Hi! My name is Cassie, I'm 20 years old (just 7 short months away from the big 21!) and I'm getting ready to start my junior year in college. I'm currently double majoring in Counseling Psychology and English with a literature emphasis.

I've always been a reader, been doing it since I learned how, and for as long as I can remember the only thing it ever takes to occupy me is a good book. My parents could put me at the table with a book or a pen and paper and I'd be set for hours.

All my life, I've wondered if there was something more to my passion. I find myself engulfed in literature and constantly getting lost in the text. Once I've finished, I want more and start thinking of ways I'd have written the story or how it could be continued.

I keep a small journal with me where I write down random ideas I get from life that one day, I'd love to put together into some sort of fiction. I'm an avid journal-er and have always thought about using my own experiences and turning them into something.

I stumbled upon this site and thought I'd give it a try, in hopes of building my bank of ideas and learning a thing or two about composition as well.

Hi there Cassie!
Welcome to the forums, and feel free to PM me if you ever need anything.

Welcome to the family, ou and I sound like kindrids, my mom grounds me by taking my books away. You must be a fellow bibliophile. Anyhoo, enjoy the site and have fun. We have a book discussion thread that you might enjoy as well as a never endeing conversation at Raven's Tavern. I wish many pleasurable experiences upon you, and may your keys never strike back. Vic.

Hi Cassie, Welcome to the Writing Forums.

Posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog.

If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ (http://www.writingforums.org/faq.php) as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules (http://www.writingforums.org/showthread.php?p=101625#post101625), too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate.

As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize reviewing as a critical writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? (http://www.writingforums.org/showpost.php?p=65432&postcount=1) for more information.

Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!

Hello Cassie!
Welcome to the forums.
Its nice to see new people with a passion for writing.
PM me if you need anything!

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs046.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

Hia Cassie :D
Hope you enjoy yourself here!

Hi, welcome to the forums!
PS. The title you chose for this thread is awesome - I love Beauty and the Beast :)

Welcome :)

Welcome, Cassie. I'm happy you found us. ^_^

Welcome welcome welcome welcome!

=P