Hello everyone. I have lurked here a few times and enjoyed what I have seen. This board appears to be a good place for me to read and learn, as well as participate occasionally when I see a challenge I think I can handle. I love writing, but do not do it often enough. Life interferes. Alas! I never expect to write a novel, but I do enjoy descriptive writing and occasional light poetry. Lately I have been too heavily mired down with following politics and the economy. Coming here should offer me some peace of mind again (lol) and be a place of creativity rather than destruction. I did participate in the short paragraph game today, just for some fun and the exercise. Mostly I come here to read. Once in a while I have a good idea or different view on something which I hope to offer. But most of all, I have a desire to enhance my ability, such as it may be, and it is always helpful to read in order to learn to write. Glad I found this forum and look forward to exchanges here. I have already seen some nicely written paragraphs.
Hello Blank Page, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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!