I guess I'll start with an exposition dump! :-)

I've been a writer, off and on, for over 20 years. I got my start on Star Trek play-by-email sims in the early 2000's. I've experimented with FanFiction.net (what a mess!), AO3 (much better), and have a pile of rejections from my attempts to break into trad publishing that I don't want to think about.

Over a year ago, I almost gave up. I had a falling out with my old writing group and after so many years of trying I decided I had enough, screw this, I was gonna quit. Were it not for the intervention of my GF I would have given up entirely. But now that she's in my life she's refusing to let me quit. Still, it's been a tough year to get started on anything as no amount of being told not to quit would reignite my passion.

Until lately.

I picked up a novel for the first time in a year, on special in Wal-Mart, and I had a hell of a good time.

It was Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Now, I'm not saying I can emulate his success, but his story got me thinking. I need to be like the guy in that Copperhead Road song. I may not have done two tours of duty in Vietnam, but I'm coming back home with a brand new plan.

So here I am. Since writers these days have to do every thing themselves I'm hear to learn how to do it. Rebuild an audience from scratch, make new material. Get noticed. So I can get paid.

And if I fail? So what? What's another 20 years?

Currently working on a novel to post here, and currently working on a short story submission for Shrapnel Magazine.

Yo welcome!

I hope you find what you're looking for here.  There is a constant growing demand for Sci-fi and military is growing as well, which seems to be what you're into.  If you have any questions about the site navigation feel free to shoot me a tell.  (I write as a hobby so can't really answer questions about marketing and such.)

Welcome to you from another failed-to-launch Elder Millennial with a shockingly similar story! I wish you success!

Sounds like you have a great GF. Welcome aboard.  Good luck in your work! 

Ah, an optimist. There hasn't been one of those in these parts in eighty-four years...

Welcome, my friend! Best of luck with everything. (And as a millennial, you just hide when the doorbell rings. Everything else is coded as a "hard launch").

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your time here and good luck with your work!

Welcome to Royal Road! I hope your story gets lots of readers!

RJDorey Wrote: Yo welcome!

I hope you find what you're looking for here.  There is a constant growing demand for Sci-fi and military is growing as well, which seems to be what you're into.  If you have any questions about the site navigation feel free to shoot me a tell.  (I write as a hobby so can't really answer questions about marketing and such.)

I'm gonna be careful around Military Sci-Fi. I'm not ex-Military, and that fanbase can smell inauthenticity from a mile away. 

I do like Baen's books though, even if I don't politically align with a lot of their authors, so I won't deny that this is an influence.

Welcome. I hope you enjoy RR and your fictions find an audience.

Welcome to RR! 🤝 I'm also an older millennial who started sharing her work on FFN-net in the early 2000s (and it's true, haha, AO3 is a lot better). Despite having been at this for decades, I'm 100% a hobbyist and don't carry the enormous stress that publishing entails, so I'm sending tons of success vibes your way! 💛 Judging by the last section of your post, you already have the necessary resilience, so keep it up!

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your time here and wish you the best of luck with your work!