Hi! I'm new. I guess that's pretty obvious. My name is Jalisa, but I go by Lisa for short, since my full name is typically a mouthful. I've been on forums before, most recently Absolute Write. I still browse every now and then. I'm graduating from college next month with a Bachelor's in Middle Level Education, emphasis in Language Arts and Science. I've written a book and am currently agented in Gina Panettieri at Talcott Notch Literary Services and we're working on finding it (my novel) a home. It's an Urban Fantasy about a werewolf who, well, kicks butt for a her job. I've started a blog recently and have reviewed a couple of books and done a couple of interviews and hope to do a few more! As far as writing, of late I've been trying to work on my short story skills. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback but no acceptances for publication yet. So, I'm hoping that maybe I can work on that here. I'm really open to constructive criticism and am happy to give the same!
Hello Lisa, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on 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. 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!
awesome! I'm also an English teacher who wants to write. Trying to get my foot in the door somewhere, and it seems to me that winning some short story contests or publishing a short story might be a good precursor to scoring an agent for a mystery novel. Sounds like you're having much more success than I am at this point, so congratulations! I'm as yet unpublished and just kind of experimenting.
Hey Lisa, welcome! I go to AW every now and then but like WF better. You'll really enjoy it here, I think!
I'm always slow in getting back to posts, so sorry about the late reply, but thank you to everyone for the welcome! @Cogito, I'll make sure to take a look around before I jump right in and I'll keep your words in mind. Checking the rules will be my next stop. Thanks for the helpful links! I didn't know posting a piece in entirety seriously diminished its chances of publication. A good thing to know. @teacherayala, thank you for the congratulations, but I'm still not published either! I think there are a few different ways to get an agent. Everyone seems to have a different story, but it all seems to start with a manuscript that's been well-written and seriously revised and edited. And I'm still experimenting, too. A lot. I so don't have the hang of it. Gotta keep practicing. @Mallory, thanks for the welcome! I think I'll like it, too.
