Hi to everyone! I found this forum last night when I was searching for tips on how to improve on creative writing skills. I am quite shy and lack confidence in my writing. I have never had much opportunity for creative writing as I'm usually stuck with writing dull research papers on topics I haven't had the chance to seriously investigate because of deadlines for college courses. The stress of being a college student, wife and mother has seemed to stifle any creativity that I may have once had and I would like to rediscover it! Improving my writing skills is a personal goal for me, but I need some guidance and support. Also, commas and semicolons are my most reviled foes in writing, so please forgive me!
Hello missingmuse, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Everyone has some writing elements to clean up. Punctuation is relatively easy, because there are established rights and wrongs you can learn. 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! 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. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Thank you for the tips. I will have to see how comfortable I am reviewing anyone's work after reading that link. I can't imagine that I have that much to contribute, but I do understand how helpful it can be!
Thy shyness shall evaporate after you've reviewed and been reviewed. An experience that opens your eyes to how good you really are. You're definitely going to improve by leaps and bounds, stick around here.
Hey MissingMuse, welcome to Wf.org. I am Heather and can be found around here nearly every day and if you would ever like a review, need any help or just want to chat then send a PM my way and I'll be more than happy to help. I hope you enjoy it here and I see you around more often. Heather
Thanks for the welcome! I have not written anything creative in a very long time. I formerly wrote a little poetry and short stories. All of that has vanished with the onset of motherhood and adult life. I write often, but mostly analytical essays (yes I know, quite dull). Anyway, I am here begin writing again which I know will be a painfully slow process so you will all have to be gentle as you tear apart my lame attempts.
