SPAM Guide
SPAM: Stupid, pointless, annoying messages. SPAM can be in many formats:

1. The one-liner: "Yeah, I totally agree!"
2. Excess use of puncuation/smilies: "Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Say what? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?" or  
3. The irrelevant post: For instance, say the thread is about any given Movie, and you post with, "My cousin's sister's mother's brother's father's friend's aunt had a friend in said movie."
4. The double-post: Posting twice in a row, without good reason.
5. The double-topic: Posting a thread on something that already has a thread. For instance, the whole "favorite baby names" and "what would you name your kids".
6. The impatient post: For those of you who have ants in your pants, and can't wait for your requests to be finished, and so you decide to post in the design thread with "IS MY BANNER DONE YET?!?!? HOW LONG WILL IT BE?!?!"
7. The reviewless review: "I loved the movie!" - This is NOT a review, people.
8. The questionless questions: When you post in Meet the Staff forum- you need to post questions, NOT things like "Hey you're from Virginia like me, that's so cool!"
9. The caps lock posts: IT'S ACTUALLY CONSIDERED TO BE SHOUTING WHEN YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPS, AND IT'S PRETTY RUDE TO SHOUT AT PEOPLE, DON'T YOU THINK?
10. The I-Know-I'm-Not-Supposed-To-Reply post: This happens especially in the polls for schemes and such - I even TELL you guys NOT to post in them, unless you chose "other" as an option, and therefore you have to reply. But a lot of times, people reply anyway.

Bah! You're too picky. Would you prefer people only write mini novel length posts and create threads that go on until the world ends and the bozo aliens from planet What's-It come to see our remains?

People come to boards to have fun. Sure, there are many who aren't very mature, are desperate for any attention/contact, and generally are annoying. But to burn them for it is very Darth Vadar of you.

Really cool smileys.

Very apropriate.

Can you make a Foo dog? Mouse needs a smiley all to himself.

I'm a NaNoWriMo virgin. That status will change this year though. 

I usually piece things together as I go. Poke my "logic" finger in it and if it doesn't fall apart, write it down. Then I ask all the whys. Why does this happen? What would happen if it didn't? What's the bad-ness? How can I make this worse?

Then I try answering all the questions before my brain explodes.

Only on those rare occasions when my first idea is just too weak for even fiction to support will I rack my brain for an alternative.

I write.

And not just board posts, either.

Okay, so I'm not published. Yet, I say! I have illusions--delusions, whatever--that someday that will change.

I'm part of a writing group over at Kelly Armstrong's forum. They've helped me a lot. When I'm there, I don't have to worry about passing this writing disease on to anyone else. They have it already.

I guess you guys have it too?

*sighs in relief*

Once again, I am not alone.

Not that a writer is ever alone. Pesky characters won't stay quiet. It's like haveing five TVs on.

Or is that just me?

Factoids about moi;

Name: Andrea Miccaver (at least that's the one I'll admit to. *wink*)

Writing History: Started in third grade. My mom cried so I stopped for a while. When I got old enough to figure moms cry even when all is well in the world (like during milk comercials) I started writing again. Went through a dark period where things got really bleak. I'm talking all alone during a storm in a lighthouse that won't friggen work bleak. Took up writing again to keep me sane. Now can't stop.

Reason for Writing: The sound of a clicking keyboard is the best salve for any wound.

Novels written: 2

Novels that will be written by end of year: 4 (If NaNoWriMO works)

Novels in progress: *takes off shoes* This could take a while.

Novels in head: Hah! Like they ever pause long enough for me to count.

Other info needed: Don't be insulted by what I write. I have a really bad filter. *makes note* get filter changed--by an expert this time.