Intros & Newbies Excited to Join Savvy Authors

[Lisa Montanaro]

Hello everyone! I just officially joined the group (I have been getting the newsletter for a few months). I am excited to be here. I will poke around the site to learn more about what offerings there are, and other resources and tools. I am signing up for the Plotting online class that starts tomorrow (January 9) with Becky Martinez. I may do the entire 2-part series if the first class goes well!

Like many of you I'm sure, I've had a life-long love affair with the written word. I have been keeping a journal, by long-hand, since I was 8 years old. My non-fiction book, "The Ultimate Life Organizer: An Interactive Guide to a Simpler, Less Stressful & More Organized Life" was published by Peter Pauper Press in 2011. I have published many articles on topics such as productivity, life-work balance, business, law, and entrepreneurship.

But in the last few months, I have been drawn back to my first love of creative writing, and I am presently working on a novel and a memoir. I am excited (and scared and nervous!) about fiction writing, and curious to see where it takes me after so many years of focusing on nonfiction pieces.

For the past four years, I've resided in beautiful Northern California with my veterinarian husband, where I am a professed community theater geek, an avid runner and cyclist, and enjoy spoiling my crazy but lovable rescue mutts!

Looking forward to connecting!

Warmly - Lisa

 

[lrdavis]

Welcome @Lisa Montanaro
Congrats on your organizer being published. We just had a goal organizer workshop for 2017 last year. Many of us ues them.
Good for you getting down to the creative writing .
You'll fit right in and enjoy this place along with the rest of us.
Enjoy,
Lyn

 

[Lisa Montanaro]

Thanks Lyn! I saw that there was a goals workshop taught by Jamie Raintree a few weeks ago. She is the person that told me about this group actually! Love that you said I will fit right in and enjoy this place. I appreciate the warm welcome!

 

[lrdavis]

Yes! It was @Jamie Raintree who taught the workshop. It had a profound affect on me.
She was a breath of fresh air.

I'm still tweaking some of the things because I found what I wanted to do requires more study beforehand. The resource I had hoped to rely on went defunct so I'm having to regroup. But it got me started. It's on my calendar.

I love northern Cal, but I'm enjoying So Cal now. It's nice to be reducing the drought.

See you around,
Lyn

 

[Lisa Montanaro]

Lyn -

How cool that you live in CA also! My father lives in Long Beach, so I am down in SoCal usually at least once per year. And yes, we are getting some serious rain finally, which is great for the drought.

Yes, @Jamie Raintree is a breath of fresh air! I have been getting to know her more through various Facebook groups and the Women Fiction Writers Association.

Sorry a resource you wanted to use went defunct! I just downloaded Scrivener and am trying it out for 30 days. I want to compare it to Storyist. I have a lot of research to do on writing, and will be taking the Plot Your Novel workshop, so I am deep in "learning about writing" mode. Should be fun! I am also attending the San Francisco Writers Conference in February. Woo hoo! I am diving in head first.

See you around here for sure! ~ Lisa

 

[lrdavis]

I LOVE Scrivener.
Had to wait a few NaNos before they offered it for Windows. I was so envious of my Mac friends until they did.
Storyist isn't available for Windows yet, so I can't compare.
Have fun at the SFWC. I've always wanted to go.
Are you taking the workshop with Becky Martinez? I still use her templates in my story bibles. Great stuff.
See you at the water cooler
L

 

[Lisa Montanaro]

Lyn - Glad to hear that you love Scrivener!!! I just started the tutorial tonight and plan to continue tomorrow, but I am already amazed at what it can do!

Yes, I am taking Becky's class. Glad to hear you found it so useful and still use the templates.

I'll let you know how SFWC is after I attend.

Ciao - Lisa

 

[Lynn Shannon]

Hi Lisa,

Welcome to Savvy! I'm moderating Becky's workshop so you'll see me around there. I've heard wonderful things about her and I really hope you enjoy the workshop.

Congrats on diving into nonfiction. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is always a little scary but you are diving in headfirst with it - go you!

I also took Jamie's workshop and it was amazing. She really helped me think of goals in a different way. It's changed my approach to the year and my career as a whole.

See you around!

 

[Lisa Montanaro]

Hi Lynn B-

Thanks for the welcome!! I am excited about Becky's class and heading over there now to introduce myself to her and the other classmates.

Yes, I am going in headfirst. I was a swimmer and diver in high school, so I am used to diving in head first. Ha ha!

See you around for sure! Looking forward to it.

 

[Tamsen Kaye]

Hi Lisa! Welcome to Savvy!