Writing: An Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome back to the re-launch of my website devoted to the written word whether in traditional print, electronic book form or even spoken word. Why a re-launch? Well, this website was up many many months ago, but due to a few malfunctions in the original server I had lost most of the content. I have been able to locate the content and over the next few weeks will be rebuilding the site to its former glory. Below is an introduction to yours truly, enjoy it and the return of the writing website.

Before I go any further I think an introduction to yours truly is in order and then I shall move on to the business of introducing the website and its intended purpose. My name is Stefano and I live in a suburb of Montreal, Canada with my wife,   daughter and three cats. I have thought about writing now for the better part of 25 years, but somehow never got around to putting pen to paper so to speak. Back in August of 2008 I joined an up and coming writers’ association started by my neighbour. Through the West Island Writers Association I’ve met several published and aspiring authors that have inspired me to, once again, seriously consider writing. Let me start off by stating that I do not consider myself a very good writer and it is for this precise reason why I decided to launch this website. I honestly believe that everyone has a story to tell and a voice that needs to be heard. Too often though people are reluctant to write for fear that their writing may not be up to par. Often I’ve had individuals ask me how do I go about writing? How do I start? How do I create my characters or get my ideas? In these pages I hope to eventually answer these and many other questions as I pursue my writing ambitions and research some of these very topics. The website will begin small with a smattering of  resources, links and articles interspersed with my own ideas and commentaries on the art of writing and my own progress towards becoming a better and more prolific reader – one of the pre-requisites to becoming a better writer. I will not concentrate on any one form of writing, but instead will deal in generalities as they apply to all forms of writing. I freelance as a technical writer and will definitely explore this genre as not only a tool but also as a means of earning income. However, as it is said of all great journeys, I must start with that proverbial first step. I will begin by introducing the reader to some tools starting with word processors, yes there exists other besides the ubiquitous Microsoft Word©, desktop publishing software, online reference tools and ultimately publishing resources. I am a big proponent of the open source software community and the wonderful products they develop so my first few entries will deal specifically on that topic. Since most aspiring writers fall into the category of starving artists I will concentrate on frugality when choosing my resources and tools, with most of them costing either very little or nothing at all. So won’t you join me in the next few weeks as I embark on my writing adventure. If you would like to comment on anything I have written please feel free to do so by using the commenting system built-into this website or by sending me an e-mail at writingREMOVE@slandi.net

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