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New? Arriving? (09 Aug 2021)

Required Reading:

If it is stickied, it is stickied for a reason. Please read it.

× This section is open for non-Whateley topics. Please minimize political, religious, or other button topics. We won't punish anyone for making a comment, but we would prefer to avoid massive arguments and trolling is frowned on. There are plenty of other places to go for that... and it is not conducive to this community for us to put up with it. If a moderator / staff / canon author says stop, please do. If we have to ask you multiple times, we may ban you. The community / project is more important than any one person's 'free choice' chasing people away. Disagree? Think we treated you unfairly? Calm down. Come back and talk to us rationally. We aren't monsters. But the site isn't a democracy... and making people leave because you make it less fun to be here? Not acceptable.

Introductions

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10 Mar 2022 11:03 #1438 by Crazy Minh
Replied by Crazy Minh on topic Introductions
So, I’ve been putting this off for a while, but here goes:

Hi! I’m Crazy Minh, but you can just call me ‘Minh’. I’m an Australian university student, and I work part-time as a IT support worker. I’ve been a member of the Whateley community for…uh…*counts on fingers*…five or six years now. I first discovered the site when I was bored one afternoon, and decided to browse through TV Tropes for something new to read online. Whateley looked attractively lengthy, so I lurked for a bit, and found that I really enjoyed the stories.

I like to think I’m the biggest nerd in Sydney. I’m probably wrong, but so far I’m yet to meet someone in my city whose knowledge of science fiction surpasses (or even rivals) my own.

I dabble in writing, with the bulk of my work being infrequently posted over on ’m an avid tabletop gamer, with my main systems being D&D 5e and Warhammer 40k.

In terms of video games, my tastes are eclectic, but the bulk of my Steam library is taken up by sci-fi games. The five games I’ve played the most are Stellaris (700+ hours), Skyrim (~550 hours), XCOM: Enemy Unknown (380+ hours), Fallout: New Vegas (350 hours), and Borderlands 2 (320+ hours). I guess that this makes my two most played genres Strategy and Roleplaying.

I’ve probably read enough books to fill three public libraries (I’m hyperlexic, I’ve been reading since the age of three, and I can finish a six hundred page novel in under an hour), and have some *very* strong opinions on audiobooks. Most of my reading needs nowadays are fulfilled by frequent visits to the handful of libraries in Sydney I haven’t torn through yet.

I play the violin, although it has been a fair number of years since I’ve picked it up. As a kid, I was part of the Suzuki violin program, and I was lucky enough to play on the main stage at the Sydney Opera House (yes, the iconic one with the sails) during graduation ceremonies. Outside of playing music, my musical tastes are a mixed bag. My favourite band is AC/DC; but my favourite song is Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra.

When I was in high school, I was incredibly lucky to get the opportunity to attend & Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama. I’ve had a lifelong fascination with space exploration ever since I first watched Star Trek: The Next Generation for the first time as a six year old. My dream is to one day work for NASA or SpaceX, and maybe even get to go to the moon someday.

I also occasionally watch anime. My father introduced me to anime at a young age via Astro Boy, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and the works of Studio Ghibli; but I tend to watch less arty stuff nowadays. My favourite anime right now is Evangelion, but I also enjoy some of the less…unique…offerings out there.

Other than that, I’m generally just the guy who asks if someone’s tried turning their computer off and on again. I’m also the guy you’ll see having the occasional flip-out over the latest insult CBS/Paramount has put out. An insult wearing the skin of the Star Trek franchise like the Bug in MiB.



…christ, I need to find something else to rag on about.

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31 Jul 2022 23:06 #2089 by Mylian
Replied by Mylian on topic Introductions
I'm Mylian. I'll accept any pronouns. I've been here for a while. Through a couple of sites at least. I found my way here through WhatIF posted somewhere, read everything, decided to write some WhatIF myself. It gets weird.
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05 Aug 2022 22:37 #2109 by Kristin Darken
Replied by Kristin Darken on topic Introductions
"It gets weird" could be our motto around here. :P

Fate guard you, and may the Light brighten your Way.
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06 Aug 2022 03:20 #2110 by Commander Knight
Replied by Commander Knight on topic Introductions
"It gets weird" called probably be the schools motto, or the Latin translation.

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17 Sep 2022 19:38 #2385 by Marian Griffith
Replied by Marian Griffith on topic Introductions

"It gets weird" called probably be the schools motto, or the Latin translation.

Nothing so pedestrian as Latin. Whateley would use Olmek, or Sumerian or somesuch. Unless they go for a culture so long gone and obscure that it takes a genius among geniuses to destill some of their spoken language from fragments out of fossils, shared dreams runic magic and Jungian archetypes.

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23 May 2023 12:47 #2819 by Solus Nova
Replied by Solus Nova on topic Introductions
Hi all
I'm Solus Nova, Canadian currently on long term disability due to some serious health issues
I joined up with Whateley back on the old board, kinda drifted away just as Gen2 was starting now I'm drifting back
Looking to write some WhatIF when I am satisfied with my writing skills
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24 May 2023 05:14 - 24 May 2023 05:14 #2820 by Dan Formerly Domoviye
Replied by Dan Formerly Domoviye on topic Introductions
Hey there, fellow Canadian.
Happy to meet you.
If you have any questions feel free to ask here or on Discord.
Cheers.
Last edit: 24 May 2023 05:14 by Dan Formerly Domoviye.

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24 May 2023 21:08 #2821 by null0trooper
Replied by null0trooper on topic Introductions
Hello!

Looking to write some WhatIF when I am satisfied with my writing skills


I can't argue against the idea of holding off until you like what you're writing. Mileages vary. However, I can recommend against setting your bar too high before opening the floor to feedback.

"No Heroes" Part 7: After the rain link .

Story Discussion

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24 May 2023 23:08 #2823 by Solus Nova
Replied by Solus Nova on topic Introductions
Agreed, my biggest issue is when writing I miss words like 'a', 'the', 'of', but when I re-read what I've typed my brain fills in the missing words.
Bad brain.
Recently I found a decent free text to speech plug in that is simple and free and am going over an old story and polishing it up, hearing things works, were seeing doesn't, at least for me..

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25 May 2023 21:54 - 25 May 2023 21:54 #2825 by Kristin Darken
Replied by Kristin Darken on topic Introductions
TTS is useful for that. Reading the words aloud is a part of my editorial process for the same reason. Most people, especially those who read a lot, read chunks... sometimes as large as paragraphs at a time, building the concepts from critical descriptors and actions instead of reading all the words. So it's easy to miss those absent or mistyped words. But nulls point on feedback is good for conceptual growth as well as the technical stuff. That's even more true on ideas that you have spent a lot of time on... Because while you have all the backstory and intricacies of plot in your head, your reader will only have what you give them. A beta reader's feedback is excellent for filling in the depth between those key parts you start with.

Fate guard you, and may the Light brighten your Way.
Last edit: 25 May 2023 21:54 by Kristin Darken.
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26 May 2023 00:15 #2826 by Sir Lee
Replied by Sir Lee on topic Introductions
TTS is great for catching awkward phrasing, odd-sounding things, overlong phrases and stuff like that, but a lot of typos (particularly the ones that result in homophones) will escape. For the good ol' typo-hunting, there's an old-school proofreader's trick: read the text backwards.
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24 Jun 2023 19:27 #2924 by Marian Griffith
Replied by Marian Griffith on topic Introductions
I vote for a school motto in proto-enochian ;)

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22 Jan 2025 09:10 - 22 Jan 2025 11:25 #4033 by legendary.lost.ninja
Replied by legendary.lost.ninja on topic Introductions
Hi, my name such as it is, is Lost Ninja (I'm not sure why I prepended the legendary to it, though that is something I do use when I have forgotten my Lost Ninja password (which is not the case here)).

I'm 49, live in the UK - specifically in Yorkshire but almost in sight of the Irish sea (it can be seen from the top of a nearby fell).

I've been writing since high school, but I have in the past got into it, then got bored, stopped then got back into it. At the moment I'm trying to channel my inner writer to learn to be able to write every day. It was a resolution this year and I failed on the 2nd. But I've got back to it now and it seems to be working out. I have previously in the distant past of 2004-6ish published to BC as JC, some of which I still think was good work and some I shudder at. And while I have written fan-fics (before WhatIF came along) for Whateley and I have cleaned up copies of the stories, whether or not I actually posted them I don't know and of course those forums have long gone (it was the first phpBB forums, I do remember that, just not if I posted stories there or not).

I found Whateley I think from stories posted to Big Closet or possibly Sapphires. And hung around till probably the first lot of authors were starting to get bored/burned out. Came back for a while when the first of the 2nd Gen stories were being posted - but again got bored and left. So I've had a lot to catch up on. I have a definite soft spots for Jade and Laura as well as the Little Witches (and Twitch). Not sure who my favourite character is (probably one of my own), but Loophole is well up there, though Jade or Laura ofc too. I'm really enjoying the Gen2 stories at the moment.

I was until the last few years primarily a gamer but I'm finding I just don't get the pleasure I once did and I do more reading now than gaming. But I have about 40k hours in Minecraft (modded) from pre-alpha to current releases.
Went to a boarding school near where I now live, got kicked out at 15. Knocked around with various jobs for the next 35 years. Spent 10 weeks in Chile as part of a Raleigh International expedition there (sad that my defining adventure happen in 1998).
I've trained in IT and Forestry.
I got into sci-fi when I was a tween, reading the books my dad had collected when he was at university ('cos I initially liked the covers). Never lost my love of sci-fi my favourite author is probably Ian M Banks, but my favourite book is a toss up between Fallen Dragon (Peter F Hamilton), White Dragon (Anne McCaffrey), Fallen Angels (Niven, Pournelle & Barnes), Diamond Age (Neal Stephenson) or Excession (Ian M Banks), but I can never decide which.
I read fantasy too, but with some few exceptions I'm not a huge fan, I disliked the Lord of the Rings apart from a little at the beginning of book one and a bit a the end of book 3, I do like Hobbit though.
I have barely read any comics from any publisher , I've seen Akira twice when it was on British TV, and I've read some of the Ranma that I've found online.
I don't watch much TV (we don't own one) but when I do I prefer comic quiz shows like QI, or history type stuff.
Film wise I tend to watch kids films and love them a lot, I like the odd chick-flic and MCU and I tend to not watch much else (I will often get a month of a streaming service at a time and watch everything they have that I want to watch then cancel. I did mostly enjoy Arcane on Netflix recently - though some of the themes in it made me feel ill so I didn't finish watching it. I also enjoyed I think Black Dove(s?).
I consider myself bi-celibate, am broadly attracted to both (apparent) genders (or none), but am uninterested in actually doing anything with either. I have profound issues with touching or being touched.
I was raised Christian but am now officially atheist though my feelings are a little more extreme than that.
I have been diagnosed with dyslexia/dysgraphia as a child, mostly related to writing/spelling and short term memory, I never had any issue reading (well I did skip most of the reading scheme in school so I could get to more interesting books). I was diagnosed with ASD as an adult (in my 30s) which explained a lot. And it has been suggested that I also have ADHD (non-hyperactivity) which would explain a lot more. And I think I probably have dyscalculia as well though I don't have a diagnosis.
I had severe clinical depression for ~18 years, and I had to move back in with my parents, with whom I still live. I am no longer as depressed but struggle with loneliness and hopelessness.
I am self medicating Estradiol Ethanate, originally for gender dysphoria, and now because on it I don't feel the dysphoria and because it kills my libido which makes my life a heck of a lot more comfortable.
I have recently been diagnosed with moderate - severe heart disease (it's a family thing) I'm still being tested, but if I suddenly vanish that might be why. :/
(And the last fact is really why I'm posting this, don't want to vanish without people understanding where I have gone, I'll try and educate my parents in who to contact if I drop 're old and not very tech savy.)


I write because I enjoy reading my stories, and while becoming a proper professional author (like my gran) would be amazing. Ultimately I write because I want to express my characters, and see how their stories progress. And because I enjoy writing.
edit to add:
I listen to and enjoy music. And rather than listing what I do like all I can say is I don't enjoy Jazz much or the loudest/screamingest metal/death metal/etc. And I do seem to prefer 80's and 90's stuff more than other stuff (going on my play lists) however my main love is Trance.
Last edit: 22 Jan 2025 11:25 by legendary.lost.ninja. Reason: forgot music
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10 Feb 2025 15:20 #4077 by Benoftheflies
Replied by Benoftheflies on topic Introductions
Hello! My name is Ben. I have been reading Whatley for about a year so or, found it off of TV Tropes. I am male, he/him pronouns, and 30ish. I am married to a guy, and I live in the southern US.

I am interested in learning how to write. Like, I have a ton of ideas and I am in the process of organizing and recording them. Kinda looking to maybe try my hand at writing WhatIF stories. Some themes I would like to explore would be religion, cults, covens etc; powers that make your quality of life worse (not limited to GSD), gender, sexuality, and feminism. I'm sure there is more to be said, but that is what is off the top of my head
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