Hello all. I'm 20 years old, I'm currently a student studying Journalism, English and Creative Writing at University. I've been milling over my life choices a lot lately and I've always been in the mindset that creative writing was not a good way to earn money. I was content to have it is side subject in my studies, which I throughly enjoyed and felt immense passion for. But now I'm starting to change my mind. I've always been a reader, there's hardly a time that passes by when I'm not enjoying a novel, or re-reading a book i've read many times. I guess I have to admit I'm in love with the written word. Song lyrics fill me with personal ephipanies and phrases that stick in my head, I think there's always something haunting in the way words and music are melted together. I want to create that haunting feeling. I used to write a lot of poetry and short stories, but in the last few years I've let the creative part of me fall away, so that it is no more than a whisper in the back of my head. I'm hoping that by joining this site I can gain some motivation and get that little voice to consume my imagination once again.
Hello Ebony, 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!
Thank you all for your nice welcomes ! I will definitely have a look around before posting anything. - Debz
