Um, hi. My name is Liz...I really enjoy writing. I'm an amateur, but I want to hone my skills enough to get something published - it's been my dream for a long time. My favorite genre to read (and write) is Adventure, usually taking place in fantastical worlds. I really like adventure stories because it's fun to develop characters, and it can come with a lot of different subgenres - for instance, adventures tend to spark romance, adventures can have action-y fighting scenes... I'm a little new at writing original material; I did most of my practicing with fanfiction. I have yet to finish a manuscript of an original idea, and the task seems very daunting. One problem I have is that I'm very long-winded and verbose. My stories, as a consequence, can be very long - perhaps a little too long for a casual reader, but I always feel as if I've left something out if I don't put in all I want to. I'm trying to work on that and make myself a better writer. My progress is hindered by the fact that I have no one to really send my stuff to - most people will talk about giving their families or friends their manuscripts for opinions, but not very many people who I know like to read. So I'm kind of steering myself in the dark here, with no one to really get feedback from. I can easily get a lot of comments like "nice story" or "write more", but I hope most of you know that isn't always exactly what a writer looks for. This forum looks great! I come from an area where the literacy level isn't very high, so it's nice to be able to communicate with others who possibly share my interests and can help me out.
Hello Liz and welcome to Wf.org. I am Heather and can be found on here almost daily, so if you would ever like a review, need any help or just want to chat, send a PM my way and I'll be more than happy to help. I hope you find what you are looking for on here, Heather
hello mightier than the sword. Welcome to the forum. You came to the right place if you want to hone your writing, so you can achieve your dream of getting published. There is plenty of people who are published here, ready, willing and able to help you accomplish your goal. Assassins Creed
Thank you both for your kindness. ^^ This looks like a good place to get help. I had a question - do we have to submit two reviews for every one piece of writing we want to post, or may we post multiple pieces after submitting two reviews? Also, while I'm thinking about it - is there a reason that we're discouraged from posting entire novels? Just curious.
Generally speaking, I don't go by that. What I do is welcome new members, then I look at other threads. If I like what is being discussed there, I will give my opinion. I usually hold back on creating a new thread and search the other threads, just in case someone has answered the question I was going to post. Sometimes I have giving ten replies without realizing it. But when I do I can the go about asking for help or advice or even their opinion on what poems I have just submitted.
The rule I think is that you should do three reviews or so for every of your own peice you post, to make sure everyone's work gets fair attention. And posting whole novels is discouragged, people are rarely willing to read and review such lengthy work. Instead, post the parts ouy need most help with, see what commments and help is given, then apply that to the rest of your work. Heather
Hello Liz, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Heather! You should know it's a minimum of two constructive reviews per submitted piece! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here an any case. It is really worthwhile 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 for the clarification. I'm sorry if I came on as being pushy - I don't actually have any stuff ready to post yet, just wanted to be absolutely clear on the rules! Thanks everyone who posted with the welcomes. ^^;
