Hello! My name is James, I'm almost 19 years old and I come from just outside of Glasgow in Scotland. I have always enjoyed writing, though have somewhat neglected my interest as life and everything else seems to get in the way (such is life, i suppose). Though I haven't did a huge amount of writing (other than writing in school, I've only created a few short stories and some fan fiction when i was around 16) I've decided to start writing again, and have only recently began writing a novel. As I have decided to put a serious effort into improving my skills and making sure I keep writing rather than busying myself with other things, I joined this forum. I have began exploring the forum a little, and hope to be visiting it often to enhance my writing and hopefully help other people in however small a way. Look forward to speaking to yous all soon, James.
Hullo James, 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. 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). 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!
Hey James! Welcome! I'm curious, what genre do you write and what is your novel about? I'm writing a novel too.
Hey Cogito, wishcharlie and Anir, thanks for taking the time to welcome me Well wishcharlie and Anir, I suppose my novel is realistic fiction, written in first person narrative. I have only begun it recently but the idea has been floating in my head for a while so I felt it was time to get started on. The main theme is basically growing up and entering the big bad world, with the story beginning on the characters last day of high school. Im going explore the following year and how the characters feels about being forced to grow up, to be constantly thinking about his future and who he is and what he wants in life. He'll have to deal with the pressures of work and college, losing contact with friends, a tragic death, watching his faith slip away, and just always pondering whether this is all thats to come or if things will improve. A fair amount of the story, including most elements of the main character, will be based on me and my life over the past year, as I finished school just over a year ago and I find so much has happened and I've changed so much due to so many things that were difficult to deal with to begin with, but have brought me closer to becoming an adult. I suppose thats what growing up is all about and it's something that everyone can relate to. I do plan on posting up the first few chapters at some point in the near future, after I've browsed a bit more and picked up a few new tips hopefully What is your novel about Anir? I'll definitely give it a read if theres any of it posted up on the forum.
It hasn't been posted yet on the forum, I'm working up to it, you know, getting to know people and reviewing other people before I post. Anyway, my novel is a fantasy story about a girl who is thrown from the world she knows into a world which is completely different, with elves, dwarves, fey and demons. She finds she is the descendant of the greatest warrior of all time, and she has to save the world from the demons, with the help of four other warriors. Along the way, she gets the companionship of a dragon, the ability to command fire, and a mysterious guardian dressed in black. Its a bit more complicated than that, but I suck at summarizing, so I'll stick with this.
Hi James, in my opinion the forum is a great place to post work and give reviews (just make sure you keep giving reviews because that's the way we build up posting credit here). I think you will fit in, I look forward to reviewing work with you, see you 'round.
Hi and welcome I spent my teenage years in Helensburgh and went to Hermitage Academy where I took my Highers, a loooong time ago now! :redface:
I know what you mean, i also want to get a feel for the forum and get to know some people on here beforehand. I must admit that I dont read a lot of fantasy, though your have an interesting story on your hands there and I look forward to reading that and other fantasy work on the forum. Who knows, maybe if I read a lot of the fantasy pieces on here (I get the impression that fantasy seems to be the majority of peoples favourite genre on this forum) then it will bring out in me more of an interest in the genre. Thank you Jonathanhernandez13 and Dalouise, I feel very welcomed thanks to everyone so far, I'm looking forward to learning more about writing and reading and reviewing the various stories everyone has!
