Hi all, I'm working on trying to get better at my writing this winter, as I happen to have a fair bit of time on my hands. I write a weekly column on the Canadian wilderness for a local paper and in general mostly write about the outdoors, wildlife, the relationship of humans with nature...that sort of thing. I'm really looking forward to broadening my horizon among you folks and hope to learn some more tricks of the trade...and chat with you
first off, welcome. as a nature writer, have you ever hiked the USA's Appalachian Trail? wishing you well, --BG_Hambone
Hello Mara, Welcome to the Writing Forums. If you have time on your hands, does that automatically make it digital time? 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!
Hi guys, thanks for the welcome @ BG Hambone - no, I haven't done the Appalachian Trail, have you? I wanted to do the Pacific Crest Trail some years ago but then got sidelined into other things...it's still on my agenda, though @ Cogito - not automatically digital time; we live off-grid and to get online I either need sunshine or run the pesky generator. But since the net seems to be the best resource for writing for me at this time, I do spend more time on it now than I usually do.
