Well, hullo there. I'd have to start off by admitting I'm not the best at introductory posts. I'm not an awkward person but talking about oneself for an indefinite amount of time can lead to certain awkwardness, right? No? That's just me then. Right, getting to the point. My name is Renée, and I am 20 years-old. I constantly panic over age (seriously freaking out about turning 21 soon, eek!) and over lots of things, really. I tend to have what I call an obsessive personality (nothing diagnosed but something that makes me really, really, REALLY get involved in things for certain periods of time) and often engage in what can only be described as 'fangirling'. Hardly a fangirl though, since I certainly do not have the energy to devote myself to just one thing. I'm passionate about a few things in my life - namely, writing. I began writing when I was about 11, and some of the characters I created then have made it all the way to 2011, re-vamped and improved, of course, but in essence, still there. I'm also very passionate about sports, football (not the American kind) and please don't call it soccer, and tennis mostly. I am a fervent Manchester United supporter and tend to get very, very worked up during match-days. You've been warned. Roger Federer will always be number 1 to me, and Rafael Nadal is just someone I like pretending does not exist sometimes. My favourite football player is Owen Hargreaves, former Manchester United midfielder and now belonging to Manchester City (here's where I succumb to tears). Calling him a traitor is probably not going to enrage me and will definitely turn me off to future football conversations with said offender. For some reason, I think this is the most important part of this post, really. I get emotionally invested in pretty much everything I do and I am admittedly, a worrier. I stress out and freak out and there is not a day in my life where you can touch my shoulders and not find them cramped with knots. My other general interests are anime, though I don't watch too much anymore, comic books, RPGs (video and text-based), poetry, languages, art and music. I do not play any instruments but I am hopelessly attracted to piano-players and artists in general make me go weak at the knees. I don't see what's so particularly alluring about French (currently studying it though) but I'm in love with other Romance languages so ... I don't know. It's strange. Well, I think that's enough for a first post. I'd love to get to know people here, as I believe that being in an environment where everyone else is struggling with his or her craft might definitely ease the burden, at least for me. Looking forward to getting to know you!
Hello Renée, Welcome to the Creative Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you try to post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here anyway. 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!
Hello Renee, sorry I left the accent mark out. I am Clint, I just joined too (my post is in this forum). You seem interesting and oddly enough we are about the same age (I turned 21 sept 5th), and I also play piano, though not too well. I like writing poetry and humor essays. It's good to meet you and I look forward to reading your work... in two weeks. -Clint
Nice to meet you, Clint. Don't worry about the accent mark, it's not something I'm anal about. I'll check out your thread! Thanks for the welcome. I look forward to seeing your work too. And thanks for the welcome too, Cogito. I have read the rules, the FAQ and followed the links on the Noob paquet post I saw, but I appreciate being reminded of it -- I often forget them!
Hi Renee, Amusing first post! Do avoid caffeine. You're getting an early start, so perhaps I hope you'll get compulsive about writing! Good luck. K.
