Virginia McClain: Freelance Writer, Novelist

• This Is By Us www.thisisby.us/user.php/virginiamcclain TIBU, as it is affectionately known by its users, is a writing website where people can post whatever they want, whenever they want, and get paid for it via a voting system and daily ad revenue divisions. I write there under the pseudonym Gwenwhyvar. Readers be ware! I've been known to post on content ranging from how to improve your sex life, to why grown men act like teenagers and I don't tend to hold back. I've even been known to curse **gasp**. So, parents you may not want your kids reading this content. Posted at 6:52pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• Lifetips.com www.lifetips.com/expert-guru/6308-virginia-mcclain.html This is a site full of useful (mostly) advice on just about everything. My contributions are mostly Spanish (how to learn it that is) oriented, with the occasional tip about how to care for your pets. Posted at 6:54pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• The First Line www.thefirstline.com The First Line is an awesome magazine that publishes a collection of short stories all starting with the same first line quarterly. (It's a different first line each quarter.) Of course, I'm a bit biased since they gave me my first real publishing credit. But, I really do think that they're great. Posted at 6:56pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• Adventures for the Average Woman www.ideagems.com/ A fiction and art magazine for women. This magazine published my short story Sisters of Monte Cristo in December of 2006. Posted at 7:56pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine www.sfsite.com/fsf/ FSF is one of my favorite collections of short stories. You can find them at most bookstores (definitely Barnes and Noble and Borders). The stories are entirely sci-fi and fantasy, and are extremely well written and interesting, almost without fail. They've never published my work, but I'm still trying. In the meantime, they're a great read. Posted at 7:59pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• NaNoWriMo! www.nanowrimo.org/ Say what? That's National Novel Writing Month, to you. And that month would be November. This is how I wrote the first 50,000 words of my first novel, and I plan on doing it again this year. The idea is simple, write 50k words in one month. Write first, edit later. :-) Highly recommended for anyone who wants to write a novel. Posted at 8:57pm on Tue, Sep 16 2008

• Digital Blasphemy www.digitalblasphemy.com/ Amazing digitally rendered imaging. An awesome site that is totally worth checking out. (They make wonderful backgrounds for your PC or Laptop.) Posted at 8:02pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• Rock Climbing.com www.rockclimbing.com RC.com is a super useful tool for those who are climbers or are just getting into climbing. Useful info from maps, to ratings, to good and bad gear and recall announcements can all be found on this site. Note: If you're not a rock climber you may not find this site very interesting, although you may enjoy the photos. Posted at 8:05pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• Writer's Market www.writersmarket.com Highly useful tool for established and aspiring writers. Find the right market for your writing. Look up submission guidelines, track your submissions and track deadlines. Not a free site I'm afraid, but a worthwhile investment if you're serious about getting published. Posted at 8:08pm on Wed, Sep 03 2008

• Dust Poets www.dustpoets.com Irreverent Canadian Folk-Pop by all of my favorite Canadians. Well, most of my favorite Canadians anyway. I mean, they're all my favorite Canadians, but there are some other Canadians who are pretty awesome and aren't in this band. Anyway there's one in particular who is... Yeah, the mandolin player... I hit that. (Actually he's my boyfriend, I don't go around sleeping with random musicians. Only specific ones.) Posted at 12:14pm on Mon, Oct 27 2008

Here are some other writers who's stuff I enjoy and feel should be promoted. Enjoy!

• Amy Shannon's Writing writearoundthecorner.blogspot.com/ Amy Shannon is a fellow TIBU writer who writes under the name Ahickpoet, I think that about sums it up. Posted at 10:39pm on Mon, Sep 08 2008