Hello everyone! My name is Jessi, but my friends call me Zippy. I'm a 19 year old college student in Michigan, currently majoring in English. I've been addicted to writing ever since I can remember... I think I can safely say it all started when a friend and I began creating scenarios back and forth with each other concerning various characters from movies and books we enjoyed. Those "scenarios" grew into full-blown stories and RPs, which we still continue to work on to this day, 5 years later. Along the way I won the first place award in my 8th grade year for an essay depicting "my American Hero" (I wrote it about my mom ) and I ended up getting involved with my high school newspaper as well. I started off my sophomore year as a staff writer, and by the time I graduated, I was the opinions editor, a position I had worked towards for 3 years. I won a 3rd place award at MIPA, (Michigan Interscholastic Press Association) a journalism conference, for one of my articles. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan, working towards a major in English. I am at work on 2 original novels (of the science fiction/fantasy type genres) that I would love to have published someday. In my spare time, I also write short stories, fanfictions, and poetry as well. I would give almost anything to become an accomplished author one day and to see my books published. I found this site by accident, actually, but it looked like a great community where I would be able to share my creativity and love for writing with others. I look forward to sharing my ideas with everyone, as well as receiving them from other writers like myself. Thanks so much for allowing me to introduce myself to the community! -Zippy
Welcome to the forum Zippy! I'm fairly new myself but from what I can see (and read) there are a lot of really cool people here. The policies are fair, the conversation always scintillating. Enjoy your stay!
What am I, the youngest person here?! O_O Why is everyone in their late teens and twenties and over? Haha, I'm kidding. I'm TheHedgehog but you can call me Hedge. I am a guy, live on the east coast, and I'm thirteen years old. I write as often as I can when life allows me to. What sorts of literature do you like to read? Any instruments you play or hobbies? What music do you listen to? Welcome.
Yes. In fact, you're the youngest person in the entire world. Welcome, Zippy. Don't let my immaculate posture and excellent bone structure intimidate you. I put my designer jeans on one leg at a time, just like you.
Hello Jess, 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 constructive critique as a vital 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 so much to everyone for the kind welcome! Hey Hedge! Haha I write as often as my busy schedule allows me to as well... I'll read almost anything that's stuck under my nose, really, but I'm particularly drawn to fantasy/science-fiction/adventure books. I read a LOT of Star Wars expanded universe novels and books from the "Forgotten Realms" series, particularly R.A. Salvatore's work. As far as instuments go, I have an acoustic and electric guitar I'm teaching myself to play in my spare time... and I would say that I enjoy heavy metal music mostly.
Ah that's cool. I've never read Star Wars but hope to get around to it someday. So you play the electric and acoustic guitar? I've always wanted to play an acoustic guitar ever since I got into orchestra. *Sighs* Eventually...!
Oh, you're in orchestra? Awesome! I used to play the viola in the orchestra in my elementary/junior high school, but for some reason or another I dropped it because I thought I wanted to be in a rock band. Haha, silly adolescent dreams... what instrument do you play? Also, if you're a fan of Star Wars (or anything sci-fi in general) I would definitely recommend checking out some of the expanded universe books, they make for a great read.
XD Haha I'm sure we could overlook that aspect! What music are you into? R.A. Salvatore is a genius, and hands down one of the best authors to ever walk this earth... in my opinion, at least.
Keane, The Killers, Mute Math, The Strokes, most of that sort of stuff. Lighter rock, with some electronica influences. And yeah, he's definitely great. He's practically invented, reinvented, and revolutionized martial fantasy several times over. Would you be willing to drastically alter your music taste and move to Connecticut so we can be together?
Neat-o, I'm a fan of the older, classic rock as well... Metallica, Aerosmith, all that jazz. I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to music, as long as it's not rap. No offense to anyone... I totally agree with you on the whole "revoluntionized" aspect of Salvatore's work... it may seem like I'm putting him up on a pedastal, but it's hard not to like a man who can spin these brilliant new worlds from his own imagination. I can only hope to write as well as he does one day. What are some of your favorite books by him? Personally, I enjoy the Dark Elf trilogy the most... Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn. I can read those books over and over again without ever getting bored.
Well, he actually had no part in creating the worlds in most of his books... at least, not any involving Drizzt. I've found that he became more and more commercialized in his writing as time went on; if you go back to The Highwayman and The Ancient, the storytelling is much richer and more fantastical, as opposed to his newer stuff. I mean, The Orc King and The Pirate King were great and all, but nothing compares to his old stuff.
