Hello all. I just stumbled across this site (thank you, Google) and hope to find a comfortable home and much-needed input here. I am a 39 year old full-time office assistant, wife, mother of 3, and part-time college student. I have always enjoyed writing, but to be honest the only writing I've done in the last several years has been papers for one class or another. Lately, though, I've been having this overwhelming urge to write again. Not just anything though-those inner voices are pushing me to write a book. (Yeah, I 'hear' voices, but they're not the psychotic kind!). Problem is I don't know the first thing about writing a book. I have the basic plot etched out (courtesy of a very vivid dream) but I'm not sure where to begin. In the past, I would just write and let the story go wherever it wanted to. That's fine for recreational writing, but I'm thinking I need a little more structure to actually complete a book. I'll likely be reverting to lurking mode to soak up whatever knowledge I can...and asking for input when I can't find answers any other way. Wondering about things like how you get organized, how much research you do, how much of the story do you map out ahead of time? If you know these things have been discussed on other threads, please feel free to post the link below. Thanks in advance!
Hello Libra Lass, 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. 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 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 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. 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). 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 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!
Hello there Libra...Welcome to the forums. You will find a good deal of help around here. Many of the forum members all about helping where they can. And now I say good night...
