I used the same intro on a different site! LOL My name is Kim, and as the title says, I live in Washington State. Tacoma/Seattle area to be more specific. I've been taking the Children's & Teens Writing course through the Institute of Children's Literature since August of 2008. My time is spent on the course so I don't have anything published yet. I never seem to run out of writing ideas. Just time in which to jot them down! I'm in hopes of revising at least one of the homework assignments, submit it to magazines and then get to work on my book(s) that I've started as rough drafts and let sit. Nice to meet all of you!
Hi Kim, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time 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 as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, 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? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Thanks for the welcomes and tidbits of writing info for the board. I wasn't planning on posting anything until I understood what I was getting into around here. Writing, classwork, and family keeps me busy so I'll check in as often as I can. Thank you again, everyone!
Wow-I've neglected this place for too long! On top of the usual life obligations, illnesses have plagued our house a couple of times. (Just bad colds-no worries). Hope to enter some contests more frequently around here. No promises on consistency, but I'll do my best. Hope everyone's been busy writing and enjoying warmer weather (for those of us in those locales where summer is encroaching upon our area). We had 90 degree temps 3 days in a row. Now, it's plummeted into the 60's and lower 70's for daytime highs. What a contrast. My daughter is home from college until the end of August. She's been distracting me from my writing duties. Soon, her younger brother will be joining her at home with his summer vacation. I've already had to have the discussion with everyone that just because you're on vacation, doesn't mean I'm on vacation. Writer's don't have that luxury! On May 16 & 17, I had the pleasure of attending our area SCBWI Conference (Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrator's). It was fabulous! I compare it to going to your favorite rock concert-I'm still jazzed about it. I attended 6 sessions in all and joined the various authors, editor's and publishers for their informative meetings. What I walked away with was: Although there are publisher's guidelines, if you don't write your story your way, you're not truly writing; quality over quantity; as a writer, don't forget to read! Not only are you seeing what the publishers are putting out there, you may get inspired to write a story based on what you've read. Take care everyone! Hope to see you around here a little more frequently! Kim
Hello! i'm new here, too, and glad i found it. i like writing from the perspective of teens, but older, too. so, greetings from the east coast (been your way once, years ago, reminded me of my second homeland, northern germany.). Julia
