How I Came To The Cafe

 

I have to tell you all that this is going to be a long, round about story, but please be patient and read on. I have to start a long time ago, okay maybe not a long time ago, but almost two years.

I was up pretty late, just like I am now me being a night owl and all that, just cruising around the yahoo chat rooms for some great conversation to stimulate my over active mind. Well wouldn’t you know I stumbled across this random person who was up at the wee hours of the morning just like me. I checked out their profile, as I always do before talking to a person and saw this cyan blue link for their home page that read

www.myspace.com. Being curious, like a cat, I just had to check it out also. After perusing their page I was hooked and immediately created a profile of my own. It was a phenomenon I just had to be a part of.

It wasn’t long before I was hooking up with new friends and getting reacquainted with old ones. Some as far back as high school, I’m 25 for the record , so friends from almost ten years ago. There was also this wonderful blog machine where I could share my writings with friends. Then I found the groups button. In the groups section of myspace I found one completely dedicated to nothing but writers. A whole new world opened up to me, full of people who were exactly the same as I. There was one group sponsored by a website called Urbis.com, this site became my second best friend, myspace being the first.

Urbis.com had it all. Writers who would read and review my works with actual critiques. I was fascinated with the website and spent much of my free time on it. I loved that you could post anything and everything, from poetry to short stories, novel chapters to whole books, even quotes. I quickly added much of my old writings to the site and began creating new works to post. Almost instantly I had other writers telling my work was good, or it needed work to be better. I even came into contact with publishers of a magazine who wanted to put my work in their very first issue. This was something I had always dreamed of, seeing my name in print.

There was just one problem or issue that I had with the site. They worked off of a credit system. It cost you credits to read the reviews people left on your work. You earned credits by reviewing the works of other writers. This is a great system in theory, but it didn’t work well in reality. There were many times when I would log into the site and have ten or so reviews waiting to be read, but only enough credits to read one. I spent more time reviewing then I did actually reading and working on my writing.

So slowly over time I became disenchanted with the site, but I was loath to leave my writing buddies behind. I wanted to stay where there were others like me. Individuals who understood the temperamental nature of the writer. However it eventually became too much for me and I began looking for a new site to display my writing.

It was on myspace once again that I came across an advertisement for writing contests. I thought it might be interesting to read and learn more about so I hit that great blue link and it directed me, you guessed it, to writerscafe. I was intrigued, but leery after my experience with Urbis.com. This time I checked the site over extremely well and after much internal debate decide that the café was the place for me and my works. I made a new profile on the new site and transferred most of my writings, some were placed in storage as they are older pieces. It was the best decision I have made in a long time.

 

That is how I came to be on the café among all of you wonderful people, but the story doesn’t end there. This is where the story gets interesting and personal. Oh yes my readers I will be naming names, putting the writing on the wall or the page of your computer screen, so read on my faithful friends there are good things to come.

After making a few new friends and sharing poetry and short stories I began to explore the Café a bit more in depth. I entered some of those contests I had seen advertised on myspace and was shocked when I actually won one of them. Here was the confirmation I had always looked for. Other writers liked my work and actually gave it awards. I never once dreamed that I could ever call myself an award winning author, but thanks to the Café I can. I know they are not prestigious awards, but the fact that they are unique is what makes them special to me, each and every one of them will be cherished greatly. There have been so many things here on the Café. So many people, so many friends, many who have become like family to me. So I want to take the time t thank them all for being them.

Firstly to David M. Turner, a wonderful horror writer-shameless plug for you doll, for following me from Urbis at my insistence. I hope it has worked out as well for you as it has for me.

Secondly to Adam Greenfeild, Ali G my friend you have a way with words. Thank you for introducing me to groups here on the Café, even though you probably don’t know you did it. Thank you for making me laugh when I wanted to cry, for understanding my troubles and helping me work through them with words and a smile. I’ll always be there and I’ll always care J !

Thanks to Sean Adams for joining up and sharing your wonderful works after David and I pestered you to do it. My favorite piece of yours will always be the first I ever read, The Green Chair.

Thank you to Jason Brazeal, Andrea Wentz, Bethany Michelle, Nicole Sebula, Angela Talbert, Emily Maggard, B. Lapinski, Erin Levenstien, and the rest of my Beats family. We will see our vision into reality, stay strong of heart and soul, as well as mind and words and we can accomplish anything.

Thank you Lisa Verdon for your initial involvement with the Beats. I miss you here.

To Robert Luna for your heart-wrenching poetry. I can’t wait to see your name on the cover of a book. I’ll be first inline at Barnes and Noble to buy a copy for you to sign. Then I can tell everyone I knew you before you were famous.

To Lyr J. Thirsk(Jake) for bringing spice to my life with your realistically erotic poems. There have been many a cold shower, keep it up!

Thank you to Nathan Strange for your quirky writings. I always enjoy a laugh. You’ll always be a heavy-weight to me.

To Jake Svercek and everyone at Renegade Magazine keeping art alive. Thank you for publishing my work, you have made a dream come true and for that there are not enough thank yous in this world.

To Phil Oz O’fee for your wonderfully insightful reviews. They have been a blessing to read and learn from.

To everyone else for taking the time to read my work and review them. You have all been wonderful and I thank you for being my writing buddies.

But most of all thank you to the spider tree. I miss you greatly but your spirit is still with us all. I will always remember you as the first thing I saw when I found my way to the Café.

Reviews

[Angela Talbert]

AWE, that was so sweet and you even mentioned me- that was a pleasent suprise. I am glad you found your way here and I am glad that I have too. I also miss the spider tree, I was emotionally attatched to it - :). Seems like we have a lot in common by the way, I am also like a cat and an owl and am blonde-lol. Gotta love it. I have also met some of these dear people that you mentioned- Quality people. Thank you for sharing. Angie

[Kelley Pascoe]

This was a great story !! I remember going through something like this myself.
Great write. Thanks for sharing.
Kelley Frost

[Eagle Cruagh]

Well, holy toledo !
You did`nt say you were going to write a book at the
beginning of your story. Well, accept a little credit
anyway because you pulled me in to your story and I
stuck with it to the very end.
Interesting ! Very interesting, completely foreign to me
of course. You speak of cabbages and kings and men ,
romance and many things.
Maybe some day I will learn all that, in the meantime I will
just read of your wild and wooley experiences.
Great and interesting story. Thanks !
----- Eagle Cruagh

[~ Tex]

It was pretty kewl to read how you landed here. For me, this was my first "writers' website" and it was the tree and the name that grabbed me... the name caught my attention... there's something nostalgic about a cafe and the idea of hanging out with other people who share a love/passion is a pretty nice thought. I've met some wonderful folks here and wish I had more time to read... and to write... but I try to read something from everyone of my friends, and if they have a friend whose work they enjoy, I try to read and comment on some of theirs... and if I enjoy the works I read, I typically as to add them as a friend so I can find my way back and keep up with them.

I've enjoyed reading through some of your work... it started with one... the title caught my eye... and from that, and the fact that you had my attention and had me rolling, I thought I'd keep reading.

It is my great hope that you'll keep writing about whatever passions you invest your heart and mind in and about whatever you feel might create much ado about something... or anything... or even nothing at all. Hell, as they say, "Write. Write something... anything... just write!"

~Tex

[THE BLACK SEAL]

made a little chord in my heart go twang

[Jennifer Ryan]

I used to frequent Urbis myself but found I enjoyed the cafe much more. The people are warmer and to get right down to it the writing is better. Thanks for sharing.

[Bethany Woody]

You guys are all so sweet, thats why I love this site so much. Great people, great writing, and great advice on everything for living.

[Sean M. Addams]

very thought out piece showing graditude for all the people on here that make this a welcoming place to come to and get feed back on your writing while helping out others... very nicely said.. good job on this!!!

[David M. Turner]

yay for the cafe! I went to check my Urbis page about 2 months ago. I had one new review that was going to cost m 325 credits to read. Needless to say, I still don't know what that review said :)

[Andrea A. Wentz]

Thank you Beth, we appreciate you too and all the wonderful and hard work you do. I also appreciate all the cute little craft ideas you give me for doing with the kids and all your kind advise. You too are a good friend :)

[Robert Luna]

I am honored and humbled to be included in this piece. I have always enjoyed reading your words and receiving your reviews. I remember very clearly the first time I read your writing and think this girl has got some talent and also feeling lucky that i had stumbled across you before most others did. I thank you for your kind words and I also can't wait for the day that i can say I knew you when.