzer, your writing is quite brilliant, if you don't mind my saying so. ;)

Wayner is partially correct. In fact, if you remember the Jeffbots from Paulie's precaps, John also has a similar claim to fame. The FoRT staff all consist of Johnbots. We even wear "Hellomynameis. . ." name tags.

HellomynameisShayla, incidentally, teaches writing at a community college. Secret ambition? It is to someday purchase a beautiful house next to the ocean and subsist on individually-motivated creative projects (writing, oil painting, documentary videographing) and continue to teach on the side (best job in the world). Thank you for asking.

I'm like Brenna. I've wanted to be a writer "when I grew up" for as long as I can remember. I'm also unlike Brenna in that I'm a 33-year-old man. :laugh I wrote whenever I could in school, taking creative writing courses, participating in writing contests, and contributing stories and poetry to the school magazine. I took another creative writing class in college, and I was amazed to find that my efforts were still considered above average in that larger pool. Still, my father's warnings about the slim, slim odds for anyone making a living at writing always echoed in my head. I wound up copping out and becoming a software engineer. I've always joked that writing code is a form of fiction, but obviously it's not enough. I'm always looking for outlets to keep writing. I used to write recaps of my inter-office basketball games and send them to my entire Lab. :laugh I wrote a couple more short stories a few years ago and took another course to force myself to write some more. I wrote Survivor recaps for my office pool before I found the FORT and switched over to precapping.

Basically, I'm a writer nut, and I always notice if I've gone too long without writing something.

I'm beginning to envision ways to actually try to realize my dream of writing for a living, but it's still quite a ways off. For now, I'm enjoying being on a weekly schedule and writing basically fiction during Survivor season. It's good training. :)

Good question, Shazzer. Thanks for asking. I probably gave you more than you wanted in return. :D

Have you ever noticed that every now and then I use my real name, Johnny? The reason that I am called Johnny is because... I am the future incarnate of John. I will be your mod. But for now, I'll stick to being the mini-mod...

Does that piece of fiction count as an ambition?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Paulie

I wound up copping out and becoming a software engineer. I've always joked that writing code is a form of fiction, but obviously it's not enough. I'm always looking for outlets to keep writing. I used to write recaps of my inter-office basketball games and send them to my entire Lab. :laugh I wrote a couple more short stories a few years ago and took another course to force myself to write some more. I wrote Survivor recaps for my office pool before I found the FORT and switched over to precapping.

Basically, I'm a writer nut, and I always notice if I've gone too long without writing something.

I'm beginning to envision ways to actually try to realize my dream of writing for a living, but it's still quite a ways off. For now, I'm enjoying being on a weekly schedule and writing basically fiction during Survivor season. It's good training. :)

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Your story is the story of the teeming millions, Paulie.
:winkgrin

Don't worry, though - you're still young, so you've got plenty of time to leave your mark in the literary world. To the best of my recollection, Thomas Hardy used to be an architect, Yukio Mishima a civil servant for the finance ministry, Jose Saramago did odds-and-ends jobs (a lot of manual labour, I think), Don DeLillo used to work in an ad agency, and Kurt Vonnegut worked in public relations for GE before turning seriously to full-time writing.

So, you're not alone. Many glorious predecessors have made successful transitions from one career to another. Take heart. :)

Well, I work in marketing, therefore I specialize in grade A BS.