A friend of mine showed me this site a while back, but I didn't stick around. I enjoy writing and have a modicum of talent, yet the idea of being part of a writing workshop didn't appeal to me. It was definitely one of my more arrogant moments to turn down such a wonderful opportunity to improve. So here I am, a little less than a year later, with the meager hopes of enhancing my writing skills and becoming part of your lovely community.
Hello Gambler, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. 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 Writing Workshop, 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 Writing Workshop, 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. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop 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 Writing Workshop forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. 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 the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try 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!
Thank you for the warm welcome and I will be sure to take a look at the rules before I get myself in trouble. From what you've written above, site conduct seems standard, and the emphasis on constructive criticism only natural. Improving is the goal, and it seems that you've found a nice way of helping others reach it. I remember a site I was on a little while ago that emphasized quality above all else, yet on a whole it focused on the state of being a good writer as opposed to becoming one. The Weekly Short Story Contest sounds like fun. I will definitely give it a once-over and consider trying my hand. Aside from that, I'm not quite sure where to post a question about magazine publication. The Publishers forum seems like it would be the right place to but, but I'm a bit unsure. A little guidance would be welcome.
